Tag: New Music

You Gotta Hear This: The Suitcase Junket, Lizzy McAlpine and More

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Every Friday, BGS shines a light on some of our favorite new tracks in bluegrass, folk, Americana and beyond. Then we ask the artist about the inspiration behind the music and pass their wise words along to you.

This week, we have South Carolina bluegrass band Eighteen Mile with “Tears on the Altar,” an emotional new bluegrass song that sounds like it’s been around for years. We’re also sharing a new project from folk-influenced pop star Lizzy McAlpine; she filmed the video for “Ugly Things” herself to reflect the loneliness and heartbreak she was experiencing. Texas musician Israel Nash reimagines one of his favorite albums, The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and shares his approach to recording “Nothing Was Delivered,” an enduring Bob Dylan song from that 1968 masterpiece.

Lightening things up, Los Angeles singer-songwriter Abby Posner shows a comical side to the ups and downs of dating on “Die Alone.” Grammy-winning group Ranky Tanky welcomes us into Gullah Heritage Month with a heartwarming song and video, “This Village,” while singer-songwriter Drew Ryder Smith teams with a musical hero, Steve Earle, on “Textile Town,” an ode to mill workers and days gone by. We wrap things up with the Suitcase Junket’s “Afterparty,” masterfully written from two viewpoints, and Uncle Lucius’ “Shadows Laid Bare,” inspired by the silver linings in difficult situations.

As we say every week, You Gotta Hear This!

Eighteen Mile, “Tears on the Altar”

Artist: Eighteen Mile
Hometown: Upstate South Carolina
Song: “Tears on the Altar”
Release Date: October 2, 2026

In Their Words: “We were playing at a church in Florida for a special service and the preacher that night encouraged everyone there to pray for their loved ones that didn’t know Jesus yet. When he got done, they had an old-fashioned altar call, where people came down to the front to pray. When we went up to play a couple more songs, I noticed that the stairs were actually wet in places from people crying as they prayed for their loved ones. I went back to where we were staying that night and wrote this song!

“This song almost feels like an old bluegrass classic. This kind of song, in its arrangement, sound and message, is not new to bluegrass. We are excited to contribute a song like ‘Tears On the Altar’ to that long and nostalgic tradition!” — Carson Aaron, guitarist and songwriter

Lizzy McAlpine, “Ugly Things

Artist: Lizzy McAlpine
Hometown: Born outside Philadelphia, Pennyslvania; now lives in Los Angeles
Song: “Ugly Things”
Album: Angel
Album Release Date: September 18, 2026
Label: Indigo Blue/RCA Records

In Their Words: “I made this video by myself in my house with my camcorder so I could capture the feeling of this song: loneliness and heartbreak. It’s about seeing someone you thought you knew move through the world in a way that is completely foreign to you, and wishing their path would lead them back to you somehow.” — Lizzy McAlpine

Israel Nash, “Nothing Was Delivered”

Artist: Israel Nash
Hometown: Dripping Springs, Texas
Song: “Nothing Was Delivered”
Album: Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Release Date: September 25, 2026
Label: Desert Folklore Music

In Their Words: “Part of reimagining Sweetheart of the Rodeo was asking what these songs could say nearly sixty years later. There’s a kind of Midwestern sensibility that runs from Twain through Dylan that I grew up around–that dry yet deep cutting wit, observing people, their strange ways and human nature itself. ‘Nothing Was Delivered’ is a good example: these broken promises become almost spiritual, yet we’re never told what was promised or who got screwed over. There’s no rage bait, no virtue dunking, no need to prove the other guy is an asshole. I love that restraint. Fools just aren’t worth the emotional weight most give them. That’s what makes these Sweetheart songs timeless: the world around them always changes, but the people inside them never really do.” — Israel Nash

Abby Posner, “Die Alone

Artist: Abby Posner
Hometown: Grew Up in Evergreen, Colorado, and based in Los Angeles for several years now
Song: “Die Alone”
Album: Rest and Rise
Album Release Date: October 30, 2026
Label: Golden Poppy Music

In Their Words: “‘Die Alone’ came out of thinking about what dating looks like when you’re over 40—and how completely bizarre it can be. There’s something both funny and incredibly depressing about trying to find a real connection through dating apps, where everyone is presenting the most carefully edited version of themselves. I wanted to play with all of that—the attachment styles, the emotional unavailability, the little lies and exaggerations, the people who say they’re ‘looking for something real’ while doing everything possible to avoid actual intimacy. We’ve somehow turned dating into a combination of marketing, psychology and detective work.

But underneath the humor, there’s something much more vulnerable going on. I think most of us, regardless of our age, are afraid of being alone. We want to find someone who really sees us, but the older we get, the more complicated that search can feel. So ‘Die Alone’ is really about that contradiction: the absurdity of modern dating and the very real loneliness underneath it. I wanted the song to be funny and self-aware, but also honest about how exhausting it can be to keep putting yourself out there and hoping that, somehow, you’ll find something genuine.” — Abby Posner

Ranky Tanky, “This Village”

Artist: Ranky Tanky
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
Song: “This Village”
Album: This Village
Album Release Date: July 17, 2026

In Their Words: “‘This Village’ is deeply personal because it comes from our home and our hearts. Growing up in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, our elders taught us the meaning of love, faith, courage, and resilience. Their stories, lived experiences, music, and traditions shaped who we are, and honoring them during Gullah Heritage Month means so much to us. It is a celebration of their perseverance through everything they endured and of the gratitude we will always carry for them.

“Recording and writing parts of this album together in our longtime Charleston studio, Truphonic Studios, felt like coming home. We wanted to capture the togetherness, memories, and connection that have sustained us through years of making music. Everyone has a village, not only family, but also the people who support, guide, and love us. We hope this album makes people think about the ones who have helped shape their lives and reminds them that we’re stronger because we have each other.” — Ranky Tanky

Drew Ryder Smith, “Textile Town” (Feat. Steve Earle)

Artist: Drew Ryder Smith
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Textile Town” Feat. Steve Earle
Album: The Deep End
Album Release Date: October 28, 2026

In Their Words: “I drove through this little textile town in South Carolina, and it looked like a bomb had gone off. There were empty buildings, boarded-up storefronts, and hardly anybody around. But you could tell it had once been a thriving community. You could almost see the generations of people who had worked there, raised families there, and built their lives there. My grandmother and great-grandmother both worked in factories, so the story felt personal. The song isn’t really about a building or a factory. It’s about the people whose lives were tied to those places.

“What stayed with me was the feeling that an entire way of life had almost disappeared, and if you didn’t know what you were looking at, you might drive right through and never realize what had been there. These weren’t just places where people went to work. Whole communities grew up around those mills, and generations of families built their lives there. Having factory workers in my own family made me think about all the individual stories behind those empty buildings and what gets lost when a place changes that dramatically.

“My co-writer Jason Jones and I wanted to write about that without romanticizing how hard that work was or turning the people into characters from some distant past. There was pride there, but there was sacrifice too, and I wanted the song to hold both of those things at once. Having Steve sing it with me gave the story even more weight because he understands how to inhabit songs about working people without ever talking down to them. I hope ‘Textile Town’ feels less like looking backward and more like remembering that these people and places are part of who we are.” — Drew Ryder Smith

The Suitcase Junket, “Afterparty”

Artist: The Suitcase Junket
Hometown: Cavendish, Vermont
Song: “Afterparty”
Album: To Go On
Album Release Date: October 2, 2026
Label: Bad Chef Records/Symphonic

In Their Words: “I wrote this song from two angles. The first is the literal side, a sort of romantic sentiment of not wanting a good night to end. The second is basically about the afterlife and wanting to see the people we love, my sister Kate in particular in this instance, at the Big Afterparty. I don’t subscribe to any one particular belief system but I am curious of mind and I like the idea of joining the departed on some impossible to conceive of astral plane when we leave these bodies behind. ‘And when the night falls down into a sky so starry, I hope I see you at the afterparty.’” — Matt Lorenz

Uncle Lucius, “Shadows Laid Bare”

Artist: Uncle Lucius
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Shadows Laid Bare”
Album: Open Eyes, Broken Heart
Album Release Date: September 25, 2026
Label: Boo Clap Records

In Their Words: “‘Shadows Laid Bare’ is about the silver lining. It’s hope for humanity in the face of darkness. It’s a tune that came to me over a decade ago. It came from a place that I liken to a radio frequency that can only be picked up when you have moved out of your own way.” — Kevin Galloway

Photo Credits: Matt Lorenz (The Suitcase Junket); Keith Oshiro (Lizzy McAlpine)

You Gotta Hear This: Foy Vance, Valerie June and More

Posted on by Editor

Every Friday, BGS shines a light on some of our favorite new tracks in bluegrass, folk, Americana and beyond. Then we ask the artist about the inspiration behind the music and pass their wise words along to you.

