You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Max McNown, Miss Tess, and More

Wherever you are on this wintry week, we hope our collection of roots music premieres warms you all the way up. We expect it will!

In this edition of our premiere roundup, don’t miss a brand new track from stupendous string trio, The Devil Makes Three, who debuted “Ghosts Are Weak” from their upcoming album on Wednesday on BGS. Plus, there’s straight-ahead bluegrass to be found, too, from Tyler Grant, who pays homage to a towering train bridge on “Goat Canyon Trestle.”

Singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy has reimagined “Before I Have a Daughter,” a song co-written with Lori McKenna about breaking generational cycles, healing, and motherhood. (A theme shared with another premiere this week.) And, Tobacco & Rose repurpose a love song infused with a Buddhist twist with their new track, “Tara.”

In the mood for some music videos? Catch Leslie Jordan’s new video for a Sarah McCracken co-write, “The Fight,” that also grapples with parenthood, discipline, and family. And, the sensational Max McNown brings us the video for the title track for his brand new album, Night Diving, which releases today.

Just in time to shepherd out the once-in-a-lifetime blizzards across the Deep South, Miss Tess showcases her music video for “Louisiana,” a centerpiece of her upcoming album, Cher Rêve. Then Sarah Quintana, who calls New Orleans home, brings us down the road to the Big Easy with an artful music video made with Kat Sotelo for the title track of her soon-to-be-released project, BABY DON’T.

It’s all right here on BGS and, you know the drill – You Gotta Hear This!

The Devil Makes Three, “Ghosts Are Weak”

Artist: The Devil Makes Three
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Song: “Ghosts Are Weak”
Album: Spirits
Release Date: January 22, 2025 (single); February 28, 2025 (album)
Label: New West Records

In Their Words: “‘Ghosts Are Weak’ is about breaking free from destructive habits and patterns. It reflects on how leaving behind a substance or lifestyle often comes with losing certain friends along the way…” – Pete Bernhard

Read more here.


Tyler Grant, “Goat Canyon Trestle”

Artist: Tyler Grant
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Song: “Goat Canyon Trestle”
Album: Flatpicker
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (single); March 28, 2025 (album)
Label: Grant Central Records

In Their Words: “The largest wooden trestle ever built still stands in the Mojave Desert of eastern San Diego County. I wrote this uptempo bluegrass song to tell the story of the trestle and the ‘Impossible Railroad,’ which was conceived by sugar and shipping magnate John D. Spreckels in 1906 and completed in 1919. History songs are tricky and I am very proud of this one. It will tickle the ears of any enthusiast of the classic railroad songs. I furnish some Doc Watson-style flatpicking and Michael Daves delivers on the hot tenor vocal part. The moral of the story is, if you take on the desert, it will always win.” – Tyler Grant

Track Credits:
Tyler Grant – Guitar, lead vocal
Andy Thorn – Banjo
Adrian “Ace” Engfer – Bass
Dylan McCarthy – Mandolin
Andy Reiner – Violin
Michael Daves – Harmony vocal


Leslie Jordan, “The Fight”

Artist: Leslie Jordan
Hometown: Johnson City, Tennessee
Song: “The Fight”
Album: The Agonist
Release Date: April 25, 2025

In Their Words: “‘The Fight’ was written with Sandra McCracken on her back porch in September of 2023. When I read the piece that my grandfather wrote with the same title, I knew I had to save it for my co-write with Sandra. I have long admired Sandra’s ability to tell a story in her songs with honesty and raw vulnerability. I knew she could help me capture the true intention of this piece. It is heartbreaking. Gut-wrenching. A mother’s internal dialogue after she loses control and hits her son. We sat for a while and chatted through what we thought was really happening in the story, how it made us feel, and then I started playing the chord progression you hear. The story my grandfather wrote begins with these two lines:

‘The rebellion was over, and she had sent him to wash-up.
There comes a time when children must be made to realize limitations and authority.’

“Sandra immediately started scribbling in her notebook and turned it around to show me.

‘The rebellion was over
She sent him to wash his hands
She tried to reason with him
But he could not understand
There comes a time when you find the limit’

“I started singing the words along to the chords and it felt like we had caught lightning in a bottle. I was also very excited to have my friend Brittney Spencer lend her incredible vocals on this song! When she heard it, she immediately had an idea that would lift the chorus. She really brought the song to another level.” – Leslie Jordan

Track Credits:
Leslie Jordan – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Brittney Spencer – BGVs
Kenneth Pattengale – Guitar
Harrison Whitford – Resonator guitar
Daniel Rhine – Upright bass
Joachim Cooder – Drums, percussion
Evan Vidar – Pump organ

Video Credit: By Jake Dahm. Edited by Leslie Jordan.


Bre Kennedy, “Before I Have A Daughter” (featuring Lori McKenna)

Artist: Bre Kennedy
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Before I Have a Daughter” featuring Lori McKenna
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “I am so excited to share this version of my song ‘Before I Have a Daughter’ with the one and only Lori McKenna. I wrote this song with Lori a few years back after small talk that led to a conversation about me not knowing my mother, who struggled with addiction as I grew up, and wanting to get to know her and heal with her before I have a daughter. Writing this song was the beginning of a healing journey with not only my mother, but with myself. [It’s] how I have learned to have grace and appreciation for my journey, as well as hers. This song continues to grow with me in real time and I am so honored I get to share this version with Lori with you all from where I am on my journey now.” – Bre Kennedy


Max McNown, “Night Diving”

Artist: Max McNown
Hometown: Bend, Oregon
Song: “Night Diving”
Album: Night Diving
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard

In Their Words: “We stepped into the writing room and Erin [McCarley] asked, ‘What’s something in your life that you keep fighting and can’t seem to overcome?’ ‘Night Diving’ became the answer to that question – it’s a song that addresses addiction and I think it’ll resonate with people on a lot of different levels. The ‘Night Diving’ song and video contain the deepest waters of symbolism I’ve created to date.” – Max McNown

Track Credits:
Jedd Hughes – Electric guitar
Todd Lombardo – Acoustic guitar, mandolin, additional electric guitar
Jamie Kenney – Bass, acoustic guitars, additional electric guitars, drum programming
Aaron Sterling –Drums
Max McNown – Lead vocals, background vocals


Miss Tess, “Louisiana”

Artist: Miss Tess
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Louisiana”
Album: Cher Rêve
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (single); February 7, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Louisiana’ was the first song inspiration for my new album Cher Rêve, coming out February 7. It was deep in the pandemic and I had reached a point where I was really missing traveling, friends, live music, and dancing. I became fixated on my memories of basking in the Cajun culture of South Louisiana (Lafayette & Eunice, mainly during the Blackpot Festival and music camp), and started to write a song about it.

