Tag: Americana

Haylie Davis is Keeping Laurel Canyon Sounds Alive and Well

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

California dreaming has become a sonic reality once more. An affinity for 1960s and ‘70s Laurel Canyon sounds is alive and well, including acolytes from onetime Brooklyn punk-rockers across to Los Angeles-based former pop and R&B singers turned country-rockers. A new cohort of such artists based in Tovaangar (the traditional lands of the Tongva, the region including Laurel Canyon and all of what is now called LA) follows Jonathan Wilson’s coronation as “the New King of the Canyon,” and the historical book round-up Canyon of Dreams published at the end of the 2000s.

Influenced by Gram Parsons and other period icons, Northern California-born-and-raised singer-songwriter Haylie Davis is a shining star of this current Laurel Canyon wave. Her debut album Wandering Star – released June 5 on Fire Records – situates her well in the cosmic American music pantheon.

Davis has circled the Los Angeles music scene for a spell with previous musical incarnations being as one-half of country duo Will & Haylie (with Will Worden); the folksy Lady Apple Tree; and under her given name, Haylie Hostetter, contributing vocals to projects of her Canyon-rock peers. Davis descends from the sonic lineage of Jackie DeShannon, whose trailblazing 1968 Laurel Canyon presaged Ladies of the Canyon. Her other key foremothers are Mary McCaslin (Mary Noel Singing Bear, Kiowa Apache) – who got her start at the Troubadour Monday Hoot Night in the late ’60s, often plying imagery of old-timey California and the Wild West – as well as Wendy Waldman, who wrote incisive songs about the tangled love affairs of hip LA.

Davis’s pellucid soprano ascends to the stratosphere, displaying that she has the voice, sounds, and image of a singer-songwriter transported to an LA canyon of yore (she did live in Topanga) – and of a singer-songwriter that could be a big star in 2026. Indeed, Wandering Star, showing a young woman artist with mythopoeic songs with quiet thunder and heartfelt illumination, could be enshrined as Carole King’s Tapestry for a younger generation.

What was your musical upbringing like in Northern California?

Haylie Davis: I was fortunate. My high school had a really good music program, so I was able to take vocal ensemble. But guitar, I would say to this day, I’m not the best at guitar. I mostly just write with guitar. I picked guitar up when I was 16 and have since just been kind of figuring it out.

Do you figure out your songs by ear or do you read music from that teaching?

I don’t know how to read music. I don’t know, honestly, much about music theory. I’d say it’s mostly just by ear. I’ve tried to learn more in-depth about theory, but I feel like my brain has a hard time understanding it. It’s still kind of mysterious. I feel like I learned singing best from just mimicking and singing along to songs consistently.

So, how did the songs from Wandering Star flow to you?

I think it’s just kind of a sequel or it’s just a continuation of my first project, which was Lady Apple Tree. I have one album out under that name, and that album was very much a naive, youthful take on music, just kind of starting out. And I think that Wandering Star is kind of a progression of that into something a little bit more mature, a reflection of more time spent in Los Angeles, the people I’ve associated with, and just a little bit more of a growth, you know? I didn’t sit down and just write the whole album as is; I think songs just kind of trickle in as time goes on. And so those were just my favorites from that passage of time.

What was your approach to producing as you did on the new album? How did you find the studio that you used for it?

So, most of the songs were recorded at my friend’s studio named Ian Doerr. He’s not at the same place anymore, but at the time he was in Highland Park in Los Angeles and he has an all-analog studio called Love Magnet.

And I partnered up with Sam Burton, who was my partner at the time as well, and I would say he was probably one of the biggest influences on the sound. He was kind of like my confidant, someone I’d always be asking for his input and advice and his guidance. He’d been in the music industry longer than I had at that point so he had a lot more insight. I just thought that he has a very, very good ear for production, and I think he’s really good at nailing what a song needs. I call it a partnership just because I feel like he took the lead on most of it, but I also have a very specific way that I want things to sound, certain instruments I want on certain things, and certain drum beats, so I participated in that as well.

How do you command your stage?

I feel like that’s definitely been developed over the years, and it depends on if I’m by myself or with band. I was opening for this band called Nude Party, and they were, at the time, a six-piece or seven-piece band of all dudes. And they were kind of rowdy, you know? I showed up by myself. At first, it was kind of hard wrangling a crowd of people who were there to see a full band just playing by myself. I feel like I was almost catering toward them, trying to win their attention over, and it was hard. I was struggling. And then by maybe the third or fourth show, I remember just being like I don’t care. I’m over this. I’m just gonna go up there and play the songs for me and feel them as deeply as I can. And that show literally just switched the energy; people were receptive.

I learned a lot through that experience. I think I learned that it was about communicating the songs as best as you can. You have to go up there and be strong and be unapologetic.

What is the story behind my favorite of the album’s songs which is “Country Boy?”

I actually wrote that song a long time ago, when I was playing with the first band I toured with which was Sylvie and we were all playing together. And I just came up with this melody, chord progression, and words, and I didn’t do anything with it for maybe two, three years, at all. Then, all of a sudden, the rest of the song kind of came together when I was living in Altadena. I feel like most of the people and men I’ve interacted with in the music scene and just in Los Angeles have been transplants from the Midwest or the South and trying to make it in California.

On the topic of California, how do you feel about previous reviews linking you to the Laurel Canyon scene lineage? Do you identify with any of the artists from that history?

Identify is a strong word. I definitely listen, and I feel like they’re all very much close to my heart, you know, I listen to them quite a bit, and I feel like they’re very formative in my music and also how my life progressed. Linda Ronstadt, and Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell, those figures I feel like musically were very inspiring to me. So, I don’t mind comparisons; I get it. Obviously, my goal is to not replicate but make something of my own.

I saw that you’re a fan of Gram Parsons. Do you have any specific influence from him?

Oh yeah, most definitely! I love him. He’s probably one of my top artists as well. I just think that song “Hickory Wind” is maybe my favorite song. Every time I hear that song, I’m just blown away. He’s huge for me; I’m very inspired by him. I was lucky enough to stay at the hotel room that he passed away in, in Joshua Tree, for a couple nights on New Year’s 2026 – which was really special.

I really think Wandering Star could be an equivalent of Tapestry for your generation. I don’t know if you relate to that statement or not?

Thank you! Oh, wow!

Love. Well, it’s hard. I feel like it’s hard to be completely self-aware of […] it’s hard to see yourself how others see you, you know? I’m just like me, and I’m just out here trying to make it, trying to survive. But I appreciate that; it means a lot. Because it takes a lot of work. I like Carole King as well. But I will say, it’s interesting because I do think that there’s been a kind of exodus out of LA at the moment. I’ve moved to Brooklyn.

Since you’ve moved across Turtle Island do you think the “California Dream” is dead for artists?

I think that there are energy hubs, like New York, LA, certain places that I don’t think it’ll ever fully go away. But I do think that there are seasons for places in cities. And I think that, at least for this specific niche that I’m a part of, I think that it’s a little bit in a low season over in LA. I think that it’s swinging over to New York right now.

Speaking of California dreamin’, I heard that you made pictures previously with my friend the photographer Henry Diltz. Do you think what he shot is like the ones that he did for various legends?

I actually took those a few years back. I was dating this guy named Will Worden who plays music. He lives in LA and I don’t know how he got Henry Diltz’s info, but he did. [Henry] came by and just shot us and it was really, really cool. Like, obviously, he’s a legend. I haven’t really posted any of those photos, so maybe I’ll look back and check them out.

Are there some albums that you find you listen to in emotional times that help you through?

There’s some things I always go back to, but right now, I haven’t really been listening to Joni Mitchell that much. I feel like she’s someone that I can listen to at any time. Right now, I am going through a breakup, and it’s crazy, but I’m surprised by the music that I’ve been listening to… I’ve been really into the first Gipsy Kings album – the second song on that record, it just really hits. I’ve been really feeling it. I love Elliott Smith; I’ve been listening to him.

Oh, I’ve been listening to Anita Ward lately, too. She does “Ring My Bell.” You know that song? And she also has a song called “Spoiled By Your Love” that has been on repeat.

What else about Wandering Star do you want known?

One of the reasons why it feels special to me is because of the people who were working on it, just like how much dedication they shared and it means so much. Just a lot of care from people who didn’t have to do that, but they did. It’s like a nice pin in all of our timelines. It’s coming to a point where we’re all kind of moving in different directions in a lot of ways. And I’m happy to have this shared moment.

