Tag: asheville

BGS 5+5: Amanda Anne Platt

Posted on by Editor

Artist name: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters (answered by Amanda)
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Latest singles: “Desert Flowers” and “There May Come a Day”
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): I was in a band with my brother and my cousin when I was 8 that was called Crusty Chinchilla Rejects Recently Escaped from a Mental Institution…

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I feel really lucky as I sit here and try to work out what my favorite memory of being on stage is… it’s nice that there have been so many. I think one of my favorites from recent memory was the last show of our 2019 tour opening for Amy Ray. It was at Club Café in Pittsburgh and I got to get up on stage for her last song, “I Didn’t Know a Damn Thing,” which is one of my favorites from her album Holler, and then the encore which was Tom Petty’s “Refugee.” I was enormously pregnant and the stage was already crowded so it was a tight squeeze! But I felt so cool just getting to sing along and dance. The energy in the room was fantastic.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

Probably literature and film, the most. When someone can tell a story in a highly relatable, moving way, I am very inspired by that. When I finish a good book or leave the theater after a really well-made film I almost always want to sit down and write a song.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I really enjoy making my band “quack” like the Mighty Ducks, but I would be lying if I said they were as into it as I am. And you can’t do it alone. So, mostly I just cry in the bathroom. Actually I am usually just scrambling to write a set list and eat something moments before we go on stage.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I grew up in the land of all-night diners, and I’ve really been missing that especially now during the pandemic. So I would love to have a post-show burger at a proper diner somewhere… I feel like John Prine would have been a great guy to share a booth at a diner with. I have some questions for him about his songs that I kind of always hoped I’d have a chance to ask him in person.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I might actually do the reverse more… I tend to always use “I” even though I don’t write autobiographically very often. So in that way I guess I turn every character into “me” and I hide myself in that way…?

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

The Show on the Road – Mipso

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

This week, we feature one of the leading roots-pop bands working today: Mipso. An affable and endlessly-creative quartet formed in Chapel Hill, NC, they are made up of fiddle player Libby Rodenbough, mandolinist Jacob Sharp, guitarist Joseph Terrell, and bassist Wood Robinson.


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Despite the anxious mood of their swing-state home base, it’s quite an exciting time for Mipso. Host Z. Lupetin was able to catch up with Libby and Jacob (via Zoom of course) to discuss their lushly orchestrated, self-titled record which just dropped last week; and if you walk down 8th Avenue in Nashville this week, you might catch a billboard with their sheepish grins large in the sky.

How did they get here? It’s hard to find a group where every member can effortlessly sing lead and write genre-bending songs that fit seamlessly on six acclaimed albums — and counting — in under ten years. Earlier standout records like the breakout Dark Holler Pop, produced by fellow North Carolinian Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange, and Edges Run, which features a veritable online hit in the broken-voiced, emotional “People Change,” show how Mipso appeals not only to folk fest-loving moms and dads, but also their edgier kids, who appreciate their subversive turns of phrase and playful gender-ambiguous, neon-tinted wardrobe.

As Z. found out during his conversation with Libby and Jacob, the band nearly broke up after a series of grueling 150-shows-a-year runs, a scary car wreck, and the pressure of putting out Edges Run for their rapidly growing fanbase. The forced slower pace of this last year and a half has been a gift in several ways — allowing the group to catch their breath and hole up to write more collaboratively than ever. The shimmering sonic backdrop that gifted producer and musician Sandro Perri was able to bring to the Mipso sessions at Echo Mountain studio in Asheville really makes the songs feel like they could exist in any era.

You wouldn’t be alone if you heard the connection between the honey-hooked newest record with the timeless, mellow-with-a-hint-of-menace hits of the 1970s (looking at you James Taylor and Carly Simon). Songs like “Never Knew You Were Gone” show off Terrell’s gift for gently asking the deepest questions, like where he might go when he transitions to the other side in a “silvery fire,” or the sardonically nostalgic “Let A Little Light In,” which wonders if the soft-focused images we have of the peaceful, boomtime 1990s (when Mipso was growing up) could use some real scrutiny. Rodenbough’s silky fiddle work stars throughout –and her courageous, vulnerable lead vocal on “Your Body” may be the most memorable moment on the new work.

