Tag: COVID-19

Stay On Your Ass: If Days Still Mean Anything to You, It’s a Long Weekend!

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our plans: GET. OFF. YOUR. ASS. 2020: Nope, lol.

In the past, supporting musicians, writers, and creators meant going out to shows, buying drinks at venues, volunteering at festivals, and so much more. But music fans and supporters around the globe are finding new ways to show up for the folks who supply the soundtracks to our lives.

States and local jurisdictions may be loosening coronavirus lockdown restrictions, but the numbers are still very clear. Memorial Day or not, the healthy, safe choice is to just stay distanced, stay apart, and stay on your ass! We’ll continue to bring you a few of our favorite events, livestreams, and COVID-19 coping resources that we’ve scrolled by on our feeds or found in our inboxes each week until that reality changes.

Did we miss something? (We probably did.) Let us know in the comments or on social media!

Rhiannon Giddens Honors Bill Withers, Aids COVID-19 Relief Efforts

In early May, Rhiannon Giddens released a gem from her vault of B-sides and outtakes. Recorded in what she refers to as a “very un-socially distanced time,” Giddens and co. perform a lively tribute to an icon of American music. The release of this cover and music video celebrate the life and music of Bill Withers, while also portraying life in quarantine and raising funds for Global Giving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Like many of his other hits, Withers’ “Just the Two of Us” has an infectious cheerfulness that, especially when juxtaposed with images of quarantine and sheltering in place, can brighten any day. Giddens explains, “When Bill Withers passed, we suddenly remembered we had made this beautiful [cover]… So whether it’s just the two of us, or just a few of us; whether the lockdown has been for months or it’s about to be lifted; COVID-19 is here for the foreseeable future, and the more we can be alone together now, the better the future will be.” 

Whiskey Sour Happy Hour Concludes

Our month-long online variety show came to a close last night with a surprise bonus episode featuring performances from past WSHH performers like Billy Strings, Valerie June, Rodney Crowell, and more. Last week, for the superjam of our final “official” episode, our cast of pickers pulled off this incredible cover of “The Weight,” a perfect finale for the series.

It’s been an incredible journey building and sharing these shows with all of you over the past few weeks, but the fun isn’t quite over yet. We’ve left all episodes of Whiskey Sour Happy Hour online so we can continue raising money for MusiCares and Direct Relief, two organizations leading the charge with critical support for musicians and front line responders facing this crisis.

Over your Memorial Day weekend, why not binge the whole show, enjoy world-class songs and comedy, and if you can, give a little to support the cause, too? Watch all episodes and donate here.Our friends at Direct Relief have been working ceaselessly since the advent of this pandemic to supply personal protective equipment to front line responders. Watch this brief video that captures the importance and the magnitude of the work they’re accomplishing.

California Bluegrass Association Says to “Turn Your Radio OnLINE”

Founded in 1974, the California Bluegrass Association is one of the oldest and largest bluegrass associations in the world, with over 2,700 members. They produce events throughout the year, including the jewel in their bluegrassy crown, Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, held every Father’s Day weekend in Grass Valley, CA since just a year after the organization’s inception.

This year, the festival has canceled all in-person programming, asking bluegrass fans in California and around the world to turn their radios “OnLine” to take part in music performances, live interviews, online interaction, and so much more, featuring artists such as Tim O’Brien, Laurie Lewis, Molly Tuttle, Lonesome River Band, Special Consensus, Joe Newberry & April Verch, and others.

The webcasts will be accompanied by an online auction to raise funds for the CBA’s newly announced COVID Artist Relief Fund. Items being auctioned include fine acoustic instruments, books, music lessons, historic bluegrass memorabilia, and items of interest from popular musicians.

Get all of the information, full performance schedules, and more right here.

