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.
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.
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
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
I love going for bike rides. It helps me reconnect and recenter myself. I’m almost always listening to music when I go out for a ride. Sometimes it’s heavier/angrier stuff to help me process and burn some things off, sometimes it’s completely instrumental to help me think, but most of the time it’s laid-back music – because if there’s one thing I am not, it’s laid-back. I’m almost always anxious and neurotic. Biking around and listening to a playlist like this helps me remember to take it easy, to breathe.
Sometimes I get messages from people who say my music helps them to do that, but I don’t sit around listening to my own music. Even though that’s a lovely thing to hear, I can’t engage with it in the same way. I can’t, for example, go and listen to my new album, Evergold (released April 26 on Nettwerk Records), to help me calm down, so I’m stuck making playlists like this for myself. Oh well. I hope this playlist helps you to relax and enjoy the ride, even just a little bit. – Joshua Hyslop
“Small Town Talk” – Bobby Charles
I love this song. I think it’s hard to listen to it and not imagine being on a bike ride, just meandering around some neighborhood on a lazy sunny afternoon. To me, this is the perfect place to start. Great artist. Great album.
“AUATC” – Bon Iver
Sometimes, you listen to a song at just the right time. Something about the lyrics or the melody just clicks with you in the moment. I’m not even 100% sure what this song is about, but my god, what a melody. The slightly sped-up vocals, the communal feeling to it all, it just has something that pulls you in.
“Lay down Martha, lay all that alabaster down, there’s no master, help will surely come around.” Who’s Martha? Why is she carrying alabaster? I don’t know, but I sure find myself nodding along.
“Box #10” – Jim Croce
I debated choosing another Jim Croce song, maybe something a little happier for this “chill bike ride” playlist. But to me, this song sounds like when the sun first comes out after the rain. It’s a little bittersweet, but most of the good stuff is.
“One of These Days” – Bedouine
I found this song when the album I was listening to ended and Spotify just started playing something else. I ended up pulling over and adding it to my own riding tunes playlist. I don’t know Bedouine outside of this, but I’m excited to spend more time with her music.
“Nantucket Island” – Willie Wright
I got the idea for the theme of this playlist, because one of my all-time favorite shows is/was High Maintenance on HBO. The Guy is always biking around, smoking a joint, delivering his wares, and getting a small snapshot into the lives of his many varied customers. It’s so good, and so human, and so lovely, and the music was always incredible. This track was in one of the episodes and I made special note of it, as well. When you’re done listening and reading all this, go watch some High Maintenance.
“Wish I Had Not Said That” – J.J. Cale
This song came out in 1981. The number one song in the USA at the time was “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes. Thank god for J.J. Cale.
“Scumways” – Michael Nau
I found this artist by watching Amoeba’s wonderful YouTube show, “What’s In My Bag?” I can’t remember who mentioned him, but his music’s in regular rotation for me, now. This whole album could’ve easily been the entire playlist. It’s a great riding or driving album.
“Down the Line” – Joshua Hyslop
Yes, okay, I know. It’s one of my songs. I think it fits the overall feel here, but we both know there is NO way I would put one of my own songs on my own bike ride playlist. Alright, moving on.
“Fata Morgana” – Kikagaku Moyo
Easily one of my Top 5 desert island albums. This record could also easily have been the entire playlist. It may seem a little out of place on the first listen through, but when I was younger and I’d make a mixtape for a girl I liked, I’d use an instrumental song as a bit of a palate cleanser, especially if there’d been a few super laid back songs in a row. Anyway, here I am all these years later, giving away my secrets and trying to romance you all.
“Gimme Some More” – Labi Siffre
It’s upbeat, it’s happy, it’s a perfect sunny day bike ride song. Plus, singing along and getting to say “Sock it to me” at the break makes me feel about 10 times cooler than I’ll ever actually be.
“None of Us” – Fruit Bats
This song embraces a certain kind of humility and self-awareness that really appeals to me. I could sing along to, “None of us have seen it all” on repeat forever. The entire last minute of this song kind of perfectly captures the emotional landscape I was thinking of when I came up with the idea for a chill bike ride playlist.
“Caterpillar” – Cassandra Jenkins
Just a lovely way to close things out. Say you’re out riding, and you’re on your way home, but you know the playlist is going to end before you get there; this is the perfect song to have playing on repeat until you get there.
