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
Track Credits:
Jacob Jolliff – mandolin George Jackson – fiddle Myles Sloniker – bass Ross Martin – guitar
We could hardly think of a better guest with whom we’d conclude our second season of Toy Heart than 27-time Grammy Award winner, Alison Krauss. Arguably the most prominent bluegrass musician in the genre’s nearly one hundred year history – certainly the most well-known in her own generation – host Tom Power’s laughter-filled conversation with Krauss weaves through her childhood and upbringing, from her grandparents immigrating to Chicago (then her parents to Champaign, Illinois) and Alison’s first fiddle contests all the way to her first Grammy win as a young adult.
In a rare podcast interview, Krauss is funny, charming, and open, her candor painting a picture of the bluegrass community’s lifelong support and the winding journey that has brought her to the present, as one of the most recognizable voices and musicians in American roots music. From her earliest hits like “Steel Rails” and “Every Time You Say Goodbye” to collaborating with Robert Plant, James Taylor, the Cox Family, and more, to her Buddy Cannon-produced 2017 album, Windy City, Power and Krauss talk about song selection, her early days touring and road-dogging with Union Station, and how it felt when her musical career really began to take off.
But these stories aren’t just about awards and accolades. They chat about many moments, the big and small, that define Krauss, the festivals that became like homes, and the bonds that music forged with her band, Union Station, and her many collaborators. They explore how Krauss creates on the boundaries of many roots genres – plus what she views as bluegrass and what’s not bluegrass – the authenticity that she’s tried to capture throughout her career, and the cultural waves made by projects like O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Down From the Mountain tour.
From personal anecdotes about Ralph Stanley and Larry Sparks to her feelings about Billy Strings’ massive success to a jaw-dropping and exciting revelation that she and Union Station are working on a new bluegrass album, our season finale with Alison Krauss is truly one of our best Toy Heart episodes to date.
We all grew up in rural Ireland in small communities in the midlands around County Offaly and County Tipperary. From a young age we were brought up with traditional Irish music, learning the tunes and playing in local sessions. Bluegrass was never a part of our musical upbringing, however, little did we know how strong the relationship between Irish and bluegrass music is. Our band JigJam was formed in 2012 and over the years we developed a sound which captures the crossover between these musical genres.
The creation of bluegrass music and its development over the years is heavily influenced by Irish music. When the Irish people emigrated to North America years ago they brought their music and culture with them, which you can hear within bluegrass music from tunes, melodies, and songs.
We released our new album, Across The Pond, on March 1st of this year. The theme of Across the Pond is to creatively celebrate the deep connection between Ireland and North America through newly composed material that is a dynamic fusion of bluegrass, old-time, and Irish traditional music. By also including traditional tunes and songs which are popular amongst the people from both Irish and American traditions, we added their voice to this transatlantic conversation. This album has been inspired and composed on themes of immigration, nostalgia, cultural difference, and cultural amalgamation. It views the immigrant experience through the lens of pre-immigration, the journey of immigration itself, and their lives upon having settled in North America.
This is our Irish Bluegrass Mixtape, hope you all enjoy! – JigJam
“Good Ole Mountain Dew” – JigJam
Here’s our version of the bluegrass standard, “Mountain Dew,” that we put our own spin on. There’s a similar Irish song called, “The Rare Old Mountain Dew.” It’s about the same subject – “Good Old Mountain Dew” is obviously about moonshine. What we call the “mountain dew” at home is poitin, which is Irish moonshine.
We took some of the lyrics of that song and put it into our version and also wrote our own lyrics based on where we come from. We took the instrumental tune from “Rare Old Mountain Dew” and put it in “Good Old Mountain Dew” while also adding in a bit of Irish lilting. It’s a mashup of both cultures in one song!
“Classical Grass” – Gerry O’Connor
When I was young and first learning how to play the tenor banjo one of my musical heroes was Gerry O’Connor. I was always mesmerized by the speed and precision of his banjo playing. The first time I saw him in concert was at a banjo festival in Ireland called Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival. He was sharing the bill with Earl Scruggs and his band. As a 12-year-old Irish boy, I had no idea who Earl Scruggs was at the time. Little did I know the influence he (Earl Scruggs) would have on my music and JigJam’s music in years to come, when we discovered what bluegrass was and where it came from!! In this track from Gerry, he shows his bluegrass influence himself with pristine crosspicking along with his renowned clean triplets, which was always a favourite of mine growing up.
“Colleen Malone” – Hot Rize
“Colleen Malone” is one of our favorite songs that Hot Rize recorded. Here’s a great live version from their Hot Rize’s 40th Anniversary Bash album. A lovely song co-written by Leroy Drumm and Pete Goble about an Irish girl, Colleen Malone.
“Tennessee Stud” – The Chieftains
In many ways The Chieftains paved the way for Irish bands touring in America and that is something for which we’ll always be incredibly grateful. Their album, Down The Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions, paints a vivid picture of the crossover between between the Irish and American music traditions.
“B/C Set” – Beoga
Beoga are an Irish trad band who we all listened to as kids growing up. They were known for thinking outside the box and being ahead of their time as regards arrangements. The second tune in this set is “Daley’s Reel,” which I only realized in recent years when I heard some of the great bluegrass players like Bryan Sutton and Aubrey Haynie playing it. Beoga have a very unique version of “Daley’s Reel,” played on two button accordions and accompanied by piano, bodhrán, and even brass near the end of the track. Certainly a fun one to listen to!