“My excellent co-writer friend and fellow Blackpot visitor, Maya de Vitry, helped me work on it for about six hours one day while she was house-sitting. Since it was a challenging time to hang out with people in person, we finished it over the next month via email. It is one of my favorite songs on the album and really sums up my feelings and nostalgia for being down there, playing and enjoying music beneath the tall Louisiana pines. I am thankful this recording includes the talents of so many amazing Lafayette-area musicians, including Joel Savoy (fiddle + studio engineer), Trey Boudreaux (bass), and our dear friend Chris Stafford (Wurlitzer), who passed away tragically this past May.” – Miss Tess

Track Credits:
Thomas Bryan Eaton – Electric guitar, vocals
Joel Savoy – Fiddle
Miss Tess – Vocals, guitar
Kelli Jones – Vocals
Chris Stafford – Wurlitzer
Trey Boudreaux – Bass
Matt Meyer – Drums


Sarah Quintana“baby, don’t”

Artist: Sarah Quintana
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Song: “baby, don’t”
Album: BABY DON’T
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (single); March 28, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “Kat Sotelo is the amazing performance artist and videographer behind this video. She designed and executed the concept, built the set, and asked the band to wear blue jeans. We wanted the first single to feel like something off The Ed Sullivan Show in the ’60s with a live performance lip-sync and vintage transitions. Silly moments of stop-motion animation flaunt Adrienne Battistella’s stunning band photos.

“I love Kat Sotelo’s work. She is a longtime friend and collaborator and my muse. She is a lovely human, creative powerhouse and inspiration to us all! She and I have been working together since my first project, Mama Mississippi, in 2012. Thanks for this adorable video, Kat!” – Sarah Quintana

Track Credits:
Cello: Chris Beroes-Haigis – Cello
Drums: Rose Cangelosi – Drums
Saxophone: Rex Gregory – Saxophone
Sousaphone: Jason Jurzak – Sousaphone
Recorded by Justin Tockett at Dockside Studios

Video Credit: Video and set design by Kat Sotelo, photography by Adrienne Battistella.


Tobacco & Rose, “Tara”

Artist: Tobacco & Rose
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “Tara”
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (single)

In Their Words: “‘Tara’ is a repurposed love song. The initial melody and lyrics were inspired by a crush that subsided as quickly as it appeared, but I was inspired to revive the song after following along to some guided Tara meditations. The Buddhist deity, Tara, is known for her compassion, but also for her encouragement to action. So I dedicate it to her, and, in fact, the writing of this song spurred into action the completion of my record, as it was the last song I wrote for it, and a standout track at that. I love this song, in part for the unusual wide guitar voicings that I got from my viola studies as a teenager, and for the melody that soars into head voice at the end of the chorus. And lyrically, I treat this song as a Buddhist-themed reminder for myself to stay awake and aware, and to treat all challenges, afflictions, and aversions as opportunities to get better at human being.” – Richard Moody

Track Credits:
Richard Moody – Guitar, vocals, strings, keyboards
Joey Smith – Bass


Photo Credit: Max McNown by Nate Griffin; Miss Tess by Jo Vidrine.

First & Latest: Half a Century of Gospel Dynasty The Isaacs

The Isaacs need no introduction. In gospel, bluegrass, and country circles they are well known for their convicting, heartfelt songs in the sacred tradition, demonstrating ardent faith through familial harmonies and a stunning polished, tight-knit sound.

They’ve been performing and recording as a group for 50 years, with their first commercial albums released now more than 30 years ago. They are veterans of the Grand Ole Opry, churches and bluegrass festivals all across the country, Gaither Homecoming, RFD-TV, and so many more roots music and gospel institutions.

In October of last year, the family – whose band consists of Lily and her children Ben, Sonya, and Becky – released a brand new album, Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah. And, whether heard by “secular” listeners or listeners of faith, the project is a pitch perfect continuation of the mission and message the Isaacs have brought with them across their entire 50 year career.

The collection, as always, is stirring, resonant, and warm. With crisp and clean stylings of modern worship music intermingled with country and string band touches. In an exclusive interview with BGS, we spoke to Sonya Isaacs via email about More Than A Hollow Hallelujah by comparing and contrasting their latest project with their first – A Labor Of Love, which was released in 1990 and Live in Atlanta, which arrived in 1992.

We spoke about the Isaacs’ longevity, their faith, what sacred music offers to all of us, and how it feels to look back on so many decades of making music together as a family and ministry. Gospel music and roots music have always gone hand-in-hand and the Isaacs demonstrate that connection, intuitively, in all that they do.

Your latest album, Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah, begins with the track, “Gratitude,” which I feel is a perfect place to start. This project is more than 30 years – nearly 35! – since your first releases. Can you speak a little bit about your longevity and what it means to you, at this point, to look back at such a prolific and productive career? I imagine you must practice a lot of gratitude.

Sonya Isaacs: We have been so so blessed to be doing what we love to do for the majority of our lives now! We are incredibly grateful for the journey that has brought us where we are today. The highs were high and the lows were low, but God has been with us and allowed us to live our dreams. A lot has changed about our sound, style, and even personnel since those humble beginnings, but one thing has remained and that is Christ is the center of everything that we do!

