Editor’s Note: Each issue of Good Country, our co-founder Ed Helms will share a handful of good country artists, albums, and songs direct from his own earphones in Ed’s Picks.
Sabrina Carpenter
Stop everything!! Sabrina Carpenter’s deluxe edition of Short n’ Sweet released today, featuring Dolly Parton herself on a new version of “Please Please Please” – and, thank you!
Olivia Ellen Lloyd
An honest, down to earth country singer-songwriter from West Virginia, the self-sufficient Olivia Ellen Lloyd will release her lovely new honky-tonkin’ album, Do It Myself, in March.
Kacey Musgraves
“The Architect” as Best Country Song? Another one the GRAMMYs got right this year. Even if you never stopped listening, it’s the perfect time to return to this Good Country track.
Indie folk with string band bones from Montana (via Nashville), we’re excited for TopHouse’s new EP, Practice – and that they’ll play our stage at Bourbon & Beyond later this year.
Cristina Vane
Hundreds of thousands of fans adore the blues, bluegrass, Americana, and country combinations of Cristina Vane and her slide guitar. Her latest, Hear My Call, is out next week.
Sunny War
Our BGS Artist of the Month, Sunny War brings together fingerpicking, blues, punk – and so much more. Her newest, Armageddon in a Summer Dress, is timely, fierce, and excellent.
Dive into our Artist of the Month coverage on BGS.
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Photo Credits: Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet; Olivia Ellen Lloyd by Aaron May; Kacey Musgraves by Kelly Christine Sutton; TopHouse courtesy of the artist; Cristina Vane courtesy of the artist; Sunny War by Joshua Black Wilkins.
To celebrate Black History Month – and the vital contributions of Black, Afro-, and African American artists and musicians to American roots music – BGS, Good Country, and our friends at Real Roots Radio in southwestern Ohio have partnered once again. This time, we’ll be bringing you weekly collections of a variety of Black roots musicians who have been featured on Real Roots Radio’s airwaves. You can listen to Real Roots Radio online 24/7 or via their FREE app for smartphones or tablets. If you’re based in Ohio, tune in via 100.3 (Xenia, Dayton, Springfield), 106.7 (Wilmington), or 105.5 (Eaton).
American roots music – in any of its many forms – wouldn’t exist today without the culture, stories, skills, and experiences of Black folks. Each week throughout February, we’ll spotlight this simple yet profound fact by diving into the catalogs and careers of some of the most important figures in our genres. For week two of the series, RRR host Daniel Mullins shares songs and stories of Stoney Edwards, Rissi Palmer, Keb’ Mo’, Tina Turner, and DeFord Bailey. Check out the first week of the series here.
We’ll return each Friday through the end of the month to bring you even more music celebrating Black History and the songs and sounds we all hold dear. Plus, you can find a full playlist with more than 100 songs below from dozens and dozens of seminal artists, performers, songwriters, and instrumentalists from every corner of folk, country, bluegrass, old-time, blues, and beyond.
Black history is American roots music history; the two are inseparable. As we celebrate Black History Month and its legacy, we hope you’ll join us in holding up and appreciating the artists who make country, bluegrass, blues, folk, and Americana the incredible and impactful genres that they are today.
Stoney Edwards (1929 – 1997)
If you don’t know the late, great Stoney Edwards’ name, it’s time to fix that – because his story in country is as powerful as the songs he sang.
Born Frenchie Edwards in Seminole Country, Oklahoma, in 1929, Stoney was part African American, Native American, and Irish. The son of sharecroppers, he was a prominent bootlegger in Oklahoma during his younger years. Stoney had dreams of playing the historic Grand Ole Opry. His big break in music would come later in life, in his early 40s, when he was discovered in California singing his honky-tonk style at a benefit for the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills.
Stoney was signed to Capitol Records in the early ’70s and from there he made history. He scored fifteen charting singles, including a pair of Top 20 hits, one of which – his 1973 hit “She’s My Rock” – is still revered as a bona fide country standard later covered by artists like Brenda Lee and George Jones. His songs were deeply authentic, whether he was singing about love, loss, or his own experiences growing up poor and Black in America. He gave a voice to the underdog, often drawing from his own struggles, including battling discrimination and working blue-collar jobs before music. Edwards would also record several songs saluting his country heroes over the years, including “The Jimmie Rodgers Blues,” “Daddy Bluegrass,” and his Top 40 hit, “Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul.”
Stoney’s music wasn’t just about catchy melodies; it was about storytelling. His debut single was inspired by a true story. Before he hit it big as a country singer, Stoney was trying to provide for his family working as a forklift operator at a steel refinery in San Francisco. A workplace accident resulted in Edwards being sealed up in a tank and suffering dangerous carbon dioxide poisoning; he endured an extensive two-year recovery, both physically and mentally. During this time, Stoney was struggling to care for his wife and children, so he planned to leave in the middle of the night. However he tripped over one of his daughter’s toys, and it prompted him to stay. In 1970, backed by the virtually unknown Asleep at the Wheel, Stoney Edwards released his debut single, the autobiographical “A Two Dollar Toy.”
While his career didn’t reach the same commercial heights as some of his peers, Stoney Edwards left an indelible mark on country music. He paved the way for greater diversity in the genre and showed that country music is for everyone – no matter where you come from or what you look like. Stoney Edwards passed away from stomach cancer in 1997 at the age of 67.
She’s a trailblazer in country music, a voice for change, and an artist who refuses to be boxed in – meet Rissi Palmer!
Palmer’s mother passed away when she was just seven years old, but she instilled in her a love for the music of Patsy Cline. Rissi would burst onto the country scene in 2007 with her hit single, “Country Girl,” making history as one of the few Black women to chart on the Billboard country charts. Rissi has built a career on breaking barriers by blending country, soul, and R&B into a sound all her own. She has penned some empowering original songs, helping folks on the margins feel seen, especially her most personal song, “You Were Here,” dealing with the heartbreak of a miscarriage.