This week, Brother and the Hayes’ new song “Cry” is, quite appropriately, a tear-jerker, with a style that harks back to 1960s Nashville. Similarly, Belle Frantz holds a reverence for the golden era of country music, as evidenced by an impressive rendering of “Where No One Stands Alone.” An accomplished guitarist with a fascinating approach to folk songs, Jake Xerxes Fussell looks to the golden age of sail for “Boney,” a highlight of his intriguing new album. Meanwhile, Tennessee native Valerie June grabs a banjo and reaches toward a hopeful feeling in her interpretation of “Trouble in Mind,” written more than a hundred years ago.

In addition, Katie Pruitt is joined by her friend Sierra Hull on an encouraging new song, “Orion’s Belt,” while Lawrence Rothman teams up with frequent co-writer Delaney Ramsdell to confront some ghosts on “Demons.” On the lighter side, there’s a touch of The Big Lebowski in Jason Scott & the High Heat’s new video, “Fast as I Can Crawl,” which is the lead track on their interesting, wide-ranging new project, Play Boy. And it’s always satisfying to hear new music from Foy Vance, who shares a thoughtful solo acoustic video of “Feel the Cold.”

As we like to say here at BGS, You Gotta Hear This!

Brother and the Hayes, “Cry”

Artist: Brother and The Hayes
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Song: “Cry”
Album: Phantoms of Reality
Release Date: September 18, 2026

In Their Words: “Over the last few years, we’ve been lucky enough to spend time in some traditional Texas dance halls. There are usually a few elderly couples gliding across the floor like they’ve been dancing together all their lives. When writing ‘Cry,’ I think I was picturing the dance hall in Luckenbach, Texas. I’ve seen it all over, though—even here in Nashville at Honky Tonk Tuesday—and it always, as the kids say, ‘gets me in the feels.’

‘My husband and I have been trying to learn to dance together, and I’m realizing how much of a privilege it is to be in lockstep with a longtime love. As a touring musician, I often find myself standing misty-eyed on the sidelines, missing my dance partner. A tune about dancing, even a sad one, should still make you want to dance, right? ‘Cry’ is a tearjerker but also a toe-tapper. It’s pretty easy to hear the influence of the 1960s Nashville Sound, Roy Orbison, and even a little surf rock on this track.

“We’ve been playing on the road with Andrew Thomas (pedal steel and backing vocals) and Nick Davidson (drums), and we’re thrilled to have finally gotten them into the studio to make some magic.” – Jennie Hayes Kurtz

Belle Frantz, “Where No One Stands Alone”

Artist: Belle Frantz
Hometown: Greenwood Springs, Mississippi
Song: “Where No One Stands Alone”
Album: Hymns from a Barstool
Release Date: November 6, 2026

In Their Words: “I’ve always believed God meets you in your struggle and these songs comforted me when I needed them most so I just started recording what was on my heart. If they can make somebody else feel a little better or less alone, then that’s enough for me. I’m not trying to tell anybody how to live or pass any judgements— to me, God has always been way more of a feeling than a building anyway. ‘Where No One Stands Alone’ really encapsulates the heart of the album for me. Doing this record completely independently, I often felt like I was at this alone, but I kept being reminded throughout the process that He was there, walking with me and holding my hand.” — Belle Frantz

Jake Xerxes Fussell, “Boney”

Artist: Jake Xerxes Fussell
Hometown: Columbus, Georgia
Song: “Boney”
Album: The Old Beloved Path
Release Date: September 18, 2026
Label: Fat Possum Records

In Their Words: “‘Boney’ is believed to have been what’s known in maritime worksong tradition as a ‘short drag’ – a chantey sung to accompany & keep pace for a brief hauling task aboard a ship. But the song has also lived a life in the decades that have passed since the golden age of sail. The self taught musicologist Sam Eskin recorded a version of it, as did the great Paul Clayton. Listeners will recognize that the song recounts some of the bolder and finer points along the timeline of events in the life of Napoleon Bonaparte – though somewhat out of order and at times half-wrought. In some variants his dancing and cursing receive more attention than his victories or defeats, which I appreciate. Other versions will have him crossing The Rockies in addition to The Alps. I think this song is, among other things, a curiously rendered and fractured portrait of a colossal and difficult figure. Or a short drag – whichever you prefer.” — Jake Xerxes Fussell

Valerie June, “Trouble in Mind”

Artist: Valerie June
Hometown: Humboldt, Tennessee
Song: “Trouble in Mind”
Album: Brighter Blue EP
Release Date: September 11, 2026
Label: Concord Records

In Their Words: “The most transformative moments of my life have come when I found the courage to face my fears — to feel them fully and discover the stillness that remains when the storm passes. There is perhaps no better song to capture the journey from hardship toward happiness than the old blues song ‘Trouble in Mind.’ Rooted in sorrow yet reaching toward hope, it reminds us that even in our darkest moments, something within us continues to sing.” — Valerie June

Katie Pruitt, “Orion’s Belt”

Artist: Katie Pruitt
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Song: “Orion’s Belt” (feat. Sierra Hull)
Album: Fools for the Fleeting
Release Date: September 18, 2026
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: “‘Orion’s Belt’ is a love song about being broke on paper but rich in experience. It’s easy to look at fancy houses, cars & clothes that other people have & equate that to success in life or love. In the past, I’ve suffered from a scarcity mindset but now I feel like I’m finally prioritizing the right stuff. I’m a hard worker & of course I want to make a living as an artist/songwriter, but I’m realizing you can have your basic needs met & still be so much happier than some of the richest people in the world. I feel honored to have my friend Sierra Hull featured on this song & I can’t wait for people to hear it.” – Katie Pruitt

Lawrence Rothman, “Demons”

Artist: Lawrence Rothman
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “Demons” (Feat. Delaney Ramsdell)
Album: Here Lies Love / Sawdust to Stardust
Release Date: September 25, 2026
Label: KRO Records

In Their Words: “‘Demons’ starts with my own wreckage, then pulls the camera back on a country built by immigrants while criminalizing them, built on stolen land while calling itself innocent, and addicted to turning human suffering into headlines, entertainment and profit. America has always had a talent for disguising its damage as progress and deflecting the truth. Woody Guthrie sang, ‘This land was made for you and me,’ but we’re still deciding who gets to be included. Presidents, celebrities, saints, sinners, the common folk—maybe even AI—we all answer to something when no one else is in the room.” — Lawrence Rothman

“This song came to be in such an organic, spontaneous way. We’ve written and worked together so much, so having a song out in the world feels great—especially one as cinematic and dark as this one.” — Delaney Ramsdell

Jason Scott & The High Heat, “Fast As I Can Crawl”

Artist: Jason Scott & The High Heat
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Song: “Fast As I Can Crawl”
Album: Play Boy
Release Date: September 18, 2026
Label: Leo33

In Their Words: “Who doesn’t like bowling? This song makes me think of The Big Lebowski. So we made a video in a bowling alley because this song feels like bowling.” — Jason Scott

Foy Vance, “Feel the Cold” (Live at Home)

Artist: Foy Vance
Hometown: Bangor, Northern Ireland
Song: “Feel the Cold” (Live at Home)
Album: IF EP
EP Release Date: October 30, 2026
Full Album Release Date: April 30, 2027
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: On the surface, this song is a collection of vignettes regarding my time in Lanzarote and my eagerness to get back home to the cold area of Ireland. It also denotes returning to the cold reality waiting for me at home, my family in grief. Facing that grief myself took some courage.