I’m just grateful for everybody who participated because honestly it couldn’t have happened especially as I was broke. I didn’t have any money to really do it, and everyone just kind of showed up and was there for it. That doesn’t always happen. You don’t always have people around like that, so I really, really appreciate them for that.

Photo Credit: Sarah Ward

Old Crow Medicine Show’s Americana Commonwealth Canon

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

More than any of the world’s music, the songs of America are a reflection of a national identity and character. We are our songs.

Distilled into a few memorable minutes go the nation’s hopes and aspirations, the glories and tragedies of her past, and the promises of her future. This American canon is as diverse and vast as the country itself – our blues, breakdowns, or corridos are as different as prairies are from coastlines, as the Appalachians are from the Rockies. And yet, somehow, still our sound is a commonwealth, a singular voice rising from the chorus of many just like our national motto purports: “E Pluribus Unum.”

250 years is not a long time in the global scheme, and neither is 28 years of Old Crow Medicine Show‘s reign as an Americana string band. But somehow it is the vigorous and youthful American voice/song/songwriter/band (and not our transoceanic elders) that can best capture the world’s heart and soul in just a few minutes.

In this Mixtape, I’m proud to share some examples of this powerful artistry. You might already know every word to some of these songs while others you may have never heard, yet each is stitched together with a cloth of commonwealth that can only be found of uncommon ancestry. Though the singers may be perfect strangers, the songs that bubble up from our national cauldron are enough to nourish each and all. – Ketch Secor, Old Crow Medicine Show

“Howdy Do America” – Old Crow Medicine Show, Jesse Welles

Jesse Welles came whirling into the studio the other day and helped put a spit shine on this love song about the 50 states. I wondered if he was gonna get excited when he sang “Arkansas” and brother, he did not disappoint. Love this cat. He’s a brother, and I expect we’ll all be singing his tunes for years to come.

“Golden Rocket” – Jim & Jesse

I had the privilege of knowing Jesse McReynolds, even traveling and performing with him, and buddy there’s no wonder why Jerry Garcia thought he was the best of the bluegrassers.

“Field of Opportunity” – Neil Young

I was raised on Neil Young’s unique brand of tall prairie country rock. This track features the great Cajun fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux.

“Heaven Help Us All” – Joan Baez

Joan’s a real hero of mine. She’s like that tree planted by the water we all sing about, unmovable. Of all the singers on this playlist, I can say without a doubt if more people could be like Joan Baez, then this world would be a better place.

“I Wanna Go Country” – Otis Williams & the Midnight Cowboys

I love this Motown singer turned country crooner, and the world would have too, if Nashville hadn’t been so narrow-minded.

“Beautiful Land” – Old Crow Medicine Show, Maggie Rose, Lee Oskar

I wrote this one with a Baháʼí faith elder named Eric Dozier just down the street from the Tennessee State Capitol building. Sometimes politics feel like a fortress. But music has a way of wandering through the keyhole of even the most impenetrable door.

“There’s a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere” – Elton Britt

I played this one for my kids on Memorial Day. They sat through it start to finish, and you should, too. It’s easy to get complacent about the sacrifice our grandparents and great-grandparents made in the 1940’s for each of us. Don’t do it.

“Oasis” – Molly Tuttle

Molly’s my favorite American singer. Here’s one of our travelogue-style songs. I had it stuck in my head all last week at the Tico Time Bluegrass Festival in Aztec, New Mexico.

“The Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia” – Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard

These girls rip. Back at MerleFest in the year 2000, I filled out Old Crow’s first ever W-2 form and gave it, with a shaky hand, to the great Alice Gerrard.

“How’s About You” – Dave Rawlings Machine

The Great Depression gave the world some of its most powerful songs. And even generations later, the events of the 1930s remained powerful enough to inspire music like this.

“Rock of Chickamauga” – Jimmie Driftwood

Songs about the Civil War are some of my favorites in the national cannon. Jimmie Driftwood is one of my favorite songsmiths. He’s an absolute master of the historical ballad.

“Across The Great Divide” – Kate Wolf

I am awestruck by the landscape of the West, and few songwriters can take you there better than the amazing Kate Wolf.

“What Did You Learn in School Today?” – Tom Paxton

I’ve been singing this one since I was a youngin. When I was 12, I discovered my uncle’s weathered copy of Vanguard’s album Newport Broadside: Topical Songs at the Newport Folk Festival 1963, and that was my introduction to Tom.

“The Tramp on the Street” – Molly O’Day

Born in Pike County, Kentucky, she’s one of my favorite bluegrass singers. She first heard this song from Hank Williams on a Birmingham radio station, and it became her signature song. American music has a way of championing the underdog better than most.

“Shenandoah” – Bob Dylan

I think I was 15 when I first heard Bob singing this gem, hidden in the ruffles of one of his more questionable ’80s albums. I thought, “Damn, Bob knows where I’m from.”

“Corrido de John F. Kennedy” – Los Reyes del Corrido

My band has been dabbling in conjunto for two decades now. We got to learn this one for next time we play the big D (Dallas).

“Which Side Are You On” – The Weavers

No collection of American songs is complete without a protest piece from the labor movement, the first dark corner where the full power of American music was unleashed.

“The City of New Orleans” – Arlo Guthrie

When we play Chicago, I always talk about Steve Goodman, who wrote this song. I sure would have liked to have known the guy. Thankfully his music will last forever.

“Cowboy National Anthem” – O.B. McClinton

O.B. left this world before he was fully known by the country music fanbase that would soon send black country singers consistently to the top of the charts. He was a man before his time, but the music he made reminds us that, just like Ray Charles said, “Country music is black music.”

“Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” – Old Crow Medicine Show

We love Woody Guthrie, and this is one of the numerous songs of his we’ve recorded through the years. In a nation of immigrants (I’m a French Huguenot), it’s hard to imagine how we could exist without a steady flow of new members to our American family.

“Big Backyard” – Molly Tuttle

When Molly and I wrote this, it was on account of having a massive vacant lot behind the house we were composing in. Now that same lot is full of little yellow flags and “coming soon” signs. Yet still we sing, louder this time.

“For What It’s Worth” – Buffalo Springfield

A few years back, I had the distinct pleasure of sharing an elevator with Stephen Stills, author of this earthquaking song which Buffalo Springfield recorded in 1966 – and we covered this year on our new album, Union Made. I wanted to tell him thanks, gush, and get my picture made. Instead, I stood quietly until he rasped, “I heard your soundcheck. Great band you got there. Keep ‘em together if ya can.” Thanks, I will Stephen.

“Louder Than Guns” – Old Crow Medicine Show

This summer, PBS stations across the country are broadcasting the film we spent three years making in a half-dozen tour stops along our travels. It’s a movie about bringing together the disparate ends of the 2nd Amendment debate during an era in which guns kill innocent Americans at shocking rates. It’s a tall order, coming together to flatten the curve, seeing past our silos and personal politics, but in town after town I watched people listening across the divide. As easy as it is to be hopeless, the film has made me hopeful we’ll get beyond this impasse and prioritize the safety of our communities. This song is the theme of this film.

“American Tune” – Allen Toussaint

I’m glad you made it through to the end. Old Crow opened up for the great Allen Toussaint in the Berkshires back around 2011. The record featuring this song had just come out and when he launched into it, I was nearly knocked off my feet. So powerful. So simple. Says it all.

Photo Credit: Ed Rode

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Swamp Dogg, Allison Russell, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Another week, another batch of excellent new roots music! You Gotta Hear This…

There’s plenty of Good Country to enjoy below, as we kick things off with Dallas Burrow’s brand new track, “Underdog.” In his heart of hearts, Burrow has always considered himself something of an outsider. He channels the angst and emotion of being an underdog through the rocking, passionate crescendo of the gritty country track. Then we immediately follow that up with more from similar sonic territory, as Whey Jennings and Karen Waldrup join forces on a song they co-wrote, “Damned If I Stay.” We’re sharing the new video for the number, a thoughtful Outlaw-steeped ballad that was begging for the duet treatment – which Jennings and Waldrup execute very well. It’s as relatable as it is personal.

