Tag: lindsay lou

33 Must-See Roots Artists at This Year’s Bourbon & Beyond

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Since 2017, Bourbon & Beyond has become one of the BGS Team’s favorite annual events. The music, spirits and food festival held at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky, always boasts a roots-forward lineup – on and off the BGS Stage.

In anticipation of Bourbon & Beyond kicking off Thursday, September 14, and running through Sunday, September 17, let’s preview all of the artists gracing our stage throughout the weekend – and we’ll throw in a few we’re excited to catch on the main stages as well. 

Limited tickets are still available! Join us this weekend at Bourbon & Beyond in Kentucky. Scroll to see the full schedule for the BGS Stage. 

The Arcadian Wild – BGS Stage

We’ve been a fan of this bluegrass-infused Nashville string/Americana band for more than a few years now. In 2021 we invited the Arcadian Wild to perform a Yamaha Artist Session, for which they performed two songs, “Hey Runner” and “Finch In the Pantry.” They hit the BGS Stage at B&B on Sunday.

Armchair Boogie – BGS Stage

We recently caught this jammy Wisconsin outfit, Armchair Boogie, at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, where they burnt down their late-night set. You have two opportunities to see them on the BGS Stage, as they’ll kick us off both Friday and Saturday.

The Avett Brothers – Main Stage

These Saturday headliners need no introduction to our BGS readers and followers, as the Avett Brothers have been a staple of our community for nearly our entire lifespan. Looking at the Bourbon & Beyond lineup poster, it’s hard to believe we didn’t book this entire event! 

Jon Batiste – Main Stage

Fresh off the release of a brand new album, World Music Radio, in August, don’t miss Americana renaissance man Jon Batiste when he hits the B&B main stage on Sunday. We can certainly appreciate this Louisianan’s love for blurring genre lines – a perfect fit for Bourbon & Beyond.

Brandi Carlile – Main Stage

Let’s return to MerleFest 2019, the last time we had a stage at a festival Brandi Carlile headlined – and she brought her pals the Avetts out to sing “Murder In the City.” A BGS classic! We’ll be running from the BGS Stage to see Brandi on Thursday evening for sure.

Brandy Clark – Main Stage

Appropriate that Brandi and Brandy would end up as list neighbors and both on the Bourbon & Beyond main stage lineup, as the former produced the latter’s stunning new self-titled album. Clark has been a Music Row mainstay as an artist and songwriter for decades, but with her new record and her hit Broadway show, Shucked (penned with Shane McAnally), she’s finally getting her well-deserved flowers. 

Clay Street Unit – BGS Stage

We crossed paths with Denver, Colorado, country-folk-grass group Clay Street Unit earlier this year at WinterWonderGrass, so we’re more than pleased to have them on the BGS Stage on Thursday afternoon. 

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper – BGS Stage

Fiddlin’ phenom Michael Cleveland has performed for BGS at Bourbon & Beyond before, but with his new critically-acclaimed album, Lovin’ of the Game, and his recent selection as our March 2023 Artist of the Month, it’s the perfect time to get him back to Louisville. It’s basically home turf for Cleveland, and his set Thursday evening is not to be missed.

The Cleverlys – BGS Stage

Bluegrass’s preeminent song-interpreters – or song skewer-ers, depending on how you look at it – are a humorous hoot, bolstered by fantastic picking and on-stage personas pulled straight out of a caricature book. If you’ve never seen the Cleverlys live and in person, now’s your chance to catch covers like this waltz version of Radiohead’s “Creep” like you’ve never heard them before. 

Della Mae – BGS Stage

Our old pals Della Mae brought an outsized energy and charisma with them to their sets at Earl Scruggs Music Festival a couple of weeks ago, wowing the crowds in North Carolina. Now the groundbreaking bluegrass foursome set their sites on the BGS Stage at Bourbon & Beyond. There’s a reason why this group of all women remains a stalwart in bluegrass, old-time and Americana.

