Tag: Nettwerk Music Group

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From JOSEPH, East Nash Grass, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

You Gotta Hear This! It’s another excellent roundup of track and video premieres plus new music arriving on digital “store shelves” today. There’s bluegrass, folk, Americana, and more.

Kicking us off, Kentucky’s Bibelhauser Brothers enlist their hero and friend Sam Bush on their rendition of “One Tin Soldier,” from their upcoming album, Down The Road. As an added bonus, Aaron Bibelhauser and Sam Bush had a nearly hour-long chat about the track, too – you can find and watch that video below. Also in a bluegrass space, Irish ‘grasser Danny Burns offers his cover of “Brother Wind,” a modern classic written by Tim O’Brien. Dan Tyminski joins Burns on the track, which does O’Brien and Darrell Scott’s versions of the song justice, for sure.

Alt- and indie-folk outfit JOSEPH return with new music, bringing us a video for their new track, “Bye and Bye,” borrowing a classic and often ecclesiastical line to explore growth, loss, and the drawn out transformations life brings each of us – while tipping their hat to a bar by the same name. You can also hear Appalachian mountain music duo the Wildmans perform “Autumn 1941,” a song co-written by Berklee’s Mark Simos and Roger Brown that touches on the harrowing reality of eugenics in the mountains of the Southeast.

East Nashville’s favorite band of lovable bluegrass delinquents, East Nash Grass, released a new single earlier this week, too! Don’t miss the excellent and lovely “Followin’ You,” written by ENG guitarist James Kee and new Travelin’ McCourys fiddler Christian Ward especially for Maddie Denton to sing. Plus, Nick Dumas is readying a bluegrass album, offering our readers a peek at a new video for “Where Have You Been,” a song about how sometimes folks you love “go away” without actually leaving.

There’s still more fantastic roots music, though! Award-winning fiddling phenoms Deanie Richardson and Kimber Ludiker are teaming up on a twin-fiddle album coming soon from Mountain Home Music Company; you can hear “Cacklin’ Hen,” the first offering from that project, below. And, wrapping us up this week, Jessica Willis Fisher went into the studio with Bryan Sutton playing guitar and mandolin to record the heartfelt and touching, “Seeds,” a country/Americana flavored track about interrupting generational cycles of pain and trauma and refusing to reap the seeds someone else may have sown in your heart and mind.

It’s quite the collection of music, and, as we say every week: You Gotta Hear This!

Bibelhauser Brothers, “One Tin Soldier” (Featuring Sam Bush)

Artist: Bibelhauser Brothers
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Song: “One Tin Soldier” featuring Sam Bush
Album: Down The Road
Release Date: May 15, 2025 (single)
Label: Common Loon Records

In Their Words: “Our latest collaborative effort, ‘One Tin Soldier,’ marks the first studio version of the familiar song that features Sam Bush singing and playing mandolin. The Father of Newgrass jumped right in as an honorary Bibelhauser Brother on this fourth single from our forthcoming album, Down The Road, slated for release this October. (I actually had a candid, nearly hour-long conversation with Sam on video to chat about the track – check that out here.) With his help, we’ve made an honest attempt to frame this song as a missing link in ‘newgrass’ history, connecting the dots between some larger-than-life personalities quintessential to the evolution of the bluegrass world. Much like many of our heroes, we’d like to keep the traditional torch burning bright, while igniting our own flame, fusing elements of blues, country-rock, and soul with our primordial bluegrass sensibilities.” – Aaron Bibelhauser

Track Credits:
Sam Bush – Mandolin, vocal
Adam Bibelhauser – Vocal, bass
Aaron Bibelhauser – Vocal, guitar
Steve Cooley – Banjo
Jeff Guernsey – Fiddle

Danny Burns, “Brother Wind” (Featuring Dan Tyminski)

Artist: Danny Burns
Hometown: Donegal, Ireland
Song: “Brother Wind” featuring Dan Tyminski
Album: Southern Sky
Release Date: May 16, 2025 (single); August 22, 2025 (album)
Label: Bonfire Recording Co.

In Their Words: “I first discovered ‘Brother Wind’ on the Transatlantic Sessions on BBC many moons ago. I’ve had the great pleasure of knowing Tim O’Brien and working with him — he was one of my very first collaborators in Nashville when we cut a few songs at John Prine and Ferg’s Butcher Shoppe [studio]. I asked him about ‘Brother Wind’ and he said, ‘Yeah, you should cut it.’ So, we did — tried to stay true to his original version while adding something new. Having Dan T. come in and sing on it brought it to another level of cool.” – Danny Burns

Track Credits:
Danny Burns – Vocals, guitars
Dan Tyminski – Vocals
Ethan Burkhardt – Upright bass
Billy Contreras – Fiddle
Matt Menefee – Banjo, mandolin
Cody Kilby – Guitars
Jerry Roe – Drums

Video Credit: Shot by Ryan Kay at the Station Inn, Nashville, Tennessee.

Nick Dumas, “Where Have You Been”

Artist: Nick Dumas
Hometown: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Song: “Where Have You Been”
Album: Where Have You Been
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Label: Skyline Records

In Their Words: “Everyone has been in that place – where someone close to you just isn’t there like they used to be, even if they haven’t gone anywhere. This song really struck me because of how real and universal that feeling is. And when Jim Van Cleve came in to mix it, he completely brought out the emotional tension in a way that blew me away. There’s this haunting, almost cinematic atmosphere that he created in the mix – it’s ominous, raw, and it elevates the story in a way that made me hear the song differently. It gave the whole track this weight, like you’re walking through fog trying to find someone.” – Nick Dumas

Video Credit: Thomas F. Obrien, TFOBV 

East Nash Grass, “Followin’ You”

Artist: East Nash Grass
Hometown: Madison, Tennessee
Song: “Followin’ You”
Album: All God’s Children
Release Date: May 13, 2025 (single); August 22, 2025 (album)
Label: Mountain Fever

In Their Words: “East Nash Grass was touring Ireland the first time I heard the demo recording of ‘Followin’ You,’ which I was told that our guitar player, James Kee, and our good songwriting pal and fiddler, Christian Ward, had written for me to sing on our upcoming record, All God’s Children. We were on the way to our next gig, driving through scenery too incredible to describe, and I was enchanted by an iPhone recording of Christian playing the guitar and singing this new song. The chorus is simple: following you. That’s all. And right there, in the beauty of simplicity, I understood that we had all been brought together to make this music to share, not because someone told us to or because of any hidden agenda; but purely because there was no other option for us.” – Maddie Denton

Track Credits:
Harry Clark – Mandolin
James Kee – Guitar
Jeff Partin – Bass
Maddie Denton – Fiddle
Cory Walker – Banjo
Gaven Largent – Dobro

JOSEPH, “Bye and Bye”

Artist: JOSEPH
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Bye and Bye”
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “This song is about being a woman in her late thirties with none of the results she expected from the plans she made – no husband, no house, no kids, no religion. The start of the song came one night when I was getting dinner with my then-girlfriend Talia at a bar called the Bye and Bye on Alberta St. in Portland. Our sister Allie had just quit the band, I was about a year past my divorce, I had a hunch the relationship I was in couldn’t keep going in its current form. I told Talia, ‘I feel like, in a way, I just died. Like everything I am – every bit of identity I’ve had – is over.’ I started crying in the way that isn’t tidy so I ran to the bathroom and let the tears rip. It had been a rough few days and as I sat on the toilet lid bawling I opened my notes app and typed ‘Crying in the bathroom of the Bye and Bye/ Saturday’s mascara in my eye/ it’s Tuesday.’” — Natalie Closner

Deanie Richardson & Kimber Ludiker, “Cacklin’ Hen”

Artist: Deanie Richardson & Kimber Ludiker
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee; Silver Spring, Maryland
Song: “Cacklin’ Hen”
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I’ve been a Kimber Ludiker fan for many, many years now since I heard her play at the Grand Master’s Fiddler contest. I was a judge that year and she completely blew me away. I think Kimber is one of the most tasteful, versatile fiddlers that we have in bluegrass music today and the work she’s done with Della Mae speaks volumes for her integrity and her talent. Kimber and I have been talking about doing a twin fiddle record for at least three years now and we’re so glad that we found a home and so glad that we found a place to record this record. Mountain Home has been so generous and good to me and allowed Kimber and I the space to come record this twin fiddle record. And we took it back-old school — just twin fiddles through the whole thing and we’re super excited for you guys to hear some fun music.” – Deanie Richardson

“Deanie Richardson has long been one of my favorite fiddlers and has always been my favorite to play with. We’ve been dreaming about a twin fiddle record for years and Mountain Home is the perfect label to share our excitement and vision. With our bands Della Mae and Sister Sadie, we’ve both had a long commitment to showcase and create a platform for women in this music, and we’re excited to add our fiddling to the canon of tunes in our music. I especially hope young girls will be excited to have more and more recordings of instrumentals played by women to inspire their learning.” – Kimber Ludiker

Track Credits:
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Kimber Ludiker – Fiddle
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar
Hasee Ciaccio – Upright bass
Tristan Scroggins – Mandolin
Kristin Benson – Banjo

The Wildmans, “Autumn 1941”

Artist: The Wildmans
Hometown: Floyd, Virginia
Song: “Autumn 1941”
Album: Longtime Friend
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Label: New West Records

In Their Words: “‘Autumn 1941’ is a song Roger Brown, former Berklee College of Music President, co-wrote with Berklee songwriting professor Mark Simos. Mark has written for Alison Krauss, the Infamous Stringdusters, and Del McCoury. Del recently released the other song in this series titled ‘Working for the WPA.’ The ‘Autumn 1941’ story hails from Roger’s North Carolina Appalachian roots, it was passed down through his family and while some of the specifics remain unknown, different versions of this story of eugenics prove to be true across Appalachian regions and more largely other minorities throughout American early-mid 20th century history. Stories of this same movement took place in Virginia and communities like Floyd, our hometown. Once we got into the studio with this song, it just flowed and out of it came a haunting authenticity we hadn’t yet discovered in our music.” – The Wildmans

Jessica Willis Fisher, “Seeds”

Artist: Jessica Willis Fisher
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Seeds”
Album: Blooming
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Label: Bard Craft Records

In Their Words: “When we’re young, much of our life is shaped in ways we can’t control. Seeds are planted in our life and when we grow up, we can be left reaping the effects of toxic generational patterns. A big part of my life the last few years has been weeding out so many beliefs and habits that, if left to continue to grow, would choke me to death in many ways. Some days are harder than others and I still have doubts that rise up about which way to go in life, how to best move forward, how to heal from the abuse I experienced when I was younger.