In bluegrass (or from nearby!), banjoist Max Wareham launches his new album, If The Cosmos Were Whiskey…, today. To celebrate, we’re sharing the music video for “Closer To You,” as cosmic and enchanting as the record title. It’s experimental string band music that falls somewhere in the nebulous territory between neo-folk, indie, and trance. The psychedelia of jamgrass, but more deliberate and “slowed down.” When you read Wareham’s inspiration behind the track, these connections make even more sense.

Also arriving directly from the magical musical cosmos is a new track from the ethereal Allison Russell. Timed for release on Juneteenth, “Black Lavender” features Brittney Spencer and is a song about extending grace, comfort, and care – and the importance of community to lift each other up. “We saved this song for Juneteenth for a reason,” she explains. “Black women have been showing up for each other in this way as long as we’ve been here, and we can’t stop, won’t stop now!” Listen to the timely track below.

You’ll also want to hear new music from an Americana legend Swamp Dogg. His new album, Swamp Dogg Contemplates The Afterlife, is out today. But the Dogg doesn’t want you to be too concerned that our roundup selection, “Final Approach” is about mortality. “‘Final Approach’ uses an airliner metaphor, but it’s more about a homecoming than dealing with the end of life,” he explains via email. “[But], I’m OK with this ‘final approach,'” he continues. “I’ve been blessed and that’s something to sing about.” The song is smooth, grooving, and dripping with Swamp Dogg’s personality.

It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Dallas Burrow, “Underdog”

Artist: Dallas Burrow
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Song: “Underdog”
Album: Modern Day Vagabond
Release Date: June 17, 2026 (single); September 25, 2026 (album)
Label: 40 Below Records

In Their Words: “Like the character Dally from The Outsiders – a rebel through and through – in my heart of hearts, I’ve always felt like a little bit of an outsider, an outlier, an underdog, but I always found that, on some level, to be a point of pride. It gives you a unique perspective when you’re on the outside looking in. That’s the basic spirit of this song, though it was also inspired somewhat by my own experiences within the music business, where so many people are telling you who they think you are and how things ought to be done. Usually in some attempt to conform you to their vision of who you ought to be, when each of us, ultimately, has our own path.

“I grew up listening to hard rock and metal as a kid, before I got into the more restrained approach of the singer-songwriters who I have come to love and admire. But there’s always something in me that, at some point, wants to dig in, let loose, and rock out, so it was very liberating for me to lay this track down. It gave me a chance to scream my heart out a little bit in the song’s crescendo; a guttural catharsis that is hard to achieve through any other means except rock ‘n’ roll.

“The band really brings this one to life: Mark Tokach’s searing electric guitar, Larry Chaney’s booming distorted baritone, Kullen Fox’s fiery B3 organ track, Katie Shore providing her tastefully avant-garde harmony part in the chorus, legendary producer Mike McClure on second acoustic guitar, and Adam Odor on bass, and finally Cameron Martin from my touring band on drums, who comes from a rock ‘n’ roll background – and who were all chomping at the bit to rock this one out.” – Dallas Burrow

Whey Jennings & Karen Waldrup, “Damned If I Stay”

Artist: Whey Jennings
Hometown: West Texas
Song: “Damned If I Stay” with Karen Waldrup
Album: Baptized By Fire
Release Date: June 18, 2026 (video/single)
Label: Dirt Rock Empire

In Their Words: “‘Damned If I Stay’ is about being caught between staying and leaving when both choices hurt. It’s that tension a lot of people don’t talk about. This song called for a duet and Karen’s voice added the contrast that helped bring the full emotion of the story to life.” – Whey Jennings

“Writing this song with Whey Jennings was such a career highlight for me. He is such an emotional singer and that’s what this song needed. I have such a special friendship with Whey and it’s incredible to see that friendship spotlighted on such a personal song for both of us from our own life experiences.” – Karen Waldrup

Video Credits: Director/producer – Gio Gotay.

Allison Russell, “Black Lavender”

Artist: Allison Russell
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Song: “Black Lavender” with Brittney Spencer
Album: In The Hour of Chaos
Release Date: June 19, 2026 (single); July 10, 2026 (album)
Label: Fantasy Records

In Their Words: “We are swimming in rivers – flash floods! – of adrenaline right now. ‘Black Lavender’ is a song about extending grace and soothing comfort to a chosen sister… the kind I have trouble extending to myself. But the beautiful thing is, she’s the same way – and she gives it all back and some. Brittney Spencer is a voice for all the ages who we need right now. We saved this song for Juneteenth for a reason. Black women have been showing up for each other in this way as long as we’ve been here, and we can’t stop, won’t stop now! Incomparable . That’s what we all are, you know? Precious… magical.” – Allison Russell

Video Credit: Directed by Athena Kulb.

Swamp Dogg, “Final Approach”

Artist: Swamp Dogg
Hometown: Portsmouth, Virginia
Song: “Final Approach”
Album: Swamp Dogg Contemplates The Afterlife
Release Date: June 19, 2026
Label: S-Curve Records

In Their Words: “‘Final Approach’ uses an airliner metaphor, but it’s more about a homecoming than dealing with the end of life. That’s something that’s inevitable, but the life I’ve lived has been truly fulfilling and I remain both hopeful and thankful. I cite some of the music pioneers – Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Chuck Willis – who went before their time. While I’ve come as far as I have for as long as I have, and that’s something spiritually uplifting. The great work of those guys lives on and so do I, which is why I’m OK with this ‘final approach.’ I’ve been blessed and that’s something to sing about.” – Swamp Dogg

Max Wareham, “Closer To You”

Artist: Max Wareham
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Closer To You”
Album: If The Cosmos Were Whiskey…
Release Date: June 19, 2026

In Their Words: “I wrote this one thinking about 8th-century Chinese mountain poets and Milarepa, the Tibetan yogi who sang his way to enlightenment in a cave, which is either the most pretentious thing you’ll read this week or the most honest. There’s a figure wandering through it, searching for something that keeps shape-shifting: person, place, idea. The song refuses to say, and that refusal is the whole point. To me, it has the patience of something that’s been waiting a long time.

“Chris Sartori, formerly of Twisted Pine, plays an inspired bass part like he’s keen on the trail of this ghost. Give it a listen and see what you think you’re looking for.” – Max Wareham

Track Credits:
Max Wareham – Banjo, vocals
Jack Holland – Guitar
Chris Sartori – Bass
Karl Helander – Percussion
Lily Sexton – Harmony vocals

Video Credits: Grant Bouvier

Photo Credit: Swamp Dogg by Cooper Davidson; Allison Russell by Mason Poole.

Folk Files: There Was Two Brothers

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Whereas “The Two Sisters” murder ballad is a complete, coherent story, “Two Brothers” is messy. What’s the motive? Who are these brothers? Who kills whom?

In this episode of Folk Files, we search for the answers to these questions… and discover a dark hypothesis for why the story is so vague.

(Content warning: this episode discusses themes that may not be appropriate for children.)

LISTEN: APPLE • AMAZON • REDCIRCLE • MP3

For a list of all musical excerpts used in this episode, click here.
Explore the Derek Piotr Fieldwork Archive.
Support Folk Files by joining our Patreon.

Host: Olivia Harding
Assistant Producer: Aaron J. Morton

Dreamy Folk Artist Satya Looks Back and Moves Forward

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The release of a debut album is a momentous accomplishment for an artist. For singer-songwriter Satya, the June 5 arrival of her first full-length, Yellow House, also represents the culmination of a long and emotional journey.

A Bay Area native who recently moved to Los Angeles, Satya initially started writing the songs for this album in early 2020, with the soon-arriving pandemic serving to provide her time to work on her music along with delving into her own journals, where she explored her feelings involving growing up in a household that was both abusive and loving.

The songs on Yellow House certainly reflect this duality of emotions. Her lyrics touch upon moments of madness, darkness, and desertion, while also offering up the possibility of escape and survival. Her singing holds an alluring calmness even as she’s addressing some highly charged topics. The album’s laid-back music, which combines elements of neo-soul, dreamy folk, hushed blues, and smokey jazz, serves to support her subdued vocals, creating an inviting, enveloping sound. The blending of musical styles suits someone who has played in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, sung (and lived) in New Orleans, and performed at San Francisco JazzFest and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass back on her Bay Area home turf.