Music Maker Relief Foundation’s Freight Train Blues 2020

Our friends at the Music Maker Relief Foundation, the Hillsborough, N.C. based nonprofit whose mission is to promote and preserve American musical traditions by partnering directly with elderly musicians, have announced their 2020 music series, Freight Train Blues. The event, which ordinarly takes place at Carrboro Town Commons in Carrboro, NC, will now be broadcasted on Facebook, YouTube, and by WCHL 97.9FM out of Chapel Hill.

Featuring performances from Phil Cook, Mandolin Orange, Thomas Rhyant, and more, Freight Train Blues celebrates the life and legacy of Piedmont blues legend Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, a pioneer in bluegrass, old-time, and blues and whose songs have left an indelible mark on all of American roots music.

You can tune in all through May and June! Get more information from MMRF here.

Reinventing a Broken Wheel – Frank Conversations, Future Opportunities


BGS co-founder and executive director Amy Reitnouer Jacobs will moderate the sixth session in Folk Alliance International’s “CommUNITY Online” series of sessions and panels on Friday, May 22 at 2pm CDT / 12pm PDT. Joined by David Macias (Thirty Tigers), Erin Benjamin (President/CEO Canadian Live Music Association), Enrique Chi (artist/activist), and Megan West (Facebook/Instagram) this group of industry experts will discuss, identify, and explore opportunities to innovate, pivot, and move the industry along in new directions. We each have a role to play in constructing our “new normal” — from immediate action to big picture initiatives, this conversation promises to be inspiring, provocative, and realistic.

Register for free, inform the conversation, and participate here.

Justin Hiltner and Jonny Therrien contributed to this article.

LISTEN: Fort Frances, “These Lights Will Shine Again”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Fort Frances
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “These Lights Will Shine Again”
Album: These Lights Will Shine Again
Release Date: May 22, 2020

In Their Words: “Pressing pause on the world has felt strange and uncertain, but it’s also given people a chance to reflect on what really matters. Instead of focusing on being scared or sad, I’ve been trying to think about what I’ll do and who I’ll see when life starts to move again. I’ve been looking at a map of the world and thinking about all the places I want to go (even if I’m wearing a mask for the journey). This is a positive song meant to dim the volume of the news to put the present — and more importantly, the future — in perspective.” — David McMillin, Fort Frances

Photo credit: Ehud Lazin

Watkins Family Hour Find a Silver Lining in Work From Home Livestream

Posted on by Editor

By the time Sean and Sara Watkins were about to launch a new Watkins Family Hour album and national tour, the live music industry (and life in general) got turned upside down by the sudden need for social distancing and sheltering at home. It could have been a major blow for the band, considering that they have built the WFH brand through live, multi-artist performances at the Los Angeles club Largo.

Nevertheless, the siblings are used to making decisions on the fly, so they put their heads together and figured out how to keep the spirit of their famous Watkins Family Hour shows intact. The result? Work From Home, a livestream series on Zoom every Thursday in May that begins at 4 pm PT. (However, your ticket purchases allows you to watch whenever it’s convenient for you.)

A portion of all ticket sales benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund. Artists such as John C. Reilly, Mandy Moore & Taylor Goldsmith, Ruston Kelly, The War & Treaty, Mandolin Orange, Mike Viola and Tré Burt have all confirmed appearances for the series.

During an afternoon phone call, Sean and Sara shared the silver lining of virtually introducing their new album, titled brother sister, to the world, and the satisfaction that comes with launching a successful livestream.

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BGS: What kind of vibe did you want to capture in this Work From Home series?

Sara: We wanted to try and give people the sense of some kind of normalcy. Maybe if people are sitting at home in front of their TVs or their computers watching it, maybe they can for a second forget that they’re not able to go to shows and enjoy some of the genuine back-and-forth that would happen at a normal Family Hour show. It’s been really nice so far having these moments on screen to catch up with our friends and just connect, in a way, because a big part for everyone’s isolation is that feeling of disconnect.

