On his new album, Sweet Critters, Caleb Caudle has no desire to reinvent himself. The North Carolina native has spent his career trying to move closer and closer to what is already inside of him. “This well is getting deeper… more nuanced,” he explains. “And I really enjoy that. I’m not trying to be repeat myself, I’m trying to be myself.”
Dedicated to friend and former bandmate Alex McKinney, who recently passed after a battle with cancer, the album rings out with appreciation for the everyday experience of life. With gratitude and grit, Caudle explores both his external and internal world as he continues to travel the hardfought and beautiful path of a touring troubadour.
Reaching Caudle by phone during his headline tour in support of Sweet Critters, he explained that on days off from the road his band likes to rent a spot out in the woods somewhere, hunker down, cook meals, and play music and board games to recharge for the shows ahead. It was during one of these recharge days that he caught up with BGS.
This album was produced by John Paul White, former member of The Civil Wars. How did that come about and what did he bring to the record?
Caleb Caudle: John Paul and I have been buddies for a long time and we had always talked about working together. For this record, our schedules finally synced up and we had the chance to do it. I traveled to Alabama with my road band. It was my first time recording with my live band and that brought something special to the record.
With John, he’s such a great singer and he pushed me harder than anyone has pushed me as far as the vocals on this recording. I think there are things he hears that other folks don’t hear, so I trusted him. I liked that atmosphere of being pushed to go further, and I really enjoyed the process.
You’ve been doing this work for a long time. This is your sixth studio album. Is there anything new, thematically, that you see in this collection, or any new places you tried to reach?
It’s kind of in a similar world to my other albums… you know, it’s love, it’s loss, it’s empathy, it’s addiction, it’s anxiety. I think there’s some more character studies than I have done in the past, which is an exercise I kind of started doing more of on my previous record, Forsythia. At this point, I’m not trying to reinvent myself so much as I’m trying to deepen it all. Some of the habits you create end up just being your style and I think that’s what’s kind of happening at this point in my career.
A lot of the record is about endurance, whether about me or through the eyes of another character – which is usually me, anyway. For example “The Devil’s Voice,” it’s an empathetic look at addiction, because I’ve dealt with that. I try not to judge the characters, I try to stay out of it in a way and let them just tell their stories. Another song, “The Brim,” is a love song that I wrote for my wife, which is also about endurance in a certain way, about endurance in a long relationship.
And then there’s career endurance. I think “Heaven Sometimes” is about that. You know you’re going to have an off night here and there, and this song is about trying to recognize that the art that I’m making is more important than any other money I might make from it and just focusing on that concept.
Sonically, where did you and White want to take this record? As far as production, did you have any specific references you were trying to achieve?
I have been trying to figure this thing out for a while where I’m trying to marry traditional instrumentation with less traditional instrumentation and sound. There’s not a lot of stuff going on in the world of music that I listen to which has vibes of fiddle and old-time string instruments blended with other electric sounds. I’m trying to mix it up and blend it to create something new and that was one of the great things about using my live band for this record. I’ve been able to bring that vision out on the road with me.
Generally, when it comes to production, I just try to stay open-minded and completely available in the moment. I try to go where the music is leading me, and stay out of it a little bit.
Speaking of your live shows, you’ve been on a big headline tour in support of this record. How has that felt?
The songs are already starting to feel more lived-in. We’ve all been playing together long enough where we aren’t really thinking about the songs anymore. We really know the material. So we are doing a bunch of different interlude stuff, and we aren’t really putting borders around anything, which feels really nice.
We are doing our Grand Ole Opry debut in November. I can’t remember not knowing what the Opry was, because everyone around me would listen to it when I was growing up. I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older that there is no one moment that can change the trajectory of your career, but I’ve gotten worse calls! And John Paul is going to come up and sing with me, so I’m excited to share that moment with the people I love.
I absolutely love the Allison Russell and Aoife O’Donovan features on this album! “The Brim” is my favorite track. Can you tell me how those guest appearances came about?
Allison came to an in-store performance I did and we talked afterwards. She was so great. I saw her again over in London and I asked if she wanted to sing on on my record and she said yes, so that was a treat.
With Aoife, I didn’t actually know her, but [she and] John Paul are friends and her voice was perfect for that song. I ended up meeting her at the Long Road Festival and got to thank her for making that recording more beautiful.
Before I let you go, I’d love to know what has been inspiring you lately?
Right now I’m kind of at a spot where this record is my entire existence. My days are: focus on the set, drive back to the AirBnb, and then get up, drive, and do it all over again. As far as art, I really like that new Waxahatchee record, and the new Dave and Gil record… there’s been so much great stuff out lately. We just heard the new Jerry Douglas record and really liked that.
But for me, nature is my number one inspiration and I’m always seeking it out. I like going to cities, but when I’m home I really like being home. I really like the land in North Carolina and when I’m there I feel like I’m back on my axis, I feel centered. It’s really nice and I always find my inspiration.
(Author’s Note: Between our interview and its publication, Hurricane Helene devastated Caudle’s beloved home region in North Carolina and surrounding areas. We reached out to Caudle, who has been at the forefront of rescue and relief efforts, for comment and for folks who are interested in helping, he wanted to encourage donations to BeLoved Asheville. Find more ways to help Hurricane Helene relief here.)
It’s seven months into the year and music and media outlets are looking back while looking forward, pondering and collating all of the incredible music that’s been released in 2024… so far. From Beyoncé to Zach Bryan to “brat summer,” there’s certainly been no shortage of seismic album drops – and in our bluegrass corner of the roots music world, the same holds true.