“One of my favorite stories from Lanzarote that made it into the song was that a man named Brian hired me to be his driver, then skipped the island without paying me. A load of locals and holiday makers stood at the pier’s edge, throwing bread in the water and watching the feeding frenzy of the fish. Brian, without so much as a word, jumped in on top of the fish, fully clothed…the fish scattered to reveal very shallow water and he nearly broke his ankles. I don’t remember ever laughing that hard before or after. Even now, I can’t help but smile every time I remember Brian jumping in on the shoals.” — Foy Vance

Image Credits: Babysweet (Foy Vance), Lauren Wade (Valerie June)

You Gotta Hear This: Jake Blount, Twin Temple & More

Posted on by Editor

Every Friday, BGS shines a light on some of our favorite new tracks in bluegrass, folk, Americana and beyond. Then we ask the artist about the inspiration behind the music and pass their wise words along to you.

This week, Appalachian-born songwriter Angela Autumn releases a new album, Believer, and her song “Heavy Tobacco” shows her ability to take a fresh approach to an unconventional topic—and to create a pretty cool music video, too. From the Netherlands, the musician Bertolf reflects on the fallout of a friend’s divorce on “Innocence Lost,” supported by an acoustic ensemble that underscores the emotion in the song.

Meanwhile, Jake Blount is winding down his stringband chapter with a rendition of “Shady Grove,” Jason James shows off his honky-tonk roots in “She’s Gone Again,” and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys put a hard-driving bluegrass spin on “Bottom of the Glass.” (Judging by the video, there was almost certainly more than one glass!)

There’s also a JJ Cale vibe to David Quinn’s “Down and Dirty,” some modern country attitude in Jaelee Roberts’ cover of Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar,” and an early ’60s pop vibe in Twin Temple’s “Love You to Death.”

As we like to say, You Gotta Hear This!

Angela Autumn, “Heavy Tobacco”

Artist: Angela Autumn
Hometown: The Appalachian region of Pennsylvania; Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Heavy Tobacco”
Album: Believer
Label: Gar Hole Records

In Their Words: “This is a song about the tobacco spirit. In many cultures, particularly American indigenous, tobacco is regarded for its purification abilities. I don’t think many folks see tobacco as ‘healthy’; quite the opposite. The message is that anything positive can become harmful when abused. It’s me reflecting upon choices that were necessary but carried both positive and negative consequences.

“Fame feels like something to be chased, with a time limit on our actualization. Smoking is a way of counting moments, of categorizing time. Inevitably our goals and desires will run out and we are left with our legacy, and impact on the earth–consciously or unconsciously.” — Angela Autumn

Bertolf, “Innocence Lost”

Artist: Bertolf
Hometown: Zwolle, The Netherlands
Song: “Innocence Lost”
Album: Bluefinger Vol.2
Album Release Date: August 28, 2026
Label: Excelsior Recordings (NL)

In Their Words: “Someone close to me went through a divorce. ‘Innocence Lost’ is about the despair of someone who has been abandoned. About a relationship that, like a bolt from the blue, has been irreparably damaged—beyond the point of an innocence that can never be recovered.

“The video was filmed and recorded in April at the concert venue, Hedon, in my hometown Zwolle (the same stage I will host the first edition of my ‘own’ Bluefinger Festival on Sunday, September 13th. Mike Marshall will be a playing a solo show there and my band and me will present Bluefinger Vol. 2 there for the first time, and there’s much more!) The video was produced by Hans Kuyt and the audio was mixed by Janos Koolen (who’s also the mandolin player in the band). It felt good to get to record a live performance of this song, especially because it’s the favorite song on the album of a few band members.” — Bertolf

Jake Blount, “Shady Grove”

Artist: Jake Blount
Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island
Song: “Shady Grove”
Album: Single-Footing Horse
Album Release Date: September 18, 2026

In Their Words: “This version of ‘Shady Grove’ is adapted from one played by Jon Bekoff of Greenfield, Massachusetts. I didn’t get to meet him before he died, but Jon was a major influence on many of my own mentors. His tunes are queer and full of mystery, and his version didn’t sound quite as magical coming from me—so I dropped the top string of my fiddle down a whole tone, added the singing section, and started playing it that way. ‘Shady Grove’ was probably one of the first three songs I learned when I was first starting out in this music. My upcoming release is a celebration of my teachers, friends, and musical community as I look toward a new musical chapter. It felt important to include both Jon and ‘Shady Grove’ in that celebration.” — Jake Blount

Jason James, “She’s Gone Again”

Artist: Jason James
Hometown: Texas City, Texas
Song: “She’s Gone Again”
Album: Cut The Chain
Album Release Date: Sept 11, 2026
Label: Heart of Texas Records

In Their Words: “‘She’s Gone Again’ started as a melody that I would hum to myself while driving or doing stuff. Finally I decided it needed to be a song. I sat down with my guitar, began strumming, and the words manifested directly from the music—the melody told me what it wanted to say. I had it written in about 20 minutes.

“Ronnie Bowman and I hit it off immediately as musical soul brothers. He came in to sing harmony on a few tracks and we had a blast–we’d even be singing together at the lunch table and to the waitresses. He called to check in on me about a month before he passed because I was going through a difficult time, and we sang together right there on the phone. When you share that kind of musical connection with someone, it’s extremely powerful. I was crushed when I heard the news of his passing. The world lost an Incredibly talented and tenderhearted man. And my world suddenly felt more silent, grey, and alone.” — Jason James

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, “Bottom of a Glass”

Artist: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Hometown: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Song: “Bottom of a Glass”
Album: Welcome to the Club
Release Date: August 21, 2026
Label: Turnberry Records

In Their Words: “‘Bottom of a Glass’ is one of those songs that just felt like us from the first time we played it. There’s some hurt in it, a lot of humor in it, and that hard-driving bluegrass thing that we’ve always loved. We wanted the video to carry that same spirit—to feel a little rough around the edges and funny as hell.

“This version of the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys feels really exciting to me. We’ve grown a lot together, both as people and musicians, and I think we’re more comfortable than ever letting all of our influences show. We’re still rooted in traditional bluegrass, and we always will be, but we’re not afraid to stretch it a little and see where these songs can take us. ‘Bottom of a Glass’ feels like a pretty good snapshot of where this band is right now.” — CJ Lewandowski, The Po’ Ramblin Boys

David Quinn, “Freightline”

Artist: David Quinn
Hometown: La Porte, Indiana
Song: “Freightline”
Album: Down & Dirty
Release Date: August 28, 2026

In Their Words: “‘Freightline’ is about that feeling of missing someone that never really goes away, and not knowing where they are or if they’re ever coming back. But it’s also about how time keeps moving forward, whether you’re ready for it or not. I wanted the song to feel like it was moving, like the constant motion of those thoughts in my head.

“When I first wrote this song, it was much faster and had more of a bluegrass feel. I finished it, but I knew something was missing. At the time, I was listening to a lot of JJ Cale and really loved the laid-back grooves in his songs. I went back, completely reworked the song, and ended up with the version you hear now. When we got into the studio, I played the musicians my new version and told them I was looking for that JJ Cale vibe. We went into the live room, started playing, and they absolutely nailed it right away.” — David Quinn

Jaelee Roberts, “White Liar”

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “White Liar”
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Release Date: September 11, 2026

In Their Words: “‘White Liar’ is a song that I’ve loved for a long time and have wanted to record but the time just wasn’t right until now. I actually included ‘White Liar’ on solo performances when I was still in high school and I’m really happy to get back to it now in the studio. Miranda Lambert has such an awesome way of delivering a song with attitude and giving it life and I really enjoyed singing this in the studio. When thinking about the song arrangement I knew I didn’t want to recreate what had already been done by Miranda but wanted to stay true to what makes the song so great while putting my own sound and style into it. I love songs with a little sass and a strong story, and ‘White Liar’ definitely has both! Miranda has always been a huge influence on me so I’m super excited about recording this one.

“I am incredibly grateful to have such an amazing group of musicians playing on ‘White Liar’: Ron Stewart on banjo, Michael Cleveland on fiddle, Justin Moses on mandolin, Tony Wray on guitar, and Alan Bartram on bass, with Zack Arnold singing harmony. When you have musicians like that on a song, you just stand back and let them do what they do, and I absolutely love it! Chris Latham recorded and mixed the track, and my dad, Danny Roberts, produced it and it was really special getting to record with people I admire and respect so much.

