Artist name:The Royal Hounds Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Pickin’ in the Graveyard” Album:Whole Lot of Nothin’ Release Date: October 15, 2021
In Their Words: “When I was learning to play bass, I used to go to a bluegrass festival called Old Timer’s Day. It was next to a graveyard. There were so many pickers that many groups would spill over into the graveyard and have pickin’ circles out there. I always loved the idea for a song called ‘Pickin’ in the Graveyard.’ Up the street from where I live is Spring Hill Cemetery. Lots of notables are buried there: Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Floyd Cramer, Kitty Wells, Hank Snow, and my favorite, John Hartford. I just love the notion that the ghosts of the musicians in this graveyard come out at night and have a grand pickin’ party. The final verse is kind of an homage to John Hartford. In the song, I say, ‘Lower me down in a Batman cloak/ we’ll all ride to heaven in a river boat.’ This is a reference to the fact that Hartford was accidentally buried in a Batman cloak and he had a lifelong fascination with river boats. He even had a license to sail them.” — Scott Hinds, The Royal Hounds
Billy Strings takes things up a notch for Renewal, a long-awaited collection of original songs produced by Jonathan Wilson. But is it bluegrass? Or is it rock ‘n’ roll? Perhaps more on the psychedelic side? Truly there’s no right (or wrong) answer to these questions. As Strings himself puts it, “I’ve learned, you’ve just got to let the song do its thing. So that’s what I try to do — write songs and let them come out however they do.”
Billy Strings is no stranger to the festival circuit, bluegrass or otherwise. His career trajectory over the last few years has netted him international acclaim, a handful of IBMA Awards — including Entertainer of the Year at this year’s IBMA Awards show — and even a Grammy for his 2019 album, Home. A Michigan native who now lives in Nashville, Strings says, “I called my last record Home, and then a few months later that’s where we all got stuck. Right now, we’re heading back into opening back up, and doing some more touring with real concerts and real shows. Hopefully we can renew everything. I think it’s an interesting word. It reminds me of how every morning is a renewed day and another chance.”
With Renewal, Strings seizes upon the opportunity to surprise his listeners and to expand his own musical horizons. By winning the Grammy, he discovered a newfound confidence to consider every creative path that presented itself. Because he’s bringing in his touring bandmates Billy Failing (banjo, vocals, piano), Royal Masat (bass, vocals), and Jarrod Walker (mandolin, vocals, guitar), as well as guests John Mailander (violin), Spencer Cullum Jr. (pedal steel) and Grant Millikem (synth), Renewal is far more than just a singer-songwriter record, even if it exposes his own mindset more than any of his material to date.
“I listen to this album now and it’s emotional,” he says. “I could sit there and tweak it forever, but there’s a point where it’s like building a house of cards. Yeah, I could add an extra tower on top, but it might collapse. I’ve always doubted myself, and I still do, but this album makes me think, ‘Hey, you’re doing all right, kid. You just need to keep going.’”
Read our exclusive two-part interview with Billy Strings here, and enjoy our BGS Essentials playlist below.
The International Bluegrass Music Awards were handed out Thursday night at the IBMA’s first in-person awards ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Grammy Award-winning ensemble The Infamous Stringdusters hosted the 32nd annual edition of bluegrass’s biggest night from the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.
On the heels of the release of his brand new album, Renewal, guitarist Billy Strings won the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, while also winning his second Guitar Player of the Year trophy. 2020’s Entertainers of the Year, Sister Sadie, received the Vocal Group of the Year award, while Smithsonian Folkways’ compilation album, Industrial Strength Bluegrass, which celebrates the regional bluegrass stylings of southwestern Ohio, was the Album of the Year winner.