Aren’t Fridays the best day of the week? And no, not just because of the five-day work week, but really because it’s New Music Friday, of course!
This week, we’re featuring premieres like a thoughtful and introspective number from singer-songwriter Aisha Badru, a Bonnie Raitt cover from husband-and-wife bluegrass duo Benson with Keith Garrett lending lead vocals, a thoughtful track about cyclical national, cultural, and romantic traumas from Jessye DeSilva, and Lynne Hanson brings a new song about how some folks are just plain rotten.
There’s a little bit of everything for every kind of roots music fan, and if we do say so ourselves, You Gotta Hear This!
Aisha Badru, “Life to Live”
Artist:Aisha Badru Hometown: Yonkers, New York Song: “Life to Live” Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “‘Life To Live’ is a song deeply rooted in my personal journey. It explores the importance of introspection and understanding what truly brings us joy and fulfillment. For me, that meant leaving the traditional path of college to pursue music, even if it wasn’t initially supported by my family. This song isn’t just about following our dreams, it’s about the growth and self-discovery that happens along the way.” – Aisha Badru
Benson, “Louise”
Artist:Benson Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina Song: “Louise” Release Date: March 22, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words:“We’ve always been big fans of Keith Garrett. He’s got such a warm vocal tone and always chooses a great way of delivering the song. We were excited to have him sing a couple and felt really lucky that he said yes.” – Kristin Scott Benson
“Back in the early 1990s, I heard Bonnie Raitt’s album, Luck of the Draw. After becoming a fan and going back to her earlier projects, I came across a live video with her version of ‘Louise.’ I always thought it would make a fun bluegrass song because of the chord progression and I think Keith and Dustin sang it great.” – Wayne Benson
Track Credits: Wayne Benson – Mandolin Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar Tony Creasman – Drums Kevin McKinnon – Bass Keith Garrett – Lead vocal Dustin Pyrtle – Harmony vocals
Jessye DeSilva, “Gallows Tree”
Artist name:Jessye DeSilva Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts Song: “Gallows Tree” Release Date: March 22, 2024
In Their Words: “‘Gallows Tree’ is all about the ghosts of our traumas and our misdeeds and what happens when we leave things unsaid. In the U.S. particularly, I think there is a sickening and cyclical nature to the things we repress and rebrand in denial. White couples rent plantations as backdrops for their quaint country weddings where Black bodies were broken not so long ago. We refuse to learn from the mistakes of our parents and remain complicit in the face of brutal inhumanity. In ‘Gallows Tree,’ a pastoral scene of a romantic picnic is painted, where two lovers sip iced tea on a blanket beneath the shade of a tree, while something simmers unspoken just beneath the surface. This could easily be a song about love left to dry with the years, but the lovers are all of us who remain reticent with hearts tight as fists. And now a tire swings gently from the gallows tree.” – Jessye DeSilva
Track Credits: Music and lyrics by Jessye DeSilva and Alex Calabrese. Jessye DeSilva – Vocals, piano Alex Calabrese – Acoustic guitar, background vocals Joe Dunn – Producer, bass, electric guitar, banjo, percussion programming
Lynne Hanson, “Outlaw Lover”
Artist:Lynne Hanson Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Song: “Outlaw Lover” Album:Just A Poet Release Date: March 22, 2024 (single); May 24, 2024 (album) Label: Panda Cave Records
In Their Words: “Some people are just rotten to the core. For this song, I really wanted to paint a picture of the ultimate heartbreak artist, someone callous and uncaring who leaves a trail of victims in their wake. The kind of person your mother warned you to stay away from.
“It was a lot of fun to arrange this song in the studio. We chose an almost hypnotic groove to really give it a sexy, black-leather swagger, and the song hits its bad attitude crescendo with the nasty fuzz of Blair Michael Hogan’s guitar solo. I actually wrote this song by starting with the lyrics first, which is the opposite of my normal songwriting process. It was a real challenge to come up with the music, and I had three versions of the song before I finally settled on this one.” – Lynne Hanson
Track Credits: Written by Lynne Hanson.
