Kyshona Archives - The Bluegrass Situation

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Tift Merritt, Kyshona, and More

Posted on June 20, 2025June 20, 2025 by Editor

Folk, country, and Americana join together in this week’s edition of our new music and premiere roundup. You Gotta Hear This!

The lovely and ethereal Tift Merritt is celebrating 20 years since the release of Tambourine this year with an upcoming vinyl reissue and a special collection of demos to go alongside it. Kicking off our new music collection today is one of those demos, “Good Hearted Man,” an intimate kitchen recording of just piano and vocals.

From the country realm, two impeccable artists and singer-songwriters have new albums out today, William Beckmann and Kelsey Waldon. Kentuckian Waldon sings about family ties, generational cycles, and finding oneself on “My Kin,” available today on her stunning new project, Every Ghost. Texan Mexican American Beckmann, for his part, brings a gorgeous, retro-styled music video for “Lonely Over You” that draws inspiration from classic television variety shows and huge musical personalities like Roy Orbison and Elvis.

Elsewhere in our collection you’ll find Steve Gillette paying tribute to his friend, musician and songwriter Gamble Rogers with the touching homage, “Song for Gamble.” The bluesy, energetic track is paired with vintage clips of Rogers set alongside photos and performance and recording footage of Gillette.

To celebrate Juneteenth yesterday, Kyshona released a new single, “More In Common (Live From the Blueroom Studio),” contextualizing the track saying, “I’m releasing ‘More in Common’ on Juneteenth as a reminder that none of us are truly free until all of us are free.” It’s an excellent, all-too-timely reminder – and you’ll be sure to enjoy the performance video shared below.

We always love wrapping up the week with the best new roots music. And you know what we think– You Gotta Hear This!

Tift Merritt, “Good Hearted Man (Kitchen Recording)”

Artist: Tift Merritt
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Song: “Good Hearted Man (Kitchen Recording)”
Album: Time and Patience (a collection of demos releasing in tandem with the 20th anniversary vinyl reissue of Tambourine)
Release Date: June 18, 2025 (single); August 29, 2025 (album)
Label: One Riot Records

In Their Words: “When I hear my 27-year-old self singing this song, after just having finished writing it, recording in the kitchen on an ADAT machine, I hear my dreams. I can’t help but smile – at my big dreams, the raw reaching, the no costume. I am enormously proud of these kitchen recordings and Tambourine, so happy they are coming out to the world this fall.” – Tift Merritt

Track Credits:
Tift Merritt – Piano, vocals

Kyshona, “More In Common (Live From The Blueroom Studios)”

Artist: Kyshona
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee by way of Irmo, South Carolina
Song: “More In Common (Live From The Blueroom Studios)”
Release Date: June 19, 2025
Label: Lamiere Records/Moraine Music Group

In Their Words: “I’m releasing ‘More in Common’ on Juneteenth as a reminder that none of us are truly free until all of us are free. What if we took ‘I,’ ‘mine,’ ‘them,’ and ‘me’ out of our vocabulary—just for a moment? It’s so easy to tune out, to disassociate from the chaos we’re witnessing. But what if we remembered that we are under attack? That every child is our child?

“After a full year of touring the Legacy album, it’s been deeply moving to see how my own family’s story – of freedom, land ownership, and the wisdom of our elders – resonates with people from all backgrounds. No matter your race or religion, there’s a common thread in how we were raised and what we’ve inherited.

“When we peel back the layers that divide us and look closer at our shared values and stories, we begin to reconnect. The conversations that have come out of this tour have been powerful. People aren’t talking about differences – they’re talking about what unites us.

“As a society, I think we’ve gotten lazy. We’ve stopped looking for what ties us together. My hope is that this song reaches the quiet few who’ve been asking, ‘What happened to us? May it serve as a gentle nudge to follow the thread instead of cutting the seams.

“There’s a lot of noise in the world right now, and I know this message may not reach everyone. But if it reaches even one person – someone overwhelmed by it all – let it be a reminder: we can make ripples of good.

“All it takes is open eyes, open ears, and the courage to show up for each other. Let people know they are seen. Let them know their existence matters.” – Kyshona

Track Credits:
Larissa Maestro – String arrangement, cello
Kristin Weber – Violin
Kyshona Armstrong – Vocals, songwriter
Simon Gugala – Songwriter

Video Credits: Recorded at The Blueroom Studios.
Videographer – Jesse Carr
Edited by Caryn Johnson, Tiny Sunshine Studios.

