Tag: Joel Timmons

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Charlie Worsham, Maya de Vitry, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

New Music Friday is here! Our final Friday of April finds our roundup sharing excellent country, folk, and Americana. You Gotta Hear This.

To start, Los Angeles based neo-folk artist Malena Cadiz has released a very cool track, “Smoke Rings.” It’s a Les Paul cover recorded on the original Les Paul recording console. Music nerds will get the importance of the first-ever multi-tracking console and how apropos the song selection is, too, with Cadiz offering her own rendition of a song by Paul and Mary Ford. It’s jazzy and lazy – deliciously relaxed. Also based in LA, Dominique and the Diamonds launch a vibing and glittery honky-tonkin’ song, “I Don’t Mind,” to announce their upcoming album Honky Tonk Queen. It evokes California in a sonic package that shines like it’s covered edge-to-edge in sequins, pulled forward by Dominique Gomez’s lush voice.

Earlier this week, Irish artist Glen Hansard released a gorgeous live video for “Don’t Settle,” the title track for his new album out today, Don+t Settle – Transmissions East. Hansard and his ensemble perform the impassioned song in the round, surrounding each other and surrounded by their audience and a circle of shadows. It’s dramatic and compelling. Out in the sunshine, singer-songwriter Maya de Vitry announces her new upcoming album with a fresh song, “Confidence of the Sun.” Written in the warm and soft sunlight of the Texas Hill Country, the track showcases de Vitry’s penchant for finding redemption in herself, in breaking old habits, and in being present – within music and without – to do so. It’s a lovely harbinger for what’s to come.

Texan Jacob McCoy shares a new song with us today, as well. “All Our Days” is rich with deeply stacked vocal tracks and a country-meets-indie twang. One of the last songs written for his EP, Deep Deep Water, it’s also one of the singer-songwriter’s favorite tracks he’s written to date. His EP is out everywhere today. To round us out and finish us off, our old pal Charlie Worsham – country’s modern renaissance man – returns with a new single, “Grass,” out now. It’s a tribute to his favorite pastime (mowing), his favorite surface for walking barefoot, and his rowdy 20s (IYKYK). With a heaping helping of the humor he’s often known for, “Grass” is a summer anthem perfect for farmers tans and coming in the house smelling like a fresh-trimmed lawn. As Worsham performs at Stagecoach this weekend, we’ll be cheering him on and enjoying “Grass” right here on BGS.

There’s so much to enjoy below. Get listenin’, because You Gotta Hear This:

Malena Cadiz, “Smoke Rings”

Artist: Malena Cadiz
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Smoke Rings”
Release Date: April 20, 2026
Label: Sad Mall

In Their Words: “A few months back, an old friend from NYC, Tom Camuso, reached out that he was in LA working on an exciting new project. Tom, who’s worked with Lenny Kravitz, Blondie, and Steve Earle, was in charge of refurbishing the original Les Paul recording console. For music nerds this is HUGE. Les Paul created the very first multi-tracking console in 1957 and it now has a new home in the historic United Studios in LA.

“He invited my band and I to track a few songs on the console to test the gear – this was the first time anyone had recorded on this machine since it had been put in storage decades ago. We were obviously over the moon to be invited and decided the first track recorded on Les Paul’s console after all these years should be a Les Paul song. We chose to do a version of Les Paul and Mary Ford’s ‘Smoke Rings.’ I’ve loved this song forever for its dreamy, whimsical quality and Mary Ford’s gorgeous performance.

“My buds Jason A. Roberts (Norah Jones, Spoon, Bedouine), Leeann Skoda (Noah Cyrus), and Aaron Stern (Curtis Harding) came into the studio with me and I do not exaggerate when I say it was a semi-spiritual experience to get to record in this legendary space – they even got to play Les’s original guitars for the recording.” – Malena Cadiz

Maya de Vitry, “Confidence of the Sun”

Artist: Maya de Vitry
Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Song: “Confidence of the Sun”
Album: All My Faith
Release Date: May 1, 2026 (single); July 24, 2026 (album)
Label: Mad Maker Studio

In Their Words: “Over the years, I have shed what feels like many skins. When I wrote the first lines of this song, ‘It took me a long time to recognize peace as a place I belong,’ it felt healing just to sing it and own that truth. It’s taken years for me to begin to rewire some painful patterns, some deep grooves of self-doubt and self-sabotage. For anyone who has ever been through periods of interpersonal chaos, times of loud endings and quiet beginnings, an era of coming back to honesty in your body and spirit after going through the motions – it can be hard to actually see and feel and appreciate in your bones just how far we’ve come, you know?

