Artist:Jim Lauderdale and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys Song: “Drop the Hammer Down” Album:The Long and Lonesome Letting Go Release Date: September 15, 2023 Label: Sky Crunch
In Their Words: “The first place I heard The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and got to sit in with them was at MerleFest a few years back. Now we have come full circle with an album together and a song that Josh Rinkel and I wrote called ‘Drop the Hammer Down.’ Here is the first time we performed it, last spring at MerleFest.” – Jim Lauderdale
Photo Credit: Jim Lauderdale by Scott Simontacchi; the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys by Amy Richmond.
Traditional country phenom and Kentuckian Tyler Childers has announced his upcoming album, Rustin’ In The Rain (available September 8, 2023), with a brand new single and music video, “In Your Love.” Written and creative directed by New York Times bestselling author Silas House, the video tells a gay love story between two working class, Appalachian men – played by queer A-list actors and celebrities Colton Haynes and James Scully. The visuals for “In Your Love” tell one of country music’s most prominent and visible LGBTQ+ narratives to date, entering an industry landscape that has become more and more (openly) queer over the past decade.
“In Your Love” reminds of songs and albums released not just by left-leaning, more mainstream artists like Childers and Parker Millsap, but also by queer artists themselves, telling working-class stories and histories just like that constructed and depicted by House and director Bryan Schlam. In 2015, gay banjo player, singer-songwriter, and fellow Kentucky-resident Sam Gleaves released a landmark album, Ain’t We Brothers, which dripped with the exact same lived experiences and soot-tinged patina that inform Childers’ new video. In the past couple of years, releases by LGBTQ+ identified music makers like Amanda Fields, Willi Carlisle, Adeem the Artist, Amythyst Kiah, Jaimee Harris, and more trod similar ground. It’s notable still that an artist – however outlaw- or fringe-identified – as mainstream as Tyler Childers and with as broad a fanbase as his would choose to not only highlight queer, working-class storytelling, but to do so in a way that normalizes and re-centers these ways of being in Kentucky, the South, and Appalachia.
Rustin’ In The Rain will be released via RCA Records on Childers’ own imprint, Hickman Holler Records, on September 8. Via press release, Childers describes the inspiration that birthed Rustin’: “This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis. Some covers, one co-write, and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house. I hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Clearly, the legacy of “The King” is merely one way drama, mystique, nuance, entertainment, and Southern-ness coalesce within this new project from one of the most exciting voices and perspectives in country.
At only 14 years old, mandolinist Wyatt Ellis is a sight to behold in the official music video for “Grassy Cove.” The tune was co-written with the superbly talented Sierra Hull and recorded as part of a larger project that’s coming out at a later date. “Grassy Cove” came about after Ellis completed a Tennessee Folklife apprenticeship with Hull. Its music video was filmed at the Station Inn in Nashville, TN – with Cory Walker on banjo, Deanie Richardson on fiddle, Justin Moses on guitar, and Mike Bub on bass – and debuted only days ago.
Ellis made his Grand Ole Opry debut at just 13 years old. He also performed at MerleFest this year and has nearly 100,000 followers on social media across his combined pages, so keep your eyes on this rising star!
Two of the most accomplished musicians in bluegrass – certainly two of the most notable women players in the history of the music – have joined together on a mind-blowing chamber-grass duet. Alison Brown, the first woman to win the Banjo Player of the Year Award from the IBMA, and Sierra Hull, the first woman to win Mandolin Player of the Year, joined forces on Brown’s recent album, On Banjo, and a classical-influenced original tune, “Sweet Sixteenths.”
Both Brown and Hull are virtuosic players adept in many styles and “Sweet Sixteenths” shows just how effortlessly they bring bluegrass improvisation and energy into what’s regarded as a more stoic format, creating an exciting, jaw-dropping, impossibly complicated – yet, totally down to earth – sound. Their synchronicity is just as impressive, inspiring a sort of wonder that chamber-grass is well known for: How much of this is planned out, and totally written-through, and how much is off-the-cuff and in the moment?