“I’ve always thought ‘White Liar’ would translate really well to bluegrass and I hope everyone has as much fun listening to it as we did recording it.” — Jaelee Roberts

Twin Temple, “Love You to Death”

Artist: Twin Temple
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Love You to Death”
Album: Doomed Lovers
Release Date: October 9, 2026
Label: Pentagrammaton Records

In Their Words: “With ‘Love You to Death,’ we wanted to put our own spin on two distinctly American musical traditions: the romantic innocence of 1962 RCA-style pop and the darkness and brutality of the traditional murder ballad. We’ve always loved the gritty, macabre storytelling of songs like “Knoxville Girl,” as much as the polished elegance of the Nashville countrypolitan sound. The song isn’t really about murder itself, it’s about jealousy, desire, betrayal, and the tragic consequences of all-or-nothing love. It’s about devotion taken to its most dangerous extreme, to madness, and crimes of passion.” – Alexandra and Zachary James, Twin Temple

Photo Credits: Renee Cornue (Jake Blount), Travis Shinn (Twin Temple)

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Laurelyn Dossett, Ruthie Foster, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Another week, another round-up of fresh roots music! You Gotta Hear This…

Starting us off, North Carolina singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett has a new single out this week, “Glory Glory,” previewing a brand new album coming in August entitled How Many Moons?, produced by Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor. “Glory Glory” celebrates the beauty and community of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, where Dossett makes her home. She’s even joined by a choir of friends on the uplifting and inspiring song. Then, from Montreal via Nashville, we have more of Hiss Golden Messenger’s production work, as we share a track from Al Nicol’s deluxe version of Only Hoping, which is now available. “Blue Stained Glass,” which features lighthearted, is pristine and lush, indie-folk with a retro flavor that’s firmly grounded in the present. Both Dossett’s and Nicol’s numbers give a fascinating A/B of Taylor’s production style that we love to hear.

Continuing, Americana and blues icon Ruthie Foster previews her August album, Just Say Yes, with its latest single, “Tangled.” “This song came from telling myself the truth,” Foster tells BGS via email. “Sometimes that’s where the untangling begins.” We’re gonna just say yes to that! Also from Texas, singer-songwriter Jordan Whitmore brings us “Me or Us,” plus a brand new music video for the heartbreaking yet hopeful track. A crisp and modern country number, it’s about a relationship’s existential crisis and reaching the point of no return on whether to rebuild or walk away.

Kelly Hunt has announced a new Compass Records release coming in September with “Clouds,” the lead single. It’s a soaring tribute to the wide open plains of the Midwest, text painting towering storm clouds. She leverages indie-Americana textures and tones to consider the gargantuan size of these floating clouds, with plenty of wisdom found in the song’s central metaphor. For some Good Country, a much-buzzed-about artist Leon Majcen offers “Don’t You Cry” from his upcoming September release. With a plodding, marching beat and gritty acoustic guitar picking, it’s a tender song despite the patina on Majcen’s voice and the melancholic vibe. While it could be taken for a love song of the romantic sort, the singer-songwriter shares that the idea for the song is really that he’s speaking to and reassuring his mother.

Finally, you won’t want to miss the latest from Amy Speace. Today we’re sharing a video for her new single, “The Reckoning,” a devastating song written in the immediate aftermath of Renee Goode’s tragic murder at the hands of ICE in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. “I wrote this song in 30 minutes,” Speace shares, “quickly after hearing about Renee Goode’s murder – in rage, horror, and shock. It came out unfiltered.” It’s a stunning song of justice, pain, grief, and – truly – reckoning. Essential listening in this day and age.

There’s plenty to listen to, enjoy, and be impacted by in this week’s round-up. You Gotta Hear This!

Laurelyn Dossett, “Glory Glory”

Artist: Laurelyn Dossett
Hometown: Currently Stokes County, North Carolina. Born in Birmingham, Alabama.
Song: “Glory Glory”
Album: How Many Moons?
Release Date: July 29, 2026 (single); August 28, 2026 (album)
Label: Sycamore Road

In Their Words: “I live in a magical little corner of North Carolina, in Stokes County between Hanging Rock and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I knew when I found this place that it needed to be shared with others – it has become a gathering place for friends and family, for music and art, for wandering the woods and wading the waters. ‘Glory Glory’ is kind of my ‘welcome to the wilderland’ song.” – Laurelyn Dossett

Track Credits:
Laurelyn Dossett – Vocals, guitar
M.C. Taylor – Acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin
Sam Fribush – Hammond B3
Jason Sypher – Bass
Nicholas Falk – Drums, percussion
“Glory Glory” Chorus – Emilia, Rosalie, and Sophia Catanoso; Sydney, Samantha, Ellen and Rebecca Dossett; Stephanie Parent; Lori Aument, Emmy and Ann Wade.

Ruthie Foster, “Tangled”

Artist: Ruthie Foster
Hometown: Gause, Texas
Song: “Tangled”
Album: Just Say Yes
Release Date: July 29, 2026 (single); August 28, 2026 (album)
Label: Sun Records

In Their Words: “This song came from telling myself the truth. Sometimes that’s where the untangling begins.” – Ruthie Foster

Track Credits:
Ruthie Foster – Vocals, background vocals
Tyler Bryant – Guitar, bass, keys, percussion
Ben Satterlee – Drums, percussion

Kelly Hunt, “Clouds”

Artist: Kelly Hunt
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Song: “Clouds”
Album: Requiem for a Sleepless Night
Release Date: July 31, 2026 (single); September 18, 2026 (album)
Label: Compass Records

In Their Words: “I crave long drives through the plains, the infinity of sky unfolding as far as eye can see. I do my best thinking on long, uncomplicated country roads where my mind has the chance to straighten out and run free. I wrote ‘Clouds’ on one such dead-ahead drive through the Midwest – late summer afternoon, storm brewing. I’d been driving for hours, lost in thought, when my eyes suddenly focused on what looked like mountains rising in the distance. I quickly realized they were only clouds, a string of thunderheads weighing heavily on the horizon with all the seeming concreteness of a mountain range. The fleeting shock of this moment got me thinking about the power of illusions, how real illusory things can feel at times, and of our capacity to both create and dismantle stumbling blocks in our own minds.” – Kelly Hunt

Leon Majcen, “Don’t You Cry”

Artist: Leon Majcen
Hometown: Safety Harbor, Florida / Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Don’t You Cry”
Album: The Leaving Kind
Release Date: July 31, 2026 (single); September 4, 2026 (album)
Label: Cloverdale Records

In Their Words: “This one’s a bit of me just talking to my mom. She always wanted me to be a doctor. I don’t think she thought the road-dog bug would get me like it did, but here we are. She’s just happy I’m hanging in there and getting after it.” – Leon Majcen

Al Nicol, “Blue Stained Glass”

Artist: Al Nicol
Hometown: Montreal, Québec, Canada / Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Blue Stained Glass” with lighthearted
Album: Only Hoping Deluxe
Release Date: July 29, 2026

In Their Words: “I wanted to write a song that told the story of someone who knew deep down their person would enter their life soon, even in their moment of deepest struggle. It’s a song about the strength of hope in the face of loneliness – finding and nurturing a belief and vision within oneself that things will work out. To see the world through a blue stained glass is to be optimistic, hopeful, aspirational.” – Al Nicol

Amy Speace, “The Reckoning”

Artist: Amy Speace
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Reckoning”
Release Date: August 7, 2026
Label: WindBone Records

In Their Words: “I wrote this song in 30 minutes – quickly after hearing about Renee Goode’s murder – in rage, horror, and shock. It came out unfiltered. Stream-of-consciousness. Literal ‘it’s the 10th of January…’ I felt like I was just dictating in my notebook exactly what was going on as it happened. I put my son to bed and grabbed the guitar and found that first chord and just started moving my hands up and down the guitar in patterns. I wasn’t thinking too hard as I wrote, just crying my way through the song, honestly.” – Amy Speace

Video Credits: Neighborhoods Apart, Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt.