So far this year, there have been stellar releases by the biggest names in the genre, like Béla Fleck, Billy Strings, Tony Trischka, Laurie Lewis, and the Del McCoury Band. Country singer-songwriter Brit Taylor and roots-soul legend Swamp Dogg both released bluegrass titles this year as well, demonstrating how the age-old tradition of various styles and sounds cross-pollinating with bluegrass continues in the present day.
Supergroups like Sister Sadie, Greensky Bluegrass, and Gangstagrass have all unleashed critically-acclaimed projects in 2024, too, while newcomers like Wyatt Ellis and Jack McKeon impressed with records that sound mature and fully-realized for debut releases. And of course there’s plenty yet to come, as anticipation builds for long-awaited albums from bluegrass stalwarts and heroes like Jerry Douglas – who was just unveiled as a 2024 Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee – and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, who recently announced a new project, Woodland, their tenth studio album and first release in four years.
No matter how you cut it, 2024 has been a banner year for superlative bluegrass albums – and there is still so much more to come! Take a minute to amble through our favorite bluegrass releases of the year so far (in approximate chronological order), plus a few honorable mentions that pull heavily from bluegrass traditions and inspirations, and we’ll set the table for the albums we can’t wait to arrive later this year, too.
Cary Morin, Innocent Allies
A jaw-dropping acoustic guitarist who toggles between flatpicking, fingerstyle, blues, and many other styles, Cary Morin released a gorgeous visual art-inspired album earlier this year entitled Innocent Allies. The entire project oozes images of the West done up in bluegrass textures and tones, especially so in Morin’s rendition of “Whiskey Before Breakfast.” Read our feature on the album here.
Sister Sadie, No Fear
For a band that boasts alumni like Dale Ann Bradley and Tina Adair, it’s saying quite a lot to make the statement that this may be the best lineup of Sister Sadie yet. Their latest offering, No Fear, brings striking Nashville vibes together with a dash of the Chicks and features collaborations with country stars like Cam and Ashley McBryde. It’s no surprise this supergroup and their newest album are all over this year’s IBMA Awards nominations. Read our March Cover Story on No Fear here.
Wyatt Ellis, Happy Valley
A mere 15 years old, mandolin picker Wyatt Ellis certainly deserves the “bluegrass prodigy” designation he often receives, but dare not sell this young virtuoso short with such a moniker. There’s musicality, touch, and taste evident across his debut album, Happy Valley, well beyond his teenaged years. That’s just part of the reason behind why he’s able to attract such notable collaborators and guests as Marty Stuart, Sierra Hull, Mike Compton, and more. Keep an eye on this one, ‘cause there’s no telling just how far he will go in music, but it’s sure to be way up there!
Brit Taylor, Kentucky Bluegrassed
Pulling a page out of the bluegrass playbook of the ‘60s through ‘90s, country singer-songwriter Brit Taylor demonstrates the inseparable interconnectedness of country and bluegrass with Kentucky Bluegrassed, a reimagination of her 2023 country album, Kentucky Blue, played by a cracking bluegrass band. There are touches of Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, and so many more through the project. It certainly reminds of those eras, in which bluegrass artists and bands were just as likely to identify simply as “country” as they were “bluegrass.” The lines between these genres used to be much more blurry; we’re happy to see folks like Taylor – and many others – smear, complicate, and dirty up those genre demarcations once again. Kentucky Bluegrassed is a “don’t miss” album that may not be on every diehard grasser’s radar.
Missy Raines & Allegheny, Highlander
Missy Raines never left bluegrass, but Highlander feels like something of a return by this trophied and exalted bassist, singer, and songwriter after her last few more experimental and Americana-geared outings. This is her first recording with her “new” backing band, Allegheny, who have performed with her now for a handful of years. It’s a rollicking, up-tempo, dynamo of an album, but it’s never one note or stolid – or trying to pander to digital radio. There are calm moments, songs that will bring a tear to your eye, and political tones, too, all bolstering the tightness of the band and the trad-tastic, meta-mash energy herein. “Who Needs a Mine,” the stand out track in a superlative song sequence, will most likely go down in history as one of the best issues-oriented bluegrass songs ever written. Every bit as biting and timely as Hazel Dickens, Jean Ritchie, and so many other activist artists from the regions Raines grew up in. Read our recent feature interview here.
Béla Fleck, Rhapsody in Blue
The most traditional aspect of Béla Fleck’s music-making across his lifelong career is his constant and effortless innovation. As a community, we lose sight so easily of the fact that every first generation bluegrass star was an innovator, so many consummate musicians just “making it up as they go along.” Referring to Fleck’s Rhapsody in Blue as “making it up as he goes along” might raise an eyebrow at first, but one of the most fascinating threads throughout Fleck’s countless albums is his ability to ground whatever musical vocabulary he chooses within the traditions, styles, and physicality of bluegrass banjo. He doesn’t so much care what “does” or “doesn’t” fit on the banjo, he follows his whims, fancies, and inspirations and always makes it work. Perhaps only he could do so with Gerswhin! (And we are so glad that he did.)
Kyle Tuttle, Labor of Lust
Banjo player Kyle Tuttle released his second studio album, Labor of Lust, in February. You may know him from Molly Tuttle’s band, Golden Highway, or from his ubiquitous presence in jamgrass scenes over the past decade or so. The new album demonstrates his particular approach to newgrass, jamgrass, and engaging and exciting improvisational picking. His voice on the instrument is indelible. A modernist banjo player with endless panache, a strong sense of humor, and buckets of stamina and drive. We spoke to Tuttle about the project earlier this year.