Gospel music and sacred music go hand-in-hand with American roots musics of all types. You all are comfortable in so many genres and styles, from bluegrass and country to contemporary Christian. I wonder what it means to you that gospel is such a big part of so many roots genres and how you see your own music fitting into different formats and styles of music?

When we started out 50 years ago, we never intended or dreamed that our music would cross over into different genres and styles. God has opened doors in different markets for us to get to take His message into. We don’t change who we are, we don’t change why we are there, we just sing and the songs do the work! It’s wonderful that so many different styles encompass the gospel message and we are grateful that we get to stand on different stages all around the world and be who we are. God is always the most important listener at our concerts.

What do you remember about the making of those first albums, A Labor of Love released in 1990 and Live in Atlanta released in 1992? Did you ever think or dream or assume you’d still be putting out records well into the 2020s? Was that always the hope or the plan?

I don’t think any of us were thinking too much about the future when we first started out recording almost 50 years ago. We were so excited to be in the moment and to get to be singing and recording, especially when we got our first major record deal in the late ’80s. Back then we weren’t very experienced as musicians or singers, and in the studio everything felt like a dream! We remember feeling nervous, excited, and grateful during those early years.

When we recorded the Live in Atlanta album and video, some of us were the most nervous we have ever been on stage. But it felt like a game-changing album once we finished the concert. There was a sweet spirit in that room that only God’s presence can bring. The songs we recorded on Live in Atlanta became some of our first to reach the top of the charts.

Now, a song you selected to spotlight from Live in Atlanta is “From the Depths of My Heart.” How did that track come into your repertoire and how does it strike you now, decades later, when you listen back?

“From the Depths of My Heart” was a song Ben and I wrote in a car riding from home in Morrow, Ohio, to our new home in LaFollette, Tennessee in 1992. I had just graduated high school the day before and we were all leaving behind all we’d ever known. The sad goodbyes with friends and loved ones were the inspiration for the song. It was like a gift God gave us to not only help us, but millions of other people who have needed the words over the years. It became our first number one song in gospel music, and remained in the charts for nearly 4 months. Looking back, it’s really the song that catapulted our career. We still get requests for that song all the time!

Obviously, there are so many connections between your music then and your music now, but I wonder what through lines or consistencies you see in your own body of work? What’s changed? What’s stayed the same?

As styles and technology have evolved, so has our sound. When we first started out, there was definitely more of a bluegrass trueness that came from our dad Joe Isaacs’ musical heritage. As the kids got older and began to play instruments and write songs, the style became more contemporary in general, but still was heavily influenced by the traditional bluegrass sound. Over the years we have done different albums with different styles; some country, some Americana, mostly gospel, bluegrass, and others, but the harmonies the Isaacs are known for have remained a constant. The instrumentation of guitar, mandolin, and bass have also remained a staple in our sound. Also, we have always been faithful to stick with lyrics that didn’t compromise the gospel in anyway.

It certainly feels like, from the outside looking in, the conviction you feel and the passion you bring to your music remains steadfast. What keeps you “in it,” making gospel, sacred, and Christian roots music?

We have always looked at our music as a ministry. Sometimes we are singing to the choir and sometimes to those who won’t even step inside a church door. We know that any talent we have comes from God, the Creator, and we love the faith aspect of our music. It is truly why we do what we do and we couldn’t imagine our music without Him being the center of it! He is everything to us, and our mission is to carry His love to the world.

Can you talk about “(More Than A) Hollow Hallelujah,” the title track, and how the song and its message became the cornerstone of this latest album?

When we decided to do an album of praise and worship covers, there was a song that came to my mind that I had started writing years ago. I had the chorus mostly finished and called the other three to come finish it with me just a few days before the session. It seemed like an important song to have on the record because it summed up everything the record was intended to say. Without sincerity, it’s all in vain. Jesus is looking for true worshippers and followers. It’s easy to get caught up in life’s rat race and hurdles, but it’s more important now than ever to show God how much we love, appreciate, and need Him. He responds to praise and that is something we have learned down through the years. The mysteries of God and the miracles we read about are found out in the deep. We shouldn’t be content to splash around on the shore. This song calls us out to the deep.

Looking ahead to the next 35 years, the next 50 years, what do you hope will be the Isaacs’ legacy over the upcoming few decades?

As we are all getting older together, it’s interesting to think about where we will be in 10, 20, 30 (if we’re lucky) years from now. We run so hard on a day-to-day basis that somehow it doesn’t feel like we are as old as we are – with our youngest Becky turning 50 in August this year! What we pray our legacy will be, when it’s all said and done, is a family who loved to sing and pray together, who loved to share the good news of Christ in song, and a family who never stopped striving to be the best they could be at their trade. We hope the songs we have written and recorded will live on in time as those we enjoy today from others who have gone before.

Is there anything else you’re reflecting on or want to add as you consider your First & Latest and your long, full careers?

Looking back, it seems good that you can’t look forward. We have learned that the journey is just as important as the destination, and if we could see some of the twists and turns, some of the disappointments, we would no doubt have chosen different paths. We have been so blessed to have made it to where we are today with God’s grace, but we sure have overcome our share of dark days. Many songs and testimonies have been written out of those dark days that have helped others get through them. By experiencing life’s struggles, we are equipped with the knowledge and experience to help others get through them, too. Don’t begrudge the hard journey – it’s where our faith is built and our wisdom is learned.


Photo Credit: Courtesy of the artist.

Watch Post Malone Make His Grand Ole Opry Debut in New Video

Back in August 2024, in tandem with the release of his earth-shaking country debut, F-1 Trillion, Post Malone took to the heralded Grand Ole Opry stage for the very first time. The special edition show, “Post Malone & Friends Live at the Opry,” was filmed for an Opry Live and Circle Now livestream broadcast and featured performances by Malone, Lainey Wilson, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, The War and Treaty, and many more.

