Tag: BGS Podcast Network

The Other 22 Hours: S.G. Goodman

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman has earned critical acclaim, award nominations, and has worked with legends like Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket. In this episode of the Other 22 Hours, we discuss the grueling physical and mental requirements of “making it.” From working manual labor to stay afloat while not on the road to navigating the complex realities of running a bona fide business, S.G. opens up about scarcity, OCD, and the hard-won wisdom of learning to drive the lawnmower instead of letting it drive you.

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In This Episode:

– SG Goodman
– Mas Tacos
– Madison Cunningham
– Jesse Welles

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation 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: Ryan Hartley

The Other 22 Hours: Hunter Hayes

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Five-time GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes has spent his entire life on the national stage, from performing at the White House at age seven to sharing stadium spotlights with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift. Yet, behind the multi-platinum accolades was a realization that his professional development had far outpaced his personal life. In this episode of the Other 22 Hours, we explore the vulnerability of “growing up” in the public eye, the paralyzing fear of not being busy, and how a strict routine can actually provide the ultimate freedom to play. And, we chat about how starting from a place of love is the only viable way to build an artistic career that lasts.

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In This Episode:

– Hunter Hayes
– Dann Huff
– Ep136 – Chely Wright
– Ep 73 – Edwin McCain

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation 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: Noah Tidmore

The Working Songwriter: Jason Boland

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our guest today on the Working Songwriter hails from Oklahoma and is a foundational contributor to the uniquely American genre of Red Dirt music. Jason Boland released his first album, Pearl Snaps, in 1999 and has been on the road ever since. Nightclub by nightclub, fan by fan, he’s built a devoted national audience.

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Boland has toured with Turnpike Troubadours, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Reckless Kelly, and a host of others. He’s recorded for Thirty Tigers and Top Hat Records. He’s appeared at Stagecoach, Luck Reunion, and the MusicFest at Steamboat. Texas Monthly called him “equal parts poet, rebel, and road warrior” and Rolling Stone declared his sound “unpolished, unsparing, and deeply human.”

I got a chance a while back to catch up with Jason and hear about his musical journey so far.

Photo Credit: Cameron L. Gott Photography

Basic Folk: Mark Erelli & Joe Henry

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Joe Henry has released 15 studio albums, apprenticed for legendary producer T Bone Burnett and, in turn, has produced many other musicians’ albums on his own, including three GRAMMY Award-winning albums – for Solomon Burke, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. He’s co-written a few songs as well, including a couple with his sister-in-law, who happens to be the one and only legendary pop icon Madonna. His latest album is Life and Time, a collaboration with songwriter Mike Reid, who has written many wonderful songs like “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” one of Bonnie Raitt’s most successful and beloved recordings. In recent years, Joe has struck up a friendship with our bestie, Mark Erelli. Mark’s been on Basic Folk 10,000 times and in honor of his new record, Spring Green, we invited him to do whatever he wanted on this appearance on the pod. Mark chose to be in conversation with his friend Joe on location at Joe’s beautiful studio located north of Portland on the coast of Maine.

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In 2020, Mark was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (or RP) which is causing him to slowly go blind. Joe was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2018 and was told he only had months to live. Now, in 2026, his cancer is in remission and his health has improved. In this Basic Folk conversation, they tackle topics such as asking for help and finding hope while living with chronic illnesses. They also get into other parallels the two musicians have experienced, including how music has shaped their male friendships and being free of vanity. Mark and Joe have never worked together, but their respect and admiration for the other is clear from their time together. Here’s hoping a collaboration is in the works for the near future!

Photo Credit: Joe Henry by David McClister; Mark Erelli by Joe Navas.

The Other 22 Hours: Butch Walker

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Butch Walker has spent decades at the summit of the music industry, producing multi-platinum records for icons like Pink, Katy Perry, and Green Day while fronting his own high-energy solo tours. Yet, despite reaching that peak, he found himself “climbing the hill” so intently that he had forgotten to look at the view, leading to burnout and a desire to step back. In this episode of the Other 22 Hours, we explore the courage required to dismantle an ego-driven path in favor of a soul-driven one, and finding unbridled joy in the simple act of being a “sponge” for new inspiration.

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In This Episode:

– Butch Walker
– Marvelous 3
– John Legend
– Frank Zappa
– Train
– Taylor Swift
– Bad Bunny
– Kendrick Lamar
– Desmond Child

Go Deeper:

Watch: View this entire conversation 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: Rose Catherine Hohl

The Other 22 Hours Joins BGS Podcast Network

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

BGS is ecstatic to announced The Other 22 Hours, a beloved podcast hosted by singer-songwriter Michaela Anne and music producer Aaron Shafer-Haiss, is joining the BGS Podcast Network. Beginning Wednesday, March 4, new episodes of The Other 22 Hours will be distributed by BGS and hosted right here on our website, as well. Founded in 2023, the show has produced more than 130 episodes – which drop weekly – featuring conversations with renowned musicians and artists who share tools for resilience, helping all kinds of creatives to feel more inspired, connected, and confident in their creative journey. If an artist, creative, or musician is “performing” only a couple of hours each day, what do they do with the other 22 hours? The brand new season of the pod will launch Wednesday with an interview with producer, musician, and singer-songwriter Butch Walker. Subscribe now.