“Streets of London” – Tony Rice
This is one of my favourite songs sung by Tony Rice. “The Streets of London” is a very popular song in Ireland and has been covered by many Irish artists. Written by English songwriter Ralph McTell, I learned this song from the playing of the great Liam Clancy of The Clancy Brothers, Irish powerhouses. I only heard Tony Rice’s version in recent years when I delved into bluegrass guitar playing and I loved it straight away. Tony Rice’s rendition is beautiful as he incorporates his flawless bluegrass crosspicking and signature approach to this classic.
“Water’s Hill” is a song off our new album, Across The Pond. The lyrics were written by Ken Molloy as he tells the story of a couple falling in love together and marrying on water’s hill, a mound near Tullamore in County Offaly. The music is by Jamie McKeogh and Daithi Melia along with an old traditional Irish reel that is incorporated into the middle of the song. “Water’s Hill” features a driving Scruggs-style 5-string banjo part along with a strong mandolin backbeat, fiddle counter melodies, and rhythmic acoustic guitar which creates the JigJam sound, capturing the crossover between Irish and bluegrass music.
“Forty Shades of Green” – Rosanne Cash and Paul Brady, Transatlantic Sessions
The Transatlantic Sessions is an amazing platform for the collaboration of Irish and bluegrass musicians. With the likes of Jerry Douglas, Aly Bain, Mike McGoldrick, and many more, this project has wonderfully captured Irish and bluegrass crossover for years. I could have chosen many songs from their repertoire, but I went with this one. It’s “Forty Shades of Green” from the legend that is Johnny Cash. Here, it’s being sung by his daughter Rosanne and Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady, backed up by the Transatlantic band.
“Sally Goodin / The Blackberry Blossom” – Gerry O’Connor
Gerry O’Connor from Co. Tipperary is the reason I began to play the tenor banjo and he has always been a musical hero of mine – his music still inspires me to this day. This set showcases his skill set, pickin’ on these classic bluegrass fiddle tunes.
“Battersea Skillet Liquor” – Damian O’Kane, Ron Block
One of my favorite tracks off one of my favorite albums. I always loved the groove in this track and of course the playing from this star-studded crew of players always leaves me feeling inspired.
“Bouli Bouli” – JigJam
This set combines the traditional Irish jig, “The Miller of Glanmire,” with the bluegrass fiddle tune, “Big Mon.” It showcases the dynamic and genre fluid nature of JigJam through seamlessly traversing both traditions while highlighting each instrument’s capabilities. We’ve been having a lot of fun playing this one live!
“On Raglan Road” – Dervish & Vince Gill
I always enjoyed this song being performed by the great Luke Kelly from The Dubliners and recently came across this beautiful version of Patrick Kavanagh’s “On Raglan Road” by the legendary Dervish featuring the iconic vocals of Vince Gill.
“The Stride Set” – Solas
I love this set by Solas from their album, The Words That Remain. We are influenced by their creative way of arranging Irish tune sets. I love the addition of the 5-string banjo featured on this track.
“Did You Ever Go A-Courtin’, Uncle Joe” – The Chieftains
Here’s a mighty set from The Chieftains’ live album, Another Country. The crossover between Irish and American genres is great here with a medley of American songs and Irish tunes and also featuring a 5-string banjo. With a great lineup of The Chieftains with Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Ricky Skaggs.
“County Clare” – New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival are one of our biggest influences as a band. Béla Fleck is one of the reasons why I fell in love with the 5-string banjo and started to learn ‘Scruggs style’ while delving into the bluegrass world. Here’s his great instrumental “County Clare,” which Béla wrote inspired by his time spent in Ireland.
You’ve reached the end of the week and we’ve got your soundtrack to take you into your weekend! This Friday, we’re showcasing premieres from indie folk singer-songwriter Malena Cadiz, from our old friends the Barefoot Movement, and Steven Keene gives a Woody Guthrie classic a new spin. Plus, Norwegian-via-Louisiana country artist Rainy Eyes takes us on a road trip down the “Lonesome Highway” and Darin & Brooke Aldridge bring a new lyric video for “Same Ole New Love.”
Don’t miss the conclusion of our Rootsy Summer Sessions series, too, featuring roots duo Violet Bell and special guest Emily Scott Robinson. Scroll for more, because You Gotta Hear This!