Previously announced Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees Lynn Morris, Alison Krauss, and the Stoneman Family were honored during the show as well. See the full list of winners below:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:
Billy Strings
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Sister Sadie
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Appalachian Road Show
SONG OF THE YEAR:
“Richest Man” – Balsam Range (artist), Jim Beavers/Jimmy Yeary/Connie Harrington (songwriters), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Records (label)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy – Various Artists, Joe Mullins (producer), Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (label)
GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR (Tie):
“After While” – Dale Ann Bradley (artist), Public Domain, Dale Ann Bradley (producer), Pinecastle Records (label)
“In the Resurrection Morning” – Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore (artists), Mark Wheeler (songwriter), Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve (producers), Dottie Leonard Miller (Executive Producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Ground Speed” – Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson (artists), Earl Scruggs (songwriter), Jon Weisberger (producer), Mountain Home Music (label)
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Appalachian Road Show
COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR:
“White Line Fever” – Bobby Osborne with Tim O’Brien, Trey Hensley, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Todd Phillips, Alison Brown (artists), Merle Haggard/Jeff Tweedy (songwriters) Alison Brown, Garry West (producers), Compass Records (label)
Artist:Valerie Smith Hometown: Holt, Missouri Song: “The River Whispers” Album:Renaissance Release Date: September 3, 2021 Label: Bell Buckle Records
In Their Words: “I love walks in nature, because when we can’t find the answers to our complicated lives nature will often bring us comfort. Rivers have always been a symbol of peace, hope, and love, for many years. While traveling and playing music with the legendary Tom Gray he encouraged me to go river kayaking with him, and it turned out to be a spiritual experience for me during a time of healing. This song was beautifully written by Claire Ulanoff and Marissa DiBlassio.” — Valerie Smith
Fair Black Rose is a six-piece bluegrass and old-time string band of young folks from the southwestern U.S. The group grew out of Jam Pak Blues ‘N’ Grass Neighborhood Band, a community and after school program founded by Anni and Vincent Beach in Chandler, Arizona. Anni Beach continues the program to this day, teaching kids about bluegrass, blues, old-time, and the importance of these musics while passing along these folk traditions to a diverse and representative up-and-coming generation of pickers. The impact of Jam Pak has been well known to southwestern bluegrassers now for more than two decades, but its reputation as a first-rate educational program and bluegrass ambassador has garnered national recognition as well; in 2019 Beach won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Award for Mentor of the Year.
Jam Pak has had hundreds of children and young adults come through its ranks, many of which have coalesced into different groups and bands within the greater program. Fair Black Rose is just one of those bands, but this year they’re making their debut on the national stage – and rising to that occasion and then some. The lineup of talented teenagers includes Lucy Tanyi on banjo, Carlos Parra, on fiddle, Maxwell Klett on mandolin, Rosy Lopez on guitar, Alasya Zelweldi on mountain dulcimer, and Justin Mizer on bass. Though still cutting their teeth, the group members have a mature sense of self well beyond their ages and are clearly at home within the many stalwart idioms of roots music.
In lieu of our annual Shout & Shine showcase held at IBMA’s conference and festival we’re dedicating two of our Shout & Shine columns to artists appearing during World of Bluegrass and IBMA Bluegrass Live! who represent often-marginalized identities in bluegrass. So, ahead of Fair Black Rose’s Official Showcases and Bluegrass Live! performance in Raleigh this week, we spoke to two of their members, Zelweldi and Mizer, about their music and repertoire, their blossoming band dynamic, what they hope to get out of their cross-country trip to IBMA, and more. Look for an upcoming interview with banjoist Tray Wellington to complete this Shout & Shine IBMA mini-series.
BGS: What are you looking forward to most at IBMA? Is it your first music conference? I know you’ve been to festivals plenty, but have you been to a music conference before?
Justin Mizer: No, this is definitely going to be the biggest conference/music festival/showcase thing that we’ve ever attended. It’s a really big deal for us and we’re really excited.
Alasya Zelweldi: We’re really looking forward to meeting new people, going out there — we’ve never traveled this far for a festival. We’re really excited for what’s to come!