“I wrote this song in the unapologetically bright-yet-soft sunlight of the Texas Hill Country, in spring, at the Blue Rock Artist Ranch & Studio. I received a gift of attending a writing residency there, and it allowed me the space and time to slow down and listen to my own heart. I love this arrangement so much, the way it feels like home for me to rest my vocals in Dom Billett’s drum groove, the way the band rises and falls in energy together because this all happened in one whole live take, and the comfort and camaraderie of singing in unison with Shelby Means and Joel Timmons before we split into some joyous three-part harmony towards the end of the song.” – Maya de Vitry

Track Credits:
Maya de Vitry – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Shelby Means – Harmony vocals
Joel Timmons – Harmony vocals
Jo Schornikow – Keys
Ethan Ballinger – Electric guitar
Spencer Cullum – Pedal steel
Ethan Jodziewicz – Fretless electric bass
Dom Billett – Drums

Dominique and the Diamonds, “I Don’t Mind”

Artist: Dominique and the Diamonds
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “I Don’t Mind”
Album: Honky Tonk Queen
Release Date: April 24, 2026 (single); June 26, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “Before moving to LA, I lived in a small farm town on the coast of Northern California. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to escape a dangerous relationship I was in. I was heartbroken for having to leave the town, not so much the relationship itself. I had plans of making it back one day and settling down, but when I found out my ex had planted roots out there, I knew it wouldn’t be safe for me to go back. I felt like he took a dream of mine away from me. I wanted this song to sound like that coastal town I was living in; a song that could transport you to that same beach where the sea touches the redwoods of Muir Woods. It might seem contrary for the song’s title to be ‘I Don’t Mind,’ but it’s how I feel about everything now. Moving to LA was the best decision of my life and unfortunately I don’t think I would have ended up here if I hadn’t experienced all of those terrible things up north. There would be no Dominique and the Diamonds, this incredible, dreamlike life that I live now because of this project would have never existed. So in the end, I don’t mind that my ex took my old dream away from me. This is exactly where I was meant to be.” – Dominique Gomez

Track Credits:
Dominique Gomez – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Hamilton Boyce – BGVs, bass
Tyler English – Pedal steel
Craig Jacobs – Drums
Glenn Brigman – Piano, producer
Dominique and the Diamonds – Producer

Glen Hansard, “Don’t Settle”

Artist: Glen Hansard
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Song: “Don’t Settle”
Album: Don+t Settle – Transmissions East
Release Date: April 21, 2026 (video); April 24, 2025 (album)
Label: Plateau/Secretly Distribution

In Their Words: “‘Don’t Settle’ is a song I wrote to a younger version of myself, the song came quite fast. A kind of roadmap of dos and don’ts for the sometimes treacherous tightrope that is one’s life in music. Stay the road, know your north. Listen only to your own heart and gut. Your road is your road. You’ll know the signs. Don’t deviate. And when you do, deviate completely. Don’t settle for less than you envisioned.” – Glen Hansard

Video Credits:
Frank Machel – Director, editor
Markus Mörtz – Producer, editor
Sara Kelly-Husain – Documentary, unit manager
Vincent Chmiel – Documentary
Martin Ullrich – DOP
Eric Poß – Camera
Armin Riedel – Camera
Stephan Bodner – Technical assistance, camera

Jacob McCoy, “All Our Days”

Artist: Jacob McCoy
Hometown: Amarillo, Texas
Song: “All Our Days”
Album: Deep Deep Water (EP)
Release Date: April 24, 2026

In Their Words: “‘All Our Days’ was one of the last songs written for the EP, and to date is one of my favorite songs I’ve written. I wrote it with friend and fiddle player Coral Bradshaw just a few weeks prior to recording. Something about it contains this seasoned, hard-earned romantic intimacy that just immediately drew me in like a lot of old country songs do. The song moves through all of the seasons of a long love – summer’s ease, winter’s frozen hope, and the slow return of spring – before landing somewhere that feels genuinely hard-won.

