Artist of the Month: Kaia Kater

BGS first had the opportunity to work with singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Kaia Kater all the way back in 2016. She appeared on our inaugural Shout & Shine showcase stage that year at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s business conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the first ever showcase celebrating diversity at the headline bluegrass event and it was also where I met her for the first time in person. We were both panelists for another first-ever, IBMA’s round-table style panel on inclusion that was convened the day after Shout & Shine. Partially planned in response to North Carolina’s just-passed transphobic measure, HB2 – one of the first anti-trans “bathroom bills,” beginning what would become a nearly decade-long and as yet unfinished battle in state houses around the country for equal rights for trans folks – the panel’s format was all about direct conversation and reaching folks where they were at.

A grassroots collective of musicians, artists, and industry professionals who represented often marginalized identities in bluegrass had decided enough was enough, we would have to stake out and hold space at IBMA’s conference to have these long overdue conversations about who is and who isn’t excluded from these roots music genres and what we can do to make all folks feel safe(r) and at home in these communities we love. Kater was right there, engaging and often leading dialogues on these important subjects. A handful of days later, she published her first byline on BGS, an incisive, compassionate, and necessary op-ed on Breaking the Wheel of Silence – calling out all too common “closing of ranks” and music industry status quos that reinforce and protect misogyny, patriarchy, and systems of sexual harassment and sexual violence and their perpetrators.

In short, Kater has long been a thought leader in roots music, especially in bluegrass, old-time, and our BGS family. We’ve been fortunate to get to collaborate with her in various ways on that vital work, from having her writing published on our site and in our year end round-ups to covering her own art and roots music creations.

Luckily, the music she crafts and the messages within it make it infinitely easier to spotlight these often touchy and incredibly nuanced issues. From her debut, 2015’s Sorrow Bound, to 2016’s impressive Nine Pin – which some call her “break out” record – Kater has been spinning complex and entrancing roots music threads that draw on her lived experiences as a Canadian-Grenadian banjo player and lifelong folk musician, turning over and examining what are often called “thorny” or “divisive” issues. Her music grounds abstract and theoretical concepts in the past, present, and future. But her songs don’t sound mired in these issues or concepts at all, just the opposite.

Over the course of her career, from her teens and young adulthood to today, on the cusp of releasing a new album, Strange Medicine (out May 17 via Free Dirt Records), this singular perspective Kater has cultivated continues to blossom, grow, and come into sharper focus. 2018’s Grenades, a sort of concept record placed decidedly in the Caribbean and tracing Kater’s roots back to the beautiful island of Grenada, processes generational traumas, the machinations and intricacies of culture, the nebulousness of belonging, and so many other colors and textures decidedly at home in folk music, but enlivened constantly through Kater’s creative lens. Grenades is a master work, demonstrating a creator and musician who knows who they are – even when they do not.

Six years later, enter Strange Medicine, another album masterpiece that finds Kater still more confident, more at ease, and just as convicting. Genre parameters, her prior records, and her strong positioning of community are all present here, but perhaps not as directly. Instead, Strange Medicine seems to be grown from the fertile, rich, and dense soil of Kater’s career to this point. There are indirect touches of all of the above, but overall this collection feels brand new. It is a novel synthesis of her values systems and worldview, one that feels assured while still exploratory, firm but flexible, responsive but not reactive. Strange, indeed, but never odd (or estranged).

With stunning collaborations with Taj Mahal, Allison Russell, and Aoife O’Donovan – who is featured on “The Witch,” a track made available today – Kater demonstrates how, more than ten years since she began her professional trajectory, her music shines with cross pollination, positioning the community members who helped shape her own music within that very body of work. It’s part of why her new band, New Dangerfield – with Jake Blount, Tray Wellington, and Nelson Williams – can be called a supergroup, though that moniker immediately feels reductive. Kater and her cohort are no longer simply adding their voices to an ongoing conversation, they are the conversation. The center of gravity – in folk, old-time, bluegrass, Americana, and beyond – has shifted, and with that shift we see Kater, many of her peers in her generation, as well as those collaborators and influences who came before continually advancing these discourses.

Her medium, as always, is music. Her dialogue, as always, is not simply with those who choose to consume her art, but specifically with those who engage with it, try it on, turn it inside out, and kick the tires. This is music that will stand up to that sort of holistic interaction. It’s infinitely listenable, incredibly fun, and grooving, too; Strange Medicine might be the danciest record in Kater’s catalog. It’s intellectual, yes, but more than that, Kater shows us that music can be nutritious, challenging, and dense while effervescent, joyful, and soaring.

All month long, we’ll be celebrating our pal, collaborator, and constant source of inspiration Kaia Kater as our Artist of the Month. Below, enjoy our Essential Kaia Kater Playlist and watch for an exclusive AOTM interview coming in just a couple of weeks, too.

Back then in 2015 and 2016, when we were just introduced to Kater and her music, if you had asked any of us if we’d expect her to be our Artist of the Month someday, down the line, I think almost any of us would’ve responded with a resounding, “Yes!” So we’re especially proud to celebrate Strange Medicine and Kaia Kater as our May Artist of the Month.