Jordan Whitmore, “Me or Us”

Artist: Jordan Whitmore
Hometown: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Song: “Me or Us”
Album: Me or Us (EP)
Release Date: August 7, 2026 (single); October 16, 2026 (EP)

In Their Words: “This song was sparked by hearing one of my favorite songs, ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,’ for what felt like the millionth time. Except that time, it hit differently. My marriage was in the aftermath of betrayal and we were trying to rebuild. Suddenly that song carried a weight I hadn’t felt before. I remember thinking, ‘Is that us? Is the end inevitable?’ Next thing I knew, I had my guitar in my hands and I was writing the question that would become the title track of the EP. ‘Me or Us’ is a song about wanting us to make it, hoping that we would, but fearing that we wouldn’t.” – Jordan Whitmore

Track Credits:
Jordan Whitmore – Lead vocal, background vocals
Brian Douglas Phillips – Acoustic guitars, pedal steel, background vocals
Jacob Hildebrand – Electric guitars
Z Lynch – Bass
Fred Mandujano – Drums, percussion

Video Credit: Shot and edited by Ben Danaher.

Photo Credit: Laurelyn Dossett by Matthew Chenet; Ruthie Foster by Jody Domingue.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Swamp Dogg, Allison Russell, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Another week, another batch of excellent new roots music! You Gotta Hear This…

There’s plenty of Good Country to enjoy below, as we kick things off with Dallas Burrow’s brand new track, “Underdog.” In his heart of hearts, Burrow has always considered himself something of an outsider. He channels the angst and emotion of being an underdog through the rocking, passionate crescendo of the gritty country track. Then we immediately follow that up with more from similar sonic territory, as Whey Jennings and Karen Waldrup join forces on a song they co-wrote, “Damned If I Stay.” We’re sharing the new video for the number, a thoughtful Outlaw-steeped ballad that was begging for the duet treatment – which Jennings and Waldrup execute very well. It’s as relatable as it is personal.

In bluegrass (or from nearby!), banjoist Max Wareham launches his new album, If The Cosmos Were Whiskey…, today. To celebrate, we’re sharing the music video for “Closer To You,” as cosmic and enchanting as the record title. It’s experimental string band music that falls somewhere in the nebulous territory between neo-folk, indie, and trance. The psychedelia of jamgrass, but more deliberate and “slowed down.” When you read Wareham’s inspiration behind the track, these connections make even more sense.

Also arriving directly from the magical musical cosmos is a new track from the ethereal Allison Russell. Timed for release on Juneteenth, “Black Lavender” features Brittney Spencer and is a song about extending grace, comfort, and care – and the importance of community to lift each other up. “We saved this song for Juneteenth for a reason,” she explains. “Black women have been showing up for each other in this way as long as we’ve been here, and we can’t stop, won’t stop now!” Listen to the timely track below.

You’ll also want to hear new music from an Americana legend Swamp Dogg. His new album, Swamp Dogg Contemplates The Afterlife, is out today. But the Dogg doesn’t want you to be too concerned that our roundup selection, “Final Approach” is about mortality. “‘Final Approach’ uses an airliner metaphor, but it’s more about a homecoming than dealing with the end of life,” he explains via email. “[But], I’m OK with this ‘final approach,'” he continues. “I’ve been blessed and that’s something to sing about.” The song is smooth, grooving, and dripping with Swamp Dogg’s personality.

It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Dallas Burrow, “Underdog”

Artist: Dallas Burrow
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Song: “Underdog”
Album: Modern Day Vagabond
Release Date: June 17, 2026 (single); September 25, 2026 (album)
Label: 40 Below Records

In Their Words: “Like the character Dally from The Outsiders – a rebel through and through – in my heart of hearts, I’ve always felt like a little bit of an outsider, an outlier, an underdog, but I always found that, on some level, to be a point of pride. It gives you a unique perspective when you’re on the outside looking in. That’s the basic spirit of this song, though it was also inspired somewhat by my own experiences within the music business, where so many people are telling you who they think you are and how things ought to be done. Usually in some attempt to conform you to their vision of who you ought to be, when each of us, ultimately, has our own path.

“I grew up listening to hard rock and metal as a kid, before I got into the more restrained approach of the singer-songwriters who I have come to love and admire. But there’s always something in me that, at some point, wants to dig in, let loose, and rock out, so it was very liberating for me to lay this track down. It gave me a chance to scream my heart out a little bit in the song’s crescendo; a guttural catharsis that is hard to achieve through any other means except rock ‘n’ roll.

“The band really brings this one to life: Mark Tokach’s searing electric guitar, Larry Chaney’s booming distorted baritone, Kullen Fox’s fiery B3 organ track, Katie Shore providing her tastefully avant-garde harmony part in the chorus, legendary producer Mike McClure on second acoustic guitar, and Adam Odor on bass, and finally Cameron Martin from my touring band on drums, who comes from a rock ‘n’ roll background – and who were all chomping at the bit to rock this one out.” – Dallas Burrow

Whey Jennings & Karen Waldrup, “Damned If I Stay”

Artist: Whey Jennings
Hometown: West Texas
Song: “Damned If I Stay” with Karen Waldrup
Album: Baptized By Fire
Release Date: June 18, 2026 (video/single)
Label: Dirt Rock Empire

In Their Words: “‘Damned If I Stay’ is about being caught between staying and leaving when both choices hurt. It’s that tension a lot of people don’t talk about. This song called for a duet and Karen’s voice added the contrast that helped bring the full emotion of the story to life.” – Whey Jennings

“Writing this song with Whey Jennings was such a career highlight for me. He is such an emotional singer and that’s what this song needed. I have such a special friendship with Whey and it’s incredible to see that friendship spotlighted on such a personal song for both of us from our own life experiences.” – Karen Waldrup

Video Credits: Director/producer – Gio Gotay.

Allison Russell, “Black Lavender”

Artist: Allison Russell
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Song: “Black Lavender” with Brittney Spencer
Album: In The Hour of Chaos
Release Date: June 19, 2026 (single); July 10, 2026 (album)
Label: Fantasy Records

In Their Words: “We are swimming in rivers – flash floods! – of adrenaline right now. ‘Black Lavender’ is a song about extending grace and soothing comfort to a chosen sister… the kind I have trouble extending to myself. But the beautiful thing is, she’s the same way – and she gives it all back and some. Brittney Spencer is a voice for all the ages who we need right now. We saved this song for Juneteenth for a reason. Black women have been showing up for each other in this way as long as we’ve been here, and we can’t stop, won’t stop now! Incomparable . That’s what we all are, you know? Precious… magical.” – Allison Russell

Video Credit: Directed by Athena Kulb.

Swamp Dogg, “Final Approach”

Artist: Swamp Dogg
Hometown: Portsmouth, Virginia
Song: “Final Approach”
Album: Swamp Dogg Contemplates The Afterlife
Release Date: June 19, 2026
Label: S-Curve Records

In Their Words: “‘Final Approach’ uses an airliner metaphor, but it’s more about a homecoming than dealing with the end of life. That’s something that’s inevitable, but the life I’ve lived has been truly fulfilling and I remain both hopeful and thankful. I cite some of the music pioneers – Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Chuck Willis – who went before their time. While I’ve come as far as I have for as long as I have, and that’s something spiritually uplifting. The great work of those guys lives on and so do I, which is why I’m OK with this ‘final approach.’ I’ve been blessed and that’s something to sing about.” – Swamp Dogg

Max Wareham, “Closer To You”

Artist: Max Wareham
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Song: “Closer To You”
Album: If The Cosmos Were Whiskey…
Release Date: June 19, 2026

In Their Words: “I wrote this one thinking about 8th-century Chinese mountain poets and Milarepa, the Tibetan yogi who sang his way to enlightenment in a cave, which is either the most pretentious thing you’ll read this week or the most honest. There’s a figure wandering through it, searching for something that keeps shape-shifting: person, place, idea. The song refuses to say, and that refusal is the whole point. To me, it has the patience of something that’s been waiting a long time.