Beyond the music, Palmer uses her platform to uplift underrepresented voices in country and roots music. As the host of Color Me Country radio on Apple Music, she spotlights Black, Indigenous, and Latino artists in country music – proving that the genre belongs to everyone. With her powerful voice and unwavering spirit, Rissi Palmer isn’t just making music, she’s making history.
Keb’ Mo’ is a modern blues legend. Born Kevin Moore, this L.A. native blends Delta blues with folk, soul, and a touch of country. With his smooth vocals and masterful guitar skills, he’s kept the blues alive for over four decades.
Mo’ is heavily influenced by the late Robert Johnson, who preceded Keb’ by about 60 years. Keb’ portrayed Robert Johnson in a 1998 documentary and included two Johnson covers on his breakthrough self-titled album in 1994. He has since won five GRAMMY Awards, collaborated with legends like Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Taj Mahal, and performed for multiple U.S. presidents.
Mo’ is embedded in country and Americana music as well, working with cats like Lyle Lovett, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Berry, Alison Brown, Jerry Douglas, and Darius Rucker over the years. He has been quick to share his respect for country and gospel traditions, appearing on the critically acclaimed all-star album, Orthophonic Joy, recreating the magic of the 1927 Bristol Sessions – country music’s big bang.
Whether he’s playing a heartfelt ballad or a foot-stomping blues groove, Keb’ Mo’ keeps the genre fresh and timeless. His music isn’t just about the past – it’s about where the blues is going next. We love his passion for all things American roots music. Fifty years into his remarkable career, Keb’ Mo’ is still one cool cat.
She was the Queen of rock ‘n’ roll, but did you know Tina Turner had deep country roots?
Born Anna Mae Bullock, she grew up in Nutbush, Tennessee. Tina recalled picking cotton as a youngster during her hardscrabble rural upbringing. Her musical journey began by singing at church on Sunday mornings. She grew up on country, gospel, and blues. Turner and her husband, Ike (who was abusive towards her) had massive success in R&B and rock and roll, but her first solo record was actually a country album.
In 1974, Turner released her debut LP, Tina Turns The Country On!, introducing herself as a solo act. Featuring top musicians, including Country Music Hall of Famer James Burton on guitar, Tina tackled songs from country greats like Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, and Hank Snow. It would go on to receive a GRAMMY nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1975. Over the years, unreleased songs from this groundbreaking album would be dropped, including her powerful take on “Stand by Your Man.”
However, her most enduring impact on country might be as the inspiration behind one of the outlaw movement’s most popular hits. In 1969, Waylon Jennings was staying at a motel in Fort Worth, Texas, when he saw a newspaper ad about Ike & Tina Turner that intrigued him enough to interrupt Willie Nelson during a poker game so they could write a country classic. The phrase that struck Waylon heralded Turner as “a good hearted woman loving a two-timin’ man.” Sound familiar?
From honky-tonks to stadiums, Tina Turner’s fiery spirit left an unforgettable mark on practically every genre – country, rock, and everything in between.
Let’s go back to the early days of country to a name that shaped the Grand Ole Opry, but is often forgotten: DeFord Bailey, “The Harmonica Wizard!”
Born in 1899 in Smith County, Tennessee, Bailey grew up around banjos and fiddles in a musical family, saying that he learned the “Black hillbilly music” tradition. He overcame polio as a child, resulting in his short stature – he was only 4’ 10” tall – but it was through this ordeal that he found his voice in a harmonica. While recovering from the disease, he was bedridden for a year, and learned to mimic the sounds he heard outside on his harmonica: trains, animals, and the rhythms of life.
In 1927, Bailey became one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry on Nashville’s WSM, dazzling crowds with hits like “Pan American Blues.” He was actually the first artist introduced after George D. Hay referred to WSM’s Barn Dance as the “Grand Ole Opry” for the first time to poke fun at NBC’s classical Grand Opera. Bailey would also become the first artist to record in Music City. His hits like “Fox Chase,” “John Henry,” and “Evening Prayer Blues” captivated radio audiences, making him one of the Opry’s most popular performers. He would tour with other stars like Roy Acuff, Uncle Dave Macon, The Delmore Brothers, and Bill Monroe, but would often not be allowed to stay in the same hotels or eat at the same restaurants as his white contemporaries due to Jim Crow laws.
In 1941, DeFord Bailey was unceremoniously fired from the Grand Ole Opry under suspicious circumstances. He would make his living shining shoes in Nashville and would not perform on the Opry again until 1974, the first of only a handful of final performances on the radio program which he helped grow during its infancy, before his passing in 1982.
The Grand Ole Opry would eventually work to reconcile its mistreatment of its first Black member, issuing a public apology to the late DeFord Bailey in 2023 with his descendants on hand. Old Crow Medicine Show was there to celebrate the occasion, performing their tribute song to Bailey led by black percussionist Jerry Pentecost, entitled “DeFord Rides Again.”
In 2005, Bailey was rightfully inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and over 40 years since his passing, he is still recognized as the Harmonica Wizard.
To celebrate Black History Month – and the vital contributions of Black, Afro-, and African American artists and musicians to American roots music – BGS, Good Country, and our friends at Real Roots Radio in southwestern Ohio have partnered once again. This time, we’ll be bringing you weekly collections of a variety of Black roots musicians who have been featured on Real Roots Radio’s airwaves. You can listen to Real Roots Radio online 24/7 or via their FREE app for smartphones or tablets. If you’re based in Ohio, tune in via 100.3 (Xenia, Dayton, Springfield), 106.7 (Wilmington), or 105.5 (Eaton).