Photo Credit: Janice Reid

LISTEN: The Lonesome Ace Stringband, “May Day” (with The Andrew Collins Trio)

Artist: The Lonesome Ace Stringband with The Andrew Collins Trio
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “May Day”
Release Date: May 1, 2024

In Their Words: “Andrew and I wrote this tune together about 20 years ago. It was the first of May and we spent it in the sun, picking fiddle tunes, looking at flowers, and getting in the groove with the mycorrhizal network. This melody revealed itself to us in the early afternoon, setting the vibe for the rest of the day. I’ve always found this tune beguiling. It’s hard to put your finger on its mood; to me, it’s ultimately hopeful, but it has to go through a lot before it gets there! I’ve recorded ‘May Day’ three times now; each version is very different. I can’t seem to keep away from this tune! It was so wonderful for John and me to have the chance to collaborate with Andrew, Adam, and James on this release!” – Chris Coole, the Lonesome Ace Stringband

Track Credits:

Andrew Collins – Mandolin
Chris Coole – Banjo
James McEleney – Bass
Adam Shier – Guitar
John Showman – Fiddle


Video Credits: Edited by Chris Coole. P.D. archival footage filmed by Arthur Edward Pillsbur from the Prelinger Collection.
Photo Credit: Andrew Collins Trio by Andrew Collins; the Lonesome Ace Stringband by Jen Squires.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From AJ Lee & Blue Summit, New Dangerfield, and More

Are you excited for new music Friday? With our slate of premieres this week, we certainly are! AJ Lee & Blue Summit bring us the first track from their just-announced album, City of Glass (coming in July), old-time, folk, and Americana supergroup New Dangerfield have released their very first music together, and banjoist Tray Wellington (also of New Dangerfield) is dropping a new instrumental today, as well!

Plus, don’t miss Australian-via-Nashville country artist Wesley Dean and his new video for “Mercy” and you’ll also find Jacob Jolliff Band’s new number, “Los Angeles County Breakdown,” which premiered on BGS yesterday.

It’s all right here and to be totally honest, You Gotta Hear This!

AJ Lee & Blue Summit, “Hillside”

Artist: AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Song: “Hillside”
Album: City of Glass
Release Date: July 19, 2024
Label: Signature Sounds

In Their Words: “The song ‘Hillside’ is sung from the perspective of a hill that is being eroded by weather and chipped by the tools of man. Still, the hill aspires to become a mountain and refuses to give in to the bombardment of forces. The last line in the chorus is, ‘… A thousand years don’t mean a thing to the stone cold hill that you call me,’ which I wrote with the idea that I will have confidence in myself no matter who tries to tear me down. I feel like I am becoming an immovable mountain that has been birthed out of proving my resilience. This song represents women empowerment, resilience, and strength.” – AJ Lee 

Track Credits:

Written by AJ Lee
Produced by Lech Wierzynski
Mixed and engineered by Jacob LaCally
Mastered by Paul Blakemore


New Dangerfield, “Dangerfield Newby”

Artist: New Dangerfield (Jake Blount, Kaia Kater, Tray Wellington, and Nelson Williams)
Hometown: Providence, RI; New York City, NY; New Orleans, LA; Raleigh, NC
Song: “Dangerfield Newby”
Release Date: April 26, 2024
Label: Distributed by Free Dirt Records

In Their Words: “I learned the tune we call ‘Dangerfield Newby’ from Eddie Bond close to a decade ago. He called it by the name ‘Old Sport,’ but told us that it was alternatively named ‘Dangerfield’ after one of John Brown’s raiders. I performed on John Brown’s farm last summer and had the opportunity to visit the grave he shares with his sons and several of his raiders — including the Black ones. I learned that Dangerfield was Black from his gravestone. The string band tradition has been honoring a Black freedom fighter all this time – who knew? I brought the tune to the band, since these are the stories we want to tell.

“Inspired by Dangerfield’s dedication to his family and community and his drive for freedom, we decided to put his full name on the tune. Thus, ‘Dangerfield Newby’ was born! We chose our band name, New Dangerfield, as an homage just a few days later.” – Jake Blount


Tray Wellington, “Blue Collared Dog and His Green Eyed Friend”

Artist: Tray Wellington
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Song: “Blue Collared Dog and His Green Eyed Friend”
Release Date: April 26, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “One late night while doing some paintings, we ended the night with two different ones. One featured a dog with a blue collar, and one featured a cat with bright green eyes. I thought about how, if I was still a kid, I would’ve created a whole story within these paintings of how these two were friends and journeyed the world together. Shortly after this thought, I picked up my banjo and just did some improv which ended up being the start of the tune. I just kept going and finished the tune in that improv session, remembered what I could, and recorded it right away. I was amazed at how such a simple thought could help me create a piece of music I’m so proud of.” – Tray Wellington

Track Credits:
Tray Wellington – Banjo
Drew Matulich – Guitar
Katelynn Bohn – Bass
Josiah Nelson – Mandolin, fiddle


Wesley Dean, “Mercy”

Artist: Wesley Dean
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee (by way of Australia)
Song: “Mercy”
Album: Music From Crazy Hearts
Release Date: April 26, 2024

In Their Words: “While I was traveling around the country last summer on my Crazy Hearts Across America tour, we shot different music videos for the album in different cities. Where else is better than the neon psychedelic lights of Las Vegas for ‘Mercy?’ It suited the music and the vision. We shot up and down the strip outside the famous Flamingo casino one night and then built the rest of the video around that footage.