William Beckmann, “Lonely Over You”

Artist: William Beckmann
Hometown: Del Rio, Texas
Song: “Lonely Over You”
Album: Whiskey Lies & Alibis
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Warner Music Nashville

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Lonely Over You’ with Jesse Frasure and Jessie Jo Dillon. It’s probably my favorite song that I wrote for this album. To me, it feels reminiscent of Roy Orbison, and there’s definitely some Elvis influence in there too. I love the way it was tracked and recorded—there are a lot of stacked harmonies, which give it that lush sound. It’s a new direction I was able to discover and bring to this record. I also think the music video for ‘Lonely Over You’ is my best yet. We shot it all on film in Austin, Texas, and aimed to capture the vibe of the Elvis comeback special. The set design was incredible and made it feel like we were in the late ’60s or early ’70s. Altogether, it’s a special song. I’m very proud of it, and the video that goes with it is a great piece of art as well. We’re looking forward to sharing it.” – William Beckmann

Track Credits:
William Beckmann – Lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriter
Chad Cromwell – Drums, percussion
Craig Young – Bass
Jedd Hughes – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Jesse Frasure – Baritone guitar, background vocals, songwriter, producer
Jimmy Wallace – B3, piano, synth
Jon Randall – Acoustic guitar, producer
Todd Lombardo – Acoustic guitar
Jessie Jo Dillon – Songwriter

Kelsey Waldon, “My Kin”

Artist: Kelsey Waldon
Hometown: Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky
Song: “My Kin”
Album: Every Ghost
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Oh Boy Records

In Their Words: “I am the best of my kin and I am the worst of my kin. I got all of it. It took me a long time, but now, I love that for me. That means I got all of the character, the resilience, the grit, the beauty, the spirit, the humor, the independence, the self-sufficient ideals, the wisdom, and so much more. That, unfortunately, also means I also got the generational trauma, the demons, the stubbornness, the guilt, the defensiveness, and the thing that makes me want to push away anyone who tries to help or love me. I got the gene that makes me want to self-destruct a little bit, for sure. This song is saying, ‘I am all that, and I do have these issues, but the difference is that I am willing to learn and grow, and I am finally willing to break these cycles as well.’ These things are a part of me, and you will have to take me as I am, to a certain extent, and have patience with me. And don’t you love that all these things make me who I am? We just have to learn how to reign them in and use them for good.” – Kelsey Waldon

Track Credits:
Kelsey Waldon – Rhythm acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Junior Tutwiler – Electric guitar, baritone, high strung guitar, lead acoustic guitar
Cooper Dickerson – Pedal steel guitar
Blakely Burger – Kentucky fiddle
Erik Mendez – Electric bass, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer electric piano
Evan Kesel – Drums, percussion
Kristen Rogers – Background vocals

Steve Gillette, “Song for Gamble”

Artist: Steve Gillette
Hometown: North Bennington, Vermont
Song: “Song For Gamble”
Album: Steve Gillette – The Best Of…
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Compass Rose Music

In Their Words: “I met Gamble [Rogers] at the Bitter End in New York in 1967 and we bonded over songs and Merle Travis’ guitar finger picking that became known as ‘Travis Picking.’ Over the years, we would often run into Gamble at festivals or when he was in the New England area. One time stands out for me, when I arrived in Kerrville in 1984: Gamble was booked to perform on the main stage, but he also gave a special one-hour workshop on his guitar technique and his performance ideas. He was so generous about sharing the secrets of his showmanship, and of course, that was consistent with his selflessness as a person. Sadly, it was just his willingness to consider others before himself that contributed to his losing his own life while trying to help another. He was with his family for a day at the beach just south of St. Augustine, Florida, when a little girl ran up to him in tears, begging him to help her father, who was in trouble in the surf. Gamble went into the water, but was unable to help the man and, sadly, both were drowned. That beach is now known as the Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area.” – Steve Gillette

Track Credits:
Steve Gillette and Charles John Quarto.

Video Credit: Thank you to Rick Davidson, Cathy Roberts, and Sherry Boas for their photos and video contributions.

Photo Credits: Tift Merritt by Alexandra Valenti; Kyshona by Anna Haas.

8 Songs for This Exact Moment

Posted on November 7, 2024June 20, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

Where do we go from here?

When you wake up in a world where hatred and fascism have been resoundingly endorsed by so many of your neighbors and fellow citizens, how do you proceed? That question becomes even more daunting at its second or third or umpteenth asking.

Yes, music will play a vital role over the next handful of years, as we continue the fight for justice, self-determination, and agency for all people, in the U.S. and around the world. But music, the arts, and creativity won’t be enough to save us. They won’t be an end-all, be-all solution to the political and cultural hurdles we will have to clear in the near future.

This is a moment that calls for so much more. Solidarity, first and foremost – the idea that, at the beginning or end of the day, all we have is each other – and community, organizing, and advocating for each other will be essential. Mutual aid will be more necessary than ever. Putting our own privilege on the line in order to protect and ensure safety for those more marginalized than ourselves is the task immediately at hand. Showing up – yes, for our country, but more importantly, for our friends and neighbors – is the very next step. Literally and figuratively.

Still, the soundtrack we will all write, that we will all curate, that we will all partake in while opposing the craven and hateful policies being proffered by our would-be dictator will be a powerful tool. Music – especially roots music, country and bluegrass, blues and old-time, folk with a lowercase and capital F, and more – are traditions steeped in populism, in worker’s rights, in justice, in standing up for the downtrodden and beleaguered. There are no better genres for this exact moment. There are no betters artists, musicians, and songs than those in and made by our very community.