It’s been surprising to both Sean and me how good it feels to do these shows. We’re putting a lot of thought into the shows and learning how to do them on the tech side. They’re live, so there’s a little bit of a countdown. It’s been a nice, familiar rhythm of, “OK, we’ve got to get ready! We’ve got 15 minutes!” Getting everything ready and making sure we have all the things we need — the set list, any notes we have to ask the guests, and then it starts! And we’re live!

That’s a huge part of our life when we’re working, and then afterwards, it’s a release. And it feels good to play these songs. So, on a selfish level, it’s so nice to have that familiar rhythm. The greater hope is that we’re able to share the genuine camaraderie that we have with other musicians and with each other, and to commune in these very strange times, and to hopefully give company to everyone else who’s in their own isolation.

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The banter makes the viewer feel like they’re part of the conversation, too.

Sara: Yeah! That’s what we hoped for. In the first week, we were able to ask for requests and do one of them, and that’s nice. But instead of chatting with people on this particular series, we’ve just been trying to play a show.

Sean: One thing that we always aim to do at Family Hour is to bring an element of what goes on backstage onto the stage. And a big part of what goes on backstage is conversations about music and life. There’s a tendency to have this onstage personality, or way of talking about things, and an offstage version. I think we’re trying to blend those two. There’s good stuff that gets talked about backstage. A lot of it can be boring for most people but a lot of it can be really interesting.

Sara: The thing about Family Hour is that every show is different, and typically there are a lot of guests coming on and off stage, so there’s not really room for a script, or even a rhythm. So, that has taught us that we need to be prepared and nimble, and to be professional, but in a way that feels natural and honest with the relationships we have with the musicians on stage. This is something that we really care about — these conversations — and we don’t want to fake moments on stage with our guests. We want to have genuine interaction. And a lot of audience members want to see what we genuinely care about, and talk with our friends about.

What has been the reward for you in seeing this Work From Home livestream come together?

Sean: Just being able to do a show for people and see that they’re listening, and hear back from them. A lot of the comments are from people saying where they’re listening from. Typically when we do our shows, it’s just LA people that are coming to Largo, so that’s really a cool aspect of doing these online. We did a fair amount of work and preparation for these shows, and when they go off, especially with technology in play, it feels really good to get to the end of it and to have done it! We’ve done two of them and it felt really good. It felt like walking off stage, kinda. [Laughs]

Sara: We’re learning new things about mediums every week and ways that we can make it look better and sound better. Sean is always trying to up the sonic level, but it sounds really good and it’s nice to be able to have a reason to practice different things, learn different things. The cyclical rhythm is really pleasing and I love that people are building us into their week. It seems like people either have all the time in the world, or no time at all, during this, and it takes an effort to carve out an hour in your day, so I really love that and appreciate that.

Photo credit: Jacob Boll

Music Venues May Not Survive COVID-19: Support the #SaveOurStages Campaign

Posted on by Editor

One of the most significant casualties of the new coronavirus may be the live music experience. By the time concert venues and local listening rooms are able to reopen — and nobody knows when that will be — it may be too late for a large majority of locally-owned clubs, who simply can’t afford months and months of bills without being able to generate revenue.

Gia Hughes, production manager of Hotel Café in Hollywood, California, is spreading the word about this dire situation to artists and fans through The National Independent Venue Association and its social media campaign, #saveourstages.

“Without proper support, the live independent music venues you know and love will close,” she says. “Historic institutions in their brick-and-mortar form will not be able to weather this storm. The stages that first provided homes for the Adeles, Katy Perrys, Hoziers, and Lumineers of the world will cease to be. It will take a group effort to survive, and independent venues need you now more than ever. Please support your local institutions, and help spread the word.”

Hughes spoke to BGS about NIVA, and what the shutdown means for grassroots artists as well as live music listeners.

BGS: Can you tell us about the formation of NIVA? How did you and the venue get involved?

Hughes: The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) formed at the start of the COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders. We joined without hesitation; we are stronger in numbers. While we have all been working together to flatten the curve and keep our staff and communities safe, we must look forward to how independent venues will financially survive this shutdown.