“Jacobie Gray, my director, wrote the treatment for the redemption story and then we filmed the rest of the video at a bar and old church in Nashville and a cemetery outside of town. I’ll never forget the night when we filmed with the gospel choir, it’s such a dream to sing with those guys, and it was one of the first visions I had before Crazy Hearts was born, ‘Mercy’ being the first song I wrote for the record. And being out in the cemetery in the middle of the night was another experience I’ll hold close from making this video. An Amish horse and cart rode past in the darkness while I was looking up at the stars smoking a cigar and it was so surreal. You wouldn’t experience that in Australia.

“My main cinematographer, David Bradley, who also edited and colored the video, really delivered on that psychedelic vibe I was wanting.” – Wesley Dean


Jacob Jolliff, “Los Angeles County Breakdown”

Artist: The Jacob Jolliff Band
Hometown: New York City, New York
Song: “Los Angeles County Breakdown”
Album: Instrumentals, Vol. 2: Mandolin Mysteries
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “‘Los Angeles County Breakdown’ is the first tune we started arranging for Mandolin Mysteries. I taught it to the group while we were in LA, on the last show of our last tour before the lockdown in 2020. So I had these demos of us playing the working version that I listened to and was excited about for a couple years before we finally got the chance to finish the arrangement and perform it live. It’s a sprightly little number with a lot of different influences — I like that it features a nice section for the fiddle and guitar to stretch out on. Hope you enjoy it!” – Jacob Jolliff

More here.


Photo Credit: AJ Lee & Blue Summit by Natia Cinco; New Dangerfield by Justin French.

BGS 5+5: Kendl Winter

Artist: Kendl Winter
Hometown: Olympia, Washington
Latest Album: Banjo Mantras
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): “Lower half of The Lowest Pair”

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

I like this question, because I think everything you do, witness, consume, walk by, dance with, or touch informs your (my) music. Most books I’m reading make their way into my lyrics directly or indirectly. I know I’ve quoted or misquoted from E.E. Cummings, Richard Brautigan, Hafiz, Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Rumi, Rebecca Solnit, Thich Nhat Hanh, and probably so many others. All the authors and poets and spiritual leaders I’ve read or listened to and been moved by have woven their ponderings into mine and in turn the tumble of words that spill out onto my morning pages is often informed by those thoughts.

I watch a lot of film and I love movement. I go for long runs in the Northwest – or wherever I currently am – and the landscape informs my music, or the highway does, or the venue. I’m (we) are so porous and regularly trying to make sense of the cocktail of experience I’ve been sipping on. That said, this is an instrumental record, so for me it’s a new kind of transcription or interpretation of the collage of experiences in my head.

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

My Hebrew school teacher back in Arkansas said he had a video of me as a 5 year-old singing to a stick of butter. In second grade, I wrote a song about landfills and saving the birds. My folks were both classically trained musicians, one a high school string teacher, and the other a low brass professor, so I had music and the example of disciplined musicians practicing around me all the time. As kids, my sister and I were often crawling through the orchestra pit in the Arkansas Symphony or falling asleep in the balcony.

I loved punk music and dabbled with guitar and drums though high school, although I don’t think I actually knew I wanted to be a musician until my early 20s, when I had just moved to Olympia. In the Little Rock area of Arkansas and in Olympia, Washington there was/is such a vibrant DIY scene for music. Some of my first attempts at performing were in Olympia and I had only written half-songs, so they were very short and with a lot of apologies.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I would say lately has been the toughest time for me, writing lyrics at least. Maybe that’s why I’ve been enjoying the spaciousness of instrumentals for a while with the Banjo Mantras. It’s felt less exacting to let my art be more ethereal and open to interpretation. Something about the last five years has made me feel less sure about what to share, in terms of my own verbal songwriting. I think I’m more self conscious or potentially private and maybe more aware of my voice in a way that makes me feel a bit uncertain of what more can be said from my vantage. Songwriting has always been such a huge piece of how I interpret life, though, and it’s an integral piece of my personal process. So I’m still writing, just having a more difficult time sharing it.

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

If I had to write a mission statement for my career, I guess it would be to let curiosity and interest/passion lead me. My music has never been easy to put in a genre and my voice and songwriting has changed over the years. It’s been great to work in the Lowest Pair, because my bandmate Palmer T. Lee is similar in that his sound is difficult to box in, and that both of us have roots and interest in traditional sounds, but are always curious about expanding upon the subject matter and textures in our duo. The Banjo Mantras are just an expansion of that I think. I love the sound of a solo banjo and wanted to share some of the meanderings I found in various tunings and grooves. But yeah, I think my mission statement would involve personal growth, following curiosity and passion, a focus on heart-centric themes, and a goal for connection.