Barnstar!, Furious Kindness
New Englander and Northeastern-based bluegrassers will be more than familiar with this raucous outfit, but the national bluegrass scene may need to be put onto the singular sounds of Barnstar! Made up of Mark Erelli, Zachariah Hickman, Charlie Rose, and Taylor and Jake Armerding, Barnstar! started as a side project for these in-demand musicians and songwriters and quickly blossomed into a chaotic, bombastic, and hilarious group that can just as easily go earnest, emotive, and touching. Furious Kindness is another selection here that you may not have yet encountered – and we’re here to rectify that. Need more? We hosted Erelli and Hickman on Basic Folk to chat about the project.
Cris Jacobs, One of These Days
If your first introduction to Cris Jacobs was the above song – “Poor Davey,” featuring Billy Strings – fed to you by the algorithm or a roots DJ or found via the “appears on” section of Strings’ streaming profiles, you certainly aren’t alone. A well-known musician in alt-country, rock and roll, and the often nebulous regions between these genres, Americana, and bluegrass, Jacobs may read as a newcomer in bluegrass, but his Jerry Douglas-produced album, One of These Days, is anything but a one-off or novelty project or ‘grassy interloping. This is deep and broad bluegrass that feels straight ahead and genre-expansive at the same time, drawing on guests like Lindsay Lou, the McCrary Sisters, Sam Bush, and more. The Strings track may be what first grabs you, but this album deserves a deep dive follow-up, immediately.
Greensky Bluegrass, The Iceland Sessions(featuring Holly Bowling)
An EP we loved so much it just had to be included on our Best Bluegrass Albums list. Pianist and keys player Holly Bowling joins illustrious jamgrass group Greensky Bluegrass to revive the often latent, near extinct, and severely underrated tradition of bluegrass piano. Over four tracks recorded in remote northern Iceland in 2023, the band and Bowling have curated a vibe that hinges on the present, focusing in on the exact moments in time wherein they captured these sounds and songs. It’s why we love jamgrass to begin with, right? The way the music calls all of us to be grounded in the present. That’s the exact spirit in which these recordings were made and the translation of that intention is more than just successful, it’s deeply resonant.
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, I Built A World
Fiddler Bronwyn Keith-Hynes has found her voice – literally and figuratively. While her last studio release, Fiddler’s Pastime (2020), was more instrumental-focused, her latest project, I Built A World, finds her stepping up to the vocal mic with confidence. Her voice is strong and well-practiced while homey and down to earth, too. The song selections are bold, her collaborators are glitzy and first-rate, but each feature, guest, and musician serves the track they’re on and the album as a whole first and foremost. Keith-Hynes has certainly found her groove and her creative community, and we’re all reaping the benefits of her commitment to challenging herself and looking ahead to the future. We recently chatted with Bronwyn and her pal Brenna MacMillan about their respective solo projects – check it out here.
Swamp Dogg, Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St
When the initial announcement of Swamp Dogg’s latest album, Blackgrass, reached the BGS team, electricity and excitement shot through our ranks. Here’s a project that speaks deeply to one of our highest-priority missions in bluegrass: to showcase the multi-ethnic, melting pot, diverse roots of our favorite genre of music. Bluegrass has never been a music for white folks only, no matter how prevalent that narrative is today, and this legendary multi-hyphenate musician, creator, and producer, Swamp Dogg, demonstrates that fact part and parcel over the course of this impeccable collection of music – with a backing band that includes many of the best pickers around today. There are countless remarkable aspects of this album, too many to include in this simple blurb, so head to Lizzie No’s feature on the project to learn more about why this project is purposefully rebellious and revolutionary.
Laurie Lewis, TREES
California bluegrass keystone Laurie Lewis was just announced as one recipient of this year’s IBMA Distinguished Achievement Awards. For decades she has been a center of gravity around which the California and West Coast bluegrass scenes orbit, like a perseverant mother tree from which so many young shoots and saplings have sprung. Her brand new album, TREES, draws upon her wellspring of through-hiking and naturalist knowledge to encounter, process, and challenge so many modern day realities – health issues, the ever-quickening climate crisis, personal and professional life hurdles, and much more. The result is touching, emotional, encouraging, and inspiring, wrapped in traditional bluegrass trappings that feel more in service to the songs than to legalistic genre criteria. Lewis is one of the best to ever make bluegrass and TREES is one of the best releases in her lauded and superlative catalog. We recently published our exclusive interview, which you won’t want to miss.
Tony Trischka, Earl Jam
One of the greatest banjo players today, our current Artist of the Month Tony Trischka has made a career trailblazing on melodic-style three-finger banjo, writing, composing, and recording music that only he could’ve made. For his latest album, Earl Jam, though, he instead leans on the timeless bluegrass task of emulating the greats – namely, Earl Scruggs. The track list is pulled from recordings of casual, at-home jam sessions between Earl, John Hartford, and others, and with his all-star band and fabulous guests, Trischka reiterates Earl’s idiosyncratic playing from these previously unheard recordings. It’s a fascinating context in which to rediscover the limitless intricacies behind Trischka’s playing and the way he synthesizes others’ influences into his own musical vocabulary. Whether stepping into the role – or, shall we say, roll – of Scruggs or making modern banjo compositions out on his own creative limbs, Tony Trischka makes it look effortless and executes everything he does at the highest level. Don’t miss our Artist of the Month feature and our discography deep dive.