American roots music – in any of its many forms – wouldn’t exist today without the culture, stories, skills, and experiences of Black folks. Each week throughout February, we’ll spotlight this simple yet profound fact by diving into the catalogs and careers of some of the most important figures in our genres. To kick us off, RRR host Daniel Mullins shares songs and stories of Big Al Downing, Yola, Cleve Francis, Charley Crockett, Elizabeth Cotten, Dom Flemons, and Lead Belly.
We’ll return each Friday through the end of the month to bring you even more music celebrating Black History and the songs and sounds we all hold dear. Plus, you can find a full playlist with more than 100 songs below from dozens and dozens of seminal artists, performers, songwriters, and instrumentalists from every corner of folk, country, bluegrass, old-time, blues, and beyond.
Black history is American roots music history; the two are inseparable. As we celebrate Black History Month and its legacy, we hope you’ll join us in holding up and appreciating the artists who make country, bluegrass, blues, folk, and Americana the incredible and impactful genres that they are today.
Big Al Downing (1940 – 2005)
Big Al Downing was an engaging entertainer whose winding career included forays into many genres, including country music. An Oklahoma boy, Downing played piano on Wanda Jackson’s signature rockabilly hit, “Let’s Have A Party,” before pursuing a solo career, finding some mainstream success, dabbling in R&B, and even scoring a Number 1 disco hit, “I’ll Be Holding On.”
However, Downing made history in country as one of the earliest Black artists to find success in the genre. Beginning in the late ’70s, he would have a string of fifteen singles hit the Billboard country charts over the next decade, three of which reached the Top 20. He was nominated by the Academy of Country Music for their Top New Male Vocalist award in 1980. Big Al would be a frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry, Hee Haw, Nashville Now, and more.
Downing’s soulful singing on hardcore country songs like “Bring It On Home” and “Touch Me (I’ll Be Your Fool Once More)” endeared him to fans, while his story song “Mr. Jones” has remained beloved by country enthusiasts. His career spanned five different decades of country, rockabilly, and more, remaining active in the country music world until shortly before his passing in 2005 after a brief battle with leukemia. Downing is a member of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Rockabilly Music Hall of Fame, and his legacy is still remembered by longtime fans of country music.
Yola is a soul, country, and roots powerhouse! Born in the United Kingdom, Yola’s voice is a force of nature – rich, soulful, and packed with emotion. She started as a songwriter and backing vocalist before stepping into the spotlight with her 2019 debut album, the GRAMMY-nominated Walk Through Fire! Featuring contributions from Vince Gill, Molly Tuttle, Charlie McCoy, Ronnie McCoury, and more, the project was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and quickly endeared her to roots music lovers everywhere. She even appeared as a guest vocalist with all-star group The Highwomen.
With her unique blend of country, rock, and soul, Yola shatters boundaries. In 2021, she dropped Stand for Myself, an album full of bold, genre-blending anthems that brought her more GRAMMY noms. She has even dabbled in acting as of late, appearing on Broadway in Hadestown and playing Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the hit blockbuster Elvis. Do yourself a favor and check out this bon a fide star in roots music.
Do you remember Cleve Francis? He grew up listening to Hank Williams in Louisiana as a child before making his first guitar out of window screen wire and a King Edwards Cigar Box on his way to becoming an inspiring country artist. Cleve isn’t just a singer – but he’s a songwriter, a dreamer, and a doctor? That’s right, before he hit the stage, Cleve was saving lives.
Dr. Cleve Francis was a practicing cardiologist before he pursued his passion for country music full-time in the late ’80s. Cleve brought a fresh voice to the genre in the 1990s with his smooth voice and heartfelt lyrics that resonated with country fans, resulting in four singles on the Billboard country charts. Cleve’s style of country earned him appearances on major stages like the Grand Ole Opry, The Today Show, and more.
Though he eventually returned to medicine, Francis left an enduring legacy, inspiring many Black country artists who have followed in his wake. He was instrumental in the curation of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s “From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music” exhibit while also helping found the Black Country Music Association in the mid ’90s.
In 2021, he was recognized with a Black Opry Icon Award, and his album Walkin’ is on display at the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington D.C., where he could still been seen frequently performing at the legendary Birchmere music club until his retirement in 2021.
One of the most authentic voices in modern American roots music, Charley Crockett has a story that sounds borderline mythical. A descendant of Davy Crockett who grew up in Texas, Crockett spent his early years busking on street corners from New Orleans to Dallas to New York, learning the art of storytelling from life itself. His travels took him to California, Paris, Spain, and Morocco before returning to Texas and releasing his debut album in 2015. Crockett’s recording output has been impressive, frequently releasing multiple albums a year and balancing his records with heartfelt originals and a deep catalog traditional songs from the likes of Tom T. Hall, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck and more.
The common denominator is Charley – his voice carries a raw, timeless quality that cuts straight to the heart. Now performing at the Ryman Auditorium and on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Charley’s rise hasn’t gone unnoticed. He’s earned critical acclaim and has racked up accolades from the American Music Association and a GRAMMY nomination. With black, Cajun, Creole and Jewish heritage, Crockett’s unique take on country and American roots music is sure to speak to music lovers everywhere for years to come.
An underappreciated hero of American folk and blues, Elizabeth Cotten was born in 1893 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Growing up in a musical family, by the time she was 7 Elizabeth taught herself to play guitar left-handed. She flipped the guitar upside down, creating her own unique picking style, now known as “Cotten picking,” which featured alternating bass notes played with her fingers while her thumb played the melody.
