Tag: Gabe Lee

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Ashby Frank, Morgan Harris, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

There are many kinds of music perfect for fall, but, in our humble opinion, almost none are better suited to the season than bluegrass, old-time, and country. (For instance, check out our playlist of Country Songs For Fall via Good Country.) Being that our latest premiere round-up falls directly between Halloween and the sad end of Daylight Savings Time, it’s apropos and then some that You Gotta Hear This is full of tunes perfect for autumn.

Mandolinist and songwriter Ashby Frank brings his version of “Blue Night,” a jam session classic that he’s performed for decades. Guitar picker Morgan Harris debuts her gorgeous video for a bluegrass and old-time standard, “Lonesome Road,” that has seemingly endless variations and versions out there. Harris’s is a stunner, drawing on a ’60s era recording of Addie Leffew.

Country and Americana singer-songwriter Garrett Owen releases his new album, Memoriam, today, so we’re celebrating the occasion with his track, “Punchline,” a deliciously melancholy and introspective number built on excellent guitar playing. Plus, Boston-based string band The Ruta Beggars “power waltz” through their new song, “Taking My Time,” with a video shot in the woods and ankle-deep in a stream.

To round out our perfectly (accidentally) fall-themed collection of premieres, don’t miss Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light debut their new Traveling Light Sessions series with “Bygone Times” from Sumner’s Heartless Things. And, Nashville country artist and songwriter Gabe Lee continues our AEA Sessions partner series with AEA Ribbon Mics – with special guests Lucciana Costa and Rachel Coats of King Margo.

It’s all right here on BGS… You Gotta Hear This!

Ashby Frank, “Blue Night”

Artist: Ashby Frank
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Blue Night”
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I’ve been performing ‘Blue Night’ on stage since my Mashville Brigade days and still include it on most shows these days with my own band. It’s a staple song in the jam scene and there have been so many great versions recorded throughout the years since it was written and originally recorded by the great Kirk McGee. When I was doing pre-production for this new record, I started looking for a more traditional sounding up-tempo song, only to realize that I have been performing ‘Blue Night’ for 20 years – and the only recordings of my version are live videos floating around the internet. So it made perfect sense to record it. I am so thrilled about the version we wound up with in the studio. It has a certain in-your-face modern vibe, but also sounds like traditional bluegrass at the same time. I’m so excited for everyone to hear it!” – Ashby Frank

Track Credits:
Ashby Frank – Mandolin, vocals
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitar
Travis Anderson – Bass
Matt Menefee – Banjo

Morgan Harris, “Lonesome Road”

Artist: Morgan Harris
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Song: “Lonesome Road”
Album: Alone Will Tell
Release Date: November 1, 2024

In Their Words: “This arrangement of ‘Lonesome Road’ takes inspiration from the playing of Addie Leffew, a Tennessee banjo player who was recorded by Peter Hoover in the early 1960s. You can find a million different variants of this song throughout the recorded history of American folk music, but her version hooked me with its stark, ambiguous tonality and the way the usually repeated vocal refrain at the end of each line becomes a purely instrumental echo. Addie’s version became a jumping off point as I moved it over to the guitar (re-tuning to mimic the modal ‘sawmill’ tuning of her banjo) and started exploring the different opportunities that yielded. This performance was recorded live in a friend’s barn in Fort Collins, Colorado.” – Morgan Harris

Video Credit: Erik Fellenstein

Garrett Owen, “Punchline”

Artist: Garrett Owen
Hometown: Kaufman, Texas
Song: “Punchline”
Album: Memoriam
Release Date: November 1, 2024

In Their Words: “In truth, I wish it had nothing to do with my personal experience. I started writing this when I was realizing just how isolated I let myself get, when I’d been taking care of my grandmother as a full-time job and the pandemic had been going on for a couple years. Lyrically, the song looks at the danger of leaning on the comforting words of others. In reality, ‘you’ll be alright’ doesn’t solve problems. Friends are not therapists. And it’s important to be able to self soothe your way through dark, dark feelings because there won’t always be someone available to talk to. Some wounds don’t heal, but feelings usually pass.” – Garrett Owen