There are now over 1,600 members spanning all fifty states, and each day there are action points we all touch on to help spread the word of this cause. Independent venues are needing federal financial assistance that will help us see this through. With no — or very little — revenue coming in, 90% of independent venues don’t think they’ll be able to survive a shutdown of six months (or more) if they don’t receive help from the federal government.

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How would the permanent closure of independent clubs affect the grassroots music community?

The ripple effect would be felt throughout the music industry internationally. I’ll use us as an example. We host up to ten artists (sometimes more) — consisting of both local and touring acts — per night between both of our stages. Oftentimes, we are a stop on a national tour, or we are showcasing up-and-coming acts to labels, managers, A&Rs, publishers, and more.

But in the age of streaming, there’s nothing quite like seeing an artist live. That’s why so many acts are signed after performing at our venue. Without the presence of independent clubs, independent music could suffer greatly. Without a live outlet, there will be no person-to-person connection between artists and fans, between artists and industry, and between artists and their peers. So many independent artists make their income by performing live, as well as by selling merch to fans after their shows. Without independent clubs, local music communities would disappear.

According to NIVA’s letter to Congress, “It is estimated that for every $1 spent on a ticket at small venues, a total of $12 in economic activity is generated within communities on restaurants, hotels, taxis, and retail establishments.” Local business and culture would lose a sizable source of revenue without our businesses bringing in patrons.

And without independent clubs and the independent grassroots community, how would artists truly get discovered, or cut their teeth becoming the next star? Without independent clubs and the independent grassroots community, there would be no truth in music. Plus, local culture would suffer for the loss of it. We would lose so much of what makes music so special. We’d lose that soul connection.

How many shows did you have to cancel / postpone in the wake of COVID restrictions?

Canceling or postponing shows also means canceling and postponing work for our employees, as well as for our vast network of session musicians. For us — we’ve had to cancel hundreds of shows, and counting. We book up to ten acts per night, split between both of our stages, and we’ve been closed for over two months now. Not to mention, we can’t book moving forward since we don’t know when or how we’ll be able to reopen.

For Los Angeles, thousands of shows have already been cancelled between venues like us, The Troubadour, The Bootleg, The Echo, The Satellite, and others. There’s no end in sight.

What can fans of live music do to help (outside of filling out the petition)?

The best thing fans of live music can do right now for independent venues is support them directly by contributing to their GoFundMe or benefit pages, buying tickets to future shows, and buying merch if it’s available. And make some noise via www.saveourstages.com, and share this information with your friends. The more eyes that are on this pressing issue, the more likely independent venues will be to get the support they need from the federal and state government.

Operating a local music club is no small feat. What has kept you invested in the live music scene for all these years?

There is nothing like live music — nothing. When you see those rare shows with artists who you know have that something special, there is just nothing more wonderful than that. And when you get to advocate for them, and make sure their voices are heard, there are few things more gratifying.

The Hotel Café is also a rare anomaly in Los Angeles. We are the home of an actual community of artists and music fans. We’re a safe haven where people can connect with music, yes, but also with each other. Often times, people come by just to hang out with staff, or with fellow musicians, even if they don’t know who’s playing or who’s there; they know they’ll run into someone they know. Or they’ll come by to discover a new artist, because they know they’ll see an act no one knows yet, but will soon become a household name. Not to mention, you never know who might pop up on stage and surprise you. Our community and scene are so special, and I’m grateful to be a part of it, and I’m grateful to be able to champion the next great artists.