“BGS is thrilled to welcome The Other 22 Hours to the BGS Podcast Network,” said Cindy Howes, who directs the network for the Bluegrass Situation and Good Country. “Michaela and Aaron have developed a beautiful space to hold conversations that offer a unique look behind the humans who make the art we love. There’s so much the public at large does not know about what it takes to live and maintain a creative life; Michaela and Aaron help us all be more responsible patrons of the arts as well as seeding inspiration for our own creative endeavors.”

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Michaela Anne is a celebrated singer-songwriter and folk/Americana artist who has been covered by BGS and featured on our stages many times over the years. Shafer-Haiss, her husband and collaborator, is an accomplished record producer, drummer, songwriter, and composer. Together, they’ve have had thoughtful and down-to-earth conversations over the past few years with incredible creatives like The Milk Carton Kids, Leyla McCalla, Rodney Crowell, Adia Victoria, Mary Gauthier, Lori McKenna, Watkins Family Hour, Miko Marks, Brandy Clark, Tift Merritt, Raye Zaragoza, and many more.

“We’ve been friends and occasional collaborators with the BGS family for years,” Michaela Anne and Shafer-Haiss share via email, “so bringing The Other 22 Hours to the network feels like a bit of a homecoming. Our show has always been about the reality behind the highlight reel, a community-built road map to sustaining a creative life. We’re thrilled to get to align our conversations with a network that values the craft just as much as the art.”

To celebrate the Other 22 Hours joining the BGS Podcast Network and in anticipation of the new season launching this week, we’re sharing five of ours, Michaela Anne’s, and Shafer-Haiss’s favorite archive episodes from the podcast’s three existing seasons. Dive in, catch up on what you missed, and stay tuned for more episodes of The Other 22 Hours coming weekly right here on BGS and wherever you get podcasts. More info on the show here.

Rosanne Cash (EP 100, April 2025)

“We talk with the legendary songwriter about navigating insecurity and imposter syndrome, measuring your own success by your talent and not your validation, and allowing yourself to be called an artist. We also get into prose vs. songwriting, respect for yourself and for the audience, and Cash’s rituals.”

Maggie Smith (EP 96, March 2025)

“We talk with New York Times best-selling author about keeping the purity of your creativity, being integrated as a human, and trusting yourself to do what’s needed to keep this career going. Plus, being your own safety net, being open to completely revamping work, and arm wrestling.”

Yancey Strickler (EP 126, October 2025)

“We talk with the co-found of Kickstarter (and the Creative Independent, Metalabel, and Artist Corporations) about revolutionizing the creator economy. We talk about his concept and creation of Artist Corporations – think incorporating independent artists – the systemic exploitation of artists, how DSPs trade convenience for meaning and depth, platform boycotts, and ‘winning’ in its purest sense.”

JOHNNYSWIM (EP 113, July 2025)

“We talk with the folk/soul/pop duo about staying curious in your pursuits and creating space for wonder and childlike-ness. They offer their thoughts on how to rejuvenate yourself and your creativity on the run, the blinders of fixation, family, and more.”

Joe Henry (EP 39, 2023)

“We talk with the acclaimed songwriter and producer about keeping yourself in the creative stream, knowing when to step away, acceptance, and the quote, ‘How you do anything is how you do everything.'”

Photo Credit: Sam Wiseman

The Working Songwriter: Yung Lan

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Welcome to The Working Songwriter, the show where today’s best songwriters come to talk shop. Each episode we host a distinguished guest and we ask them to go deep on their inspiration, their process, and the general ups and downs of making a life in music. Whether you’re a grizzled veteran picking out custom chrome trim for your tour bus or a scrappy upstart, trying to determine whether your Toyota Tercel can make it through a three thousand mile tour, this is your show. Because, ultimately, it is what every writer seeks most. An ironclad excuse to put off actually writing.

Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter originally hails from Virginia, but made his bones in the bustling hip-hop scene of Atlanta. Yung Lan began producing tracks on his laptop as a novice with no ties to the formal music business. Signing a modest publishing deal got him in the room with some hip-hop luminaries, and he seized the opportunity. His first success came when one of his songs made it onto Fetty Wap’s self-titled album, which went platinum. He has since gone on to work with Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Kevin Gates, and many others.