Track Credits:
Garrett Owen – Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, rhythm & chord melody electric guitar, piano
Taylor Tatsch – Vocal harmonies, lead electric guitar, shakers, auxiliary rhythm
Daniel Creamer – Keys, piano, bass, drums, organ, synths

The Ruta Beggars, “Taking My Time”

Artist: The Ruta Beggars
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Taking My Time”
Album: Big Noise
Release Date: November 8, 2024 (single);
Label: Skyline Records

In Their Words: “In bluegrass, there’s a long standing tradition of ‘power-waltzes’ – as we like to call them in The Ruta Beggars. One of our favorites is ‘I Live In The Past’ by Bill Monroe; when we heard it, we knew we needed one of these turbo three-quarter-time tanks in our repertoire. Thus, ‘Taking My Time’ was born. At shows, we often dare our audiences to waltz along to our too-fast-to-be-danced-to tune and leave them huffing and puffing and chuckling with delight.

“But what is the meaning of the song to which these folks dance so gleefully? The third verse of ‘Taking My Time’ makes an allusion to the famous folk song and story of ‘The Oxford Girl’ (also called ‘The Knoxville Girl,’ which is the title by which I came to know the story, via a Louvin Brothers recording). The line in that song, ‘They’re going to hang me up so high, between the earth and sky’ has a haunting beauty to it that we wanted to emulate in the lyrics of our composition. We Ruta Beggars hope that ‘Taking My Time’ can be seen as our nod to the Father of Bluegrass and an exploration of a small corner of the murder ballad’s vast lore.” – The Ruta Beggars

Video Credit: Director and Videography – Adam Hribar

Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light, “Bygone Times” (Traveling Light Sessions)

Artist: Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Bygone Times” (Traveling Light Sessions)
Album: Heartless Things 
Release Date: October 31, 2024 (video); May 10, 2024 (album)

In Their Words: “In May, I released my sophomore record, Heartless Things, containing ten original songs with highly lush studio arrangements (think woodwinds, strings, keys, vibraphone!). However, that’s not how these songs are heard live! When touring, I bring my string trio Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light on the road with Kat Wallace on fiddle and Mike Siegel on bass. We gather ’round a single mic and magic happens as we fill out songs that have many shifting textures and moods with just three instruments and voices. We wanted to capture this magic on film, so we spent one day in the studio re-recording the entire Heartless Things album, but as you’d hear it at a live show. And so the Heartless Things (Traveling Light Sessions) was created! This is ‘Bygone Times,’ a song about the restless moments before sleep when your mind wanders down the dangerous ‘what could have been’ road.” – Rachel Sumner

More here.

AEA Sessions: Gabe Lee, Live at AmericanaFest 2024

Artist: Gabe Lee
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Songs: “Drink The River,” “Alright Ok,” “Beverly,” and “Eveline” featuring Lucciana Costa and Rachel Coats of King Margo

In Their Words: “Gabe is a fresh voice with an old soul. Just listening to him is like dropping the needle on an old album at the end of the day. Feels like coming home.” – Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics

More here.

Photo Credit: Ashby Frank by Melissa DuPuy; Morgan Harris by Renee Cornue Studio.

LISTEN: Gabe Lee, “Even Jesus Got the Blues”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Gabe Lee
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Even Jesus Got the Blues”
Album: Drink the River
Release Date: July 14, 2023
Label: Torrez Music Group

In Their Words: “Part of an upcoming record that will dive into stories collected from folks I have met through my family, work, and travels, the first single ‘Even Jesus Got the Blues’ draws upon the tragic deaths of people in my personal life. The song brings into frame the character of an addict (possibly already passed away, or on the verge…it is intentionally left unclear) who appears before a congregation downtrodden, barefoot, and seeking asylum. In this track listeners will feel not only her struggle but also the struggle of acceptance and forgiveness from the ‘God-fearing folks in the pews.’ Among the varied existential moments on this record, ‘Even Jesus Got the Blues’ raises the question of who can place judgment upon another, when the values of even our own institutions are often cherry-picked and flawed.” — Gabe Lee

Photo Credit: Brooke Stevens

Growing Up in Nashville With Immigrant Parents, Gabe Lee Finds His Own Road

Posted on by Editor

In many ways, singer-songwriter Gabe Lee is the consummate Nashville native. A folkophile raised around church music and enthralled by the work of everyone from John Prine to Nikki Lane, he trained as a concert pianist and tended bar for the thirsty tourists, then went on to create a righteously retro brand full of tasty twang and true-to-life lyricism.