Stick around to the end of the episode to hear mandolinist Jacob Sharp introduce his favorite contribution, “Just Want To Be Loved.”

Photo credit: D.L. Anderson

LISTEN: Tyler Ramsey, “Back on the Chain Gang”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Tyler Ramsey
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Back on the Chain Gang” (Pretenders’ cover)
Album: Found a Picture of You EP
Release Date: October 16, 2020
Label: Fantasy Records

In Their Words: “There are two guitars that I used on this version of ‘Back on the Chain Gang’ — both my favorites. The acoustic is a ’50s Harmony H162 that was rebuilt by Scott Baxendale and the electric that comes in about halfway through is a late ’60s Guild Starfire V and is the most amazing electric I’ve ever owned. I found it in Knoxville at a friend’s guitar shop called Music Room Guitars when I really wasn’t looking for a guitar at all, and it changed the way I play as did the Baxendale! The guitar playing on Pretenders albums has always blown my mind. This song has such a beautiful and catchy lead-in and solo. I tried to capture the essence of it with solo fingerstyle guitar while making it sound like me.” — Tyler Ramsey

Photo credit: Bill Reynolds

BGS 5+5: The Band of Heathens

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Ed Jurdi of The Band of Heathens
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina; band’s hometown is Austin, Texas
Latest album: Stranger
Band Nicknames: The Hand of Beathens

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

At the Americana Awards a few years back. I remember being on stage at the Ryman Auditorium and looking around and realizing that I was performing with a bunch of my heroes. Delbert McClinton, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt and Sam Bush, to name just a few. It truly was a full circle moment for sure.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

In short they all do. I have always been in awe of painters who can really create a world with their colors and imagery. I find myself being really inspired by the impressionistic painters and the way they use light to offer a unique and different perspective on things that can be somewhat mundane.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I don’t have any real set rituals, but I generally like to hang around the gig and sing some songs either by myself, or with whoever else is hanging out. It’s a good way to warm up and it’s a fun way to get the group vibes in a positive space.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Follow the muse. Lead with your art and expression and figure out how to make the business part of the career work in service of the creativity. I can happily say that has always been the case.

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

I live in Asheville, North Carolina, so I spend the most time in the mountains and the forests that surround us. I love being able to hike way out into the woods and find a vista where I can see both the great scope of things, but also hear the rustling of the leaves and the wind blowing through the tops of the trees. In those moments of solitude I find my mind is incredibly clear and clean, which is almost always when ideas begin to present themselves almost out of nowhere.

Photo credit: Jason Quigley

LISTEN: Warren Givens, “You’re on My Mind” (Featuring Ivy Givens)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Warren Givens
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “You’re on My Mind” (Featuring Ivy Givens)
Album: Rattle the Cages
Release Date: August 7, 2020

In Their Words: “In case it isn’t obvious, this is a good old-fashioned breakup song. I wrote it soon after releasing my first full-length record, when we were touring pretty heavily, about a short-lived fling that turned out to have a pretty lasting impact. Even though the song is about a breakup I went through, my idea at the time was to write a melody that Ivy (my sister) could sing. It was really fun to write something that was totally out of my range and to see how she really brought it to life. This is the only song on the record with someone besides Seth Kauffman (my producer and engineer) and me playing. Ivy flew down from New York and we gathered around one big dynamic mic — old-school bluegrass style. We did guitar, fiddle, and our vocals live, maybe two takes tops, and then Seth added the drums, bass, and electric guitar.” — Warren Givens

Photo credit: West Givens

WATCH: Zoe & Cloyd, “Where Do You Stand”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Zoe & Cloyd
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Where Do You Stand”
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Where Do You Stand’ is a commentary on the state of our national discourse. We had the idea for the line, ‘When all that’s left is left, right, or wrong’ in regards to the hyper-polarization we’ve been seeing for a while and we built the song from there. We wanted the song and video to be thought provoking and a call to action. Some people will always attempt to pit us against one another for personal and political gain but we can’t let divisive, inflammatory rhetoric win the day. For us to move forward, we must find common ground on which to build a path toward a just and sustainable future.