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

I spend at least an hour most days going outside for a run or walk. I live in one of the most beautiful places, the PNW, so a short jaunt from my house and I’m next to the Puget Sound inlet full of kingfishers, seagulls, blue herons, and mergansers depending on the season. Low tides and high tides, I see and hear eagles swooping about and on a rare sunny horizon I can see the Olympic Mountains. The other day, I came home with a sticky pocket full of cottonwood buds for my housemate to make a salve with. The nettles have just begun showing this spring. I go for regular wanderings and collect pictures and sounds and try to make a regular practice of noticing things. Less like a practice, and more like just the way my days are, but I recognize it as an integral part of my centering practice.


Photo Credit: Molley Gillispie

Out Now: Lillian Werbin

If you’ve met Lillian Werbin before, you know that they possess a radiant energy and a deep love for community while working tirelessly to create a more inclusive music industry. Lillian is a behind-the-scenes star of the queer music industry. They are the Chair of the Board for Bluegrass Pride, they volunteer to support LGBTQ+ events, and they sit on the boards of International Bluegrass Music Association’s Foundation and the Rhapsody Project. In addition to all of this, they are the co-owner of Elderly Instruments and co-direct Midwest Banjo Camp, Midwest Ukulele Camp, and The Banjo Gathering

Lillan and I spoke together on a panel presented by Bluegrass Pride in 2023 at Folk Alliance International. The panel examined on a systemic level how the music industry can adopt more socially sustainable models of business, especially for folks who have been historically marginalized. Lillian works hard to promote inclusivity. They are a pillar of the queer music industry, a gem of a human being, and someone who isn’t often found on stage, but holds up the community from behind the curtain.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is having my intentions misunderstood. Being responsible for others and making decisions on their behalf can be nerve-wracking, and I like my reasoning to be clear.

What is your current state of mind?

Anticipatory! I feel I should state that my mother died earlier this year, so my “current state of mind” fluctuates regularly. In a year, there is so much to celebrate and mourn that I find myself generally in a state of anticipation of the next moment.

What would a “perfect day” look like for you?

My current ability to balance work/life can come down to the hour, as my personal and professional lives blend 7 days a week. A “perfect day” is when I’m able to accomplish what is needed professionally without sacrificing my personal relationships. Ideally, I’m awake before the sun, there are only a few tasks/meetings to accomplish, there’s at least 5 bouts of big laughter, and some time spent outside in the fresh air.

Why do you work in the music industry?

I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I find those who work in the music industry are a more serious type of authentic and genuine. Working from behind the scenes, I’m lucky enough to meet new people regularly. From the big smoke shows to hometown heroes, I find music lovers prefer to be unapologetically themselves. Which is interesting and entertaining most of the time!

When working on a project, what’s more satisfying to you, the process or the outcome?

The planning process is most satisfying and I enjoy the outcome more if I’ve helped execute. The process of taking a few ideas and elements, and building them into a project, can be magical for me.

You are the Chair of the Board for Bluegrass Pride. What drew you to getting involved with BGP? What do you like most about it? Are there any new projects that you’re excited about?

Yes, I’ve been Chair of Bluegrass Pride for a little over a year. I had been a board member and found I had more interest than my regular term. I enjoy developing programs and maintaining welcoming events for LGBT+ musicians. I’m most excited about our Rainbow Book initiative, which seeks to create a network of vetted venues to play and homes to stay. We launched the application process in early fall of 2023.

What has it been like for you to hold a behind-the-scenes role supporting queer music?

Being behind-the-scenes supporting LGBT and queer music allows me to revel in my own queer joy, which often takes a backseat to how I’m often perceived. When I’m able to fulfill these supportive roles, I feel more connected to the community.

In 2022, you won the IBMA Momentum Award for Industry Involvement. You are someone who is extremely involved. Could you share with us some of the great work you’re doing that led to this recognition?

My job by day is CEO and Co-Owner of Elderly Instruments, where I manage the overall business. It’s Elderly’s consistency that allows me to assist in other events and businesses in the U.S. I co-direct Midwest Banjo Camp, Midwest Ukulele Camp, and The Banjo Gathering. Aside from Bluegrass Pride, I sit on the boards of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Foundation – where I am a committee member of The Arnold Shultz Fund – and the Rhapsody Project.


Photo courtesy of Lillian Werbin.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Aisha Badru, Benson, and More

Aren’t Fridays the best day of the week? And no, not just because of the five-day work week, but really because it’s New Music Friday, of course!

This week, we’re featuring premieres like a thoughtful and introspective number from singer-songwriter Aisha Badru, a Bonnie Raitt cover from husband-and-wife bluegrass duo Benson with Keith Garrett lending lead vocals, a thoughtful track about cyclical national, cultural, and romantic traumas from Jessye DeSilva, and Lynne Hanson brings a new song about how some folks are just plain rotten.