Malena Cadiz, “Getting By”
Artist:Malena Cadiz Hometown: Los Angeles, California Song: “Getting By” Album:Hellbent & Moonbound Release Date: October 20, 2023
In Their Words: “I think of ‘Getting By’ as a love song for the long haul, appreciating that the highs and lows of life that are all part of the beautiful, messy ride. Getting to move through them with the person I love is something I’m really grateful for. My producer, Andrew Lappin, suggested we bring in Lara Somogyi to play harp on the recording. In the live video, Tyler Cash & Jason Abraham Roberts reinterpret that part on keys and guitar. I love how it elevates and brings magic to the unglamorous, scrappy stories of day to day life – lying on the linoleum floor of my kitchen after a long waitressing shift, buying fancy foods with EBT, getting bit by a chihuahua, voicing the feeling that ‘this isn’t where I thought I’d be.’ This whole record is really about that – learning to let go of the expectations we’ve internalized around what and where we “should” be and instead embrace our own paths and our own unique journeys.” – Malena Cadiz
Track Credits:
Lead vocals – Malena Cadiz Bass – Aaron Stern Electric guitar – Jason Abraham Roberts Vocals – Leeann Skoda Drums – Sam Kauffman-Skloff Keys – Tyler Cash
Producer, Music Director, Mixer – Andrew Lappin Engineer – Brittney Orinda Assistant Engineer – Ian Fogarty
Video Credits:Director & Videographer – Audrey McGee Assistant Camera – Haden Cadiz Editors – Thaddeus Ruzicka, Casey Jones, Audrey McGee Hair & Makeup – Bethany Johnson
The Barefoot Movement, “Sarah Jane”
Artist:The Barefoot Movement Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina Song: “Sarah Jane” Album:Let It Out Release Date: April 19, 2024 Label: Box Monkey Studios
In Their Words:“One of the last times I saw my great grandmother, I took her out of the nursing home to treat her to a manicure. I started rubbing her back while the technician was working on her nails and it must have felt really good, because she uttered this exclamation I’d never heard before: ‘Jump back Sarah Jane!’ The next time I saw her a few months later, she had had a stroke, she didn’t recognize me, and she died soon thereafter, so the Sarah Jane moment was one of my last memories of our time together.
“To some, she lived a rather ordinary, unremarkable life, but to us she was everything. She had an alcoholic husband, who died from complications of a car accident, leaving her to raise their three boys on her own. She worked at the cotton mill in Roxboro, North Carolina her whole life, until she retired. She loved her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren fiercely, and she made sure we knew it. She also made legendary biscuits from scratch.
“After she died, I was thinking about the life she lived and the phrase ‘Jump back Sarah Jane’ kept coming back to me. I wondered what it would have been like to raise kids through such tumultuous times in the 1940s, when it probably felt like the world was ending. This song is me imagining what a day in the life would have been like from her point of view, navigating a sense of impending doom while knowing that priority number one had to be showing up for her family. She did it well. And there were always biscuits on the table.” – Noah Wall
Video Credit: Workshop Media
Darin & Brooke Aldridge, “Same Ole New Love”
Artist:Darin & Brooke Aldridge Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina Song: “Same Ole New Love” Album:Talk of the Town Release Date: April 19, 2024 Label: Billy Blue Records
In Their Words:“‘Same Ole New Love’ is an original tune co-written with our good friend Dennis Duff. Dennis brought the idea for this song to the table based on the long standing relationship and bond that he’s always shared with his wife after he noticed the same kind of love between Brooke and I. Through all the ups and downs in life, time and time again, love will always conquer and keep coming back around to that same ole love.” – Darin Aldridge
Track Credits: Brooke Aldridge – Vocal Darin Aldridge – Vocal, mandolin, guitar Mark Fain – Acoustic bass Cody Kilby – Rhythm guitar Jacob Metz – Dobro Samantha Snyder – Fiddle Lynn Williams – Percussion
Artist:Steven Keene Hometown: New York City, New York Song: This World Is Your World Release Date: April 19, 2024
In Their Words: “As one of the first, if not the first true Americana protest songs ever written, Woody Guthrie’s ‘This Land Is Your Land’ was a landmark song that defined Woody and the genre of folk protest music as a whole. It was all about opening the public mind to what was going on in America at the time from a social and economic perspective. Instead of just talking about how great our country is, it was a call to talk about how divided this nation was with its walls of social division and exploitative economic practices.
“The idea behind ‘This World Is Your World’ was to take that important message and relate it within the context of the modern globalized world and to what we are going through right now as a universal society. In many ways, the world is smaller than it was 50 years ago, so I think it’s a song that has so much importance and relevance to what’s going on in the world today, from the threat of international conflict to the need to collectively address global environmental concerns.
“I’m very thankful to the Guthrie family for allowing me to change up some of the words and music and for granting me a co-write with Woody.” – Steven Keene
Rainy Eyes, “Lonesome Highway”
Artist:Rainy Eyes Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana Song: “Lonesome Highway” Album:Lonesome Highway Release Date: July 12, 2024 Label: Royal Potato Family
In Their Words:“‘Lonesome Highway’ was written over the course of several years, and came about as an attempt to write a short movie in song form. Drawing loosely on inspiration from the personal experience of having to sever ties with toxic family members, and knowing that you can’t always help the people you love. Change has to come from within and sometimes you just have to take that lonesome highway and trust that if you take the leap of faith into the unknown, the universe will catch you.” – Rainy Eyes
Track Credits:
Irena Eide – Vocals, acoustic guitar Dirk Powell – Violin, electric guitar, wurlitzer, accordion Bill Smith – Drums Gina Leslie – Background vocals
Video Credits: Honest Art – Production Syd Horn – Director Olivia Light – Camera Emily Istre – Makeup, hair & stylist Rainey Credeur – Makeup & hair
Rootsy Summer Sessions: Violet Bell
After seven gorgeous and lovely Rootsy Summer Sessions, we’ve reached the final installment of this series with two songs featuring Americana string duo Violet Bell. Shot overlooking the waters of the Kattegat, a bay on the North Sea, you may recognize the golden hour location from our earlier session with Emily Scott Robinson, who makes an appearance with Violet Bell after the North Carolina-rooted band appeared as guests in Robinson’s performances, as well.