Gangstagrass, The Blackest Thing on the Menu
With a band as incisive and forward-looking as Gangstagrass, there will always be countless reasons naysayers will attempt to use to disqualify their music as “bluegrass.” But when viewing this now 15-year-old group through an objective lens, you can see many more bluegrass qualities than not. Innovation (the oldest bluegrass tradition), improvisation, virtuosity, conversational lyrics, a blending of styles, genres, and textures, and the bringing together of creators and inspirations from a variety of backgrounds – that all sounds like bluegrass to us! Gangstagrass’s latest opus, The Blackest Thing on the Menu, finds the critically-acclaimed group at their strongest yet, with a Jerry Douglas track feature (“The Only Way Out is Through”) and plenty of hip-hop-meets-bluegrass excellence. In the present, folks may errantly write off this band as a novelty or an aberration, but in the future we will all view Gangstagrass as they have always been: one of the firsts in the quickly-developing tradition of roots hip-hop, rap string bands, and postmodern bluegrass re-interpreters.
Jack McKeon, Talking to Strangers
In the vein of country songwriters with bluegrass careers – or bluegrass songwriters with country careers (think Shawn Camp, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Darrell Scott) – Jack McKeon’s debut album, Talking To Strangers, isn’t just bluegrass, but it certainly tracks as first class ‘grassy, down home, front porch music. These thoughtful, introspective lyrics are perfectly set, to a straight ahead bluegrass band like Ashby Frank, Justin Moses, Christian Sedelmeyer, and Vickie Vaughn. McKeon is inaugurating his catalog of recorded works demonstrating that his songs and his voice can be shapeshifters, at home on Music Row and on bluegrass stages and radio, both.
The Del McCoury Band, Songs of Love and Life
Del McCoury is one of the most-awarded personalities in the history of bluegrass and it’s truly no wonder why. He’s spent his entire life honing the family trade: the highest quality bluegrass around. At 85 years-old, every album, concert, performance, and festival we enjoy from Del and the boys is a gift that we’re determined to cherish and savor. His latest full length album, Songs of Love and Life, is sure to be shortlisted for the highest honors handed out by the Grammys and IBMA. This particular track, “Only the Lonely,” is a Roy Orbison cover that showcases Del’s lifelong penchant for not worrying about what is or isn’t bluegrass and instead doing his utmost to serve the song – hence the tasty, honky-tonkin’ bluegrass piano. (Bluegrass piano? Twice in one list??) The record includes a few more charming covers, plenty of brand new tracks, and a Molly Tuttle feature, too.
Brandon Godman, I Heard the Morgan Bell
A killer fiddler from Kentucky who’s performed with Laurie Lewis, Dale Ann Bradley, Jon Pardi, and many, many more, Brandon Godman recently released his first studio album as a solo artist since he was a teenager. Based in San Francisco, Godman is a touring fiddler turned luthier who remains an expert in so many musical styles from his home turf in northern Kentucky. From contest fiddling to western swing to pop country to bluegrass breakdowns and transatlantic hornpipes, Godman’s playing has grit, drive, and aggression, sure, but what stands out the most on I Heard the Morgan Bell, his album of all original compositions, is his emotional range, lyricism, and heartfelt tenderness. Throw in guests like Darol Anger, Patrick Sauber, Sam Reider, and more and you’ve got what will end up being one of the best fiddle-centric albums of this decade.
Tray Wellington, Detour to the Moon
Carrying the banjo innovation banner for millennial cuspers and Gen Z, Tray Wellington is anything but a traditional bluegrass banjo player – and that fact alone is what will always land him in the “solidly bluegrass” camp, by our reckoning. Like fellow listees Trischka, Tuttle, and Fleck, Wellington has found a voice of his very own on the five-string banjo and in recent years his musical offerings – which were already top-notch – have become exponentially more fascinating, fun, and entrancing as a result. His new EP, Detour to the Moon, includes seemingly through-composed, instrumental new acoustic music a la Punch Brothers alongside more straightforward original banjo tunes and a Kid Cudi cover that may just be the best bluegrass cover of a non-bluegrass hit in recent memory. Watching the excited recognition of “Pursuit of Happiness” ripple through the audience at a bluegrass festival while Tray Wellington Band is on stage kicking off the number will certainly never get old.
Billy Strings, Billy Strings Live Vol. 1
The People’s Bluegrass President, Billy Strings, is out with his first live album, Billy Strings Live Vol. 1. No one is doing it like Billy; selling out arenas, coliseums, and gigantic amphitheaters with what’s actually just a five-piece bluegrass band will always be remarkable and noteworthy. Plus, the way he and his team bring his audience into the creative process, feeding their insatiable appetites for content, for music, for four-hour-long tribute shows, is not simply to sell tickets, fill seats, and move product. Strings, at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, is just a big ol’ bluegrass and guitar nerd. We love that about him. There’s almost no one else in the history of this music from whom we’d tolerate a 13 minute track. (By the way, that’s not the longest runtime on the album!) Keep doing it like only you do it, Billy, and we’ll all stick with you the whole entire way.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit, City of Glass
The last time we had a bluegrass artist take off on our website and socials like AJ Lee & Blue Summit are taking off now, it was Billy Strings playing “Meet Me at the Creek.” We’ve been following this Santa Cruz, California-based string band – featuring AJ Lee, Jan Purat, Scott Gates, and Sully Tuttle – for years, so it’s no surprise to us that the greater bluegrass audience is catching onto the special sound and style of Blue Summit and their brand new album, City of Glass. This is pointedly Californian bluegrass, meaning it is effortlessly traditional and organically inventive and generative. High lonesome harmonies and fiery pickin’ skills combine with soul, groove, emotion, and thoughtful writing. There are country moments, there are barn burners, but overall, it’s clear this young band have hit their stride and know who they are. We aren’t here to tell you the best of the best, per se, but if we were City of Glass would be at the very top.
