announcement Archives - The Bluegrass Situation

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ANNOUNCING: “Finding Lucinda” by ISMAY Joins BGS Podcast Network

BGS is proud to announce a new podcast partnership, unveiling a sneak peek of Finding Lucinda, our new 14-part limited podcast series created by Americana/folk singer-songwriter ISMAY. Built upon ISMAY’s work crafting the award-winning documentary film, Finding Lucinda – which is gearing up for its own release in the fall of 2025 – the new eponymous companion podcast is set to launch its first season on May 5. (Listen to the season 1 trailer below.)

The show offers an intimate and revealing look into young songwriter Avery Hellman carving their own creative path by looking towards the early life and legacy of three-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams.

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Produced in partnership with BGS and distributed through the BGS Podcast Network – which hosts and has created hit podcasts like Basic Folk, Toy Heart with Tom Power, Harmonics with Beth Behrs, Carolina Calling, and more – this new offering expands on the documentary film’s themes, exploring artistic influence, creative resilience, and the impact of Williams’ music. Told through the lens of Hellman’s personal experiences and journey through music, the 14-part series takes listeners into the making of an icon using archival materials, exclusive interviews, and fresh commentary from artists and collaborators who knew Lucinda – often long before the world did.

Recorded during the making of the film, podcast episodes will feature in-depth conversations with Americana legends, including Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, Mary Gauthier, and Williams herself. Each edition of Finding Lucinda unpacks the pivotal people, places, and creative moments that shaped Lucinda’s groundbreaking voice and vision.

The story begins with ISMAY – Hellman, an emerging artist navigating their own doubts and dreams – setting off from a family ranch in Northern California to trace Lucinda’s path through Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Along the way, they visit the venues where Lucinda first performed, uncovers hidden archival treasures, and seek wisdom from those who shaped her artistic foundation.

The Finding Lucinda podcast will be available on all major podcast platforms starting May 5, 2025, with new episodes released twice a month. Listen right here on BGS or wherever you get podcasts. Finding Lucinda, the documentary film, is slated for release in the Fall. Both the film and podcast showcase never-before-heard archival material, intimate conversations, and a visual journey through the literal and figurative landscapes that molded Lucinda’s songwriting.

“Through this podcast, we wanted to share even more of the stories, perspectives, and discoveries that couldn’t all fit into the film,” says ISMAY.

Part memoir, part music history, and part spiritual road trip, Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about self-discovery, artistic bravery, and learning how to move forward – even when you’re unsure where the road will lead.

More information on the Finding Lucinda documentary and podcast here.

Photo Credit: Aubrey Trinnaman

ANNOUNCING: Only Vans with Bri Bagwell Joins BGS Podcast Network

BGS is excited to announce the addition of Only Vans with Bri Bagwell to the BGS Podcast Network! Beginning today, May 20, the show – which is recorded from inside Bagwell’s tour van – will be distributed and promoted by BGS alongside hit podcasts such as Toy Heart and Basic Folk, and joining the ranks of fellow artist-hosted, artist-focused chat and performance podcast, the Travis Book Happy Hour. Only Vans is a podcast unlike any other, not just because it is recorded in a van (or Class C RV, to be specific), but because its conversation topics are anything but ordinary.

“[It’s] a podcast where I chat with my friends in the music community, from my van, about things that two buddies in a van would chat about,” Bagwell explains on her website. “It’s really insider info, like an Only Fans subscription… but clothes stay on (usually) and formality goes out the window.”

The banter between Bagwell and her friends and guests sounds and feels organic, because it is! With fifteen years of road experience, Bagwell hosts with ease, navigating topics that non-artists hosts perhaps can’t; and in that often unexplored landscape of crazy road stories, fond personal festival memories, and deep inner fears and beliefs, fans of the podcast say they really appreciate the raw honesty, insight, and hilarity that comes out in every Only Vans episode.

The first episode to be distributed by BGS features Bagwell’s friend and mentor, famed lead singer of Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cody Canada and his wife/manager Shannon. They cover a wide variety of topics like racial injustice, partying, the metal music scene, and shifting priorities after having kids. (Listen here.)

Bagwell, named Texas Female Artist of the Decade by the Texas Regional Radio Report, is a force to be reckoned with from her rousingly fun live performances to trailblazing recordings garnering her 12 #1 singles on Texas Country Radio and counting. People Magazine raves, “Bagwell increasingly finds her name being mentioned amongst country music truth-tellers such as Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wade.” Her latest album, Corazón y Cabeza (Heart and Head), has already spawned three #1 singles, “Trenches,” “Free Man,” and “Hello Highway,” the latter inspiring her 2023 summer tour across 10 states and Mexico.

In a time of growth for the BGS family – having just launched our curated email newsletter, GOOD COUNTRY, earlier this year – it’s especially exciting to bring on this new podcast, to welcome Bri Bagwell as a contributor, and to bring these intimate, fun, and one-of-a-kind interviews to our followers, listeners, and fans. Subscribe to Only Vans on Apple Podcasts here – or wherever you prefer to get podcasts. New episodes drop every other Monday!

Del McCoury, Jim Lauderdale Will Host IBMA Awards

Del McCoury and Jim Lauderdale will host the 30th Annual IBMA Awards show on September 26 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“This year we celebrate both the 30th anniversary of the International Bluegrass Music Awards and the 80th birthday of Hall of Famer Del McCoury! What could be better than Del co-hosting the Awards Show with the legendary Jim Lauderdale?!” said Paul Schiminger, executive director of the IBMA. “It is sure to be a fun and memorable evening with unforgettable performances by awards nominees. This is the biggest night in bluegrass music, as we honor excellence over the past year and over entire careers.”

Even among the pantheon of music’s finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent sound of bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honky-tonks, rural schoolhouse stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry to the present-day culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link, headlining sold-out concerts to music festivals of all genres, including one carrying his namesake. In 2010 McCoury received a National Heritage Fellowship lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 2011 he was elected into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. A two-time Grammy winner, McCoury has won numerous IBMA Awards, as well, including Entertainer of the Year a record-setting nine times.

Jim Lauderdale won the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy in 2002 for Lost in the Lonesome Pines, his collaboration with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, and won a second Grammy for his album The Bluegrass Diaries in 2008. A lauded singer-songwriter, he has been a symbol for creative integrity and prolificacy for thirty-two albums over decades of recording. He’s an A-list Nashville songwriter whose songs have ruled the music charts while recording an eclectic catalog of albums. His prolific streak of releases continues in 2019, as he finishes his tenth bluegrass album.

Claire Armbruster and Mary Burdette return as executive producers of the show.

Photo of Jim Lauderdale: Scott Simontacchi
Photo of Del McCoury from DelMcCoury.com