Satya, following some work with another producer, recorded Yellow House back around 2023 with noted blues guitarist/producer Colin Linden (Keb’ Mo’, T Bone Burnett, Bruce Cockburn) at his home studio in Nashville. When she spoke with BGS, she talked about Linden’s important contributions to the record – as well as the significance of covering Lucinda Williams’ “Fruits of My Labor” and the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain,” the influence of Mazzy Star, and how the release of Yellow House is both a proud moment and a bittersweet one.

How did this album, Yellow House, come together?

Satya: I started writing this project in 2020. The first song I started with was “Circles.” Then the pandemic hit. I was going through a lot at the time with family stuff. I really started writing a lot of the songs for myself.

It was something that I was working on. Then the years would go by and I would kind of put it down and work on a side project. This one always just felt so personal that I wanted it to feel right, and I wanted it to really capture sonically what I wanted.

Do you feel that your sound evolved from your prior EPs (2022’s Deep Blue and 2020’s Flourish Against Fracture) or is more like a continuation of your earlier work?

This album feels like a continuation of [my] first EP I released, in a way, sonically. … I have other stuff out that definitely feels more like soul- and R&B-forward. This one, I feel like, went back into the folky, more Americana style. I don’t even think it was kind of subconscious. It was just the songs that were happening sounded that way. And I think it definitely captures a sound that I just naturally gravitate towards.

One thing that I really loved about the album was the way your singing and the instrumentation floated harmoniously with each other – and I was wondering how you achieved this airy, lived-in feeling?

That’s a good question. I know what sounds I’m drawn to. I reference Mazzy Star a lot for this project. I’ve always kind of felt listening to her, [Mazzy Star lead singer Hope Sandoval] and listening to that band, there’s a whole world that you get sucked into sonically.

This album really is based off of my past and [is] kind of a world. So, I felt like I wanted to create that same spatial sonic feeling. I think, for me, what draws me into those spaces, I think I’ve just taken notes of other artists that I love. And I love slide guitar a lot. I love the organ. I love the Rhodes. I love things that feel like reverb or taking up space.

I grew up singing in choirs and church. So, being in a wide room and hearing sounds bounce off the wall, I really wanted to make sure that the tracks felt not too airbrushed. I wanted everything to feel very raw and, you know, some things are one take.

Colin also definitely had to remind me, too – because I like to contradict myself – as much as I love everything sounding raw, I’m a]perfectionist. So, if we’re going to do it in one take, I need to do a hundred takes. But he was very good, I think, at kind of sifting through and just like allowing things to be.

How did you get together with Colin Linden as your producer?

I met him like two years before we actually recorded the album. I connected with him through my manager, Phil Green, who used to work with an artist named Fantastic Negrito. And I believe Fantastic Negrito had been working with Colin Linden. So, he was recommended to me. At the time I was living in New Orleans, too. So, I was like, “Okay, Nashville is close.” And I made my way out there.

Actually, one of the songs on the project, “Heaven’s Cry,” we just wrote that day – the first time I met him. Then, a few years later, we brought the album to him.

How big of a contribution did he make on the album?

He is a huge part of how the sound came out, and just like how the album came out. First of all, his studio is like my dream studio. He has a home studio in the back of his house. It’s like separate, through his backyard. It’s beautiful. And he just collects so many vintage, old guitars, mics and equipment.

I really just loved his approach, too, because a lot of these songs I came with were fully written. A lot of [what he did] was just kind of restructuring [the songs] or him taking the lead with rearranging.

We spent a week. I flew out to Nashville. We recorded every day, and it just felt really organic. I think that’s also why I really gravitated towards working with him. I just really loved his approach to music and also just his passion for it.

I don’t like using a lot of auto-tune or things on my voice. I really love performing live and I also love performing with a band – just having the live instrumentation… Colin loves live tracking and bringing in instrumentalists and all of that. So, yeah, I just gravitated towards working with him and it just felt really comfortable.

There was a lot of live tracking during the week you were at his studio?

Yeah, definitely. I brought the vocal stems to him. I had kind of recorded all these songs with a different producer, and then we put it down. So, I brought all the stems with me. Some stuff I already had tracked, but some of the stuff we fully reopened. He’s all over it playing slide guitar. His wife actually was playing organ on a lot of the tracks. We brought in an amazing bassist who is playing upright on some of it and a live drummer. So, we definitely had a lot of live tracking.

How significant was it to have done some work with Colin before getting into the studio with him?

I think I was very used to – especially because of the pandemic – being in my own studio and being kind of isolated with writing, which I think there’s a lot of beauty in, too. But that was the first time in a long time where it was just a full week dedicated to just “the art.” And I think that was really special.

The song “Circles” was the first one that you recorded, and did that song show you a way into the album and led to the songs connecting with each other?

Yeah, definitely. I wrote “Circles” and it just kind of sparked all the other songs – and just the concept, too, I think. “Circles” just opened up the idea; it felt like that song was needed to be next to others. “Circles” definitely felt like, sonically, “Oh, okay, this sound feels really nice.” And I think it kind of creates the world for all the other songs to live in.

The album contains two covers – Lucinda Williams’ “Fruits of My Labor” and the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain.” How did they become part of this album?

When I perform covers, I try my best to embody the song or embody the lyrics and tie them to my own feelings.

Well, “Fruits of My Labor” – I loved that song forever and ever. I didn’t plan to have that on the album. It was the first day that I came to Colin’s house. I had been covering that song [since] when I was doing small tours with my band. We were doing an arrangement of it, I played it for Colin, and he was like, “Okay, so we’re tracking that right now!” I was listening to that song so much after the pandemic and her lyrics just really stuck with me.

And then “Box of Rain”… that was another song that I had covered. My grandfather, he loves that song a lot. I grew up listening to it and I just love the lyrics. I wanted to add it on the album too, just because the whole album is around my family. “Box of Rain” really reflects to me just so much beauty, as well, in my family. When I hear that song, it just reminds me of a lot of the joy and a lot of the sweetness. So, I wanted to add that too.

When did this week of recording take place?

I think it was 2023.

So, it has taken some time to get it all done?

Yeah, I took a while for sure. You know, if I lived in Nashville, after that week, I could have gone back and listened to everything. But a lot of it was kind of one and done, so it was a lot of him sending me tons of different forms of the mixes and me writing feedback and going back and forth – getting the project mixed and mastered, and then everything else around it. But, yeah, it was a long time coming.

It must be really an emotional experience to have these songs finally coming out?

Yeah, it definitely is. It feels like a mixture of emotions for sure, because I’ve sat on these songs for so long. I think it’s just like – with a lot of musicians, I’ve heard and I’ve always felt this way – by the time a song is ready to release, I’ve already heard it a thousand times and I wrote it years ago. A lot of these songs were heavier, so they were a way for me to process everything I was feeling. It definitely feels like a release to be able to just finally let it all go and give it away.

I feel like I had to really take a step back when this project was done and just look at my own personal life over the last six years – and how much I think I’ve grown and overcome and a lot of things I feel have healed. It feels like, I think, a lot of things at once. I think I feel very proud and also very bittersweet from that time.

I think that also just writing this project kind of showed me the power in music and art, and how much it can bring, and cultivate so much healing, and connection with other people even. Like the conversations just kind of sparked by sharing these stories have been really special. But at the same time, I’m going to be unwrapping a lot of this stuff forever and I think it will always spiral outward, you know.

Photo Credit: Lola Lankford

The Other 22 Hours: Annie & Cranston Clements

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

What does it mean to treat music not as a commodity, but as a multi-generational way of life? We sit down with father-daughter side musicians Cranston and Annie Clements. Cranston, a cornerstone of New Orleans music history, has played guitar with royalty like Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and Irma Thomas. His daughter Annie is a bass player for massive acts including Sugarland, Maren Morris, and Hootie & the Blowfish.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

The duo brings a unique perspective on lineage, structural hurdles, and the profound beauty of side musicians’ journeys. Annie shares her vital advocacy work supporting motherhood in the music industry, including working to correct the stark lack of childcare infrastructure in touring. Meanwhile, Cranston details his wild roots in the 1960s counterculture and how a single performance could dismantle a lifetime of prejudice. It is a study on what it truly means to be a “joy facilitator.”