Lynne Hanson – lead vocal Jim Bryson – acoustic guitar, electric guitars, piano, organ, mellotron Blair Michael Hogan – electric guitar, slide guitar Philippe Charbonneau – bass Marshall Bureau – drums
Jim Bryson – recording engineer Recorded at Fixed Hinge Studios, Stittsville, Ontario. Produced by Jim Bryson. Mastered by Phil Shaw Bova, Bova Lab Studio, Ottawa, Ontario. Mixed by Jim Bryson, Fixed Hinge Studios.
Photo Credit: Aisha Badru by Jeffery Trapani; Benson by Sandlin Gaither.
New music Friday might just be the best day of the week, right? This week, BGS readers enjoyed an exclusive premiere from Gangstagrass featuring Jerry Douglas and a brand new Rootsy Summer Session with Emily Scott Robinson joined by Violet Bell.
In this week’s edition of You Gotta Hear This, you can check out the new Gangstagrass single, “The Only Way Out Is Through,” and Robinson’s two performances from Falkenberg, Sweden. Plus, don’t miss exclusive premieres from artists and musicians like LULLANAS, Ethan Sherman, Jake Byrne, Bri Bagwell, and Mia Dyson. Also, Angus & Julia Stone at long last release a studio version of “The Wedding Song” – a fan-favorite track and a frequent wedding ceremony and reception playlist choice – for the first time.
It’s all right here on BGS and… You Gotta Hear This!
LULLANAS, “Pretty Lies and Time Machines”
Artist:LULLANAS Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Song: “Pretty Lies and Time Machines” Album:Pretty Lies and Time Machines Release Date: February 9, 2024 (single); June 14, 2024 (album) Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “Throughout our writing process, Nishita and I almost always envision visuals or a music video concept for each song. If we can’t visualize it, the song isn’t complete yet. ‘Pretty Lies and Time Machines,’ co-written with Jake Etheridge, explores the thoughts that keep us up at night. After finishing the song, we envisioned strolling through a whimsical ghost town, surrounded only by our thoughts. Collaborating closely with our friend and producer, Keith Goodwin (Good Old War), every element added to the track helped tell that story, bringing our vision to life.” – Atisha Lulla
Ethan Sherman, “Lake Aire”
Artist:Ethan Sherman Hometown: Los Angeles, California Song: “Lake Aire” Album: Passages Release Date: March 8, 2024 Label: Indoor Recordings, distributed by Free Dirt
In Their Words: “This is a new-fangled old-time-adjacent slow-jam-rager of an instrumental. When I first wrote it, it was a lot faster and had a few extra parts. My producer extraordinaire, Wes Corbett, suggested we take out all the filler and slow the tempo down to really make it sing. Like all of the music on Passages, the thing that makes this tune ‘work’ is the way this stellar band played it – with deep interaction and lots of in-the-moment interplay. My favorite parts are Rob Ickes’s beautiful phrasing of the melody on the Dobro and the collective improvised build in the middle of the tune. It was so fun to work this up with these guys.” – Ethan Sherman
Track Credits: Ethan Sherman – guitar Rob Ickes – Dobro Wes Corbett – banjo Thomas Cassell – mandolin Avery Merritt – fiddle Ethan Jodziewicz – bass
Jake Byrne, “Robbed A Giving Tree”
Artist:Jake Byrne Hometown: Lake Ozark, Missouri Song: “Robbed a Giving Tree” Release Date: February 9, 2024
In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Robbed a Giving Tree’ when I was transitioning from a very purpose driven career to one working from home that just paid the bills. To emotionally compensate, I became overly generous with my time, talents, and resources with near strangers. I grew symbiotic relationships with some people that have flourished into beautiful friendships, but I also created toxic relationships that, to me, equate to being nothing more than ‘their giving tree.’ I unfortunately learned the difference between being useful versus being used. Ultimately for the sake of self preservation, I had cut off a bit of my generous side that was supposed to bring me a sense of purpose.” – Jake Byrne
Angus & Julia Stone, “The Wedding Song”
Artist:Angus & Julia Stone Hometown: Sydney, Australia Song: “The Wedding Song” Album:Cape Forestier Release Date: February 9, 2024 (single); May 10, 2024 (album) Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words:“We’ve received so many requests from fans for a proper recording to use on their special day, so we decided to make that happen. ‘The Wedding Song’ was originally written for a friend’s wedding years ago. Since then, we’ve been honored to play it at several friends’ and family’s weddings, including our mum’s… We chose it as our first single from our upcoming record because it’s all about love. The song is a celebration of love and human connection. In a world that can feel disconnected and frightening, we want to share something that reflects the beauty of how humans choose to treat each other, love each other, and make promises to build something beautiful together.” – Julia Stone
Video Credits: Directed by Jarrad Seng.