“Chris Sartori, formerly of Twisted Pine, plays an inspired bass part like he’s keen on the trail of this ghost. Give it a listen and see what you think you’re looking for.” – Max Wareham

Track Credits:
Max Wareham – Banjo, vocals
Jack Holland – Guitar
Chris Sartori – Bass
Karl Helander – Percussion
Lily Sexton – Harmony vocals

Video Credits: Grant Bouvier

Photo Credit: Swamp Dogg by Cooper Davidson; Allison Russell by Mason Poole.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Full Cord, the Arcadian Wild, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s another excellent lineup for our weekly collection of premieres and just-released music! You Gotta Hear This…

Earlier this week, the Arcadian Wild announced their upcoming album, Make It Out Alive (set for release in August), with a brand new single “Cool To Know You.” Poppy and lush, its deep and vibey production style brings in varied roots influences reminding of Nickel Creek and indie-pop all at the same time, held together with a bluegrassy mandolin chop. Plus, watch a video from geologist-musician-songwriter Benny Bleu, who’s shared “March of the Mollusk” with us today. Old-time with plenty of modern twists, it’s an entrancing instrumental number inspired by the ceaseless march of time, the steady drip of existence spending or being spent. The melody – and rhythms – have that delicious “neverending song” feel, where each subsequent section of the tune has you craving to return back to the start and do it again.

Benson, husband-and-wife bluegrass and string duo Wayne and Kristin Benson, release their brand new album today, Double Dose. We’ve shared a few tracks from the project over the weeks and months in the run up to today; to celebrate release day, we’re shining a spotlight on “Banjo Radio Bounce,” a swingin’ bluegrass instrumental with a title paying tribute to bluegrass radio and streaming service BanjoRadio. Also in bluegrass, long-running Michigan band Full Cord release a new track today featuring their friend, peer, and fellow Michigander Billy Strings. The band tell us a bit about the inspirations behind “Hubris Comes to Town” below. Strings and the stalwart MI band sound great.

Jesse Smathers, who you may know from the Lonesome River Band, has more excellent solo music to share today. A new single, “Gambler’s Last Game,” is another truly timeless number from the young artist and picker. Smathers, born and raised in the old-time and bluegrass rich territory of Southwest Virginia, is one of the most compelling up-and-coming creators who can collapse time with his songs. And he can effortlessly code switch between bluegrass, old-time, string band, and more styles from the primordial ooze that birthed this genre. Not many can.

You’ll also want to watch and enjoy a new animated music video featuring a song by artist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Elena Moon Park and animation by Xuan. “Nothing Is Ordinary” is a song celebrating just how extraordinary every single little detail of life really is. It’s built on a prominent sense of gratitude wrapped with a bouncy, charming vibe – and paired with a music video that perfectly encapsulates its message. It’s beautiful and certainly captures “the grand and the mundane,” both of which are extraordinary in their ways.

We hope you enjoy these songs and videos. You Gotta Hear This!

The Arcadian Wild, “Cool To Know You”

Artist: The Arcadian Wild
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Cool To Know You”
Album: Make It Out Alive
Release Date: May 27, 2026 (single); August 14, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “I have known my best friend Carly since I was 3 months old. She is truly a sister that was gifted to me. She is the coolest girl I know, and she makes me cool just by knowing her. We live very far away from each other now and we have to work really hard to stay in touch and spend time together, but it is always worth the effort. This song came out of me after she was having a tough time and I couldn’t physically be there for her, so I wanted her to know that she is seen, she is loved, and I’m a better and cooler person for knowing her.” – Bailey Warren

“We’ve typically just captured intimate acoustic performances in our past work and it was fun to remove some limitations in the studio and really give it a full send approach. It felt like we gave ourselves permission to build an actual pop song from the ground up. Drums?! Electric guitar?! Mandolin overdubs?! What?! It was a delightful process of playful discovery, and we had a blast with our producer, Micah Tawlks, putting it all together.” – Lincoln Mick

Benson, “Banjo Radio Bounce”

Artist: Benson
Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Song: “Banjo Radio Bounce”
Album: Double Dose
Release Date: May 29, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: Kristin: “‘Banjo Radio Bounce’ from our album, Double Dose, honors our good buddy Kyle Cantrell, who launched BanjoRadio around the time we recorded it. Obviously, if this is the title of the station, you know I’m gonna be a fan!” – Kristin Scott Benson

“‘Banjo Radio Bounce’ is a tune I wrote originally on electric mandolin. When Kristin heard the demo, she thought it would work well for banjo – and it did!” – Wayne Benson

Track Credits:
Wayne Benson – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Jon Stickley – Acoustic guitar
Samantha Snyder – Fiddle
Jon Weisberger – Bass

Benny Bleu, “March of the Mollusk”

Artist: Benny Bleu
Hometown: Hemlock, New York
Song: “March of the Mollusk”
Album: When I Am a Fossil
Release Date: May 29, 2026 (video); June 5, 2026 (album)
Label: Circus Tent Records

In Their Words: “Even when I released this song as a solo banjo piece I had this drum groove in the back of my head. We all march forward whether we like it or not. Who sets our cadence? Climate change will march on whether we believe in it or not. Future generations on this planet will live simpler lives. With less stuff. They’ll live more local lives. Now that’s not necessarily all bad. To me, that sounds like the kinda place where folk and acoustic music will fit right in.” – Benny Bleu

Track Credits:
Benny Bleu – Banjo
Huck Tritsch – Drums
Eric Heveron-Smith – Bass
Gus Tritsch – Fiddle

Video Credits: Filmed at Ironwood Studio, Springwater, New York.
Filmed by Mike Martinez. Audio by Benny Bleu.

Full Cord, “Hubris Came to Town” Featuring Billy Strings

Artist: Full Cord
Hometown: Grand Haven, Michigan
Song: “Hubris Came to Town” (featuring Billy Strings)
Release Date: May 29, 2026

In Their Words: “‘Hubris Came to Town’ is a song that has many inspirations. Its structure and harmonic interest are similar to a song I wrote 11 years ago called ‘Downtown.’ The chorus has the vocal harmonies, chords, and darkness from the likeness of System of a Down, while the jam section is lightly inspired by Béla Fleck’s “Charm School.” Rhythmically inspired by the second movement of Shostakovich’s 10th string quartet. The lyric content could be construed as age-old rhetoric about anyone in your life that has these certain qualities. This is the kind of music I like to write for bluegrass, in an effort to put my own stamp on the genre with (primarily) harmonic interest and edgy lyrics. With Billy Strings and the band absolutely ripping throughout the entire song, it now has the aggressive demeanor I intended. All the guys in Full Cord made this version of the song what it is and I am very pleased with the track.” – Brian Oberlin

Track Credits:
Brian Oberlin – Mandolin, lead vocals, songwriter
Chase Potter – Fiddle, harmony vocals
Todd Kirchner – Bass
Eric Langejans – Guitar, harmony vocals
Max Allard – Banjo
Billy Strings – Guitar

Elena Moon Park, “Nothing Is Ordinary”


Artist: Elena Moon Park
Hometown: Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Song: “Nothing Is Ordinary”
Album: Nothing Is Ordinary
Release Date: May 29, 2026
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “This song, the title track of my new album, celebrates the idea that everything around us is magical, while also being oh-so common. We wake up and hear a bird song; in the evening stars appear in the sky. Nothing is ordinary, yet everything is ordinary. Or perhaps, everything is extraordinary. When I embrace this thought, I remember that my greatest joy is in noticing both the grand and the mundane, and listening to the stories around me. Inspired by a piece of art made by my friend Kristiana Pärn and accompanied by a truly magical video by Xuan, the song features an eclectic group of musical friends who encourage us to find our own stories and sing them out loud.” – Elena Moon Park

Track Credits:
Elena Moon Park – Vocals, jarana, Omnichord
Brett Parnell – Guitar, pedal steel
Nathan Koci – Horns, trumpet
Colin Brooks – Drums
Yoshi Waki – Bass
Michael Bellar – Synths
John Foti – Vocals
Sonia De Los Santos – Vocals
Devin Greenwood – Sounds
Chorus: Philippa, Roger and Marianna Thompson, Lyla, Ezra and Sruly Lazaros, Shai Fuller, Jay and Tearin Kim

Video Credits: Written, directed, and animated by Xuan.

Jesse Smathers, “Gambler’s Last Game”

Artist: Jesse Smathers
Hometown: Floyd, Virginia
Song: “Gambler’s Last Game”
Release Date: May 29, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘Gambler’s Last Game’ was written by my talented pal Mason Via and myself. The modern-day ballad tells of a traveling gambler whose true love won’t settle down with him, so he heartbreakingly stays on the go. This tune was stripped down to the instrumental accompaniment of only Hunter Berry’s fiddle and Corbin Hayslett’s banjo. They did a tremendous job, weaving in and out of each other’s waltzing rhythm with their note selections. Ballad singing and fiddle and banjo interplay is such an important part of string band music tradition. Though this is a new song, its story, form, and melody was approached the same way I tackle learning songs that are 200 years old. It truly transports me to another time. I hope everyone is similarly transported hearing ‘Gambler’s Last Game.'” – Jesse Smathers

Track Credits:
Jesse Smathers – Vocal
Hunter Berry – Fiddle
Corbin Hayslett – Low-tuned banjo

Photo Credit: Full Cord by Karuna Photo; the Arcadian Wild by Shelby Mick.