In This Episode:

Annie Clements
Cranston Clements
Ep 151 – Rob Moose
Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band
Tuesday Night Rodeo Club
Maren Morris
Doja Cat
Joy Oladokun
Bad Bunny
Motorhead
Dr John
Boz Scaggs
Maria Muldaur
A Uterus is a Feature Not a Bug – Sarah Lacy
Lucinda Williams
Angine de Poitrine

Go Deeper: 

Watch: View this entire conversation above or on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (producer, mixer, musician) and Michaela Anne (songwriter, artist, creative coach). More about Aaron’s work. More about Michaela Anne’s work.

Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

Photo Credit: Michael Weintrob

BGS 5+5: Benny Bleu

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Benny Bleu
Hometown: Hemlock, New York
Latest Album: When I Am a Fossil (released June 5, 2026)
Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): My real name is Benjamin Haravitch. I like it just fine, and maybe someday I’ll release music as that guy. For now, Benny Bleu helps out.

Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?

Early on in my old-time journey, I became obsessed with the fiddling of Rayna Gellert. I said to myself, “I want to play the banjo like she plays the fiddle.” And that goal still stands. I love the way she records and releases music, especially her latest duo albums with Kieran Kane and also alongside Joachim Cooder. The music is accessible and rooted in traditional old-time music and also totally fresh with a clear point of view. Most importantly, it feels good and flows with perpetual motion. All things I try to do with the music I make.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When I was about four years old, a new neighbor moved in next door. Gary. He had a band called Wilderness Family (banjo, fife, snare drum, upright bass, accordion) and I remember them playing for us in my driveway. When I was eight or so, the band threw a party in my backyard and invited all their freaky musician friends who camped out and jammed and juggled all weekend. I eventually grew up, but I don’t think I ever left that party. For a while I tried to work a 9-to-5 as a geologist. But the songs never stopped ringing in my head! I knew there was no avoiding the fact that I make music and that’s just what I do.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do they impact your work?

All of the music I make is an echo of my relationship with the earth. Even the way I tour reflects this, primarily getting around on Amtrak. My new record When I Am a Fossil is entirely focused on our place in nature. In the title track, I reflect on my past life as an environmental geologist. Scientists in the deep future might find vast evidence of our human experiment, but will they ever find the steps we didn’t take?

I live in upstate New York, in a region known as the Finger Lakes. Two of these lakes – Canadice and Hemlock – have been lasting muses for me. Ancient worlds that have witnessed glaciation, generations of native cultures, colonial progress come and gone, and now provide water for the city of Rochester. This is a story I tell in the song “Abbey Lovely.” And “All I Want to Be” is a meditation on awe and the simple pleasure of being “here” in our place in nature.

Does pineapple really belong on pizza?

All toppings belong. Especially the under-represented ones, like pineapple. If a pizza is provided with a supportive crust, a zesty sauce, and savory cheese, then all toppings will manifest greatness. I don’t do the social medias, but in my newsletters I like to let my fans know where my favorite pies are as I travel around. I usually go for a simple slice of cheese.

What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?

The element of music that speaks to me most is rhythm. So I tend to love drummers and rhythmically adventurous musicians. I love Latin music. I love Fela Kuti and James Brown. Music that holds the groove above all else. Bernard Purdie, the legendary session drummer, is one of my favorite musicians and I hear a lot of similarity in how he keeps a song moving with how an old-time fiddler creates that perpetual forward motion. My desert-island-all-time favorite track would have to be “Sugar” by Stevie Wonder.

Photo Credit: Kyle Sackett

Amy Grant Launches New Podcast Exploring The Me That Remains

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Amy Grant didn’t set out to make her first album of original material in more than a decade. What started as a way to reconnect with herself gradually became The Me That Remains (released May 8), a deeply personal collection of songs about healing and finding ourselves again.

As a compendium to the project and in tandem with host Khalil Ekulona, Grant has launched a new podcast that invites listeners to delve deeper into the stories behind the songs and learn more about what and who shaped the record. (Watch the first episode of the podcast, which has just premiered, below.)

I recently sat down to speak with Grant about the unexpected path that led to The Me That Remains, which she created alongside producer Mac McAnally – full disclosure, that’s my dad. Her candid reflection on some of her life’s most difficult moments was crafted into something that deeply resonates with her fans and is a great reminder that sometimes, when we close a door or two, we open new ones.

Well, I feel very honored to have been tapped to do this, and I also think it’s an interesting perspective because I got to have a backseat to the making of this record through Dad’s eyes. I know he’s told you, but he was just so thrilled and joyful to work on this. We had some screen-free, dedicated listening sessions in the studio and he gave me lots of behind-the-scenes stories about the recordings and some of the stories behind the songs. It was a really special time for me to get to see him through that process, and I hope you know how much it meant to him.

But I was curious as to what led you to pick him for this project.

Amy Grant: I didn’t realize we were doing a project. I reached out to Mac when I had written a song, really the first lyric that I wrote as I was launching into being creative.

To me, this whole project was such a chapter of life that was a recovery journey. I had a bike wreck the summer of 2022 and then not quite two years later I had to go back to Vanderbilt to see a neuropsychologist to get my new baseline. I did a day of testing. I received three different scores. Two were in the 90s, and a third was under 30 percent. I was like, “Oh my gosh, this makes total sense to me.” It makes sense how I’m experiencing life. Everything is happening in the family room, and I’m down the hall in a back bedroom, three steps behind.

The doctor asked how it was exhibiting in my life and I said, “I feel a slow withdrawal in me from everything.” And his advice was, “Lean in. Lean into the things that matter to you, even when you feel uncomfortable. If you feel like you are three beats behind, lean in.”

Within a few weeks, I had created a space in my home to be creative, because creativity is leaning in for me. My watercolors. My dress-up clothes. I know it sounds silly, but my grandkids and I dress up. And I have a record player and my 45 collection and my instruments. Creativity always grounds me, always makes me glad to be alive.

When I created that space, I sat down in the only chair in the room – which is a child’s chair – and top to bottom, I wrote the lyrics to “The Me That Remains.”

Wow.

I was just talking to myself and said, “Hey, this is who you are.” At the time, I was bored with my own musical ideas and still dealing with my short-term memory. I reached out to Mac to say, “I’ve got a lyric. Any chance you would help me with some music?” I think I instinctively reached out to him because he’s fun to be with and a great storyteller. On some level, I trusted him as a person and I felt at ease.

He said, “I’m so busy right now; this could take a while.” Weeks would go by, but he’d say, “I think I’m on to something.” Months went by. I told him, “No sacred cow. Change anything you want.”

In the meantime, I was leaning into creativity and lyrics were coming. So I initiated more conversation with Mac and let him know I was writing more songs. By the end of 2024, life was busy for all of us, but I reached back out and told him that I had two songs I would love to record. “Any chance you would put together a rhythm section? Would you oversee this?” It was such a natural step, and he said yes. But we didn’t have a contract. I didn’t have a record deal. That’s how the whole rest of the record emerged. Weeks would go by, and I would reach out and tell him I had more songs.

“Any chance we can do that again?”

Six weeks later, he’d booked a double session. By then, he was saying, “Hey, I’ve got some songs I’d like to play you.” A month later, we had another session, and then he said, “Hey, we’ve got a whole record.” I so appreciate Mac and his style of producing. It is “come as you are.” He’s very welcoming of everyone’s ideas.

My friends joke about me that it feels like I could hobble together my life, clearly and completely, with a roll of duct tape and a roll of twine. I couldn’t care less if things are perfect. And I really found a great creative match in Mac. He’ll work on something exhaustively. He’ll sing every potential background part until he knows what he wants, and that’s what he’ll ask the singer to do. But he’s also open to things. He looks for honesty and believability over perfection.

And Mac and Vince [Gill] are old friends, and they get in the same room, and the storytelling starts. You feel lucky to be in that space.

That’s wonderful. I find it very inspiring that creating the space for yourself and pulling together the things that make you feel like you helped open those gates. Do you feel like they’re still open?

I do. Yes. I was in that space today. It’s funny. It’s just a little pass-through room, but you can actually close the doors. We live in a house that’s very open and sprawling. There’s not a space that I can close the door and feel like nobody’s going to walk in. I think sometimes, for some of us, that’s important creatively.