Elizabeth wrote her iconic song, “Freight Train,” when she was just 12 years old. This classic has been recorded by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson, and dozens more artists across multiple genres. But her music remained largely unheard for decades as she spent much of her life working as a domestic housekeeper. It wasn’t until she reached her 60s, while working for the Seeger family – yes, that Seeger family – that her incredible talent received a proper platform. Working for a family that loved and appreciated music inspired Elizabeth to resume playing. With the Seegers’ encouragement, Elizabeth recorded her first album, Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar, in 1958, recorded at home by Mike Seeger, a member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Cotten went on to perform at major festivals thanks to the folk revival, w0n a GRAMMY at age 90, and inspired countless musicians before passing away in Syracuse, New York at the age of 94. Elizabeth Cotten was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Let’s shine a spotlight on a modern-day troubadour, the Grammy-winning musician, historian, and storyteller Dom Flemons, The American Songster. An avid folk music fan, Flemons was a busker in his home state of Arizona before moving cross country to North Carolina to help found the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a band that revived the nearly forgotten legacy of Black string band music.
Flemons has been a successful solo artist for the last decade-plus. He is a master of multiple instruments – banjo, bones, guitar, harmonica – you name it! His music blends old-time, folk, blues, jazz, and country, tracing the deep roots of African American contributions to American music. From the Grand Ole Opry to Carnegie Hall, Flemons brings history to life with every note.
His 2018 album, Black Cowboys, uncovered the often overlooked stories of African American pioneers in the West, earning critical acclaim and a GRAMMY nomination. Today, whether performing solo or collaborating with legends like Taj Mahal, Sam Bush, and Rhiannon Giddens, Flemons keeps the rich traditions of American roots music alive. In addition to educating audiences about the origins of roots music, Flemons creates great original music as well, truly embodying his moniker.
As The Boston Globe said, “most folk artists go by ‘singer-songwriter’ or simply ‘musician.’ But ‘American Songster’ speaks to a greater truth about the work Flemons, a multi-instrumentalist, has accomplished.” We couldn’t agree more.
He was a man of legend, his voice as powerful as the chains that once bound him. Born Huddie Ledbetter in 1888, the world knows him as Lead Belly. Imprisoned and pardoned multiple times, Lead Belly carried his music from the prison yards of Louisiana to the streets of New York City.
Legend has it that his musical gift led to his release. His background makes his prison, chain gang, and work songs even more haunting, including “Midnight Special.” His original song, “Goodnight Irene,” has been recorded more than two hundred times, including versions by Ernest Tubb & Red Foley, Moon Mullican, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Reed, and Johnny Cash. It is viewed as a verified country standard.
“Duncan and Brady,” “In the Pines,” “Cotton Fields” – his songs told stories of hardship, freedom, and the American experience. Lead Belly’s music shaped folk, blues, rock, and country inspiring legends like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, The Johnson Mountain Boys, and Nirvana.
Lead Belly died in 1949, but his music lives on. His voice still echoes in every blues riff and folk song today. Lead Belly was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Today, Bourbon & Beyond, the world’s largest music and bourbon festival, announced its lineup for their 2025 event, occurring September 11 through 14, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky once again held at the Kentucky Expo Center. Last year, the festival attracted more than 200,000 attendees over its four days, setting a record as the largest music festival in the state’s history with its singular and wildly attractive roots-meets-mainstream lineup.
This year, main stage headliners include The Lumineers, Alabama Shakes, Phish, Sturgill Simpson (as Johnny Blue Skies), Jack White, Noah Kahan, Megan Moroney, and more. Plus, BGS returns to Bourbon & Beyond for our seventh consecutive year, programming The Bluegrass Situation stage in the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar. Attendees can enjoy delicious Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from dozens of distilleries while hearing the best bluegrass, country, and Americana from across the country. Don’t miss line dancing between sets while you enjoy the sounds of BGS – from new discoveries to living legends – and one of the shadiest spots on the festival grounds.
Our headliners gracing the BGS stage will be some of our biggest gets yet for the event, including AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Rhonda Vincent, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Leftover Salmon. Plus, you can catch Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland – who just announced their upcoming debut duo album – young mandolin phenom Wyatt Ellis, the impressively big-voiced Jett Holden, GRAMMY nominee Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and many more. (Find our full BGS stage lineup below.)
While there’s always plenty of bluegrass and old-time, folk and Americana to be found on our own stage, B&B boasts an incredibly diverse array of artists, bands, and musicians each year across all of its stages. Elsewhere during the event we’ll be running around, too catching sets by Bonny Light Horseman, Kelsey Waldon, Flatland Cavalry, Jade Bird, Julien Baker & TORRES, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lake Street Dive, Trampled by Turtles, and so many more.
“Bourbon & Beyond is the best lineup of the year – bringing together the biggest names in rock, Americana, and alt, alongside country icons and breakout artists,” says Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Productions, who produces the event. “It’s a festival that doesn’t just celebrate one sound, but the best of all of them, paired with world-class bourbon, incredible food, and that unmistakable Kentucky vibe.”
We couldn’t agree more. Bourbon & Beyond remains one of the highest quality events we’ve ever partnered with, bringing together world class food and beverage, unique experiences and activities, so many genres and sounds, and the buzziest talents alongside sparkling fresh discoveries and legacy acts with household names. All set in the heart of roots music country in beautiful Kentucky.
Tickets for Bourbon & Beyond are on sale now. We hope you’ll join us for yet another year in Louisville – you won’t want to miss our BGS stage lineup or any of the limitless fun B&B has on offer.
BGS Stage Lineup:
AJ Lee & Blue Summit Rhonda Vincent Steep Canyon Rangers Leftover Salmon Caleb Caudle & the Sweet Critters Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland Chatham Rabbits Wyatt Ellis Fruition Jett Holden Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Danny Paisley & Southern Grass Steep Canyon Rangers Thunder & Rain TopHouse Wonder Women of Country
Austin, Texas-based alt-country rockers Reckless Kelly released their music video for “What’s Left of My Heart” – from their 2024 album, The Last Frontier – a handful of months ago. Now, they’ve returned with a special “Pop-Up Music Video” that takes viewers behind the scenes of the making of the video. (Watch below.)