Animation by Johanna Gousset.
Bri Bagwell, “The Rescue”
Artist:Bri Bagwell Hometown: Grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico; now New Braunfels, Texas Song: “The Rescue” Release Date: February 9, 2024 Label: New Texican Records
In Their Words: “I found my chihuahua, who I named Whiskey, in February of 2019 in the middle of the road, southeast of Austin, Texas. I have always heard the phrase ‘who rescued who,’ but I know in my heart that she rescued me more than I rescued her! I stopped traffic when I saw her in the middle of the road and chased her until she eventually gave in and let me catch her. She was heartworm positive, cold, and dirty; I was in a toxic relationship, sad, and tired. We’ve been inseparable ever since! The only artistic license in the song is finding her at night, when it was actually midday. The rest is our true story!
“I enlisted the help of one of my absolute favorite songwriters and friends, Helene Cronin, to help me write the tune. She is very careful with lyrics and melodies, and I trust her deeply with my important ideas. This one happened rather quickly, but Helene had to sing it for the worktape, because I was sobbing like a baby. The first few times performing it live, I couldn’t get through it… Someone even apologized to me about my dog passing away, which made me laugh with embarrassment. She’s fine and healthy, and my love for her just overflows to tears sometimes.” – Bri Bagwell
Mia Dyson, “Sunny Hills”
Artist:Mia Dyson Hometown: Torquay, Australia Song: “Sunny Hills” Album:Tender Heart Release Date: February 23, 2024
In Their Words:“My husband and I wrote this song together, thinking of the eternal Sunny Hills that all who have loved before us have played in. When we love, all the lovers from the past are with us. If we listen quietly we can hear them guiding us. Extending this love out to those we disagree with or don’t like is a radical and rebellious thing to try. Hatred and cynicism are easy. Love is difficult. My job is not to get brought down by my fear and hatred and greed. Everything changes when I look through the lens of knowing I have the company of all who have gone before.” – Mia Dyson
Gangstagrass, “The Only Way Out Is Through”
Artist:Gangstagrass Hometown: All over the USA! Rench: Brooklyn with Oklahoma roots; Dolio the Sleuth: Pensacola, Florida; R-SON the Voice of Reason: Philly; Danjo: Washington, D.C.; Farrow: Omaha; Sleevs: Baltimore. Song: “The Only Way Out Is Through” Release Date: February 7, 2024 (video); February 2, 2024 (single) Label: Rench Audio
In Their Words: “I’m really into how much we played with tension and energy to craft this track, the dynamics came out so powerfully. Especially with the horns! (Provided by Lowdown Brass Band.) We were stunned by the quick ‘yes’ from the one and only Jerry Douglas, who put in a blisteringly intense Dobro solo. I dare you to tell me you’ve heard anything like this before. I feel like this will be a great song for psyching yourself up to kick ass at whatever you are about to do.” – Rench
Last summer, the videographers from I Know We Should were on hand for Rootsy Summer Fest ’23 in Falkenberg, Sweden, shooting a series of Rootsy Summer Sessions featuring artists from both sides of the Atlantic. At golden hour one evening during the festival, as the waning sun gleamed over the North Sea and Skrea Strand, Colorado singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson performed “Old Gods” and “Landslide” with Nashville-based North Carolinian duo Violet Bell.
(Editor’s Note: New for BGS in 2024, each week we’ll share a round up of the best premieres, videos, tracks, and releases from the world of roots music. Welcome to our inaugural edition!)
2024 is off to a roaring start, with exciting single and album releases already stacking up at merely two “new music Fridays” down and fifty to go! This week, BGS readers have enjoyed premieres from artists like The Earls of Leicester performing for a special Behind the Walls session at Newport Folk Festival; Jim Kweskin in a gorgeous duet with his daughter, Fiona; Alice Di Micele covering Tom Petty; a special Out Now video premiere by Lila Blue; and more.