“We filmed the video not far from our house in Fairview, North Carolina, outside of Asheville. The old building with the painted tree is right along the road and we thought it was a quirky rural spot that contrasted nicely with the political imagery. The other location was an abandoned ball court that had some interesting delineated grass with a sort of ‘line in the sand’ vibe. It also looked a bit post-apocalyptic. The fence shots represent several concerns such as the border wall, the lack of voice and access in certain communities, and feelings of powerlessness to change the status quo.” — John Cloyd Miller

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

BGS 5+5: The Dead Tongues

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Dead Tongues
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Latest album: Transmigration Blues

Answers by Ryan Gustafson

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

All of the above. Seems like that’s really a conversation about inspiration. A big part of my writing process is about connecting to moments that have moved me and letting those feelings resurface and become a shape of some sort. For instance last year I went up to NYC to go to Hilma af Klint show and was standing in front of her painting “The Dove, No. 1.” I was teary-eyed and moved to the core. In that moment something about love and regeneration made emotional sense to me. I found myself saying out loud “the world doesn’t make sense, but this does.” I don’t think I’ve ever tried to directly write about that experience but it surely has worked its way into my music because it’s something that lives in me.

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

Since I can remember I’ve wanted to be a musician. Some of my earliest memories are ones of making noise and gaining an awareness of how to play with sound. I remember making rhythms and resonant sounds on kitchenware probably before I could really talk. It’s always been fascinating and endless to me. At some point in my childhood I started daydreaming of music and sounds and tones and could hear it all in my head. I think that was the moment I started to become a songwriter.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

When I’m in the studio I have a pretty tight routine and ritual practice. I’m usually up around sunrise, do yoga right away, meditate, then go for a run. I like to spend some time alone in the studio, even if it’s just like 5 or 10 minutes to sit in the space while it’s silent. While in the studio I’m usually working 15 hour days deeply immersed in production, performance and emotion. Really it’s those intentional moments that make it possible for me to stay present and make decisions during the making of an album.

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

Currently I live in a cabin pretty deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m more immersed in nature than I’ve ever been. It’s stunning and dynamic with big sunsets, old growth trees and wild storms, bears and coyote packs, but the more time I spend out here, the more apparent the subtle changes in environment become. It’s always in transition and conversation. I feel like my music and writing is entirely affected by the environment I’m in and trying to understand my experience within it. Sometimes that comes out in story, imagery or just a sound. Without a doubt there’s a magic and spirit out here I’m reaching out to.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Ohhh, I would love to eat an artichoke with Alabaster DePlume. Artichokes are such a transformative food; it’s primal but as you get closer to the heart it’s like opening a lotus flower and becomes surprising and complex. There’s so much room for conversation with an artichoke, so who knows what would come up. I’ve been playing the album To Cy & Lee a bunch through the quarantine times, just a truly beautiful record.

Photo credit: Hunter Savoy Jaffe

The Shift List – A Final Course

Posted on by Chris Jacobs

“Food, like a concert, is never the same experience twice,” Chef Edward Lee told me during our interview back in October 2018. “You can’t remove the human element from either.” 

Back at the end of March of this year, about two weeks into the nationwide shutdown, we re-released Chef Lee’s episode to highlight the work he has been doing through the Restaurant Workers Relief Program and the Lee Initiative to feed and raise funds for out-of-work restaurant workers all over the country. The human element was removed from both the restaurant and concert industry in a way that no one could have predicted just three weeks earlier. 

The Shift List was created to explore the creative relationship that chefs have with music, and to that end, the unique experience and vibe they provide to diners at their restaurants. Over two seasons as host and producer of the show, I’ve been fortunate to speak to thirty chefs in four countries and a dozen world-class cities, including London, Copenhagen, Montreal, and my hometown of Los Angeles. It was a privilege to eat their food in the restaurants that they built. 

There’s a lot of uncertainty around when we’ll all be able to eat out at restaurants freely, the way we used to, so for now, The Shift List will conclude its 30-episode run and serve as a time capsule for an experience that we never knew we were taking for granted. 