Bits of commentary, context, insight, facts, and fun “pop up” as noteworthy action occurs on screen, bringing outlaw country fans into the processes that led to the zany and fun visual rendition of the track. Set in the now-legendary South Austin honky-tonk Giddy Ups, just days before it permanently closed its doors, the video includes plenty of Easter eggs and details that would have easily gone overlooked if not for the illuminating pop-ups. Viewers follow frontman Willy Braun through a series of hijinx brought on – or enhanced by? – the band’s informal mantra, “sorry for partying.”
“We shot the entire video in about five hours after a show,” Willy’s brother and bandmate Cody Braun explains via press release, “So a ton of pre-prep and organizing had to happen. It was amazing to have friends, family, and musician buddies join us and bring this vision to life. Giddy Ups was one of our favorite spots, and as Austin changes, we wanted to give it a proper send-off.”
“What’s Left of My Heart” is certainly that send-off, but with so many collaborators, actors, cameos, industry folks, and special guests, the behind-the-scenes touches of the pop-up video help illustrate how important community and family are to the band over the decades. There’s so much to see and hear in “What’s Left of My Heart,” we don’t want to give any of it away! So don’t miss a single beat and watch Reckless Kelly’s new pop-up music video.
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Photo Credit: Robert Millage Video Credit: Co-directed by Tony Gates and Cody Braun.
A few short weeks ago, Alison Krauss & Union Station made roots music waves announcing their first headlining tour since 2015, featuring dozens of dates stretching from April ’til September of this year. Now, the 14-time GRAMMY-winning bluegrass band is announcing their first album in 14 years, Arcadia, set for release on March 28 on Down The Road Records. This marks the return of Krauss & Union Station to collaborating with Rounder Records founders Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, Bill Nowlin, and John Virant, who recently began Down The Road Records. Decades ago, Irwin first signed the fiddle phenom when she was still a teenager.
With the album’s announcement, the band have released Arcadia‘s first single, “Looks Like the End of the Road,” a song written by Jeremy Lister that hearkens back to the emotive slow burns of classic AKUS albums like 1997’s So Long, So Wrong. (Listen above.) Gritty Dobro, by none other than Jerry Douglas of course, and pining mandolin tremolos are underpinned by sweeping pads and transatlantic textures. It all at once sounds like idiomatic Union Station while clearly signaling their transition from a former era to a newly minted one. “Looks Like the End of the Road” is an apropos beginning for this world-renowned group starting down a new highway.
“Usually, I find something that’s a first song, and then things fall into place,” says Krauss via press release. “That song was ‘Looks Like the End of the Road.’ Jeremy Lister wrote it, and it just felt so alive – and as always, I could hear the guys already playing it.”
“The guys,” at this juncture, include longtime band members Douglas, Ron Block, Barry Bales, and a new addition, Russell Moore, a 6-time winner of the IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award and a veteran frontman of bluegrass mainstays IIIrd Tyme Out.
“To say I’m excited about recording and touring with Alison Krauss & Union Station would be a huge understatement,” Moore gushed in the band’s December 2024 tour announcement. “After 40 years of playing music full-time and leading my own group for 34 years, this opportunity is among the few things at the top of the list that my music career has offered me. My hopes and desires are to fill this spot in AKUS with the same professionalism, precision, and thoughtfulness as other members who have held this position before me, and I’m looking forward to the ‘ride!'”
Tickets for the gargantuan Arcadia tour – which will feature special guest Willie Watson – are already on sale. Anticipation for the first studio album in 14 years from one of the most prominent and impactful bluegrass groups in history is remarkably high. Yet again, with Arcadia, Alison Krauss & Union Station are poised to bring their singular blend of bluegrass, Americana, adult contemporary, and stellar song interpretations to millions of fans and listeners around the world.
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
Gillian Welch. She has shown me that lyrics can be both beautiful and dark, honest and true. Her instrumentation is brilliantly simple and to see her play live is to transcend to a different plane.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
We played “The Wild” in Seattle, and I asked if anybody had gone fishing that day. A fella had been out that morning and caught three coho salmon. When the song started he closed his eyes and I knew he was back on the ocean in the breeze and the water. I love to see other people getting to escape through my music.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
Photography, antiquing and home décor design, cooking, and hosting friends.
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
I love Daft Punk. Especially their song “Something About Us.” They influenced a lot of the cosmic aspect of my album and I greatly admire their lyrics and musicality.
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
There is nothing I could do instead, I am married to the music.
Back in August 2024, in tandem with the release of his earth-shaking country debut, F-1 Trillion, Post Malone took to the heralded Grand Ole Opry stage for the very first time. The special edition show, “Post Malone & Friends Live at the Opry,” was filmed for an Opry Live and Circle Now livestream broadcast and featured performances by Malone, Lainey Wilson, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, The War and Treaty, and many more.
As usual, the incredible Opry content team was backstage and on hand for the momentous evening, capturing Malone’s debut as they do for each artist who takes to the stage, stepping into “the circle” – the inset portion of stage taken from the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville and installed into the floorboards of the Grand Ole Opry House. Hundreds, if not thousands, of iconic artists, musicians, and celebrities have strode the hallowed circle.
“Stepping into the circle today is very much like the Super Bowl,” Malone says in the video released last week. “It’s terrifying, but it’s so exciting – and I’m ready to rock.”
And rock he did, bringing the drive and swagger of his mainstream background onto the Opry stage, packaged in rugged, honky-tonkin’, and fun F-1 Trillion vibes. The video showcases just how excited and even giddy Malone is to share in the legacy of the Opry. It’s a common, nearly universal feeling for every artist – of every level and every genre –who has stepped onto that stage.
With words and thoughts from Wilson, Gill, and Post Malone himself, the video includes sweet backstage moments, clips of once-in-a-lifetime performances, and a heaping helping of the welcome and hospitality of the Grand Ole Opry family. It’s a testament to how open and warm this genre can be to newcomers and visitors in these styles – when it wants to be.