Myron Elkins – BGS Stage

If you’re not familiar with guitarist and Americana alt-rocker Myron Elkins, you’re about to be! His debut album, Factories, Farms & Amphetamines, was produced by superstar musician-engineer-producer Dave Cobb and released on Elektra. Catch him as he ascends on the BGS Stage on Thursday, kicking off the entire weekend for us at 12:30 p.m.

Fantastic Negrito – Main Stage

Fantastic Negrito is a one-of-a-kind performer. An expert in blues – and a purveyor of post-blues, neo-blues, and the tastiest of fringe Americana – Fantastic Negrito occupies a stage like no other. He’s a Bourbon & Beyond veteran as well, and his past performances are seared into our memories of this amazing event. Do not miss!

First Aid Kit – Main Stage

Indie folk duo First Aid Kit, made up of Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, are a favorite of BGS readers – the kind of readers who equally love Bill Monroe, Nickel Creek and boygenius. Get a taste at their Saturday main stage set or check out our 2018 feature on the group.

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors – Main Stage

Don’t you just wish Drew and Ellie Holcomb and the Neighbors were your neighbors? (Sigh…) It just seems like it would be lovely. At any rate, you can catch up with these fine folks from next door on the main stage at B&B on Thursday. 

Brittany Howard – Main Stage

A god of rock and roll incarnate, Brittany Howard’s particular brand of roots rock is enormous and will fill the Bourbon & Beyond main stage and then some. If you haven’t caught the Alabama Shakes front person recently, now is your chance. Howard hits the main stage on Friday.

The Lil’ Smokies – BGS Stage

Formed in Montana, the Lil’ Smokies combine so many contemporary bluegrass influences into a Western-influenced, jam-forward sound. We enjoy every chance we have to cross paths with this group – if you miss their set at Bourbon & Beyond, catch the Lil’ Smokies at AmericanaFest in Nashville very soon.

Lindsay Lou – BGS Stage

Roots singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou is entering yet another new era of her career, with her signing to Kill Rock Stars and upcoming album, Queen of Time, due out later this month. At Bourbon & Beyond you’ll have two chances to hear current and past sounds from Lindsay Lou – on both Saturday and Sunday on the BGS Stage.

The Lone Bellow – Main Stage

One of our all-time favorite rootsy, folky, string band trios. It’s been too long since we’ve reconnected with our friends The Lone Bellow and we’re grateful B&B will give us that opportunity when they play the main stage on Thursday.

Lola Kirke – BGS Stage

Lola Kirke, who you can see on Friday on the BGS Stage at B&B, is an accomplished actress whose dream is to be a country singer – dream, achieved! She makes joyous, lyrical, story-rich music that pulls as much from country’s grit as its glitz. (And an appearance from lineup-mates First Aid Kit on “All My Exes Live in L.A.” is the cherry on top.)

Joy Oladokun – Main Stage

Intricate and involved indie folk is Joy Oladokun’s medium, her songs dripping with pop sensibilities and led by an agnostic approach to genre that builds on work by predecessors like Aimee Mann, Ani DiFranco, Tracy Chapman, k.d. lang, and many more. Oladokun continues to rise through the music-industry ranks, her latest album Proof of Life building more momentum off the ex-evangelical’s heart-forward, earnest, stoner indie pop.

Old Crow Medicine Show – Main Stage

Old Crow Medicine Show bring the Jubilee to Bourbon & Beyond! Don’t miss the party as the world’s most renowned and rollicking string band celebrates their just-released album on the B&B main stage on Saturday. And keep an eye out for a BGS feature on the new record coming soon to the site.

Pixie & The Partygrass Boys – BGS Stage

Another of our WinterWonderGrass pals headed to Bourbon & Beyond! Catch Pixie & the Partygrass Boys on the BGS Stage kicking off our final day of music on Sunday. You’ll certainly enjoy the party – unless you’re a fascist, in which case, avoid our stage altogether or you might get eaten by some chickens.