BGS and Good Country include in our mission a commitment to intentionally crafting a roots music space, a bluegrass- and country-centered universe, where everyone is welcome, regardless of identity, background, nationality, ethnicity, disability, class, or belief system. We are determined to continue that work, to be a place where – hopefully – anyone and everyone can feel seen, heard, safe, and valid in their love for and appreciation of all things roots music.

As we summon courage for the work ahead and lean on our community, here are eight songs perfect for this exact moment in history, to hold up as we remind ourselves our goals are the same at the end of this week as they were at the beginning: liberty, agency, and self-determination for all. – The BGS & Good Country Team

“Mercy Now” – Mary Gauthier

A modern Americana classic, singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier shared “Mercy Now” on social media very early on Wednesday morning, after the news broke that Trump had won another term. It spread quickly on social media with many a repost and reshare. The message here, of mercy applied broadly, universally, and without qualification, is more than timely. It’s evergreen.

“Crisis” – Aoife O’Donovan

Connecting our current struggle to those of past generations is exactly how we continue to put one foot in front of the other, despite setbacks and losses and despair. Aoife O’Donovan’s latest record, All My Friends, is a perfect intergenerational connecting of the dots, centering women, girls, and femmes, and shines a light on the non-linear track that leads to victory. We know we will continue to return to this music over and over in the future, as a balm and a catalyst for progress.

And, as our friends at Basic Folk reminded us yesterday, Aoife’s and Dawn Landes’ episode of the podcast – which focuses on their similar albums centering women, feminism, and women’s issues – is an incredibly timely re-listen. Find that episode here.

“Sun to Sun” – Alice Gerrard

Looking to our roots music elders in this moment is exactly what we all need! Alice Gerrard’s most recent album, Sun to Sun, and certainly its title track, indicate a kind of perseverance and long view that we all could take on as we face the uncertain future.

With a loping, almost marching rhythm, there’s a grounded, realistic, and convicting approach here on “Sun to Sun.” While we all talk, and talk, and talk, and talk, the problems we face continue unabated and unchallenged. What will we do besides talk?

While we talk another fool goes and buys a gun…

“Listen” – Kyshona

Speaking of talking… why don’t we take a turn at listening? The challenge has been set by Kyshona, a powerful and restorative singer-songwriter and activist who channels her ancestors, connects generations, and builds community with every note and every word sung. Originally released in 2020, “Listen” is just as encouraging now as it was then, and just as indelible in its striving for a better, more compassionate world. Media, social media, and the internet all incentivize us to speak, to center ourselves, to prefer “me” and “I” over “us” and “we.” Let’s maybe listen more, instead. Especially right now.

“Beautiful” – Sam Gleaves

Appalachian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Gleaves – who was raised in southwest Virginia but now lives in eastern Kentucky – released one of the most quietly and emphatically radical queer country and old-time albums of this year, Honest. “Beautiful” is the collection’s stunner, a track about how there’s endless beauty, mystique, and life lessons to be drawn from the ways we’re all different from each other. Through the lyrics, you see the world from the eyes of a young Gleaves, singing about sights and sounds unfamiliar and foreign to a boy from the mountains, loved and cherished by his family and shown that love without question.

Seeing beauty in our differences? What a way to live…

“The Numbers” – Mipso

THE ECONOMY! THE ECONOMY! THE ECONOMY!

What about those of us for whom this economy has never worked well or fully functioned? What about the millions who can’t make ends meet right now, under blue or red presidents? From their 2023 album, Book of Fools, Mipso turn over this very question, examining how and why “The Numbers” could be soaring – hiring numbers, the stock market, crypto values, Tesla market cap – while so many are still struggling day to day.

“Put No Walls Around Your Garden” – New Dangerfield

From Black string band supergroup New Dangerfield – which features Jake Blount, Kaia Kater, Tray Wellington, and Nelson Williams – “Put No Walls Around Your Garden” is an Americana-tinged old-time number, written by Kater, with a collectivist stance and a solidarity through line. There may be instincts in the near future to revert to an “every man for himself” sort of survival strategy, but the only way we’ll get through is together. Rather than hoarding, walling ourselves off, retreating, or recoiling, now is the time to throw open our garden gates and welcome each other in. Share our abundance, work through our scarcity and lack, and care for each other’s needs – big or small.

“Trees” – Laurie Lewis

Consider the trees. Consider the birds, the rivers, the oceans, the saguaro, the pikas, the whooping cranes. Did their realities change between Tuesday and Wednesday? Is the world any less or more likely to burn, to flood, to be blown away by hurricanes and tornadoes now than on Monday? Sadly, no. The march towards climate apartheid continues entirely unfettered, regardless of who holds the White House.

Laurie Lewis, a bluegrass forebear who has carried the mantle of climate justice for her entire life, embodies trees in the title track of her latest album. She and her band show how the fight for justice – climate justice, racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights – is a fight not measured by human lifespans and human time, but against earth’s clock. The trees will continue to watch, waiting, for us to either figure it all out or to fail at our mission.