Megan and Rebecca Lovell are Larkin Poe, a band that nestles into a myriad of genres – and the sisters are good with that. Their newest full-length album effort, Bloom, out January 24, comes fresh off the heels of a GRAMMY win for Best Contemporary Blues Album with last year’s Blood Harmony. They also landed Duo of the Year at 2024’s Americana Honors & Awards, proving that by digging into their own stories, collaborating even when it isn’t easy, and filtering it all through what the music will feel like on stage, they carve a sound that knocks down doors into multiple genre territories.
Independent spirit permeates everything the sisters do, from the way they write and produce the music to how they map out the aesthetics of how they present the work. Bloom is no exception, finding the women delving deeply into personal and social themes in a way they say they have not before, the result of getting real with each other and learning how to collaborate through the writing process.
In “You Are the River,” we find them contemplating a common theme throughout the album, that sometimes the best and the worst are married inextricably and tie us to each other.
The sand in the oyster The pressure on the coal The sum of the parts is greater than the whole A chain of reactions A butterfly’s wing My hand holding yours to form another link
For our Artist of the Month interview, BGS spoke with Megan and Rebecca via Zoom from their respective homes in Nashville. The Lovells discuss the challenges and joy of writing together, the evolution of their relationship with their fans, and the pressures of public life in the age of social media.
You all have been lauded in multiple genres, from blues to Americana. You are also identified as a rock and roll band and here we are talking on a bluegrass outlet. What do you think about genres in general, and do you consider them at all during creation of the music?
Rebecca Lovell: One of the greatest pieces of advice that we’ve ever received was from Mr. Elvis Costello. Many, many years ago, he advised us to defy the temptation to put ourselves into a genre box. He has lived up to that creed himself, having made bluegrass, gospel, country, punk, rock records, operatic records, and musical records.
For us, having been able to sample all the different facets of who we are as people and music lovers allows us to connect with the people who are consuming our music. I think increasingly, all of us consume music from a wide range of genres. I do think that that’s one gift of streaming platforms. The very barest of silver lining is that it opens up your mind to the fact that there is great music to be found in every genre, and I think genre-blending is the way of the future.
So we call what we do roots rock and roll, which is intentionally very vague because we get great joy out of letting the many flavors of our musical heritage be represented. That allowed us this past summer to play at a bluegrass festival and then play at a world music festival, play at a pop festival, a rock festival, a country festival, and it keeps it fresh. It keeps it exciting.
You’ve won awards in multiple genres, especially in the past few years. I was curious: are awards ever a motivator for you? Do you ever think about them when you’re creating?
Megan Lovell: Winning awards is a very new thing for us. We’ve always made music with a different focus, because we’ve always felt that the real reward is people being willing to stand in line or travel and buy a ticket and wait at the venue for us to come and play. So that’s always been our focus. Not to say that winning an award isn’t a cool experience, and definitely something we’re super appreciative of, but I don’t think it’s something we consider when we’re writing or recording.
We’re definitely thinking about our live show. We’re really writing intentionally, thinking about how it will feel when we’re touring. Because that’s what we do most of the year is tour.
Tell me about your writing process, both when it’s just you two as sisters, bandmates, and business owners and then also when you bring in other folks to collaborate.
RL: I think Bloom represents a really cool point in our evolution as creative collaborators. Since the ground up, Megan and I have been projecting together since we were little kids. It’s felt like [there was] a lot of foreshadowing in our childhood that we would work together, because we’ve always been so collaborative. But songwriting was one of the last holdouts of our working relationship that there was friction in. I’m sure it has to do with the fact that there is a piece of this sibling rivalry thing. But getting older, being more comfortable with and accepting your flaws, and being able to then have the self-confidence in a writing session to throw out ideas – that inherently, because they are ideas, they’re not fully fledged. They can be misunderstood or sound stupid.
I think we’d had some writing experiences in the past where we had not had the best of times. It just felt like a lot of false starts. We typically had written separately, but something clicked in the last 6 to 8 months leading up to the writing process for Bloom. We made the commitment to and had many conversations about writing the record together, and I really think you can hear the progress that we made as a team in manifesting that true creative collaboration. I think the songs are so much better.
There was a real commitment to being very intentional with everything that we said on this record. Being a songwriter and a performer, there is always this temptation to self-aggrandize, or build a character for yourself, or be the movie theatrical version of who you are and what your life feels like. I specifically have written from that space in the past and listening back, we wanted to do something different this time. That was our consensus. We went through every song, every lyric on this record with a fine-tooth comb, to ensure that real vulnerable authenticity was represented in the lyrics. That took a lot of courage and I am really proud of us for making that commitment, and being able to actually pull it off with this album.
ML: You know, what’s funny is, when we were thinking about bringing in a third collaborator, did we go outside? No, we actually end up working with Rebecca’s husband [Tyler Bryant] a lot. So we have that sibling dynamic and the husband-and-wife dynamic. We really like to complicate things.
RL: There is a certain shorthand that exists when someone knows you really well, when you know someone really well, and especially between Megan and myself – and also Tyler. We all have very closely mirrored musical upbringings and we have a lot of kindred spirit energy in the records that we’re all referencing for the production and the songwriting.
It does create this space, when handled correctly, for being really truthful, being really genuine, and allowing yourself to actually go to those spaces. I was the big crybaby on this record. I was weeping in these co-writes, like inconsolable. But that allows you to really channel some specific, detailed stuff from your own experience. The more specific you’re able to get with yourself, the more likely it is you’re going to be able to connect with other people. And that is our biggest motivator.
That’s so wonderful. Speaking of, what is your relationship with your fans like? And do you see it evolving as you change your process and become more open that way?
ML: We have a lot of musically deep music lovers and they’re really cool, knowledgeable people. I think because we’ve kind of always been a little bit left of center, we’ve attracted a cool audience; people who appreciate the do-it-yourself attitude and people who just really want to support a grassroots effort.
