Tag: Emmylou Harris

BGS 5+5: Jaimee Harris

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jaimee Harris
Hometown: Hewitt, Texas
Latest Album: Boomerang Town (out February 17, 2023)

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Emmylou Harris. I got my first guitar on Christmas Day. That holiday season, every moment I wasn’t at school or at church I was sitting by the stereo putting “Light of the Stable” on repeat. I was mesmerized by Emmylou’s voice, the production, the melody, and the harmonies. I learned later in life the backing vocals are Dolly Parton, Neil Young, and Linda Ronstadt. Not only have I been tremendously influenced by Emmylou’s voice as a lead singer and a harmony singer, but also by the songs she cut. They opened me up to songwriters who laid out the road map of my own songwriting journey.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

It’s a tie for these two golden bits of wisdom that have been passed down to me by my partner, Mary Gauthier, who is much farther along in her career than I am.

1. Do not sign anything unless they’re writing you a check.
2. Don’t take the Ambien until the plane takes off. (I think this one came from Ralph Murphy)

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

The most powerful experience I’ve had sharing my music wasn’t on stage. It was sharing my songs in a circle at an incredible place in Tulsa called Women in Recovery. WIR is an alternative to prison for women facing convictions for non-violent crimes related to substance abuse. Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any state in the country and this place is trying change that brutal statistic by offering twelve step recovery meetings, educational resources, therapeutic resources, and housing solutions. I had no idea that a song I wrote in early sobriety, “Snow White Knuckles,” would go out into the world and be of service in such a powerful way. It’s opened doors for me to play in prisons and recovery centers all over the world. That song has a power so far beyond me. I’m deeply grateful to continue to have the opportunity to share it and follow it into spaces where it can be of service.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’m a huge fan of Michael Fracasso. In addition to being a tremendously gifted songwriter, Fracasso is a fabulous chef. I’ve been extremely fortunate to receive a return invitation to a holiday party in Austin where tons of great songwriters (like my friend Darden Smith) and musicians (David Pulkingham is always a highlight for me) come together to swap songs campfire-style. Michael always puts together a beautiful meal for everyone and sings with us. It’s extraordinary.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

After being a songwriter for 13 years, I went to my very first songwriting workshop in 2017. I couldn’t possibly recommend it more. I wish I’d done it sooner! It helped me to consciously access methods I’d previously been using subconsciously and taught me a lot about where to laser beam my focus in the editing/rewriting process. I co-teach with my partner, Mary Gauthier, often now. This topic comes up often. When we’re working with a student’s song, Gauthier points out that when a listener hears “I” in a song, they’re not thinking about the voice delivering the song. They’re thinking about themselves. I believe this is one of the most powerful tools of songwriting – singing “I,” brings the listener into the experience of the narrator, which creates an opening for empathy to glide through.

Photo Credit: Brandon Aguilar

BGS 5+5: Whitehorse

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Artist: Whitehorse (Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland)
Hometown: Toronto, although the band was conceived while we were living in Hamilton, Ontario — and we’re temporarily living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for a year. I know… simple question; complicated answer.
Latest Album: I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying (out January 13, 2023)
Rejected Band Names: Yellowknife (also a city in the north of Canada)

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Our band and this record in particular (I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying) was really informed and inspired by our long love affair with Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, which began in earnest when we were living in Nashville over a decade ago. We’ve made lots of detours into different corners of the Americana landscape since then, and now maybe for the first time, we’re tying ourselves back to that time and place. There’s a sort of Beauty and the Beast element to Gram and Emmylou that we have always related to — or sought solace in. His vulnerable warble and her impossible majesty bring the songs to life in a way that is hard to define but there’s something beautiful in that juxtaposition. We’ve gleaned a lot from them over the years.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

We have a fairly simple pre-show ritual and that is: one drink; no more, no less. There’s a sweet spot where you’re just loose enough to get lost in the songs and make brave choices but not so loose your playing stinks. And yeah, maybe bring one on stage with you…

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

We are spending a year living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, or “Winter-Peg, Man-it’s-cold-out” where as I write, the temperature is a frosty -20°C. We are a walking family — we don’t own a car — so we all have excellent winter parkas and boots to trundle across the frozen prairie city. Manitoba is also a sun bathed province so a blanket of snow and a vast bright blue prairie sky can make for a rare kind of beauty and mystery. We find ourselves leaning on that big sky ambience in the production choices we employ in the studio. Reverb-drenched guitars, midtempos and big spaces are all tributes to the Canadian winter. You hear them in records by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Blue Rodeo, k.d. lang, Colter Wall and The Sadies, too. Coincidence? Dunno.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