Bluegrass pickers are so well equipped to confound and delight us with these sorts of questions and that fact is no more apparent than in this live, studio performance video by Brown and Hull. We hope you also enjoy “Sweet Sixteenths.”
The queen returns and she’s kicking ass and taking names. Molly Tuttle’s new video for the single “Next Rodeo” debuted last week, and with it comes an album announcement from the multi-IBMA-Award and Grammy-winning flatpicker extraordinaire.
A film by Edgar Evin, the “Next Rodeo” video finds Molly & Golden Highway (comprised of Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on fiddle, Dominick Leslie on mandolin, Kyle Tuttle on banjo, Shelby Means on bass, and Jordan Perlsan on drums) getting even with a cheating ex — complete with kidnapping, duct tape, and a super-spicy helping of “Goodbye Earl” vibes.
Tuttle’s new album, City of Gold, drops on July 21 with Nonesuch Records. Each track was co-written with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor and co-produced with bluegrass legend Jerry Douglas.
“When I was a kid we took a field trip to Coloma, California, to learn about the gold rush,” Tuttle said in a statement, revealing the inspiration behind the record. “I’ll never forget the dusty hills and the grizzled old miner who showed us the gold nugget around his neck—just like gold fever, music has always captivated me and driven me to great lengths to explore its depths.”
Songs include spellbinding tales about gold miners, fortune tellers, love and loss and a fast-changing world — as well as a reimagining of Alice in Wonderland set in the backwoods of Kentucky. City of Gold is a follow-up to 2022’s Crooked Tree, a beloved LP that won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Tuttle is also the first woman to win the IBMA’s Guitar Player of the Year award and a member of the First Ladies of Bluegrass — so you won’t want to miss her new release.
If the rest of Grammy-nominated Brent Cobb’s first self-produced album is like its debut single, “Southern Star,” it’ll be sweet as molasses. To celebrate the upcoming release of the record by the same name, Cobb released the music video for “Southern Star” last week.
The track features Cobb’s honeyed vocals, a vintage tone on the keys, straightforward acoustic strumming, and a light percussion touch. Cobb sings of being a drifter, of feeling lost at sea, but of always having a place to return to — a bright point to move toward no matter what. The video shows Cobb cooking up Southern greens and features shots of the artists who brought the music to life.
“You know how when you’re growing up, you’re told that if you ever get lost out there, look for the northern star to help find direction back home? Well, I’m from Georgia,” Cobb said in a statement. “So, I always look for the southern star. This album, the songs, the sounds… it’s all a product of where I’m from both musically and environmentally.”
Southern Star will be Cobb’s fifth studio album and follows releases like his 2022 debut gospel record, And Now Let’s Turn To Page…. Rolling Stone called him “an enlightened figure, blessed with the gift of finding purpose and meaning in the smallest of details,” and we concur.
The new record is a love letter to Southern roots and the state of Georgia, and drops September 22 via Ol’ Buddy Records/Thirty Tigers.
Songwriter extraordinaire Natalie Hemby is drumming up interest in her debut record Pins and Needles with a slew of YouTube performances simply titled The Hemby Sessions. In these acoustic videos, the Nashville native is making her way through her impressive repertoire of original songs that have appeared on some big records from the likes of The Highwomen, Kacey Musgraves, and Lee Ann Womack, to name a few. In this fourth installment, Hemby offers “Bluebird,” a song about resilience and hope in the face of trying circumstances. “Bluebird” went on to be recorded by the inimitable Miranda Lambert (who co-wrote the song with Hemby and Luke Dick) and appears on her Grammy-winning album, Wildcard.
In Hemby’s straightforward, solo acoustic performance, the song’s poignant message takes on a new life. “Bluebird” is all about a mature sense of hope and optimism that doggedly persists even in the bleakest of situations. There is a gravity around the act of insistently finding light, and Hemby’s writing and performance capture that weight elegantly. Watch “Bluebird” below, and stay tuned at the end for a behind-the-scenes story from Hemby about writing the song.