We must not fail. The work continues and we’ll be working – and singing – alongside you all, the entire way.

Photo Credit: Alice Gerrard by Libby Rodenbough.

Kyshona on 50 Years of ‘Rags To Rufus’

Posted on May 21, 2024June 20, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

(Editor’s Note: 50 years ago this month, Rufus released what would become a seminal album in American roots music, soul, and funk, Rags To Rufus, which featured Chaka Khan. To mark the 50th anniversary of this iconic recording, singer-songwriter Kyshona ponders the personal meanings of the project and how it relates to her own brand new album, Legacy.)

My mother is battling dementia, so car rides with her are the perfect time to play music from her younger years, when she was carefree, childless, and she and my Dad hosted an abundance of house parties for their friends and family. I have a playlist of songs from the late ‘60s and ‘70s I’ll put on when we’re shuttling her between doctors’ appointments.

On one of these car rides, I turned on Rags To Rufus. My mom was in the passenger seat, playing “brain games” on her phone to, in her words, “Exercise her mind and hold on to what she’s got.” I noticed she was singing, under her breath, the melodies and choruses of the first three tracks on the album. She turned to me and said, “I’ve never heard this before, who is this? I like it!” This got me thinking beyond personal family legacy and more about musical legacy.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Rags To Rufus, the album that transformed the trajectory of funk band Rufus and propelled Chaka Khan into the spotlight. Chaka Khan’s music is a soundtrack that has woven itself into the fabric of not only my work as an artist, but also into my personal life.

There is an expectation to conform, to try to categorize and compartmentalize music; I can’t imagine enduring the pressure from the industry, and even society as a whole, as it was nearly a half a century ago, artists and bands trying to squeeze themselves into arbitrary molds. To my ears, Rags To Rufus is the sound of a group of friends hanging out and having a good time – there is a sense of celebration, camaraderie, a sonic journey of Black joy. It feels like an album made for the thrill of being creative, for the sake of unbridled artistic freedom. I have always wanted my music to feel like this, telling stories, playing around with sounds and ideas. When I’m creating, that’s my goal. I write in the style that serves the story that I’m telling, without regard to genre constraints or others’ expectations.

The record begins with empowered swagger and affirmation – “You Got The Love,” which I interpret as, “You belong here.” The sentiment is carried through in “Walkin’ In The Sun,” a song that brings a comforting sense of nostalgia. I can hear my “aunties” in the hook: “Even a blind man can tell when he’s walking in the sun.”

The title track is a funked-out jam session, and then the band brings out old-time fervor in “Swing Down Chariot.”

Think about it – Rufus takes an old gospel song, adds Chaka Khan’s powerhouse vocals, blends it with blues, jazz, funk, soul, and takes it to an entirely new dimension! Forget genre, industry rules, or album cycles. Back in the day, it was just music that made you feel good, it was about that vibe.

As a music therapist, I recognize the profound impact music has on those grappling with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia – it encourages lucidity and presence of self. As a daughter, I see how music bonds me to my mother.

In the past, when I’ve done music therapy in nursing home settings, I’ve used songs from the early 20th century – like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “Heart And Soul,” and “Sentimental Journey.” But now, the memory care songs I reach for are songs I grew up listening to in our house, at family reunions, on road trips. How fantastic is it that Chaka Khan’s work throughout her 50-year career can provide a generation-spanning conduit for a mother and a daughter to connect? We can experience that freedom in her sound as we listen together, regardless of the chaos happening around us.

I can’t begin to put into words how much I admire Chaka Khan; with my new album, Legacy, I tell the stories of my ancestors and my family. Chaka Khan’s legacy is intertwined with generations of music-makers.

Over the last 50 years, Khan has been a major influence on pop artists like Whitney Houston, R&B artists like Erykah Badu and Mary J. Blige, and on myself – and so many of my peers in the roots and folk scenes. I learned of her musical magic as a child, listening to my parents’ favorite radio stations, so being able to sing backing vocals for her at Newport Folk Festival a few years ago was absolutely surreal. I can’t imagine the journey she’s been on, but I hope she knows that her existence alone encourages artists like me to keep on being true to ourselves and our art.

Rags To Rufus is a part of my journey. For me, it’s the sound of “blackness.” I hope that 50 years from now, someone will listen to the music of myself and my peers and hear that same resonance of joy, love, and celebration of culture.

We all dream to leave a lasting musical legacy as deep and profound as Chaka Khan and Rufus.

Photo Credit: Anna Haas

Ed’s Picks: A Breath of Fresh Air

Posted on April 18, 2024June 20, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

(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.

Sign up here to receive Good Country issues when they launch, direct to your email inbox via Substack.)

Photo Credits: Cam by Dennis Leupold; Maya de Vitry by Kaitlyn Raitz; Courtney Hartman by Jo Babb; Kyshona by Anna Haas; The Local Honeys by Erica Chambers; Caroline Spence by Kaitlyn Raitz.