The best career advice actually came from a running coach on the eve of my (Luke’s) 2013 Boston Marathon race: “The hay is in the barn” is what my coach Tanya Jones offered me when I called her in a panic over my impending pre-race insomnia. She reminded me that the work had been done, the miles had been logged, and that the difference between success and failure would come down to training and hard work — which I had done. Add a dollop of adrenaline and a sleepless night won’t matter, since “the hay is in the barn,” i.e., the harvest had been collected. She was right (2:55:11, meaning I finished my race a full hour before the horrifying detonation of the two bombs that marred the event that year) and that advice has helped me (and us) ever since.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Follow the muse wherever she wanders, know that this game is a long one, spend more time on the finer points than you think you need to, assume your fans to be smarter than you and never forget that if you’re lucky, the very act of playing the show is tantamount to stopping to smell the roses.

Photo Credit: Lyle Bell

Top 10 Sitch Sessions of the Past 10 Years

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Since the beginning, BGS has sought to showcase roots music at every level and to preserve the moments throughout its ever-developing history that make this music so special. One of the simplest ways we’ve been able to do just that has been through our Sitch Sessions — working with new and old friends, up-and-coming artists, and legendary performers, filming musical moments in small, intimate spaces, among expansive, breathtaking landscapes, and just about everywhere in between. But always aiming to capture the communion of these shared moments.

In honor of our 10th year, we’ve gathered 10 of our best sessions — viral videos and fan favorites — from the past decade. We hope you’ll enjoy this trip down memory lane!

Greensky Bluegrass – “Burn Them”

Our most popular video of all time, this Telluride, Colorado session with Greensky Bluegrass is an undeniable favorite, and we just had to include it first.

Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris – “The Traveling Kind”

What more could you ask for than two old friends and legends of country music reminiscing on travels and songs passed and yet to come, in an intimate space like this? “We’re members of an elite group because we’re still around, we’re still traveling,” Emmylou Harris jokes. To which Rodney Crowell adds with a laugh, “We traveled so far, it became a song.” The flowers were even specifically chosen and arranged “to represent a celestial great-beyond and provide a welcoming otherworldly quality … a resting place for the traveling kind.” Another heartwarming touch for an unforgettable moment.

Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan – “Some Tyrant” 

In the summer of 2014, during the Telluride Bluegrass Festival we had the distinct pleasure of capturing Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan’s perfectly bucolic version of “Some Tyrant” among the aspens. While out on this jaunt into the woods, we also caught a performance of the loveliest ode to summertime from Kristin Andreassen, joined by Aoife and Sarah.

Rhiannon Giddens – “Mal Hombre”

Rhiannon Giddens once again proves that she can sing just about anything she wants to — and really well — with this gorgeously painful and moving version of “Mal Hombre.”

Tim O’Brien – “You Were on My Mind”

Is this our favorite Sitch Session of all time? Probably. Do we dream of having the good fortune of running into Tim O’Brien playing the banjo on a dusty road outside of Telluride like the truck driver in this video? Definitely.

Enjoy one of our most popular Sitch Sessions of all time, featuring O’Brien’s pure, unfiltered magic in a solo performance of an original, modern classic.

Gregory Alan Isakov – “Saint Valentine”

Being lucky in love is great work, if you can find it. But, for the rest of us, it’s a hard row to hoe. For this 2017 Sitch Session at the York Manor in our home base of Los Angeles, Gregory Alan Isakov teamed up with the Ghost Orchestra to perform “Saint Valentine.”

The Earls of Leicester – “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town”

In this rollicking session, the Earls of Leicester gather round some Ear Trumpet Labs mics to bring their traditional flair to a modern audience, and they all seem to be having a helluva time!

Sara and Sean Watkins – “You and Me”

For this Telluride session, Sara and Sean Watkins toted their fiddle and guitar up the mountain to give us a performance of “You and Me” from a gondola flying high above the canyon.

Punch Brothers – “My Oh My / Boll Weevil”

The Punch Brothers — along with Dawes, The Lone Bellow, and Gregory Alan Isakov — headlined the 2015 LA Bluegrass Situation festival at the Greek Theatre (a party all on its own), and in anticipation, the group shared a performance of “My Oh My” into “Boll Weevil” from on top of the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood.