Last summer, during Rootsy Summer Fest ’23, the videography team from I Know We Should captured this series of eight sessions in Falkenberg, Sweden featuring more than a dozen performers and nearly twenty individual tracks from Americana, country, and folk artists from across the genre spectrum and from both “sides” of the Atlantic.
Completing the series, Violet Bell – Lizzy Ross and Omar Ruiz-Lopez – first perform “Fisherman’s Daughter,” a fantastic story song from their critically acclaimed 2022 album, Shapeshifter.
(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.
Photo Credits: Cam by Dennis Leupold; Maya de Vitry by Kaitlyn Raitz; Courtney Hartman by Jo Babb; Kyshona by Anna Haas; The Local Honeys by Erica Chambers; Caroline Spence by Kaitlyn Raitz.
This week, banjoist and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founding member John McEuen kicks off our You Gotta Hear This round up with a track from his brand new album, The Newsman: A Man of Record. Check out his adaptation of a Robert Service poem, “The Cremation of Sam McGee” below.
Plus, we’ve got track premieres from gritty country outfit Tylor & the Train Robbers, from Claire Lynch singing Tom Paxton for an upcoming album, Bluegrass Sings Paxton, from the Stetson Family contemplating mortality, and from the Onlies a rendering of a classic old-time ballad.
Don’t miss our video premiere from Max McNown, too, which posted to BGS just yesterday. It’s all right here and, if we do say so ourselves, You Gotta Hear This!
John McEuen, “The Cremation of Sam McGee”
Artist:John McEuen Hometown: Oakland, California Song: “The Cremation of Sam McGee” Album:The Newsman: A Man of Record Release Date: April 12, 2024 Label: Compass Records
In Their Words: “Using sound effects, music I composed, and some ‘recording tricks’ with instruments, I concocted the back up for one of my favorite poems, ‘The Cremation of Sam McGee.’ My (late) older sister would sometimes tell her 8-10 year old brother, me, this favorite Robert Service poem from 1906, captivating me with the story of a place unknown. I later found it in my high school English book and fell in love with it again. It takes me away to that strange time in these miners’ lives, and while starting kind of morose, manages (in my opinion, anyway) to reach a ‘happy ending’ with Sam finally getting warm! Trying to make the ‘definitive’ version of this classic was a challenge. It is one of my best ‘works.’ I am hoping each time a listeners hears it they will hear something different show up in the mix, as I planned it to be ‘with surprises’ like that.” – John McEuen
Claire Lynch, “I Give You The Morning” (by Tom Paxton)
Artist:Claire Lynch from Bluegrass Sings Paxton Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Song: “I Give You The Morning” Album:Bluegrass Sings Paxton Release Date: April 12, 2024 (Single) Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “Claire Lynch has one of the most recognizable and expressive voices in bluegrass. We knew we wanted to have that voice on the album and her choice of ‘I Give You The Morning’ was a great call — it’s got an old-fashioned ballad construction, a deliciously unusual yet natural rhythm to the first lines in each verse, a captivating melodic rise in the refrain, and an evocative lyric. And, the band has just the right balance of strength and delicacy to complement those same qualities in her approach. It’s a performance that brings out so many aspects of what makes Tom Paxton’s songs so memorable, and I can’t think of a better way to introduce this project to listeners!” – Jon Weisberger, co-producer
“Since the early 1960s, when bluegrass and the emergent folk revival first crossed paths, arguably no songwriter from the latter world has seen more of their songs adopted by the former than Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Paxton. From early covers of his epochal ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’ by Bluegrass Hall of Famers, The Dillards and the Kentucky Colonels, to regular performances of ‘Leaving London’ by IBMA Entertainer of the Year Billy Strings, to Ashby Frank’s version of ‘Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound,’ which landed a place among the 30 most-played tracks on bluegrass radio in 2023, Paxton’s creative visions have echoed in bluegrass studios, on bluegrass stages and in bluegrass jam sessions for generations.