“Sam and I cut it on the first day of recording in his small above-garage studio in Nashville and it came together very organically. Syncopated fingerstyle guitar provides the foundation for the entire song and almost immediately you become immersed in intimate harmonies, with a waltzing bass line and support from an upright piano that provides some forward motion. For the interludes, I ended up playing my mother-in-law’s old cheap classical [guitar] from the ’70s that almost gave it a Willie Nelson feel, which given that he was always playing somewhere in the background growing up, I absolutely love. It might be my favorite musical moment on the entire project.” – Jacob McCoy

Track Credits:
Jacob McCoy – Vocals, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, bass
Sam Westhoff – Upright piano, producer

Charlie Worsham, “Grass”

Artist: Charlie Worsham
Hometown: Grenada, Mississippi
Song: “Grass”
Release Date: April 24, 2026

In Their Words: “‘Grass’ is an ode to my favorite surface to walk on barefoot, my favorite domestic pastime (mowing), and maybe a wink to a certain favorite pastime of my 20s, IYKYK…

“More than that, ‘Grass’ represents the blend of blues and bluegrass influences that raised me. I play that song and it takes me back to drinking from the water hose, attending my first MerleFest, walking out to the lawn seats at amphitheaters across the country, whether I was playing the show that night or catching a show with my friends.

“Some people like sand. Some people like snow. Some people like the concrete, where ain’t nothing grows. But I’d rather be… sweatin’ all summer on a John Deere stacking up cash cash cash…” – Charlie Worsham

Photo Credit: Charlie Worsham by PJ Brown; Maya de Vitry by Ethan Jodziewicz.

Basic Folk: Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, Shelby Means

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Maya de Vitry, Ethan Jodziewicz, Joel Timmons, and Shelby Means are on Basic Folk today talking about their new collaborations. Maya produced both Shelby and Joel’s debut solo albums this year; Joel and Ethan play in Maya’s band; and the two couples (Joel & Shelby are married and Ethan & Maya are partners) are all very close friends. They met in Nashville, where Maya & Ethan still live, while Joel & Shelby live in Charleston, South Carolina. Joel talks about the huge gesture Shelby made in leaving Nashville behind for his hometown of Charleston. He also talks about the elated feeling they both got when Shelby, who also used to tour with Della Mae, got the chance to play upright as a member of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • AMAZON • MP3

Big themes of this friend group include trust, lifting each other up, and being one another’s “vibe coaches.” In our conversation we talk about choosing love, connecting with your music friends in non-musical ways, and, of course, the most epic hair in Americana: Joel Timmons and his mullet. The group shares insights on how they are still close and able to connect and spend time with each other despite the distance. Short flights and drives are worth it when you’ve got friends like this.

Photo Credit: Shelby Means by Hunter McRae Photography; Ethan Jodziewicz by Joel Timmons; Joel Timmons by Scott Simontacchi; Maya de Vitry by Kaitlyn Raitz.

Basses of Comparison: Shelby Means and Bridget Kearney Step Out Front

Posted on by Editor

Although she spent a decade living and playing music in Nashville, most notably as the bassist for bluegrass group Della Mae, Shelby Means is now settled in Charleston, South Carolina, where she says she appreciates being closer to her family and so much beautiful nature. Throughout a back porch Zoom call about her self-titled bluegrass album, she also praises her producer, Maya De Vitry, a fellow singer-songwriter and former bandmate of Means’s husband, Joel Timmons. To hear Means tell it, De Vitry helped her pull together the masterful band on the collection. The session players read like a who’s-who of bluegrass’ finest: Jerry Douglas, Billy Strings, Sam Bush, Molly Tuttle, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Grisman, Bryan Sutton, and on and on.

Granted, players such as these have a way of winding up in recording studios together. But rarely is the bass player at the mic, directing the traffic. So, to mark this rare occasion, BGS got Means on Zoom with bassist/songwriter/bandleader Bridget Kearney (Lake Street Dive, Joy Kills Sorrow), whose 2023 solo album Comeback Kid also had the bassist at the wheel.

When I see projects like yours, Shelby, I’m always interested in the community of it all. These folks play on a lot of people’s albums, but when somebody different is in the front, it shifts the vibe. It brings out something different. I hate to gender something like this, but there’s something different about feminine energy being out front, so I wanted to just start there.

Both of you have played in women-led projects. You’ve done solo stuff. You’ve backed up other people. And you’ve both been doing it a long time. What have you noticed about how the vibe changes, or how the community plays, when a woman is at the front?

Shelby Means: Well, Bridget, have you ever been the only woman in a band?

Bridget Kearney: Yes.

SM: I think I have, too. But when I was much younger. Then, when I moved to Nashville, it seemed like, even if the band was being led by a man, there was usually at least one other woman, which I found very useful and helpful. [There was] solidarity.