I nicknamed that space “Craftopia,” and I was encouraged to create that space by my youngest daughter. She pointed out that there are lots of places to sit, but no place that I can cloister away. She said, “This house, you’ve got a lot of places to sit.” I love to cook, but our kitchen’s wide open. I’ve got my desk with all my books, but it’s a pass-through area. It’s like my life is an open passageway. And just to say it was okay for me to close the doors, be alone, and welcome myself. That’s good for everybody.

Well, that’s a good segue, talking about your daughter. One of the things that gave a twinkle to Dad’s eye was your daughters singing on this record. He loved that process. Can you talk a bit about what that was like for you, and what brought that about?

Well, I have two daughters singing on this project and my daughter Sarah was singing on a song that I wrote with Tom Douglas. Sarah sang underneath me on the song, “The Other Side of Goodbye,” and I wanted Corinna to sing above me. She quietly asked Mac, “I’m not asking to be on the record, but would you let me have the experience of going into the vocal booth? Can I sing with my mom on this song, ‘Beautiful Lone Companion’? I listen to it all the time, and I have all these parts that I sing.”

And I’ll never forget what Mac said to Corinna. He said, “Corinna, you will spend the rest of your life taking what is in your head creatively and getting it out, and then deciding if you like it. I got nothing but time.” She went and got her journal and she had done a chart, just like with solfège. I don’t really know the do-re-me-fa-sol-la-ti-do, like I wouldn’t know how to make a chart with that, but she had made a vocal chart. She ran through it once and asked if she could have another track to double the part and Mac said, “You just saved me from asking you to do that.”

Here’s what was so beautiful. Mac had hired an arranger to do what he was calling a “mandolin symphony” that took up that same space as her parts. His openness to hearing what she had was so lovely. To watch him look at that song, or listen through her lens. At one point, she asked me to come into the vocal booth to listen, and I wrapped my arms around her and she burst into tears. Vince was in the doorway and he came in and we had this three-way hug.

It is true that music comes to us and through us. Creativity is a sacred space. With songwriting, I find that if I’m writing with someone in the same room, you can have an idea musically or lyrically and they’ll say, “Okay, sing it to me.” But I’ll get choked up, even if it is a fun song, because the emotion of landing on something is, well, hard to explain. But it is emotional.

I have this very silly thing that I’ve had since I was a kid, where if I sing gibberish, just words flowing out of my mouth, I cry. It can be the silliest noises coming out. It makes my husband laugh so hard. I can do it at the drop of a hat. Immediately, tears stream down my face. It feels like a deep emotion that I can’t really put my finger on. Not joy, not sadness.

Free. It’s free. We’re all born with a freedom to just be. To classify, not categorize. And we lose that. I think anything we can do to return us to being childlike is good.

Now I want to hear you sing gibberish. I’m not going to ask you to do it right now, but I think I want to try that. It’s funny because, six months ago I started doing a pattern of movements in the mornings, and I do it consistently. It is basically just moving like a child. I call it child’s play. It always makes me laugh.

That’s wonderful.

It is a pattern that I do four times a day: first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and a couple of times during the day. I’m just mimicking the way children move. If you want to be exhausted, follow a 2-year-old around for five minutes and do what they do. There is not a pilates workout that will put you through [that]…

Well, I’m actually really excited that we’re talking after the release of this album, because I’m curious to hear about how you feel about it now that you’ve been able to play this in front of audiences. What has it been like to be out in the world with these songs?

Well, it has felt so comfortable. The response I’ve mostly gotten is that people say, “I feel like I’m stepping into a conversation that’s already going on in my head. You are singing my life.”

I know that there’s such a welcoming, honest observation of life in all these songs. And the songs that are hard are never “us and them.” You know, whatever we’re sitting in, we helped create it. And if there’s moving on, then we will think of a way to move on. The record is very observational and honest and hopeful.

It just makes me so glad to be making music at 65, because my intention is not to try to be center stage anywhere. Job well done is just the experience of creativity. You can’t control it. This project has been met with exponentially more positive feedback than I ever imagined. Well, I didn’t imagine anything. I was just glad for the experience, and that was the gift. The gift was being in the studio with all those incredible musicians, and with Mac.

At the end of the third day of recording, we were just sitting around and Glenn Worf said, “You know, when I first came to Nashville, I wanted to be in a band and I had several misfires, and then that dream kind of went by the wayside. I became a studio player and that’s been great. Time and technology are kind of editing that experience in all of our lives. But we all just had the experience in the studio of feeling like we are in your band.”

I had that same experience. I love my road band. Music truly creates road families. But that experience of being in the room with everyone, Chris Stone at the soundboard, I mean, everybody. I’m so glad we had that.

Yeah, that was a lovely group of deep-feeling people in one room.

Has your relationship to the songs evolved now that they’re out in the world? Have you fallen more deeply in love with any particular song on the album since it’s out there?

Well, first off, these songs all wear well with time, and the relationship I had to develop with the songs was to not get choked up because you can’t sing with a lump in your throat. With “How Do We Get There From Here,” I got to sing that with the Staten Island PS22 fourth- and fifth-graders. I had to steel myself. It’s just hard not to get emotional. Kind of the same as when you are doing your gibberish singing. I feel a greater appreciation for each one of the songs.

The songwriting, whether it’s the songs I wrote alone or with other people, nothing happens without great patience, intention, and time. I know that each one of the writers on this took a great deal of time and attention and patience writing these songs, and I feel very grateful for it.

I’m reminded of the story about Sherwood Anderson and William Faulkner when Faulkner was experiencing some misses, and Anderson encouraged him to write about what he knew. And that is when he created Yoknapatawpha County. It doesn’t matter how specific something is to you. It will resonate with others.

I feel like this record is a great example of that because it is very specific to you. To that pass-through room with the closed doors. To everything that you have been through in the past few years. It is resonating because it is specific.

Let’s talk about the new podcast, The Me That Remains, hosted by Khalil Ekulona. It’s a wonderful companion to the record. Tell me how it came about with Khalil and what it was like to make it.

I met Khalil when he was a guest in our home for Easter one year. My sisters and I all cook. My nieces and nephews add to it. It is definitely a big spread, and I’m always meeting people in my home because somebody else invited them.

I was on a Southwest flight not too long ago, and the flight attendant said, “I came to a party at your house once.” And I said, “I thought you looked familiar.” I’m the youngest in my family, and there were just always people in my parents’ house. And so an open door is the way I grew up.

I met Khalil, and then he invited me to be on [the show he hosted on WPLN], “This Is Nashville.” It’s such a rich exploration of Nashville, and I so enjoyed talking to him that when it was time to create some material, we chose him as the interviewer. He’s such a lovely human, and so thoughtful. I enjoyed my first conversations about these songs being with him.

That’s wonderful. I particularly loved the episode about the album artwork. The way it was pulled together is really beautiful. I strongly encourage readers to check out that episode. It’s wonderful.

Every one of our lives should be turned into a multimedia art piece, because only you know what is important to you.

That’s right.

When you see it all gathered together, it’s extraordinary. I had so many collections when I was younger. Now I’m kind of at the point of passing things on or letting go, and I do think there are stages in our lives.

There’s a collection stage, when you are appreciating that season of life, whatever it is, and the things that you’ve collected. And then there comes a time to lighten the load. And to leave a minimal imprint in some areas, you know?

Photo Credit: Ed Rode

Gina Leslie’s “Making Music with My Friends” Playlist

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This Mixtape brings a spotlight to the vibrant community that I call home in New Orleans. This is a list of some recordings I’ve been part of as a side musician. There are so many bands that I have played and recorded with through the years, I feel honored to be at their sides. Here are a few memories of moments from the making of these records – and I’ve noted what I contributed to each song.

Thank you for trusting me with your tunes! The life I love is making music with my friends…

I should make a disclaimer – my memories run together and I can’t always remember complete credits for every person on every song… forgive me, for I know these are incomplete! There are so many people who work behind the scenes. One thing I realized while writing this list and wanted to note: Ross Farbe (Video Age) is either a recording engineer, mixing engineer, producer or performer on almost half of these songs. He mixed my whole record. It’s often those working just out of view who make the magic happen. – Gina Leslie

“The World Is Changing” – Gina Leslie 

I’ll start off this listening session with the opening track of my new album, I Love You Always No Matter What Happens. I wrote this song sitting around a campfire on a long haul drive from Louisiana to Colorado while going through it. I went to therapy and all I got was this self-love and ability to cope?!? I’m obsessed with the guitar riff that my co-producer Nat Smith added after the hook.

