Tag: Korby Lenker

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Carson Peters, Jessie Wilson, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s another full week of new releases and exciting premieres! Leading off our round up this time is young fiddlin’ phenom Carson Peters singing a Bob Seger classic, “Long Twin Silver Line.” Plus, don’t miss bluegrass tracks from our friends Unspoken Tradition and Meadow Mountain – the latter of whom debuted the first installment of their SkyTheory Sessions on BGS yesterday.

There’s also plenty of Good Country to find herein! Kyle McKearney is joined by bluegrass flatpicker Trey Hensley on “Lonesome,” Jessie Wilson brings us a new one, “Outlaw,” and Will Stewart & the Gold Band share a tune from their Live in Norway project. Plus, Jordie Lane brings us a new single, too.

Yesterday, Donovan Woods exclusively premiered a new Lori McKenna and Matt Nathanson co-write on BGS,. as well so don’t miss that! It’s all below and really, You Gotta Hear This!

Carson Peters, “Long Twin Silver Line”

Artist: Carson Peters
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Long Twin Silver Line” (Bob Seger cover)
Album: Silver Bullet Bluegrass
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Label: Lonesome Day Records

In Their Words: “Randall Deaton approached me with this tribute project a while back, and I loved the idea and jumped at the chance to be included with the great artists that were already on board. I grew up listening to classic rock and roll music riding in my parents’ car. It definitely helped me appreciate all styles of music and I always enjoyed hearing Seger songs. Randall had most of the track ready for me when I came in to put vocals and fiddle on it, and his ideas and choices made this song even better than I imagined. We played around with arrangements for a fiddle break in the middle, but he was the brain behind the arrangement for sure. I think (and hope) that the youthfulness in my voice and aggressive style of fiddle playing suits this song well, and gives it a nice spin. I am working up a live version with my band so we can put into our shows.” – Carson Peters

Track Credits: Written and published by Bob Seger, Gear Publishing Company
Producer – Randall Deaton
Engineers – Randall Deaton, Jimmy Nutt
Tracked at Lonesome Day Recording Studio, Booneville, KY / The NuttHouse Recording Studio, Muscle Shoals, AL.
Mixed at The NuttHouse Recording Studio, Muscle Shoals, AL.

Guitar – Stephen Mougin, Gary Nichols
Mandolin – Darrell Webb
Banjo – Ned Luberecki
Bass – Mike Bub
Dobro – Jake Joines
Fiddle – Carson Peters
Harmony vocals – Sarah Borges

Kyle McKearney, “Lonesome” (Featuring Trey Hensley)

Artist: Kyle McKearney
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Song: “Lonesome” (featuring Trey Hensley)
Release Date: April 26, 2024
Label: Kyle McKearney Music

In Their Words: “I’ve been following Trey Hensley for years and have always been a huge fan of his playing, singing, and Southern charm. I got to meet Trey at a gig in Colorado and I was blown away to learn that had been a fan of mine as well. My keyboard player James and I wrote ‘Lonesome’ with Trey in mind, hoping that he’d jump on for a shred on his flattop. I love how this song turned out and am grateful to Trey and team for their contributions. I can’t wait for folks to hear this burning two stepper!” — Kyle McKearney

“I became a huge fan of Kyle McKearney the moment I heard his music several years ago. I became an even bigger fan when I got to meet him and hear him live out in Colorado last year. I knew then that I would love a chance to work on some music with him in the future. I was thrilled when the opportunity arose for me to go up to Alberta and record with Kyle for his new song ‘Lonesome.’ As soon as I heard the song, I immediately knew this was going to be a blast… and sure enough, it was an absolutely incredible experience. Kyle is such a phenomenally talented artist, and I’m beyond honored to be included on ‘Lonesome.’ I can’t wait for y’all to hear it!” — Trey Hensley

Jessie Wilson, “Outlaw”

Artist: Jessie Wilson
Hometown: Phenix City, Alabama
Song: “Outlaw”
Release Date: May 3, 2024 (single)

In Their Words: “‘Outlaw’ depicts a universal feeling – no matter what field you are in or where you’re at in life, almost everyone has felt like they weren’t good enough and wanted to fit into a certain group at some point or another. I wrote this song about Nashville; I’ve often wondered what I need to do to be wanted in this town and the music industry. Is it about dating the right person, or changing my morals – what’s the answer? This song was written from that state of mind. It took a lot of vulnerability for me to admit that there was a time when I would do anything to fit in and gain the love of others, because deep down I was so lonely and lost. It’s typical to want to compare yourself, but you have to steer your mind away from that idea. I’ve since learned that I don’t have to change who I am and that the right people and opportunities will come to me and love me for the person I am.” – Jessie Wilson

Track Credits:

Producer – David Dorn
Acoustic & electric guitar – Tim Galloway
Bass – Tim Denbo
Drums – Matt King
B3/Synthesizer – David Dorn
BGVs – Kristen Rogers and Caleb Lee Hutchinson
Recorded at Farmland Studios.
Mixing – Mark Lonsway
Mastering – Mayfield Mastering

Will Stewart & The Gold Band, “Real Drag” (Live)

Artist: Will Stewart & The Gold Band
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Song: “Real Drag” (Live)
Album: Will Stewart & The Gold Band Live in Norway
Release Date: June 7, 2024
Label: Cornelius Chapel Records

In Their Words: “Ross Parker, my longtime friend and bassist, sent me a rough demo of ‘Real Drag’ last year. I slightly tweaked the arrangement and melody and added a verse and it immediately became a staple in our live set. I get to throw in some jangle on this one, and Janet’s guitar playing compliments that in a nice way. The lyrics sort of speak for themselves, but it’s about a series of unfortunate events after a long night of being out, which seems to be a common theme in a lot of my songs, now that I’m thinking about it. It’s a combination of people and places that we’ve encountered over the years.” – Will Stewart

Track Credits:

Will Stewart – Guitar, vocals
Janet Simpson – Guitar, vocals
Tyler McGuire – Drums
Ross Parker – Bass
Recording Engineer – Harvard Soknes
Mixed by Brad Timko.
Mastered by Alex McCollough.

Jordie Lane, “The Changing Weather”

Artist: Jordie Lane
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia (Based in Nashville, Tennessee)
Song: “The Changing Weather”
Album: Tropical Depression
Release Date: May 2, 2024 (single); August 23, 2024 (album)
Label: Blood Thinner Records, under exclusive licence to ABC Music/The Orchard

In Their Words: “I had just got back to America after the terrible 2019-20 Australian bushfires when this massive EF-3 Tornado devastated our East Nashville neighborhood. Everything in my mind and body was kind of in shock about this severe weather, being so close to being hit. It scared the sh*t outta me. The song came after thinking about how people often complain about the very things that could and should be seen as a gift. Like the simple act of getting caught in the rain.

“Humans are remarkably good at denying the truth sometimes and covering it up with a bunch of other crap that we pretend is more important. We tend to just wanna get on with our lives, and not think about the scary things inside us, or with this planet we live on. This song is my take of an easy-breezy ’60s song to keep cruising along to, until the moment it’s all too late.” – Jordie Lane

Track Credits: Written by Jordie Lane.
Produced by Jordie Lane & Jon Estes.

Video Credits: Director, director of photography, editor – Korby Lenker
Aerial photography – Travis Nicholson
Producers, production designers – Jordie Lane & Clare Reynolds

Unspoken Tradition, “Georgia In Her Eyes”

Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina
Song: “Georgia In Her Eyes”
Release Date: May 3, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘Georgia In Her Eyes’ is a deeply personal song that I wrote in a fit of inspiration not long after meeting the woman who is now my wife. Looking through the perspective gained from 12 years together, the lyrics are even more meaningful. I’m excited that the guys in the band chose to help bring this song to life.” – Sav Sankaran, bass and songwriter

Track Credits:

Audie McGinnis – Acoustic, vocals
Sav Sankaran – Vocals, bass
Tim Gardner – Fiddle, vocals
Zane McGinnis – Banjo
Ty Gilpin – Mandolin

Donovan Woods, “Back For the Funeral”

Artist: Donovan Woods
Hometown: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Back For The Funeral”
Album: Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Label: End Times Music

In Their Words: “‘Back For The Funeral’ is a story that a lot of us end up experiencing. Big life events – deaths, births, divorces – seem to pull us out of the flow of time somehow. The days around these events can feel like a dream wherein the regular rules of our lives don’t apply. People fall back onto old habits or maybe construct a new temporary-self to shield them from grief or shock. What I like best about this song is that it reflects that dream-like feeling without sacrificing clarity. It feels the way those life-dividing days feel. I wrote it with Lori McKenna and Matt Nathanson. I’m about as proud of it as anything I’ve written. I hope it’s useful to people.” – Donovan Woods

More here.

Meadow Mountain, “June Nights” (SkyTheory Sessions)

Artist: Meadow Mountain
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Song: “June Nights”
Release Date: April 30, 2024 (single)

In Their Words: “It sometimes feels like my life is split up into eras – periods of a year or two that, upon looking back, have a distinct, overarching feeling. As I get older I’ve started to recognize when I’m on the edge of one era, moving into the next one, and I begin to get a sense of the overall color of my recent life. I had that feeling as spring moved into summer last year and wanted to document it in a song. It recounts moments in the Colorado wilderness, misadventures in love, and my abiding wish to be Sam Bush in the 1980’s.” – Jack Dunlevie, mandolin and songwriter

More here.

Photo Credit: Carson Peters by Cora Wagoner; Jessie Wilson by Sam Aldrich.