You Gotta Hear This: Margo Price, Darren Nicholson, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

A fresh batch of roots music has arrived! You Gotta Hear This.

To kick off our weekly roundup of new music, singer-songwriter Jacob Augustine shares a music video for “Halfway to Harlem,” a jangling, twanging, and bluesy roots track with post-apocalyptic vibes – and the video to match. For how forbidding the video and lyrics are in their subject matter, the song is still charming and inviting. You’ll also enjoy a new song from Swedish roots duo Orange Oak. “well, well, well” is tender and contemplative and, as they put it themselves, it “explores the struggles of confronting yourself after a period of avoidance and inner conflict.” Still, there’s ample redemption to be found in the alt-folk track.

For a bit of troubadour storytelling, Pennsylvania’s Jeff Mamett unveils “Like Old Uncle Jim.” With a bit of dark country & western tinge, it’s a story song that pays tribute to larger-than-life figures and finds truth even in fiction and mythology. Mamett’s baritone vocal is rich and engaging. Plus, Irish artist Helen O’Shea, who’s now based in New Jersey, calls on her friends the Carlile Family Band for her new track and lyric video for “There Will Be Days.” It’s Americana with a party vibe, but the subject matter is much more deep and involved, passing on wisdom and considering the many cycles of living life. It’s ripe for a sing along!

In bluegrass, mandolinist and singer-songwriter Darren Nicholson launches his new album, Lonesome Trails and Tall Tales, today. To celebrate, we’re sharing “All Trains Must Come to Pass” for release day. It’s a barn-burning traditional bluegrass number that Nicholson co-wrote with Charles Humphrey III and Thomm Jutz. And don’t miss the latest duo recording from Bryan Sutton, this time featuring guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel alongside. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” is a common choice by Sutton, but in this arrangement with Emmanuel there are equal infusions of jazz and swing alongside bluegrass and flatpicking.

Also out today is a new tribute album to Guy Clark produced by Dan Knobler and released by Truly Handmade Records. Old No. 1 Revisited features performances by Jade Bird, Erin Rae, Brennen Leigh, Kelsey Waldon, Logan Ledger, and more. For our roundup, we’re sharing Margo Price’s rendition of “Rita Ballou.” Both Price and Knobler tell us their stories of how the track came to be below – it’s an absolutely lovely tribute to a songwriting and Americana legend.

There’s so much to enjoy! You Gotta Hear This…

Jacob Augustine, “Halfway to Harlem”

Artist: Jacob Augustine
Hometown: Portland, Maine
Song: “Halfway to Harlem”
Album: I Love You Forever
Release Date: April 29, 2026 (single); May 22, 2026 (album)
Label: Team Love Records

In Their Words: “Post-apocalyptic survivor studies. Car alarms serenading the cities of America to dead battery silence.

“What is it to fall in love, raise a child, and save the world all at the same time? This song explores these themes and questions. Questions I don’t really have the answers to. But questions that need to be asked I think.” – Jacob Augustine

Video Credits:
Directed by Jacob Augustine.
Co-directed, filmed, and edited by Joshua Powers, Wavin AM.
Starring Brandon Wardwell.
Produced by Wavin AM.

Jeff Mamett, “Like Old Uncle Jim”

Artist: Jeff Mamett
Hometown: Central Pennsylvania
Song: Like Old Uncle Jim
Album: Fortunate Son
Release Date: May 1, 2026 (single); August 21, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “I grew up around people like this – the kind of man whose stories don’t always land the same way depending on who’s listening. With Uncle Jim, I was interested in that gap between what people say about somebody and what you see for yourself. As a kid, you don’t question it the same way, you just take it in.

“The details were important to me – the cigarette, the pony ride, the way he carried himself. Those things felt more honest than trying to explain him. By the end, the truth is there if you’re paying attention, but it doesn’t come out and announce itself. It just sits in the room. I think that’s how a lot of people are. You don’t always know who they are unless you’re looking closely.” – Jeff Mamett

Darren Nicholson, “All Trains Come to Pass”

Artist: Darren Nicholson
Hometown: Canton, North Carolina
Song: “All Trains Come to Pass”
Album: Lonesome Trails and Tall Tales
Release Date: May 1, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘All Trains Come to Pass’ is a barn-burner! It was written by Thomm Jutz, Charles Humphrey III, and myself. The song speaks metaphorically about the passing of time and how important it is to live in every moment. Breathe it in. The band is kicking on this one, and it was so much fun to record! We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did creating it.” – Darren Nicholson

Track Credits:
Darren Nicholson – Mandolin, lead vocal
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Mark Fain – Upright bass
David Johnson – Acoustic guitar
Tony Creasman – Drums
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Kevin Sluder – Harmony vocal
Avery Welter – Harmony vocal
Jennifer Nicholson – Harmony vocal

Orange Oak, “well, well, well”

Artist: Orange Oak
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Song: “well, well, well”
Album: almost, I thought to myself
Release Date: May 1, 2026 (song); September 11, 2026 (album)
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “This song explores the struggles of confronting yourself after a period of avoidance and inner conflict. It moves between self-criticism and a quiet desire for change; realizing escape is no longer sustainable. There’s tension between wanting control and accepting vulnerability. There’s strain in letting go of anger and returning to life with a new sense of honesty. At its core, ‘well, well, well’ is about self-reflection, reconciliation, and finding the courage to begin again and again and again.” – Filippa Frisell and Erik Olsson, Orange Oak

Helen O’Shea, “There Will Be Days”

Artist: Helen O’Shea
Hometown: Born in Limerick, Ireland; living in Long Branch, New Jersey
Song: “There Will Be Days”
Album: Songs In The Key Of O
Release Date: May 1, 2026
Label: White Butterfly Music

In Their Words: “The song ‘There Will Be Days’ started out in a conversation between Caroline Carlile and myself. She was starting out as a young artist with tremendous potential and I was telling her that there will be days when she feels the world is against her, but that is exactly when she must let her starlight shine through. First this line became a poem and then Caroline and I decided to write a song about it together, with help from Jay Carlile and Marc Swersky. The result is this beautiful duet between Caroline and myself with Jay on harmonica and the Carlile Family Band on backing vocals against the music of Andrew Carillo (Joan Osborne), Rob Clores (Jesse Malin), and Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors).” – Helen O’Shea

Track Credits:
Helen O’Shea – Vocals, songwriter
Caroline Carlile – Vocals, songwriter
The Carlile Family Band – Background vocals
Marc Swersky – Producer, songwriter
Andrew Carillo – Guitars
Rob Clores – Keys
Aaron Comess – Drums
Jay Carlile – Harmonica, songwriter

Video Credits: Story & Bone

Margo Price, “Rita Ballou”

Artist: Margo Price
Song: “Rita Ballou”
Album: Old No. 1 Revisited
Release Date: May 1, 2026
Label: Truly Handmade Records

In Their Words: “Many years ago, I was lucky enough to find Guy’s Clark’s perfectly crafted album, Old No. 1, while shuffling through the jukebox at the Devil’s Backbone Tavern in Fischer, Texas. His fingerpicking and storytelling on ‘Rita Ballou’ pulled me in. And I was hooked.

