Tag: Nashville

BGS 5+5: The Wooks

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The Wooks
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee
Latest Album: Flyin’ High

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I fish and kayak a lot, both here in Kentucky and elsewhere. Fishing and the time spent with friends doing so has certainly inspired me to write. Sometimes being outside and on the water helps me clear my mind for creativity, and sometimes the inspiration is more direct. “Mudfish Momma” is inspired by one of my favorite places to fish in Florida. Mudfish are also known as bowfin and are toothy creatures that often cut your line with their teeth, leaving you wondering if it was the one that got away or just another mudfish. My friend Ray Smith and I wrote the song together, and after telling Ray about this cool fishing spot and the mudfish that sometimes come to visit, he came up with the idea to make the Mudfish Momma a swampy Florida version of a mermaid. — CJ Cain

What is your favorite memory of being on stage?

Probably the first time I was ever on a “stage.” I had been playing mandolin for a couple of months and was really starting to get into it. A family friend called my mom to tell her that there was a fall bluegrass festival in a little rural community about 20 miles from where we lived. My mom took me and my brother to the park/fire station in Letona, Arkansas, where there was a flatbed gooseneck trailer set up with a bunch of what I’d assume were Shure SM57s (the international microphone of bluegrass). There was an open mic style jam and a group of pickers we had just met invited us to come up and play some tunes with them. That was the first time I’d ever heard myself back through a microphone and monitors and it was enough to get me hooked. That memory still stands out very vividly. — Harry Clark

What other art forms influence your music

I’m a huge fan of movies, and have been as long as I can remember. I love movies for the same reasons that everyone loves movies; it’s the thrill of being taken to another place and living a life other than our own for a brief moment, and perhaps returning to reality with some new perspective, knowledge, empathy, etc. I think a great song or composition can do that, too. When I write a song or instrumental piece, I want it to take the listener to another place, in a similar way that a movie would. Sometimes when I’m stuck writing a song or composition, I try to imagine a scene in a movie that might go along with the piece I’m writing. It usually helps to spark new ideas and make the music more evocative. Both “Virgil’s Prayer” and “Madison Chimes” came from this approach. I wrote “Virgil” one night after watching a few episodes of the Netflix show Ozark. The somber cinematography and dark subject matter were fresh in my mind and that song just kind of appeared as a result. I wrote “Madison Chimes” while driving around on a dark and spooky summer night in Madison, Tennessee, and that tune is basically just the soundtrack I imagined for that evening. — George Guthrie

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

I have been fortunate to spend a good deal of time around my friend Tyler Childers, and have learned a great deal from him. He never said this directly but I have learned from writing with him and listening to his songs — that you not only can, but you should write about the people you have in your life that are inspiring to you. Their life story or simple daily life circumstances can make for wonderful storytelling songs. You can invoke a philosophy or thought through those stories in a more effective way than just spewing out lyrics that sound like you got something figured out. A good example of one of Tyler’s songs that does this is “Matthew,” a song about his brother-in-law and friend, and one that informed my creativity when I wrote “Flyin’ High.” — CJ Cain

Which artist has influenced you the most and how?

One of my favorites is Del McCoury. I’ve been listening to him and his band since I was an adolescent learning about bluegrass. Del keeps his core sound rooted in traditional bluegrass with both his vocal style and band dynamics while having the ability to reach new audiences with songs that aren’t inside the box of traditional bluegrass. A few examples of this are Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road,” Robert Cray’s “Smoking Gun,” or the Richard Thompson ballad “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” All three songs are from very different artists with contrasting styles. This has given Del different reaches in the music world and why it’s not uncommon to go to a Del McCoury Band show and see an audience of diehard traditionalists standing next to deadheads. His ability to bridge that gap between fans is outstanding. — Harry Clark

Photo Credit: Carrie Wilson/CW Photography

LISTEN: Ali Sperry, “Climber”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Ali Sperry
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Climber”
Album: In Front of Us
Release Date: March 11, 2022

In Their Words: “In March of 2018, my friend Becca Richardson was sitting across from me in my music room, and as co-writes often go, we got to talking at length about our lives, plans, the music we were both making, our thoughts on the current government administration, and a topic that was very much in the spotlight and on our minds at that moment, the #MeToo movement. From these musings, ‘Climber’ took shape — not as a song specifically about a single person or story, but an archetype and universal experience we all know too well. It’s the age-old tale of the charming narcissist who commands the room, puts you on a pedestal until they no longer choose to shine their light on you, and the subsequent anger that fuels the recipient of this behavior to shut it down.

