Tag: jon estes

LISTEN: Mara Connor, “Old Man”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Mara Connor
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Old Man” (Neil Young cover)
Album: Decades EP
Release Date: May 20, 2021
Label: Side Hustle Records

In Their Words: “I recorded this with Jon Estes in Nashville at the same age Neil Young was when he wrote it (’24 and there’s so much more’) about a caretaker who lived on his ranch. When I first heard the song I was struck by the empathy exhibited by such a young songwriter. I’m also impressed by his economy of language, how in so few words he conveys so much: that as humans, we’re more alike than we are different, and at our core, we all just want to be loved. It’s an affirmation that if we took the time to really look into each other’s eyes and see the humanity there, the world would be far better for it. Can you imagine an insightful folk rock song about an elderly ranch foreman charting on the Billboard Hot 100 today? Me neither, and that’s a shame.” — Mara Connor

Photo credit: Schuyler Howie

LISTEN: David Quinn, “Grassy Trails”

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Artist: David Quinn
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “Grassy Trails”
Album: Wanderin’ Fool
Release Date: April 5, 2019

In Their Words: “‘Grassy Trails’ was a lot of fun to record. It was right in everyone’s wheelhouse stylistically. Dave Roe and Jimmy Lester really were the perfect guys for this track. They set the pace for the rhythm and Jon Estes came in and laid down some nice pedal steel. If you listen close, Jimmy Lester plays my favorite bell pattern in that second chorus. This song has taken a few different shapes since I wrote it but it is one I always play at every show. I know it’s cliché to say this but I have loved trains since I was a kid and always dreamt about riding the rails. I use to go out and sit next to the tracks when I was younger and just watch the trains go by up close. That’s really where the song came from. I grew up reading Jack Kerouac and other beat writers and hearing about their adventures on trains. Those stories always stuck with me and created a feeling I have been chasing ever since. It seemed fit to put it on this record, Wanderin’ Fool.” — David Quinn

Photo credit: Jess Myers

LISTEN: Kashena Sampson, ‘Greasy Spoon’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kashena Sampson
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Song: “Greasy Spoon”
Album: Wild Heart
Release Date: August 18, 2017

In Their Words: “I bartended my ass off to make this record. I payed for everything with cash! I moved to Nashville without ever being here, didn’t know anyone. I just had a feeling it was where I needed to be and I went with it. I had to make this record. It’s been four years in the making. Some friends mentioned the Bomb Shelter to me, so I met up with Andrija [Tokic] and checked it out. The studio is just awesome. He put me together with Jon Estes, who worked with me on the album, producing and mixing. It was a perfect fit. Like magic! He understood what I was going for right from the start. We tracked all the songs in two days to tape with Jon Radford on drums, Jeremy Fetzer on guitar, and Jon Estes on bass, and a bunch of other instruments. The whole record was recorded in six days total. It was great. I wish I could record at that studio everyday.” — Kashena Sampson

Photo credit: Jonathan Rogers