MIXTAPE: Korby Lenker’s Joyful Contrarians

Posted on by Editor

To me, the idea of the joyful contrarian is synonymous with being an artist. Joyful because on some level the creative person’s pursuit is to get high and stay high, to chase the spark that sets your soul on fire; contrarian because artists go their own way. The artist’s work may reinforce or defy social norms but either way the connection is coincidental.

These are a few of the songs, artists, and contrarians who have inspired me. — Korby Lenker

Doc Watson – “Country Blues”

Doc is a reliable tastemaker of enduring songs, but his interpretation of the Dock Boggs classic stands apart. Something uncharacteristically sour in it. Watson usually moves through happier vistas — as in say “Ramblin’ Hobo” or “Froggie Went A-Courtin’.” But here his rueful tenor slaps against a clawhammer banjo and the mood is plaintive, down spirited, and harrowing as shallow grave.

Sierra Ferrell – “Bells of Every Chapel”

In love with this Appalachian Queen of modern yesteryear. She can belt, growl and chuckle inside the same song and still leave you with a lump in your throat. Plus that strong bent of humor and just plain orneriness. Is that a word? Sierra is funny and she’s been doing it her own way since she started. Joyful contrarian incarnate.

Nina Simone – “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”

I could have chosen a dozen Nina Simone songs. The playfully saccharine “Sugar in My Bowl” might have been a good choice, but there’s a performance from when she was older, well into her activist chapter, where she plays this version of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. It was 1976. The musicianship is effortless, playful even as she sings that lyric of doleful, unfulfilled desire. But the real magic is toward the end. It’s as close as you’ll ever get to watching someone’s spirit wrestle with angels and demons inside. Electrifying.

Bill Miller – “Ghostdance”

I got to know Bill Miller over the last few years, I guess during the pandemic. He sang and played Native American flute on one of my songs. A soft spoken humble man with three Grammys and a life of music behind and in front of him, he is absolutely himself wherever he goes. I’ve watched him bring a room full of Nashville cool kids to tears with his singing. For this studio version of “Ghostdance,” he bussed several members of his tribe down from Wisconsin to a Music Row recording studio. He told me the engineer didn’t know how to mic a tribal drum encircled with elders. It got a little wild. I’m trying to think of a way to put Bill’s relationship with music. Blind to judgment, it’s something like that.

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman – “Teddy Bear Picnic”

Picked this one because it’s an outlier in an outlier’s repertoire. Jerry Garcia did not give a shit who sang what or why. For him a song was good or it wasn’t. “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” from Not for Kids Only is a children’s tune written and originally performed by Henry Hall over a hundred years ago. It’s uplifting and a little sinister at the same time. Plus the chords are magic. I play it sometimes in my own shows.

Robert Ellis – “California”

Writing these blurb things, I notice that most of the artists I’m drawn to are accomplished musicians as well as being great songwriters. Robert Ellis is among the best. He’s like, maybe too good for his own good. At home on piano or guitar, he can reference more musicians and songs than you, and he does this thing I really like with his albums where every song is a moment, its own little movie. This one, “California,” is a slow-motion explosion from the years in his life before he calmed down a little.

Adam Hurt – “Flannery’s Dream”

This was my most listened to album of 2019. Ten tracks of solo gourd banjo, interpreted by a introverted master of the niche. I spend a lot of time with instrumental music. Wordless emotions hit different. I defy you to find anything in the string music lexicon as inventive and emotive as Hurt’s solo music. It’s banjo as high art. Especially this album, Earth Tones.

Anaïs Mitchell – “Brooklyn Bridge”

More widely known as the creator of 2019’s Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell has been making the most inventive music in folk for two decades. Her album Young Man In America is my favorite record of the last ten years. I chose this track from her 2022 eponymous release because it’s a perfect example of deep sentiment couched in well-turned phrases matched with one of the more unique singing voices in the business.

Lou Reed – “Perfect Day”

Lou Reed, helming The Velvet Underground in the ’60s, was really the first artist to make music devoid of or without regard to commercial appeal. The original contrarian of art house rock, his songs explored heroin addiction, transgenderism, art for its own sake, and love. During his solo career, collaborations with Andy Warhol and composer John Cage cemented his status as a dissonant God of the avant-garde. “Perfect Day” is from his later catalogue. Sweet and small and sad. You probably know it from the movie Trainspotting.

Randy Newman – “Marie”

Randy Newman is an artist of intimidating powers. Another master musician and songwriter and curmudgeonly iconoclast. Watch his Tiny Desk Concert and see what happens to you. Setting aside his singular piano style with its striding left hand and those constantly tumbling suspensions, the songwriting is pure emotion when he wants it to be, derisive if the mood strikes him, or, in the case of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (which he penned), the soundtrack of your childhood. “Marie” is my favorite song of his. Listen to the solo piano version on The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1.