“This was the first song that I knew needed to be on the record, and I love its place as the opening track. It signifies the ushering in of a new era — globally and personally — with a revitalized sense of empowerment and newly minted boundaries. When I listen to it now, Audley Freed’s electric guitar sounds like it’s having a conversation with Kristin Weber’s strings, and they build into this catharsis of the final chorus with Allison Russell and Kristin Weber’s harmony vocals lifting the melody. As much as we were all desperately missing sitting in a room and recording together at that time, there was something magical about experiencing each track individually — a precious thing all on its own arriving in a Dropbox folder. Every time a new track was mixed in with the rest, it took the song somewhere completely new and exciting.” — Ali Sperry

Ali Sperry · Climber

Photo Credit: Fairlight Hubbard

BGS 5+5: Philippe Bronchtein

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Philippe Bronchtein
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Latest Album: Catch My Breath
Personal Nicknames: Bronch, Bronchtime, Big Rig, Le Fromage

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

People often equate Bruce Springsteen with loud and bombastic musical theater for the working man. But Bruce’s quieter songs have always been such a deep well of inspiration for me. Springsteen deep cuts like “Stolen Car,” “Moonlight Motel,” “Silver Palomino,” “Used Car,” and “Highway 29” have been so informative for how I craft my songs.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

In 2019 I was traveling with The War and Treaty, playing B3 in the band and opening some shows. That summer we played the closing set on the Saturday night for the Montreal Jazz Festival. It was shoulder to shoulder as far as the eye could see, about 15,000 people. The sound was tremendous and the crowd was electric. I have deep roots in Montreal as well and was surrounded by family and friends. It was a pretty unforgettable night.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I really enjoy mountains and rivers and try to get out to do some trout fishing from time to time. Some of that imagery definitely finds its way into my songs. Even some of nature’s more destructive elements can permeate my songs. I wrote “Wildfire Waiting” during a spell of California fires a few years back. The imagery was so heartbreaking and became the vessel for that song’s message.

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

The song “Thanksgiving” on this recent album was a work in progress from 2014 until the week I recorded the final vocals. It went through about half a dozen different iterations before I landed on the lyrics you hear on the record. I’m happy I stuck with it; it’s one of my favorites on the album.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’d like to shoot some oysters with Hayes Carll. Just sounds fun.

A note about the playlist: All of these are songs that I’m credited on! They’re a good representation of the work I’ve done since arriving in Nashville.

“Wildfire Waiting” – Songwriter and Performer
“Have a Little Faith” – Pedal Steel
“Five More Minutes” – B3
“Calico Jim” – Pedal Steel
“Glad It’s You” – Producer, Instrumentalist

Photo Credit: Laura Partain

WATCH: Katie Cole, “Dreams of Mine”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Katie Cole
Hometown: Nashville, but born in Melbourne, Australia
Song: “Dreams of Mine”
Release Date: February 18, 2022

In Their Words: “This song was crafted during the heart of 2021. Lockdown and limited ability to plan brought about an ocean of anxieties for most of us. So it was easy to mine the current emotional experience out of myself to add to this song about my upbringing. No matter where you come from, we all have dreams and they don’t always live up to our expectations. But we still strive and hope for more. The concept for the video was really just trying to capture the balance between inner struggle where all the shots are inside and mixed with wandering in the wilderness. At any given time people are wired to be composed externally but often feel something very different internally. And this song is all about striving to be more than your current circumstances. So I liked the idea of juxtaposing the video shots between inside and outside to mirror that struggle.” — Katie Cole

Photo credit: Dire Image

BGS 5+5: Sophie & the Broken Things

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sophie & the Broken Things
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Latest Album: Delusions of Grandeur

Answers by: Sophie Gault

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Lucinda Williams. In high school, I had the 1998 Austin City Limits DVD with the Car Wheels band, and every night I’d stay up for hours playing my guitar with it on repeat. It was like this world I could escape to and I learned a lot from it, from guitar playing to singing to songwriting. That was the most formative thing ever for me, musically.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

My fondest memory of being on stage is getting to play at Americanafest last year where I got to sing with Logan Ledger and trade guitar licks with Jules Belmont.