Below, enjoy exclusive premieres you gotta hear from in-demand, veteran bluegrass outfit the Grascals and Portland alt-folk songwriter Eddie Berman, plus we’ll take you back through the entire week of premieres from BGS.
For more new music this fine Friday, don’t forget about the BGS Class of 2024 playlist! We update it every week with new songs just like these.
The Grascals, “Just Let Me Know”
Artist:The Grascals Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Just Let Me Know” Release Date: January 12, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “When Jamie [Johnson] brought us ‘Just Let Me Know,’ we immediately knew we wanted to record it and thought it would be perfect for John [Bryan] to sing. It’s really nice to hear a hopeful and positive love song! The peace that comes knowing that you’ll always be someone’s #1 is one thing that gives us stability in a crazy world and we all need the assurance of having a steady, patient commitment in relationships. That’s what this song is all about to me.” – Kristin Scott Benson, banjo
“‘Just Let Me Know’ is really a song about being best friends with the person you fall in love with. I’m a hopeless romantic — more hopeless than romantic — but nonetheless. The Grascals have once again come with the stellar music and vocals and put this over the top for me!” – Darren Nicholson, song co-writer
Eddie Berman, “Anymore”
Artist:Eddie Berman Hometown: Portland, Oregon Song: “Anymore” Album:Signal Fire Release Date: January 19, 2024 Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “I write these songs semi-stream-of-consciously, so I sometimes have to unpack them a bit myself. I think ‘Anymore’ is from the point of view of someone teetering right on the edge. There’s an unmoored, demented feeling from living in the world today, wading through headlines, 10-second clips, and AI-generated articles. I suppose this song is from my (maybe heightened) perspective of not knowing if I’m seeing things with a kind of terrifying clarity or if I’m utterly delusional. It’s like the line from the famous Yeats poem, ‘The Second Coming:’ ‘The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.’ And I’m not really sure which camp I’m in at times.
“Musically, the song started with this Mississippi John Hurt fingerpicking part, and then it really came together with my bandmates. Chris Wabich pulled out this big Celtic hand-drum tambourine thing, and combined with Gabe Davis’ bowed double bass and Gabe Feenberg’s lap steel, the song took on this sort of haunting, mystical feel. We made this whole album totally live during a bizarre, torrential LA rainstorm. It was an especially great vibe for recording this song.” – Eddie Berman
Alice Di Micele, “Square One”
Artist: Alice Di Micele Song: “Square One”
In Their Words: “I’ve been enamored by Tom Petty’s songwriting for most of my life. The depth and diversity of his catalog is inspiring. Back in 2018, shortly after his passing, my co-producer Bret Levick and I formed a tribute band called Petty Thievery. It has been really fun to rock out to his songs and it gave me a new outlet for playing and singing. I absolutely love being a singer-songwriter, but it’s fun to wear a different hat now and again. I chose this mellower tune for my record, because I was driving home from tour with my drummer the first time I heard it and I had to hit replay six or seven times. I went home and learned it. The theme of starting over really struck a chord in me.” – Alice Di Micele
Artist:Jim Kweskin Song: “You’re Just In Love” (featuring Fiona Kweskin)
In Their Words: “‘You’re Just In Love’ was written by Irving Berlin, who wrote it for the 1950 Broadway musical Call Me Madam. It’s been recorded many times, but never like this – we do it almost as a folk song. I love the counterpoint, the two different words, and the melodies going on at the same time. Irving Berlin, of course, is a famous American popular music composer. He’s written songs that everybody knows, like ‘God Bless America’ and ‘White Christmas,’ but in fact, he wrote hundreds of hit songs for Broadway musicals, movies, and pop records. He’s one of my favorite composers. And for me, what could be better than a grandfather singing to his granddaughter about what it feels like to be in love?” – Jim Kweskin
In Their Words: “‘Sewing the Same Seam’ is an uptempo existential crisis. Like many songs on No Such Thing as Forever, it indulges in a bit of fatalism while also worrying that I’m capable of more than I admit. I’m a sucker for worst-case scenarios —maybe things won’t get better and not everything turns out alright. And when I linger on those thoughts, it gets easier to convince myself I know what I’m talking about instead. This live take was filmed at a house in Juneau that often hosts songwriters, with the same band that plays on the record.” – Josh Fortenbery
In Their Words: “There’s a wonderful tension running through the songs on this album that marks a monumental faultline in my life. I wrote half the songs before I met and fell in love with my now-wife Lauren, and the rest in direct response to that life event – trying to make sense of how I got so lucky (see: ‘Mercury Sable’ and ‘First Song for Lauren’).