Jimmie Rodgers – “Blue Yodel No. 9”

Hard to find a contrarian with more joy than the Singin’ Brakeman, who died from tuberculosis at the height of his fame at the age of 35. I would describe “Blue Yodel No. 9” as charmingly incorrigible. Something that might’ve made a decent Depression-era mother cover her children’s ears. Little known fact: his longtime songwriting partner, who cowrote more than 40 of his songs, was his sister-in-law, Elsie McWilliams.

James McMurtry – “Long Island Sound”

Joyful contrarian or talented asshole? Both probably. I maybe should have selected his paean to North Texas methamphetamine culture, “Choctaw Bingo,” as the most contrarian, but I picked this one, the last track from his fantastic 2016 record, Complicated Game. I like this one best because it’s about making peace with where you’re at in life, maybe even celebrating the spot where you land: “These are the best days / These are the best days / Boys put your money away / I got the round / Here’s to all you strangers / the Mets and the Rangers / Long may we thrive on the Long Island Sound.”

Photo Credit: Ali Alsaleh

LISTEN: Korby Lenker, “All in My Head”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Korby Lenker
Hometown: East Nashville
Song: “All in My Head”
Album: Man in the Maroon
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Label: Grind Ethos

In Their Words: “‘All in My Head’ is the first track on my 8th studio album, Man in the Maroon. It’s about a depressed person who entertains the idea that maybe there’s a different perspective out there. I wrote it last spring over several nights while jogging through my neighborhood in East Nashville. The outings happened to coincide with the Nashville 8 o’clock howl, a typically quirky East Nash neo-tradition where for the first several months of the pandemic, people would stand out on their porch every night at 8 and just go crazy. I heard the howling, in the distance mostly, before I ever knew what it was, and after a few nights, I started joining in. Just yelling at the top of my lungs. Purging that threatening despair that seemed to be everywhere, inside and out. Later, when I was recording the song, I posted on social media, asking if anyone knew who started it. In no time I was sitting over coffee with the founder herself. She put me in touch with some of the howlers… if you listen closely, after the bridge you can hear a few of the more choice examples of the East Nashville 8 o’clock howl.” — Korby Lenker

https://soundcloud.com/user-747568408/all-in-my-head/s-Hjv7RcuUYYF?in=user-747568408/sets/man-in-the-maroon//s-0dkClBhP9E3

Photo credit: David McClister

WATCH: Korby Lenker, “I’m Tryin'” (feat. Eliot Bronson)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Korby Lenker
Hometown: East Nashville
Song: “I’m Tryin” (feat. Eliot Bronson)
Album: Morse Code Soundtrack
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Label: Soundly Music

In Their Words: “Morse Code is the name of my dramedy web series, about a smart-but-dumb folksinger trying to make good in music without alienating everyone around him. Each episode features a new original song, and today marks the release of Episode 3 and its accompanying song, ‘I’m Tryin’.’ I wrote this one with Eliot Bronson, who joins me here for a live take. It’s a song written from the perspective of the main character, Simon, to his 10-year-old daughter. Life on the road has all but undone Simon’s family life, and at this point in the story, he’s realized he wants to change; he just doesn’t know how.” — Korby Lenker

The first season of Morse Code will run for 10 episodes.
Watch Episode 3: Turd Free
Watch all three episodes of Morse Code

Photo credit: Cody Duncum

Want to Write a Protest Song? Read This First

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

“There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
Still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate.”
                                                                                                  — Jason Isbell, “White Man’s World”

If one musical phenomenon united the year 2018 from the very moment the ball dropped over Times Square, it was the protest song. The soundtrack of the resistance clearly had enough time to percolate, deliberate, and incubate since our 45th president’s administration began in January 2017, because protest emerged as a recurring theme.

In the summer of 2017, Americana speak-your-mind hero Jason Isbell may have been the earliest adopter with “White Man’s World,” where he was decrying his own privilege while championing our common humanity and our shared fate. A year later, string band virtuosos Punch Brothers went so far as to name the elephant in the room and describe him thusly on “Jumbo:” “Whoa, here comes Jumbo with a knife and a tan/ And an elephant’s tail for his Instagram/ Grown up brave on the fat of the land of the free…”

Falling in line with this common theme, in an interview earlier this year River Whyless’ drummer Alex Waters described their creative process for their latest album, Kindness, A Rebel, as grappling with the fact that, “it’s just hard to avoid the elephant in the room as far as the current political situation and feeling like we didn’t say or do enough.” Boston-based bluegrass outfit, the Lonely Heartstring Band, opted to protest by not protesting — a press release described their single, “The Other Side,” as, “a song that takes no sides, but encourages empathy and understanding for people regardless of political beliefs.” Korby Lenker and Nora Jane Struthers took that perspective directly to far-right cable television show, Huckabee, performing a co-written plea for the sanctity of the dinner table, “Let’s Just Have Supper.”