Caitlin Canty feat. Noam Pikelny – “I Want To Be With You Always”

We’ll send you off with this delicate moment. Released on Valentine’s Day, Caitlin Canty and Noam Pikelny offered their tender acoustic rendition of Lefty Frizzell’s 1951 country classic love song, “I Want to Be With You Always.”

Dive into 8 of our favorite underrated Sitch Sessions here.

BGS 5+5: Emily Nenni

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Artist: Emily Nenni
Hometown: Orinda, California; born & half-raised in San Jose; has called Nashville home for 10 years
Latest Album: On the Ranch (November 4, 2022)
Nicknames: Emmylou, Louie, Lou

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

It was a Honky Tonk Tuesday when I was about 23 years old and my 82-year-old Grammy was visiting for her birthday. Midway through my set, I got everyone at American Legion Post 82 to sing her happy birthday and she felt so special. She talked about it for years!

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I like to have a Miller Lite or two and sing three-part harmony bluegrass tunes with my guitarist (Jack Quiggins) and bass player (Ryan Jennings.) It warms up the pipes and keeps it light.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

Drummer John Radford always said to me when I was 21 and hangin’ in certain circles of musicians, “don’t trust boys” — and he’s been right a time or two!

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’d like to make sauce and meatballs for Jerry Reed, RIP.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Never. All songs aside from “Canyon” on my first record are autobiographical and I sing ‘em as such!

BGS 5+5: Michaela Anne

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Artist: Michaela Anne
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Latest Album: Oh to Be That Free

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I love when I feel like I’m having a conversation with the audience and I’m not just standing up there singing at them. I’ve had so many fun shows like this but for some reason I remember a show at the Chapel in San Francisco, opening for Joe Pug in the fall of 2019. I was playing solo and I just remember laughing with the audience so much. Felt like I was in a room full of friends.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

Literature for sure. Richard Powers’ book The Overstory was especially influential to this album, specifically the song “Trees.” So is the work of Barbara Kingsolver whose novels all have some incredible way of showing how connected and necessary we all are in nature. I love being in nature. I love the mountains and desert, the ocean, the forests. But because of where I live in Nashville, I spend most of my time walking in the woods by Percy Priest Lake. Being in nature calms me immensely and helps me remember that a lot of the stuff that distracts me from my work, the business of it all…none of it really matters in the big picture. Just make art.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I try to gather myself and do a short meditation of sorts before going on stage. It’s a way to make sure I don’t feel so scattered and can retain my focus.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I love good food… Bastion is one of my favorite restaurants in Nashville. I’d have to say my dream would be a dinner there with Emmylou Harris. There are so many things I want to ask her.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Not very often. I definitely have written about different characters from time to time but most of my songs in some way always come back to me.

Photo Credit: Natia Cinco

Songs of Joy and Celebration Aboard Cayamo

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Editor’s Note: We’re headed back out to sea for the 15th edition of Cayamo: A Journey Through Song! There are still cabins available if you’d like to join in the fun.

The BGS team is currently working on getting our land legs back after a week at sea with the Sixthman team, as we made our music-filled journey from Miami to St. Thomas and St. Kitts aboard the 14th edition of Cayamo – and what a week it was!

After two long years away from much of our roots music community (in person, at least) Cayamo felt like a reunion – and we were so happy to celebrate BGS’ 10th birthday with a huge jam set with so many of our friends. Sierra Hull and Madison Cunningham hosted The Bluegrass Situation’s Party of the Deck-ade, a set that took place on the pool deck as we pulled away from St. Kitts, featuring songs of joy and celebration via collaborations amongst the likes of Aoife O’Donovan, the Punch Brothers, Kathleen Edwards, Brittney Spencer, Robbie Fulks, Jim Lauderdale, Tommy Emmanuel, Missy Raines, Rainbow Girls, Dear Darling, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, and Hogslop String Band as our trusty house band.

On top of all this music, we were also grateful for the chance to simply sit and talk – and Fiona Prine took advantage of this time with her Let’s Sit and Talk series, having in-depth conversations with Emmylou Harris, as well as members of John Prine’s band. (Be on the lookout – these conversations are coming to BGS in podcast form soon!)