“Now a broad-ranging group of artists in and around bluegrass are paying explicit tribute to this vital legacy in a new Mountain Home Music Company collection — Bluegrass Sings Paxton — that places these classic songs alongside less familiar, but no less finely crafted material from the Tom Paxton songbook, including new songs written especially for the project.” – Mountain Home Music Company
Track Credits: Claire Lynch – Lead vocal Darren Nicholson – Mandolin, octave mandolin Deanie Richardson – Fiddle Chris Jones – Acoustic guitar Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo Nelson Williams – Upright bass
Tylor & the Train Robbers, “Workin Hands”
Artist:Tylor & the Train Robbers Hometown: Boise, Idaho Song: “Workin Hands” Album:Hum of the Road Release Date: April 12, 2024 (single); May 3, 2024 (album)
In Their Words: “I wrote this one around a guitar riff I had been playing with for a while. The riff is busy, but something about it stuck in my head and I decided to write a song to match it. I wanted to keep the intensity of that guitar part and extend to every instrument in the band, pushing us all musically. Everyone in the band worked to find the right parts that brought it all together. The vibe is inspired by bands like Barefoot Jerry and the Amazing Rhythm Aces, it’s unpredictable and keeps you on your toes. It’s definitely not a song I would ask someone to sit in with us on unless they came prepared, but it’s become a favorite for us to play live. I think it really showcases the musicianship of everyone in the band.” — Tylor Ketchum
Track Credits:
Tylor Ketchum – Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar Jason Bushman – Bass Guitar and Harmony Vocals Tommy Bushman – Drums and Harmony Vocals Rider Soran – Lap Steal Guitar Johnny Pisano – Electric Guitar Cody Braun – Hand Claps and percussion Katy Braun – Hand Claps Jonathan Tyler – Hand Claps and percussion
Recorded at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, Texas. Producer – Cody Braun Engineer – Adam Odor Mixed by Jonathan Tyler. Mastered by Adam Odor.
The Stetson Family, “Make Me Ashes”
Artist:The Stetson Family Hometown: Melbourne, Australia Song: “Make Me Ashes” Album:The Stars, If You Look Closely Release Date: April 19, 2024
In Their Words: “‘When it’s time to meet my maker, come the fire or the hole…’ – the words ‘fire or the hole’ come from a conversation I had with a woman who was the owner of a Vietnamese restaurant in Melbourne where my family and I went every Wednesday night for many years. When my mum passed away, Lisa, the lovely Vietnamese owner, asked me in broken English, ‘Does your mum have the fire or the hole?’ Meaning, ‘Will she be cremated or buried?’ I loved her humble way of asking, it was so heartfelt. It got me thinking about when it’s my time, will I have the fire or the hole? This song lets people know I’ve chosen the fire.” – Nadine Budge
Track Credits: Nadine Budge – Writer, lead vocal, rhythm guitar, resonator guitar John Bartholomeusz – guitar, harmonies Colin Swan – banjo, harmonies Greg Field – fiddle, mandolin, harmonies Luke Richardson – double bass, harmonies
The Onlies, “Matty Groves”
Artist:The Onlies Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee; Durham, North Carolina; Whitesburg, Kentucky Song: “Matty Groves” Release Date: April 12, 2024
In Their Words: “A couple years ago, our friend Sonya Badigian sent a recording of Doc Watson playing this song and recommended we learn it as a band. Before going into the studio, Leo spent many weeks singing the long, epic poem which tells the story of Matty Groves stealing Lord Daniel’s wife and the dramatic duel that later ensues. This story dates back to 17th century Northern England, closely related to Child ballad #81, ‘Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.’ When we got together to work up an arrangement, a driving fiddle melody emerged to accompany the lyrics. We recorded it late at night in a small studio in Eunice, Louisiana, with the help of incredible engineer Joel Savoy and the unmistakable bass groove of Nokosee Fields.” – Sami Braman
Track Credits: Leo Shannon – lead vocal and guitar Vivian Leva – harmony vocal and guitar Sami Braman – fiddle Riley Calcagno – banjo Nokosee Fields – bass
Max McNown, “Worry ‘Bout My Wandering”
Artist:Max McNown Hometown: Bend, Oregon Song: “Worry ‘Bout My Wandering” Album:Wandering Release Date: April 12, 2024 Label: Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard
In Their Words: “‘Worry ‘Bout My Wandering’ was probably the most difficult song for me to write as it’s so personal. It came from being far away from my family and thinking about my mom and wondering how she feels about my life and the direction it’s taken. Shooting the video in my beautiful home state of Oregon was very important to me… I just always want to make my family and hometown proud.” – Max McNown
For the latest episode of Toy Heart, we embark on a journey through the primordial musical ooze that birthed bluegrass, old-time, and country music with the incredible Jody Stecher. A multi-instrumentalist adept in many styles and traditions – he even plays sarod, a Hindustani instrument – Stecher’s entire career is a fascinating case study in the interconnectedness of American folk music styles.
Host Tom Power begins their engaging and philosophical conversation by asking Stecher about his childhood in New York City. A grandchild of Eastern European immigrants, he “discovered” country and bluegrass like many in his generation, listening to the Wheeling Jamboree radio program on WWVA and hearing first generation pickers like the Osborne Brothers and Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, including “Baby Crowe,” a young, just-hired banjo player who went by “J.D.” Soon after, Stecher replaced mandolinist (and one-day industry power player) Ralph Rinzler in bluegrass band The Greenbriar Boys, before joining another group, the New York Ramblers.
From those early years, cutting his teeth in local, regional, and eventually national outfits to iconic albums like Going Up On The Mountain and his current status as a venerated expert and acclaimed elder in American roots music, Jody Stecher utilizes music and his expertise to demonstrate how blurry the lines really are between these folk genres. Power and Stecher discuss teaching, David Grisman – and collaborating with Jerry Garcia! – meditation and music, early sounds and recordings by folks like Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, being a member of Peter Rowan’s band, his duo with Kate Brislin, Utah Phillips, and so much more.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan of roots music or new to these scenes, Tom Power and Jody Stecher’s Toy Heart episode will inspire, highlighting stories, traditions, and techniques that make bluegrass, old-time, and country music exactly what they are today.