“That vulnerability and honesty felt important to include on this record which centers around healing and growth.” – Jessica Willis Fisher

Track Credits:
Jessica Willis Fisher – Vocals
Bryan Sutton – Acoustic guitar, mandolin
Ben Fowler – Engineer, producer, mix engineer

Photo Credit: JOSEPH by Gardenia Miramontes; East Nash Grass by Scott Simontacchi.

With a Collection of ‘Vignettes,’ Humbird Show How Expansive Love Can Be

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

What makes a song?

It’s a simple sounding question, one that invites discussion about structure, melody, production techniques and more (and certainly has no real answer). It’s also something Humbird explores on her transcendent new record, Astrovan: The Love Song Vignettes, which follows last year’s critically acclaimed Humbird LP, Right On.

Written before the pandemic, the 11-song project spans just 16 minutes, but is expansive in its vision and emotional depth, as principal Siri Undlin muses on love in its many forms using varied musical styles. The resulting album is especially meditative when enjoyed in one sitting and invites listeners to consider how love is present in their own lives, whether in the beauty of nature or in small, domestic gestures from loved ones.

Below, BGS caught up with Undlin to chat about making Astrovan, finding beauty in mundane moments and how creative restrictions can often lead to happy artistic accidents.

This new project is such a cool idea with these short vignettes. I’d love to hear a little bit about the project’s beginnings and how that idea came to you?

Siri Undlin: It started off very much not an album. I was struggling to write and struggling to feel inspired. A friend of mine was like, “Why don’t you write simple, short songs and not worry about if they’re good or not?” I had recently fallen in love, so I was trying to write some love songs that weren’t super annoying. I was like, “Maybe short is the way.” So, yeah, it was just a goofy project that I sometimes did at live shows, because it’s funny.

People usually get a kick out of it and it’s fun to talk on stage about what a song is, like, “Why do we expect it to be a certain length?” It’s a fun, intimate audience moment. But then, a couple of friends who are really talented producers and engineers were at a show and they were like, “What the heck? You should definitely record these.” Those pals were Brian Joseph and Shane Leonard, so the three of us recorded them. This was all back in 2019, so it was also a while ago.

So, you’ve been sitting on those for a little while. What made it feel like the right time to put them out as a full album?

They were just weird enough that I was not quite sure what to do with them. Back in 2019, we were very much a DIY band. I was booking most of the tours. We were self-managed, putting out albums independently. So, it was just this one-woman shop. I honestly didn’t have time. I don’t want to release music unless I can do a good job and be proud of really putting my whole heart behind releasing it. It took a while, but I feel like, in the last year, it was like, “Oh, you should come out.” They’ve been waiting for a while, and now I have the bandwidth thanks to some folks helping me out behind the scenes. I’m also more confident as an artist. We’ve been a band for longer, and we’ve put out other music. So, I felt like, “Okay, if [fans] are into what we’re doing, they have an idea of this project’s personality and we can throw this strange project at them.”

I love how know each song is a love song, but you’re you’re covering lots of different types of love. It’s not just your standard, romantic love – there’s love for nature and plants and for mundane-seeming gestures like leaving food out for someone who’s coming home late. It’s a very expansive vision of love.

I know that in my personal life, sometimes those [mundane] moments are the most loving. Sometimes in love songs, on a broader scale, we get high drama and high stakes. But I love the little, ordinary moments that, when you put them in a song, feel really magical.

It’s a rewarding experience to sit and listen to the record start-to-finish. It feels very meditative, in a way. What was your time recording like? A few moments ago, you mentioned thinking about what makes a song a “song,” and what a song is allowed to be. How did that play out while you brought these songs to life?

In my memory, it was a pretty quick, moving process. I think we did the initial tracking in maybe four days and then we did some overdubs a handful of other days, maybe half a year later. And because the songs are so short, it was like, “Okay, how can we make these feel fully realized in such a short period of time and still take risks and have various arrangement choices that are engaging?”

It has to happen in such a condensed period. It was a great challenge: take your ideas but make them as compact and meaningful as possible because you only have a few seconds. Now that it’s out in the world, people are like, “I wish this song was just a normal length. It’s so sad when it’s over.” But I felt like we had to stick to the premise. Some of the songs could go way longer, sure, but it’s fun to keep it short and sweet.

What did you take away from that experience? It seems like it would be instructive to have to work with those restrictions and to learn how to cram so much meaning into a minute’s worth of music.

The biggest takeaway was that you can do it. You can have an emotionally resonant song in 45 seconds or one minute if you’re really determined. Going forward with recordings that came after it made me a better listener and a better editor of my own work, because when you have to be so cutthroat during the editing and arranging processes, you’ve flexed that muscle. I think it strengthens the writing and arrangements going forward because it was sort of a, “Do we absolutely need this or not?” question. That’s how I prefer to move through music recording: throw it all at the wall and then pare it back and have something you’re really proud of.

I’m surprised to hear that these songs were written so long ago, as I had noticed some musical and thematic connection points between Astrovan and Right On and assumed that Right On played an influential role. Do you feel a connection there, too?

I think you’re hearing it just right. But the truth is that Astrovan led to Right On. Astrovan has some folky, almost country music moments. But then there are also some rockers. Those are, to be honest, some of the first times in the studio where I was like, “Dang, rock and roll is fun to play.” It’s so fun to turn up the amp and use a distortion pedal and just have fun. It’s really cathartic, and those songs were only a minute. So then, when I picked up the guitar again later on to write songs for Right On, I think in the back of my mind I was like, “I want to do more of that fun, loud, more abrasive stuff.” And that definitely informed choices for Right On.

Speaking of Right On, that’s been such a big record for you. And now that we’ve hit 2025, it’s been out for the better part of a year. When you reflect on the year you had in 2024, what comes to mind?

One really cool thing that I didn’t anticipate was a level of confidence that me and my bandmates were able to sink into with the Right On album. We put our whole hearts into making it. It was so fun to record and it’s so fun to play live. As a result of performing it all year, we’ve just gotten better at performing. I think we all really stand behind what we do on stage and in a music ecosystem that’s so confusing and hard to know. But when you can get on stage with people you love and play music that you’re proud of and you’re excited to share with people, that is the best feeling ever.

I feel like that was what a lot of our year was about. We love playing this music. We’re stoked to share it with you. And we’re not getting too caught up in all of the other elements that swirl around with making music your livelihood. Not that those factors aren’t there, but ultimately, the year was about this record that we were proud of. So, that feels great.

You have some festival dates on the books for this year. Do you have any plans to tour, too?

We’re a band that definitely hits the road, historically, and that’s the plan for 2025, as well. We were all upper Midwest kids, so we also hibernate hard. But when the snow thaws, we’ll be out there, and I think it’ll be pretty consistent throughout the year. That’s where we’re at right now as a band and we’re soaking it up because it’s a good chapter to be in.

Photo Credit: Juliet Farmer

Swedish Singer-Songwriter Sarah Klang Brings ‘Beautiful Woman’ Stateside

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

I meet Swedish performer and singer-songwriter Sarah Klang in the glorious maximalist backstage area at Nashville’s the Blue Room before her first-ever Music City show in mid-January. She’s cozy on the couch, a tin of pouched nicotine by her side, a hippo skull on the coffee table in front of us, and her brand new album, Beautiful Woman (out February 7) on our minds. The first thing I notice – besides her beautiful tattoos and the shimmering gemstone stud on one of her teeth – is her gaudy and gorgeous red-white-and-blue acrylic nails. Complete with rhinestones and glitter.

To Klang, the country aesthetic is the “coolest,” and in her part of the world she’s seen as something of a country queen. Her work across her discography varies greatly in genres and sonics, including folk, indie, pop, Americana, and so much more. But Beautiful Woman, which was produced by Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats, Bonny Light Horseman) doesn’t feel like Klang is just putting on rootsiness because it’s “cool” or “in” or trending. These are sonic spaces she knows well and strides through with ease.

Beautiful Woman boasts bold and brash moments that feel like Adele covering The SteelDrivers alongside tender story songs that could have almost been pulled from the catalogs of country queens this side of the Atlantic like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. Danceable tracks, finger-picked ballads, and honest lyrics speak to impactful issues of motherhood, agency, feminism, embodiment – and so much more – but still feel light and joyful, leaning forward in the beat and finding hope in the melancholic.

Catching her debut Nashville performance at the Blue Room felt a bit momentous, though Klang seemed remarkably chill and relaxed, on and off stage. She and collaborator Theo Stocks (who also helps record and produce her projects) performed in duet, with lush reverbs and simple backing percussion tracks to a rapt audience. An audience who knew they were lucky to have Klang on this “side of the pond.”

Before the show, we dove into Beautiful Woman, speaking about the death of genre, choosing your own joy, always wanting more banjos, and so much more.

Do you see what you do as roots music? How do you place your own music within roots or folk or Americana? Your music has so many things – it’s got moments of grandeur, it’s got moments of subtlety, it’s got indie, it’s got pop, it’s got a little bit of everything. But I wonder how you identify it.

Sarah Klang: That’s sort of a really hard question. I always feel it’s a little bit like I don’t really know the genres. So, mostly when I put out my albums, afterwards people will review them and they will tell me what genre it is and I will be like, “Yeah, yeah! Mhmm, that’s what it is.” Because I don’t really think about it.

I mean, I listen to so much– random indie, folk, Americana, all those things that you mentioned. And I’m introduced to iconic classical things mainly through Theo [Stocks], my guitarist that I make albums with, and also Eric [D. Johnson]. Like a very normal thing in the studio would be that they would say, “Oh, this is very Kris Kristofferson-ish.” And I would be like, “Could you play it for me?” And then they play the song, and I’m like, “Okay!”