Darrell Scott Band – Main Stage

Darrell Scott is a musical shapeshifter, effortlessly moving from Music Row country to dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass to rocking and rolling. At his Bourbon & Beyond main stage set on Friday, you’re sure to hear new tracks from his recent album, Old Cane Back Rocker, made with the Darrell Scott String Band, as well as original hits like “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” and some tasty covers, too. We never get enough of Darrell Scott! (Watch for an interview with Scott coming to BGS soon.)

Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen – BGS Stage

If this is the kitchen dirty, let’s never clean it up! Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen are a shredding bluegrass jam band certainly worth sticking around for on Sunday evening. You’ll hear music from their most recent Compass Records album, Hold On, which recently turned one year old, and plenty of mind-(and string-)bending solos.

Mavis Staples – Main Stage

Put the legendary Mavis Staples’ main stage set (Friday, 3:50 p.m., Oak Stage) on your calendar and circle it. And underline it. And set a push notification. We are grateful every single time we get to occupy the same space and air as Mavis, and this time will be no different. It’s a privilege to walk the earth at the same time as this civil rights leader and musical oracle! 

Billy Strings – Main Stage

Not so long ago our old friend Billy Strings would have been playing our BGS Stage, but not anymore, this flatpickin’ global sensation has decidedly hit the big time! We’ve so enjoyed watching Billy move up and up and up in the world and we can’t wait to see his main stage set at Bourbon & Beyond Thursday night. With such a stacked lineup, the special guest opportunities are exciting and limitless. 

Town Mountain – BGS Stage 

Western North Carolina string band Town Mountain have built up their sound over the past few years to where they feel and sound something like Ricky Skaggs in his country days — bluegrass bones, but fleshed out country. Their songs still go by you like a rousing honky tonk dance band, bluegrass or no, but with spit and polish and thousands of miles under their belts. Worth an add to your B&B to-do list!

Twisted Pine – BGS Stage

Another group that blew us away at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Twisted Pine turns the jamgrass model on its ear, building their vibey, virtuosic songs and tunes with as much jazz interwoven as bluegrass, old-time, and country. They’re like Lake Street Dive and Crooked Still, mashed up together and lingering a bit longer in string band traditions – from across the Americana continuum – before taking off. Plus, bluegrass just needs more flute, right? See them Friday on the BGS Stage.

Two Runner – BGS Stage

We’re glad to be bringing some California sounds to Kentucky with Two Runner, old-time and Americana duo of Paige Anderson and Emilie Rose coming to B&B. They bring to mind duos like Hazel & Alice and Anna & Elizabeth, combining country harmonies and old-time instrumentation – all dragged through the coastal evergreen woods of Northern California. Hear them Thursday on the BGS Stage.

Dan Tyminski – BGS Stage

Dan Tyminski headlining a BGS Stage is simply a dream come true! This multi-hyphenate, lifelong bluegrasser has been a member of so many seminal and groundbreaking bluegrass groups and projects. He’s had a full career within and outside of bluegrass, but lately has returned to the genre that made him with a new band, a new album, God Fearing Heathen, excellent songs, and that voice – fit for George Clooney. 

Kelsey Waldon – BGS Stage

Kelsey Waldon on her home turf! Though she hails from West Kentucky, the entire state is certainly this country singer-songwriter’s domain. We’ve collaborated quite a bit with Waldon across her career, and are looking forward to her headline set closing out our first day of Bourbon & Beyond on the BGS Stage. She may be country, but her bluegrass roots run deep – and will be on full display at B&B for sure. 

Sunny War – BGS Stage

 One of our favorite guitarists of the last several years has released one of our favorite albums of 2023, Anarchist Gospel. If you’re unfamiliar with her work, you won’t want to miss Sunny War perform on the BGS Stage on Saturday. Her right hand is confounding and inspiring, an often textural and tone-setting device in her bigger sounding recent songs that combine punk, blues, indie and more. Not to be missed! 

Hailey Whitters – Main Stage

It’s no secret BGS loves some good country. Hailey Whitters is certainly some of the best to come out of Music Row in recent memory, releasing radio-ready bops that are fun and exuberant, yes, but also have a rich and subversive well of influences, content and production styles. That Whitters is connected with all the best pickers and singers in Nashville and has a penchant for bluegrass are nice little details to remember about this TikTok phenom. Worth a mosey to the main stage on Sunday, certainly!