Artist:Matt Koziol Hometown: Linden, New Jersey Latest Album:Last of the Old Dogs (out April 5, 2024)
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
I was probably 4 years old and I saw Elivs on TV. It was like watching lightning in a bottle and I wanted to do it. No one in my family really listened to him, but I heard the sounds and the voice and knew that what he did, I loved. It introduced me to every kind of music that has been an influence for me. Rhythm and blues, country, gospel. It all played a part in the music that moves me. I think hearing Elvis for the first time turned a light switch on in my head. It made me realize music was what I wanted and something I would always be working towards.
What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?
The toughest time isn’t just one moment. It happens often. Co-writing with people, my brain works fast. I had a great writing friend, Jason Nix, once say “dare to be wrong” and it changed my approach to writing in group settings. It made me fluent. When I’m writing alone is when the tough parts come, especially if it’s a subject I feel strongly about. It’s like painting, and you don’t want to use the wrong color you imagine in your mind. Sometimes you have happy accidents, but I’ll use a word or a phrase to describe something in a song and it just doesn’t always make me feel how I felt when that moment happened. The way I’ll work around it is to try and just say what happened out loud like I’m talking to a friend. Then I try to write it in simple language, but every once in a while I just get stuck. And, I mean STUCK. Not a single word comes to mind, or I’m playing the same chords that I’ve used in another song, or a melody that I’ve repeated. At that point, I just put everything down and walk away. I come back to it later, or the next day. The story will still be in my head, but if I can’t serve that feeling justice, then I’ll wait until I can.
What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?
I was in high school, and I made a demo for the first time. I brought it to my middle school music teacher (Reggie Turner) and had him listen. He told me to come back a few days later to get his thoughts. What I didn’t know is that he would play it for 20 of his sixth grade students and have them write a short review on how they felt. Now, if you ever want brutal honesty, let a bunch of 10 year-olds review your songs. He then showed me the notes and it was ruthless. They said I sounded like I had a frog in my throat, that they couldn’t understand what I was saying. They said they liked the guitar, but it felt messy. I was trying, at that time, to emulate my heroes. I wanted to play like them and sing like them, but it wasn’t my voice. He then said something I’ll never forget:
“You have your own fingerprint. No one else has yours. If you sing like someone else, and try to be their fingerprint, you’ll always be number two. However, if you sing like yourself, you’ll always be number one. No one has your sound, and no one has your fingerprint.”
I take that with me everyday.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
This is such an awesome question, because I love both of these things so much! I grew up in an Italian household so for me, pasta and wine go with jazz or crooners. Something about good wine and an Italian-made meal feels like Tony Bennett. It feels like Frank Sinatra. When I’m having a good steak and bourbon, I tend to lean towards bluegrass. Something about a rustic meal with my favorite drink bleeds Appalachia. I usually follow up that meal with a fire and more bourbon and a cigar. All those smells and flavors are my favorite. It also depends on people’s tastes, but for me, those are my two ideal pairings for food and music.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me?”
I have very seldomly put a song out that’s a “character.” Songs like “Work All Day” or “You Better Run, Son” have been songs that are stories for me. Things that I’ve read or seen in movies that give me the feeling and I want to write it down. The only other time I’m writing like that is when I have a person in my life whose story I’m telling because they don’t know how. Everything else, however, is me. I’ve lived it. I don’t always love that I have, but I love that I made it through. One of the things said in writing rooms, especially in Nashville is, “How do we make this relatable?” My response to that is always, “Just write what happened. You’re not the first for it to happen to, and you won’t be the last. Someone else has been through this before, they may just need your words to get them through it.”
I think relating with a song comes from the honesty of the writing. I know that I didn’t have the exact same thing happen to me that caused John Mayer to write “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” but I sure as hell had something happen that made me relate to the lyrics. It was his story, and I had mine. I needed his words to find a way to understand how I felt. That’s the power of writing. If it’s honest for you, It will be honest for someone else.
In the words of Chris Stapleton, “What are you listening to?” This week, our premiere round up is full of music we’re very excited to bring to your speakers and earphones.
Below, check out new videos from Ana Egge, Ordinary Elephant, and our brand new Rootsy Summer Session featuring Jim Lauderdale performing at a cute music shop in Falkenberg, Sweden. Plus, we’ve got new tracks from Jaelee Roberts, Parker Smith, Wyndham Baird, and Will Kimbrough. To top it all off, Phillip Lammonds performs “Forever Ain’t That Far Away” with his pal, the legendary Pam Tillis.
There’s so much to enjoy in our latest premiere round up, and if we do say so ourselves – You Gotta Hear This!
Ana Egge, “Door Won’t Close”
Artist:Ana Egge Hometown: Ambrose, North Dakota Song: “Door Won’t Close” Album:Sharing in the Spirit Release Date: May 17, 2024 Label: StorySound Records
In Their Words:“‘Door Won’t Close’ is about confronting an abusive person. One of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. I stood up to him on behalf of my sister and nephew. I opened the door to what he’d done by telling the truth and not allowing myself to be shut down by fear. Then I left the door open by telling his wife and friends about it. The song is mostly in conversation with his wife — her denial of his abuse and her support of him.” – Ana Egge
Track Credits:
Ana Egge – Vocals, acoustic guitar, harmony vocals Michael “Squeaky” Robinson – Pedal steel Alex Hargreaves – Fiddle Rob Heath – Drums Lorenzo Wolff – Bass Devon Yesberger – Organ, Wurlitzer
Video Credits: Directed, filmed and edited by Haoyan of America. Special thanks Alden Harris-McCoy and Cole-Berry Miller.