As usual, the incredible Opry content team was backstage and on hand for the momentous evening, capturing Malone’s debut as they do for each artist who takes to the stage, stepping into “the circle” – the inset portion of stage taken from the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville and installed into the floorboards of the Grand Ole Opry House. Hundreds, if not thousands, of iconic artists, musicians, and celebrities have strode the hallowed circle.

“Stepping into the circle today is very much like the Super Bowl,” Malone says in the video released last week. “It’s terrifying, but it’s so exciting – and I’m ready to rock.”

And rock he did, bringing the drive and swagger of his mainstream background onto the Opry stage, packaged in rugged, honky-tonkin’, and fun F-1 Trillion vibes. The video showcases just how excited and even giddy Malone is to share in the legacy of the Opry. It’s a common, nearly universal feeling for every artist – of every level and every genre –who has stepped onto that stage.

With words and thoughts from Wilson, Gill, and Post Malone himself, the video includes sweet backstage moments, clips of once-in-a-lifetime performances, and a heaping helping of the welcome and hospitality of the Grand Ole Opry family. It’s a testament to how open and warm this genre can be to newcomers and visitors in these styles – when it wants to be.

Enjoy a taste of Post Malone’s iconic Opry debut above and read more about F-1 Trillion and Post Malone’s history with the genre on Good Country here.


Photo Credit: © Grand Ole Opry, Photo by Chris Hollo. Left to right: Brad Paisley, Post Malone.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Seldom Scene, Swearingen & Kelli, and More

You’ve reached the end of the week! For a little treat, how about a few brand new songs and music videos? You Gotta Hear This!

If you’re looking for bluegrass, we’ve certainly got it this week– Chris Jones & The Night Drivers share their first recording of a Tom T. Hall original, “Mama Bake a Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken),” since their dear friend and Bluegrass Hall of Famer passed away a few years ago. Plus, bluegrass legends Seldom Scene preview their upcoming album, Remains to Be Scene, with a new single, “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains.” And, wrapping up our bluegrass trifecta, banjo player Max Wareham pays tribute to NHL team the Boston Bruins with an excellent shredding instrumental tune, “The Black & Gold.”

From elsewhere across the roots music landscape, duo Swearingen & Kelli offer “Break Me Down,” a powerful acoustic number with plenty of grit, slide guitar, and blues influence. Plus, don’t miss Justin Wells’ new music video for “Sad, Tomorrow,” a contemplative slow burn of a song that focuses on mental health, melancholy, and forging ahead.

It’s a lovely collection of new roots music to take you into the weekend, and you know what we think – You Gotta Hear This!

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, “Mama Bake a Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken)”

Artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Mama Bake a Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken)”
Release Date: January 17, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “This is an old and lesser-known Vietnam War-era song of Tom T. Hall’s and the first song of his I’ve recorded since his passing a few years ago. I think I didn’t feel ready to until now. He had a unique ability to incorporate bits of humor into a sad story, and this is definitely one of those. This song is vivid and poignant in a way that is vintage Tom T. I was going to record this several years ago, but when I brought it up to Tom T. and Dixie, they wrote ‘Hero in Harlan’ that very day to give me something new to do instead.” – Chris Jones


Seldom Scene, “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”

Artist: The Seldom Scene
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Song: “Last of the Steam-Powered Train”
Album: Remains to Be Scene
Release Date: January 14, 2025 (single); March 14, 2025 (album)
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

In Their Words: “This song was written by Ray Douglas Davies and recorded by the rock group The Kinks in the 1960s. The Scene has always looked outside the box for material, and we thought this one fit the bill.” – Lou Reid


Swearingen & Kelli, “Break Me Down”

Artist: Swearingen & Kelli
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Break Me Down”
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Gone Rogue Music

In Their Words: “I wrote this song a few years back, but it never really got its due. I was also really obsessed with slide guitar at that time. It’s a little gritty, and when Jayne added her vocals on top, I thought, ‘Ok, this is exactly what this song needs.’ I love the discovery process of writing and recording. Sometimes it takes a while to find the exact combination of sounds with an arrangement to tell the story the way you really want to.” – AJ Swearingen

Track Credits:
AJ Swearingen – Guitars, drums, percussion, bass, vocals
Jayne Kelli – Vocals, organ


Max Wareham, “The Black & Gold”

Artist: Max Wareham
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “The Black & Gold”
Album: DAGGOMIT!
Release Date: January 17, 2025 (single); February 21, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “Sports and music might have more in common than we think – this tune is a tribute to the Boston Bruins’ legendary ’22-’23 season, during which they broke most NHL records. Musically, the A part was inspired by Bill Emerson and the B part is a nod to the style of banjo legend, Rudy Lyle.” – Max Wareham

Track Credits:
Max Wareham – Banjo
Laura Orshaw – Fiddle
Chris Henry – Mandolin
Chris Eldridge – Guitar
Mike Bub – Bass
Larry Atamanuik – Snare


Justin Wells, “Sad, Tomorrow”

Artist: Justin Wells
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
Song: “Sad, Tomorrow”
Album: Cynthiana
Release Date: January 15, 2025 (single); February 20, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “The title of the song comes from a story Nicole Kidman told Marc Maron on Maron’s podcast, WTF. Kidman talked about how she often took her characters home with her, acting in front of a mirror. Her young child had grown accustomed to seeing and hearing her mother work on these roles. A day or so after Kidman’s father died, she was grieving at home, and her kid heard this. Her kid asked ‘Mom, why are you crying?’

“‘Well, I’m crying because I’m sad, because Papaw died.’

“Her child, accustomed to seeing her Mom go in and out of emotions while working on her acting, replied, ‘Well, are you gonna be sad tomorrow?’

“I wanted to write this song about that feeling of helplessness you have when a friend is struggling with depression, when the only thing you can do sometimes is just be there. I ended up asking my dear friend Adam Lee to help me finish it, which was considerably apropos, because we’d both been each other’s therapist through lockdown, when we were kinda losing our minds. Considering all of the above, the song carries an even bigger weight because it’s one of the last songs that my friend Robby Cosenza played on before he passed. Robby was a Lexington icon, playing on hundreds of albums including a Ringo Starr record as well as my debut album, Dawn in the Distance, and he was instrumental in helping me get my legs under me when I started my solo career.” – Justin Wells


Photo Credit: Seldom Scene by Jeromie Stephens; Swearingen & Kelli by Daniel Shippy.