“Little Things” – Bella White

(Bass, harmony vocals.) It’s been a treat to record on Bella’s new album and play in her live band for the past few years. When we met, we immediately clicked about our similar bluegrass childhoods and endless love of singing three-part harmony, and we never looked back. We recorded this album at our friend’s house by the levee in New Orleans.

“Had To” – Esther Rose

(Bass, harmony vocals.) After playing with Esther here and there through the years, we finally got together for a full record together. I loved playing bass and singing harms on her album Want, recorded live to tape at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville. Esther is a well of songs and I’m constantly inspired by her commitment to writing.

“New Believers” – Sam Gelband

(Bass, harmony vocals.) I’ve been playing in different versions of Sam’s band for a long time and we recorded his new album at his house in New Orleans. There’s something about his songs that makes me perfectly happy and sad at the same time. Sam and I are also a rhythm section team, playing with a lot of the bands on this list.

 “Jay’n Bee Club” – Max Bien Kahn

(Acoustic guitar, harmony vocals.) Max and I have both been playing bass in each other’s live bands for years. This song is from his upcoming unreleased album where everyone switched instruments constantly; sometimes we would do a take of a song and then everyone swap and do another take. I love how alive it feels.

 “Louisiana Hound Dog” – Sabine McCalla

(Bass, harmony vocals.) I’ve got a Louisiana hound dog of my own and she goes wild for Sabine, much like most anyone who hears her. The recording session for this album was the beginning of me playing in Sabine’s band and we’ve been all over the place since then. I love how this album covers so much sonic ground and is layered with harmonies and little ear candies everywhere.

“I Really Do” – Leonie Evans

(Bass, harmony vocals.) Nearly 10 years ago, I got a bootleg copy of a home recording of Leonie singing and nearly crashed my car when I put it on for the first time. I couldn’t believe she was real. Then a few months later, I manifested her into my life and she came to my house straight from the airport to work up harmonies for a gig that night. We’ve been harmony sisters ever since.

 “Long Gone” – Chris Lyons

(Bass, harmony vocals.) I was standing outside when Chris put on the rough mixes at closing time at beloved neighborhood dive bar BJ’s, and through the walls I thought it was an old record from the ’70s. Then I came inside and realized it was the Chris Lyons record we had been working on that week. Chris has that classic folk rock sound.

“No Mama Blues” – The Lostines

(Bass, harmony vocals.) The Lostines – songwriting & singing team Casey Jane Reece-Kaigler and Camille Weatherford – were one of the early bands I started playing with when I moved to New Orleans. We recorded this record at the Tigermen Den in early 2022 with a revolving door of friends to ice the sonic cake.

“Chicken Pocket” – Chicken Milk

(Harmony vocals.) I met Dave Hammer, the mastermind behind local cult icon Chicken Milk, on the very first night I came to New Orleans in 2016. We started a band together a few days later. I’d guess we’ve played thousands of hours of music together at this point. Chicken Milk create some of the most unique, joyful, hilarious songwriting and playing I’ve ever heard. I often can’t get through a song without bursting into laughter. This is a tame one.

“Left Side” – Stelth Ulvang

(Bass, harmony vocals.) The day that I met Stelth, we went straight into the studio minutes later and started setting up mics and jamming his songs, capturing some of the first times we ever got through the songs. I love how Stelth is so playful and not precious about the creative process, with everything fully live and breathing. The backing band includes a few of my beloved and most frequent collaborators – Howe Pearson on drums and Max Bien Kahn on guitar.

“Misty Mama” – Rainy Eyes

(Harmony vocals.) The session for this album began in a little cabin in Bolinas, California, before Irena Eide (AKA Rainy Eyes) took a meandering journey to Lafayette, Louisiana, several years later to finish the album. I was so happy to be a part of bringing it to the finish line. Irena writes classic and confessional songs that speak truth to my wandering spirit.

“Oaxaca” – Maggie Koerner

(Bass.) Absolute powerhouse Maggie slid into my DMs a few years ago and asked if I wanted to hang out and try making some music together, wanting more women in the room on her next record. I was so glad to play bass on her album UPSTATE, recorded at Lil Squeeze studio by Ajai Combelic. Maggie’s voice stops me in my tracks.

“Anna Rose” – Ric Robertson

(Harmony vocals.) When I quit my job in 2016, packed my car, and started driving, it was Ric Robertson who told me to come down to New Orleans, where I could sublet a room, have a band of my own, and play every night of the week. It changed the course of my life. He co-produced my EP, No, You’re Crying, and it’s been so special to be a part of each other’s music. I loved singing harmonies here with Appalachian songbird Dori Freeman.

“Yellow Motorcycle” – Gina Leslie, Elise Leavy 

(Guitar, vocals.) I couldn’t possibly talk about loving music with my friends without a mention of Elise Leavy. We’ve been dancing with the mysterious art of writing songs together for years, and have never yet run out of songs to sing together. My new album features her on a lot of the harmony singing, as well as two stripped down acoustic duets that we co-wrote.

Photo Credit: Rett Rogers

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Bronwyn, Sophie Wellington, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Welcome to our weekly collection of new music! You Gotta Hear This…

First thing today, you should know it’s a bluegrass-rich week in our roundup – which we love! The Binoculars start us off on a strong bluegrassy foot with their cover of “Lorene,” a Louvin Brothers song that will be included on the duo’s upcoming album, Double Whammy, out July 17. Like the Louvin Brothers themselves, the Binoculars do a great job of bridging rootsy sonic territories, country, bluegrass, old-time, and more. For a taste of bluegrass gospel, we’re celebrating the release of Eighteen Mile’s new album, Peace Be Still (out today), with the title track, written by vocalist and guitarist Jack Ritter. It’s fresh, modern bluegrass built on faith and tradition.

We’ve got several great fiddlers represented in our list today, too. A huge – and still-growing name – on the current bluegrass and jamgrass scene, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, is dropping her surname for a new era under a mononym, Bronwyn. Today, Bronwyn announces her upcoming album Rattlin’ Bones, her first LP under the new name, which will release in August. We’re sharing the track from which the LP draws its title, “Sticks and Stones.” It showcases the growth in Bronwyn’s songwriting over time – and features Darrell Scott. Plus, if you’re familiar with fiddler Libby Weitnauer, she’s now releasing music under the artist name Libby Dale. “Empty Tank,” which came out yesterday, is indie Americana with a Gothic, Appalachian undertone and excellent rootsy touches. Dale’s songwriting is impeccable and the production is built on a fascinating blend of roots styles.

An old-time and Americana favorite, Sophie Wellington, has unveiled a new single and video, “Scolding Wife.” Wellington has a new album coming in early July. This track and video showcase her unique, multi-hyphenate approach to music-making; it’s a simple, stripped-down arrangement featuring only guitar and percussion – provided by dance. It’s lovely and entrancing, no matter how basic or elemental in its construction. Singer-songwriter Kate Waters has a new song out this week, too. “Words” arrived on June 10, juxtaposing steel guitar, mandolin, and acoustic guitar in a folk-meets-string band-meets-Americana sound. It’s a contemplative lyric that searches inward and outward for the right thing to say.

You’ll enjoy the music video for the title track of Dailey & Vincent’s album, A Beautiful Life, released today. This feel-good song is the duo’s special way of sharing what they’re grateful for. We’re also thankful that Bill Anderson and Jon Randall (who co-wrote “Whiskey Lullaby”) teamed with Carrie Underwood to write it. And our own Justin Hiltner (editor of BGS and Good Country) and Jon Weisberger (BGS contributor) are back on the site again – for the first time since 2022 – as musicians and artists, rather than writer or editor. Hiltner & Weisberger just announced they’ve signed with Mountain Home Music Company to release music as a duo again. “Marinda” is their first single with Mountain Home, a song about a woman in California built on low-tuned long-neck banjo and an all-star band – that includes Libby Dale (Weitnauer) on fiddle, by chance, as well. We hope you enjoy the track and don’t mind the BGS team’s bias, we think these guys are pretty okay and, yeah… maybe, just maybe, You Gotta Hear This, too!

There’s plenty of bluegrass, Americana, old-time, and more to enjoy. Get scrolling and get listening– You Gotta Hear This!