Jaelee Roberts, “Stuck In The Middle With You”
Artist:Jaelee Roberts Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tennessee Song: “Stuck In The Middle With You” Release Date: April 5, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ is a song that I have loved for a really long time and I’ve been keeping it in mind to record, because I felt like it would be so much fun to cover. Of course I love the original version by Stealers Wheel (written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan), but when I was pretty young I found Keith Urban’s version from the ’90s with his band, The Ranch, and I was really hooked on it. I have literally listened to it hundreds of times and it never gets old. I love all genres of music and I recorded a ’70s rock song (“Landslide”) on my debut album and people really seemed to enjoy it, so I wanted to include a song from that era on my new album, too. I knew ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ was the one. I’m excited that it just happens to be the first single!
“I have to say that I am absolutely thrilled with how this song turned out with the help of my producer and bass player, Byron House, and all of the other STELLAR musicians: Ron Block on banjo/guitar, Cody Kilby on guitar, Andy Leftwich on mandolin, Russ Pahl on dobro, and John Gardner on percussion along with backing vocals by John Cowan.
“It was truly amazing to hear this come to life and I really think we made it our own by combining two awesome versions and throwing in a twist or two for a new take on ‘Stuck In The Middle With You.’ I hope it makes you smile and maybe even want to get up and dance!” – Jaelee Roberts
“Jaelee’s voice is THE GOLDEN THREAD shining so brightly in what feels to me like a well-woven tapestry of mighty fine playing, all supported by this classic groove. Her version of ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ was every bit as fun to play and produce as I hope it will be for you to hear! So grateful to be working with Jaelee Roberts!” – Byron House, producer
Parker Smith, “Air Stream”
Artist:Parker Smith Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia Song: “Air Stream” Album:Short Street Release Date: June 7, 2024
In Their Words: “My brother and I drove up to Unicoi State Park with his two kids, a couple of cots, one tent, and not enough warm clothing. We debated not making the trek, because the weather was supposed to dip below freezing, but we didn’t want to disappoint his kids, who were looking forward to it. When we rolled up to the campsite, our neighbors, an elderly couple, were sitting outside in a couple of crazy creek chairs with their dog in front of an Airstream.
“I’ve always wanted an Airstream camper, and I am big into double meanings to a fault when it comes to song lyrics; ‘Air Stream’ also refers to the cold snap we were experiencing in North Georgia. We said maybe two words to the couple, but it was so interesting how we interacted with neighbors pretty much the same at home and on vacation. We overheard them bickering with each other and then making up at the end of the night. It was also interesting to see how they had everything figured out with some warm shelter and supplies, and we were out here roughing it with two young kids in a cold tent. We ended up having a great time outdoors, swinging on hammocks and making a fire, but the kids were complaining and shivering in the middle of the night, and we ended up leaving at 5 a.m. to head home.
“My favorite line in the song is ‘growing cold together, blaming it on the weather’ in the last verse. This line can be interpreted in several ways, and I liked substituting ‘cold’ for ‘old.’ This verse is when the song gets quiet, and the vocals are upfront before all the instruments tumble back in for the last chorus. Sonically, the song has a floating quality, especially with the sound of the pedal steel and the faraway fiddle solo. I wanted a simple chorus that people could sing along around a campfire, and my producer Colin had a great idea for me to overdub my vocals an octave apart to give it that vibe. ‘Air Stream’ has been a fun one to play live.” – Parker Smith
Track Credits:
Parker Smith – Guitars, vocals Trygve Myers – Bass Christopher Case – Keyboards John Kingsley – Pedal steel, lap steel, fiddle, slide guitar Colin Agnew – Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals
Mixing & production – Colin Agnew Mastering – Bob Weston, Chicago Mastering Service
Wyndham Baird, “Meet Me By the Moonlight, Alone”
Artist:Wyndham Baird Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Song: “Meet Me By the Moonlight, Alone” Album:After the Morning Release Date: May 31, 2024 Label: Jalopy Records
In Their Words: “I learned ‘Meet Me By The Moonlight’ from The Carter Family when I was about 20 years old. When I first heard The Carter Family it felt like I was listening some long lost relatives. They sounded like they had been my great grandmother’s neighbors. Taking up Maybelle’s picking style set me free from the doldrums of riffing. Her playing taught me how to make the guitar sound good enough all by itself. That being said, Eli Smith’s autoharp lends our recording of ‘Moonlight’ some rocking chair rhythm and Samoa Wilson’s harmony vocal sounds somehow like a roll top bread box.” – Wyndham Baird
Will Kimbrough, “Every Day”
Artist:Will Kimbrough Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Every Day” Album:For the Life of Me Release Date: April 5, 2024 (single); May 3, 2024 (album) Label: Daphne Records, Soundly Music
In Their Words: “David Henry and I wrote ‘Every Day’ trying to create something carefree and joyful. We pulled it off! I needed it then and we need it now. Favorite lyric: ‘Singing in the sunshine. Laughing in the pouring rain. Gonna have a good time. Everybody it’s a sunshine day.'” – Will Kimbrough
Track Credits:
Bryan Owings – Drums Chris Donohue – Bass Will Kimbrough – Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Ordinary Elephant, “I See You”
Artist:Ordinary Elephant Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana Song: “I See You” Album:Ordinary Elephant Release Date: May 3, 2024 Label: Berkalin Records
In Their Words: “We can talk to anyone in a song. Time, space, beliefs, viewpoints — none of those can keep the ‘I’ from having a conversation with the ‘you.’ The ‘you’ can be Gandhi, a grocery store clerk, the President, or your dog. It can also be yourself, perhaps at some future point in time.