Andrew Marlin, how dare you surprise release this divine album!? (Seriously, thank you, it was indeed a wonderful surprise.) Out last week with hardly more fanfare than a handful of social media posts, Marlin’s brand new collection, Phthalo Blue, has already charmed its way onto our “Best So Far” list. Featuring Stephanie Coleman, Allison de Groot, Clint Mullican, Josh Oliver, and Nat Smith, this is the perfect kind of bluegrass to put on while you work, tidy the house, or tend to your garden. You’ll find the healing effects herein don’t just come from rabbit tobacco.
Near-Bluegrass Honorable Mentions
Whatever you think about our list so far – and whether or not the albums on it qualify as bluegrass to you – here are just a handful of albums we would have regretted not including, but may have more tangential relationships to the genre than their fellows in this piece. Still, each of these fine records has obvious bluegrass bones, however subtle or overt they may be.
Willi Carlisle, Critterland
Many an old-time troubadour/poet such as Willi Carlisle has been a bluegrass musician, but perhaps Carlisle himself wouldn’t identify in that way. Still, there’s bluegrass throughout the critters and characters on this critically-acclaimed album, Critterland. We did a feature on the project, read that here.
Sierra Ferrell, Trail of Flowers
Her new album is markedly post-genre, but those in the know are already well aware that Sierra Ferrell came up through bluegrass circles. From her patinaed West Virginia voice – that brings Hazel Dickens to mind – to her cutting fiddle bowings, wherever she may roam musically, Ferrell will always have a home in bluegrass.
Rachel Sumner, Heartless Things
Rachel Sumner (formerly of Twisted Pine) is decidedly bluegrass, but somehow that seems too simplistic an umbrella for the nuanced music she creates and the special tones she strikes. She infuses so much of the Northeastern bluegrass, folk, Celtic, and jazz scenes and their respective vocabularies into her songs – they may not be exactly bluegrass, but they certainly don’t fall entirely outside that umbrella, either.
Zach Top, Cold Beer & Country Music
Now, this ain’t no bluegrass album – it’s Good Country, that’s for sure – but there’s a bluegrass story embedded within Zach Top’s hugely popular debut, Cold Beer & Country Music, that we’re determined to tell. Once a winner of SPBGMA’s band contest, Top grew up idolizing Tony Rice and Keith Whitley and playing in a bluegrass family band on the weekends. You can see bluegrass touches throughout this mainstream country record, just like when Ricky Skaggs, Whitley, the Osborne Brothers, and more targeted country radio with their songs and sound. Our Good Country feature interview explores all the ways bluegrass filters into his music.
Kaia Kater, Strange Medicine
Kaia Kater is another genre expander who hasn’t ever quite made bluegrass music, but has never been too far from that sonic space, either. She pulls more readily from indie and old-time and folk traditions, but her new album, Strange Medicine, feels like she’s developed an entirely new thing, where genre is a third space, something liminal, or purposefully transitional. Perhaps the most bluegrass thing about this stunning collection is groove, an ever present character through these gorgeous and intricate songs. Kater was our Artist of the Month in May.
Anticipated Albums Still to Come This Year
There’s plenty more where all that came from! Here are just a few of the as yet unreleased recordings we’re sure will be on our “Best Of” lists when we reach the end of the year. It’s not as far off as you think! Luckily, we’ll have a stellar soundtrack to get us there.
Alison Brown, Simple Pleasures (reissue) – available August 9
Rhonda Vincent, Destinations And Fun Places – available August 9
Bella White, Five For Silver– available August 16
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Wanderers Like Me – available August 16
Dan Tyminski, Whiskey Drinking Man – available August 16
Fruition, How to Make Mistakes – available August 23
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Woodland – available August 23
Caleb Caudle, Sweet Critters – available August 30
Various Artists, Bluegrass Sings Paxton – available August 30
Willie Watson, Willie Watson – available September 13
Jerry Douglas, The Set – available September 20
Twisted Pine, Love Your Mind– available October 18
Brenna MacMillan, Title TBA – release date TBA
BGS Staff also contributed to and assisted curating this list.
This week, BGS readers enjoyed two brand new, original sessions – one from Jesper Lindell at Rootsy Summer Fest ’23 and the other featuring bluegrass singer-songwriter Theo MacMillan for our latest Yamaha Session.
Now, to wrap up the week, we’re celebrating new releases from a host of roots musicians like Caleb Caudle, Zoe Boekbinder, Eddie Sanders, Denmark-based string band Twang, and fiddler Andy Leftwich.
Of all the new music released this week, you gotta hear this!