BK: Yeah, I feel like I’ve often been in bands that are a mix. Lake Street Dive is a mix, and Joy Kills Sorrow was a mix. So I guess the only thing I’ve never been in is an all-men band. I tend to like it when there’s a mix, when people are bringing all sorts of different perspectives into a band. When I’m putting a band together for a project, I’m always making sure I’m leaving all the possibilities open. I think that’s the most important thing: making sure everyone’s at least getting in the door to get interviewed.

SM: I think it’s super balanced when there’s men and women. It feels yin/yang. Like the whole thing is present.

Which is interesting, considering Della Mae is an all-women band. Do you feel like there was imbalance in that? Or like that’s just a whole different vibe.

SM: Yeah, it’s a whole different vibe. It was a great experience being part of an all-female band. We had some amazing opportunities because we only had women in the band. For example, going to Pakistan and being able to perform for colleges that were all women. It was some of those women’s first time ever seeing a [musical] performance … because they aren’t allowed to go out and see shows, especially unaccompanied. So those experiences were totally amazing and worth whatever it was that made it feel slightly imbalanced. … I’m very new to putting my own band together. But because I’ve enjoyed being in projects with a balance of male and female energy, I do kind of want to make sure that I get boys and girls, or however you identify. It doesn’t matter to me, you know.

Back to the community thing, though. I’m thinking about jams at festivals, and how bluegrass works. Somebody steps to the front and takes the solo and that kind of vibe is on this record. How did you feel to get to lead the band for the first time?

SM: It was amazing. And I want to give a lot of props to my producer, Maya De Vitry. When you think about her and I teaming up together, and calling Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Ron Block—all the the big names on the record—and basically being in charge of them, that was something else. We respect them so much and look up to their music. … We’ve listened to that stuff growing up, so it’s really cool to be in a position of [directing] those cats. They totally respected Maya and me, and looked to us for direction like they were on the team. I remember Maya saying, before Day One, “Jerry Douglas is a human being. Ron Block is a human being. Maya De Vitry is a human being.” Like, we’re on the same playing field in the fact that we’re all humans. Obviously all of us feel nervous or scared at some point, so we can relate on those things and just take the pressure off a little bit.

We’re all in the folk roots, Americana, bluegrass, whatever you want to call it world, where everything is community-centric, and of course you’re touring all the time so you know people everywhere. But I think especially right now in the world, the idea of bringing people together with different skill sets to collaborate and make something beautiful feels really heavy and important. Heavy in a really good way. Do you feel like that is a priority to you, or does it feel more about just music and art for art’s sake?

SM: Well, they’re similar, those. I feel music for art’s sake is like music for the heart. I mean we have to [make music]. But it does help that we’re bringing people together. And hopefully people are gonna come out and see the show and we’ll have an experience at the show that can potentially transcend any sort of darkness or whatever it is that’s going on in each person’s [life] or the collective world. … I’ve had an experience recently where we’re watching a band. And just because I’ve had some grief and things going on in my life, it just was flowing. Like, I was crying and enjoying the concert. I was there feeling it with my bandmates, we were all together having a crybaby moment, letting our emotions go, and feeling safe in that environment to do that, which I think is very important.

BK: One hundred percent agree. I think the pause in live shows during COVID lockdown really highlighted that for me, because there was this long period where that wasn’t happening. The first time I went back to a music festival, the band that was playing before us was The War and Treaty. Same thing. I was just in tears, like this is so powerful. Their songs are so good. All these people came from far and wide, and they’re in the same place, and they’re singing along. It’s truly the most connective force that I see.

Both of you play bass, which requires you to be the support system for the band. I don’t know why it seems that upright bass is a male instrument more than other instruments. Maybe because it’s so big and it’s so low, and it’s harder to press the strings down. But can you talk a little bit about being, specifically, women bassists?

SM: We could probably talk for hours about that. It’s always fun whenever I get together with another bass player in general, because we often don’t [get together]. There’s many times where, if there’s somebody sitting in, it’s another fiddle player, another banjo player. Often another bass player isn’t asked to sit in, so we don’t get to hang out very frequently. But when we do, it’s really cool.

For me, growing up, my dad and my brother definitely enabled me. They would carry my bass around at jam sessions. At a certain point, when I was in high school and college, I had the gumption. I wanted to do it. I would carry the bass down the hall. I got one with backpack straps, so I would have to hunch over because the hotel halls are usually too short to fully stand upright and carry a bass on your back. You look like a little turtle. … I tried other instruments, but the bass was the one for me, despite its size and physical nature.