Folk Alliance International Brings Musical Alchemy to Kansas City

Posted on February 16, 2024June 20, 2025 by Justin Hiltner

From February 21 to 25 the global folk music community will descend on Kansas City for Folk Alliance International’s 36th annual conference. This year, the event’s theme is Alchemy: A Transformative Force, as the non-profit organization puts it: “Showcasing the power of music to provide the change needed in the world.”

“The power of alchemy can manifest, for example, when an artist processes their individual pain into words and vibrations that connect and comfort listeners,” FAI continued via press release. “The alchemy theme invites us to lean into processes of discovery and experimentation and to think about how we nurture the sparks of creativity that light fires of change…”

Over five days at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center the conference will feature a variety of panels, keynote addresses, networking events, education, and – of course – limitless music. Between official and private showcases there will be reportedly more than 2,000 performances by folk musicians from across the genre spectrum. This year, there will also be a handful of summits held during the conference including a wellness summit, a legal summit, The Black American Music Summit, and the Indigenous Music Summit. The event’s keynote speakers include Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary), singer/composer and Grammy-winner Lucy Kalantari, and David Israelite (President and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association).

BGS will be on hand for FAI 2024, as well! With our friends from Good Folk we’ll be hosting “The Good Room” (#717 at the Westin) featuring three nights of music celebrating Good Folk, BGS, and Good Country. See artists and performers like Nat Myers, Willi Carlisle, Kyshona, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Humbird, and many more Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the conference. (Full schedule below.)

To prepare for the big week, we want to share a few events, artists, showcases, and highlights we’ve got on our schedule for next week’s Folk Alliance International in Kansas City. You can still register for the conference and join us as we celebrate and learn from folk music alchemy!

The International Folk Music Awards

On Wednesday, February 21, the opening day of the conference, the International Folk Music Awards will be handed out in an evening ceremony. Based on members’ votes, the organization will hand out awards for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year, as well as a handful of Spirit of Folk awards, several Lifetime Achievement honors, and inductions into the Folk Radio Hall of Fame. Plus, FAI hands out three very special, activism- and impact-geared recognitions as well: the Rising Tide Award (recipient Sara Curruchich), the People’s Voice Award (recipient Alynda Segarra), and the Clearwater Award (recipient LEAF Global Arts Festival).

Not attending FAI or able to make the IFMAs on Wednesday night? Do not worry! Like years prior, you will be able to stream the awards via Folk Alliance’s YouTube Channel.

The Indigenous Music Summit

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For the first time since FAI 2020, the Indigenous Music Summit will return to the conference for an Indigenous Community Gathering. It’s something of a precursor of the organization’s banner 2024 event, to be held in what’s now called Toronto at the beginning of June. Though the gathering on Friday at Folk Alliance 2024 is open only to Indigenous delegates, there will be an IMS showcase also on Friday from 11:30pm to 2:30am in the Pershing Place ballroom that’s open to all attendees. Be sure to catch showcase performances by Mikhail Laxton, Ila Barker, Nimkii and the Niniis, Andrina Turenne, Olivia Komahcheet, and Shauit.

The Good Room

Good Folk LA, BGS, and Good Country combine to bring you three evenings of excellent roots music in room 717 at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. See the full schedule for our private showcase above. The first night, programmed in partnership with Abby Litman of Good Folk LA, will feature Humbird, Hannah Connolly, and many more. Our BGS geared night will include bluegrass (AJ Lee & Blue Summit), country (Mary Bragg), blues (Nat Myers), and so many more styles and sounds. The final night, celebrating our new brand and email newsletter Good Country, will culminate with a rowdy and fun Hootenanny Jam, preceded by our current Artist of the Month Willi Carlisle, Kaïa Kater, Malachi Graham, and more.

We hope you’ll stop by room 717 while you’re at Folk Alliance to say hey, have a beer or seltzer, and enjoy some first class folk, bluegrass, country, and beyond.

Keynote Addresses

Folk Alliance always boasts a jaw-dropping slate of keynote addresses – as well as panels, discussions, affinity groups, and more. This year’s conference will continue that excellent track record with keynote addresses and conversations that feature five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary; two-time Grammy Award-winner and Latin Grammy nominee, Lucy Kalantari; and President and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), David Israelite.

Hear Stookey in conversation with Deana McCloud on Thursday, February 22 at 2:00pm, as the pair chat about “Alchemy Through the Years.” Folk Alliance had this to say about the session in their official schedule: “Noel Paul Stookey has been altering both the musical and ethical landscape of this country and the world for decades – both as the ‘Paul’ of the legendary Peter, Paul and Mary and as an independent musician who passionately believes in bringing the spiritual into the practice of daily life.”

David Israelite will speak on the Value and Creativity of Creators on Friday, February 23 at 3:30pm, “[speaking] on the value to society of creativity and creators, addressing the needs of those benefiting from the use of music to support and respect the contributions of the folks making music.” The event description continues: “The importance of staying vigilant in the protection of our cultural contribution and providing for sustainability is key. We can’t allow for a ‘scorched earth policy’ that has become of the approach of certain music users because songwriters and music publishers, many of which are small businesses, need certainty and reliability on knowing what their income is and will be, in order to keep creating and providing society with the impactful alchemic process that it advances in communities globally.”