I don’t really have a special aim for where I’m going, because I don’t have any roots in anything. Really. I know what I like. I know the feeling [of what] I’m after. I guess the sentimental [and the] bittersweet, those always end up in some sort of Americana thing.

If it’s not the genre, or style, or the aesthetic that you’re going for – or that you’re following – it sounds to me like you’re following the songs themselves and the feeling you’re trying to evoke.

Yes. I mean, it’s just like an imprinted thing in my brain, “What sounds do I like?” It has always been like that, really. I don’t really play any instruments anymore. I used to play the guitar and the piano, but now I don’t. We’ve been here [in Nashville] for seven days and had sessions every day and Theo knows very well how to describe [the sounds]. He’s kind of like my interpreter. How do you say it? My interpreter? When it comes to melodies and shorts [takes], because someone at the session could play me a bit and I’ll be like “Hmmm?” And Theo will say, “It’s the last short. She doesn’t want that last short. Let’s go with that instead.” He understands.

I think I just have quite a small range of melodies that I like. I mean, my songs are kind of similar, how they are made. The aesthetic of country music has always felt like that’s the only way to go. That’s the only aesthetic that really looks cool, you know? When I started to dress up in country-ish things in Sweden, people were like, “Okay, well she makes country music.” That’s how far they would go. So in Sweden I’m often categorized and called the country queen of Sweden. I get a little bit nervous about that, because I know so little about country music and you know that everybody has such strong opinions about it.


What’s funny to me is even with how strong of opinions people have about country and what it is, it’s always in the eye of the beholder.

I’ve obviously been listening a lot – maybe not classic country, whatever that is – but I mean, I’ve been listening to Kurt Vile, Kevin Morby, Sharon Van Etten, you know, those very big country rock people for a long time. I think that is my biggest influence, really. Then we take that and Theo and Eric on this album, who are just very nerdy in music, they put their spin on it.

But for me, it’s not important to me. Where this album lands, in which genre – I couldn’t care less. But, I think that’s why I started having a western aesthetic. ‘Cause it’s the coolest part, I think. I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna start a solo project. Where do I want to be? What’s cool?”

That, probably. [Laughs]

You’re talking about collaborating with Theo and Eric and it sounds like having that trust and having that rapport is really important to getting the music where you wanted to get it. When I listen through and I hear the banjo moments and the really rootsy and Americana moments, trying to connect the dots, how much of that came from Eric producing?

I asked for that specifically! I mean, if it were up to me, I would say, “More banjo! Put banjo on everything!” ‘Cause that makes everything a jam.

But the boys are more tasteful when it comes to that. When [Eric] played, I think I asked him to try and play on like every song – and not because I wanted to be a “diddly doo” out there, but just because that’s my vibe. I mean, when someone plays on a banjo, there is nothing more tearjerking.

Of course, “Last Forever” jumped out at me for that quality. That was the track from Beautiful Woman that we premiered on BGS. I think it’s my favorite song on the record. But there are so many moments that feel like you’re a genre shapeshifter. And I think that that’s the time we’re in too, genre’s dead. Even while we get more and more and more genre names every year, it feels like genre’s dead.

For me, it’s probably a good thing that it is. That I’m not locked in a genre. I don’t think I’m ever gonna have to be like, “Okay guys, I’m breaking free from this [genre.]” I don’t have to do like a Miley Cyrus thing – “look at my new clothes!” – because I wear everything and that’s nice because I think I’m gonna keep on producing albums as long as I can, and I would like to not be stuck if I were to start feeling this [genre] is boring.

I mean, I’m a huge house fan. I love dance music. When I was a teenager, I mostly listened to weird party drinking music from the UK. I always wanted to make a club album. So, hopefully I could just like sneak over there. When the time’s right. [Laughs]

Another song that jumped out at me as feeling really rootsy is “Childhood.” Not only because of the aesthetic of the song, but the storytelling of it and the nostalgia in it. Something about it feels kind of theatrical to me, too, and I think country is so theatrical.

Yeah, it’s very dramatic. I think when I’m making a song, I feel like “more is more” and if you are going in a certain direction, just go all-in and don’t cringe. Because then it’s just going to end up in some halfway world.

For me, with “Childhood” I was like, “Oh, is this song too nice? Is it too sweet?” Like, no! It’s great. It’s a great song. You just have to go all the way with the feelings. Because then if you don’t, I don’t think you’re going to reach the point you wanted to reach.

Many of my melodies, when I write, I ask myself or Theo or Eric, “Is this too pop-y? Does it sound too much like yada yada yada? Is this a rip off?” And they’re, “Let’s go for it!” You just go straight into that vibe and feeling.

Our music goes all the way into the feeling without hesitating if it might be too much. If you are driving your car, you want to listen to Tom Petty. And he wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m gonna write a song that is making people feel free… but it can’t be too much!” [Laughs]

“I want a driving song, but for 35 miles an hour.”

No! [Laughs] Pedal to the metal.

The overarching concepts that the album is talking about, I think what some people, especially in the U.S., would think these are deep topics – feminism, womanhood, gender and gender roles. But I found it interesting that even with these subjects, the music still feels joyful, it feels like it’s looking forward, it feels like it leans forward – in the beat, literally and figuratively. But, it doesn’t feel like cotton candy, and it doesn’t feel like you’re minimizing anything. Can you talk a little bit about that?

I mean, that makes me so happy that you felt that way. I’ve done interviews about this album in Sweden, with women, and they’re like, “Sarah, you do know that you are a beautiful woman now, right? And I’m like, that’s not the fucking point! As if I were singing it, meaning that that was the point. Maybe I thought when I was younger that that was a goal, but it’s not now.

I just want to write whatever comes to mind, and since English is not my first language, I have to write it very straight and simple. Like, “This is what happened, period.” I don’t really have the energy or time to hide the message. That is not my thing. Some people are great with that, leaving clues. I just write words – it’s also like, I’m busy I need to write the lyrics now! [Laughs]

I always ask my friend when I’ve done an album, “What is the catchphrase for this album? What would you say now when you heard it?” So, for VIRGO she was like, “This is your sex album.” And Mercedes, “This is your pregnancy album, obviously.” But this one, she was like, “I think this is a celebration of girlhood, period.” And I was like, “Yep, that’s perfect.” I’ll just use that. Because I obviously just collect songs. Over a period of time, and then I feel, well now it’s done. And I don’t write an album after a theme.

One of the things I love about the album is that it ends on “I Have Everything.” I like that that’s the way that you’re putting a punctuation mark on the album. Right now, I’m really worn out by attention economies, consumption, consumerism, and like, “buying our happiness.” I was really struck by that song. I love having it at the end; it feels like you are not just talking to us, your listeners, but you’re also talking to yourself. So I wanted to ask you about the song and about the placement of it in the sequence.

I think I wrote it to myself. Like, “Listen! Stop being a complete asshole all the time!” It’s annoying, but I’ve learned – and it’s nice, but it’s hard to talk about it without it sounding so cringey and boring – but the only thing that makes you happy is to take walks outside, be with your family, eat right, and take care of yourself. And that is boring, but it’s the truth. I always felt that people who said, “I wake up every morning and tell myself five things that I’m grateful for–” and I’m like, “Okay… that’s weird.” [Laughs]

If you do that, you will probably feel better. If you are nice to people around you, you will probably feel better. If you’re nice to yourself. I mean, grown up people have been telling me [this] all my life. During my 20s, through periods where I was just unhinged and didn’t feel right. They were like, “Well, maybe if you took a little better care of yourself and didn’t party so much and spent time with your family, you would feel better.” And I was like, “Listen, it’s more than that.”

Yeah, like I am so deep. [Laughs] My traumas are so deep! You have no idea! I’m a fuck up. And then, turns out you’re not. That’s a nice thing about getting a little bit older, you just know, “I’m gonna be fine.” And it’s also my responsibility to make that happen.

Every time somebody had ever told me that “joy is a choice” and “happiness is a choice,” I didn’t realize at first that what they meant was joy or happiness that you construct for yourself isn’t fake.

No! And it doesn’t undermine your sad parts. Like, that is always going to be there. Don’t worry. I think so many of us are just melancholic people. I mean, people have had worse experiences than I’ve had and are so chill and so fine.

I think happiness is definitely something you can work on and give to yourself, and it’s not like a miracle.

Photo Credit: Fredrika Eriksson

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Max McNown, Miss Tess, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Wherever you are on this wintry week, we hope our collection of roots music premieres warms you all the way up. We expect it will!

In this edition of our premiere roundup, don’t miss a brand new track from stupendous string trio, The Devil Makes Three, who debuted “Ghosts Are Weak” from their upcoming album on Wednesday on BGS. Plus, there’s straight-ahead bluegrass to be found, too, from Tyler Grant, who pays homage to a towering train bridge on “Goat Canyon Trestle.”

Singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy has reimagined “Before I Have a Daughter,” a song co-written with Lori McKenna about breaking generational cycles, healing, and motherhood. (A theme shared with another premiere this week.) And, Tobacco & Rose repurpose a love song infused with a Buddhist twist with their new track, “Tara.”

In the mood for some music videos? Catch Leslie Jordan’s new video for a Sarah McCracken co-write, “The Fight,” that also grapples with parenthood, discipline, and family. And, the sensational Max McNown brings us the video for the title track for his brand new album, Night Diving, which releases today.

Just in time to shepherd out the once-in-a-lifetime blizzards across the Deep South, Miss Tess showcases her music video for “Louisiana,” a centerpiece of her upcoming album, Cher Rêve. Then Sarah Quintana, who calls New Orleans home, brings us down the road to the Big Easy with an artful music video made with Kat Sotelo for the title track of her soon-to-be-released project, BABY DON’T.

It’s all right here on BGS and, you know the drill – You Gotta Hear This!