Caleb Caudle, “Monte Carlo”
Artist:Caleb Caudle Hometown: Germanton, North Carolina Song: “Monte Carlo” Album:Live From Cash Cabin Release Date: January 31, 2024 (single); February 29, 2024 (EP)
In Their Words: “We recorded these songs live at Cash Cabin in the spring of 2022 and had such a great time. It was one of my last memories of playing music with my friend, Alex McKinney, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer. His untimely death hit me like a ton of bricks and I wanted to release this now to showcase what an amazing musician he was. I’m so thankful for these recordings that keep his spirit alive.” – Caleb Caudle
Video Credit: Joseph Cash
Zoe Boekbinder, “Hold My Hand”
Artist:Zoe Boekbinder Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana Song: “Hold My Hand” Album:Wildflower Release Date: February 2, 2024 (single); April 26, 2024 (album) Label: Are and Be Recordings
In Their Words: “‘Hold My Hand’ was written on a farm of rescue horses in the mountains in northern Spain. I was there doing a music residency in the summer of 2017. Myself and another songwriter, Dustin Hamman, co-wrote a collection of songs and recorded them all in one week. We also each wrote one song independent of each other. ‘Hold My Hand’ was mine. We slept in the attic of the horse barn, directly above the horse stalls. One of the horses had digestive issues that caused it to fart very loudly and constantly. It was an interesting soundtrack for sleeping. Somehow in that silliness, I wrote this very painful song about my confused heart.” – Zoe Boekbinder
In Their Words: “The song talks about a musician’s encounter with the audience and the fear that things could go terribly wrong. Despite this fear, the message is to be honest and give everything you have, in order to receive the same honesty and love in return. The chorus goes: ‘Love is honesty, honesty, respect / What you give is what you get.'” – Twang
Video Credit: Hidayet C
Eddie Sanders, “Chasing That Midnight Moon”
Artist:Eddie Sanders Hometown: McAlester, Oklahoma Song: “Chasing That Midnight Moon” Album:Born to Fly Label: True Lonesome Records
In Their Words: “I really love this new single, ‘Chasing That Midnight Moon,’ a song I co-wrote with my producer and good friend, Glen Duncan. Glen, along with an all-star cast of pickers, found a dynamic studio groove on this one right away. Then, when the great John Cowan added his signature harmony, it immediately became one of my favorites on the forthcoming album and locked it in as the debut single. I can’t wait for everyone to check it out on the new True Lonesome Records label!” – Eddie Sanders
“What a pleasure and pleasant surprise to get to participate on Eddie’s ‘Chasing That Midnight Moon.’ Eddie possesses one of the finest voices and songwriting gifts in contemporary bluegrass music.” – John Cowan
Andy Leftwich, “Behind the 8 Ball”
Artist:Andy Leftwich Hometown: Carthage, Tennessee Song: “Behind the 8 Ball” Release Date: February 2, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “The idea of this song was to have an upbeat ‘barn burner’ that could lend itself to some really creative soloing, and I feel like we captured that here. I have to give the credit of the title to my wife, Rachel, who heard me mention this phrase while in the studio recording it. We were moving along, but not at the pace I was hoping, so we were behind on time. At the end of the day, she mentioned naming this song, ‘Behind the 8 Ball.’ I thought it was perfect! It certainly has that anxious spirit we all have from time to time when we get in tough spots, but it’s a fun tune that has great energy and a different sound than you normally hear in bluegrass ‘barn burner’ instrumentals.” – Andy Leftwich
Jesper Lindell, “It Ain’t Easy”
Last summer, on the banks of the Ätran beside Tryckhallen – Rootsy Summer & Winter Fests’ home venue – in Falkenberg, Sweden, Jesper Lindell offered two songs in simple, stripped down, acoustic performances for his Rootsy Summer Session. On a balcony overlooking the rushing water and festival stage, he sings “It Ain’t Easy,” a song of long-suffering and devotion from his 2023 EP, Windows Vol. 1.
For our second original session this week, Theo MacMillan (of Theo & Brenna) and his band performed for an exclusive Yamaha Session at Solar Cabin last fall. MacMillan, who brought along Jed Clark (bass), Harry Clark (mandolin), and Cory Walker (banjo), pulled his Yamaha acoustic guitar out of the case and performed two original numbers. The first, “The One That’s Broken,” leans forward at a breakneck pace, channeling the frustration of a messy relationship’s end with cattywampus stops artfully executed by the band, tight and together.
Artist:Caleb Caudle Hometown: Germanton, North Carolina Album:Forsythia
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
I would say as far as songwriting goes, It would be Guy Clark. I like how plain he can be. It’s very matter of fact. I try to write in my speaking voice and I know Guy did, too. It’s easy to connect to. He always went heavy on the details and I try my best to always do the same. In a time where everything feels as if it’s been written about before, details are sort of the last frontier.
What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?
I struggled for about a year and a half with “I Don’t Fit In,” which is the lead track on my new record. I thought it was finished but when I listened back to the demo it felt like I was complaining about not having a place in this world. I didn’t like that. I rewrote the verses from a place of power. I wanted to feel proud about the trail I was blazing. I’m not sure where I land musically and it’s constantly evolving. I think there’s something really special about that.
What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?
I was doing a tour with Ray Wylie Hubbard in California four or five years ago and we were talking about gigs where folks don’t show up and how discouraging that can be and he said “Now Caleb, just remember…never play to the empty seats,” and it changed the way I felt about the audience who was there. I have such a deeper appreciation for those moments now.
Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?