Kyle Park on Only Vans with Bri Bagwell

We decided to kick off 2025 on Only Vans with a conversation with one of my oldest friends in the music biz, Kyle Park. He is a brilliant and hilarious mind with lots of great insight into being a professional musician. We talk about gator hunting, Texas wine country, his new band The Texas Trio, and even sleep schedules. Hope you enjoy!

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

On today’s episode of Only Vans, I talk to my longtime friend Kyle Park, who is a staple of the Texas music scene and beyond. He keeps impressing us with his records and, of course, his newest project, The Texas Trio, which I love. The members of the trio are GRAMMY-award winning fiddle player Jason Roberts and George Strait’s Ace in the Hole band keyboardist John Michael Whitby. (John Michael made me play piano with them one time at Steamboat Musicfest after I had drank a bunch of beers and I meant to call him out on that on the podcast! What the heck?)

I also think it’s crazy that 70 shows a year is cutting WAY back for people like Kyle and I. That’s still a lot.

Quick note: I talk about my favorite recording engineer in Nashville and I totally blank on his name because, hello no sleep. Sorry Chad Carlson, I totally know your name and you’re the dang best!

Check out Kyle’s new ventures and for sure the beautiful Cross Mountain Vineyards wedding and event venue online or on Instagram! It is in wine country in Fredericksburg, Texas, and it’s gorgeous (we filmed the podcast there and producer Kyle and I got a private tour). I am so thankful to my great friend Kyle Park for joining me.

Thanks to our sponsors, Hand Drawn Pressing & CH Lonestar Promo!


Find our Only Vans episode archive here.

Photo Credit: Scott Slusher

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Sister Sadie, Golden Shoals, and More

As usual, it’s Friday and we’ve got a handful of videos and tracks you gotta hear this week!

Kicking us off, bluegrass and old-time duo Golden Shoals offer their fresh, topical take on a classic from the American songbook with “New White House Blues.” Then, singer-songwriter Heather Maloney brings us along through a “Labyrinth in the Weeds,” a nostalgic track about the circuitous, non-linear quality of grief and loss.

GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass supergroup Sister Sadie return to the round-up with a new single, “If I Don’t Have You,” a Dani Flowers-penned love song that’s as good as love songs get – because it keeps it simple. To wrap up this edition, Evan Westfall (who you may know from CAAMP), debuts a fascinating and ethereal instrumental, “SISDM,” that’s timeless and modern all at once.

They’re all right here, on BGS, and you know what we think– You Gotta Hear This!

Golden Shoals, “New White House Blues”

Artist: Golden Shoals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee / Vancouver, British Columbia
Song: “New White House Blues”
Album: The Dream and the Hunger
Release Date: January 17, 2025 (single)

In Their Words: “At the center of a Venn diagram featuring history, politics, and bluegrass music is a special kind of nerd. ‘White House Blues’ has always been a favorite of mine and I wanted to dive deeper into the story behind the McKinley assassination. The culprit, Leon Czgolsz (who is unnamed in ‘White House Blues’), was disillusioned by the inequity of the Gilded Age, and felt his actions would usher in a revolution for the working class. He truly was the Luigi Mangione of his day. The consequent presidency of Teddy Roosevelt looks like a win for the common man, but that idea is a house of cards. The motives of these assassins resonate with me, but these moments highlight this fact: without collective action, true and lasting change will never come. Through this 10-verse murder ballad, we pay tribute to Charlie Poole’s initial recording of ‘White House Blues’ by gradually speeding up, which builds tension and atmosphere.” – Mark Kilianski


Heather Maloney, “Labyrinth in the Weeds”

Artist: Heather Maloney
Hometown: Northampton, Massachusetts
Song: “Labyrinth in the Weeds”
Album: Exploding Star
Release Date: January 31, 2025
Label: Signature Sounds

In Their Words: “This song is an ode to one of my earliest and most favorite memories at my childhood home, which was at the edge of the Appalachians in northwest New Jersey. My dad would let the grass in the field grow until late summer. When it came time to mow, he didn’t cut it down all at once– he’d weave through on the John Deere, making a sort-of maze for us kids and we’d follow behind.

“I remember how it felt so viscerally; the smell of the grass, the crunch under my feet, and especially the giddy feeling of losing sight of him when he rounded a new corner. After he died this actually came to mind. I had a sense that my dad, who was always making a game out of things, had just rounded another kind of new corner I couldn’t yet see past. It was a comforting thought and the inspiration for the song.” – Heather Maloney


Sister Sadie, “If I Don’t Have You”

Artist: Sister Sadie
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “If I Don’t Have You”
Release Date: January 10, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I don’t write too many love songs. Most of the songs in my catalog are admittedly pretty depressing. But ‘If I Don’t Have You’ is just that – a love song about loving someone so much that everything you’ve ever wanted or hoped to accomplish now pales in comparison to the need you have to be with that person.” – Dani Flowers

“Dani Flowers came to me with this sweet melody and the first two lines of this song. We finished it that day. This is my favorite kind of love song; simple melody and simple lyrics. It doesn’t get much better than Dani’s angelic voice singing about how going through life and experiencing the most amazing things wouldn’t mean half as much ‘If I Don’t Have You.'” – Deanie Richardson

Track Credits:
Dave Racine – drums
Deanie Richardson – fiddle
Gena Britt – banjo
Mary Meyer – mandolin, piano
Maddie Dalton – Upright bass
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Dani Flowers – Lead vocals
Jaelee Roberts – Harmony vocal


Evan Westfall, “SISDM”

Artist: Evan Westfall
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Song: “SISDM”
Album: Is This Our Exit?
Release Date: January 8, 2024 (single); January 24, 2024 (album)
Label: Super Sport Records

In Their Words: “This song came together by accident after I started tuning my guitar with no direction and stumbled into the tuning of EBEF#BD#. This song title is a reference to an essay by the Columbus-based poet Hanif Abdurraqib about the transition from summer to fall. You can really feel that shift in seasons here in Ohio, the excitement that comes with the fresh start of something like a new school year or football season, even though that season ends up in bare trees and cold grey skies. It’s a hopeful melody, but overly dramatic.” – Evan Westfall

Track Credits:
Evan Westfall – Guitars, banjo, drums
Dan Alvarez – Guitars, banjo, bass, drums
Jordan Dunn-Pilz – Guitars, drums


Photo Credit: Golden Shoals by Mike Dunn USA; Sister Sadie by Allister Ann.