The Devil Makes Three, “Ghosts Are Weak”

Artist: The Devil Makes Three
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Song: “Ghosts Are Weak”
Album: Spirits
Release Date: January 22, 2025 (single); February 28, 2025 (album)
Label: New West Records

In Their Words: “‘Ghosts Are Weak’ is about breaking free from destructive habits and patterns. It reflects on how leaving behind a substance or lifestyle often comes with losing certain friends along the way…” – Pete Bernhard

Read more here.

Tyler Grant, “Goat Canyon Trestle”

Artist: Tyler Grant
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Song: “Goat Canyon Trestle”
Album: Flatpicker
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (single); March 28, 2025 (album)
Label: Grant Central Records

In Their Words: “The largest wooden trestle ever built still stands in the Mojave Desert of eastern San Diego County. I wrote this uptempo bluegrass song to tell the story of the trestle and the ‘Impossible Railroad,’ which was conceived by sugar and shipping magnate John D. Spreckels in 1906 and completed in 1919. History songs are tricky and I am very proud of this one. It will tickle the ears of any enthusiast of the classic railroad songs. I furnish some Doc Watson-style flatpicking and Michael Daves delivers on the hot tenor vocal part. The moral of the story is, if you take on the desert, it will always win.” – Tyler Grant

Track Credits:
Tyler Grant – Guitar, lead vocal
Andy Thorn – Banjo
Adrian “Ace” Engfer – Bass
Dylan McCarthy – Mandolin
Andy Reiner – Violin
Michael Daves – Harmony vocal

Leslie Jordan, “The Fight”

Artist: Leslie Jordan
Hometown: Johnson City, Tennessee
Song: “The Fight”
Album: The Agonist
Release Date: April 25, 2025

In Their Words: “‘The Fight’ was written with Sandra McCracken on her back porch in September of 2023. When I read the piece that my grandfather wrote with the same title, I knew I had to save it for my co-write with Sandra. I have long admired Sandra’s ability to tell a story in her songs with honesty and raw vulnerability. I knew she could help me capture the true intention of this piece. It is heartbreaking. Gut-wrenching. A mother’s internal dialogue after she loses control and hits her son. We sat for a while and chatted through what we thought was really happening in the story, how it made us feel, and then I started playing the chord progression you hear. The story my grandfather wrote begins with these two lines:

‘The rebellion was over, and she had sent him to wash-up.
There comes a time when children must be made to realize limitations and authority.’

“Sandra immediately started scribbling in her notebook and turned it around to show me.

‘The rebellion was over
She sent him to wash his hands
She tried to reason with him
But he could not understand
There comes a time when you find the limit’

“I started singing the words along to the chords and it felt like we had caught lightning in a bottle. I was also very excited to have my friend Brittney Spencer lend her incredible vocals on this song! When she heard it, she immediately had an idea that would lift the chorus. She really brought the song to another level.” – Leslie Jordan

Track Credits:
Leslie Jordan – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Brittney Spencer – BGVs
Kenneth Pattengale – Guitar
Harrison Whitford – Resonator guitar
Daniel Rhine – Upright bass
Joachim Cooder – Drums, percussion
Evan Vidar – Pump organ

Video Credit: By Jake Dahm. Edited by Leslie Jordan.

Bre Kennedy, “Before I Have A Daughter” (featuring Lori McKenna)

Artist: Bre Kennedy
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Before I Have a Daughter” featuring Lori McKenna
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “I am so excited to share this version of my song ‘Before I Have a Daughter’ with the one and only Lori McKenna. I wrote this song with Lori a few years back after small talk that led to a conversation about me not knowing my mother, who struggled with addiction as I grew up, and wanting to get to know her and heal with her before I have a daughter. Writing this song was the beginning of a healing journey with not only my mother, but with myself. [It’s] how I have learned to have grace and appreciation for my journey, as well as hers. This song continues to grow with me in real time and I am so honored I get to share this version with Lori with you all from where I am on my journey now.” – Bre Kennedy

Max McNown, “Night Diving”

Artist: Max McNown
Hometown: Bend, Oregon
Song: “Night Diving”
Album: Night Diving
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard

In Their Words: “We stepped into the writing room and Erin [McCarley] asked, ‘What’s something in your life that you keep fighting and can’t seem to overcome?’ ‘Night Diving’ became the answer to that question – it’s a song that addresses addiction and I think it’ll resonate with people on a lot of different levels. The ‘Night Diving’ song and video contain the deepest waters of symbolism I’ve created to date.” – Max McNown

Track Credits:
Jedd Hughes – Electric guitar
Todd Lombardo – Acoustic guitar, mandolin, additional electric guitar
Jamie Kenney – Bass, acoustic guitars, additional electric guitars, drum programming
Aaron Sterling –Drums
Max McNown – Lead vocals, background vocals

Miss Tess, “Louisiana”

Artist: Miss Tess
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Louisiana”
Album: Cher Rêve
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (single); February 7, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Louisiana’ was the first song inspiration for my new album Cher Rêve, coming out February 7. It was deep in the pandemic and I had reached a point where I was really missing traveling, friends, live music, and dancing. I became fixated on my memories of basking in the Cajun culture of South Louisiana (Lafayette & Eunice, mainly during the Blackpot Festival and music camp), and started to write a song about it.

“My excellent co-writer friend and fellow Blackpot visitor, Maya de Vitry, helped me work on it for about six hours one day while she was house-sitting. Since it was a challenging time to hang out with people in person, we finished it over the next month via email. It is one of my favorite songs on the album and really sums up my feelings and nostalgia for being down there, playing and enjoying music beneath the tall Louisiana pines. I am thankful this recording includes the talents of so many amazing Lafayette-area musicians, including Joel Savoy (fiddle + studio engineer), Trey Boudreaux (bass), and our dear friend Chris Stafford (Wurlitzer), who passed away tragically this past May.” – Miss Tess

Track Credits:
Thomas Bryan Eaton – Electric guitar, vocals
Joel Savoy – Fiddle
Miss Tess – Vocals, guitar
Kelli Jones – Vocals
Chris Stafford – Wurlitzer
Trey Boudreaux – Bass
Matt Meyer – Drums

Sarah Quintana, “baby, don’t”

Artist: Sarah Quintana
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Song: “baby, don’t”
Album: BABY DON’T
Release Date: January 24, 2025 (single); March 28, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “Kat Sotelo is the amazing performance artist and videographer behind this video. She designed and executed the concept, built the set, and asked the band to wear blue jeans. We wanted the first single to feel like something off The Ed Sullivan Show in the ’60s with a live performance lip-sync and vintage transitions. Silly moments of stop-motion animation flaunt Adrienne Battistella’s stunning band photos.

“I love Kat Sotelo’s work. She is a longtime friend and collaborator and my muse. She is a lovely human, creative powerhouse and inspiration to us all! She and I have been working together since my first project, Mama Mississippi, in 2012. Thanks for this adorable video, Kat!” – Sarah Quintana

Track Credits:
Cello: Chris Beroes-Haigis – Cello
Drums: Rose Cangelosi – Drums
Saxophone: Rex Gregory – Saxophone
Sousaphone: Jason Jurzak – Sousaphone
Recorded by Justin Tockett at Dockside Studios

Video Credit: Video and set design by Kat Sotelo, photography by Adrienne Battistella.

Tobacco & Rose, “Tara”

Artist: Tobacco & Rose
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “Tara”
Release Date: January 31, 2025 (single)

In Their Words: “‘Tara’ is a repurposed love song. The initial melody and lyrics were inspired by a crush that subsided as quickly as it appeared, but I was inspired to revive the song after following along to some guided Tara meditations. The Buddhist deity, Tara, is known for her compassion, but also for her encouragement to action. So I dedicate it to her, and, in fact, the writing of this song spurred into action the completion of my record, as it was the last song I wrote for it, and a standout track at that. I love this song, in part for the unusual wide guitar voicings that I got from my viola studies as a teenager, and for the melody that soars into head voice at the end of the chorus. And lyrically, I treat this song as a Buddhist-themed reminder for myself to stay awake and aware, and to treat all challenges, afflictions, and aversions as opportunities to get better at human being.” – Richard Moody

Track Credits:
Richard Moody – Guitar, vocals, strings, keyboards
Joey Smith – Bass

Photo Credit: Max McNown by Nate Griffin; Miss Tess by Jo Vidrine.

BGS 5+5: Lily Kershaw

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Lily Kershaw
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Latest Album: Pain & More
Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): My family calls me Lou or Lulu

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

Hearing Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” for the first time. I was 8, in the back seat of my parents car, and the world just stopped. I wanted to write like them.

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

The toughest time I’ve ever had writing a song was on a song of mine called “Depreshmode.” I initially wrote it in less than 30 minutes, but it ended up taking me 18 hours (I tallied!) to get it into its final shape. About halfway through those 18 hours I thought something inside me had broken. I was like, “Am I ever going to write again?” I did, of course, write again and I am super happy with and proud of the final shape of “Depreshmode.”

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

Just finish the song. You can always go back and edit. You can go back and edit for 18 hours if you want, but you can’t edit something that doesn’t exist. So just finish it.

Does pineapple really belong on pizza?

Yes, but not with ham. If you’re going to add pineapple to pizza, let it be the only topping. Now I want pizza!

What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?

I really love the song “Mary On A Cross” by Ghost. It was my most-played song a couple years ago. I was also surprised to find this out! I kind of think of it as rock opera, but the internet has called their music things like black metal and doom metal. I think most people, myself included, would be surprised to know how much I love it!

Photo Credit: Cort Wilson

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Mon Rovîa, Loose Cattle, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

We’ve reached the end of the week and we’ve got your new music covered this Friday! Our premiere round-up is completely full with excellent new songs and videos from a variety of artists who work in a variety of roots styles.

Check out new music videos from folks like singer-songwriter Sadie Campbell performing “Getting Older,” a subtly spooky tune from High Horse entitled “Tombstone Territory,” country outfit Loose Cattle bring us “The Shoals,” on which they are joined by none other than Patterson Hood, and “Afro-Appalachian” artist Mon Rovîa’s lyric video for “Winter Wash 24” is colorful and engaging.

You’ll also find brand new music from folks like JD Clayton, who sings about being disappointed by a friend on “Let You Down,” Benny Sidelinger processes a difficult season of life on “Lilacs,” and roots rockers Clarence Tilton call on their pal Marty Stuart for their latest, “Fred’s Colt.”