BK: For me, one thing that was influential with choosing the bass was that where were some examples in my life of women who played the bass. Actually, my first three bass teachers were women. There was an amazing bass player, Diana Gannett, who was teaching at the University of Iowa when I was growing up. She had a bunch of students who were undergrads or grad students that were in town, and those were the people that were accessible to take lessons from, when I was starting to play bass in junior high and high school. So that was lucky for me that it was just, like, normalized. I think that’s an important thing about representation on stage, making sure kids out there see versions of themselves doing all the jobs.

SM: Yeah, I don’t remember noticing any men playing the bass, but I remember the first woman that I saw playing the bass and thought I wanna do that. I think I can do that.

Let’s end with an easy question: What have you been listening to lately?

SM: I’ve been listening to some of the other new releases coming out. I’m With Her. And Leftover Salmon put out a record.

BK: MK.Gee and what else? I’ve been listening to some music from Morocco. It’s this Sufi Islamic healing music with this instrument that’s very similar to bass, called the gimbri. I did a semester abroad there in college and then was just back there recently for the first time since college. I’ve been getting into that music. It’s so cool.

Do you feel like that gets into what you’re writing?

BK: I think it definitely gets into the way that I play bass, because it’s an instrument that’s like the register of bass. It’s the only pitched instrument in the ensemble, so it’s extremely bass-forward music. It’s just this instrument and then percussion and singing, so the bass has this really central role. It’s very melodic and kind of percussive. Also, the front of the instrument is leather, so it’s kind of like a drum head. Sometimes you play a note with your finger but also use your other fingers to hit the drum. So you’re kind of playing bass and drum at the same time. That’s something I think very much influenced the way I play bass. Shelby, I’ll send you some.

SM: Yeah, send me some of that. That sounds awesome.

Photo Credit: Bridget Kearney by Rodneri; Shelby Means by Hunter McRae

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Danny Roberts, Dallas Ugly, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The music release cycle marches on, bringing us to our first premiere roundup of March!

Below you’ll find new tracks and videos from artists like Big Love Car Wash, who take us on a tour of our collective subconscious with a bluegrassy-folky track, “Dream Journal.” Plus, mandolinist Danny Roberts – who you may know from The Grascals – pays tribute to two of his mandolin heroes with his new instrumental, “Lawson Sizemore.” And Dallas Ugly bemoan a bit too much indulgence and “sweets” with “Sugar Crash,” a deliciously saccharine number produced by Justin Frances from their upcoming album, See Me Now.

Country rocker Joel Timmons returns to his recent release, Psychedelic Surf Country, with a lyric video that tells the story of his dad burning piles of Christmas trees on “Just a Man,” complete with vintage 8mm family footage. Don’t miss singer-songwriter Grayson Jenkins turning over aging, mortality, and the constants of life on “Taxes & Time” with a charming video and a clean honky-tonk sound.

It’s all right here on BGS! Scroll for more, because You Gotta Hear This.

Big Love Car Wash, “Dream Journal”

Artist: Big Love Car Wash
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Dream Journal”
Album: Daydream
Release Date: March 14, 2025 (single); June 6, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “For me, ‘Dream Journal’ is about a fork in the road, about making a pivotal decision. The decision that inspired this song was between attending law school and dedicating myself to music. At its heart though, ‘Dream Journal’ is about really listening to yourself. When you’re dreaming peacefully, where are you?” – David Rabinowicz, songwriter, guitar, lead vocals

Track Credits:
David Rabinowicz – Guitar, lead vocals, songwriter
Sol Chase – Mandolin, harmony vocals
Everett Wren – Fiddle, shaker
Taylor Turner – Double bass
Joseph Holguin, Arlyn Studios – Recording, mixing engineer
Andrew Oedel – Mastering engineer

Dallas Ugly, “Sugar Crash”

Artist: Dallas Ugly
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Sugar Crash”
Album: See Me Now
Release Date: March 6, 2025 (single); April 18, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “This song was inspired by the reliability of a low showing up after a high, specifically in a romantic setting. You know if you keep playing with fire you’re going to get burned, but it’s just so much fun. Besides, even when things are going well, falling for someone is a mix of fear and excitement. Sonically, we wanted to make this a sweet little candy bop and our producer, Justin Francis, nailed it with the warbley synth sounds he added. We also went for some cheekier arrangement choices to just really drive the playful aspect home. Hope this little twangy, twee song makes you dance!” – Libby Weitnauer

Track Credits:
Libby Weitnauer – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Owen Burton – Electric guitar, vocals
Eli Broxham – Bass
Brandon Combs – Drums, percussion
Justin Francis – Programming, percussion, acoustic guitar, keys