Basic Folk: Jerry Douglas

Jerry Douglas is widely regarded as the best Dobro player in the world. Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and James Taylor are counted among his many collaborators and his four-decade career has earned him 16 GRAMMY Awards and numerous other accolades. In our Basic Folk conversation, he shares stories about his upbringing in Warren, Ohio, where his father’s steel mill job and love for music instilled in him a strong work ethic and a passion for playing. He also talks about getting scouted as a teenager by The Country Gentlemen, one of the greatest bluegrass bands ever, who eventually took young Jerry on tour.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

In addition, we discuss Douglas’ latest album, The Set, which showcases his mastery of the resophonic guitar and features a unique blend of bluegrass, country, and Americana sounds. He also opens up about his experiences working with Molly Tuttle, John Hiatt, and other notable musicians, highlighting the importance of collaboration and creative freedom. Our chat offers a glimpse into Jerry Douglas’ life, influences, and artistic approach through his humility, humor, and dedication to his craft.


Photo Credit: Scott Simontacchi

Flatland Cavalry’s 10th Anniversary Compilation, ‘Flatland Forever,’ Traces Their Rise

Ten years after a band of college friends played their first show in Lubbock, Texas, Flatland Cavalry have finally stopped moving to take a look around. Released in early November, their latest album, Flatland Forever, is a 25-song chronological opus, sampling key tracks from their six acclaimed albums. But, as with most things the band does, it isn’t your typical “greatest hits” package.

Also finding space for a few unreleased gems, Flatland Forever traces the contours of a remarkable roots music rise. This Cavalry has ridden to the rescue of countless country fans, pushing an indie ethos deep into the mainstream while retaining a self-contained spirit, and the Forever project offers new listeners an easy way to get up to speed.

Their 10 years have seen Flatland gather 500 million streams and a Gold certification for the tender “A Life Where We Work Out,” while establishing their live-band cred alongside the genre’s best and brightest. 2024 alone saw them score their first ACM Awards nomination (for Group of the Year), plus high-profile Hollywood placements in Yellowstone, Twisters, and more.

They also marked their first headlining shows at iconic venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Ryman Auditorium, and they made a triumphant return to Texas on December 31, headlining Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena for the first time. Then it’s on to the Flatland Forever Tour – kicking off February 7 in Atlanta – with a new setlist to match the album in scope and satisfaction.

It definitely seems like a good time to take stock of how far Flatland Cavalry has come, and in a conversation with Good Country last month, lead singer and songwriter Cleto Cordero does just that. Breaking from a peaceful morning in Nashville which found him “sitting like a hippie or a cat and letting the sun hit me in the face, just breathing,” Cordero explains where Flatland Forever came from, and what it feels like to pass a true milestone.

Why don’t you start by telling me how you’re feeling these days. This is definitely a milestone that most bands never even imagined they’ll reach. So how’s it feel?

Cleto Cordero: It feels really good. It feels like a lot of hard work paying off and proof that persistence can get you where you aspire to go. It’s been a long journey, but you wake up one day and it’s like 10 years later and heck, man, you’re walking in the dream that was just in your head 10 years ago. So it feels good. It’s affirming.

That’s a beautiful thing for sure. It’s been ten years since the band started. I just wonder, are you still feeling inspired by music making?

We stay pretty busy on the road, so it is challenging to find that zen where, to me, the songs come from. But that’s why I’m seeking it. That’s why I’m sitting in the sun in my library. I just listened to a meditation last night and it was a lecture by Neville Goddard, and he’s talking about being still – it’s like the old biblical scripture, “Be still know that I’m God.” I think as much as we move and shake and hustle and bustle, that place where songs come from in my heart seems harder to hear. So I have to seek that inspiration and try to convene with it every day.

Tell me a little bit about Flatland Forever and the idea behind this. It seems like the key for you guys was to make it more than a greatest hits package, right?

The idea was initially brought to me by Matt Morris at Interscope Records, who we began working with last September. He had an idea like, “Y’all have so many great songs. And for someone that doesn’t know who Flatland is, it’s kind of a lot to chew on. Maybe there’s a way we can put all the songs in one place on a compilation.” And as he was saying that, I told him I had an idea for an album that I want to make one day called Flatland Forever. I was like, “That’s literally what I envisioned it to be.”

So his idea and mine kind of melded together and then I didn’t want it to just be stuff that we had already released. I wanted to throw in some unreleased songs or stuff that we had recorded but never shared, and it morphed into this smorgasbord of old and new.

As you were putting it together, did you notice any creative growth? As you went back through these older songs, how did they line up with the new stuff?

I mean, a [new] song called “Three Car Garage,” that’s something I could imagine myself writing last week or something. … I think if you listen to the start of the album and then you make your way on to the very end, it will be a journey hearing us evolve sonically and lyrically and all that stuff. … But I wrote that one when I was in college and I had skipped class one day and I was just sitting in my garage.

I took a look around and the books I’d been reading at the time, like, “write about what you know,” so I just took a look around and that’s literally the vantage point of me sitting in the garage. But there’s also some other meaning to it as well, because the bridge is like, “If you’re bored and got nothing to do, change your point of view.” It captures a youthful spirit. I’m glad it came out 10 years later – whenever we sing it, I’m like, “Okay, that’s young, hopeful, optimistic, enthusiastic Cleto.”