Finally on Saturday at 10:30am, Lucy Kalantari will speak on “Producing Alchemy” with Austin-based musician and activist SaulPaul facilitating the conversation. “Lucy Kalintari [will speak] on transforming creativity while helping artists transform stories and sounds. Explore the alchemy of an idea transmitted to an audience. She will [be] discussing the alchemy of collaboration, when artists work within a genre to push its conventions, and when artists cross ‘genres’ to collaborate.”

If you’re ready for an alchemical week, these Folk Alliance keynote speakers will equip you for getting the most out of this year’s conference, programming, and theme. Find a current schedule of conference events, panels, and sessions here.

Showcases, Showcases, Showcases!

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Folk Alliance proudly advertises their conference as gathering more than 2,000 showcases under one roof and, in the pantheon of music festivals, conferences, and the like they certainly stand out in the quality and efficacy of their showcases. Whether official or private, there are truly countless opportunities to hear the most buzzed about newcomers, true living legends, and newly discovered talents, too. Besides our own lineup for our private showcase in room 717 (see the schedule above), here are a few official and private showcasing artists we’re excited to catch at Folk Alliance.

See the full list of showcasing artists and schedule of performances here.

Liv Greene

We love Liv Greene’s music, especially this almost four-year-old number, and are really looking forward to their upcoming, yet-to-be-announced album. We’re hoping to catch some of that new material during Folk Alliance, so when you encounter this heartfelt, poetic songwriter during the conference, keep your ears open for new songs – we hear they are coming. (Read more about Liv in a recent Out Now interview.)

ISMAY

ISMAY’s pastoral, Northern California country is effortlessly raw and real – they did make it onto our “Three Chords and… Authenticity” Good Country playlist, after all. We’re excited to hear some of their just released album, Desert Pavement, at their Folk Alliance showcases as well as catching the screening of their new film, Finding Lucinda, on Friday at 3:30pm. Our own managing editor, Justin Hiltner, will lead the Q&A following the screening of the film, which tells a story of Lucinda’s remarkable path as a legendary artist through the eyes of ISMAY (AKA Avery Hellman.)

Mikhail Laxton

From Australia via Ottawa, soul-folk singer-songwriter Mikhail Laxton is a don’t miss showcase artist at this year’s conference. We already mentioned his set as part of the Indigenous Music Summit showcase, but he’s posted his full FAI schedule for addition to your day planner, as well.

Nat Myers

Have you heard modern bluesman Nat Myers’ music? This PBS News Hour episode is the perfect introduction to this Easy Eye Sound recording artist. (That’s Dan Auerbach’s label, by the way.) Myers’ brand of timeless, gristly, warm, and charming blues will be on perfect display in the halls of Folk Alliance, for sure.

Rainbow Girls

Fresh off their brand new album release late last year, folk-rock trio Rainbow Girls will be ready to welcome you to whatever in Kansas City. They’re a chosen family band that’s as charming as they are biting, sharp musicians and songwriters. Check out Rachel Baiman’s interview with the group ahead of their FAI appearances.

Viv & Riley

Viv & Riley are true old-time musicians, but their songs are always forward-looking, too. They’ve been a notable old-time, bluegrassy, string band duo for more than a few years, but we recently featured them on our column One to Watch because, well – you oughta be keeping an eye on ’em! Do so at Folk Alliance, you’ll thank us. Want more? We had them on Basic Folk recently, too!

Willie Watson

Our old pal Willie Watson will be at FAI this year!? Sign us up!! How is this iconic session nearly 10 years old, already? Good memories with Watson, for sure, and we’re just about ready to make some new ones in Kansas City.

Black History Month: Music Industry Leaders

Posted on February 27, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

While the entire industry surrounding roots music ratchets up its awareness around social justice issues and attempts to create a more representative and inclusive community, it’s apparent that, now more than ever, we need industry leaders of diverse cultural, ethnic, gender, and identity backgrounds. As we cap off this year’s Black History Month, BGS wants to spotlight not only the Black artists, songwriters, musicians, and instrumentalists who make these genres and this industry great, but also the writers, thinkers, leaders, and stakeholders working behind the scenes to craft a better, more just reality for all folks in roots music. Here are just a few of the Black industry insiders and community builders who inspire us and are leading the way.

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Marcus Amaker

Charleston, South Carolina’s first poet laureate, Marcus Amaker, is also a musician, author, performer, and designer. Oh, and he’s also composed an opera! A true multi-hyphenate, Amaker’s visual art has anchored No Depression’s print journal since 2017, just after its rebirth. He has released an impressive thirty-five albums of electronic music and his latest book, Black Music Is, is a “poetic love letter to Black music and history” through the eyes and ears of Bebop the cat, who spins vinyl records and listens to all sorts of genres – from bluegrass to hip-hop.