Cayamo was a week of non-stop music, unforgettable collaborations, and moments of joy, from a nautical set by the Punch Brothers, to mid-set stage dives – into a literal pool – from Hogslop String Band, to many opportunities to honor the memory and music of John Prine and those we’ve lost in the past few years – just to name a few. Below, take a look at some of our favorite moments from the Party of the Deck-ade and the entire Cayamo trip, as captured by Will Byington and Cortney Pizzarelli:

 

Cover Image: Cortney Pizzarelli
All photos by Will Byington and Cortney Pizzarelli

Cayamo: Setting Sail on a Journey Through Song

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

The BGS team is gearing up to board the Norwegian Pearl and join the Sixthman team – along with the likes of Emmylou Harris, the Punch Brothers, Aoife O’Donovan, Dawes, the Mavericks… (we could go on and on and on about this lineup) – as we set sail for a journey through song in Cayamo. The cruise has been a fun-filled gathering of roots music artists and fans for fourteen years now, and we can’t wait to be a part of this reunion after a year away. The week at sea promises full days of live music and community set against the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean, and it all sounds like a dream.

And as we’re celebrating BGS’ 10th anniversary all year long, we had to take this epic vacation, and reunion of our roots music community, as an opportunity to go all out: we’re throwing a good old-fashioned birthday party onboard! Our Party of the Deck-ade Super Jam, co-hosted by Sierra Hull and Madison Cunningham, will be the ultimate celebration of everything we’re grateful for at this moment: ten years of roots music and memories here at BGS, the sustaining power of music, and the joy of being reunited with friends to share in that musical experience after so long apart. Artists from across the Cayamo lineup will join us on the pool deck and share songs that make them feel joy – songs that celebrate life. With a special cocktail menu, toasts all around, and even a birthday cake, it’s sure to be a party we won’t soon forget.

On top of all the festivities, we’ll be taking some time to Sit & Talk, as Fiona Prine hosts intimate conversations with esteemed artists, and her friends, Emmylou Harris and the members of John Prine’s band. She’ll dive in deep in these casual, but meaningful, conversations with the artists, taking us behind the scenes on songs, stories, travels, friendships and life on and off the road.

This year’s ship may be full as of now (though there’s still time to cross your fingers and join the waiting list if you’re the last-minute type), but no need to fret – we’ll be capturing exciting moments onboard so you can experience the fun from dry land. Stay tuned!

BGS 5+5: Kristy Cox

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Artist: Kristy Cox
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee, by way of Mount Barker, South Australia
Latest album: Shades of Blue
Personal nicknames: Nil

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

This would have to be one of the hardest questions to answer. I grew up listening to a HUGE range of music styles. My parents are big ’70s rock fans, and my pop listened to old time Australian country music and bluegrass. I feel I have been influenced in a different way from all of the artists that shaped my childhood, from Meatloaf and Queen to Slim Dusty and Merle Haggard; they each have given me something. I would say my idol is Emmylou Harris. I love her rawness, her songs and her voice. She is fantastic!

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I was around 4 years old when I first told my mum and dad that I was going to be a singer when I grew up. From an even younger age there are photos of me playing the guitar. I think I always knew that it was what I wanted to do. I first performed on stage at the age of 11, and was completely hooked from that moment on. I have a law degree and studied to ensure I had a “backup plan” but I have never wanted to do anything else.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I am currently halfway through writing a song for my children, Adelaide and Ryman. I have been halfway through for two years now and just cannot think of enough words to describe what they mean to me, or how their little fingerprints will forever be on my heart. I think as a songwriter it is hard sometimes to find the words you want to say, no matter how hard you look. One day I know it will come to me and I will be able to finish it as a gift to them.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

I was extremely lucky to meet my idol Emmylou Harris at the IBMA convention in 2013. It was my first trip to the United States, and I was able to go backstage and meet her. At the time I thought I had to perform country pop music, as that was what all the girls my age were doing, even though I was not the biggest fan of it. Emmylou told me that if she could give me one piece of advice, it would be to play music that I enjoy, and if I ever stop enjoying it … that is the moment to stop. I left that day and decided to start recording bluegrass music, because bluegrass made me happy! I am so glad I listened to her. I am not sure I would still be going if it was not for that advice.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I need sunshine and the beach in my life. Being an Australian and living landlocked in Tennessee has made me realize this. There is something about the sound of the ocean, I do not even have to get in, that settles me. I have begun to notice that if I do not get enough sunshine and don’t do at least four trips to an ocean each year, I become almost depressed and distracted. These elements ground me and help me concentrate on my goals and inspire me to do more.