To commemorate this, I’ve selected five episodes to help inspire your own cooking playlists, and have included a few of my personal favorite discoveries from the show that always set a great tone when I want to focus on cooking at home. A special ‘Best of The Shift List’ playlist is up now over on our BGS Spotify page. — Chris Jacobs, host

Ashleigh Shanti (Benne On Eagle) – Asheville, NC 


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If Chef Ashleigh Shanti weren’t running the kitchen at Benne On Eagle, a restaurant that pays homage to the rich African American culinary traditions that once thrived in an Asheville neighborhood known as The Block, she’d like to try her hand at being a rapper. Her Shift List included A Tribe Called Quest, Kendrick Lamar, and plenty of Pharrell Williams.

Favorite tracks: 

  • A Tribe Called Quest – “Check The Rhime” 
  • Nina Simone – “My Baby Just Cares For Me” 
  • Kendrick Lamar – “DNA” 
  • The Neptunes – “Frontin’ (Feat. Jay Z)”

Tom Harris (The Marksman Pub, St John) – London 


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Chef Tom Harris explained what a proper English pub is, threw down some amazing jazz/funk/Afrobeat playlists (including Fela Kuti, Roy Ayers, and James Brown), and explained why recipes should be described in musical terms.

Favorite tracks:

  • Fela Kuti – “Mr. Follow Follow” 
  • Johnny “Hammond” Smith – “Shifting Gears” 
  • Moses Boyd – “Rye Lane Shuffle” 
  • The English Beat – “Mirror In The Bathroom” 

Jessica Largey (formerly Manresa, Providence, Simone) – Los Angeles 


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Chef Jessica Largey’s Shift List included The Clash, David Bowie, and Neko Case. In her episode she reveals why Nina Simone was the namesake of the DTLA restaurant she helmed for a year in 2018.

Favorite tracks:

  • Shakey Graves – “Dearly Departed” 
  • Ben Sollee – “Mechanical Advantage” 
  • David Bowie – “Golden Years” 
  • Gap Band – “Outstanding” 

Miles Thompson (formerly Michael’s Santa Monica) – Santa Monica 


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When Chef Miles Thompson describes food, it sounds like jazz – “salt, umami, acid, sugar, spice, crunch!” His Shift List included the trippy guitar stylings of Bill Frisell, the rootsy wanderings of Jason Isbell, and classical suites from the likes of Debussy and Isaac Albéniz.

Favorite tracks:

  • Bill Frisell – “Telstar” 
  • Bill Frisell – “Del Close” 
  • Agustiín Barrios Mangoré – “Julia Florida”
  • The Beatles – “Savoy Truffle” 

Matt Orlando (Amass, noma, Per Se) – Copenhagen 


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Chef Matt Orlando’s Amass restaurant in Copenhagen is a fine dining establishment located in a sprawling industrial warehouse that is covered in graffiti and proudly blasts obscure and “sometimes aggressive” hip hop. His Shift List included Bay Area legends Hieroglyphics, plenty of Wu Tang Clan, and some obscure Scottish reggae music to round it all out.

Favorite Tracks: 

  • Hieroglyphics – 3rd Eye Vision (Note: this is the entire album. Just let it run. There is no better music to cook to!)

 

WATCH: Anya Hinkle, “Road of the Winds”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Anya Hinkle
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Road of the Winds”
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “We are constantly moving closer toward our own homeland, a place we sense is there, somewhere, if we can just pay attention and listen closely to our inner voice. It takes tremendous courage and faith to believe that we can grow to become the person we were meant to be, doing the work we are meant to be doing. We are embarking on a great journey with each sunrise, with each day we are alive. This song helps me feel free to move ahead in new directions with boldness and conviction even though I don’t exactly know where it will all lead. But once you leave the shore you are committed to the journey – there is no turning back.” — Anya Hinkle

Photo credit: Rose Kaz

LISTEN: Zoe & Cloyd, “Where Do You Stand”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Zoe & Cloyd
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Where Do You Stand”
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Where Do You Stand’ is a commentary on the state of our national discourse. Often, it’s the farthest ends of the political spectrum that make the news and it seems like inflammatory rhetoric is the only thing that gets heard these days. I’d like for us to remember that we’re all connected and are more alike than we are different, no matter who tries to convince us otherwise. For us to move forward, we have to find common ground on which to build a path toward a sustainable future.” — John Cloyd Miller

Crossroads Label Group · Zoe & Cloyd – Where Do You Stand

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither