Tag: Golden Shoals

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Brothers Comatose, Caitlin Canty, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Your weekly dose of brand new roots music is here – You Gotta Hear This!

Our West Coast friends, The Brothers Comatose, kick us off this week with their new single, “Golden Grass.” The title track for their upcoming album, it’s a loping bluegrass number that pays tribute to the special regional string band styles and genre-bending of their home state, California. From the opposite side of the country, Caitlin Canty brings us “Hotter Than Hell,” a nostalgic song about nighttime summer drives, first loves, and first jobs that features fellow Vermonter Matt Lorenz on backing vocals.

We have a couple great new music videos, too, this week. Singer-songwriter Kai Crowe-Getty shares a live performance video of “Dancing on a Razor’s Edge,” a heartfelt original song about grief, loss, that takes inspiration from – as Joni Mitchell would put it – “you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.” Meanwhile, Hillary Reynolds also comes to us from an Americana space with her new track, “Can’t Turn Off My Mind,” a song about insomnia with an accompanying video that demonstrates how, to Reynolds, sleeplessness can become a familiar friend.

Keep scrolling though, because Nashville-based honky-tonker and picker-singer-songwriter Mose Wilson gives an unexpected flair to traditional country with his song, “Since I Lost You.” Wilson’s friend and sometimes bandmate, award-winning bassist Vickie Vaughn, returns to You Gotta Hear This once again with her latest Mountain Home Music Co. single, a fiery, soulful, and plaintive rendition of Vince Gill’s classic, “Liza Jane.” And, from just up the road across town in Nashville, string duo and old-time aficionados Golden Shoals turn their skills to “dad rock” for their pro-worker, anti-work-week summer anthem, “Five Day Weekend.” Of course, it’s just perfect for entering a long holiday weekend.

Country, bluegrass, folk, Americana, and blends of all of the above are all right here on BGS. You Gotta Hear This!

The Brothers Comatose, “Golden Grass”

Artist: The Brothers Comatose
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Song: “Golden Grass”
Album: Golden Grass
Release Date: May 21, 2025 (single); September 12, 2025 (album)
Label: Swamp Jam Records.

In Their Words: “We wrote ‘Golden Grass’ about the current wave of string bands coming out of California that are creating a new take on an old style of music. They start with their foundations in traditional bluegrass and incorporate folk, rock, and jam elements to form that Western ‘golden grass’ sound. Lots of great string bands have come out of California, like AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Molly Tuttle, and even going back to Old & In the Way who were trailblazers for this type of sound. It’s about taking the heart and soul of bluegrass and infusing it with everything we love about music today.” – Ben Morrison

Caitlin Canty, “Hotter Than Hell”

Artist: Caitlin Canty
Hometown: Danby, Vermont
Song: “Hotter Than Hell”
Album: Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove
Release Date: May 22, 2025 (single); October 2, 2025 (album)
Label: Distributed by Tone Tree

In Their Words: “This is the first track I’m sharing from my forthcoming record, Night Owl Envies the Mourning Dove, out October 2. This song grew from the ground in Vermont, where I was born and raised and have recently returned to raise my little kids. On those hot humid nights before we had air conditioning, my folks would pack us all in the truck and we’d drive along mountain roads with the windows down to cool off. ‘Hotter Than Hell’ is a nostalgic summer throwback to first love, first jobs – those ephemeral firsts seared into memory.

“And making this record was my first time partnering with Sam Kassirer, who produced and played keys. I was nearly 8 months pregnant when we cut the record live at his Great North Sound Society in Maine. I just love to hear fellow Vermonter, Matt Lorenz (The Suitcase Junket) singing his blazing backing vocals on this song.” – Caitlin Canty

Track Credits:
Caitlin Canty – Vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriting
Jeremy Moses Curtis – Bass
Rich Hinman – Electric guitar
Sam Kassirer – Piano, organ
Matt Lorenz – Backing vocals
Ray Rizzo – Drums, percussion

Kai Crowe-Getty, “Dancing on a Razor’s Edge”

Artist: Kai Crowe-Getty
Hometown: Nelson County, Virginia
Song: “Dancing on a Razor’s Edge”
Album: The Wreckage
Release Date: May 23, 2025 (single); June 27, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “In my life, I’m not one who does a lot of looking backwards or dwelling in the past with much intention. This song, like several on the record, does exactly that. The Joni Mitchell refrain of ‘don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone’ was a lost inspiration here. My mother died when I was young and this collection of memories, some with her, some without, is trying to make sense of the present in one of my more personal writes. Like many things we avoid, tuck away, wait to face another day, it tends to come out in unexpected floods and fissures as we navigate the grief of it, standing on different shores.” – Kai Crowe-Getty

Video Credits: Filmed by Zach Phillips. Edited by Kai Crowe-Getty.

Golden Shoals, “Five Day Weekend”

Artist: Golden Shoals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “Five Day Weekend”
Album: The Dream and The Hunger
Release Date: May 23, 2025

In Their Words: “We live in a world where we’re pushed to our limits of productivity while being sold tons of garbage that we don’t need. At the same time, we could be harnessing AI to do the work that allows humans more leisure time, but Big Tech seems intent on replacing meaningful human work instead. The song just kind of manifested with a dad rock vibe. It details my dream for a world that I think is possible – where we all spend a significant, but not overwhelming, amount of time doing the hard work that a society needs to thrive and the rest of the time taking care of ourselves making the world a great place to live in.” – Mark Kilianski

Track Credits:
Mark Kilianski – Electric guitar, vocals, songwriting
Amy Alvey – Fiddle, vocals
Chris Sartori – Electric bass
Alex Bice – Drum kit, cowbell

Hillary Reynolds, “Can’t Turn Off My Mind”

Artist: Hillary Reynolds
Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin (for the summer) and Los Angeles, California (for the winter)
Song: “Can’t Turn Off My Mind”
Album: Changing Seasons
Release Date: May 22, 2025 (single); August 8, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Can’t Turn Off My Mind’ ended up being the first song I wrote for my album. It came in stages. I wrote the first half by myself and when I felt like it needed fresh energy, I turned to my dear friend and fellow artist, Madison Malone, for a little nudge. Simply put, ‘Can’t Turn Off My Mind’ is a song about insomnia. I love how the narrative has evolved over time. Since finishing this song, Madison and I have become mothers and insomnia has taken on a new meaning, becoming a familiar friend – whether it was breast feeding and watching Schitt’s Creek in the wee hours of the morning or having an endless to-do list running through my brain at 3 a.m., I love that this song is the first single, setting the tone of my forthcoming morning album, Changing Seasons.” – Hillary Reynolds

Track Credits:
Hillary Reynolds – Vocals, piano, songwriting
Madison Malone – Background vocals
Benjamin Kopf – Acoustic guitar, bass, singing bowl
Tom Shewmake – Octave mandolin
Matt Musty – Percussion
Jim Frink – Drums

Video Credit: Directed and filmed by New Normal Studios.

Vickie Vaughn, “Liza Jane”

Artist: Vickie Vaughn
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Liza Jane”
Release Date: May 23, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I’ve loved Vince Gill’s ‘Liza Jane’ since I heard it on local country radio when I was little. His version is so iconic and playful and the groove is intoxicating. I wanted to take to the song and add some serious drama, giving it a little bit of a darker vibe and instead of just singing about Liza Jane, I wanted to be pleading and angry and desperate about her.” – Vickie Vaughn

Track Credits:
Vickie Vaughn – Upright bass, lead vocal
Cody Kilby – Guitar
Casey Campbell – Mandolin
Wes Corbett – Banjo
Dave Racine – Drums
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Lillie Mae Rische – Harmony vocal
Frank Rische – Harmony vocal

Mose Wilson, “Since I Lost You”

Artist: Mose Wilson
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Since I Lost You”
Album: That’s Love
Release Date: May 28, 2025 (single); July 17, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Since I Lost You’ is unlike anything I’ve released before. It’s a bridge between worlds – a song that could invite listeners from outside the traditional country audience to experience something new and unexpected. It’s a story of love lost told with a groove that’s both timeless and entirely my own.” – Mose Wilson

Track Credits:
Henry Long – Keyboards
Norbert McGettigan – Bass
John Papageourgiou – Drums
Will Johnson – Electric guitar
Stephen “Tebbs” Kearney – Dobro
Mose Wilson – Vocals, acoustic guitar

Photo Credit: Brothers Comatose by Jessie McCall; Caitlin Canty by Laura Partain.

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

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

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

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

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

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

Golden Shoals, “New White House Blues”

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

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

Heather Maloney, “Labyrinth in the Weeds”

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

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

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

Sister Sadie, “If I Don’t Have You”

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

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

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

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

Evan Westfall, “SISDM”

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

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

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

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

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Mason Via, Golden Shoals, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our weekly premiere round-up kicks off this fine Friday with a new video from singer-songwriter Kelley Mickwee from her upcoming release; it’s the title track and her favorite song from her upcoming album, “Everything Beautiful.”

We continue with some bluegrassy old-time from duo Golden Shoals, showcasing “Milwaukee Blues,” a staple on their set lists and at their live performances. And, fellow bluegrass artist and songwriter Mason Via brings us his brand new single co-written with Charlie Chamberlain entitled, “Falling.”

To wrap up the week in premieres, don’t miss two new BGS-produced video sessions that hit the site this week. First, the latest in our Yamaha Sessions featuring shredder Trey Hensley, followed up by a bonus DelFest Session from Mountain Grass Unit celebrating their new EP, which dropped today.

It’s all right here on BGS and frankly, You Gotta Hear This!

Kelley Mickwee, “Everything Beautiful”

Artist: Kelley Mickwee
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Everything Beautiful”
Album: Everything Beautiful
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Label: Kelley Mickwee Music

In Their Words: “My favorite track on the record. A love song, which are rare and hard for me to write. This one started as a poem, sitting on my back porch one late afternoon as the dragonflies swarmed the yard and the hummingbirds fought over the feeder. I was all of a sudden just overcome with such deep love in my heart. Sent some words to my dear friend, Seth Walker, and he put this beautiful melody to it before I even woke up. It’s the first song we have written together of what I hope is many more to come.” – Kelley Mickwee

Golden Shoals, “Milwaukee Blues”

Artist: Golden Shoals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “Milwaukee Blues”
Release Date: September 27, 2024

In Their Words: “‘Milwaukee Blues’ has been a staple of our live show for years. It’s got a fun, silly vibe, but it’s about the very real perils of hoboing in the 1920s. That smiling on the outside/crying on the inside dichotomy is one of the most fascinating things about bluegrass and old-time music. Though we focus more on our original songs, our early tours were always based around fiddler’s conventions – Mt. Airy, Galax, Clifftop, etc. Playing old fiddle tunes and songs is how we started to forge our own sound and how we met our dearest musical pals. We’ve released collaborative old-time albums before (Milkers and Hollers and Tune Hash), but this is our first time stripping it down to the duo. We usually do one or two of these tunes at each show and we wanted to get them down for posterity, and for the old-time fans! Tracks will continue to trickle out over the next year, culminating in a full 14-track album.” – Mark Kilianski

Mason Via, “Falling”

Artist: Mason Via
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Falling”
Album: Mason Via
Release Date: September 20, 2024 (single)
Label: Mountain Fever Records

In Their Words: “I co-wrote this song with Charlie Chamberlain, who’s known for his work on several Songs From The Road Band albums. We initially crafted this track as a companion piece to ‘Melt in the Sun,’ another song on the upcoming record. Originally, we intended for it to be recorded with my psychedelic electric side project as a rock and roll party anthem. It wasn’t planned for this bluegrass album, but after bassist and dobro player Jeff Partin singled it out as his favorite from the extensive list of songs I shared with him and the producer, I decided to include it at the last minute. I’m glad we included it because it blends that distinctive Mountain Heart newgrass drive with lyrics that are perfect for getting people moving.” – Mason Via

Track Credits:
Written by Mason Via & Charlie Chamberlain.
Mason Via – Lead vocals, guitar
Aaron Ramsey – Mandolin
Jason Davis – Banjo
Jim Van Cleve – Fiddle
Jeff Partin – Bass, Dobro
Kyser George – Guitar
Brooks Forsyth – Baritone harmony
Nick Goad – Tenor harmony

Yamaha Sessions: Trey Hensley, “Can’t Outrun the Blues”

Our Yamaha Sessions continue, highlighting the top-notch Yamaha FG series of acoustic guitars and the killer musicians who utilize them. This time, we’re back with guitarist, singer-songwriter, GRAMMY nominee, and reigning IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Trey Hensley. For his second session in the series, he performs a growling original, “Can’t Outrun the Blues,” that highlights the grit and attack of his custom Yamaha FG9 R, resonant and bold in open E.

Hensley’s techniques are bluegrass through and through, with clarity and athleticism to his flatpicking that stand out even among his incredibly talented contemporaries. The ‘grassy skeletal structure behind his approach to the instrument is merely a springboard into other textures and styles. Here, in a modal and bluesy number, you can certainly hear the influence rock and roll, down home and contemporary blues, Southern rock, and country chicken pickin’ have on Hensley’s own writing and composition.

More here.

DelFest Sessions: Mountain Grass Unit, “Lonesome Dove”

For a special bonus edition of our DelFest Sessions from earlier this year, we return to Cumberland, Maryland and the banks of the Potomac River for an encore performance by bluegrass four-piece, Mountain Grass Unit. On September 20, the group will release a brand new EP, Runnin’ From Trouble, which features this original number, “Lonesome Dove,” as the lead track. In fact, at the time of the session’s taping, the band had just recorded the song a week prior.

“We had an amazing time at the riverside DelFest Session performing our new song, ‘Lonesome Dove,'” said mandolinist Drury Anderson via email. “Watching people float down the river while we recorded made the experience even more special. It was an honor to be part of such a unique series!”

More here.

Photo Credit: Mason Via by Michael Weintrob; Golden Shoals by Mike Dunn.

PREVIEW: IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, This Week in Raleigh

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The biggest week in bluegrass has arrived. The International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual business conference and festival begins tomorrow, September 26, and continues through Saturday, September 30, in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s the 10th year the event has been hosted in the music-rich state of North Carolina.

From Tuesday to Thursday, industry professionals, artists, musicians, songwriters, lawyers and more will participate in panels and professional development during Wide Open Bluegrass, the conference portion of the week’s programming. Highlights will include a keynote address by Matt Glaser of Berklee College of Music (Tuesday), the Momentum Awards Luncheon (Wednesday) and Industry Awards Luncheon (Thursday) — plus a BGS-presented panel on podcasts, An Essential Guide To Podcasting (Wednesday), which will be moderated by Keith Billik of Picky Fingers and will feature Basic Folk hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, among others. During the evenings, when conference events have concluded, attendees and fans will enjoy the Bluegrass Ramble, IBMA’s roster of more than thirty showcasing acts and bands at venues peppered throughout downtown Raleigh.

On Thursday evening, it’s the so-called “Bluegrass Prom,” the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, held at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts just steps away from the conference center and host hotel. Hosted by Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, the biggest night of the biggest week in bluegrass will see artists and bands like Billy Strings, Sister Sadie, Tray Wellington, Del McCoury Band and many more vie for awards like Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Best New Artist and beyond. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum will also induct three new members during the ceremony, mandolinist Sam Bush, innovator and stylist David Grisman and the legendary and chart-topping Wilma Lee Cooper.

The awards show marks the week’s transition from conference to festival, as Bluegrass Live! takes over the Red Hat Amphitheater and all of downtown Raleigh on Friday and Saturday. On the main stage, enjoy headliners like Mighty Poplar, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Missy Raines & Allegheny and an all-star banjo collaboration of Tray Wellington, Jake Blount and Kaïa Kater. Vendors, artisans, food trucks and more will line the streets of downtown, where dozens more bands will perform for the second-largest bluegrass festival audience in the world – nearly 200,000 bluegrass and roots music fans will make Raleigh their destination this weekend.

Below, find our short list of events, bands, panels, showcases, presentations and shows not-to-be-missed at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass and Bluegrass Live!

Panels & Conference Events

The World of Bluegrass business conference gets going bright and early tomorrow morning, with a New Attendee Orientation at Raleigh Convention Center room 304 at 9 a.m. Once you have the lay of the land, check out these conference programs and panels throughout the week. Don’t miss your IBMA professional member constituency meeting – they’re held throughout the week for the various constituencies – and don’t miss the exhibit hall, full of vendors, organizations, festivals and more. It opens Wednesday at 1 p.m.

IBMA KEYNOTE ADDRESS & RECEPTION BY MATT GLASER
TUESDAY 4PM – 5:30PM | RCC BALLROOM

Matt Glaser, who served as chair of Berklee College of Music’s String Department for 28 years and has pioneered its American Roots Music Program, will give a “dynamic” presentation for this year’s keynote entitled, Hidden Threads: Bluegrass in the American Musical Tapestry.” Glaser will explore the many styles, genres and formats that influenced and informed the creation of bluegrass – jazz, blues, gospel, old-time and so much more.

SUPERSESSION – WOMEN IN THE BUSINESS OF BLUEGRASS
WEDNESDAY 9AM – 9:50AM | RCC 306

An absolutely star-studded panel will explore how women and femme folks continue to carve out spaces for themselves, professionally, in these roots music communities. Panelists include: Deering Banjos chief executive Jamie Deering, event planner and promoter Claire Armbruster (Planning Stages), the owner/operator of Elderly Instruments, Lillian Werbin, broadcaster and radio host Michelle Lee, BGS contributor and collaborator Brandi Waller-Pace, a non-profit founder, organizer and educator (Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival & Decolonizing the Music Room), Rounder Records co-founder Marian Leighton Levy, Mary Beth Martin of the Earl Scruggs Center and Carly Smith of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS LUNCHEON
WEDNESDAY 11AM – 1PM | RCC BALLROOM

Each year during World of Bluegrass the Wednesday luncheon is devoted to awarding up-and-comers in the bluegrass industry, from bands and instrumentalists to industry involved professionals and mentors. You can see the full list of Momentum Awards nominees here. Plus, hear luncheon showcases by a fine selection of Bluegrass Ramble bands.

SUPERSESSION – OH, DIDN’T THEY RAMBLE: THE BLUEGRASS SIDE OF ROUNDER RECORDS
WEDNESDAY 1PM – 1:50PM | RCC 306

BGS contributor and Carolina Calling host David Menconi will release his new book, Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music, next month, so it’s perfect timing for this panel examining the historical significance of this record label. The lineup will feature Rounder founders and IBMA Hall of Fame members Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin along with broadcaster Daniel Mullins and, of course, Menconi himself.

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PODCASTING 
WEDNESDAY 2PM – 2:50PM | RCC 304

We are so excited to convene Keith Billik of Picky Fingers Podcast, Lizzie No and Cindy Howes of Basic Folk, and more BGS team members from our Podcast Network to talk about the essentials of bluegrass and roots music podcasting. If you’re interested in learning about distribution, sponsorships, syndication, editing, production, pre-production and so much more, this conversation is for you.

IBMA INDUSTRY AWARDS LUNCHEON
THURSDAY 11AM – 1PM | RCC BALLROOM

On Thursday, the Industry Awards luncheon will recognize achievements and contributions of the industry’s sound engineers, broadcasters, writers and more. Plus, IBMA will hand out their second-highest honor, the Distinguished Achievement Award, to a small handful of honorees – of which we’re one! BGS is so humbled and honored to be one recipient of this year’s Distinguished Achievement Awards. Watch for a feature on BGS and the award presentation later this week.

Plus, a few more panels and programs starred on our calendar include:

AVOIDING TOKENISM IN TRAD MUSIC
WEDNESDAY 2PM – 2:50PM | RCC 306

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION (DEI) TOWN HALL
WEDNESDAY 4PM – 5PM | RCC 306

IBMA TOWN HALL MEETING
THURSDAY 9AM – 10:30AM | RCC 306

YOUTUBE: FINDING YOUR COMMUNITY, GROWING YOUR AUDIENCE
THURSDAY 1:30PM – 2:20PM | RCC 305

IBMA WOMEN’S COUNCIL MEETING
THURSDAY 4PM – 5PM | RCC 306

THE MAKING OF WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN ALBUM AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WORLD
FRIDAY 1PM – 3PM | RCC 306

BLUEGRASS IS FOR EVERYONE JAM
SATURDAY 12PM – 2PM | RCC MAIN LOBBY

See the full conference schedule on IBMA’s website here.

Bluegrass Ramble

30+ bluegrass, old-time, and roots music bands will showcase throughout downtown Raleigh during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. These shows are open to both conference attendees and the general public. Find out more about ticketing and admission here.

Not sure where to begin? Here are a few bands worth your attention – and perhaps a hasty jog down Fayetteville Street!

ALEX LEACH

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and Clinch Mountain Boys alumnus Alex Leach brings a delightful ’60s and ’70s flair to his brand of central Appalachian bluegrass. We recently premiered his latest single, “Summer Haven,” and look forward to catching him live this week during the Bluegrass Ramble.

GOLDEN SHOALS

Golden Shoals are Nashville-based duo Amy Alvey and Mark Kilianski, another group we were fortunate enough to recently feature in a video premiere for “Bitter,” a song co-written by Alvey and Rachel Baiman.

RACHEL SUMNER & TRAVELING LIGHT

You may recognize Rachel Sumner from her time in zany, jazz-inflected string band Twisted Pine. She’s since ventured out on her own as a solo artist with her music centered on her New England-influenced songwriting and chambergrass aesthetics – though she originally hails from the Southwest U.S.

SEQUOIA ROSE

“Bluegrass is for everyone,” after all, and we’re so glad to see Sequoia Rose on the official showcase lineup for IBMA! We were first introduced to her jamgrassy music via submission earlier this year and have been itching for a chance to hear it live.

THOMAS CASSELL

Mandolinist, writer and songwriter Thomas Cassell – who, you may know, is a BGS contributor as well – makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, though he was raised in the bluegrass-steeped mountains of Southwestern Virginia. His brand of bluegrass is all at once timeless and forward looking with its keystone being his honeyed voice, like a youthful Dan Tyminski with a dash of Russell Moore.

VIOLET BELL

North Carolina string duo Violet Bell are both ethereal and grounded. Their latest album, Shapeshifter, is a stunning conceptual work that is never burdened by the nuanced stories it tells. (Read our feature on the record here.) Omar Ruiz-Lopez and Lizzy Ross subtly and deftly complicate the roots music forms that infuse their music. A must-see at IBMA.

WYATT ELLIS

Our readers, followers and fans can’t get enough of mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis, who gracefully and virtuosically continues the now generations-old tradition of fleet-fingered youngsters shredding the mando. Like Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Chris Thile, Sierra Hull and many more before him, Wyatt enjoys cross-generational collaboration and has his sights set on a lifelong career in this music. Catch him showcasing at IBMA and tell folks thirty years from now you “saw him when.”

Keep in mind, this is merely the tip of the bluegrass iceberg for this week in Raleigh. There’s the entire lineup of the street fest plus the lineup of Bluegrass Live!’s mainstage, the Red Hat Amphitheater, to explore, too. In short, there’s nowhere else to be this week than Raleigh, North Carolina for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass conference and festival.

Graphics courtesy of IBMA

WATCH: Golden Shoals, “Bitter”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Golden Shoals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee / Vancouver, B.C.
Song: “Bitter”
Release Date: September 13, 2023

In Their Words: “This song, co-written by myself and Rachel Baiman, is a culmination of the frustrations I felt being a musician during the pandemic. Our jobs were the first to go and the clunkiest to return to full capacity. Performance opportunities are back, but the struggle of sustaining a career continues to weigh heavy on all artists alike. Obviously Spotify is mentioned in this song, and I even call out the media machine and the ‘pay to play’ nature of PR campaigns. We both connected to this song so much that Rachel even recorded a brooding version on her newest album, Common Nation of Sorrow. Our livelier version features banjo, baritone guitar and pedal steel.” – Amy Alvey

Track Credits: Produced by Thomas Bryan Eaton and Golden Shoals

Amy Alvey – acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonies
Mark Kilianski – banjo, harmony vocals
Thomas Bryan Eaton – piano, pedal steel, baritone guitar
Jamie Dick – drums
Miss Tess – bass

Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Raitz
Video Credit: Trent Freeman

WATCH: Golden Shoals, “Ain’t No New Orleans”

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Artist: Golden Shoals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Ain’t No New Orleans”
Album: Treading Water/Ain’t No New Orleans (Single)
Release Date: November 4, 2022

In Their Words: “I think New Orleans is the most important city in the US. It’s the birthplace of jazz, essential to the blues, and is one of the few places where chaos and spontaneity still thrive. It’s below (rising) sea level, and constantly sinking because of the way it was built by the first colonizers and those who came after. For me it’s a place where I get pushed out of my comfort zone, and learn about life, humanity, and American music. I don’t think the people in power are very concerned with protecting a place like this, or the people in it (the response to Katrina point to that fact). I tried to express all of this in four verses and an anthemic chorus. Hopefully the video, made up entirely of public domain clips from archive.org, reinforces these points. Hopefully things will change before the next Katrina happens.” — Mark Kilianksi, Golden Shoals

Photo Credit: Mike Dunn

LISTEN: Golden Shoals, “Old Buffalo”

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Artist: Golden Shoals
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Old Buffalo”
Album: Golden Shoals
Release Date: August 7, 2020
Label: Self-released, distributed by Free Dirt

In Their Words: “This one fits in a genre I like to call Cowboy Existentialism. You’ve got imagery like buffalo, coyotes, hobos, and trains. The cheerful mood of the song belies themes of economic inequality, and the burden of worldly possessions, summed up in lines like ‘it’s mighty hard to catch your meal when you ain’t had enough to eat.’ The melodies and cadences of this song are derived, intentionally or not, from old American fiddle tunes like ‘Roll Boys Roll’ and ‘Booth Shot Lincoln.’

“I originally wrote it with clawhammer banjo as the accompaniment, but I had really been searching for a song to do with two guitars as a faster breakdown to showcase the style of flatpicking I love to do. We’re really emulating the two-guitar style of Norman and Nancy Blake here. They have always been a major influence on us. Norman is one of my favorite guitar players, along with Doc Watson and Michael Daves. I’m not a big fan of the more modern bluegrass guitar players; I gravitate toward those whose playing is more rooted in the old-time square dance fiddle style — very rhythmic, very driving, a little dirty.

“Playing a ’33 Gibson L-00 helps me get the sound I want too. Nothing like the growl a well-loved Gibson has to it. This guitar also fits my body better. I’m not a large person, and although I love dreadnaughts, a 00 body size is way more comfortable for me.” — Mark Kilianski, Golden Shoals

Photo credit: Kyle Wolff