 

The Bluegrass Situation Stage – Daily Schedule

Thursday, September 14

5:45 p.m. – Kelsey Waldon
4:15 p.m. – Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
3 p.m. – Two Runner
1:45 p.m. – Clay Street Unit
12:30 p.m. – Myron Elkins

Friday, September 15

5:45 p.m. – The Lil’ Smokies
4:15 p.m. – The Cleverlys
3 p.m. – Twisted Pine
1:45 p.m. – Lola Kirke
12:30 p.m. – Armchair Boogie

Saturday, September 16

5:45 p.m. – Town Mountain
4:15 p.m. – Della Mae
3 p.m. – Lindsay Lou
1:45 p.m. – Sunny War
12:30 p.m. – Armchair Boogie

Sunday, September 17

5:45 p.m. – Dan Tyminski
4:15 p.m. – Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
3 p.m. – The Arcadian Wild
1:45 p.m.- Lindsay Lou
12:30 p.m. – Pixie & The Partygrass Boys

Purchase your Bourbon & Beyond tickets here.

 

BGS Returns to Louisville for Sixth Consecutive Bourbon & Beyond

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

BGS is excited to announce the full lineup and schedule for our Bluegrass Situation Stage at Louisville, Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond – for our sixth year in a row! Since 2017, BGS has curated a bluegrass-forward roster for the premier bourbon, food, and music festival’s only music stage outside of their main stages, Oak and Barrel. The 2023 edition of Bourbon & Beyond will be held September 14 through 17 at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center. Tickets are still available.

Each evening of the event, the BGS Stage will culminate with performances by Kelsey Waldon (Thursday), The Lil’ Smokies (Friday), Town Mountain (Saturday) and Dan Tyminski (Sunday). The full schedule includes performances by Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Lindsay Lou, The Arcadian Wild, Della Mae, Sunny War, Twisted Pine and more. See daily BGS Stage schedules below.

This year, as in the past, there are acts and bands all across the Bourbon & Beyond schedule that feel like they were pulled directly from the pages and stories of BGS. On the Oak and Barrel stage roots music fans can hear artists like Jon Batiste, Billy Strings, Midland, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Joy Oladokun, Darrell Scott Band, Fantastic Negrito, Hailey Whitters, Brandy Clark, Mavis Staples, the Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, and so many more.

But that’s not all! For the foodies and bourbon hounds alike, there will be wall-to-wall culinary demonstrations, bourbon experiences, and more featuring celebrity chefs such as Edward Lee, Amanda Freitag, Chris Santos, Sara Bradley, bourbon expert Fred Minnick, and many others. If you’re curious which Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys will be available for sipping and guzzling at the Big Bourbon Bar, it’s pretty much every distiller you could ever crave: Angel’s Envy, Bardstown, Brother’s Bond, Bulleit, Doc Swinson’s Whiskey Collection, Elijah Craig, Four Roses, George Dickel, Green River, Heaven’s Door, Jack Daniel’s, Jefferson’s, Kentucky Peerless, Larceny, Legent, Maker’s 46, Michter’s, Middle West Spirits, Monk’s Road, Old Forester, Rabbit Hole, Resilient Bottled in Bond, Starlight Distillery, Wilderness Trail and Willett Distillery.

Bourbon and bluegrass and beyond – what more do you need? We hope you will make plans to join us in Louisville for the 2023 edition of Bourbon & Beyond!