As a band, what are you hoping to achieve at IBMA? Not only showcasing, but also being part of the conference, the hang — everybody being in the same space and pickin’ — but also the festival. I wonder what you’re hoping to get out of the experience?
JM: Something that has been on my mind about the trip is that I really want us to make our mark, to let people see who we are — we are a really diverse band. This trip is a huge opportunity to network, get to know people, and to get Fair Black Rose’s name out there. We are a part of Jam Pak, Jam Pak was the start for us and we’re hoping to keep going with that, too.
AZ: Hopefully we can make people happy with our music.
JM: We will! We definitely will! [Laughs]
AZ: Yeah! Overall, we want to show that bluegrass is for anyone. Like Justin said, we are a very diverse band and we hope to meet the youth out there and show that bluegrass is for anyone.
I feel like that has been the entire point of this showcase and column, to shout, “This can be for everyone!”
JM: Exactly!
Y’all just performed at the Pickin’ in the Pines festival in Flagstaff, Arizona, how was that?
AZ: That was so fun, we got some really great reactions from the audience. That makes us so happy, as musicians. It just makes you want to play. We’re excited for North Carolina and to hear what they have to say to us. It was a lot of fun [in Flagstaff], it’s a great festival.
One thing I wanted to ask you is about your collaboration process as a band, because you aren’t just a traditional bluegrass five-piece. You’re a six-piece band so there is a slightly different dynamic. What does the process look like when you’re taking a song and turning it into something you perform?
JM: If we hear a song we like or we take a song that Jam Pak does or something we already know, we kind of always want to put our Fair Black Rose stamp on it. We basically share ideas and will go around in a circle, like, “Let’s add on to this,” or “Adding onto your idea, let’s do this!” We’ll play it or rehearse it until it sounds good to us. We come up with our arrangements that way. We don’t fight over the songs — but we do fight over who gets to sing lead. [Laughs] That’s one of our issues. Because we all like to sing. We love coming up with our arrangements. That’s what I’d say is really unique about Fair Black Rose, our arrangements for our songs and our covers are unique and different. You won’t always hear it performed that way.
AZ: It’s very much a collaborative effort. We all work together to come up with something. This person will say, “I think we should do this” and this person will say, “I think we should do that” and we’ll go out there and try it out. It’s awesome.
What do bluegrass and old-time and string band music mean to you — not only as a band, but you individually? I know that’s kind of a big question!
AZ: One thing I love about bluegrass is that you don’t need to have anything fancy to play it. You don’t need to have some kind of technology. You just need to bring your voice, your instrument, and a passion for music. You can just go out there and play. I just love that. It’s accessible. You can go anywhere and play bluegrass. You can be in the middle of nowhere.
Another one of my favorite things about bluegrass is the harmonies. The vocals are so beautiful to me. The songs in bluegrass have such touching lyrics and vocals, I think those elements can really make a song.
JM: For me, one thing Ms. Beach has always said is, “You could have nothing, but you will always have your music.” That’s always something you can turn to and you can have, your music. Whether you lose your job or you lose a family member, or you lose this or that, you will always always always have your music. That has really stuck with me for a long time. I could be doing anything in the world and I will always have my music, I’ll always be able to turn to my music and to perform.
Music is a language. It’s a love language. You can play a song and it will make someone’s day. It can put a smile on someone’s face just to hear music. Somebody can not speak the language of the song you’re playing or singing, but they love it! Like with Latin music — I don’t speak Spanish, but I love the music. Music is just a really good way to express who you are. It’s such a good thing for the both of us and for our band.
Photo courtesy of Anni Beach and Jam Pak Blues ‘N’ Grass Neighborhood Band
Welcome to the BGS Radio Hour! Since 2017, this weekly radio show and podcast has been a recap of all the great music, new and old, featured on the digital pages of BGS. This week we have John Prine’s final recording, a BGS exclusive performance from Americana duo Jackson+Sellers, a playlist in 3/4 time, personally curated by Dori Freeman, and much more.