The Binoculars, “Lorene”

Artist: The Binoculars
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “Lorene”
Album: Double Whammy
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Label: Jalopy Records

In Their Words: “As huge fans of the Louvin Brothers, it’s hard to resist covering all of their songs. ‘Lorene’ really stood out to us, as a secular number and with a letter-writing theme! We both frequent the postal service for transmitting love letters and postcards. There is a spirit in handwritten letters that just can’t be replicated in a text or in the vacuum of social media. We find the lyrics strike an even more dynamic chord in these modern times, where rejection can be felt in a single swipe, and the appetite for approval and response is insatiable and aggressive. This song transports us to a slower more ponderous time, when that ache of not knowing your lover’s position gnaws at your heart. You can feel those empty mailbox blues.” – The Binoculars

Bronwyn, “Sticks and Stones”

Artist: Bronwyn
Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Song: “Sticks and Stones”
Album: Rattlin’ Bones
Release Date: June 12, 2026 (single); August 14, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Sticks and Stones’ started coming to me a couple years ago as I was lying awake in the middle of the night, rolling down the road on the bus. It was a rough ride through the mountains, enough to rattle your bones, and some lines from the chorus started banging around in my head as I was drifting in and out of sleep. The chorus is the heart of this devil-may-care traveling song: ‘Sticks and stones/ Burning down the highway/ Rattling bones/ I don’t need no heartache/ I’ve been gathering a whole lotta sticks and stones…’

“‘Sticks and Stones’ has a hard-won swagger to it, a feeling borne out of years of being on the road as well as the requisite slight romanticism of it that keeps me going. That feeling is clearly heard in the last verse— ‘Heard a guy on a record singing walk that line/ He was saying what I’ve been thinking all my life/ Turned it up loud enough my truck began to shake.’ It’s self-sufficient, self-aware, and a little bit pissed off.” – Bronwyn

Track Credits:
Bronwyn – Fiddle, lead vocal, songwriter
Darrell Scott – Harmony vocal
Harry Clark – Mandolin
Bryan Sutton – Guitar
Frank Evans – Banjo
Jeff Picker – Bass

Dailey & Vincent, “A Beautiful Life”

Artist: Dailey & Vincent
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “A Beautiful Life”
Album: A Beautiful Life
Release Date: June 12, 2026
Label: Pillar Stone Records

In Their Words: “There are songs you record because they’re great songs, and then there are songs that become part of your story. ‘A Beautiful Life’ became that song for us. It captures so much of what we believe – that even through life’s challenges, we have so much to be thankful for.” – Jamie Dailey

“This song became the title track because it perfectly reflects where Jamie and I are today. We’ve been blessed beyond measure, and this lyric serves as a reminder to never take those blessings for granted. It’s a celebration of faith, family, friendship, and the gift of life itself.” – Darrin Vincent

Track Credits:
Greg Morrow – Drums
Craig Young – Bass
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitar
Andy Leftwich – Fiddle, mandolin
Michael Rojas – Piano
James Mitchell – Electric guitar
Jamie Dailey – Lead vocal
Jaelee Roberts – Harmony vocal
Darrin Vincent – Harmony vocal

Libby Dale, “Empty Tank”

Artist: Libby Dale
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Empty Tank”
Album: Freehand
Release Date: June 11, 2026 (single)

In Their Words: “‘Empty Tank’ was inspired by recordings like Lucinda Williams’ ‘Crescent City’ and Emmylou Harris’ ‘Leaving Louisiana’ – both twisted anthems for less-than-perfect places. It’s an airing of grievances and a love letter for my life in Nashville. Pothole-riddled streets, the music industry rat race, and summer heat are certainly prominent characters, but so are good dances and a great band. Producer Thomas Bryan Eaton helped me bring this track to life with a fantastic rhythm section (Chris Gelb and Jonathan Beam) and the GRAMMY-winning mixing chops of Justin Francis. All parties mentioned brought the relentless groove and thunk I had envisioned for the song. ‘Empty Tank’ is the second single off my debut LP, Freehand, due in October of this year.” – Libby Dale

Eighteen Mile, “Peace Be Still”

Artist: Eighteen Mile
Hometown: Upstate South Carolina
Song: “Peace Be Still”
Album: Peace Be Still
Release Date: June 12, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Peace Be Still’ on the better side of a bad year. While the tune was there, I struggled to find words that could convey my testimony throughout the song. The more I thought about my testimony and walk with Christ, the words came quickly and became what you hear today. I wanted this song to not only be a personal testimony of God’s grace and mercy, but a message to those who are struggling that my Lord and Savior can provide peace that is beyond all understanding. I’m so honored and never would have thought that a song I wrote would become the title track of our first album with Mountain Home. I’m so thankful to my friends for choosing it.” – Jack Ritter, lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter

Track Credits:
Jack Ritter – Acoustic guitar, lead vocal
Hallie Ritter – Upright bass, harmony vocal
Carson Aaron – Acoustic guitar, harmony vocal
Savannah Aaron – Fiddle
Steve Pettit – Mandolin
Rob Ickes – Resonator guitar

Justin Hiltner & Jon Weisberger, “Marinda”

Artist: Justin Hiltner & Jon Weisberger
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee & Brevard, North Carolina
Song: “Marinda”
Release Date: June 12, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “On a mountaintop in Western North Carolina I met a fabulous woman named Marinda. ‘Like Miranda, but with the letters swapped,’ I think she told me. She’s a great cook, made us a delicious lentil salad. Then she told me where she was from: Marin County, California. I couldn’t believe it. Marinda from Marin.

“There are so many bluegrass songs that take their titles from women’s names, I guess it was time Jon and I added such a track to our catalog of co-writes. I love how this one turned out, evoking iconic and familiar images of California and singing praises to a powerful, entrancing woman. She may be a fictionalized version of my friend Marinda, but her inspiration comes all the way through. I love the long-neck, low-tuned banjo here and the way the fiddle, banjo, and mandolin all join in together on the melodic hook. When I’m missing the Bay Area – or Marinda’s lentil salad – I play this tune.” – Justin Hiltner

Track Credits:
Justin Hiltner – Banjo, lead vocal, songwriter
Jon Weisberger – Upright bass, harmony vocal, songwriter
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitar
Libby Weitnauer – Fiddle
Jenni Lyn Gardner – Mandolin
Wendy Hickman – Harmony vocal

(Editor’s Note: Justin Hiltner is the editor for BGS and Good Country, and Jon Weisberger is a former contributor to BGS.)

Kate Waters, “Words”

Artist: Kate Waters
Hometown: Dallas and Houston, Texas, and Taos, New Mexico
Song: “Words”
Album: Some Comfort
Release Date: June 10, 2026 (single); August 21, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “This is the oldest song on the record, from my earliest stages of songwriting as an adult. I was wrestling with why I felt intimidated by writing lyrics, like words couldn’t ever fully capture what I wanted to say. I mean, that’s why I’m a musician, truly.

“The sentiment still holds true – words can do a lot, but they also fail a lot of the time. We see it so much these days, politically speaking – people talking past each other and never truly understanding one another. I’m a music therapist, and as someone who’s worked professionally with nonspeaking people for most of my professional life, I know how important it is to tune into other aspects of communication and human connection.” – Kate Waters

Sophie Wellington, “Scolding Wife”

Artist: Sophie Wellington
Hometown: Staunton, Virginia
Song: “Scolding Wife”
Album: Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still
Release Date: June 8, 2026 (single); July 10, 2026 (album)
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “This fiddle tune has complex phrasing and tells an intriguing melodic story. Marion Reece, the source fiddler for this tune, plays this in calico tuning (AEAC#) which give it haunting, suspended quality. While I can’t remember where I first learned this tune, I fell in love with it again in 2025 when playing it with Sally Jablonsky and Stefan Amidon at Cascade of Music and Dance, a social dance camp run by Country Dance & Song Society. We played this tune late into the night, locking in with one another and allowing the space to breathe and the notes to sing. For me, old-time music shines brightest in my friendships and shared memories of playing. I’m fascinated with how to best adapt this music for guitar, allowing it to feel fluid and free on that instrument.” – Sophie Wellington

Track Credits:
Sophie Wellington – Guitar, percussive dance

Video Credits: Pat Piasecki and Chris Dempsey, with special thanks to Barbara Hauser.

Photo Credit: Bronwyn by Alexa King Stone; Sophie Wellington by Pat Piasecki.