“‘Clarkston Pasture’ was definitely in the former batch. It’s a dead-of-winter, lonesome-as-hell sort of song, where bachelorhood had lost its luster and I was fantasizing about a brighter future full of love and purpose. That’s why the verses are set in these dismally frigid, Michigan-winter landscapes: Cheering on a bar fight, turning off the furnace so as not to waste the warmth on just myself. Then the choruses flash to the glory of a Michigan summer – cruising through the towns on the Northern edge of metro Detroit where the subdivisions start to dwindle and the fields start to open up. There aren’t many diametric opposites as stark as a Michigan winter and a Michigan summer, and that polarity turned out to be the perfect metaphor for how love changed my world.” – Matthew Milia
In Their Words: “The song ‘Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms’ has long been a staple in the bluegrass canon. It’s a good, hard driving song about traveling and returning home to the one you love. Down to the details of some of the family members’ occupations. Also there is a slight Romeo and Juliet effect in the line, ‘I know your parents don’t like me.’ Flatt & Scruggs probably had the best version, but it’s a crowd pleaser and works in any situation.” – Jerry Douglas
Artist:Beta Radio Song: “This One’s Going to Hurt”
In Their Words: “This is the first song we’ve ever co-written with someone (Henry Brill) and I would’ve never written this song on my own. The main line is so direct and I think a lot of my songwriting is dancing around an idea versus saying it plainly. This time, for this song in particular, it felt more appropriate to be clear and to the point about the message.
“It’s mainly a song about reckoning and about realizing that you can’t stand on a fence for so long. The first line, ‘Unrolling on the road,’ is an idea that expands on that feeling, of being away from your own center, out on the edges of your known reality, on the periphery and not at home.
“‘This One’s Going To Hurt’ is about letting something that’s been making you sick die. Because whenever something dies, then there’s space for something else to be born. But knowing that in that process, suffering and pain will be your companions.
“There are also themes of traveling, which was a big part of writing the record and a big part of my life in general at the time. I did a lot of moving around from place to place.” – Beta Radio
In Their Words:“I first heard ‘Roll On John’ on an old Mike Seeger recording called Southern Banjo Sounds. His rendition is haunting yet enchanting, like a lot of old-time music. One of the most rewarding parts of playing in Charm City Junction is how each band member brings their own unique approach to roots music. When we first started playing together nearly 10 years ago, we essentially said, ‘Heck with the genre boundaries! Let’s play music we enjoy playing and see where it goes.’ It’s not quite old-time, it’s not quite bluegrass, it’s not quite Irish music. In a sense, it’s all of those, but none of those. We like it that way.
“Fun fact, this performance was captured live in a restored grist mill barn in Baltimore County, just a few miles from where our fiddler, Patrick McAvinue, grew up.” – Brad Kolodner, banjo
In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Stranger’ in the green room 15 minutes before going on as an opener for Kevin Bacon’s band in Lincoln, Nebraska on Father’s Day in 2018 – which sounds like a fever dream when I write it out. Being in the midwest with the Bacon Brothers led to me ingesting a lot of country and folk music on the road and left me with a deep craving to write a tried and true country-folk tune. I wrote it a cappella, and then found the instrumentation a week or so later.
“When I wrote it, I thought I was singing it to an ‘other,’ a figment of someone I hoped could love me and see me. Now looking back, it feels like a letter from my closeted 18 year-old self to who I am now: Still ashamed of so much of themselves, trying to write to the stranger they craved to become. It makes me endlessly happy to sing this song to them every chance I get from the proudly queer, and deeply loved self I am now.