Several issues arise when you start to consider the commonalities between all of these songs, the coincidence of their releases, and the apparent level to which political mayhem must reach before the greater community sees these songs as necessary. Look, we’ve got at least two more years of this level of political division and discourse ahead of us. Before you sit down to write your scathing, politically-minded, resistance-inspired anthem perhaps consider these few questions and suggestions:

Is this your story to tell?

Story songs and character songs can be sensationally moving and evocative, and they’re an integral part of American roots music’s songwriting traditions, but writers should be careful not to simply co-opt and capitalize on stories, concepts, ideas, and experiences of a marginalized person or group of people. Try not to appropriate any identity or culture, especially if there are marginalized voices out there already telling these stories. Which leads us neatly to the next question:

Is a marginalized or underprivileged person already telling this story?

One of the best ways folks can utilize their privilege to support resistance and activism is to pointedly and intentionally step aside to let a marginalized person own their own stories, their truths, and to be able to speak to those stories and truths. Ask yourself if telling a certain story, especially someone else’s story, could deny someone else their agency. Use your privilege, whether it be simply tied to your identity or to your professional position, to bring in the voices of forgotten folks who are already telling these stories. Use their points of view to strengthen and reinforce yours, rather than assuming that, by taking on these stories of our own accord, we’re strengthening and reinforcing those who don’t have the access or advantages that we have.

Furthermore, is this song already written?

Consider how galvanized our intersectional movements can be if we draw upon all of our constituent strengths from each and every individual’s personal story. Think of the power of protest music from across the generations. If your song is “already written,” it doesn’t mean that your feelings and your convictions are invalid. It means you aren’t alone. Your goals are the goals of someone — perhaps many someones else. Sometimes you just don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

Stay away from rhetoric such as “we’re better than this,” “this is not who we are,” “we should go back to the way things used to be,” etc.

Ask yourself if the particular phenomenon you’re writing about is truly unprecedented and unique to this era. For instance, indigenous Americans’ experiences are erased if we allow ourselves to believe the narrative that this is the first time our country has detained and imprisoned thousands of children. What about decrying the travel ban on majority-Muslim countries? Not a new occurrence, either. Mourning innocent drone deaths? Those casualty numbers actually don’t neatly correlate to which party holds the White House, as one might assume.

Try to avoid opining for “normalcy” or to “go back to normal.”

As individuals from almost any marginalized people group in this country would be happy to report, there is not an “again” to which we can return the United States that would truly be best, better, or “great” for all Americans. Whether we’re talking about Native Americans, stolen African slaves, African Americans, Americans with disabilities, LGBTQ+ Americans, or women in America — none of these groups have ever enjoyed a period of time in this country that was truly, equally great for any or all of the above. Wishing for something that never existed, except perhaps to the most privileged Americans throughout history, is the self-fulfilling prophecy of erasure at work. There ain’t no such thing as the good ol’ days.

Consider your audience, but not too closely.

Are you writing a protest song knowing that the majority, if not the entirety, of your audience already agrees with you? If so, why? Landing ourselves in echo chambers of our own political and ideological views doesn’t actually do anyone any good. Are you writing the song as a pat on the back? However, having an audience that may diametrically oppose your personal beliefs doesn’t mean that any subject, any cause, or any identity, is yours to take on as your gauntlet. Keep in mind, the most relatable songs, especially politically-minded or motivated songs, are at their best when they’re truly personal.

Speak to your own experiences, unapologetically, and speak to others’ as they relate to yours. It’s called being human. But, don’t get too bogged down considering your audience, either. If you find yourself debating whether or not a song is right for a certain audience, it’s time for a privilege check. Is your anti-gun anthem the best fit for an audience in rural Montana? Maybe not. But consider the artists and songwriters out in the world whose identities are already politicized. The trans artist. The songwriter who uses a wheelchair. An artist of color.

There is no choice, when any of these artists come into the spotlight, of whether or not the political statement of their very existence is too much for their audience. If you are able to avoid a certain song or a political point of view for the convenience of potentially not offending someone, you have an ability that many artists do not possess. That should be in the front of your mind each time you take the stage to find an audience with which you might not feel totally comfortable. For some artists, every audience conjures that feeling. Directly in the face of their art.

Are you simply, innocently following a songwriting trend?

Nope. You’re complicit. Stop. If you’re writing a protest song simply because it’s “in,” something is very broken. (Not capitalism though. That would be very much in tact.)

Write your truth!

Write what you feel. Write what pours out. Let it be personal, let it be real and vulnerable, let it process all of the confusing, complicated, and often treacherous peaks and valleys that we’ve all been crossing together these days. If you’ll stop and consider a few of these points listed above with kindness and empathy, and if you continue with only one metric against which you measure yourself, let it be this: that you are as true to yourself and your truth as you are careful and cautious with the selfhood and truths of others. Carry that with you and you almost can’t go wrong.