Think of that as his Nashville-based, Americana-artist starter pack. But as a second-generation American raised by Taiwanese parents, Lee also has a unique point of view on this city of dream chasers … and on its power to mold.

That perspective informs much of his third album, The Hometown Kid, a project that traces the effects of growing up in Nashville but dreaming of what lies out there beyond its borders, only to actually find out. The follow up to 2020’s well-received Honky Tonk Hell, Lee’s new effort arrives after his first taste of success (plus the whirlwind of travel that came with it) and comes with a diverse roots-rock sound informed by his journey. But rather then romanticize being gone, it may ultimately find more meaning in coming home.

Just before The Hometown Kid’s release on October 28, Lee spoke with BGS about his unique Nashville roots, and how coming home was the right call for him.

BGS: The Hometown Kid follows Honky Tonk Hell, and that wound up bringing you some real attention. How were you feeling heading into this new project?

Lee: Well, we’re always chasing, man. … This is our third record, and I guess like a carpenter makes however many chairs before he makes a perfect one, every single time we get back in the studio, every time we write another song, we’re just trying to hone things in.

The Hometown Kid felt very natural to me, kind of telling stories about finding my way home, and images and vignettes that have always inspired me growing up here — which I think has made its way into all of my songs, really. … But especially ‘cause Nashville’s changed so much, we’re really wanting to express my love and my journey being a Nashville native.

Tell me a little bit about that journey. Do you feel like you had the typical Music City childhood?

Absolutely, I think the emotions and the experience on this record are really not particularly unique from anyone else’s, but I’ve been lucky to have been brought up here. Through a web of circumstances that brought my parents to the States in the ‘80s, they finished their education, found their first real career jobs in Nashville, and then found a house in Bellevue, which they now own. We’ve been out there my entire life, so that stability — in this town that is full of folks moving in and moving out constantly — is definitely unique.

I’m inspired by folks who uproot themselves and chase a dream and move to Nashville, pursue music with a guitar and a couple bucks. It takes a lot of guts. But the message here is, we all have felt pain and loneliness and sorrow, and we’ve all felt joy … We’ve all been out there on the road and missed home, and we’ve all been at home and kind of felt like we were missing an opportunity, you know, out in the world. As a traveler now, I feel that all the time.

Those themes you write about are definitely relatable, but you also have an interesting perspective through your Taiwanese heritage. Does that get woven into the songs?

I’ve definitely created my own community here, growing up around the culture of Music City and the lifeblood of music business. I’m very entrenched in that, but with my parents, their story is inspiring to me, too. My parents are a huge part of my music education. My mom’s a pianist. She’s played in the church growing up. She still plays in the church on Sundays. Even if I haven’t gone in years [laughs], church music was a great foundation for my love for music in general.

Plus, think about the language barrier, the culture shock, all those things [my parents dealt with] in coming here. They were chasing a dream, too, like “I’m gonna work hard. Head down. Save money. Have a better life for my kids.” And I’m lucky to be the recipient of that. … They’ve invested in my music ever since I was a kid. I was doing school bands, piano lessons, church choir and all that nerdy stuff. I think I was built for it in a lot of ways.

Why did you start the album off with “Wide Open”? It’s so mellow but feels like it’s about to explode somehow.

I think it was really good summation of my emotions the last couple years. I’ve been a bartender for 10-plus years, since high school almost. And this last summer was the first time I haven’t needed to pick up a shift. I’ve been able to survive on the road, opening for some really great acts and, you know, sleeping in the car at Love’s [laughs]. Just living the glamorous life! … But it’s like, this is what I wanted. This is what I’ve been pushing for. This is what everyone has to experience at some point if they want to level up. “Woke up in a hotel room/Whole place is shut down/But I’m wide open.”

“Over You” has a cool, John Prine-style line – “Take me through the valley/To Williamson County/ Where even the garbage is clean.” What does that mean for non-Nashville listeners?

I used to bartend out in Cool Springs [a retail area in Franklin, Tennessee], and the demographic out there is very different from the demographic in downtown Nashville — where I’ve also bartended [laughs]. It just came to me because of our current national state where it feels like people are on edge, no one feels like they have enough, but people are still fucking raging and partying and enjoying themselves — ‘cause they can. So “where the garbage is clean,” it’s like one man’s garbage is another’s treasure, and that was a way for me to impart that on this heartbreak song. It’s like, just take me somewhere where I don’t feel like such a piece of shit.

The single “Rusty” pairs this heartland rock vibe with a theme of time passing, striking out on your own and trying to figure yourself out. What have you learned by leaving home?

It starts with “All the roads around here will get you where you’re going/All the roads around here will slow you down some day.” It’s just one of those things every person can understand, a great metaphor for everything we face constantly. It’s like, you could sit there like everybody else and wait your turn in line, or you could forge your own path — and then you’re responsible for the consequences. I guess it’s the story of The Hometown Kid, from top to bottom. And not only is the road a very real place for travelers, or touring musicians. I mean, everyone is on their own road in so many ways.

Really, “Rusty” was about a crossroads in my life where my relationships were not great. I had kind of separated myself one summer and I was working an odd job out in East Tennessee, and I just realized, I really don’t want to go home. I really did not feel like I belonged. It was the same going to college in Indiana instead of Belmont [on a piano scholarship]. Leaving home and pursuing music on my own terms literally changed the course of my life. But then ultimately, coming back to Nashville has always been the right decision.

Photo Credit: Brooke Stevens

AMERICANAFEST 2022 Preview: Check Out These Panels, Parties and Showcases

Posted on by Editor

Even if you’re from Nashville or you’ve visited Music City many times, AMERICANAFEST always offers something new. This year, the annual event encompasses more than a dozen places to hear live music, as well as an impressive slate of industry panels and a near-endless list of parties. Where to begin? Although this story is by no means definitive, here are some promising highlights from the 2022 Americanafest daily schedule.

Tuesday, September 13

If you’re in town early, come say hello to BGS at Station Inn, where Jason Carter & Friends will take the stage. Doors at 8. Although it’s not open to the public, all conference and festival passholders are welcome. To pick up your pass, you’ll need to swing by City Winery or the Westin (the host hotel) earlier that day. An exploration of East Nashville might also be in order, with The Old Fashioned String Band Throwdown from 6-9 p.m. at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge.

Wednesday, September 14

A plethora of panels awaits conference registrants at the Westin, along with a couple of notable interview sessions. The Indigo Girls will be interviewed by NPR Music’s Ann Powers at 10 a.m. (They’ll be honored with a Lifetime Achievement recognition at the Americana Music Honors & Awards later that night too). Stick around for a conversation between Dom Flemons and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, presented by WSM’s American Songster Radio. After that, Stax Records’ Al Bell and Deanie Parker will discuss the historic Wattstax festival in 1972.

You can count on BGS for another party as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary with a happy hour at City Winery Lounge from 3 – 5 p.m. Conference and festival passholders welcome. Special performers include Kyshona, Rainbow Girls, and Willie Watson. And after the awards show, there’s an abundance of awesome shows to consider, including a rare solo set by Angel Olsen (our BGS Artist of the Month in August) at Riverside Revival, a set from Bill Monroe acolyte Mike Compton and a surprise headliner at Station Inn, and an acoustic showcase from members of North Mississippi Allstars at Analog at Hutton Hotel immediately followed by Texas great Joshua Ray Walker.