 

The Bluegrass Situation Stage – Daily Schedule

Thursday, September 14

5:45 p.m. – Kelsey Waldon
4:15 p.m. – Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
3 p.m. – Two Runner
1:45 p.m. – Clay Street Unit
12:30 p.m. – Myron Elkins

Friday, September 15

5:45 p.m. – The Lil’ Smokies
4:15 p.m. – The Cleverlys
3 p.m. – Twisted Pine
1:45 p.m. – Lola Kirke
12:30 p.m. – Armchair Boogie

Saturday, September 16

5:45 p.m. – Town Mountain
4:15 p.m. – Della Mae
3 p.m. – Lindsay Lou
1:45 p.m. – Sunny War
12:30 p.m. – Armchair Boogie

Sunday, September 17

5:45 p.m. – Dan Tyminski
4:15 p.m. – Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
3 p.m. – The Arcadian Wild
1:45 p.m.- Lindsay Lou
12:30 p.m. – Pixie & The Partygrass Boys

 

Photos L-R: Dan Tyminski by Scott Simontacchi; Kelsey Waldon courtesy of the artist; Michael Cleveland by Amy Richmond

LISTEN: Davisson Brothers Band, “I’m Good With It”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Davisson Brothers Band
Hometown: Clarksburg, West Virginia
Song: “I’m Good With It”
Album: Home Is Where the Heart Is
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Label: Rollin’ The Dice Records

In Their Words: “When we started the process to make the record, like I have stated before, we decided to reach out to some of our friends in the industry and wanted to collaborate with a couple folks. I set up a couple retreat-style writes and brought in a few artists. One particular write, we brought in a fellow West Virginian and old touring and hanging friend Sierra Ferrell. We go way back with Sierra, she has been sharing stages with us since she was very young. She had never done a co-write so we had gotten in the room with her and wrote a few things. We knocked it out of the park, we had intentions of getting her and Del McCoury to sing on a track with us together on a song we wrote with Sierra that Brent [Cobb] and [David] Ferg [Ferguson] really loved. The problem was we already had the studio booked and a couple dates to work with, but unfortunately schedules did not line up.

“We were determined to have a duet-style performance on the album. We decided to get in the writing room with our buddy Kyle Tuttle (Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway) and his partner Lindsay Lou and also invited our friends Rob McCoury and Paul McDonald. The chemistry and energy in that room was insane that day. Kyle ended up jumping out to write with Donnie on a track as we were winding down and Lindsay started belting out this melody with Paul and there it was… ‘I’m Good With It’ came to life. I knew then we had the song we were looking for. It also nods to our early years of touring around the jam band scene. Lindsay came in the studio and nailed her part, Rob McCoury played on the track as well. One of the musical highlights of the record for me.” — Chris Davisson, Davisson Brothers Band

Photo Credit: Clay Enos

Check Out the Full Bourbon & Beyond 2023 Bluegrass Lineup

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

BGS is thrilled to announce the full lineup for our fifth-ever bluegrass stage at Bourbon & Beyond 2023, held at Highland Festival Grounds of the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville.

In addition to main stage headliners including Billy Strings, Brandi Carlile, The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, Jon Batiste, and many more, BGS will once again be taking over the Bourbon Tent from September 14-17, presenting some of our favorite bluegrass and Americana acts for fans to enjoy, all while sipping samples from over twenty distilleries.

Full bluegrass stage lineup below. Bourbon & Beyond tickets are on sale now. Discover more at BourbonAndBeyond.com

THURSDAY
Kelsey Waldon  |  Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Two Runner  |  Clay Street Unit  |  Myron Elkins

FRIDAY
The Lil’ Smokies  | The Cleverlys
Twisted Pine  |  Lola Kirke  |  Armchair Boogie

SATURDAY
Town Mountain  |  Della Mae
Armchair Boogie  |  Sunny War  |  Lindsay Lou

SUNDAY
Dan Tyminski  |  Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
The Arcadian Wild  |  Lindsay Lou  |  Pixie & the Partygrass Boys

WATCH: Kitchen Dwellers, “Come on in My Kitchen” (Ft. Lindsay Lou)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kitchen Dwellers
Hometown: Bozeman, Montana
Song: “Come on in My Kitchen”