Photo credit: Devon Gilfillian by Peter Malek

WATCH: Old Crow Medicine Show, “Quarantined”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Quarantined”
Release Date: May 15, 2020

In Their Words: “Hey Bluegrass Situation friends, the Old Crows are wishing you all health and wellness this spring. We’ve been going a little stir-crazy here in Nashville as of late, but thankfully the healing power of music has been particularly strong and the band and I have felt some deep cleansing thanks to new songs and projects. The latest is a tune written and recorded under self quarantine, with a little homespun video that embraces the crazy homeschool dad feeling so pervasive around my house. So… sit back, put on your face mask, and pucker up!” — Ketch Secor, Old Crow Medicine Show

 

WATCH: Ed Helms Talks Whiskey Sour Happy Hour on Conan

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

BGS co-founder, actor, and comedian Ed Helms appeared on the #ConanAtHome iteration of Conan O’Brien’s TBS talk show on Monday, May 11, to talk about Whiskey Sour Happy Hour, as well as the meme-sharing group text he and his fellow cast members of The Office have going and the cardboard locomotive he made for his young daughter while in coronavirus isolation. He even picks a little on an early 1900s piccolo banjo, too. (Jump ahead to approximately 9:00 for banjo goodness + Whiskey Sour Happy Hour.)

The final episode of Whiskey Sour Happy Hour, a weekly online music and comedy show to raise money for MusiCares and Direct Relief, airs this Wednesday, May 13, at 5pm PDT. Find all the information on how to watch and how to donate here.

STAY ON YOUR ASS: BGS is Open so Your State Doesn’t Have to Be

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

At this point, you know the routine. We say something like, “LOL, remember when we used to get off our asses?” Then we pause. Then we say, “NOT ANYMORE!”

Stay on your ass, okay? We’ve got plenty of musical time-fillers for you while you do, including the debut episode of Whiskey Sour Happy Hour, a livestream show from our friends at Music City Roots coming out of a long hibernation, and much more.

Did we miss something that’s helping you stay on your ass this week? (We probably did.) Let us know in the comments and on social media!

Whiskey Sour Happy Hour, Episode 1

After technical difficulties gave us a somewhat rocky start last night, Whiskey Sour Happy Hour’s debut episode was a smashing success! A surprise appearance from comedian Jenny Slate, Ed sang three-part harmony with himself on “Ocean of Diamonds,” Watkins Family Hour played through a window pane — if you missed it, you missed a joyous hour and fifteen minutes of quarantine bliss.

Good news. You can watch the entire thing on YouTube! So no cryin’ over spilt whiskey sour, get watchin’ — and get DONATING at this link.

Free Dirt Records Revue, April 25

Ardent BGS fans will recognize many of the artists on Free Dirt Records’ Revue lineup, given almost all of them have found themselves within the wordpress “pages” of the Bluegrass Situation over the years. Tune in on Free Dirt’s Facebook page on April 25, 2-7pm EDT for some of the best of folk, bluegrass, Americana, string band, country, and beyond. Your donations will directly support the out-of-work creators on the lineup.

And, you can read along on BGS while you watch! We’ve got articles and content on Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves; JP Harris; Rachel Baiman; Jake Blount; Western Centuries; Che Apalache; and plenty more, too.

Marcus Mumford: “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Tonight Show: At Home Edition)

It has been truly remarkable to see the efforts of artists all around the world during this unusual time in history. Marcus Mumford was recently featured on Jimmy Fallon’s adapted Tonight Show: At Home, singing a masterpiece from a legendary songbook. Paying homage to two of the greatest composers to ever write for theater and film, Mumford performs a softened rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a selection that he recently recorded for television.

In classic Mumford fashion, the performance grows from a delicate melody into an earnest decree, offering hope and comfort. Jimmy Fallon and co. are hosting a slew of performances such as this on the Tonight Show, which has been continuing with a new, socially distant M.O. With all this time to Stay On Your Ass, it’s nice to see regularly programmed content is taking strides to not only keep us entertained, but to do so in a socially responsible manner.

The Milk Carton Kids’ Sad Songs Comedy Hour

Joey and Kenneth of the Milk Carton Kids take their dry, wry, sly style of music and wit to the internet with their formerly brick-and-mortared show, Sad Songs Comedy Hour. Episodes have featured, yes, Sarah Jarosz, as well as Mythbusters’ Adam Savage, Sara Bareilles, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and others.