To cap it all, we debuted our new video series, the AEA Sessions, with our partners at AEA Ribbon Mics earlier this week with an incredible performance by our longtime friend, Gaby Moreno. You can watch that debut session below, as well.

It’s all right here on BGS and, you know the routine – You Gotta Hear This!

Sadie Campbell, “Getting Older”

Artist: Sadie Campbell
Hometown: British Columbia-raised, Nashville-based
Song: “Getting Older”
Album: Metamorphosis
Release Date: October 11, 2024 (single); October 25, 2024 (album)
Label: Glory War Records

In Their Words: “In a sea of filters, fillers, and constant pressure to look young, ‘Getting Older’ is my reminder to embrace myself where I am, as I am, to be proud of every wrinkle on my face, that my body was well-earned through laughter and learning, and not everyone gets the privilege to grow older. This video is meant to symbolize the many different versions we can be throughout our lives — and that it’s really about perspective. The photo can be the same, but through a different lens, you see a different image. Just like how we see ourselves. If we can change the lens, and the way we perceive ourselves, the picture we see often changes, too.” – Sadie Campbell

Video Credits: Filmed and edited by Justin Alexis at That Good Graphic.

JD Clayton, “Let You Down”

Artist: JD Clayton
Hometown: Fort Smith, Arkansas
Song: “Let You Down”
Release Date: October 11, 2024
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: “‘Let You Down’ was born in a coffee shop in East Nashville called Cafe Roze. I sat next to a new friend who would later become my bass player. We had an itch to hit the town and get dinner at an unfamiliar restaurant, but to our surprise every establishment the waitress recommended was closed that day. After about the fourth restaurant it became a humorous bit. It immediately began pouring rain outside. Although the waitress meant nothing by it, I teased that she was letting us down. On my drive home that day I sang ‘sometimes people let you down’ in my voice memo. It immediately hit me and I was flooded with feelings of an old friend that had actually let me down and meant it. I then had my sweet little song. But it needed more. It wasn’t until the day of recording that I dreamed up a huge instrumental break to highlight all of my band members and bring their skills to life. On a Thursday at Sound Emporium studio on Belmont Boulevard, my band cut ‘Let You Down’ and it became in my own humble opinion a certified banger. I’m certainly biased, but I truly love the song and its flow of story to emotionally charged musical outrage.” – JD Clayton

Track Credits: 
Written by JD Clayton.
JD Clayton – Vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals, harmonica
Bo Aleman – Electric guitar
Lee Williams – Bass guitar
Kirby Bland – Drums, percussion
Hank Long – Piano, Wurlitzer, organ

High Horse, “Tombstone Territory”

Artist: High Horse
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Tombstone Territory”

In Their Words: “After coming off tour with the Jacob Jolliff Band, I had all this inspiration that I wanted to bring to a High Horse instrumental composition. The basic elements of ‘Tombstone’ come from some of the ideas in Jolliff’s music and influence from Grant Gordy/Mr. Sun recordings. And, from a practice of sending around a melodic part that I learned in an earlier Persian Music Ensemble at NEC to the band. Not only was this an academic sort of exploration for me, but it was also a great opportunity to show off some of the special skills everyone in the band has as instrumentalists. Some of my favorite solos on the record happen on this recording and it has some of our best band cohesion! After performing the piece for one of its first times in Hancock, New Hampshire we were still looking for a title when we happened upon a short dirt road named Tombstone Territory. Given the spooky vibe of the tune, that seemed to fit just perfectly!” – G Rockwell, composer, guitarist

Track Credits:
G Rockwell – Guitar
Carson McHaney – Fiddle
Karl Henry – Cello
Noah Harrington – Bass

Video Credits: Video, editing, recording, and mixing by Micah Nicol

Loose Cattle, “The Shoals” featuring Patterson Hood

Artist: Loose Cattle
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Song: “The Shoals”
Album: Someone’s Monster
Release Date: October 8, 2024 (single); November 1, 2024 (album)
Label: Single Lock Records

In Their Words:“‘The Shoals’ gives me faith good men are actually listening, since Michael pulled the lyrics from several years of my private ‘Mad As Hell/Not Gonna Take It Anymore’ rants. It’s a song about what happens when we stop twisting into pretzels trying to please everyone else and start speaking uncomfortable truths to power. Historically, there’s a long tradition of accusing women who speak uncomfortable truths aloud of possession or witchcraft, so it felt especially fitting to cast Patterson Hood as a river ‘demon’ egging on the narrator.” – Kimberly Kaye

“I started writing the song during my first stay in the Shoals some years ago, on a banged up old guitar I’d just bought there. Better writers than me have tried and failed to explain the mysterious way that stretch of the Tennessee River has sung so much unforgettable music into being. All I can say is the song kind of wrote itself there and I just tried to copy it down. And ever since, from having an original Swamper’s son tell me “hell yeah” that he wanted to sing the part of a River Demon for us, to finding the record the perfect home at Single Lock Records, has just seemed meant to be. After a hell of a lot of work, of course.” – Michael Cerveris

Track Credits:
Music and lyrics by Michael Cerveris.
Kimberly Kaye – Vocals
Michael Cerveris – Acoustic and electric guitars, harmonies
René Coman – Bass
Doug Garrison – Drums
Rurik Nunan – Fiddle, harmonies
Jay Gonzalez – Farfisa organ
Patterson Hood – Vocals, guitar

Mon Rovîa, “Winter Wash 24”

Artist: Mon Rovîa
Hometown: Liberia-born, Tennessee-based
Song: “Winter Wash 24”
Album: Act 4: Atonement
Release Date: October 11, 2024 (single); January 10, 2025 (EP)
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Winter Wash 24’ while touring with Josiah and the Bonnevilles in March ’24. The theme of cognitive dissonance weighed heavily on my mind amidst everything happening in the world. Outside Seattle, I saw tanks covered in tarps treated with winter wash and the image moved me to write. The song explores how we often distance ourselves from the struggles of others when they don’t directly affect us. My goal is to raise awareness of these shared struggles, because empathy is a crucial force for change. As a refugee, I’m deeply inspired by the work of the IRC (International Rescue Committee) and am donating the song’s proceeds to support their vital efforts.” – Mon Rovîa

Benny Sidelinger, “Lilacs”

Artist: Benny Sidelinger
Hometown: Wayne, Maine (famous for a bumper sticker that says “Where the hell is Wayne, ME?”)
Song: “Lilacs”
Album: Cherry Street
Release Date: October 25, 2024

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Lilacs’ during a particularly difficult period of my life. However, there were many joyous things happening at the time too. My then-fiancée was pregnant with our lovely daughter Tulsi and we were living in a gorgeous historical farmhouse on the Skagit River, yet I was dealing with the aftermath of a difficult divorce and was temporarily isolated from my two older kids. The juxtaposition of tragedy and joy during that time are the basis of the song. For a while, I thought I might lose my mind, but somehow I managed to hold on to a thread of sanity. Eventually I was reunited with my kids and moved on to much easier chapters of life. At the same time, we had a spring with an incredible amount of rain and there was concern that the river might overflow the dikes, which would have flooded our house. Yet, just as I managed to not go crazy, the dikes held and a catastrophic flood was avoided. So, as they say: ‘I wrote a song about it.'” – Benny Sidelinger

Track Credits:
Benny Sidelinger – Vocals, guitar, Dobro
Michael Thomas Connolly – Bass, telecaster, vocals
Aida Miller – Vocals
Jason Haugland – Drums

Clarence Tilton, “Fred’s Colt” featuring Marty Stuart

Artist: Clarence Tilton
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Song: “Fred’s Colt” featuring Marty Stuart
Album: Queen of the Brawl
Release Date: October 11, 2024 (single)

In Their Words: “We asked Marty to get involved with ‘Fred’s Colt’ as we had met and opened for him a couple times in our hometown, [Omaha]. Marty agreed and played his famous pull-string telecaster, the original guitar of Clarence White of the Byrds. It’s a guitar we were well acquainted with, as we are huge Clarence White fans. Marty’s voice seemed perfect for the second verse of this song, which recounts the potentially sordid history of a strange family heirloom – an old Civil War-era Colt pistol. Marty not only lent us his voice for a verse and his guitar wizardry for a solo, but even added parts throughout that we did not realize were missing. Marty Stuart is a national treasure, and we are so honored and excited that he spent a day with our tune and did what only he can do!”

Track Credits:
Words and music by Chris Weber.
Chris Weber – Rhythm electric guitar, acoustic guitar intro, vocals
Marty Stuart – Electric guitar (Telecaster), first solo, second verse vocals
Corey Weber – Electric guitar throughout, second solo
Paul Novak – Acoustic guitar
Craig Meier – Bass
Jarron Storm – Drums, percussion, vocals

AEA Sessions: Gaby Moreno, Live at AmericanaFest 2024

Artist: Gaby Moreno
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Songs: “New Dawn,” “Solid Ground,” and “Luna de Xelajú”

In Their Words: “It was a wonderful experience performing a few songs for AEA at Bell Tone during AmericanaFest. The sound quality and the energy in the room were unforgettable.” – Gaby Moreno

“Gaby is charismatic and energetic. She lights up a room when she walks in and when she performs, it’s electrifying.”
– Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics

Read more here.

Photo Credit: Mon Rovîa by Glenn Ross; Loose Cattle by Joseph Vidrine.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Twisted Pine, Lee DeWyze, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

There’s something for everyone in this week’s premiere round-up!

From the bluegrass realm, check out a new, suitably spooky track from southwest Virginia mainstay Amanda Cook, a vocal trio number from the fellas of Sideline, and Twisted Pine have a brand new music video for a song all about bluegrass festival fun, “After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens).”

From elsewhere on the genre map, check out tracks debuting from singer-songwriter Bailey Bigger, Swedish artist Sarah Klang has an Americana-flavored number featuring Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, and Emily Frembgen declares she’s “Hard 2 Love.”