Grayson Jenkins, “Taxes & Time”

Artist: Grayson Jenkins
Hometown: Greenville, Kentucky
Song: “Taxes & Time”
Release Date: March 7, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Taxes & Time’ spilled out onto my notebook page early one morning after a restless night of sleep spent on an air mattress at a family member’s house. Nine times out of ten, those things go flat in the middle of the night – no fault to my hosts. This time, though, it also happened to be in the middle of the pandemic and one of the first times I had left home and my own bed in many months. I woke up at 5:00 am or so thinking about my grandfather, including a very distinct memory from my childhood of someone saying something to the effect of, ‘Papaw doesn’t travel outside of this many miles from home, because he has to get back to sleep in his bed.’ In about five minutes, I’d written the whole song with no melody or instrumentation in mind. This all happened around the time I turned 30 and it was cathartic to put my thoughts on paper about getting older, feeling and looking older, and thinking about what the important things in my life should be moving forward.” – Grayson Jenkins

Track Credits:
Grayson Jenkins – Songwriting, acoustic guitar, vocals
Paddy Ryan – Drums
Aaron Boehler – Bass
Jesse Aycock – Dobro
Fats Kaplin – Fiddle
Kevin Gordon – Backing vocals

Danny Roberts, “Lawson Sizemore”

Artist: Danny Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Lawson Sizemore”
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “While I was putting together songs for this record I knew that I wanted to salute two of my favorite mandolin players – Doyle Lawson and Herschel Sizemore. Both of these men not only had an impact on me musically, but personally as well, and I wanted to pay tribute to them by writing a song that would show their influence on my playing and ‘Lawson Sizemore’ is it. I really enjoyed writing this tune and I hope I did two of my mandolin heroes justice with ‘Lawson Sizemore.'” – Danny Roberts

Track Credits:
Danny Roberts – Mandolin
Andrea Roberts – Bass
Tony Wray – Acoustic guitar, banjo
Jimmy Mattingly – Fiddle

Joel Timmons, “Just A Man”

Artist: Joel Timmons
Hometown: Folly Beach, SC
Song: “Just a Man”
Album: Psychedelic Surf Country
Release Date: February 7, 2025 (album); March 7, 2025(video)

In Their Words: “‘Just a Man’ is the true story of my early childhood introduction to pyromania. The lyrics tell the story (fairly accurately) of my father gathering a pile of Christmas trees in our backyard and setting it on fire, nearly burning down our house and neighborhood. Woven through this humorous recollection is the realization that my dad is ‘just a man.’ Though he seemed like a flame-wielding mythical god to me as a little boy, he was full of his own dreams, doubts, questions, hubris, and fears. I edited together the lyric video with some vintage 8mm movie film footage that my mother shot. The final result feels like an intimate home movie night and it’s a visual love letter to my dear dad, Clyde. The recording features fantastic fiddling from another sweet man that I love, Jason Carter.” – Joel Timmons

Video Credits: Videography by Carlin Timmons. Edited by Joel Timmons.

Photo Credit: Danny Roberts by Sandlin Gaither; Dallas Ugly by Betsy Phillips.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From John McCutcheon, Scroggins & Rose, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our last premiere roundup before the holidays – and therefore, our last of the year! – is full of country, folk, new acoustic, and more. Here are the songs and videos you gotta hear.

In the country camp, check out “Don’t You Dare” by singer-songwriter Ben Chapman from his upcoming Anderson East-produced project, Downbeat, which releases today. Plus, Joel Timmons (of Sol Driven Train, Maya de Vitry, and more) brings a heaping helping of his Psychedelic Surf Country with a fun, true-to-life track, “Guitars, Guns, and Pickup Trucks” that features fiddle by the award-winning bluegrass ringer Jason Carter.

A. Lee Edwards continues in a country vein with “Moving Up to the Mountains,” inspired by his and his wife’s own journey moving from Charlotte, North Carolina, up into Nantahala National Forest. And, Ramona and the Holy Smokes debut a brand new video for “Til It’s Over,” a redemptive song with a music video inspired by the stories of Vivian Cash and Johnny Cash.

Folk legend John McCutcheon is included below, as well, with a new song “Here” written at the vital Highlander Center in East Tennessee that’s all about being present in the moment. Meanwhile, new acoustic, bluegrass-meets-classical duo Scroggins & Rose premiere their out-of-this-world single, “Space Samba,” from their upcoming January release, Speranza. 