The Americana Music Association was able to celebrate the works of its community in-person last week, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, with the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards held at the historic Ryman Auditorium. And one of the night’s biggest awards, Song of the Year, was given posthumously to none other than John Prine for his final recording, “I Remember Everything.” Watch below to see John perform the song himself, followed by a tribute from Brandi Carlile, Margo Price, and Amanda Shires at last week’s awards ceremony.
New York’s Martin Sexton spoke on performing at Madison Square Garden, his pre-show and pre-studio rituals, the influence of artists and performers from Black Sabbath to Looney Tunes, and more in a recent edition of 5+5.
Rod Gator wrote “Out Here in Echo Park” during his last year living in Echo Park, when every evening he’d walk down to the L.A. River and sit along the bank. Take a listen, and you might start missing Echo Park, too.
Jackson+Sellers’ debut album, Breaking Point, comes out next month, but until then, we’re listening to the song that brought the pair of songwriters together as a duo. Jade Jackson initially reached out to Aubrie Sellers about singing harmonies on a new song she had written, and the rest is history! On their partnership, Jackson says, “Collaborating with someone who’s so energetically strong, it gives you even more creativity and license to explore.” Watch the duo’s performance of “Hush” from our Yamaha Artist Sessions below.
For a recent Mixtape, our friend and songwriter Dori Freeman crafted us a playlist celebrating waltzes –her favorite type of song — which always touch her heart in ways other songs don’t.
“Ashes and Leaves,” the latest from singer-songwriter Kirby Brown, is a meditation on acceptance: “Sometimes, we are the ones being left — by lovers, friends, family, etc. At other times, we are the leavers. Maybe this is one of the inevitable arrangements of life…”
Old-time musician and radio host Brad Kolodner was a recent 5+5 guest, speaking about his new album, Chimney Swifts, his earliest on-stage memories, the soul-nourishing experience of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival, and more.
No matter how far afield he may roam, with his new album our Artist of the Month Béla Fleck wants the world to know his bluegrass heart will always call bluegrass home. And this rip-roaring number is about as bluegrass as it gets. The studio recording features the talents of Molly Tuttle and Sierra Hull, while this live performance below features Fleck’s current all-star live lineup: Sierra Hull on mandolin, Michael Cleveland on fiddle, Mark Schatz on bass, Bryan Sutton on guitar, and Justin Moses on dobro.
“Back Behind the Wheel” is ultimately a song about hope and the idea of letting yourself feel what you need to feel, but not allowing that to be the end of the journey. “When it comes to this, I don’t know what it means to quit…”
“I Surely Will Be Singing,” a new release from songwriter Thomm Jutz and The SteelDrivers fiddler Tammy Rogers, was written at the beginning of the pandemic, as a hymn to nature and to the spirit of human resilience in the face of adversity.
A new Woody Guthrie compilation from Elektra Records isn’t just a tribute album, it’s a reimagination. Home in this World: Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads features a host of compelling modern artists — like John Paul White, Colter Wall, and Chris Thile – offering their takes on Guthrie’s seminal Dust Bowl Ballads. One standout is The Secret Sisters performing “Dust Cain’t Kill Me.”
With such passion at the heart of it, Home in This World brings new life to music that has shaped American culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. “Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads is as relevant as ever,” producer Randall Poster states. “While profiteers exploit our natural resources, there is a growing sensitivity to the harsh farming practices that put our well-being at risk, and a concerted movement toward regenerative agriculture that can reinvigorate the soil and push back on climate change. I asked some of my favorite artists to help render these songs, hoping that this collection will reinforce the enduring power and prescience of Guthrie’s music and reveal the power of song.”
Caleb Lee Hutchinson teamed up with Trey Hensley on a new song, “I Must Be Right,” as he tells us: “I have been a fan of Trey for quite some time and was very excited to write with one of my favorite guitar pickers… It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written as a result.”