Each episode will champion a different charity, chosen by each week’s guest artist. Watch them all and give at sadsongscomedyhour.com.

Music City Roots Live from Quarantine, April 23

If you’ve been missing Music City Roots as much as we have, here’s a true silver lining from this COVID-19 crisis: MCR is back! Their online version of the popular Nashville radio show and weekly gathering — which had been on hold for months as they searched for their new soon-to-be home at Madison Station — will debut tonight, April 23, on YouTube, right here. Also raising money for MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, the bill features some folk, country, and bluegrass clout.

We have read along links for MCR, too! Sam Bush; Jim Lauderdale; Sierra Hull & Justin Moses; John Oates; and Lillie Mae, too.

Justin Hiltner and Jonny Therrien contributed to this article.

The Shift List – Chef John Winter Russell (Restaurant Candide) – Montreal, Part 2

Posted on by Chris Jacobs

This week on The Shift List, part two of our conversation with John Winter Russell, chef and founder of Restaurant Candide in Montreal.

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This episode was recorded a few months back, before the world was thrown into chaos, and it serves as a reminder of how integral chefs and independent business owners are in shaping the culture of our cities.

Restaurant Candide is named after 18th century writer/philosopher Voltaire’s book of the same name, inspired particularly by the last line of the book: “Let us cultivate our garden.”

This line is the guiding force to Russell’s food, as he works closely with producers local to Montreal and creates four-course meals inspired by those ingredients, crafting dishes that are produce forward, but not exclusively vegetarian.

The experience of eating at Restaurant Candide is unique and only something that can be experienced in Montreal. From the restaurant’s location, set in an old gothic church basement, to the warm interior that utilizes refurbished pews, and exposed brick along the walls that look into the kitchen. The restaurant is a defining part of the fabric of Montreal’s restaurant scene, not only in 2020, but overall.

Thankfully, Russell feels that he and his staff will weather COVID-19 and should be able to resume business at the restaurant once restrictions are lifted, and in the meantime he’s given back to restaurant workers affected by job losses in Canada by offering beer deliveries every Friday. If you live in Montreal and are craving some craft beer delivered to your house, send an email at [email protected]. All proceeds will go to the Montreal Restaurant Workers Crisis Relief Fund.

Rose Cousins Shares Her Truth More Freely with ‘Bravado’

Posted on by Editor

“I’ve always been interested in human struggle,” Rose Cousins says, musing on “The Fraud,” a song off her latest album Bravado. “I think being a living human being is really hard.”

Bravado listens like a series of object lessons on the contradictions inherent to being human, with Cousins using each song to meditate on themes like pretension and vanity, as well as loneliness, solitude, and the crucial distinction between the two. Across the album, her songwriting is as sharp and clear-eyed as it’s ever been, a feat she attributes to pushing herself to dig deeper and share her truth more freely than she’d done on past efforts. Bravado follows her Grammy-nominated 2017 album Natural Conclusion.

BGS caught up with Cousins in late February, just a week after she released Bravado, speaking by phone as she was at home in Halifax putting together packages for Kickstarter supporters. Much has changed for musicians since then, rendering some bits of our conversation irrelevant (like her tour in support of Bravado, which was canceled due to COVID-19), and other portions — as when Cousins shares her desire to spend more of her energy on practices like walking and meditation — strangely prescient.

BGS: When did you begin work on the album, and when did you feel the project was truly starting to come together?

Cousins: Every year I go on a writing retreat with a group of songwriters from Boston; we’ve been doing it now for 10 years. I wrote two of the songs at the retreat: “Love Comes Back” and “The Fraud.” “The Fraud” was the song that really revealed to me the concept of “bravado.” I thought about the word “bravado” and thought it would be an amazing title, and isn’t that an interesting concept?