Don’t miss a lyric video for the title track from American Idol winner Lee DeWyze’s brand new album, Gone For Days, as well. It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Bailey Bigger, “Nancy Jo”

Artist: Bailey Bigger
Hometown: Marion, Arkansas
Song: “Nancy Jo”
Album: Resurrection Fern
Release Date: October 25, 2024

In Their Words: “‘Nancy Jo’ was a more recently written song this year. I wrote it in memory of my grandmother, who represents to me all the women in my life who have sacrificed their own dreams for the inevitable love for those around them. It’s a bittersweet, give-and-take feeling to experience and watch take over the amazing women in our lives, and something I think we can all relate to universally. The duality of my grandmother was beautiful to me. She had so many regrets, dreams she never got to take a real shot at, and hopes, yet so much gratitude, love, and confidence in the path she did choose in this life. She loved her life and brought so much joy and presence to those around her. But we would dream together every time I sat with her in the kitchen. When I reach for my life and my future, it’s not just my hands, it’s all the women in my ancestry, standing behind me, pushing me further.

“This song was highly influenced, musically, by the dream pop movement of the ’90s. My dad gave me his CDs by The Sundays that he wore out in college, and I fell in love instantly with their dreamy guitar tones and Harriet’s voice just painting the canvas with her melodies. I wanted to create a similar production with clear inspiration behind this song, and dream pop is a genre I’ve been itching to explore in my own sound as I get creative with guitar pedals and melodies.” – Bailey Bigger

Amanda Cook, “Devil’s Looking Glass”

Artist: Amanda Cook
Hometown: Fancy Gap, Virginia
Song: “Devil’s Looking Glass”
Album: Restless Soul
Release Date: September 18, 2024 (single); October 18, 2024 (album)
Label: Mountain Fever Records

In Their Words: “I love a spooky song and when Troy Boone (our mandolin player) let me hear his demo of ‘Devil’s Looking Glass,’ I knew I was going to be hooked. Troy’s vivid lyrics make the story feel so real that it’s almost like a true legend coming to life. As Troy shared, he wrote ‘Devil’s Looking Glass’ in high school, drawing inspiration from the rock formation above the Nolichucky River near his childhood home and crafting a haunting song based on a local curse story.” – Amanda Cook

Track Credits:
Written by Troy Boone.
Amanda Cook – Lead vocal
Carolyne Van Lierop – Banjo
Troy Boone – Mandolin
Brady Wallen – Guitar
Josh Faul – Bass
George Mason – Fiddle

Lee DeWyze, “Gone For Days”

Artist: Lee DeWyze
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “Gone For Days”
Album: Gone For Days
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Label: Mavelle Records

In Their Words: “‘Gone For Days’ for me reflects on how someone can feel lost, but through that – inspired and transformed by their environment. Ultimately, for me, it’s a story of growth and rebirth. To an extent, it captures my own personal experience of stepping into the unknown when choosing to make the decision to head to Bristol, Tennessee and make this album.

“My hope is that this song can serve as an anthem for those who navigate the dark, and seek their own path. I want ‘Gone For Days’ to offer reassurance that even in the darkest moments, there’s a way forward.

“It was one of the last songs I wrote for this album – and while working with the amazing musicians out in Bristol and taking in the energy of where I was, it dawned on me it wasn’t just a song, it was a documentary for my journey and a snapshot of the profound changes I was experiencing.” – Lee DeWyze

Track Credits:
Written by Lee DeWyze.
Lee DeWyze – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Phil Faconti – Electric guitar
Dave Eggar – Cello, string arrangement
Noah Denton – Bass
Jordan Katz – Horns
Mike Stephenson – Drums, percussion
Blake Collins – Mandolin

Video Credit: Lee DeWyze

Emily Frembgen, “Hard 2 Love”

Artist: Emily Frembgen
Hometown: New York City
Song: “Hard 2 Love”
Album: No Hard Feelings
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Label: Don Giovanni Records

In Their Words: “I made ‘Hard 2 Love’ at Excello Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with my producer Hugh Pool. We recorded it and most of the other tracks on No Hard Feelings live with Keith Robinson on drums, Bruce Martin on piano, and Charles Dechants on bass. Melody Stolpp came in later to record back up vocals. The song owes a lot to Lucinda Williams’s ‘Blue,’ which is often playing in my head. I’m so fascinated with these super simple yet emotionally impactful songs. Lucinda’s ‘Blue’ and ‘Lonely Girls,’ Lou Reed’s ‘Pale Blue Eyes,’ Sondheim’s ‘Losing My Mind.’ My relationship with my father informs this and many of the songs on this album as it has greatly informed the way I exist in the world. This is a cathartic song for me to sing and I hope it’s cathartic for other people. It’s hard to love and to be loved, at least for some of us.” – Emily Frembgen

Track Credits: 
Emily Frembgen – Vocals
Hugh Pool – Guitar
Keith Robinson – Drums
Bruce Martin – Piano
Charles Dechants – Bass
Melody Stolpp – Backup vocals

Sarah Klang, “Last Forever” featuring Fruit Bats

Artist: Sarah Klang
Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden
Song: “Last Forever” featuring Fruit Bats
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “It’s a song about the feeling of being ‘the bad one’ in the relationship. Or maybe even that you are ‘the bad one.’ And you love someone who insists on seeing the best in you, and constantly fights on, even though you behave badly. I didn’t really have any idea that it could be a duet until Eric suggested it. He asked me to write down some of my dream artists to duet with, and of course I wrote his name as #1 on the note. Luckily he said yes!

“This collaboration was an eye-opener to me, because it immediately opened two creative worlds: suddenly there were two perspectives and that is very new for me to have. To get to work with someone I admire so much was a dream come true, and I felt like it made me a stronger writer too.” – Sarah Klang

“When Sarah and her writing partner, Theo Stocks, brought this sketch in, I was already all in on it going on the album. The opening line: ‘I’ve got two issues with you, and one of them is that you love me…’ just devastated me out of the gate. The song starts off as a lilting waltz, then turns into a chugging, desperate rock anthem and fades off into the sunset. When they suggested I sing a verse, I was honored and intimidated. I love that each verse comes from a different perspective – and then ends on intertwined stories about lovers trying to figure out the balance of life.” – Eric D. Johnson, Fruit Bats

Sideline, “Is It True”

Artist: Sideline
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Song: “Is It True”
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “It’s really awesome to watch a band take an older song and make it into their own without completely dissecting the original. When Steve brought this one to the table, it was obvious that it was a Sideline song. We applied our drive and energy to it and let the lyrics do the rest of the work. It is also one of the very few – if any – Sideline songs with a trio throughout the whole song, and Bailey nailed the lead part. High-powered and exciting!” – Skip Cherryholmes, guitar and vocals

“What caught my attention about this song was that it is one of the rare cases where the verses have harmony all the way through, and the choruses are sung solo. Typically, it’s vice versa.” – Steve Dilling, banjo and vocals

Track Credits:
Skip Cherryholmes – Guitar, vocals
Steve Dilling – Banjo, vocals
Bailey Coe – Lead vocal
Kyle Windbeck – Upright bass
Nick Goad – Mandolin, vocals
Matt Flake – Fiddle

Twisted Pine, “After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens)”

Artist: Twisted Pine
Hometown: Boston, Massachusettes & Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens)”
Album: Love Your Mind
Release Date: September 17, 2024 (single); October 18, 2024
Label: Signature Sounds

In Their Words: “Every summer, music fanatics assemble their camping gear and instruments and gather together in a field somewhere for that most peculiar of community events: the bluegrass festival. As a band, many of our formative and milestone experiences have taken place at festivals. We’ve learned a lot of lessons – good and bad. This song is our ode to the festival experience. It’s about a universal thought process that happens every night at festivals around the world, ‘Should I be trying to get some sleep right now? Or should I stay up, and pick, and see where the night takes me?’ It’s definitely a coin toss, and depending on how you feel you might regret the late night the next morning, but either way, it makes for a memorable night, and you look forward to what next year’s fest will bring

“The details of the song are based on true events and everyone’s festival vibe. Chris likes to wander around looking for hot dogs; Kathleen croons country ballads in the moonlight; Anh typically stays out until the sun comes up; Dan posts up at the center of the old-time jam on bass. And there’s always that dude at the jam trying to get laid so in our song we named him Dirty Pete.

“Shot on location at two of the very best festivals in our part of the country: the Ossipee Valley Music Festival and Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots, ‘(Nothing Good Happens) After Midnight’ should be a familiar sentiment for BGS readers. See y’all next year!” – Twisted Pine

Track Credits:
Written by Kathleen Parks, Dan Bui, and Anh Phung.
Kathleen Parks – Lead vocals, fiddle
Chris Sartori – Bass
Dan Bui – Mandolin
Anh Phung – Flute, background vocals
Ethan Robbins – Guitar

Video Credit: Directed, filmed, and edited by Jay Strausser, Jay Strausser Visuals

Photo Credit: Twisted Pine by J. Chattman; Lee DeWyze by Kalin Gordon Photography. 

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Rhonda Vincent, Joy Clark, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Are you enjoying brat summer? We sure are, too, but as Teddy and the Rough Riders declare with their new video dropping today in You Gotta Hear This, “Catfish Summer” is what it’s really all about!

That’s not all our premiere round-up holds this week, either. We’ve got new videos from folks like guitarist-songwriter Joy Clark and Texan-Los Angeleno Silas Nello, and a new track has been unveiled by Americana duo Ocie Elliott, too.

Don’t miss bluegrass offerings from up-and-comers and legends, both. Jaelee Roberts brings a new single, “Between The Two Of Us,” East Nashville mainstays Greenwood Rye premiere “Down to the River,” and the Queen of Bluegrass herself, Rhonda Vincent, pays tribute to her homeland of Missouri with a song co-written by Opry star Jeannie Seely and Music Row stalwart writer Erin Enderlin. Vincent’s new album, Destinations And Fun Places, hits store shelves and digital platforms today.