Since the album covers the band’s whole history, does it also kind of capture the spirit of a live show?

It does. The good thing about having a lot of songs to play is you have a lot of variety, but then we’ve been on this Wandering Star Tour and I really want to give those songs a chance. But yeah, the idea of Flatland Forever is this compilation thing, so our next tour will be named after that and I feel like we can play anything from the vault in any order. … It’s making me think a little bit, creatively. Like, I can start off the show with “Sleeping Alone” or it can be totally different every night and any song.

What’s it feel like to get to go to Fort Worth to Dickies Arena and headline?

A dream come true. We’ve worked really hard for 10 years to get to a place where we can fill up a room with hopefully 10,000 people. I mean, we played Fort Worth the last two years in a row, two nights each at Billy Bob’s – which is like 5,000 people [each night]. Our booking agent told me last New Year’s Eve, “Hey, the next time you play Fort Worth, it’s going to be at the arena.” And so this date has been a year in my brain. It’s been the little lighthouse on the coast. All the shows we played this year, to me it’s all like, “What have I learned? What can I apply to this big show on New Year’s Eve?” And hopefully, Lord willing, I do envision that for us – to put on an arena show and take it everywhere.

“A Life Where We Work Out” is now Gold-certified. Congratulations on that. What does that accomplishment mean to you?

I feel lucky and grateful, because that song was written about a relationship that I had messed up. Now it’s like a mistake I had made and how a mistake can turn into a Gold record is pretty ironic and kind of crazy. But I don’t say that at the expense of the other person on the other end of that relationship. It was just a dumb, young college kind of thing. But how that turned into a Gold record, meeting my wife, and our biggest song. I think God [or] the Universe has a sense of humor. You know what I mean? Even if we screw it up ourselves so badly, it still can turn into something golden. So I feel really lucky and grateful.

My favorite part of the record is what you guys end up doing with “Mornings With You.” Including the work tape and then also the fully fleshed-out version is really cool. Are you trying to show fans something with that?

Yeah, so before a song gets recorded, there’s always a work tape cut first, or else we’ll forget it. … And no one ever gets to hear that. I just wanted to share that with the fans, and there’ll be a deluxe version of the record that comes out. … It’ll have commentary about the work tapes and more acoustic versions and stuff. So it’ll be more that kind of stuff.

I will just leave you with the big picture. What do you hope your fans are going to take away from Flatland Forever?

The takeaway is that a little band made of college kids followed their dreams and, 10 years later, they have a small little pile of work that they’ve worked towards year after year. That’s the amalgamation of it. And if anything, it’s just a testament that if you pursue your dreams and work hard and don’t give up on it, then you can literally do anything that you aspire to. That’s what I hope people can take away. And the last song, “Chasing a Feeling,” talks about that.


Photo Credit: Fernando Garcia

Artist of the Month: Larkin Poe

Larkin Poe are unstoppable. The incendiary sister duo – made up of Megan and Rebecca Lovell – have enjoyed near constant growth and momentum building over the past decade and a half, since they emerged from their younger family band era in the early 2010s as an endlessly gritty and gutsy Americana-meets-blues-meets-Southern rock phenomenon. Now, their sights are set on their upcoming seventh studio album, Bloom (out January 24 via Tricki-Woo Records), with a year’s worth of accolades – including their first GRAMMY win and being named the Americana Music Association’s Duo/Group of the Year – firing like afterburners on their already rocketing career.

Their perseverant climb of the music industry’s ladders is the least remarkable aspect of Larkin Poe’s trajectory, though. The sisters Lovell outwardly channel a sort of outlaw-styled disaffection for the trappings and machinations of the industry or Music Row, inhabiting self-assured personas that fit seamlessly within the genres they call home. They know they’re stellar songwriters, they’re virtuosic pickers, and they’re fluent in the aggression, anger, and release of rock and roll. Across their entire catalog there are clear demonstrations – from the winking and sly to the outright and overt (see, for instance, “She’s a Self Made Man“) – where Larkin Poe show their listeners they aren’t just living in “a man’s world,” they’re owning it, re-centering it, and doing it better than the machismo naysayers rife in these roots styles. Styles where a corrective phrase like “Um, actually…” is still wielded as a cudgel or seen as valuable social currency.

Um, actually… these women know exactly what they’re doing. And they would have to, given they came up through bluegrass, folk, and string band circles as a bluegrass(-ish) family band, the Lovell Sisters, with their sister Jessica. Winning songwriting contests and appearing on Prairie Home Companion, the Lovell Sisters were quickly beloved in bluegrass, honing their chops while also getting their first tastes of being written off or sidelined as “merely” a female-centered novelty act. When the group decided to disband, Megan and Rebecca “reskinned” as Larkin Poe, immediately transforming so many of their “I knew them when” audience members into “I wish they still played bluegrass” skeptics. Not that the Lovells cared, ultimately. A hallmark of the duo since their rebirth has been agency, autonomy, and self-possession. (Something of a prerequisite for successful women in roots music, to be sure.)

Seven studio albums into their grooving, rollicking, no-holds-barred catalog, Larkin Poe are even less concerned with external forces or outside variables influencing and impacting their music. Bloom builds on the confidence and clarity of Blood Harmony‘s GRAMMY Award-winning vision. Produced and co-written by both Lovells and their longtime collaborator (and Rebecca’s spouse) Tyler Bryant, Bloom zooms in on the individual stems, leaves, and petals of the agency and self-determination that have run through all of their music. It is, yet again, a decidedly familial project, but despite all of the ground they’ve covered together and all of the miles they’ve traveled over their lifelong careers together, rebirth and reinvention continue to blossom on each of their projects. It speaks once more to the music itself being their guiding light – rather than commercial appeal, marketability, or continuing to do it simply because it’s what they’ve always done.