We’ve had people who have been following now for decades, which is strange to be able to say, but they’ve really stuck with it. Of course, those relationships do shift over time. And certainly through the pandemic. That was a huge shift in the way that we related to people, because we were using the internet to connect. We had these pretty spiritual conversations with people that I’m not sure would have happened if we hadn’t been online and talking all of the time. We came out of the pandemic with a lot more intimate fans.
Can you talk about the recording process? Where did you cut this record? How did you decide to bring in your husband as co-producer?
RL: I do think the pandemic played a big role in the shift of Megan and myself bringing Tyler Bryant in as a co-producer because, for the last 10 years, we’ve been self-producing our records. At Megan’s behest as the big sister, she was like, “It’s time. We need to self-produce our records.” That was very scary at first, but we got our feet wet and got our bearings.
Ultimately, we’re so grateful that we made that shift, because it allowed us to hold the reins in the studio and steer the music in the direction that we wanted to go. Through the pandemic, we built a state of the art recording studio in the basement of our home, and we wanted to make records. We didn’t want to hold up our creative process. We were still distancing in our bubble. But it was the group of us, and by necessity we started recording in that home studio; we’re kind of blown away at the sounds we could get. There was an effortless nature of being in a really safe home environment.
When Megan and I tour with our band, we’re a four-piece, so we set up as a four-piece in the studio and went for it. Hopefully, that will allow our records to age gracefully because they are very true and very stripped down to who we are as a band.
ML: But honestly, when we were going to studios, we were experiencing a lot of Keurig machines and we like really nice espresso machines. So we made the decision to stay home.
Let’s talk about the song “Pearls.” It seems to be built around the idea of maintaining a sense of self while you’re navigating the world that’s constantly reflecting you in such a public way. I wanted to know, as family and as bandmates and business partners, how do you navigate the ever-changing and tumultuous world of being in the public eye, especially in the age of social media?
RL: I think it’s one of the hardest things. It is so challenging to exist in a space where you need to have just enough ego to get on stage and perform. But you can’t identify too much with that ego, because then you’re creating a very limited, narrow lane for yourself. But don’t have too big of an ego, because then you’re going to be a bitch and nobody’s gonna like you. So it’s this weird straddling of all these different elements of our identities. And then we’re having to do that together.
With so much shared experience between us, Megan knows the true me. I think that you and I have cultivated a great deal of grace, allowing that true nature to evolve. Who we were when we were 5, is simultaneously the same as who we are now, and also very, very different. Allowing that leeway for ourselves is only something that we’ve started really engaging with in the last 5 years. Right, Megan?
ML: Yeah, we’ve had a lot of conversations over the last couple of years. We are coming to more of an understanding of where the tension was coming from, from who we are as people, and then who we expect ourselves to be on stage. Then also that sort of external pressure that everybody has that we also felt from a very young age from the people around us. There are people in the industry who expect us to be something and then fans who come and meet us. There are a lot of opinions flying around, but you really don’t have to take anything on board that you don’t want to.
Whether it’s that one negative comment on a post that you for some reason have to obsess about, even though there are 99% positive comments. You just can’t get that negative comment out of your head and I don’t even know if I trust that person’s opinion. It’s a good reminder to just steer your own ship.
You mentioned different kinds of festivals, different genres of festivals. When you think about your tour, what kind of stage do you feel the most at home on? Is it a festival? Is it a club or theater? Is it a genre of festival?
ML: 2025 is going to be a big year for touring. Last year we played a lot of festivals. This year we are playing a lot of headline shows and we’re going to start in the U.S. and go through the spring. Then we’re gonna do a big fall European tour. And it’s shaping up to be really, really amazing. We have a really substantial following over in Europe. We have done a lot of work over there. There’s some bucket list venues that we’re gonna play.
I love a headline show. You know, where the place is packed, and there’s that energy in the audience, and everybody knows the lyrics. There’s nothing that beats that vibe and you can find that anywhere. You can find it in a tiny rock club to an arena or a festival. The important thing is that people are engaged from the stage to the audience, and vice versa.
Same for you, Rebecca?
RL: Yeah, I agree. I love a headline date, I think, especially because Megan and I are album people. We like a body of work. I like to sit down and listen to an artist’s album from the beginning to the end to try and get a sense of where they were at when they were writing the record. Megan and I, when we make our records, we obsess about the content, about the story arc, about the sequencing of the record, about the packaging, about the font.
And I think we get that same kind of energy in a headline show because we’re thinking about the colors of lights and which of the songs we are going to include and how much of the old material. We really want to have that space with the music and the emotional content of the music, and you feel that energy, and you feel that resonance. If everything goes right and everyone has their hearts open, you gain access to this portal where I think a lot of transformative change can happen between humans. And that’s what we seek.
Ten years after a band of college friends played their first show in Lubbock, Texas, Flatland Cavalry have finally stopped moving to take a look around. Released in early November, their latest album, Flatland Forever, is a 25-song chronological opus, sampling key tracks from their six acclaimed albums. But, as with most things the band does, it isn’t your typical “greatest hits” package.
Also finding space for a few unreleased gems, Flatland Forever traces the contours of a remarkable roots music rise. This Cavalry has ridden to the rescue of countless country fans, pushing an indie ethos deep into the mainstream while retaining a self-contained spirit, and the Forever project offers new listeners an easy way to get up to speed.
Their 10 years have seen Flatland gather 500 million streams and a Gold certification for the tender “A Life Where We Work Out,” while establishing their live-band cred alongside the genre’s best and brightest. 2024 alone saw them score their first ACM Awards nomination (for Group of the Year), plus high-profile Hollywood placements in Yellowstone, Twisters, and more.
They also marked their first headlining shows at iconic venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Ryman Auditorium, and they made a triumphant return to Texas on December 31, headlining Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena for the first time. Then it’s on to the Flatland Forever Tour – kicking off February 7 in Atlanta – with a new setlist to match the album in scope and satisfaction.