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Kyshona Armstrong

Songwriter, recording artist, and community builder Kyshona is well known in Nashville and in the folk and Americana scenes for her grounded, embodied songs that explore themes of agency, justice, mental health, healing, connection, and growth. Her career began in music therapy and she brings sensibilities from that expertise with her into every avenue of her professional life. She founded and runs Your Song, a non-profit, collaborative songwriting program that connects performing arts centers, musicians, and artists with vulnerable communities to promote healing and community connectedness. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she also began holding events and meet-ups for music professionals seeking to move through this extractive, punishing industry more healthfully and mindfully and joyfully.

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Marcus Dowling

Writer, thinker, fashion icon, and Tennessean columnist Marcus Dowling has been publishing writings on dance music, food, hip-hop, Nashville, and country music for more than fifteen years. In 2021, he was awarded the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. Just about everyone who has ever been anyone in the modern country scene has spoken with and been written about by Dowling, who brings vibrant, artful descriptions as well as thoughtful perspective and context to his interviews and features. But, it’s not just the Shania Twains, Kelsea Ballerinis, and Tyler Hubbards of the world that he covers, he connects the dots between past generations and the future, highlighting new artists, forgotten or underappreciated legends, and creators too often relegated to the shadows, as well.

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Holly G & Tanner D

Holly G and Tanner D are the co-founders and co-orchestrators of Black Opry, a touring collective, showcase, revue, and community that re-centers Black musicians, songwriters, and instrumentalists in country music. Black Opry rose to notoriety rapidly in the wake of the social unrests surrounding race, police brutality, and state-facilitated murder of Black folks in 2020, but the groundwork for this trailblazing group had been laid long before that pivotal year. Both Holly and Tanner began their work as fans of the music, giving them a particular perspective on how to create spaces in country music that truly feel inviting, receptive, and open to all, while still focusing their mission on the historic and current factors that continue to channel Black fans out of country and toward other genres.

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Benjamin Hunter

Benjamin Hunter is a speaker, musician, educator, and organizer perhaps best known in roots music circles from his duo with Joe Seamons, but his work extends far beyond his expertise in the primordial musical ooze that became blues, bluegrass, old-time, and country. He’s founded and co-founded multiple organizations with artistic purviews: Community Arts Create (with a mission to break down social barriers through cross-generational and multi-cultural arts programming, especially folk art), Hillman City Collaboratory (a social change incubator), Black & Tan Hall (a venue, restaurant, and gathering space), and many more. Based in the Pacific northwest, Hunter was Seattle’s Music Commissioner from 2014 to 2020. And his resume continues, these being merely the tip of the iceberg of his experience.

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Brandi Waller-Pace

Brandi Waller-Pace is an educator, academic, and musician who founded Decolonizing the Music Room, a non-profit with a mission of re-centering Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian voices in music education, complicating and subverting endemic colonialism and classism in Western European classical music, its history, and its instruction. She’s also a board member for Folk Alliance International and with DTMR founded the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, which will be held this year on March 18. BGS first met and collaborated with Waller-Pace in 2020, when she and DTMR curated our virtual Shout & Shine Online showcase as part of IBMA’s annual business conference. Her approach to the work of anti-racism and decolonization is grounded and realistic, while offering models for how to move into the future with justice and representation as keystones in our musical spaces.

Lillian Werbin

Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI has been a beacon of roots music for now more than fifty years. It’s a true community center, not just a purveyor of fine instruments, and Lillian Werbin recently took the reigns of this folk-, old-time-, and bluegrass-hallowed ground from her father, Stan Werbin. Lillian is not only CEO at Elderly, but also chairs the board of Bluegrass Pride, a non-profit with a mission of uplifting LGBTQ+ folks in bluegrass, and also serves on the board of the IBMA Foundation and advises its Arnold Schultz Fund, which strives to increase participation of people of color in bluegrass music. In Lillian’s free time, you’ll often find this musical workaholic running music camps, facilitating online events, and saying yes to just about every mission-minded project that comes across their desk.

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Pat Mitchell Worley

Pat Mitchell Worley is the president and CEO of Stax Soulsville Foundation in Memphis, which oversees the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy, and The Soulsville Charter School, all with a mission to perpetuate the soul of Stax Records. Worley was just awarded the Spirit of Folk Award by Folk Alliance International earlier this month. She’s also a veteran radio host in Memphis, where she’s hosted the Beale Street Caravan, a weekly show that has run for more than twenty years and is the most widely distributed blues radio program in the world. She began her career as writer in her late teens, then went on to work at the Blues Foundation before starting on the radio in the early 2000s. While as a child she may have dreamed of becoming an astronaut someday, her work in music has always reached for the stars.