Isbell has it pretty much right. And he’ll be the first to admit that he wasn’t the first person to conceptualize the straightforward profundity in his lyrics. We really do all share a common fate–and our own creature comforts, however they’re provided to us, cannot be the only factors that we consider. It’s going to require active, progressive change, allyship realized as a verb, not a noun, to take what has begun as simply a quorum of protest songs from the past year and morph them into a true vehicle for change on the right side of history.

“I’m a white man living in a white man’s nation
I think the man upstairs must’a took a vacation
I still have faith, but I don’t know why
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes…”

Photo by Daniel Jackson

WATCH: Korby Lenker, ‘Uh-Oh’ (featuring Caroline Spence)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Korby Lenker (featuring Caroline Spence)
Hometown: Twin Falls, ID
Song: “Uh-Oh”
Album: Thousand Springs
Release Date: July 14, 2017
Label: Soundly Music

In Their Words: “I wrote this song with Holiday Mathis about the feeling of being in love. It’s only happened for me twice, that sense of being so connected with someone it’s electric. Like, actual electricity. It leaves a mark on you forever.

A lot of my songs have some kind of twist in them or maybe a slightly complicated idea, but for this one, I just wanted to express something really simple. We only used three instruments and a lot of space, and Caroline Spence’s delicate burn of a voice. Caroline and I got together a few weeks ago to shoot the video, directed by Cody Duncum. The whole thing was filmed in one take, and speaking of twists, we added one at the end.” — Korby Lenker

Photo credit: Anthony Shafer

Seven Acts We Wanna Catch at Folk Alliance

Posted on by Editor

Festival season doesn’t truly kick off until Spring, but every year, we’re treated to a musical oasis smack in the middle of our Winter festival drought: Folk Alliance International. From February 15-19, some of the world’s best and brightest folk and roots musicians will descend upon Kansas City, Missouri, for panels, showcases, and (fingers crossed) some serious jamming. The theme of this year’s festival is “Forbidden Folk: Celebrating Activism in Art” which, given our current predicament with President Agent Orange (thanks, A Tribe Called Quest!), is about as timely a theme as one could hope for. 

With so much amazing talent on display throughout the course of the festival, it’s no easy task to decide just who to check out. If you’re still putting your schedule together, though, allow us to do some of the heavy lifting for you. Check out some of the official showcase artists we’re most excited to see at Folk Alliance:

Cory Branan

Mississippi-born songwriter Cory Branan counts Jason Isbell as a fan and, well, that should be enough for you to stop reading and start listening. If you need a little more convincing, though, Branan seamlessly blends Americana inspiration with DIY punk ethos for a raw, singular sound you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Look for him to play new tunes from his forthcoming album, Adios.

Gaby Moreno

Guatemalan songwriter and musician Gaby Moreno writes smoky soul tunes reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. The Grammy-winning artist has toured with Ani DiFranco and the Milk Carton Kids, and just released a new album, Illusion.

Korby Lenker

Nashville songwriter, musician, and author Korby Lenker approaches lyric-writing like a novelist (he does, after all, have a song called “Book Nerd”). He has a book of short stories called Medium Hero out now and tours the country playing house shows and festivals, alike.

Marquise Knox

St. Louis’s Marquise Knox is one of the most exciting young blues artists to come up in recent years. The 25-year-old guitarist/singer got a good deal of his musical chops from his family, particularly his grandmother. He’s shared the stage with legends like B.B. King and Pinetop Perkins.

Ramy Essam

Ramy Essam gained worldwide notoreity in 2011 when he released “Irhal,” a song that became an anthem for protestors against Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Despite being captured and tortured for speaking out against Mubarak’s regime, Essam has continued to speak out and release music. He currently has a temporary residence permit that allows him asylum in Sweden, where he studies and writes songs.

Robbie Fulks

Robbie Fulks‘ Upland Stories was one of 2016’s best — and most underrated — albums. On the album, Fulks turns a compassionate eye to underdogs and underbellies, telling the kinds of decidedly American stories that otherwise wouldn’t get told. It earned Fulks two Grammy nominations at this year’s ceremony.

Tift Merritt

Tift Merritt has long been a favorite of ours at the BGS, and her new album, Stitch of the World, challenged the notion that we couldn’t love her any more than we already did. It’s her most vulnerable work to date and, also, despite some serious subject matter, her most fun. 

Photo credit: Alexandra Valenti

Roots Musicians Rally to Support Standing Rock

Posted on by Editor

As tensions in North Dakota surrounding the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline have mounted and protest efforts to protect the land from the controversial project have grown over the last several months, many roots musicians have taken to song in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Like their Trump-protesting musician pals before them earlier this year, these musicians are using the power of music to raise awareness and vital funds for protest efforts, which continue following the Army Corps of Engineers' announcement that they would not grant permits necessary for completing the pipeline.