It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This! Happy holidays and we’ll be back with plenty more new music in 2025.

Ben Chapman, “Don’t You Dare”

Artist: Ben Chapman
Hometown: Lafayette, Georgia
Song: “Don’t You Dare”
Album: Downbeat
Release Date: December 13, 2024
Label: Hippie Shack

In Their Words: “It’s a simple but rough-edged love song about two lovers sitting on their back porch, thinking of how good they have it and how they’ll never know a love stronger than what they have at the moment. It’s a song for that once-in-a-lifetime, growing old together while sitting in rocking chairs type of love, true love. I wrote this song with my long-time cowriter and girlfriend, Meg McRee. It was one of those songs that just found us. We didn’t even have to go looking. The whole thing took us about 20 minutes to write, and we both knew it was such a special song. Most of the time, the best songs come to you when you least expect it, and in this case, it couldn’t be truer.” – Ben Chapman

Track Credits:
Gregg Garner – Bass
Darren Dodd – Drums & percussion
Anderson East – Electric guitar, mellotron, organ
Ben Chapman – Acoustic guitar & vocals
Meg McRee – Backing vocals

A. Lee Edwards, “Move Up to the Mountains”

Artist: A. Lee Edwards
Hometown: Franklin, North Carolina
Song: “Move Up to the Mountains”
Album: Interpreting Heart Sounds, Vol.I
Release Date: December 13, 2024 (single); February 28, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Move Up to the Mountains’ in the late ’90s after moving from the Virginia mountains to Charlotte. The song came out of feeling stuck in the grind of city life and wanting to escape to the peace and simplicity of the mountains. Inspired by the Bob Dylan line, ‘He not busy being born is busy dying,’ it’s about longing for something different. In 2017, after 22 years in Charlotte, my wife and I made that move to the Nantahala National Forest. The song reflects that desire to leave the chaos behind and find a quieter, more meaningful way of life.” – A. Lee Edwards

Track Credits:
A. Lee Edwards – Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocal
Matt Royal – Electric bass, backing vocal
Amanda Neill – Electric piano, backing vocal
Tom Mayo – Drums
Matthew Smith – Pedal steel

John McCutcheon, “Here”

Artist: John McCutcheon
Hometown: Smoke Rise, Georgia
Song: “Here”
Album: Field Of Stars
Release Date: December 13, 2024 (single); January 10, 2025 (album)
Label: Appalseed

In Their Words: “I well remember writing ‘Here.’ I was conducting one of my Songwriting Camps at the Highlander Center in East Tennessee. I knew the protagonist in the song well. I had seen him in a lot of my friends and, even occasionally, in myself. Mostly, in those times when creativity and drive give way to a kind of ambition that causes you to lose perspective and purpose. I wanted to start with simple, childhood dreams: that special sandwich, summer vacation. By the time he’s at the altar, he’s sure his dreams have come true, only to realize that he’s still unsatisfied and anxious… failing to simply be present. The pandemic really focused my meditation practice and led me to this song, I guess.

“Interestingly, this was the last song to make the ‘cut’ for the album. And here it is as the opening track. I owe it entirely to my stellar band of brothers (JT Brown, Jon Carroll, Pete Kennedy, ‘Jos’ Jospé, and Stuart Duncan) who’ve become my studio band. I purposely send them bare-bones demos and we jointly create the arrangements live in the studio. They gave this song whatever spark it needed to open this collection.” – John McCutcheon

Track Credits:
John McCutcheon – Vocal, guitar
Jon Carroll – Harmony vocals, piano, organ
JT Brown – Harmony vocals, bass
Pete Kennedy – Electric guitar
Robert “Jos” Jospe – Drums
Stuart Duncan – Fiddle

Ramona and the Holy Smokes, “Til It’s Over”

Artist: Ramona and the Holy Smokes
Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Song: “Til It’s Over”
Album: Til It’s Over (EP)
Release Date: November 22, 2024

In Their Words: “‘Til It’s Over’ is a song about knowing a relationship is doomed but not being ready to let go. I wrote this song after I had a terrible fight with someone I was dating at the time. I saw all the red flags and basically chose to keep going until the relationship self-destructed rather than being brave and ending it as soon as I knew it wasn’t right for me. I have done this more than I would like to admit, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

“The music video was inspired by the life of Vivian Cash, Johnny Cash’s first wife. I really feel history has done her dirty, most notably by her portrayal in the 2005 film, Walk the Line. I tried to honor her in a number of ways in the video with nods to her Catholicism, her amazing fashion sense, and her strength while her family was falling apart. ‘Til It’s Over,’ couched in the context of her life, becomes a much sadder song. Divorce was against her religious beliefs and even though she was basically abandoned, she loved Johnny Cash until she died. In our video, she reclaims her agency by picking up a guitar and writing her own song, but this is our way of wrapping up our version of the story with a redemptive moment.