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Yung Lan’s work on Morgan Wallen’s song “Cowgirls” won him a BMI Country Award. All told, his songs placed with different artists have amassed over 6 billion streams and he’s contributed to 30 albums with RIAA certifications. I got a chance to catch up with Yung Lan a few months back to hear about his musical journey so far.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Basic Folk: Laurie Lewis

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

A foundational participant in the ’70s Bay Area bluegrass scene, Laurie Lewis knows the power of collaboration. She’s been a part of an ensemble in recent years that’s called Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands, with Laurie on fiddle, guitar, and vocals, Brandon Godman on fiddle, George Guthrie on banjo, and Hasee Ciaccio on bass. That group plays a huge part in her new album, O California!, a collection of songs that explore our own places in the natural world and in each other’s hearts. It also serves as a love letter to her home state. One standout track, the traditional “Fair and Tender Ladies,” is a duet with Ciaccio, which brings the song’s cautionary tale to life. In our Basic Folk conversation, Laurie talks about what it’s been like to learn traditional songs before actually catching their meaning, long after figuring out the tune.

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Lewis emphasizes the communal and collaborative nature that defines her musicianship. She recounts her early exposure to music played socially when her father and his friends gathered at their home to play classical music when she was young. She credits that experience with solidifying her decision to learn to play, so she could have as much fun as they did. Laurie also opens up about her path to finding independence from her father’s expectations and her eventual return to music through modern dance and folk tradition. She touches on her passion for nature, recounting transformative hiking experiences, and reveals her thoughts on collaboration and mentorship within the music community.

Additionally, Lewis reflects on the profound impact of losing her voice in 2021 and the emotional journey of rediscovering her musical identity. We wrap up our conversation talking about her friend Alice Gerrard, whom she covers on the new album. After we hung up, Laurie emailed me an addendum about Alice that I wanted to share: “I forgot to say, when you asked me about Alice Gerrard, that I also greatly admire her community involvement in the music she loves, as evidenced by her starting and running the Old Time Herald for so many years. She’s a remarkable person. Plus, she trained her dog to fetch a beer out of the fridge for her and then put the empty can in the recycling!” Incredible.

Want more? Check out our recent Cover Story interview with Laurie Lewis.

Photo Credit: Dawn Kish

The Working Songwriter: Ray Fulcher

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Welcome to The Working Songwriter, the show where today’s best songwriters come to talk shop. Each episode we host a distinguished guest and we ask them to go deep on their inspiration, their process, and the general ups and downs of making a life in music. Whether you’re a grizzled veteran picking out custom chrome trim for your tour bus or a scrappy upstart, trying to determine whether your Toyota Tercel can make it through a three thousand mile tour, this is your show. Because, ultimately, it is what every writer seeks most. An ironclad excuse to put off actually writing.

Our guest this week hails from Harlem, Georgia. Ray Fulcher is one of Nashville’s most sought-after modern country songwriters. He first broke through co-writing a string of chart-topping hits for Luke Combs – including the multi-platinum “When It Rains It Pours” – before stepping into the spotlight with his own recordings on his 2022 debut album, Spray Painted Line.

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Fulcher has toured extensively, sharing stages with Luke Combs, Ashley McBryde, and Matt Stell, and his songs have been streamed hundreds of millions of times across platforms. He has written for artists like Riley Green and Cody Johnson, including Johnson’s recent hit “The Fall.” Billboard highlights his “unmistakable narrative grit,” while Holler celebrates his “clean-cut melodies and lived-in honesty.” Taste of Country notes his “ability to turn small-town details into widescreen emotion.” I caught up with him recently on The Working Songwriter to hear about his musical journey so far.

 

Basic Folk: Naomi Westwater

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Something you might notice about Boston musician Naomi Westwater is that they have both sides of the brain on lock. They are very good at community organizing, grant applying, advocating, and other “left-brained” activities. However, they are also a creative, deeply spiritual, open-hearted person, traits typically associated with the right brain. That’s not always something that goes hand-in-hand, but it is a beautiful thing when it does!

Westwater, who identifies as queer and Black-multiracial, grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where they never felt like they fit in. Thanks to their parents, there was a lot of music being played: reggae, jazz, funk, classic rock and ’70s feminist folk. There was always a deep connection with nature, which plays into their spiritual practice and their songwriting, two areas they previously kept separate.

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On their album, Cycle & Change (released May 9, 2025), Naomi made an effort to fully embrace her identity as a songwriter and a witch. She shares, “Each song ties back to its seasonal context, weaving a story that spans spring’s hopeful beginnings, summer’s vibrancy, autumn’s introspection, and winter’s quietude…” Right in the final stretch of preparing to release the album, all these very hard things happened: the sudden loss of Naomi’s father; they went through a divorce; and they relocated. It was as if, with the album, they had created the blueprint for remaining grounded during these challenging life changes. We get into all of this on Basic Folk, as well as navigating self-advocacy while struggling to get their endometriosis and adenomyosis diagnosed and treated and the impact their father’s death had on their creativity.

Photo Credit: Ally Schmaling