One of the largest of these efforts is Songs for Standing Rock, a series of compilations put together by Austin musician and activist Phoebe Hunt. So far, Hunt and her team have released three compilations, all available via a pay-what-you-want page on Bandcamp. All proceeds from sales, with the exception of a 3 percent PayPal processing fee, go to "the creation of permanent sustainable winterized geodesic domes, wood stoves, and fire wood supplies at Standing Rock." Artists featured on the compilations include Elephant Revival, Ana Egge and the Sentimentals, and Hunt herself.

Hunt initially got involved in Standing Rock efforts after hearing of the freezing conditions water protectors were enduring in their efforts to guard the contested land. Living in Austin, though, she wasn't immediately clear how she could make a substantial difference. "I wanted to help, but I was so busy with everything I was doing in my life," she explains. "I was so proud and so happy that they were doing what they were doing, but I couldn't be there … I knew I needed to help and I called my friend Lakshmi and I said, 'What can we do to help?' She said, 'I have this idea that we could get an album together of musicians that would come together to support.' I had an idea of a thousand things that I needed to do in my own life with all of these other projects I'm working on and was trying to direct her in how to do it and then, two days later, I woke up and it was cold in Austin and I was cold and I thought, 'These people are freezing. I have to do something now.' So I put up a Facebook post and I said, 'We're going to put a compilation album together. Anyone interested? We need to help these people. They need firewood. It's freezing. Let's activate.' That one Facebook post got so much response I had to create a graph of all the people who wanted to help."

Hunt put together a meeting that very evening for friends and musicians interested in joining the effort. "We delegated, and we talked through what we could do to help immediately," she says. They decided to use Bandzoogle, which doesn't take a portion of sales once a one-time annual hosting fee has been paid, to distribute the music and started the writing, recording, and curating process soon thereafter. It wasn't long before they had Songs for Standing Rock Vol. 1, a 15-song collection released on Thanksgiving Day. Hunt and her team received such an overwhelming response from their community that they have since released two additional volumes.

Artists getting otherwise involved in the movement include Spirit Family Reunion, who wrote the new song "Goin' Out to Cannonball" to raise money for Sacred Stone Camp, which is located on the Standing Rock Reservation. It's available for purchase through Bandcamp with all proceeds benefitting Sacred Stone Camp.


"This is not limited to protecting clean water and sacred land for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe," Spirit Family Reunion's Nick Panken, who wrote the song after spending time at Standing Rock, says. "This is not limited to the 17 million people across several states who get their water from the Missouri River. This comes down to protecting values that are vital to our humanity. The Dakota Access Pipeline represents the destruction of these values and, when these values are destroyed, so are we. This is our time to stand with Standing Rock in defense of their values and to learn from Standing Rock in their valuable ways."

The women behind Rising Appalachia, an Asheville-based roots-folk duo comprised of sisters Chloe Smith and Leah Song, also spent time protesting at Standing Rock, hoping to, as Smith describes, "be an ally to the water protectors on a holiday (Thanksgiving) that holds historical weight for many people across this country."

"It will take some time to fully understand and articulate the beauty and rawness that we experienced at Standing Rock, North Dakota, when we arrived on November 22," Song adds. "The sobering prayers and fire-centered leadership, the way that a living indigenous movement embraced and celebrated Thanksgiving in all of its complex historical context, the incredible sense of community and care that was shared amongst strangers and family alike who had all lent their physical bodies to a movement much bigger than a protest. The Standing Rock community, the Oceti Sakowin and RoseBud camps, and the many, many people from far and wide that are standing with this movement to reroute the Dakota Access pipeline are making their voices heard in a peaceful and prayerful way."

While songwriting is a primary outlet for activism for many musicians, some artists have taken to writing op-eds in support of Standing Rock, as well, including a handful who have done so for BGS. Nashville's Korby Lenker wrote an essay for us to accompany his song "Last Man Standing," writing, "Watching the news, I see policemen lined up in riot gear while, behind them, bulldozers carve up land upon which buffalo once roamed. Apart from the specific threat, people are frustrated — I am frustrated — that this is one more example of the government putting corporate interests over the health and well-being of human beings." The Indigo Girls published a call to action urging readers to contact Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, the company slated to build the pipeline. 

Artists have long been at the forefront of activist movements, and these recent examples from roots musicians are the kinds of efforts that will be especially crucial in coming years when President-elect Trump takes office. Protecting the environment will soon be a more urgent cause than ever, as will the protection of the civil liberties of marginalized groups, and it's up to artists to raise their voices and use their platforms for change.

"We need new models and new leaders to help shepherd us into a more sustainable way of living," Song concludes. "We know that coal and oil will not last forever. Standing Rock is creating that model physically, metaphorically, poetically, and through real non-violent teachings and beliefs to begin to shift our cultural emphasis away from corporate large-scale agendas and into grassroots living and organizing. We have a lot to learn from this movement."