In Their Words: “We were lucky to do a one-off show with Lindsay Lou at the Mission Ballroom for the two-night Denver Comes Alive concerts. Lindsay is the kind of artist you can plug into any kind of situation and something beautiful will emerge. It just so happens that we were hanging out before the show and wanted to shoot a quick video in our van that will be taking us all over the West Coast the next couple of weeks. ‘Come on in My Kitchen’ seemed like an appropriate choice and happened on the spot. We both have an affinity for the traditional, and the not so traditional, which has made every collaboration up until this point super spontaneous and fun. That kind of thing just happens when Lindsay is in the mix. If Denver was any indication, our tour together is sure to have lots of surprises and great moments.” — Max Davies, Kitchen Dwellers

Lindsay Lou and Billy Strings Found “Freedom” in Bluegrass Standards

Posted on by Editor

Singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou reemerged in July with an EP titled You Thought You Knew. As her first music since her early 2021 release The Sweetest Suites, it’s a sort of touching base for Lindsay Lou and her fans. An explorer by nature, she had the following to say about her newest project: “I hope my longtime fans will appreciate the EP as a sort of peace offering before I take another jaunt into the exploratory world of my multifaceted musical identity.”

Although her artistic direction may be in flux, Lindsay Lou can still deliver as good a song as ever. On this EP, she sings a duet with her former neighbor, who happens to be Billy Strings. The song they collaborate on is called “Freedom” and it’s characterized by a timelessness and natural quality heard in many folk and bluegrass classics. “Billy and I both transplanted to Nashville from Michigan and wrote this song on a rare snowy day in Nashville while we were neighbors on Petway Ave,” she observed. “We wanted to write something of our own that felt like the bluegrass standard ‘Daniel Prayed’ to sing. There are a lot of references to Kahlil Gibran’s writings in The Prophet ‘On Freedom’ in the lyrics, which I’m always reading and referencing because it grounds me in the same way an old traditional song does.”

Beloved tunes like “Wildwood Flower” and “You Are My Sunshine” give a sense that they always existed — deeply ingrained pieces of music that have fallen out of the air into hearts and memories of everyone. “Freedom” is a lot like that. Recorded and performed straight, Billy Strings and Lindsay Lou echo back and forth over one guitar accompanying. She added, “When Billy and I wrote ‘Freedom’ at the table, he used a cheap old Silvertone catalog guitar given to him by Fanny’s House of Music in town. I wanted this recording to have the same sound as the demo we made right after we wrote it, so I tracked down the guitar and brought it to the studio for our session.”

Enjoy the new collaboration from Lindsay Lou and Billy Strings below.

WATCH: Lindsay Lou, “Still Water”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Lindsay Lou
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Still Water”
Album: You Thought You Knew EP
Release Date: July 22, 2022

In Their Words: “The rushing river never gets a moment of peace, even when no one is around.”

“They say still waters run deep. As a heart-on-my-sleeve sort of person, I’ve always been mystified and drawn to the quiet and reserved. What’s going on in there? Do they have the same anxieties I do? Are they at peace when they’re alone? Are they holding onto a secret? This song is a reminder to slow down and remember that we create our own value. That it’s an internal thing. Maybe that’s the secret, and maybe I need that reminder, especially in the quiet moments between all the bustling of life, the parties, the festivals, the work, the Technicolor and the radio waves. If we can’t create space for peace within ourselves, even in the uninterrupted white noise of aloneness, I can’t imagine there being space for it anywhere else.” — Lindsay Lou

Photo Credit: Loren Johnson. Video Director: Joshua Lockhart. Band: Lindsay Lou (guitar and vox), Ethan Jodjevitz (bass), Maya de Vitry (fiddle), Jordan Tice (lead guitar), Dominic Leslie (mandolin)

The BGS Radio Hour – Episode 198

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Welcome to the BGS Radio Hour! Since 2017, the show has been a weekly recap of all the great music, new and old, featured on BGS. This week, we’ve got new releases from Lindsay Lou and Blue Water Highway while we continue to celebrate our artist of the month – Black Pumas! Remember to check back every Monday for a new episode of the BGS Radio Hour.

APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY

Blue Water Highway – “Grateful”

This quartet – who come from a working class, small town Texas background – bring us a mixtape, featuring their big inspirations, from Bruce Springsteen to Phoebe Bridgers. Blue Water Highway graces our show this week with this tongue-in-cheek take on thankfulness from their upcoming album Paper Airplanes.