Thursday, September 15

One of the most intriguing panels on Thursday is titled The Narrators: How Jake Blount, Leyla McCalla and Kaia Kater Re-Mapped the Past, Present and Future With Concept Albums. As the Americanafest app points out, all three artists are students of musical and cultural traditions, as well as Black banjo players. The conversation takes place at noon with moderator Jewly Hight. Coincidentally, these three performers are showcasing at the exact same time later that night, so here’s your chance to catch them all at once.

Ishkōdé Records will celebrate Indigenous voices from Turtle Island at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge from 1-4 p.m., with performers such as Amanda Rheaume, Aysanabee, Digging Roots and Evan Redsky. If you’re lucky enough to get into the Bluebird Cafe for a 6 p.m. show, you can enjoy a songwriting round with Gabe Lee, Tristan Bushman and British artist Lauren Housley. A Tribute to Levon Helm with an all-star cast closes out the night at 3rd & Lindsley, following an evening of music with Arkansas roots.

Several of the most buzzed-about showcases of AMERICANAFEST will take place at the Basement East, with a strong lineup boasting Rissi Palmer, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Trousdale, Bre Kennedy and Jade Bird. If you’re up for bluegrass, the City Winery Lounge lineup includes Tammy Rogers & Thomm Jutz alongside rising talent like the Tray Wellington Band and Troubadour Blue. If honky-tonk is more your style, stay up late for Jesse Daniel at 6th & Peabody, with original music that pays homage to the Bakersfield Sound without losing its contemporary appeal.

Friday, September 16

Diversity is a common theme on Friday’s daytime events, with panels like Booking With Intent: How Curating the Stage Impacts Industry Diversity and How Americana Music Is Embracing Minority Representation. Of particular note, British artist Lady Nade speaks on the influence of Black music in country and Americana in a panel titled You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Why Representation Is Vital for the Americana Genre. Look for a conversation and performance at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at noon with rising artists from the Black Opry Revue.

To list all the parties on Friday would take up this whole page. To socialize, you’ve got options ranging from songwriting rounds to label parties to multiple happy hours. (If you’re a craft beer drinker who loves to linger on the deck, it’s worth a visit to Tennessee Brew Works, where Hear Fort Worth is setting up shop.) As for BGS, you’ll find us at the Basement for a party presented with Nettwerk Records and Taylor Guitars. The public may RSVP through the invitation below.

This might be a good time to mention one of the festival’s new venues, The Well at Koinonia. This cozy coffee shop on Music Row played a crucial role in the development of contemporary Christian music, once lending its small stage to a then-unknown Amy Grant. For AMERICANAFEST, it’s providing a listening room environment for a number of quieter artists who still deserve to be heard, such as Nashville songwriter-producer Alex Wong, award-winning acoustic guitarist Christie Lenée, mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant, Australian troubadour Colin Lillie, and the accomplished Mexican-American musician Lisa Morales on Friday night. If you’re interested in early shows (starting at 6 p.m.), easy parking, and/or enjoying music in a non-alcoholic environment, make an effort to get refueled here.

Not far away lies one of Nashville’s musical landmarks, The Basement (a.k.a. “The Basement O.G.”), and if you’re in town to discover some overlooked voices, this might be an ideal spot to start. Drawing on blues and rock, Chicago musician Nathan Graham is making his AMERICANAFEST debut this year, followed by Southern slide guitarist-songwriter Michelle Malone, who’s touring behind new material like “Not Who I Used to Be.” At Exit/In at 9 p.m., Michigan Rattlers are among Americana music’s best storytellers, with a vibe that’s kind of brooding but still has some rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Hang around for 49 Winchester, a Virginia ensemble that’s been DIY for most of its career. However, 2022’s Fortune Favors the Bold is garnering some much-deserved attention. Listen closely for the Exit/In reference in standout track, “Damn Darlin’.”

For something more mellow, you can zoom over to City Winery for a late set by Milk Carton Kids. It wouldn’t even feel like AMERICANAFEST without seeing these guys. Earlier in the evening, longtime festival favorite Ruston Kelly will play alongside his dad, Tim Kelly, performing exquisite songs that they recorded together (with Ruston serving as producer). Gaby Moreno, Henry Wagons and Rainbow Girls are also on the well-rounded bill. Go ahead, order a bottle.

Saturday, September 17

By the time the weekend arrives, the panels have wrapped and the parties are well underway. You can peruse the Americanafest app for all the options, but first, settle in at City Winery for the Thirty Tigers Gospel Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (It’s on Saturday this year, rather than Sunday.) Artists appearing include Alisa Amador, Brent Cobb, Emily Scott Robinson, Stephanie Lambring, The Fairfield Four and The McCrary Sisters. Musicians Corner in Centennial Park also features free afternoon sets from Nashville mainstay Josh Rouse, Brooklyn’s own Bandits on the Run, Los Angeles songwriter Chris Pierce, Canadian banjo player Ryland Moranz, and more.

Over at The 5 Spot, Alabama bluesman Early James anchors a lineup with Theo Lawrence (a French songwriter-guitarist who opened dates for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in Europe), Canadian musician Megan Nash, and new ATO Records signing Honey Harper. The night concludes with an 11 p.m. showcase titled Luke Schneider & Friends: A Pedal Steel Showcase. For something similarly atmospheric, consider a one-night-only event, Phosphorescent Performing Songs From the Full Moon Project, also at 11 p.m. at Brooklyn Bowl. He’s promising to play more songs than just the covers he’s chosen for this unique album, so you can bask in the afterglow of an incredible week of music.

For more information about these events and countless more, visit AMERICANAFEST.COM.

Artists featured at top (L-R): Phosphorescent, Molly Tuttle, Dom Flemons, Angel Olsen

BGS Podcast Roundup // May 22

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

We’ve got another round of podcasts for you this Friday, with episodes featuring one of the last founding fathers of bluegrass, a delicious Mexican-inspired meal from an award-winning Austin chef (in your home!), a young Nashville phenom’s debut on Rounder Records, and much much more.

Make sure to follow along with the BGS Podcast Network on our social media [Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram] and right here, where we’ll consistently gather our new episodes, as well as some past favorites:

The Shift List – Chef Fermín Núñez (Suerte) – Austin, TX

This week, our first in a series of shows from Austin, Texas, starting off with Fermín Núñez, executive chef of East Austin’s Mexican-inspired restaurant Suerte and Eater Austin’s 2018 chef of the year.

As you’ll soon discover, Chef Fermín is a man with a mission: To create the perfect tortilla, every single day. It’s his attention to detail that has made Suerte one of the most beloved new restaurants in Austin, and Chef Fermín’s love of music is woven into each part of the day, from the making of the masa, to prepping his mise en place, to the entire staff stopping at 4pm to clap to a cover of “Achy Breaky Heart” in Spanish and prepare for the night of service ahead.

Speaking of service, Suerte closed for a few weeks back in early March to regroup and recalibrate as the city of Austin sheltered in place because of the new coronavirus. In mid-March they reemerged with the Suerte Taqueria, providing highlights from Suerte’s menu for takeout — a highlight being the Suadero Taco Meal kit for families to enjoy at home. The kit includes all the ingredients needed to prepare Chef Fermín’s signature dish at home, including confit brisket, avocado crudo, black magic oil, signature tortillas, and sides. In addition to cooking instructions, they rounded out the experience with a video of Chef Fermín cooking along in his own kitchen, and a link to his favorite playlist in an attempt to bring the full Suerte experience into your kitchen.

The kits are still available, so if you live in the Austin area and need some high quality sustenance, head over to Suerteatx.com.

The String – Lilly Hiatt, Gabe Lee

Lilly Hiatt put in a lot of work at the local and regional level, including releasing two albums, before her third, Trinity Lane, met the moment and became a breakout work.

So a lot of ears were lifted toward her 2020 release of Walking Proof, and it was quickly acclaimed as punchy, vivid and memorable. We talk about going on the road with her dad songwriter John Hiatt back in the day, the deserved success of Trinity Lane and new musical directions. Also, a get-acquainted talk with Nashville-born, rocking country songwriter Gabe Lee.

Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass – Jesse McReynolds

One of the last founding fathers of bluegrass, Jesse McReynold’s story is the story of bluegrass — a music that emerged out of the country, into rural schoolhouses, onto rural radio, finding sponsorship along the way, enmeshing itself into the mainstream of American culture.

McReynolds tells the story of his grandfather, who played in the first recorded country music session, talks about being offered a gig with the Stanley Brothers, serving with the armed forces in Korea and singing alongside Charlie Louvin. He relates hunting down record deals and successes with his brother Jim, starting their own label, being sought out by counter cultural icons like the Grateful Dead and The Doors. Now nearing the age of 91, McReynolds spends some time reflecting as well, on his brother Jim’s death, his own struggles with the Opry, and how he feels about his legacy in the music. This is an icon of American music whose story isn’t often told, and we’re honored to play a part.

The String – Katie Pruitt, Jenee Fleenor

Katie Pruitt has been known as a phenom ready for big things in Nashville for a few years now. With patience and enough maturity to get the music exactly as she intended, Pruitt has now made her debut on Rounder Records.

The album Expectations is a bold, ambitious, and succulent collection, and vividly honest as well, with songs documenting a difficult journey from a conservative family in Georgia to a proud gay woman in Music City. This is a 25-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist poised for big things. Also in the hour, the journey of Arkansas born fiddler Jenee Fleenor. She was named CMA Musician of the Year and she’s releasing her first recordings of her own music after years supporting others.

The Show on the Road – Steve Poltz

This week on The Show On The Road, we feature a conversation with a Canadian-born paraparetic prince of pop-folk singers, who has jumped through more gauntlets of the modern music industry than almost anyone in his three plus decades of making records, Steve Poltz.

Poltz first hit the scene with the San Diego-based underground punk-folk favorites The Rugburns, then as an accidental hitmaker and MTV video heartthrob with collaborator and friend Jewel, and then as a wild-haired, two hundred shows a year internationally revered solo act. He’s put out a baker’s dozen of whacked-out, deceptively sensitive, and fearlessly personal albums that have won him devoted audiences from his ancestral home in Nova Scotia to the dance party dives of California to massive festivals across Australia and beyond.

As we are still quite separated during the pandemic, host Z. Lupetin called up Poltz in Nashville to discuss the long and twisty road Poltz has travelled — jumping from his inspired, most-recent album Shine On back to his childhood in swinging Palm Springs (where he met Elvis and Sinatra), to making $100,000 music videos for his ill-fated major label debut in ’98, to nearly dying on stage after substance abuse problems and never-say-no-to-a-gig exhaustion took its toll.

We now find him in a more peaceful, purposeful existence, where he is newly married and enjoying making music at home (government orders!) for the first time in decades.

 

The String – Lilly Hiatt, Gabe Lee

Posted on by Chris Jacobs

Lilly Hiatt put in a lot of work at the local and regional level, including releasing two albums, before her third, Trinity Lane, met the moment and became a breakout work.


LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS

So a lot of ears were lifted toward her 2020 release of Walking Proof, and it was quickly acclaimed as punchy, vivid and memorable. We talk about going on the road with her dad songwriter John Hiatt back in the day, the deserved success of Trinity Lane and new musical directions. Also, a get-acquainted talk with Nashville-born, rocking country songwriter Gabe Lee.

LISTEN: Gabe Lee, “Piece of Your Heart”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Gabe Lee
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Piece of Your Heart”
Album: Honky Tonk Hell
Release Date: March 13, 2020
Label: Torrez Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Piece of Your Heart’ is a painfully honest goodbye song. The character is backhandedly apologizing to an ex-love, trying to play off a broken heart as something you can simply pawn away. He makes lists of memories, places, and mementos of their relationship serving as pieces of the heartbreak that need to be thrown out in order for them to move on. In the second verse, the ex-lover deals her own way through various forms of coping, and by the third verse the narrator finds himself almost missing what they once had, saying, ‘And I thought you should know that I’ve stitched up my soul and framed it in gold on the wall, so when the train come to town and they tear this place down there’ll be something still left to hang on.’ But sometimes you just have to sell the farm and start over.” — Gabe Lee

Photo credit: Brooke Stevens