I went into the studio to work with some different musicians in Canada I hadn’t worked with before. We had such a great time that I booked some more studio time in May [of 2019] and in between that time wrote “The Benefits of Being Alone.” Once I wrote that song, in March of last year, I was like, “It’s on.” I really wanted to write a song that was coming from my perspective of being a single person, and, while society has different stigmas around [being single], it’s not all bad.

I think people experience loneliness whether they’re in a relationship or not. And aloneness is a really rich thing — spending time by yourself and having your own creative time and energy to devote to yourself and what you want to do. So I was really excited when that song came. I knew after our sessions in May that I was chasing a record.

Back to what you were saying about choosing the word Bravado as your album title, that concept comes up in “The Expert,” too. Can you elaborate on why you felt that idea was so representative of this collection of songs? I always find it interesting when an artist chooses a title for an album that isn’t also the title of a track.

It’s definitely the thread that goes through all the songs. When I was writing “The Fraud,” I was singing, almost in an observational way, about my own self, about presenting yourself one way and feeling another way. And if there is a time in the world that that is happening, it’s right now, where people are presenting versions of themselves that aren’t necessarily true. Maybe it isn’t a complete lie, but we never used to be able to filter photographs. Only people who worked at magazines could do that. Now we are putting versions of ourselves through social media that are depicting the best bits. …

Since my last record, I’ve been thinking a lot about what matters to me, what’s really true, what do I love, what are the things I can let go of? And how can I be more in touch with myself and the ground? It’s really hard. I don’t think there is a single human being who escapes any of that. You can have 75 emotions in one day….

The hardest, deepest, most uncomfortable work — and this is where I’m at in my life — is dealing with your own self. And where you are calling upon bravado. That’s the concept of this whole record. It’s the duality of being a living human being. We present the version of ourselves we want but when we’re in a vulnerable situation, can we live up to the person that we presented? That’s the question for me.

To your point about trying to be more real and truthful in your everyday life, there was a quotation in your bio that stuck with me. You said, “I realized I was chasing a theme and a feeling I had been pondering for months. And it turned into a whole record of perhaps my best writing.” Did that personal digging contribute to your feelings about the finished album?

My last record was definitely some of my most truthful writing. I remember having nervousness about some of the stuff being too dark or that kind of thing. Of course it’s hard to have perspective on your own work, but I historically feel like I elude; I don’t always tell the full story at one time. I elude telling the full story and I allude to things. With this record, it feels closer to an admittance and staring really hard at the way I’ve set my own life up. By being more truthful for my own self, I think that always makes the writing better, and makes the connection to the music better.

Elsewhere in reading about the album creation, I came across a passage where you share that you felt a kind of pressure to be productive, as opposed to going for a walk or enjoying silence. Did making this record alleviate that feeling for you in any way, or offer you a differing perspective?

It did not. It’s funny. So this month, February, I tried to protect all of February as best I could from travel so that I could be home and deal with all the Kickstarter things and all of the press that’s coming in, all of the merch, all the things people don’t see and don’t need to know about. Within that, I dedicated myself to two things that I have been talking to myself about for years: I’ve taken a walk outside every single day and I’ve meditated every single day. Those are two things I’ve wanted to incorporate into my world.

I definitely am a workaholic. I definitely have this thought-circle in my mind of, “If you’re not doing something productive, if you’re not moving forward…” I can’t let myself off the hook… I’ve still been trying to put those desires into motion. There are plenty of days when I don’t want to go for a walk, but once I’m outside I feel better. Why is it so hard? Why is it so hard to get back to the gym, or stop eating garbage? It’s because we’re emotional people and we form habits and you have to make different decisions. Sometimes the psychic pain of change is horrible and also exactly what we need.

That’s a good segue to one of the songs I’ve found myself coming back to a lot, which is “The Time Being (Impending Mortality Awareness Society).” First of all, that is such a fantastic title. I’d love to hear how you wrote that one.