“I started this song a few months into my journey with sobriety. Because there were things I couldn’t escape from seeing about myself. And there were, and are, so many things I don’t yet know, or know how to figure out, but there’s a sense of what I want this unraveling to look like when it’s sewn back together.
“Being in the moment and accepting who and where we are is valuable, and I believe that getting better at this is a practice that can hold a lot of happiness. But it also seems that if we don’t look ahead and think of a future self, it can be difficult to grow in ways that feel meaningful. So this is a talk with that future self, letting her know that I see her.” – Crystal Damore
Video Credits: Directed & edited by Syd Horn & Olivia Perillo. Cinematography & color by Olivia Perillo. Honest Art Productions, Lafayette, Louisiana.
Phillip Lammonds, “Forever Ain’t That Far Away”
Artist:Phillip Lammonds Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Forever Ain’t That Far Away” Album:Cowboy Things Release Date: April 5, 2024 Label: Freestone Records
In Their Words: “It’s a song that I wrote with Matt Wynne – a great singer-songwriter from Missouri and just a great guy. We were co-writing one day and we didn’t really have anything. We were working around in the writers room and he said, ‘You know, the afternoon is not that far away,’ and I said, ‘Wait a minute…’ and we backed into this title, ‘Forever Ain’t That Far Away.’ It’s turned into one of the coolest songs. One of the greatest things about this song is that on the record, Pam Tillis sings the background vocals on it. There is no question you can hear her. She is amazing, and she’s still the same star she’s ever been.” – Phillip Lammonds
Track Credits: Written by Phillip Lammonds & Matt Wynne. Produced by Lee Brice. Co-Production by Gabriel Klein, Gideon Klein, Phillip Lammonds. Engineered & Mixed by Cody Labelle, Gabriel Klein, Gideon Klein.
Video Credit: Brooke Stevens
Rootsy Summer Sessions: Jim Lauderdale
This week, we bring you a brand-new installment of our Rootsy Summer Sessions, which were shot last year in gorgeous Falkenberg, Sweden, during Rootsy Summer Fest ’23. The videography team behind I Know We Should set aside time during the summertime roots music festival with Nashville renaissance man, Americana magnate, and hit songwriter Jim Lauderdale while on his trip to Scandinavia.
For his first performance, he performs “The Road Is a River,” a song from his 2018 album, Time Flies, in an adorable local music store, Liljedahls Musik. Joined by his band, including recording artist and fiddler Lillie Mae, guitarists Craig Smith and Frank Carter Rische, Jay D. Weaver on bass, and Dave Racine on drums, they cheerfully lope through the darker tinges of the song, harmonizing in three parts on the track’s foreboding and certainly apocalyptic lyrics. “The Road Is a River” demonstrates the ease with which Lauderdale combines styles, textures, and sonics with his deep understanding of history and a literary reckoning with the machinations of the earth – natural and unnatural.
The night Jordan Tice joined me in Brevard for the taping of this episode it was cold, wet, and dark – classic Western North Carolina in late January. We had the garage door behind the stage closed and the lights low. Jordan’s guitar playing, soft-spoken demeanor, and humor made for a wonderfully intimate and enjoyable evening for everyone in the room. Jordan’s a gem and this episode feels like an evening by the fire with a good book, dog curled up at your feet.
This episode was recorded live at 185 King St. in Brevard, North Carolina on January 31st, 2023. Huge thanks to Jordan Tice.
Timestamps:
0:07 – Soundbyte 0:33 – Introduction 1:48 – Bill K Introduction 2:48 – “Tell Me Mama” 6:07 – “Covers are nice…” 6:24 – “Dayton, Ohio – 1903” 10:30 – “Bachelorette Party” 12:30 – “Why did you name it that?” 13:40 – “Weary Blues” 17:51 – “Matter Of Time” 21:21 – “Bad Little Idea” 25:40 – Interview 43:02 – “Trying To Get To Heaven” 48:33 – “Wild Bill Jones” 52:30 – Outro
Editor’s note: The Travis Book Happy Hour is hosted by Travis Book of the GRAMMY Award-winning band, The Infamous Stringdusters. The show’s focus is musical collaboration and conversation around matters of being. The podcast is the best of the interview and music from the live show recorded in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina.
The Travis Book Happy Hour Podcast is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can find the Travis Book Happy Hour on Instagram and Facebook and online at thetravisbookhappyhour.com.
Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Raitz
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