There’s a little bit of everything for every kind of roots music fan, and if we do say so ourselves, You Gotta Hear This!


Aisha Badru, “Life to Live”

Artist: Aisha Badru
Hometown: Yonkers, New York
Song: “Life to Live”
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Life To Live’ is a song deeply rooted in my personal journey. It explores the importance of introspection and understanding what truly brings us joy and fulfillment. For me, that meant leaving the traditional path of college to pursue music, even if it wasn’t initially supported by my family. This song isn’t just about following our dreams, it’s about the growth and self-discovery that happens along the way.” – Aisha Badru


Benson, “Louise”

Artist: Benson
Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Song: “Louise”
Release Date: March 22, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words:“We’ve always been big fans of Keith Garrett. He’s got such a warm vocal tone and always chooses a great way of delivering the song. We were excited to have him sing a couple and felt really lucky that he said yes.” – Kristin Scott Benson

“Back in the early 1990s, I heard Bonnie Raitt’s album, Luck of the Draw. After becoming a fan and going back to her earlier projects, I came across a live video with her version of ‘Louise.’ I always thought it would make a fun bluegrass song because of the chord progression and I think Keith and Dustin sang it great.” – Wayne Benson

Track Credits:
Wayne Benson – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar
Tony Creasman – Drums
Kevin McKinnon – Bass
Keith Garrett – Lead vocal
Dustin Pyrtle – Harmony vocals


Jessye DeSilva, “Gallows Tree”

Artist name: Jessye DeSilva
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Gallows Tree”
Release Date: March 22, 2024

In Their Words: “‘Gallows Tree’ is all about the ghosts of our traumas and our misdeeds and what happens when we leave things unsaid. In the U.S. particularly, I think there is a sickening and cyclical nature to the things we repress and rebrand in denial. White couples rent plantations as backdrops for their quaint country weddings where Black bodies were broken not so long ago. We refuse to learn from the mistakes of our parents and remain complicit in the face of brutal inhumanity. In ‘Gallows Tree,’ a pastoral scene of a romantic picnic is painted, where two lovers sip iced tea on a blanket beneath the shade of a tree, while something simmers unspoken just beneath the surface. This could easily be a song about love left to dry with the years, but the lovers are all of us who remain reticent with hearts tight as fists. And now a tire swings gently from the gallows tree.” – Jessye DeSilva

Track Credits:
Music and lyrics by Jessye DeSilva and Alex Calabrese.
Jessye DeSilva – Vocals, piano
Alex Calabrese – Acoustic guitar, background vocals
Joe Dunn – Producer, bass, electric guitar, banjo, percussion programming


Lynne Hanson, “Outlaw Lover”

Artist: Lynne Hanson
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Outlaw Lover”
Album: Just A Poet
Release Date: March 22, 2024 (single); May 24, 2024 (album)
Label: Panda Cave Records

In Their Words: “Some people are just rotten to the core. For this song, I really wanted to paint a picture of the ultimate heartbreak artist, someone callous and uncaring who leaves a trail of victims in their wake. The kind of person your mother warned you to stay away from.

“It was a lot of fun to arrange this song in the studio. We chose an almost hypnotic groove to really give it a sexy, black-leather swagger, and the song hits its bad attitude crescendo with the nasty fuzz of Blair Michael Hogan’s guitar solo. I actually wrote this song by starting with the lyrics first, which is the opposite of my normal songwriting process. It was a real challenge to come up with the music, and I had three versions of the song before I finally settled on this one.” – Lynne Hanson

Track Credits:
Written by Lynne Hanson.

Lynne Hanson – lead vocal
Jim Bryson – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, piano, organ, mellotron
Blair Michael Hogan – electric guitar, slide guitar
Philippe Charbonneau – bass
Marshall Bureau – drums

Jim Bryson – recording engineer
Recorded at Fixed Hinge Studios, Stittsville, Ontario.
Produced by Jim Bryson.
Mastered by Phil Shaw Bova, Bova Lab Studio, Ottawa, Ontario.
Mixed by Jim Bryson, Fixed Hinge Studios.


Photo Credit: Aisha Badru by Jeffery Trapani; Benson by Sandlin Gaither. 

PHOTOS: Our Recap of the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival

Last weekend, on March 16, musicians and artists from across the country descended on Fort Worth’s Southside Preservation Hall for the 2024 edition of the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival – known affectionately as FWAAMFest. This year’s event was the biggest yet in the annual festival’s four-year run, boasting a lineup of country, old-time, blues, ragtime, folk, Americana, and so much more.

Below, check out select photos from FWAAMFest that highlight the mission and scope of this quickly up-and-coming festival and community-building event. There’s truly something for everyone at FWAAMFest, including workshops and lectures on pre-World War I banjo playing, a live taping of BGS’s and Folk Alley’s podcast, Basic Folk, delicious soul food and ice cream provided by Carpenter’s Cafe & Catering, Lil Boy Blu, and Cow Tipping Creamery, and a superlative lineup of musicians, artists, songwriters, and instrumentalists. (Learn more about the artists on the lineup here.)