David Huckfelt – “Hidden Made Known”

Iowa-based singer and songwriter David Huckfelt brings a single to the show this week, from his soon to be released Room Enough, Time Enough. “‘Hidden Made Known’ is about having faith in the basic intelligence of the universe, and what to do next when you lose it,” Huckfelt tells BGS. “From Wounded Knee to Sault Ste. Marie, tenderness is on the run.”

Black Pumas – “Fast Car”

Our current Artist of the Month, Black Pumas, recently caught up with BGS to talk about their biggest influences, from a gospel music upbringing to original MTV. Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) is up for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs!

Miko Marks – “Hard Times”

Miko Marks is reclaiming the music that Stephen Foster appropriated his way to success with. In anticipation of her upcoming album Our Country, what better place to start than this famous song?

Sway Wild – “Edge of My Seat” (with Anna Tivel)

Sway Wild brings us this appropriately titled anxiety-inspired song from their upcoming self-titled album. Based in the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, the group is not alone in needing to share their mental struggles as we journey through 2021.

Anya Hinkle feat. Graham Sharp – “What’s It Gonna Take?”

From the mountains of Western North Carolina, Anya Hinkle and Graham Sharp (Steep Canyon Rangers) bring us this new single, written on May 26, 2020 – the first day without George Floyd. “Only by listening to Black voices are we going to know what it is gonna take,” Hinkle told BGS. “We are still so divided and will remain ignorant until we can absorb what it’s like to be Black in America.”

Lindsay Lou – “Alright Sweet”

No stranger to BGS and the roots scene, Lindsay Lou offers The Suite Sweets, four songs combined into two for an A and B-side single. Inspired by Immersion Composition Society (ISC) writing lodges, writing for hours as uninhibitedly as possible, the Nashville-based artist combined these song segments into something that was greater than just the sum of their parts.

Chris DuPont – “Sandpaper Hymn”

Chris DuPont brings us a song from Floodplains, out now via Sharehouse Audio. Writing during a time of loss, DuPont recognized an opportunity to grow, for the great “sanding” of loss to smooth out the rough edges, and to not let bitterness overshadow the narrative.

Sideline – “Just a Guy in a Bar”

IBMA award winning band Sideline tells this story through both song and visual representation. The video tells the story of the song in perfect synchronicity, pulling the viewer even deeper into the story.

Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi – “Last Night I Dreamed of Loving You”

From our 2020 Whiskey Sour Happy Hour segment, we’re bringing back this haunting performance from roots artist Rhiannon Giddens accompanied by Francesco Turrisi. Giddens, who has been outspoken throughout her career about the African-American origins of country music, is another featured artist in our Black Voices segment, uplifting the disenfranchised voices in roots music that helped create the genre.

Beth Lee – “Birthday Song”

Texas-based Beth Lee wrote this song before her birthday, and sent it to Vicente Rodriguez for his birthday (who would go on to be her producer for the record). Recorded by Lee, Rodriguez, and James Deprato – who coincidentally had a birthday during the week of recording – this song was the first sign to Lee that her Waiting On You Tonight was going to be a good record.

Mark Erelli feat. Maya de Vitry – “Handmade”

Though not originally written as a duet, nothing suited Erelli’s song better than vocal accompaniment from Maya de Vitry. Without holding anything back, they emphasize the song’s message – that we all have the opportunity to make something new.