“This video was directed by the incredible Elizabeth Culbertson, who also directed Marley Hale’s ‘Dear Girl’ music video. We worked together on creating the visual differences between the two time periods in the video (the 1950s and 1960s), with Elizabeth focusing on light and color, while I focused on hair, makeup & wardrobe. Our concept was incredibly ambitious, and Elizabeth’s cinematography elevates the work from run-of-the-mill music video to full-on cinema. ‘Til It’s Over’ also stars fellow musician Red McAdam as country singer ‘Red McAdams,’ who knocks his first dramatic performance out of the park. Neither Red nor I had ever acted on camera before, and I think we both showed up with our A-game and convincingly captured love gone wrong.” – Ramona Martinez

Scroggins & Rose, “Space Samba”

Artist: Scroggins & Rose
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Song: “Space Samba”
Album: Speranza
Release Date: January 10, 2025
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “‘Space Samba’ began, like many of our pieces, as a fragment recorded in our voice memos. From there, it grew into one of the most playful compositions on Speranza. We took the syncopated rhythm and expanded it into a dancing melody and contrasted it with a spacious, flowing second theme that we thought evoked the image of astronauts floating at a Hawaiian-themed party in space – hence the name. This whimsical retro-futurist imagery guided us as we worked to intertwine the different rhythms and the melodies together into a cohesive piece. By experimenting with standalone patterns and interlocking parts, we developed a tune that combines the energy of a cosmic dance party with moments of suspense. The result captures not only the joy of movement but also the quiet, frozen beauty of space, the urgency of space shuttle alarms, and – of course – more dancing.” – Scroggins & Rose

Joel Timmons, “Guitars, Guns, and Pickup Trucks” (Featuring Jason Carter)

Artist: Joel Timmons
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
Song: “Guitars, Guns, and Pickup Trucks” (featuring Jason Carter)
Album: Psychedelic Surf Country
Release Date: December 13, 2024 (single); February 7, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “Before I met my future father-in-law, I was warned by my girlfriend, Shelby Means, about ‘the list.’ It was my first visit out to Wyoming to meet her parents and she told me he would pepper me with a series of questions to gauge my suitability. On the truck ride out to their property from the airport he began the inquisition, marking my responses with his finger on an imaginary scoreboard. Over the years, I’ve learned that this tough-guy routine and good-natured teasing was a sign of endearment and sort of a cowboy love language, but at the time I was intimidated. Mr. Means has a favorite expression: ‘A man can never have too many guitars, guns, or pickup trucks.’ That felt like a country song that needed to be written. In a nation that feels so politically and culturally polarized, I hope this song encourages the listener to look for common ground with the other side. Jason Carter’s brilliant fiddle and rich baritone vocals give the recording some real country swagger.” – Joel Timmons

Track Credits:
Joel Timmons – Vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mouth harp
Jason Carter – Harmony vocals, fiddle
Shelby Means – Harmony vocals, background vocals
Brett Resnick – Pedal steel
De Marco Johnson – Organ
Ethan Jodziewicz – Electric bass
Mark Raudabugh – Drums, percussion

Photo Credit: John McCutcheon by Irene Young; Scroggins & Rose by Lenny Gonzalez.

LISTEN: Sally & George, “Keepin’ Time”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sally & George
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Keepin’ Time”
Album: Take You on a Ride
Release Date: October 30, 2020

In Their Words: “Hailed as the Prince of Folk Alliance International, songwriter Robby Hecht helped bring ‘Keepin’ Time’ to life in a three-way Nashville co-write. Recorded live in Laramie, Wyoming, Shelby’s upright bass holds down the beat while Joel meanders around the fingerboard of his guitar. Lyrically, ‘Keepin’ Time’ harkens back to the early days of our relationship, when Joel toured full time with Sol Driven Train and Shelby kept a busy schedule globetrotting with Della Mae. Ironically, with our 2020 tours now cancelled and the world in varying stages of COVID lockdown, we have been together constantly since March. Like many couples experiencing a plunge into full time companionship, the challenge now lies in keepin’ time and space for self care.” — Shelby Means and Joel Timmons, Sally & George

Photo credit: Molly McCormick Photography