FWAAMFest is programmed and presented by Decolonizing the Music Room, a non-profit organization founded by festival director Brandi Waller-Pace. DtMR has a mission of building more equitable futures in music education, music performance, ethnomusicology, and beyond. As such, their success – and the continuation of the remarkable FWAAMFest – is dependent upon the generosity of roots music fans such as yourself.

If you believe in the future of FWAAMFest and Decolonizing the Music Room and want to help it continue into the future, you can donate now on the official festival website. Additionally, banjo player, songwriter, and scholar Rhiannon Giddens has pledged a $5,000 matching donation if two or more high level donors give at that dollar amount. If you have the resources, consider devoting funds to the important and vital mission of FWAAMFest and DtMR.

As you will see from our photo recap below, this is an event worth investing in. Make plans now to attend FWAAMFest in the future and, if you’re able, donate!


All photos by Justin Ikpo Photography unless otherwise noted. Additional photos by Ben Noey Jr. and IJ Routen.

Learn more about the artists on the FWAAMFest lineup here.

MIXTAPE: Paper Wings’ Folk Rebels Playlist

While we could easily be mistaken for “a pair of demure young ladies playing in a mid-19th century parlor” as thoughtfully observed by Bluegrass Today some years ago, we are in fact drawn to folk music not for its wholesomeness, but for its realness and its capacity to have you at the edge, staring down the rocky cliffs of life into the depths of your humanity. The songs that endure and have been carried into the future often tend to have a lot of darkness balanced with beauty (reverence and irreverence), because that’s what resonates with folks. It’s what we’re made of. And anyone who dares to sing complex truths and carry stories around in their heads can be a folk rebel.

On our new album, Listen to the World Spin, we stopped worrying about how traditional we sound or “should” sound and just made the music we wanted to make. These songs tend to have themes of the contrast between connection, solitude, our personal struggles, and how we relate to the greater world around us. We ask a lot of questions on this album, the answers to which could be complicated, but ultimately are simple because there is no answer. Sometimes the best thing one can do in life is just listen.

This playlist of songs features friends, heroes, and legends; inspiratoria from our pasts and present. As we refuse to put ourselves into a musical box, so too do the artists on this playlist. Best enjoyed on a long walk or drive, preferably alone or with someone who gives you company without robbing you of your sense of solitude. Much love, – W & E, Paper Wings

“Same Old Man” – Karen Dalton

I love this combination of rough old-time banjo and electric guitar. What a voice. – EM

“Nine Hundred Miles” – Barbara Dane

I remember hearing this track for the first time on Democracy Now and it hit me as being so so cool… a feeling I only really get from punk music and raw, gritty folk. If you haven’t heard of Barbara Dane, you must look her up. She was a very involved activist during the civil rights movement and also wrote some very sharp political songs. – WF

“Sunlight” – Rushad Eggleston

I am a huge fan of the cello goblin’s love song era. – EM

“I don’t love nobody” – Elizabeth Cotten

Nobody plays guitar this good. Elizabeth Cotten is a legend, not much else to say. – WF

“I’ll Wash Your Love From My Heart” – Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard

Hazel & Alice are such heroes of ours! Independent, fierce, deeply committed humanists and musicians who have shone light on the path of living a life that is true to those values. – EM

“What Will We Do?” – Foghorn Stringband

Reeb Willms and Nadine Landry are true modern badasses. This track features them singing a capella on this foghorn record, and somehow it’s just as energetic and captivating as when the whole band is playing. They are incredible instrumentalists, but they don’t even need their instruments to make really good music. – WF

“No Reason” – Sunny War

I first heard Sunny play this song live in Nashville and the guitar part instantly stuck in my head. It’s so satisfying, my brain craves it. – EM

“Bad Repetation” – Woody Guthrie

From the spelling of the title, to the pronunciation of “window,” to the fact that the timing changes on every refrain and I still haven’t worked it out, Woody is the epitome of bad-boy-American-folk-singer-fun-rebel-friend. – WF

“Say Darlin’ Say” – Laura Veirs

It was bold to do this song this way with electric guitar. The hook at the end gets stuck in my head from time to time. There are so many poorly reimagined/re-harmonized trad songs, and to me, this one works because it is sparse, it is catchy, and it isn’t perfect. – WF

“Lopin’ Along Through the Cosmos” – Judee Sill

Our friend John Mailander turned me onto Judee Sill in 2019 and I listened to nothing but her for months, absolutely obsessed. The words to this song mean so much to me, “However we are is ok.” Nobody writes a melody like Judee. – EM

“Cumberland Gap” – Spencer & Rains

I remember hearing Howard and Tricia practicing this version of “Cumberland Gap” at Clifftop as they were camped next to me and being totally obsessed. I don’t know where they dug up this version, but it’s so fun and a good reminder that even when you think you know the coolest version of a song, there is probably a cooler one still out there. Also, this whole album is fun and you can even hear Emily play bowed bass on it, watch out. – WF