While I love all nature and what it brings to the table, at heart I’m a mountains guy. I love how small they make me feel. I also love the difference between the older mountain ranges like The Smokies, Catskills and Ozarks when compared to the Rockies or Tetons. They are all beautiful in their own way.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
I’d say a plate of Hoppin’ John which is usually meant for New Year’s Day but we make it anytime we want. It’s black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread and country ham. I’d pair it with Doc Watson because I’m from Doc Country and I’d be shocked if it wasn’t a meal he loved, too.
Caleb Caudle has lived a lot of his life on the road. His father was a truck driver and Caleb learned early on that making a living often meant long days away from home. The North Carolina-born musician started out in a rock band before he found his calling as a thoughtful alt-country singer-songwriter. When Caleb released his debut solo album Red Bank Road in 2007, he was just beginning to realize what made his songwriting voice distinctive, and his numerous releases since then have been a journey deeper into his own sound and point of view.
Caleb has driven a hard road in music, releasing albums and touring relentlessly since ‘07. Albums like Carolina Ghost and Better Hurry Up gained him a reputation as one of the Americana performers to watch in Nashville. As Caleb opened up about getting sober and being more intentional about his legacy, his gifts as a songwriter truly started to blossom. He recorded his latest release, Forsythia, at the Cash Cabin with a close group of trusted collaborators. It is an album whose imagery brings you home with him to North Carolina and into himself. He even came full circle with a new recording of “Red Bank Road,” the title track from his debut album.
Caleb brings the past with him while challenging himself to make something new with his life and with his art.
Editor’s Note: Basic Folk is currently running their annual fall fundraiser! Visit basicfolk.com/donate for a message from hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, and to support this listener-funded podcast.
There’s a special thing that happens when the groove of soul music meets the sharp pen of country music. I’ve heard folks call it Country Soul, Country Funk, Cosmic American Music or simply “The Rub.” I refer to it as Down Home Funk. It keeps the toes tapping and the mind thinking. The special blend is a sound I gravitated towards a few years ago and it really made its way into my new record, Better Hurry Up. — Caleb Caudle
Guy Clark – “Texas Cookin’”
Guy comes out swingin’ on his sophomore record with the funkiest rhythm to any of his tunes up to that point. It’s so greasy and I’m hungry just listening to it right now. Long live food in songs!
Bill Withers – “Grandma’s Hands”
Drenched with nostalgia, this is one of my favorite tunes from Mr. Withers. He puts his personal experiences in a songs and something personal becomes so relatable. It gets me thinking about my own grandma. I’m a sucker for that Wurlitzer.
Bobbie Gentry – “Louisiana Man”
The first time I heard this tune was on a Doug Kershaw record. I love how she makes it her own. She has one of my very favorite voices. Even got a little bitty muskrat cousin! Bless it.
The Band – “Up on Cripple Creek”
I mean who am I kidding? This whole playlist could be The Band. They changed the way I heard music. They take every brand of roots music and blend it up effortlessly and effectively. God bless Levon Helm and all of his magic. I’ve touched the horseshoe at Big Pink on three separate occasions. It’s a healthy obsession.
Jeannie C. Riley – “Back Side of Dallas”
I got turned on to this tune from the Cocaine & Rhinestones three-parter on “Harper Valley PTA.” I love the vocal delivery here. Total swagger. The band is bold and the lyrics are gritty. Just feels real man, I dig it.
JJ Cale – “Lies”
His groove is so perfect, I feel like he drops the listener right into it. His guitar tone is always so on point. I’ve spent way too much time watching YouTube videos and trying to figure out what all is going on. Lies, Lies, Lies!
Townes Van Zandt – “Where I Lead Me”
I like sad TVZ a lot but I love TVZ when he has a chip on his shoulder and a blues band behind him. Everything feels nice and loose. I’ve always loved the line “In the meantime, make a little money and buy a little mercy”
Aretha Franklin – “The Weight”
As much as I love the original from The Band, I consider this the definitive version. The band is great, especially that slide work from Brother Duane. She is peaking the mic all over this one and it’s just so perfect.
Bobby Charles – “Small Town Talk”
Being from a small town, this one hits home. I love this Bobby Charles self-titled record. I hope more folks get turned on to it. The whole record sounds like a ferry ride down the Mississippi River. Who are we to judge one another? That could cause a lot of hurt.
Dolly Parton – “Jolene”
What hasn’t been said about this tune? I think the greatness comes from it still sounding fresh to this day. The riff, the vocal, the lyrics… this is a perfect song. I’m sure it really stood out on country radio at the time. It’s haunting. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know this song.
Leon Russell – “Tight Rope”
Like The Band, I’m sure I could have made this whole playlist the master of space and time. He’s peculiar and familiar at the same time. I like the way this one bounces. A great opening track for my favorite record of his, Carney.
Linda Ronstadt – “Willin’”
I was familiar with the Little Feat version because it was all over classic rock radio when I was growing up. I recently got turned on to this take, I really love how patient it is. Great vocal take from Linda.
Anyone else’s sanity being held together by a thread spun from music and podcasts? Here’s our roundup of the latest episodes released via the BGS Podcast Network – to help keep everything safe, sane, and running smoothly.
Make sure to follow along on our social media [Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram] and right here, where we’ll consistently gather our new releases, as well as some past favorites:
Old-time legend and Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Alice Gerrard sits down with Tom Power at her kitchen table in North Carolina. She tells stories of how she and other college students from the northern U.S. found bluegrass and old-time, meeting her Hall of Fame partner Hazel Dickens and making some of the greatest records in the genre.
She goes on to describe her split from Hazel, her work since, and in tender moments, she shares the last time she ever spoke with Hazel and what she sang to “sing her back home.”