I feel very lucky to have a friend, an older gentleman, who is a fisherman. We were catching up one day and he was talking about coming back from a fishing trip where he had a gentleman with him who was much older than him. He said, in passing, “impending mortality awareness.” I thought it was brilliant and about a month later I found myself sitting at a piano and came up with that first line, “The Impending Mortality Awareness Society meets twice a week / Do or die because time is of the essence.” And I kept running with that…

Of all the stuff we’ve just talked about, isn’t it the hardest to just be present? That’s what going for the walk is. That’s what meditation is. Can you give yourself a moment where you tune in to your own body and your own brain and pause? It is about paying attention to what is important. It’s about telling the people you love that you love them. It’s about checking in with your fears. Because most of them are not real. It’s about acknowledging that time is in motion and you need to get your head out of your ass and be in it.

Photo credit: Lindsay Duncan

Stay On Your Ass: BGS Picks to Ease Your Boredom (We Hope)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Remember when we used to actually try to get our readers to go out and support live music? LOL. It’s not “Get Off Your Ass,” anymore, it’s, “Y’all stay put if you know what’s good for you!” At least, for the time being.

Each week, we round up a few of our favorite tunes, events, livestreams, and content from the BGS archives that will hopefully help make your isolation pass faster and with a little bit more joy.

Did we miss something? (We probably did.) Let us know in the comments or on social media!

The Whiskey Sour Happy Hour

Did you hear!? We’ve teamed up with our pal Ed Helms, the Americana Music Association, TX Whiskey, Allbirds, and a pantheon of incredible musicians, friends, and buddies for four weeks of online variety shows! Proceeds from the Whiskey Sour Happy Hour will benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 relief fund and PPE supplies through Direct Relief. Lee Ann Womack, Billy Strings, Madison Cunningham, Aubrie Sellers, and some surprise guests, too. Our debut show goes up at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT on April 22 right here on BGS, on our Facebook page, and our YouTube channel. We hope you’ll join us and donate! More information here.

The Lumineers, Together at Home

Wesley Schultz represented The Lumineers at the end of March on #TogetherAtHome, a livestream campaign that has seen performances from so many artists, including Coldplay, Jack Johnson, and Hozier. Originally performed for fans on Instagram Live, Schultz sang a selection of songs from the Lumineers discography, adding covers of Springsteen and the Felice Brothers. This showing is part of the #TogetherAtHome daily concert series, but the campaign is building up to its fruition on April 18th. Global Citizen has organized an international broadcast and digital special with the express intent of supporting healthcare workers and the World Health Organization. The centerpiece event will be called One World: Together At Home and will be hosted by television’s best, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert. For more info on the broadcast event, visit globalcitizen.org, and until then, enjoy this installment of the daily concert series given by The Lumineers.

Martin Guitar Presents Jam in Place

Everybody loves playing Martin Guitars, so of course nearly everybody who’s ever picked one up is playing Martin’s livestream series, Jam in Place. In the past couple of weeks they’ve featured performances from Kelsey Waldon, Charlie Worsham, John Oates, Tenille Townes, and many more. On the docket for the rest of this week: Son Little and Amythyst Kiah. Martin’s website explains that the series’ lineup is full for the “foreseeable future,” so stay tuned for many more jams!

You can watch Jam in Place on Martin’s Facebook page.

Is It Time for a Bluegrass Cocktail? Yes. It. Is. 

A while back we had a mouth-watering series of Bluegrass Cocktails, fancy libations for at-home mixology that referenced and drew inspiration from classic bluegrass songs. We scoured the archives for as simple and quarantine-friendly a recipe as possible to give you: the Molly & Tenbrooks. Whiskey (it calls for Irish, but we trust your judgement and your liquor reserves), honey simple, lime, bitters, and mint — done. Cherry for garnish, if you have one, you fancy lil bartender you. We highly recommend this horse race-in-a-glass. Perfect to pair with your Stay On Your Ass activity of choice. Get the full recipe.

Justin Hiltner and Jonny Therrien contributed to this article.