Photos: (L to R) Black Pumas from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert; Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi by Ebru Yildiz; Lindsay Lou by Scott Simontacchi

LISTEN: Lindsay Lou, “Bell Suite” & “Alright Sweet”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Lindsay Lou
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Songs: “Bell Suite” & “Alright Sweet”
Album: The Suite Sweets
Release Date: February 12, 2021
Label: Alright Sweet Records

In Their Words: “I wrote all the elements of The Suite Sweets during a time when I was practicing with a lot of Immersion Composition Society (ICS) writing lodges. I was dedicating hours to the practice of writing as uninhibitedly as possible, and sometimes I would come out with partial songs that I would go back later to finish. I noticed that there were common themes among them, so I decided to try a smash-up of the two songs that mentioned bells into one song, and a smash-up of the two songs that mentioned being alright into another song, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It seemed that the Suites had a sort of emergent property, which was greater than the sum of their parts. I made these particular tracks as demos, but loved the raw energy so much I knew I wanted to share them with the world when the time was right. There is the deep thread of my personal journey with mental health in ‘Alright Sweet’ and of the complexities of love in ‘Bell Suite,’ so I can’t imagine a better way to bring them to you than with the benefit show I’ve put together for Valentine’s Day weekend in support of Backline: a music industry-specific resource for mental health and well-being.” — Lindsay Lou

Photo credit: Scott Simontacchi

BGS 5+5: The Sweet Water Warblers

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Sweet Water Warblers
Band members: Rachael Davis, Lindsay Lou, and May Erlewine
Hometown: Hoxeyville, Michigan
Latest album: The Dream That Holds This Child
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): “Party RD,” “Lou,” “Segue May” …also, Rachael’s daughter Lela calls the two other Warblers “MayLou” collectively

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Rachael: That’s hard to say for a trio, but for me (Party RD) that’s the simplest question. My parents are musicians and no other artists could have possibly influenced me more. They taught me how to play instruments, and sing harmony, and write songs! They taught me how to set up equipment and make a budget and how to be gracious and approachable and original. They supported me in all my artistic endeavors and never gave a shadow of a doubt that I could succeed. I’m not sure there’s any other artist that could approach that degree of influence.

May: It’s really hard to say, it’s an evolution of things. One influence leading to the next one. I will say Joni Mitchell’s bravery in her vulnerable music and also in using her voice to speak for justice is something I continue to draw from.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

May: I draw from everything I possibly can. I believe that the art of noticing is directly connected to the act of being present. I try to explore and notice the world around me and use it to fuel my songs. I like to paint, draw, sew, cook, garden, run, walk, bird, read, write poetry, talk about things deeply.

Lindsay: The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd was a book we were reading and referenced a lot while we were putting the album together. It’s a moving memoir of a woman’s journey to find the sacred feminine, and it spurred some exciting late-night conversations.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

Rachael: When we write together for The Sweet Water Warblers, we always carve out a good amount of time, space and intention for being creative. I think the first time we did a co-writing session with the three of us, Lindsay had just moved to Nashville, where I had already been living for a few years, and May was still living in Northern Michigan. Lindsay and I met at her house and we FaceTimed May in Traverse City. The distance and delay made the process not as fluid as it could have been. That is to say, that it really wasn’t that difficult, but it was technically the toughest time we had writing. After that, though, we did resolve to all being in one place for that process in the future, which we have adhered to since.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Lindsay: There were a few ritual-like things we did while making the album that focused our intentions. At the beginning of each day in the studio, every person there brought in a mentor to the spiritual space of making music together. We went around and spoke their name and who they are to us into the studio mics. It didn’t take much time but hearing about all the people who’d brought us to that moment gave our task an even deeper sense of purpose. I loved hearing who was named and the way they were remembered.

We lit a candle to mark the beginning of tracking for each song. The flame seemed symbolic of the offering in each like a unique being we set out to shine a light on. We also started our first in person meeting with Dan Knobler by sharing 10 minutes of silence. Nothing like silence to frame the experience of making sound.

For live shows we come together and sing in a quiet private space before we take the stage. Allowing our souls to harmonize for the sake of sharing the vibration is a sweet reminder of why we’re there, and it gets us aligned and ready to connect with the audience as one.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

May: There are so many, but I’ll get specific with this band in recent times. We finished a song at one of our shows this February and the emotional quality in the room was so thick, that nobody even clapped for a good 30 seconds. That was magic right there. I hope to always have new favorite memories on stage and with these ladies, that’ll be an easy dream to achieve.

Photo credit: Scott Simontacchi