“Chewing Gum” – The Carter Family

I dare you to jump rope with your best friend to this song and try not to laugh when you sing the words, “I wouldn’t have a doctor, I’ll tell you the reason why/ He rides all over the country and makes the people die.” – WF

“Left Hand Lane” – Paper Wings

We wrote this song on a night drive home to Berkeley, talking about doing our taxes and being afraid of accidentally doing them wrong. We had borrowed a car from our friend Vynce. I somehow managed to live in the San Francisco Bay Area for 7 years and never had a Fastrak beeper (the toll taking company for bridges, express lanes, IYKYK) but we got to live that Fastrak life on this particular trip and it made it into the song. Thanks Vynce!! – EM

“Pretty Bird” – Laurie Lewis & Linda Ronstadt

I listened to Laurie’s albums growing up and long before I even played music. I am lucky now to call her a dear friend. I love her writing and her taste in covers. To some this might be a song about a little bird but it takes next to no imagination to hear it cautioning a young woman “he would only clip your wings.” – EM


Photo Credit: Kale Chesney

Ed’s Picks: Pickers Galore

(Editor’s note: Each issue of Good Country, our co-founder Ed Helms will share a handful of good country artists, albums, and songs direct from his own earphones in Ed’s Picks. 

Sign up here to receive Good Country issues when they launch, direct to your email inbox via Substack.)

Sister Sadie

An image of bluegrass band Sister Sadie with the text: "A supergroup in perhaps their strongest iteration yet. Like The Chicks with a dash of The Judds and a pinch of Patty Loveless, played by an absurdly talented bluegrass lineup."


Ashley Campbell

An image of Ashley Campbell in a cowboy hat with the text: "Ashley Campbell is another stellar musical multi-hyphenate – it must run in the family. She's a fantastic banjo player, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, genre-bender, and performer."


Vince Gill & Paul Franklin

An image of Vince Gill & Paul Franklin with their instruments, including the text: "Now that's some GOOD COUNTRY. These two need no introduction, they are perfect examples of the heights to which all country instrumentalists aspire."


Brennen Leigh

Brennen Leigh in a cowboy hat and patterened sleeveless top, with the caption: "At home in Nashville, Texas, and the Minnesota prairie, Brennen Leigh is as bluegrassy as she is honky tonkin' and a quintessential singer-songwriter-frontwoman-picker."


Joy Clark

Joy Clark is pictured with a hollow body electric guitar and the text: "Black Opry alum Joy Clark is a BGS/GC favorite. Whatever the context – folk, Americana, or country; solo or in a band – her one-of-a-kind voice on the guitar feels right at home.



You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Wood Box Heroes, Ashby Frank, and More

This week, our premiere round-up is chock-full of amazing new music. From a Chris Stapleton co-write from bluegrass-meets-country supergroup Wood Box Heroes to a Terry Baucom tribute from bluegrasser Ashby Frank, plus songs from Americana singer-songwriter Jack McKeon, guitarist Yann Falquet, and Asheville’s Holler Choir.

Plus, don’t miss exclusive premieres from banjo magnates Alison Brown and Steve Martin, and a posthumous release from Chick Corea with his friend and collaborator Béla Fleck.

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

Wood Box Heroes, “Cannonball”

Artist: Wood Box Heroes
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Cannonball”
Album: 444
Release Date: March 15, 2024 (single)

In Their Words: “‘Cannonball’ is a song I wrote a while back with Chris Stapleton. I was trying to figure out a new way to talk about the ‘love and war/love as war/love is war’ theme and of course, Chris helped to bring that to life so well. I never made a demo, just the voice memo. Hearing Chris’s amazing singing on it could be a daunting thing for lots of artists to get past, but I knew Josh Martin could handle it, so I pitched it to the Heroes for this project. It took a while to sink in with them, but I’m beyond thrilled with the treatment they gave it!” – Barry Bales

Track Credits:

Barry Bales – upright bass, vocals
Jenee Fleenor – fiddle, vocals
Josh Martin – guitar, vocals
Matt Menefee – banjo
Seth Taylor – mandolin, vocals

Produced by Wood Box Heroes.
Recorded by Brandon Bell at Sound Emporium; Nashville, Tennessee.
Mixed by Brandon Bell.
Mastered by Eric Conn at Independent Mastering; Nashville, Tennessee.


Ashby Frank, “Knee Deep in Bluegrass”

Artist: Ashby Frank
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Knee Deep In Bluegrass”
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘Knee Deep in Bluegrass’ is a tune written and originally recorded by my friend and former Mashville Brigade bandmate, banjo legend Terry Baucom. Sadly, Terry passed away in December. When we recently gathered to start recording my next album, it happened to be the day after his funeral. All of us had Bauc and his wife, Cindy, on our minds. Remembering this song, I messaged Cindy, asking if it would be ok to record a slightly modified version of ‘Knee Deep’ as a tribute to him and she graciously approved. Bauc was performing at the first festival I ever attended in Denton, NC. His style and persona has been an inspiration to me ever since that first meeting. I think Matt Menefee, Travis Anderson, Jim Van Cleve, Seth Taylor, and Tony Creasman really nailed their parts on the tune. I hope our recording brings back fond memories for anyone who knew Terry and will honor him as he so richly deserves.” – Ashby Frank