What inspired your new single, “Golden Rule”?

I got home late one night from my mail sorting job and came up with the melody. Then I kept working on the words on my drives from Nashville to La Vergne where my job was. I really wanted to write a song for working-class people. And I mentioned DC because it’s a really nostalgic place for me. My mom used to work at a healthcare nonprofit there and I went to preschool there. They used to take us on day trips to the free museums, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and other landmarks. I remember one of the preschool teachers writing the Golden Rule on a chalkboard and teaching what it meant. That’s a vivid memory. I really love the wind chime percussion on this. Lemmy Hayes makes all his own percussion so it’s always exciting to see what he’s going to choose.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When I was 12 I had a crush on this guy who liked Linkin Park. I wanted to impress him so I decided to learn the guitar. I don’t think it ever worked but I stuck with it anyway, haha.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

A bowl of Tom Yum soup and Shovels & Rope.

Photo Credit: Laura Partain

WATCH: Kate Klim, “Lines”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kate Klim
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Lines”
Album: Something Green
Release Date: March 4, 2022

In Their Words: “This song is about finding yourself in a life that feels suddenly unfamiliar. The song was half-done when I learned a tornado was ripping its way through my neighborhood. My kids and my home were fine, but many of the places we went to and passed every day were gone — my hometown was now unfamiliar, too. That night, I stayed up watching the news and finishing the song, which we recorded the very next day in the studio.” — Kate Klim

Photo Credit: Laura Schneider

WATCH: The HawtThorns, “On the Way” (Live)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: The HawtThorns
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “On the Way”
Album: Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars
Release Date: February 25, 2022

In Their Words: “We wrote this song at home in Nashville while we were waiting on the world to open up; thinking about everything we had planned when we started our band and how it didn’t quite go as we thought. Even though we had a detour, the stuff that we went through on that alternate route made us look at things in life a little differently. It is about being able to enjoy the journey and to let go of exactly where you are headed. The track was super fun to make. When we had drummer Matt Lucich come in for the session we asked him to take the groove away from a traditional ‘train beat’ or a country ‘2/4 feel’ and try something different with the tom-toms. The result is this feel that the song could go off the rails at any time, just like the lyrics suggest. Johnny Hawthorn did his best Jerry Reed impression and took the opportunity to play every country lick in the book as fast as he could on his Telecaster. We doubled the vocals and layered harmonies for a real big-sounding chorus on this one.” — KP Hawthorn

Photo Credit: Michael Becker

Carolina Calling, Shelby: Local Legends Breathe New Life Into Small Town

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

The image of bluegrass is mountain music played and heard at high altitudes and towns like Deep Gap and remote mountain hollers across the Appalachians. But the earliest form of the music originated at lower elevations, in textile towns across the North Carolina Piedmont. As far back as the 1920s, old-time string bands like Charlie Poole’s North Carolina Ramblers were playing an early form of the music in textile towns, like Gastonia, Spray, and Shelby – in Cleveland County west of Charlotte.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • STITCHER • AMAZON • YOUTUBE • MP3
 

In this second episode of Carolina Calling, a podcast exploring the history of North Carolina through its music and the musicians who made it, we visit the small town of Shelby: a seemingly quiet place, like most small Southern towns one might pass by in their travels. Until you see the signs for the likes of the Don Gibson Theatre and the Earl Scruggs Center, you wouldn’t guess that it was the town that raised two of the most influential musicians and songwriters in bluegrass and country music: Earl Scruggs, one of the most important musicians in the birth of bluegrass, whose banjo playing was so innovative that it still bears his name, “Scruggs style,” and Don Gibson, one of the greatest songwriters in the pop & country pantheon, who wrote “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Sweet Dreams,” and other songs you know by heart. For both Don Gibson and Earl Scruggs, Shelby is where it all began.

Subscribe to Carolina Calling on any and all podcast platforms to follow along as we journey across the Old North State, visiting towns like Greensboro, Durham, Wilmington, Asheville, and more.