Host Z. Lupetin talks with Joey Dosik, a silky-voiced songwriter and freaky-talented multi-instrumentalist who writes lush, romantic jams that transport listeners to R&B-tinted, old school FM radio gold. Some may have learned of Dosik’s talents with DIY, future-funk ensemble Vulfpeck, who went from recording an album of complete silence to a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden – with no record label in sight.
As we honor and celebrate two lost musical greats this week, it’s comforting to remember that we have constant new waves of amazing artists like Dosik coming up who can honor and further their message, whose songs in many ways combine the honest earnestness of John Prine’s best early work with Bill Withers’ deep, church-flavored, down-home groove.
Caleb Caudle’s childhood musical fascinations (English punk, folk, and Bob Dylan, to name a few) went far beyond anything his school peers in rural North Carolina cared about. Since entering the music industry fray as a singer/songwriter in the mid-200s, Caudle has released seven studio albums, with his latest, Better Hurry Up, cut in 2019 at the Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, TN – surrounded by the spirit of Johnny and June – just days after he and his wife made their move to Nashville.
Craig Havighurst sits down with Caudle – as well as bass playing sideman turned impressive singer/songwriter, Adam Chaffins – in the most recent installment of The String.
Adhering to strict stay-at-home pandemic orders, host Z. Lupetin records an intimate phone conversation with Theo Katzman, the Cheshire Cat of soulful pop-rock and one of the most visible members of the mysterious funk supergroup, Vulfpeck.
In January, he celebrated the release of his cheeky, super catchy, unabashedly romantic, and pop-driven new solo album Modern Johnny Sings: Songs in the Age of Vibe, and his expertly-crafted songs and lifting falsetto vocals have that rare spark that can brighten anybody’s dull quarantine in no time.
Caleb Caudle grew up in rural North Carolina outside of Winston-Salem, captivated by music far beyond what his school peers cared about — English punk, folk, and Bob Dylan among them.
Since entering the music industry fray as a singer/songwriter in the mid-2000s, Caudle has released seven studio albums, with a brand new one available now. Better Hurry Up was cut in 2019, just days after he and his wife moved to Nashville. A crack band set up shop at the Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, TN, surrounded by the spirit of Johnny and June. Great things resulted. Also in the hour, bass playing sideman turned impressive singer/songwriter, Adam Chaffins.
Having grown up between the mountains and the sea in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Caleb Caudle would have had a difficult time not developing a deep love and appreciation for the great outdoors. The singer/songwriter’s love of nature is evident in both his sound and his style. Caleb’s style is relaxed, rugged, and, on occasion, a little refined. At any given moment, he is appropriately dressed to ride off on a horse or, with the quick change of a jacket, ready for dinner at an upscale restaurant.
The rugged style breakdown:
Textiles, like denim or chambray
Work-style leather boots that have acquired a beautiful patina over the years (Pro Tip: look for oil tanned leather, and be sure to condition once a year.)
Classic wide-brimmed hat — nothing too cowboy
A substantial jacket
Worn-in denim
For the most part, Caleb sticks to his well-fitted standards, while keeping it fresh with jackets and accessories. Living a good portion of the year out of a suitcase, he tends to favor clothing with consistency, durability, and adaptability. Nine times out of 10, you can count on seeing him wearing broken-in denim jeans, Red Wing Iron Rangers, a blue button-up (most likely denim), a custom Havstad, some assortment of silver jewelry, and a jacket you’ll most likely want to steal. Caleb’s latest obsession is the one-of-a-kind handmade statement jackets by Manuel Couture. This golden mustard jacket with black embroidery fits him like a glove, even though it was taken right off of the rack (which is very unusual).
Manuel has been creating beautiful pieces here in Nashville, Tennessee, for celebrities and musicians since the 1970s. A Manuel jacket is the perfect piece to instantly elevate an outfit with little to no effort.
By the way: You don’t have to be a musician or celebrity to wear a Manuel piece.
Here are a few styling tips from maker himself:
Keep the jacket unbuttoned to loosen up the look. Keep it casual.
Although the jackets are expensive, don’t let that stop you from wearing them to everyday events. Wear your jacket anywhere and everywhere! Don’t be afraid to make a statement.
Manuel’s jackets can be paired with a nice tailored shirt for a polished look or with a V-neck shirt to keep it casual.
I love the look of Manuel’s glitzy jackets combined with Caleb’s rugged standards. The combination is a 100 percent Casual Rhinestone Cowboy.
“Damn, I forgot how good-looking everyone is in Texas!” the woman next to me said, as we approached the gates of Luck Ranch. My smile was equal parts Texas pride and pure excitement, as I took in my hill country surroundings — an oasis amidst the SXSW madness. The women, men, and kids sharing Willie Nelson’s ranch for the day rocked various combinations of leather boots, chain-stitched denim, hand-crafted hats, and custom jewelry, as well as other items rooted in traditional craft. If you didn’t arrive in any of these items, there’s a good chance you left with one, after visiting the skilled Luck vendors. I know I did!
On the repurposed set of the 1986 film, Red Headed Stranger, the annual Luck Reunion draws a specific audience in with its well-curated line-up of artists, vendors, and other creators who “cultivate the new, while showing honor to influence” in their work. It’s hard to believe this idyllic, single-day music festival wasn’t a mirage or dream induced by way too much of Willie’s Reserve. Here was a damn good-looking group of people listening to some damn good tunes.
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