Filmmaker Justin Corsbie’s Hard Luck Love Song is a caring homage to Americana music and specifically to the music and culture born in Corsbie’s hometown of Austin, Texas. The story is based on the famed Todd Snider song “Just Like Old Times” and uses a plethora of songs from many pillars of Americana and folk music. From Townes Van Zandt and Emmylou Harris to Gram Parsons and Daniel Johnston, Hard Luck Love Song sews Snider’s lyrics into the fabric of this timeless music, creating a truly authentic film that immerses the audience in the ethos of Americana.
Asked about music as inspiration, Corsbie says, “Good music creates such a visceral experience, and storytelling songs have always offered a great window into the less explored corners of American life. Todd’s song was a great jumping off point for this film because it set up an amazing vibe and introduced characters that I wanted to know more about. Todd has an uncanny ability to blend drama, humor, grit and wit, and I humbly tried to infuse this film with those ingredients through my lens as a filmmaker.”
As this debut feature has made its rounds at film festivals, piling up awards along the way, it has become clear that Hard Luck Love Song remains a passion project. This talented filmmaker has created a movie using stories, settings, and songs that are incredibly dear to his heart. The film arrived in theaters this month via Roadside Attractions. Check your local listings and see what the heart of Americana music looks like on the silver screen.
Lead photo: Sophia Bush and Michael Dorman in Hard Luck Love Song Photo credit: Andrea Giacomini. Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Ashley Monroe’s new project could put a smile on anyone’s face. Together with producer and collaborator Tyler Cain, she’s released The Covers, an EP of five reimagined classics including “Love Hurts,” “More Than Words,” and The Police song performed in this video, “Every Breath You Take.” It’s a celebration of songs that Monroe and Cain both love, with nothing to detract from excellent songwriting. With minimal arrangements and production frills, these two artists captured a pure and innocent expression of admiration in this record.
About the project’s origins, Cain says, “This project began out of a shared love for these songs. There’s just something magical about taking classic songs that we’ve listened to for most of our lives and stripping them down to just vocals and a guitar.” Monroe adds, “Tyler and I were just hanging at his studio and talking about our favorite songs and I said we should just film ourselves recording some of our favorite songs on Earth. The ones that make us feel better. Maybe it will help other people too.”
The EP not only features a five-pack of classic songs, but Cain and Monroe also pulled in friends and artists Ruston Kelly and Brittney Spencer on two of the tunes. Altogether, the EP is refreshing. Listening to working artists perform for no other reason than pure enjoyment is a breath of fresh air in an artistic environment where creativity is often sacrificed for correctness or commerciality. Watch Tyler Cain and Ashley Monroe perform “Every Breath You Take.”
Photo of Ashley Monroe: Alexa King. Photo of Tyler Cain: Jonathan Dale
At BGS, we are well aware of the immensely talented folks that have come out of Appalachia. Countless celebrated pickers, singers, writers, and performers have come from the mountainous heart of the American east. Jamie Barton is one of those singers, but her inspiration and voice led her to an entirely different realm of music than her neighbors tend to find. Barton is an acclaimed opera singer whose mezzo-soprano voice and commanding artistry have paved the path for her work with top-level ensembles like the San Francisco Opera, the Chicago Opera Theater, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Originally hailing from the foothills of Appalachia in Georgia, Barton’s roots are in bluegrass, old-time, gospel, and classic rock ‘n’ roll. The singer retains her those roots off stage as well, regularly using her platform to champion issues of social justice, sexuality, and body positivity. The all-around badass that she is, Barton is featured in a San Francisco Opera featurette called In Song: Jamie Barton, in which she returns to her musical roots in performances with Béla Fleck, who knows a thing or two about Appalachian music traditions. Produced in partnership with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the short film is both heartwarming and eye-opening. And it’s always a treat to see two musicians of the highest caliber perform together. Take a look.
Photo credit: Taylor Ballantyne
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