To round out this edition of our weekly collection of premieres, don’t miss Moira Smiley’s rendition of the classic Jean Ritchie song, “Now Is The Cool Of The Day,” which debuted on the site earlier this week in honor of Farmworker Appreciation Day. It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Joy Clark, “Lesson”

Artist: Joy Clark
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Song: “Lesson”
Album: Tell it to the Wind
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Label: Righteous Babe Records

In Their Words: “My grandma is and was my root and when she passed, I thought about the gems she imparted to me in her 86 years of life. She’d say to me ‘Get your lesson!’ I’d sit at her table and talk to her. I came out to her at that very table. She accepted me. After she died, I sat down with my producer Margaret Becker to write, and the lyrics just rolled out; capturing the way my grandma lived her life. She taught me to treat everyone with kindness and to strive for peace while never backing down from a good fight. It’s a timely ‘Lesson’ for this country as we fight to take our rightful place in the struggle for freedom.” – Joy Clark

Video Credits: Directed and shot by Jared LaReau, Something Human.
AJ Haynes – Creative Assistant 

Ocie Elliott, “Adelina”

Artist: Ocie Elliott
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Song: Adelina
Release Date: August 9, 2024
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Adelina’ is about a fictional heroine inspired by a combination of legendary musicians and personal idols –people who hone that extra something inside of them to carve their way through the barriers of the tangible world, prying doors open for others in their wake. In comparison to some of our previous recordings, the final result of ‘Adelina’ reflects the way in which it was put together – with a lot of play, compromise, reinventing, and scrubbing at the built-up grime and loose ideas to make a smooth surface for finer grit to be poured back in. To us, it feels louder, more immediate, and present. It’s a song you play when leaving somewhere – a ‘windows down, future open and ready’ kind of song.” – Sierra Lundy and Jon Middleton, Ocie Elliott

Greenwood Rye, “Down to the River”

Artist: Greenwood Rye
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Down to the River”
Album: Hideaway
Release Date: August 9, 2024 (single); August 23, 2024 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Down to the River’ was one of the first songs I wrote when I moved to Nashville in 2020 and the first original song we started playing live as we started Greenwood Rye during the pandemic as the house band for Jane’s Hideaway in Nashville. I wanted to write the quintessential song for what we were trying to do as a band. It is a fun, funky groove with a singable chorus, has a jamgrass style instrumental bridge, and plays around lyrically with some bluegrass themes. I was thinking a lot of ‘Old Home Place’ and how the narrator is blaming others for his problems. So, I came up with the idea to have a character who takes responsibility for his actions. He ‘runs off to the vineyards’ rather than the ‘taverns took all his pay.’ But there is also a level of hubris in the narrator, as he feels like he can just go ‘down to the river’ every time he does someone wrong ‘again.’

“The track features Sasha Ostrovsky (Darius Rucker, Bering Strait) on dobro.” – Shawn Spencer, guitar, vocals, songwriter

Track Credits: Written by Shawn Spencer.
Shawn Spencer – Guitar, vocals
Cat McDonald – Fiddle, vocals
David Freeman – Mandolin, vocals
Taylor Shuck – Banjo
Sasha Ostrovsky – Dobro
Larry Cook – Bass

Produced & mixed by Billy Hume.
Mastered by Pete Lyman.
Matt Coles – Additional engineering
Recorded at Compass Records.

Silas Nello, “Holy Ghost Blues”

Artist: Silas Nello
Hometown: Los Angeles, California via Dallas, Texas
Song: “Holy Ghost Blues”
Album: From West Hollywood
Release Date: August 9, 2024 (single); September 13, 2024 (EP)
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “It came to me in a dream – a sort of fantasized crossroads moment of how mankind trades this for that and we don’t realize until the deal is already done. I wrote this song at the wet bar of my then 1980s home just north of Dallas sometime in 2016.” – Silas Nello

“The video was meant as a portrait of Silas Nello. We went around Los Feliz, West Hollywood, and Wild Horizon Sound, documenting his travels like a ‘day in the life.’ We broke the fourth wall with Silas acknowledging the camera and the audience throughout the piece. What this created was an intimate moment where we’re spending time with him but he was also spending time with us.” – Taylor Hungerford, filmmaker, Silverspark Printworks

Track Credits: Written by Silas Nello.
Silas Nello – Lead vocal, background vocal, acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine
Produced by Claire Morison & Silas Nello.
Recorded at Wild Horizon Sound.
Recording engineer, mixing engineer, and mastering engineer – Claire Morison

Video Credit: Taylor Hungerford, Silverspark Printworks

Jaelee Roberts, “Between The Two Of Us”

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Between The Two Of Us”
Release Date: August 8, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘Between The Two Of Us’ was written with my friends Donna Ulisse and Kristen Bearfield. When we got together, we agreed that we’d like to write something up-tempo and happy, and ‘Between The Two Of Us’ is the result of that session. It truly is a happy song about love lasting between two people and what you have to do to achieve that. Getting to hear this song come together in the studio was really amazing, and I am so thrilled with the end result. The musical arrangement provided by Ron Block, Andy Leftwich, Cody Kilby, Byron House, Justin Moses, Stuart Duncan, and John Gardner absolutely made this song even more special than I could have imagined! To top it off, Stephen Mougin and Kelsi Harrigill joined me on harmonies and their voices were the perfect touch to convey the message of the song. I hope y’all enjoy this love song that is filled with words of hope, joy, and encouragement.” – Jaelee Roberts

Teddy and the Rough Riders, “Catfish Summer”

Artist: Teddy and the Rough Riders
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Catfish Summer”
Album: Down Home
Release Date: October 11, 2024 (album)
Label: Appalachia Record Co.

In Their Words: “This one is about visiting my mom’s side of the family who live in Rockmart, Georgia. I was 12 or so and didn’t really wanna visit my grandma Lou-Lou that summer. But instead, my mom dropped me and my cousin off at my uncle Bubba’s house for a few weeks, and he lived in an amazing hillbilly shack on the side of a catfish pond with about ten dogs, deep in the woods. Greatest summer ever! From childhood bummer to high time.” – Ryan Jennings, Teddy and the Rough Riders

Rhonda Vincent, “I Miss Missouri”

Artist: Rhonda Vincent
Hometown: Greentop, Missouri
Song: “I Miss Missouri”
Album: Destinations And Fun Places
Release Date: August 9, 2024

In Their Words: “My Grand Ole Opry sister Jeannie Seely started writing ‘I Miss Missouri’ for me several years ago. She lost everything, including the lyrics she had written, in the Nashville flood of 2010. Fast forward to February 29, 2020, the night she made my greatest dream come true and invited me to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. We have since become close friends, and after the Opry invitation she said the lyrics started coming back to her.

“She invited Erin Enderlin and I to join her in writing the song. ‘I Miss Missouri’ was the inspiration for creating a ‘destinations’ project, with all the songs representing a destination.” – Rhonda Vincent

Track Credits: Written by Jeannie Seely, Erin Enderlin, and Rhonda Vincent.
Adam Haynes – Fiddle
Rhonda Vincent – Lead vocal, mandolin
Mickey Harris – Bass
Zack Arnold – Guitar, harmony vocal
Aaron McDaris – Banjo
Jacob Metz – Resophonic guitar

Moira Smiley, “Now Is The Cool Of The Day”

Artist: Moira Smiley
Hometown: New Haven, Vermont
Song: “Now Is The Cool Of The Day”
Album: The Rhizome Project
Release Date: September 6, 2024

In Their Words: “August 6th is Farmworker Appreciation Day, and I didn’t know that until this year. I am writing this as I sit on a hill above the rolling Vermont farmland where I grew up being a young farmworker and musician. In honor of this day, I’m releasing one of my favorite songs of all time – and the best one I know for reminding us to slow down and remember our roles as carers and tenders of this beautiful planet and the people around us. This week, I’m showering appreciation on the people that grow and tend food in my area; buying from small farmers, donating to the Open Door clinic that serves the medical needs of immigrant agricultural laborers. This gentle video hopes to slow your pace, and bring you along with me in acknowledging that farmworkers make our nourishment possible. Let us thank them.” – Moira Smiley

Read more here.

Photo Credit: Joy Clark by Steve Rapport; Rhonda Vincent by Tanner West.

MIXTAPE: Running With Old Sea Brigade

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Running has been a way for me to balance the highs and lows of the music industry. It gives me time to process my thoughts and decisions, and it’s also the perfect time for me to discover new music. In a chaotic world, running helps clear my mind and give me better energy throughout my day. I like to change up what I listen to, but below are a few of my go-to favorites. – Old Sea Brigade

“Starburster” – Fontaines D.C.

This was one of those songs that instantly grabbed me the moment I heard it. When I’m out running, I like to find songs where the beat is consistent. I think the scarcity of the instrumentation lets the drums and vocals just put you in a trance. It’s a perfect pace setter to start out your run.

“Midnight Rider” – Allman Brothers Band

Though I live in Sweden now most of the year, this song always brings back memories of growing up in Georgia. My mom’s from a small town in south Georgia called Brunswick and to get there from Atlanta (where I grew up), we’d always stop for a while in Macon, GA, home to the Allman Brothers. Every time I hear this song I oddly feel nostalgic for those blistering hot July drives through south Georgia to visit my grandparents. It’s a nice memory of home when I’m on a run through the streets of Gothenburg.

“New Noise” – Refused

Switching gears here… but I grew up playing in heavy bands and Refused were a pivotal band to me within hardcore music. I think this is the perfect mid-run song to help kick in those endorphins.

“You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire” – Queens of the Stone Age

A lot of times when I’m running, I like to daydream I’m the drummer in a heavy band. There’s definitely been a number of occasions where I’m air-drumming to this one on a run. Hopefully, no one has that on video.

“Seventeen” – Sharon Van Etten

The lyrics to this song hit me with every line. Such a beautiful song with an equally magnificent production. The driving drums make it perfect for a run.

“Centurion” – King Buffalo

This song hits so hard, plus I love a good stoner rock jam. Fun one to run to.

“Run To Your Mama” – Goat

I love the Black Sabbath feel here and the consistent guitar rhythm. Sets a nice pace for running

“Under The Pressure (Live)” – The War on Drugs

I like to time this to be one of the last songs of my run. When the guitar solo hits at the end, it’s absolutely amazing. What an incredible live band.