Los Angeles-based musician and songwriter Abby Posner is joined by Constellation Quartet on a new video for “Low Low Low,” a beautiful, contemplative song about depression, anxiety, and learning how to live with the darkness within.
“Roots music and blues do speak to a lot of people right now. Much of the healing and release you get from listening to this music… has shown itself to be so vital in these times… I hope the memories of every soul who has loved and been loved are like honey on our tongues,” says Linden of his track, “Honey on My Tongue.”
Photos: (L to R) Dori Freeman by Kristen Crigger; John Prine by Danny Clinch; Jackson+Sellers by Ashley Osborn
Artist:Angus Gill Home: New South Wales, Australia Song: “The Scrapbook” Album:The Scrapbook Release Date: September 24, 2021 Label: Rivershack Records/MGM
In Their Words: “My Nan has diligently collected every newspaper article or clipping about me that has ever gone to print and often saved multiple copies of each one. She’s said to me for years that she wants to put them all into a scrapbook and gift it to me. She started to compile the scrapbook shortly after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but in the middle of putting it together, we had to make the difficult call to move her into a nursing home. She promised she would finish it and several months ago, she actually managed to, which was beautiful. I saw a pretty poignant idea in this story, which I told to my friend Bill Whyte and we wrote ‘The Scrapbook’ shortly after. Nan’s not doing great at the moment, but it’s very special to me to have this song on the record as the title track. It sums up this collection of songs well because there are a lot of personal snapshots of my life on this album.” — Angus Gill
Artist:Punch Brothers Song: “Church Street Blues” Album:Hell on Church Street Release Date: January 14, 2022 Label: Nonesuch Records
Editor’s Note: Recorded at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio in November 2020, during a time of great uncertainty, Hell on Church Street is the band’s reimagining of, and homage to, the late bluegrass great Tony Rice’s landmark solo album, Church Street Blues. The record features a collection of songs by Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Bill Monroe, and others. It was intended as both its own work of art and a gift to Rice, who died that Christmas.
In Their Words: “No record (or musician) has had a greater impact on us, and we felt compelled to cover it in its entirety, with the objective of interacting with it in the same spirit of respect-fueled adventure that Tony brought to each of its pre-existing songs.” — Punch Brothers
At BGS, we are well aware of the immensely talented folks that have come out of Appalachia. Countless celebrated pickers, singers, writers, and performers have come from the mountainous heart of the American east. Jamie Barton is one of those singers, but her inspiration and voice led her to an entirely different realm of music than her neighbors tend to find. Barton is an acclaimed opera singer whose mezzo-soprano voice and commanding artistry have paved the path for her work with top-level ensembles like the San Francisco Opera, the Chicago Opera Theater, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Originally hailing from the foothills of Appalachia in Georgia, Barton’s roots are in bluegrass, old-time, gospel, and classic rock ‘n’ roll. The singer retains her those roots off stage as well, regularly using her platform to champion issues of social justice, sexuality, and body positivity. The all-around badass that she is, Barton is featured in a San Francisco Opera featurette called In Song: Jamie Barton, in which she returns to her musical roots in performances with Béla Fleck, who knows a thing or two about Appalachian music traditions. Produced in partnership with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the short film is both heartwarming and eye-opening. And it’s always a treat to see two musicians of the highest caliber perform together. Take a look.
Artist:Balsam Range Hometown: Haywood County, North Carolina Song: “Highway Side” Album:Moxie and Mettle Release Date: September 17, 2021 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “‘Highway Side’ is one of my favorite songs on the new project both musically and lyrically. I think the video helps bring this great song to life. It also helps to fill a void we have all had in recent times with the lack of traveling and connecting with folks through live music. So jump on board with Balsam Range for a quick road trip!” — Buddy Melton, Balsam Range vocalist and fiddler
Photo credit: David Simchock
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