Photo Credit: Diana Deaver (Marcus Amaker); Nora Canfield (Kyshona); Phil Eich (Lillian Werbin)

WATCH: ZG Smith, “Nighttime Animal”

Posted on February 1, 2023June 20, 2025 by Editor

Artist: ZG Smith
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Nighttime Animal”
Album: Nighttime Animal
Release Date: February 23, 2023
Label: Tone Tree Music

In Their Words: “When Kyshona and I were writing ‘Nighttime Animal,’ in my mind the term was sort of a proxy for people who go against the grain. I think most of us have this pull in our lives to fit in, acquiesce to our surroundings, and be, for lack of a better term, ‘day people.’ In some ways that can be positive; we’re communal beings by nature, and we should definitely be able to function cooperatively, but a lot of folks end up quashing their own individuality and creativity in order to follow someone else’s idea of convention. Even worse is when some larger outside entity like the government tries to minimize individual autonomy, as is the case with reproductive rights legislation in Tennessee and other states right now. I think the defining energy of your life should be centered within you and no one should have power over someone else in that way. You can kinda see this in the way we crafted the arc of the music video when the main character, the ‘Nighttime Animal,’ has this sort of ‘hell yeah!’ moment when he finds the motorbike and lets himself go.” — ZG Smith

Photo Credit: Natia Cinco

WATCH: Kyshona, “Nighttime Animal” feat. ZG Smith (The Parthenon Sessions)

Posted on October 11, 2022June 20, 2025 by Editor

Artist: Kyshona
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee, by way of Irmo, South Carolina
Song: “Nighttime Animal” Feat. ZG Smith
Album: The Parthenon Sessions EP
Release Date: December 1, 2022

In Their Words: “Gazing at the iconic Parthenon from the great lawn at Centennial Park is one thing. Stepping inside the Parthenon and looking up at Athena, you can’t help but open your mouth and sing. You can still sense the echoes of music, laughter, and whispers that rang through the room before and it calls you to add your own unique voice to the ghost choir. When ZG, Maureen [Murphy], Nickie [Conley], and I hit the first chorus together, we couldn’t help but smile at the beauty and awe of what echoed back to us. A writing session with Zack (ZG) is one of my favorite things to see on my calendar. Not only is it always a good hang with a friend, it’s also a treat to create with such a great lyricist. He’s truly a poet with the pen. Performing this song together is super special because it always brings me joy to harmonize with friends and artists that I respect.” — Kyshona

Image Courtesy of Justin Tam

A Bluegrass Family Reunion at AmericanaFest: Photo Recap

Posted on September 23, 2022June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

Ahh it was good to be back at AmericanaFest this year. While last year’s conference felt a bit lighter than normal years, with the pandemic bringing a tentative air, 2022 felt like a bit of a family reunion as we came back in full swing, especially as BGS gathered through the week with so many of those closest to us to celebrate our 10th year. After all, BGS is nothing without our community. BGS is the community! Take a look at the gallery below for a photo recap of our week in Nashville.

We started things off on Tuesdat at a packed Station Inn for a night of bluegrass with Jason Carter and Friends, featuring special guests like Ronnie and Rob McCoury, Michael Cleveland, Ketch Secor, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Shelby Means, Kyle Tuttle, Vince Herman, and David Grier.

Wednesday brought a happy hour at the City Winery Lounge ahead of the Americana Honors and Awards that evening, as we officially celebrated 10 years of BGS (featuring a ton of birthday cake – thanks to the Cupcake Collection!) and an afternoon of music from Rainbow Girls, Willie Watson, and Kyshona.

Finally, on Friday we gathered at the Basement with our friends at Nettwerk Music Group and Taylor Guitars, with performances from Lullanas, Phillip LaRue, Brooke Annibale, Mark Wilkinson, Old Sea Brigade, and Bre Kennedy.

Photos by Steve Lowry

Basic Folk – Kyshona

Posted on September 8, 2022June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

Kyshona is an artist with a literal mission statement: “To be a voice and a vessel for those who feel lost, forgotten, silenced and are hurting.” She’s found that having this tool at her disposal gives her work meaning, especially on those nights when she’s felt like she hasn’t sold enough tickets, merch or gotten enough applause. If one person comes up to her and tells her they feel seen, she walks away feeling like she’s done her work.

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That work also includes many years of being a music therapist with mental health patients, children and those who are experiencing incarceration. Through music, she’s found that everyone has a story to tell. It is her honor and privilege to help them tell their stories.

Growing up in South Carolina, she was surrounded by music thanks to her father and grandfather’s musical groups. She was classically trained on the piano and also the oboe, which she compares to a human voice. After receiving a music scholarship, she found her way to the field of music therapy and found so much purpose and meaning. After graduating from University of Georgia and working as a music therapist, she found her own way to her songwriting in order to keep a separation from her work. She’s released several solo albums, most notably, her 2020 album Listen, whose title track made waves in the Americana world. Recently, she’s released three singles leading us to highly anticipate her next full length. Enjoy the wise and delightful Kyshona!

Editor’s note: Kyshona will be a part of BGS’ 10th Anniversary Happy Hour celebration at Nashville’s City Winery Lounge as part of Americanafest on Wednesday September 14, along with Willie Watson and Rainbow Girls.

Photo Credit: Nora Canfield