Photo Credit: Katrina Burgoyne

BGS 5+5: Lisa Lambe

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Artist name: Lisa Lambe
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Latest Album: Wild Red

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I always say Joni Mitchell taught me how to sing! Since I was 15 years old, I have listened to Joni Mitchell. She is a true poet with a golden voice and she is a true artist. Her songwriting is a huge inspiration. I remember being 15 years old and hearing Blue for the first time. I think that was a really defining moment for me — hearing an artist with a voice like Joni’s and a songwriting canvas beyond anything I had ever heard.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When I was 3 years old, I stepped on the stage of the old Victorian theatre in Dublin to be in my first theatre show. I think since that moment really I knew what I wanted to do! I think in my teenage years listening to Joni, Stevie Nicks, Lucinda Williams, Jean Ritchie, Kate Bush and Emmylou Harris, it was a real time of music discovery for me. Coming to Nashville to make my first solo album, Hiding Away, in 2015 was a special defining time — and although at this point I was an established musician for many years then, it seemed like all the roads were leading to Nashville and a place that musically was so important and inspiring to me for a long time.

 

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What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I love the intimacy of small shows, but equally I think one of the great memories was performing at Red Rocks in Colorado. At one point in the show to hear the wave of sound of the crowd singing back to me on stage in that natural amphitheatre in the balmy summer air was something kind of magical. One of the nicest shows ever!

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

Nature is a huge element in my songwriting, mostly because I tend to write my albums in quiet rural places where the landscape is a huge part of the vista and the feeling. This current album, Wild Red, was written in the wilds of West Cork, Ireland, on the edge of the southernmost part of the country, looking out to the wild Atlantic. The songs are inspired by being immersed in the landscape and nature. Local folklore and old stories are also part of the tapestry of this current album, and if you listen closely, you can hear the crackling fire in the background of some of the songs!

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I studied acting and drama in Trinity College Dublin so theatre and dance are a huge part of who I am as an artist and performer. Telling stories is something really important to me and especially telling a story through song. It’s always about the story! Wild Red is inspired by a lot of local folklore and old stories, and for me, that was just a real gift to be able to take inspiration from things around me and craft new ideas from the lore that is so steeped in the fabric of the West Cork landscape.

Photo Credit: Dora Kazmierak

Artist of the Month: Hiss Golden Messenger

Posted on by Editor

Hiss Golden Messenger is wrapping up the year with an unexpected delight: O Come All Ye Faithful. Along with the familiar title track, the set gathers a few other hymns (“Joy to the World,” “Silent Night”) and three new songs written by Hiss Golden Messenger’s MC Taylor. The lead track, “Hung Fire,” echoes the feeling of the artist’s album from earlier this year, Quietly Blowing It. Meanwhile, it winds down with a warm cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “As Long as I Can See the Light.”

As for that album cover? It’s an homage to Emmylou Harris’ classic Christmas collection, Light of the Stable. Indeed, both projects provide a subtle (and often lovely) interpretation of seasonal music. On O Come All Ye Faithful, Taylor puts a different spin on “Shine a Light” by Spiritualized as well as “Hanukkah Dance” by Woody Guthrie. He also wrote three new songs for the album.

“Big, brash holiday music — the type that we hear in big-box stores in the middle of December — has never resonated with me, and this past year it felt absolutely dissonant. I wanted to make a seasonal record that felt more in step with the way that I, and so many others, experience this time of year: quiet, contemplative, searching and bittersweet,” Taylor says. “The intention was to make a seasonal record with vibe.”

Special guests on O Come All Ye Faithful include Erin Rae and Buddy Miller, along with members of Hiss Golden Messenger’s extended family. For example, speaking about one of the album’s new tracks, Taylor states, “‘Grace’ is about keeping a light for those that are struggling or lost or confused or grieving: the gone ones, our children, poets, teachers. My friends Nathaniel Rateliff, Aoife O’Donovan and Sonyia Turner help me on the choruses.”

At BGS, we’ve been a fan of Hiss Golden Messenger from the start, so we’ll be sharing some of our archived content on our site and socials, like this interview from June 2021. And in the coming weeks, we will present an exclusive interview with MC Taylor — along with plenty of other holiday content.

As we begin to say goodbye to the year, we’re grateful for the music we’ve received in 2021 and we look forward to more. Season’s greetings to all, and please enjoy this BGS Essentials playlist for Hiss Golden Messenger below.

Photo Credit: Chris Frasina