“The video we got to film in Nashville felt like such a beautiful close to the chapter of bringing ‘Stranger’ to the world. With the small and scrappy team at MOXE, and the amazing Elizabeth Olmstead, I feel we got to showcase what that song is about for me; the music and the words, and the creative lineage that got me there. Myself and long-time collaborators Saskia Lane and Phillip Roebuck got to play through ‘Stranger’ on the beautiful land that MOXE is built on. I got to gaze at the studio in the distance as we sang through a song that means the world to me; I couldn’t have asked for more.” – Lila Blue
Artist:Beta Radio Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina Song: “This One’s Going to Hurt” Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “This is the first song we’ve ever co-written with someone (Henry Brill) and I would’ve never written this song on my own. The main line is so direct and I think a lot of my songwriting is dancing around an idea versus saying it plainly. This time, for this song in particular, it felt more appropriate to be clear and to the point about the message.
“It’s mainly a song about reckoning and about realizing that you can’t stand on a fence for so long. The first line, ‘Unrolling on the road,’ is an idea that expands on that feeling, of being away from your own center, out on the edges of your known reality, on the periphery and not at home.
“‘This One’s Going To Hurt’ is about letting something that’s been making you sick die. Because whenever something dies, then there’s space for something else to be born. But knowing that in that process, suffering and pain will be your companions.
“There are also themes of traveling, which was a big part of writing the record and a big part of my life in general at the time. I did a lot of moving around from place to place.” – Beta Radio
Artist:Ira Wolf Hometown: Montana Album:Rock Bottom Release Date: October 13, 2023 Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “When I began writing Rock Bottom, over a year had passed since the onset of the pandemic. Every piece of my life had been affected. It felt like I had lost everything that once gave my existence meaning: My career as a touring musician, my nomadic way of life, my passion, my sense of community, and finally, my person. I was alone for the first time in almost five years after calling off my wedding and leaving an unhealthy relationship that had wreaked havoc on my mental health. As I sat by myself in the van amidst the red rocks of the Utah desert, I couldn’t fathom how things could deteriorate further from where they stood, amidst the depths of sorrow that paradoxically offered some solace. ‘If this is rock bottom, at least I’m on solid ground,’ I mused, finding a semblance of stability in the sentiment. I knew healing would take time, and writing and recording these songs helped me process an immense amount of grief in the way I needed – slowly, viscerally. It helped me feel everything, say everything, forgive everything, and in doing so it helped me find a way back to myself.” – Ira Wolf
Artist:Humbird Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota Song: “North Country Girl” Release Date: September 29, 2023 Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “This is a song written from the deep heart of winter in Minnesota. After singing Bob Dylan’s classic ‘Girl From the North Country’ for years, I started to wonder what she would say if given the chance. I realized by the end that she and I had a lot more in common than I’d thought – namely, a love of stark landscapes and fresh water. A lot of folk songs talk about leaving all the time. This one is the opposite. What happens when you choose to stay?” – Siri Undlin, Humbird
Artist:Billy Raffoul Hometown: Leamington, Ontario, Canada Song: “In My Arms” Album:For All These Years Release Date: July 28, 2023 (single); October 20, 2023 (album) Label: Nettwerk Music Group
In Their Words: “‘In My Arms’ is a special one for me, because it’s something I wrote with my brother. For the first half of 2022 I was writing nearly a song every other day getting ready for this album, and there were about two weeks that Peter and I wrote at our place in Nashville. We would get six songs, and ‘In My Arms’ was one of them.
“I wrote it on my ’59 Gibson 335. I’m a lefty who plays right-handed guitars upside down and this song requires me to get pretty high up the neck for some of these chord shapes. Needed something with a double cutaway and the 335 did the trick. There’s no real picking pattern to this one. Just kind of raking into the chords and quite a bit of palm muting. This one was more about the tone, a ’40s tweed deluxe right at its breaking point.
“Playing the guitar upside down can be super inspiring when I’m writing. Having the bass strings on the bottom allows me to use my index, middle, and ring fingers to make some different bass patterns while my thumb plays the melody on the higher strings. These patterns are found all over this new album, particularly in songs like ‘Jim Carrey’ and ‘I Can’t Love You Anymore.’ I’m thrilled about this new album, because it’s the first time all of my influences are rolled into one record. Recording songs has always just been a vehicle to get people in a room together to hear them live, and the dynamic of this album is a good representation of what you’d hear from me in a live setting. I can’t wait to bring these songs to life on stage.” – Billy Raffoul
Photo Credit: Vanessa Heins
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