Bloom is about finding oneself amidst the noise of the world,” says Rebecca via press release. “About wholeheartedly embracing the flaws and idiosyncrasies that make us real. In one way or another, pretty much all of the songs on this album are about finding yourself, knowing yourself, and separating the truth of who you are from societal expectations.”

Perhaps only a group of women could make a Southern rock album with this sort of message at its core. They may peacock and strut, on stage and in the studio, just like their male peers and contemporaries might, but they do so with a message and mission that’s decidedly antithetical to most creators in Americana, rock, and blues these days. Especially the “Um, actually…” set. By taking on these characters and personas, Larkin Poe aren’t hiding their truths from us, but putting their most authentic selves directly into the spotlight.

At the same time, when you’ve spent your entire adult lives making and performing music with your family, with siblings and in-laws and chosen family, too, it’s often a passive and subconscious process by which you slowly lose pieces of yourself, of your individuality, of your sacred selfhood. It’s no wonder, then, that Larkin Poe have crafted a stunning, engaging, and iconic catalog of music that orbits around this very dichotomy. To be a family band, to sing or pick or channel blood harmonies, is to give up yourself for the greater whole. Megan and Rebecca and their compatriots then use that same music to find and re-find that sense of self as it slips away. Each time, each album and each set of songs, it is a musical gift; and each time, including the latest effort, Bloom, Larkin Poe find and share themselves anew.

We are so very excited to name Larkin Poe our January 2025 Artist of the Month. Stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Megan and Rebecca Lovell coming later this month, dive into our Essential Larkin Poe Playlist below, and follow along on social media all month as we dive back into the BGS and Good Country archives for everything Larkin Poe and the Lovell sisters.


Photo Credit: Robby Klein

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Olivia Ellen Lloyd, Kora Feder, and More

Happy New Year! Our very first New Music Friday of 2025 brings our very first premiere roundup of the new year, too. We’re so excited to dive into another 12 months’ worth of superlative Americana, country, folk, bluegrass, old-time, and more.

Don’t miss a brand new track from critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Kora Feder, who debuts “Rambling Man” from her upcoming album, Some Kind of Truth. Her voice shines, crystalline and pure above a warm and crisp folk-rock-meets-Americana backing track. It’s a song about gender, wanderlust, expectations, and inhabiting agency – freedom.

Next, West Virginian (via Brooklyn) folk artist Olivia Ellen Lloyd brings us a lyric video for the title track for her highly anticipated 2025 record, Do It Myself. Staying within our coincidental theme of agency and autonomy, “Do It Myself” celebrates Lloyd’s self determination and self possession with her particular agnostic West Virginian blend of roots genres and styles. It’s indie, folk, Americana, country, and string band all wrapped up into one tidy, charming musical package.

To wrap up our first premiere collection of the year, don’t miss our latest Good Country Goodtime session from our debut GC variety show in Los Angeles last September. The latest installment of our exclusive clips from the show features “garage country” artist and songwriter Aubrie Sellers offering her stellar take on a country classic, “Make the World Go Away.” That voice!

You can find all this incredible music below and, honestly – You Gotta Hear This! Happy new year, happy new music.

Kora Feder, “Rambling Man”

Artist: Kora Feder
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Song: “Rambling Man”
Album: Some Kind of Truth
Release Date: January 3, 2025 (single); March 18, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Rambling Man’ is about self confidence as quiet rebellion. It’s about gender and beauty standards, about the feeling of achieving freedom from expectation and self-suppression. It’s the kind of song that can fuel a solo drive or inspire barefoot dance sessions in the kitchen. I hope that it is as empowering to listen to as it was to make.” – Kora Feder

Track Credits:
Paul Mayer – Piano, drums
Justin Farren – Guitar, bass, pads
Written by Kora Feder
Mixed by Justin Farren
Mastered by Eric Broyhill


Olivia Ellen Lloyd, “Do It Myself”

Artist: Olivia Ellen Lloyd
Hometown: Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Song: “Do It Myself”
Album: Do It Myself
Release Date: January 3, 2025 (single); March 21, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “When I sing this song, I think of the Rilke poem, ‘Archaic Torso of Apollo.’ To me, that poem summarizes how art can move someone into action, and how we can be perceived by our creations just as we perceive them. I had memorized that poem over a decade ago for a speech class in undergrad, and on the day I sat down to write ‘Do It Myself,’ the last lines, ‘For here there is no place that cannot see you. You must change your life,’ came to me like a meditation.

“At many points over the almost two-year process of making this record, I had no idea how I was going to take the next step, pay for the next expense, or reach the next milestone. But I had a song that insisted that I could, I would – do it myself. So I kept moving, slowly at times, until it was complete. And every so often, at various stages of creating this album, I would play this song – first the bounce, then the rough mix, then drafts of the final mix – and dance around my apartment in Brooklyn. As if to remind myself that I could do it. Even if I didn’t know how (yet).” – Olivia Ellen Lloyd


The Good Country Goodtime: Aubrie Sellers

On September 27, Good Country and BGS debuted our brand new variety show, the Good Country Goodtime, at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. The inaugural show was hosted by country and bluegrass singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks and featured appearances by artists Victoria Bailey and Aubrie Sellers as well as a hilarious set by comedian and actor Kurt Braunohler. Backing up the talent was our first class Goodtime house band led by the Coral Reefers’ Mick Utley.

For our second installment in our series of clips from the September edition of the show, “garage country” artist and singer-songwriter Aubrie Sellers offers an incredible cover of a country classic, “Make the World Go Away.” Sellers is a fascinating roots artist with a deep and broad country and Americana pedigree. Her music combines so many genres – indie, folk, rock and roll, grunge, and blues blend effortlessly with bona fide old country chops and pop-meets-countrypolitan glamor. But here, on the Dynasty Typewriter stage, her rendition of the indispensable Hank Cochran-penned hit is remarkably simple and down-to-earth.

Read more here.


Photo Credit: Kora Feder by Anna Barber; Olivia Ellen Lloyd by Aaron May.