“Punk Rock Loser” – Viagra Boys

I love this band. I was a little late to the party, but this was one of the first songs I heard from them.

“Broken Man” – St. Vincent

I’m obsessed with St. Vincent’s production on this one. I love how drastic the new instruments are introduced here.

Photo Credit: Rebecka Wendesten

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Rose Cousins, Reckless Kelly, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s a serendipitously Canada-filled day on You Gotta Hear This, where singer-songwriter Rose Cousins brings us a brand new track, “Forget Me Not,” with a beautiful accompanying visualizer, plus Alex Mason impressively performs “Broken Bottles” live from a canoe, and Bob Sumner and posse line-dance it up in a new video for “Motel Room.”

That’s not all, though, as we’ve got alt-country, bluegrass, and more from the southern side of that border, too. Don’t miss Reckless Kelly performing “Keep Lookin’ Down The Road” in a brand new, self-shot video that features gorgeous landscapes and stunning drone footage. Derek Vanderhorst brings us the title track to his upcoming album, Be Kind, as well, with a ringer cast of collaborators including Steve Poltz.

To round out our collection this week, we’re re-sharing two premieres from earlier in the week on the site. The Doohickeys brought us zombie-fied Good Country with “Rein It In Cowboy” and virtuosic pickers Steven Moore and Jed Clark paid tribute to what would have been Frank Wakefield’s 90th birthday with their rendition of “New Camptown Races.”

It’s all right here on BGS and, to be perfectly honest, You Gotta Hear This!

Rose Cousins, “Forget Me Not”

Artist: Rose Cousins
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Song: “Forget Me Not”
Release Date: June 28, 2024 (single)
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Forget Me Not’ is the romance of spring unfolding into summer as it pulls us into its presence. Nature asking us to pay attention and come along. Spring is my favourite season and I’ve now gotten to see it four times in a row in the same place which touring kept me from doing for years. It’s been like falling in love in a new way with an old flame.” – Rose Cousins

Reckless Kelly, “Keep Lookin’ Down The Road”

Artist: Reckless Kelly
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Keep Lookin’ Down The Road”
Album: The Last Frontier
Release Date: September 13, 2024 (album)
Label: No Big Deal Records

In Their Words: “‘Keep Lookin’ Down The Road’ is a reflection of the past and an appreciation for the present, but most importantly, it’s an optimistic look ahead. I wrote it with my brother Gary and our buddy Jeff Crosby during our annual songwriting retreat that we jokingly refer to as the ‘hitscation.’ I came up with the line on the way there. sang a few lines into my voice recorder, and we worked out the rest over the next couple of days. Once we were in the studio, I chopped up a couple of verses and used the best lines to shorten it up a bit to match the theme of the record, which is, in a nutshell, ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.’

“As technology advances by the second, I’ve wondered for a while how close to a pro-shot music video I could film using just an iPhone and a drone. Since the expense of filming a music video can sometimes outweigh its visibility, I decided to find out. Using the limited videography and editing skills I’d picked up filming the pandemic-inspired ‘Music from the Mountains’ and ‘Quarantine Kitchen’ shows, I set up time lapses of sunsets, sent the drone up to capture areal views of the mountains in my high desert backyard, and tried to time sunrises and sunsets for the cringiest part – standing in a field of sagebrush all alone, Uncle Rico style, filming myself singing and playing the song in front of a tripod. Luckily, my locations were so remote that nobody drove by and saw this old man making selfie videos like some 14-year-old influencer.

“I shot a lot of B roll road scenes, filmed at an old junkyard in the woods, waterfalls, national monuments, and in huge valleys surrounded by mountains on all sides. I tried to use the scenery as the main focus and also borrowed my brother Gary’s old Dodge truck to match the timeless vibe I was going for. It was a lot of work and took a lot more time than I thought it would, but it was fun and it turned out pretty cool, and I have a newfound appreciation for why these things cost so much. I’m not sure if I matched the quality of a high-end production, but for the cost of a tank of gas or two it’s close enough for RK!” – Willy Braun

Track Credits: Written by Willy Braun, Gary Braun (Micky & The Motorcars) and Jeff Crosby.

Wily Braun – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, percussion
Cody Braun – Fiddle, harmony vocals, mandolin, tenor guitar, synth, percussion
Jay Nazz – Drums, percussion
Joe Miller – Bass guitar
Geoff Queen – Lead electric guitar, pedal steel guitar
Bukka Allen – Hammond B3 organ, piano, harmonium
Kelley Mickwee – Harmony vocals

Produced by Jonathan Tyler, Cody Braun, Willy Braun.
Engineered by Joseph Holguin.
Mixed by Jacob Sciba, Cody Braun, Jonathan Tyler.
Mastered by Jacob Sciba.
Recorded at Arlyn Studios, Austin, Texas.
Additional recording at Clyde’s VIP Room, Austin, Texas.

Video Credit: Produced, directed, filmed, and edited by Willy Braun. Filmed on location in Idaho.

Alex Mason, “Broken Bottles”

Artist: Alex Mason
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Broken Bottles”

In Their Words: “‘Broken Bottles’ is a song about how when memories form, especially when we’re younger, they can take on an almost mythical quality in our imaginations and dreams. Then as we grow older and that spell of innocence is broken, we leave them behind, only to return to them again later when they likely don’t resemble anything like what they originally looked like. After losing my mom, writing songs became a way to preserve memories, even painful ones from when I was a kid. Sometimes even difficult memories can sweeten and soften with time. I was exploring a lot of open tunings with this new album, and felt a bit like Dylan on Blood On The Tracks – something about playing in open D on this Martin opened up a new space and new ideas for me and reminded me of being a teenager exploring the same tunings. It’s funny how things make their way back around.” – Alex Mason

Video Credit: Bradley Pearson, Don River Music

Bob Sumner, “Motel Room”

Artist: Bob Sumner
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “Motel Room”
Album: Some Place to Rest Easy
Release Date: September 6, 2024
Label: Fluff and Gravy Records

In Their Words: “There is a rapper/DJ named Channel Tres. Everything Channel does is cool. He drips cool. I’m a big fan of his music, his aesthetic, and his videos. He has a video for a tune called ‘Weedman.’ It’s Channel and his homies hanging out in a home ordering weed from their dealer. Throughout the video they break into dance routines. It’s chill af. It’s funny. It’s joyous. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. I wanted that for ‘Motel Room.’

“I wrangled two of my close friends, Logan Wolff & Matty Beans. I knew they’d be down. My partner Mica Kayde choreographed a dance routine for us. With my director Dana Bontempo and his partner Zara, we loaded into my pickup truck, brought Endo my tripod dog (and best friend), and spent three days on a road trip messing around. We danced in front of a motel called El Rancho in the interior of B.C. We went to the Armstrong Fair & Rodeo. We laughed a lot, mostly at ourselves, and we had the time of our lives doing it. It’s no Channel Tres, but I think we did what we set out to do. The video turned out to be a joy. It’s fun. It’s funny. It encapsulates those magical carefree years I spent with my friend. At the end of the video the character ends up alone in a motel room wantonly gazing out the window. We felt that was a part of the story we couldn’t leave out.” – Bob Sumner

Derek Vanderhorst, “Be Kind” (featuring Steve Poltz)

Artist: Derek Vanderhorst
Hometown: Golden, Colorado but moving to Nice, France in September
Song: “Be Kind”
Album: Be Kind
Release Date: July 12, 2024

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Be Kind’ in a fun, humorous way to address serious issues that are dividing friends and family and loved ones. Racism and intolerance are making their way into our everyday experience and becoming somewhat normalized. The divisiveness is becoming so overwhelming that it’s now hard to have these serious conversations and I wanted to send the simple message of acceptance, love, and kindness – as well as [pointing out] differences are what makes life so great and worth living.

“As Gen Xers, we need to be open, aware, and embrace all the progress and change, not forgetting our generation’s great changes. We sometimes need to remember that we need change to have stagnant waters.” – Derek Vanderhorst

Track Credits:
Derek Vanderhorst – Music, lyrics, guitar, vocals
Steve Poltz – Vocals, guitar
John Mailander – Fiddle, mandolin
Frank Evans – Banjo
Brook Sutton – Bass
Jamie Dick – Percussion

The Doohickeys, “Rein It In Cowboy”

Artist: The Doohickeys
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Rein It In Cowboy”
Album: All Hat No Cattle
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Forty Below Records

In Their Words: “We wrote ‘Rein It In Cowboy’ after Haley got her butt grabbed in a bar… He copped a feel and we copped a song. The unsettling vibe you get from a creepy guy groping you is eerily similar to the feeling zombies evoke, which is why our video draws inspiration from our love of classic zombie films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. We had a blast coming up with t-shirt pick-up lines and other visual jokes throughout the video. With the help of our friends, we crafted a visual narrative we’re truly proud of and can stand behind (and grab).” – Jack Hackett, The Doohickeys

More here.

Steven Moore & Jed Clark, “New Camptown Races”

Artist: Steven Moore & Jed Clark
Hometown: Jed Clark lives in Nashville, Tennessee, originally from Searcy, Arkansas; Steven Moore lives in Saint Clairsville, Ohio, originally from Bethesda, Ohio.
Song: “New Camptown Races” (by Frank Wakefield)
Release Date: June 26, 2024

In Their Words: “We are very excited to share our music video of ‘New Camptown Races,’ a tune by the late Frank Wakefield (June 26, 1934 – April 26, 2024) that has become a bluegrass standard. The idea for this video began at SPBGMA 2023, when we jammed to ‘New Camptown Races’ with both of us playing it in B-flat without using capos. We laughed and agreed that we needed to record it and maybe do a video shoot of it someday. It wasn’t until a year later at SPBGMA 2024, when we met up again, that we really solidified plans to make the video happen. Our hopes were to record the video and put it out on June 26, 2024 in honor of Frank’s 90th birthday. Unfortunately, the world lost Frank two months before he turned 90, but we decided to still aim to put out the video on what would have been Frank’s 90th birthday, in his memory…” – Steven Moore

More here.

Photo Credit: Rose Cousins by Lindsay Duncan; Reckless Kelly by Cassy Weyandt.