Jack McKeon, “Last Slice of Heaven”

Artist: Jack McKeon
Hometown: Chatham, New York; currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Last Slice of Heaven”
Album: Talking to Strangers
Release Date: June 21, 2024

In Their Words: “I was working at a house in Williamson County, on a stretch of road that is flanked by two separate but equally cookie-cutter developments. Across from this house and squarely in the middle of all this new, was a vacant field, a decrepit barn festering in the corner. At some point that field must have meant food, crops, and a living. Now it seems to only conjure the image of an older person sitting on a potential windfall when they sell out to a developer. But with all that money comes the death of the beautiful things that made that life worth living. My boss noticed me looking at this field and facetiously said, ‘Oh, didn’t you know? These developments all come with their own complimentary field to look at.’ I wrote this song to give a voice to the person I imagined holding on to this ‘Last Slice of Heaven,’ a character at odds with the transformation around him who’s fighting to hold on to his own identity in spite of ‘a world that’s always changing what it means to be the same.'” – Jack McKeon

Track Credits:

Jack McKeon – Guitar/vocal
Ashby Frank – Mandolin/harmony vocal
Vickie Vaughn – Upright bass/harmony vocal
Christian Sedelmyer – Fiddle
Justin Moses – Banjo
Engineered by Sean Sullivan at the Tractor Shed Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
Mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering.

Video Credit: Brooke Stevens


Yann Falquet, “Courage”

Artist: Yann Falquet
Hometown: Brattleboro, Vermont
Song: “Courage”
Album: Les secrets du ciel
Release Date: March 15, 2024 (single); May 3, 2024 (album)

In Their Words: “I moved from Québec to New England a couple of years ago. My instrumental background was compatible with the fiddle styles I encountered here (Appalachian, Irish, Scottish, etc.), but I quickly realized that I had to rethink the way I approached songs. Back in French Canada, traditional singers often perform unaccompanied, and rely heavily on others in the room to participate in the ‘response’ part of call-and-response songs. For this project, I began reframing these songs into a more English or American ‘folk singer’ format, and had a lot of fun coming up with interesting guitar parts in DADGAD tuning. I then collaborated with producer Quinn Bachand and a bunch of fantastic musicians to add extra musical layers to the song.

“‘Courage’ comes from the repertoire of the Voyageur folks who paddled across North America, using songs to keep paddling in rhythm. It tells the story of a young soldier who abandons war for the pursuit of love, knowing well the consequences if he gets caught.” – Yann Falquet

Track Credits:

Yann Falquet – Guitar, voice
Julia Friend – Voice
Keith Murphy – Pump organ
Trent Freeman – Violin
Quinn Bachand – Violin, bass pedal

Quinn Bachand – Producer, engineer
Charles-Émile Beaudin – Mixing engineer
Philip Shaw Bova – Masterin engineer


Holler Choir, “Hamlet Blues”

Artist: Holler Choir
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Hamlet Blues”
Album: Songs Before They Write Themselves
Release Date: January 12, 2024

In Their Words: “I can’t speak to everyone else’s tastes, but for the purpose of songs that I perform and have written, ‘Hamlet Blues’ is my most timeless song. I know this because 10 years after having written it, it’s just now seeing a definitive release, and it feels no less personally relevant than the day I wrote it.

“There’s a very intentional juxtaposition between the carefree energy of the music and the existential crisis portrayed in the lyrics. It’s a cognitive dissonance that I’ve experienced in different settings many times in life, and I chose to channel that energy into this song. There’s a smiling nihilism that can be found at any college bar. Kids drinking to excess, with little regard for what’s happening tomorrow. Seemingly happy people, sitting on a fault line that is long overdue. I wanted to capture the dread that was the humming drone in my head beneath whatever pop song was blaring over the bar speakers at the time. I don’t find this sentiment any less relevant for bars I go into as an adult.” – Clint Roberts


Alison Brown & Steve Martin, “Bluegrass Radio”

Artist: Alison Brown & Steve Martin
Hometown: La Jolla, California (Alison); Waco, Texas (Steve)
Song: “Bluegrass Radio”
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “This little tune brings a ton of joy to me. Alison’s playing is flawless, and my singing is flaw-full.” – Steve Martin

Read more here.


Chick Corea & Béla Fleck, “Remembrance”

Artist: Chick Corea & Béla Fleck
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Remembrance”
Album: Remembrance
Release Date: May 10, 2024
Label: Béla Fleck Productions (Thirty Tigers)

In Their Words: “’Remembrance’ is one of the last pieces of music Chick ever recorded. It’s just one of those perfect Chick Corea tunes. It sounds to me like a New Orleans funeral march, even though it has a Latin component, like everything he did tended to.” – Béla Fleck

More here.


Photo Credits: Wood Box Heroes by Eric Ahlgrim; Ashby Frank by Melissa DuPuy