SaveSave

‘Last Man Standing’ for Standing Rock (Op-ed)

Posted on by Editor

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." — Chief Sitting Bull

I wrote this song after reading Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee — a book about the abuse and destruction of the Native people in the name of American Expansionism. Everyone knows that white people did bad things to Indians, but when you read the details of it happening over and over, it's hard not to feel like you've inherited a legacy of treachery and deceit.

How does this basic fact of American History continue to be ignored? The freedoms we enjoy and the private property we take for granted had, at their root, at least some level of ignoble chicanery. Treaties were drawn up and revoked as soon as new resources were discovered. It happened over and over again.

I'm white. I'm privileged. I can't take back the past, but I do feel culpable for the freedoms of the present. Once again, Indian land is being threatened by the private interests of the wealthy and powerful. This time, it's happening on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. The Dakota Access Pipeline — originally slated to cross the Missouri River near Bismarck — was diverted to within half-a-mile of the reservation because of concerns about the pipeline's potential impact on the state's drinking water.

The tribe says it was not adequately consulted, and the result has been protests, arrests, and escalating violence.

Watching the news, I see policemen lined up in riot gear while, behind them, bulldozers carve up land upon which buffalo once roamed. Apart from the specific threat, people are frustrated — I am frustrated — that this is one more example of the government putting corporate interests over the health and well-being of human beings. This time, those human beings are American Indians: One can't help but hear in the bullhorns of the National Guard the echo of the countless broken treaties, the war cry of Crazy Horse, the snap of the necks of the 38 Native American men killed at Mankato in the largest public execution in American history.

I wrote this song about Chief Sitting Bull, the gifted Hunkpapa Sioux leader. He was his people's great unifier — first in the Great Sioux War of 1876, and later against General Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

For a time, his celebrity was international — he toured with Annie Oakley as part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. He was present in Golden Spike, Utah, at the ceremony commemorating the completion of the first transatlantic railroad. And, in 1890, he was murdered outside his home, on the Standing Rock Reservation … the very place of the present crisis.

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to record parts of "Last Man Standing" in Standing Rock, near where Sitting Bull is buried today. The weather was bitterly cold when I was there, but I managed to play his song for him, at his memorial, on the banks of the Missouri River.

Sitting Bull is a hero to me. And, while I'm not an Indian and will always be on the outside of the proud tradition of the Sioux Nation, I hope that my song does some honor to their leader and lends a defiant and hopeful voice to the protestors and to the people they represent. — Korby Lenker

100 percent of the proceeds for song downloads will go to the STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBE: DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE DONATION FUND.

"Last Man Standing"

Oh mother mother, let me tell you somethin'
White people gonna know my name
The big general think he up-and-comin'
That man got nothin'
I had a vision in the middle of the night
The Great Spirit come down on me
So Custer's in for a big surprise
A bullet between his eyes

I am the last man standing
Even if you break my heart
Even if you take my land
I am the last man standing
You say you want what's mine?
Well I ain't gonna give it to you

This reservation is a choke chain collar
This reservation is closing in
But I ain't gonna let no great white father
Tell me who I am
I am the leader of the one Sioux Nation
Born free on the prairie wind
But then I signed the treaty of '68 and
It all come
to nothin'
They took it all

I am the last man standing
Even if you break my heart
Even if you take my land
I am the last man standing
You better take my life
'Cause I ain't gonna give it to you

Nobody gonna live forever
Someday you'll leave your legacy
Only when the last tree
And the last leaf
And the last lone river has died
Will you realize

I am the last man standing
Even though you took my life
Even though you took my land
I am the last man standing
Now I will live forever
Cause I will be remembered
I will be remembered
I will be remembered

I am the last man standing

Lede image: 22 Oct 2016. Water Protector, Adam Elfers, stands in peace before a line of Riot Police near DAPL construction. Photo by Rob Wilson Photography.

WATCH: Korby Lenker with Molly Tuttle, ‘Friend and a Friend’

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Korby Lenker with Molly Tuttle
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Song: "Friend and a Friend"
Album: Hidden Lakes (Kickstarter exclusive)
Release Date: November 6 
Label: Short and Sweet

In Their Words: "I met Molly at a show at the Basement in Nashville a few months ago. I was blown away by her talent … probably jealous is more the word. She rips up a D18 like David Grier, if he were a pretty girl. We met at the show and, a month or so later, we sat down to write. We both tour a lot, so it made sense to write something about what that’s like — the constant uncertainty, the waking up in your car sometimes. It’s a real song, but it’s positive too. I think we both feel lucky to get to play music for people.

'Friend and a Friend' is the fourth of five songs I recorded for my Kickstarter campaign, which ends Friday morning. Anyone who backs the campaign gets a five-song EP called Hidden Lakes featuring this song plus tracks with Liz Longley, Robby Hecht, and more. It ships Friday to anyone who backs the campaign, at any level." — Korby Lenker

Photo credit: Blaque Reily