Music featured in this episode:

Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers – “Take a Drink On Me”
Flatt & Scruggs – “Ground Speed”
Don Gibson – “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Andrew Marlin – “Erie Fiddler” (Carolina Calling Theme)
Hedy West – “Cotton Mill Girl”
Blind Boy Fuller – “Rag Mama, Rag”
Don Gibson – “Sea Of Heartbreak”
Patsy Cline – “Sweet Dreams ”
Ray Charles – “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Ronnie Milsap – “(I’d Be) A Legend In My Time”
Elvis Presley – “Crying In The Chapel”
Hank Snow – “Oh Lonesome Me”
Don Gibson – “Sweet Dreams”
Don Gibson – “Oh Lonesome Me”
Chet Atkins – “Oh Lonesome Me”
Johnny Cash – “Oh, Lonesome Me”
The Everly Brothers – “Oh Lonesome Me”
Neil Young – “Oh Lonesome Me”
Flatt & Scruggs – “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”
Bill Preston – “Holy, Holy, Holy”
Flat & Scruggs – “We’ll Meet Again Sweetheart”
Snuffy Jenkins – “Careless Love”
Bill Monroe – “Uncle Pen”
Bill Monroe – “It’s Mighty Dark To Travel”
The Earl Scruggs Revue – “I Shall Be Released”
The Band – “I Shall Be Released”
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”
The Country Gentlemen – “Fox On The Run”
Sonny Terry – “Whoopin’ The Blues”
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee – “Born With The Blues (Live)”
Nina Simone – “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”

BGS is proud to produce Carolina Calling in partnership with Come Hear NC, a campaign from the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources designed to celebrate North Carolinians’ contribution to the canon of American music.

WATCH: JOHNNYSWIM, “Heaven Is Everywhere”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: JOHNNYSWIM
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Single: “Heaven Is Everywhere”
Album: JOHNNYSWIM
Release Date: April 8, 2022

In Their Words: “When I started singing this chorus in the shower, I felt like what was inside of me was bigger than the whole world and I wanted to share it. I find, whether it’s in church or in politics, that people get so obsessed with right and wrong and their certainty of it. If we experience the beauty of this life, even though the drudgery and the misery, there’s glimpses of heaven around us at all times. My hope with this song is that people can feel that when they hear it and sing it.” — Abner Ramirez, JOHNNYSWIM

Photo Credit: Chloe Eno

BGS 5+5: Kristy Cox

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kristy Cox
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee, by way of Mount Barker, South Australia
Latest album: Shades of Blue
Personal nicknames: Nil

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

This would have to be one of the hardest questions to answer. I grew up listening to a HUGE range of music styles. My parents are big ’70s rock fans, and my pop listened to old time Australian country music and bluegrass. I feel I have been influenced in a different way from all of the artists that shaped my childhood, from Meatloaf and Queen to Slim Dusty and Merle Haggard; they each have given me something. I would say my idol is Emmylou Harris. I love her rawness, her songs and her voice. She is fantastic!

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I was around 4 years old when I first told my mum and dad that I was going to be a singer when I grew up. From an even younger age there are photos of me playing the guitar. I think I always knew that it was what I wanted to do. I first performed on stage at the age of 11, and was completely hooked from that moment on. I have a law degree and studied to ensure I had a “backup plan” but I have never wanted to do anything else.

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

I am currently halfway through writing a song for my children, Adelaide and Ryman. I have been halfway through for two years now and just cannot think of enough words to describe what they mean to me, or how their little fingerprints will forever be on my heart. I think as a songwriter it is hard sometimes to find the words you want to say, no matter how hard you look. One day I know it will come to me and I will be able to finish it as a gift to them.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

I was extremely lucky to meet my idol Emmylou Harris at the IBMA convention in 2013. It was my first trip to the United States, and I was able to go backstage and meet her. At the time I thought I had to perform country pop music, as that was what all the girls my age were doing, even though I was not the biggest fan of it. Emmylou told me that if she could give me one piece of advice, it would be to play music that I enjoy, and if I ever stop enjoying it … that is the moment to stop. I left that day and decided to start recording bluegrass music, because bluegrass made me happy! I am so glad I listened to her. I am not sure I would still be going if it was not for that advice.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I need sunshine and the beach in my life. Being an Australian and living landlocked in Tennessee has made me realize this. There is something about the sound of the ocean, I do not even have to get in, that settles me. I have begun to notice that if I do not get enough sunshine and don’t do at least four trips to an ocean each year, I become almost depressed and distracted. These elements ground me and help me concentrate on my goals and inspire me to do more.

Photo Credit: Katrina Burgoyne