It definitely seems like a good time to take stock of how far Flatland Cavalry has come, and in a conversation with Good Country last month, lead singer and songwriter Cleto Cordero does just that. Breaking from a peaceful morning in Nashville which found him “sitting like a hippie or a cat and letting the sun hit me in the face, just breathing,” Cordero explains where Flatland Forever came from, and what it feels like to pass a true milestone.
Why don’t you start by telling me how you’re feeling these days. This is definitely a milestone that most bands never even imagined they’ll reach. So how’s it feel?
Cleto Cordero: It feels really good. It feels like a lot of hard work paying off and proof that persistence can get you where you aspire to go. It’s been a long journey, but you wake up one day and it’s like 10 years later and heck, man, you’re walking in the dream that was just in your head 10 years ago. So it feels good. It’s affirming.
That’s a beautiful thing for sure. It’s been ten years since the band started. I just wonder, are you still feeling inspired by music making?
We stay pretty busy on the road, so it is challenging to find that zen where, to me, the songs come from. But that’s why I’m seeking it. That’s why I’m sitting in the sun in my library. I just listened to a meditation last night and it was a lecture by Neville Goddard, and he’s talking about being still – it’s like the old biblical scripture, “Be still know that I’m God.” I think as much as we move and shake and hustle and bustle, that place where songs come from in my heart seems harder to hear. So I have to seek that inspiration and try to convene with it every day.
Tell me a little bit about Flatland Forever and the idea behind this. It seems like the key for you guys was to make it more than a greatest hits package, right?
The idea was initially brought to me by Matt Morris at Interscope Records, who we began working with last September. He had an idea like, “Y’all have so many great songs. And for someone that doesn’t know who Flatland is, it’s kind of a lot to chew on. Maybe there’s a way we can put all the songs in one place on a compilation.” And as he was saying that, I told him I had an idea for an album that I want to make one day called Flatland Forever. I was like, “That’s literally what I envisioned it to be.”
So his idea and mine kind of melded together and then I didn’t want it to just be stuff that we had already released. I wanted to throw in some unreleased songs or stuff that we had recorded but never shared, and it morphed into this smorgasbord of old and new.
As you were putting it together, did you notice any creative growth? As you went back through these older songs, how did they line up with the new stuff?
I mean, a [new] song called “Three Car Garage,” that’s something I could imagine myself writing last week or something. … I think if you listen to the start of the album and then you make your way on to the very end, it will be a journey hearing us evolve sonically and lyrically and all that stuff. … But I wrote that one when I was in college and I had skipped class one day and I was just sitting in my garage.
I took a look around and the books I’d been reading at the time, like, “write about what you know,” so I just took a look around and that’s literally the vantage point of me sitting in the garage. But there’s also some other meaning to it as well, because the bridge is like, “If you’re bored and got nothing to do, change your point of view.” It captures a youthful spirit. I’m glad it came out 10 years later – whenever we sing it, I’m like, “Okay, that’s young, hopeful, optimistic, enthusiastic Cleto.”
Since the album covers the band’s whole history, does it also kind of capture the spirit of a live show?
It does. The good thing about having a lot of songs to play is you have a lot of variety, but then we’ve been on this Wandering Star Tour and I really want to give those songs a chance. But yeah, the idea of Flatland Forever is this compilation thing, so our next tour will be named after that and I feel like we can play anything from the vault in any order. … It’s making me think a little bit, creatively. Like, I can start off the show with “Sleeping Alone” or it can be totally different every night and any song.
What’s it feel like to get to go to Fort Worth to Dickies Arena and headline?
A dream come true. We’ve worked really hard for 10 years to get to a place where we can fill up a room with hopefully 10,000 people. I mean, we played Fort Worth the last two years in a row, two nights each at Billy Bob’s – which is like 5,000 people [each night]. Our booking agent told me last New Year’s Eve, “Hey, the next time you play Fort Worth, it’s going to be at the arena.” And so this date has been a year in my brain. It’s been the little lighthouse on the coast. All the shows we played this year, to me it’s all like, “What have I learned? What can I apply to this big show on New Year’s Eve?” And hopefully, Lord willing, I do envision that for us – to put on an arena show and take it everywhere.
“A Life Where We Work Out” is now Gold-certified. Congratulations on that. What does that accomplishment mean to you?
I feel lucky and grateful, because that song was written about a relationship that I had messed up. Now it’s like a mistake I had made and how a mistake can turn into a Gold record is pretty ironic and kind of crazy. But I don’t say that at the expense of the other person on the other end of that relationship. It was just a dumb, young college kind of thing. But how that turned into a Gold record, meeting my wife, and our biggest song. I think God [or] the Universe has a sense of humor. You know what I mean? Even if we screw it up ourselves so badly, it still can turn into something golden. So I feel really lucky and grateful.
My favorite part of the record is what you guys end up doing with “Mornings With You.” Including the work tape and then also the fully fleshed-out version is really cool. Are you trying to show fans something with that?
Yeah, so before a song gets recorded, there’s always a work tape cut first, or else we’ll forget it. … And no one ever gets to hear that. I just wanted to share that with the fans, and there’ll be a deluxe version of the record that comes out. … It’ll have commentary about the work tapes and more acoustic versions and stuff. So it’ll be more that kind of stuff.
I will just leave you with the big picture. What do you hope your fans are going to take away from Flatland Forever?
The takeaway is that a little band made of college kids followed their dreams and, 10 years later, they have a small little pile of work that they’ve worked towards year after year. That’s the amalgamation of it. And if anything, it’s just a testament that if you pursue your dreams and work hard and don’t give up on it, then you can literally do anything that you aspire to. That’s what I hope people can take away. And the last song, “Chasing a Feeling,” talks about that.
Photo Credit: Fernando Garcia
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