“Guy’s a carpenter in every sense of the word and every song he builds is ornate, solid, and reliable. It’s an honor to interpret his songwriting for this tribute, alongside producer and guitar virtuoso Dan Knobler, harmonies by my talented bandmate Logan Ledger, and the incredible, top-tier musicians that played on this track.” – Margo Price

“Margo Price was the immediate and obvious choice to extol the charms of ‘Rita Ballou.’ These songs do the work, all we have to do is cast them appropriately. So in that spirit I appointed the tracking room at Good Wishes with a proverbial joy carnival of musicians: octopus double drums from Jamie Dick and Dom Billett, powerhouse Jen Gunderman at the keys, the legend Russ Pahl walking into the studio with his steel on his shoulder, Will Honaker holding it down on bass, me strumming and picking. Margo stood out on the floor with us and nailed the song to the wall. Logan Ledger and Nicki Bluhm provided the backup choruses and a good time was had by all.” – Dan Knobler, producer

Track Credits:
Margo Price – Vocals
Logan Ledger – Harmony vocal
Nicki Bluhm – Harmony vocal
Maya de Vitry – Additional harmony vocals
Rachael Davis – Additional harmony vocals
Dan Knobler – Acoustic guitars, electric guitar
Jen Gunderman – Piano, organ, Wurlitzer
Russ Pahl – Pedal steel
Will Honaker – Bass
Jamie Dick – Drums, percussion
Dom Billett – Drums, percussion

Bryan Sutton, “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” with Tommy Emmanuel

Artist: Bryan Sutton with Tommy Emmanuel
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down”
Album: From Roots to Branches
Release Date: May 1, 2026 (single)
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “[Tommy is] another guy that’s just been gracious to me over the years… a big pal and he’s a big energy. Every time he sees me, you just get all of his attention … he’s a wonderful friend and a lovely dude. Certainly, the world knows how strong a musician he is, but you know, the choice for that song, something with energy, that sort of comes from more of a bluegrass background. Those chord changes lend a little more to the swing and jazz world, and that’s where he and I have spent a lot of time playing other songs together.

“I was a partner on his duet record some years ago. We did ‘C Jam Blues’ and some other swing music like that. Trying to choose songs that sort of honor a certain angle of our relationship, musically, so that mix of bluegrass and jazz and swing is where Tommy Emmanuel and I find some common ground.” – Bryan Sutton

Track Credits:
Bryan Sutton – Acoustic guitar, lead vocal
Tommy Emmanuel – Acoustic guitar, vocal

Photo Credit: Margo Price by Yana Yatsuk; Darren Nicholson by Jeff Smith.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Don Williams, Victoria Bailey, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This week it’s absolutely packed in our weekly roundup of new roots music! You Gotta Hear This…

From the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, the Asheville Mountain Boys kick us off with a new performance video for “Don’t Take Me Back Again.” It’s a track from their debut self-titled album, which was just released in February. It’s straight-ahead bluegrass that will transport you right back to their beautiful home turf in Southern Appalachia. Also in bluegrass, from just down the ridge from NC in Boiling Springs, South Carolina, husband-and-wife duo Benson (Wayne and Kristin Scott Benson) have a new single out today, “Maybe It’s You.” Featuring their friend Heath Williams on the lead vocal, it’s a clean and crisp example of modern bluegrass with traditional bones.

You’ll also get to hear a lovely bluegrass-gospel-western rendition of a Randy Travis cut, “He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield” below, brought to us by Southern California singer-songwriter and roots artist Victoria Bailey. She effortlessly combines bluegrass, classic country, country & western, and gospel with her version of the familiar tune. The loping, cowgirl feel is just perfect. Plus, impeccable fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Andy Leftwich has a new album out today, Aced. To celebrate, we’re sharing “Crossville” from that collection, a tune from the catalog of Ricky Skaggs – Leftwich’s former boss, who’s a friend and a mentor – that has a transatlantic and somewhat Celtic feel. It features Leftwich on both fiddle and mandolin.

From further territory on the roots genre map, Paula Boggs Band calls on both Blind Boys of Alabama and Valerie June as special guests on their recording of “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round.” Soulful string band folk is a perfect backdrop for the languid, marching track – one that remains all too timely and applicable in 2026. Watch a new lyric video for the song below and join the sing-along party, and the struggle for justice, too. Don’t miss Serafima and the Shakedowns’ paean to Seattle, the Queen of the Pacific Northwest. “Shivers” is a chill and vibing Americana track with lush guitars backing gentle ruminations on friendship, community, and place. Whether you have or haven’t felt the “shivers” in a while, this song will be there for you when you do again.

Keep scrolling, as there’s more gold to find. For instance, Gregory Alan Isakov and Sylvan Esso released a track together earlier this week, “Fade Into You.” It’s a lovely cover song of the cult favorite ’80s and ’90s alt-rock band Mazzy Star. For a while, Isakov wasn’t sure the track was finished – that is, until he called upon Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso to complete the number with her vocals. Like Isakov, we love how it turned out. Finally, a legend of country music returns, posthumously, with a new album on May 29. Don Williams passed away in 2017, but his powerful legacy lives on. We spoke to his son, Tim Williams, about the latest single from Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes, a collection of found recordings made by Don himself dating back to the ’70s. The new single is an alternate version of a favorite track, “I’m The One,” that puts a magical focus on Williams’ vocals. You won’t want to miss it.

So much to love and enjoy is waiting for you below – You Gotta Hear This!

The Asheville Mountain Boys, “Don’t Take Me Back Again”

Artist: The Asheville Mountain Boys
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Don’t Take Me Back Again”
Album: The Asheville Mountain Boys
Release Date: February 12, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Don’t Take Me Back Again’ is an original song written by our guitar player, Marshall Brown, and is featured on our new self-titled LP. Marshall brought the song to the group about a year ago and we had so much fun working it up into an early ’50s-style bluegrass song. Zeb and I wrote exchanging mandolin and banjo riffs for the song instead of normal solos; we felt that was an homage to how early Jimmy Martin songs would have more melody-based riffs than conventional solos. We shot the video at Asheville Guitar Pedals in West Asheville as sort of a tongue in cheek reference to our motto: ‘No Plugs No Pedals Only Bluegrass.’ We loved working with Rebecca Jones (video) and Carter Giegerich (audio) on this in-person, fully live take of the song. “ – John Duncan

Track Credits:
Marshall Brown – Lead vocal, guitar
Jacob Brewer – Tenor vocal, bass
John Duncan – Banjo, baritone vocal
Zeb Gambill – Mandolin

Video Credit: Videography by Rebecca Branson Jones, audio by Carter Giegerich. 

Victoria Bailey, “He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield”

Artist: Victoria Bailey
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
Song: “He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield”
Release Date: April 24, 2026

In Their Words: “My cover of this Randy’s Travis gospel song, ‘He’s My Rock, My Sword, My Shield,’ truly sets the tone for where I am in music and with my faith. It’s been a few years since my album release (A Cowgirl Rides On) and I continue to grow a deep love for bluegrass and gospel. It only made sense to go in and record one of my all-time favorites by Randy Travis before I dive into my next record.

“This song was recorded live in studio with my bluegrass band at Station House Studio in Los Angeles, produced by my good friend Brian Whelan. It was a sweet reunion being back in that room and to honor such a beautiful, spiritual song. I often describe my sound as ‘a little bit gospel, a little bit bluegrass, and everything in between.’ This next single is a perfect recipe of all those things and I’m looking forward to more of it this year!” – Victoria Bailey

Track Credits:
Victoria Bailey – Vocals
Brian Whelan – Producer, lead guitar, BGVs
Ted Russell Kamp – Bass
Luke Adams – Drums
Philip Glenn – Fiddle
Leeann Skoda – BGVs

Benson, “Maybe It’s You”

Artist: Benson
Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Song: “Maybe It’s You”
Release Date: April 17, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “We love the tried-and-true themes of classic bluegrass songs. Cabins, farms, and mountains were relevant to the writers then. In fact, if you can find a new song that is reminiscent of those standards, it’s a real find. I think ‘Maybe It’s You’ is a nice representation of a modern bluegrass song, lyrically. Troubled relationships are timeless, but this is a contemporary take on that same theme.” – Kristin Scott Benson

“Heath Williams sang lead on ‘Maybe It’s You’ and we are so lucky to work with him. He has been a huge part of many Benson songs, like ‘Oh Me of Little Faith’ and ‘Lay ‘Em Down.’ He’s not from a bluegrass background, but is perfectly suited for it and has a really fresh, special take. In fact, Terry Herd, one of the co-writers, specifically mentioned him because Terry thought his approach would be ideal. After years of going to church with Heath and playing with him on occasion, it’s a joy to be recording with him now.” – Wayne Benson

Track Credits:
Heath Williams – Lead vocal
Wayne Benson – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Cody Kilby – Acoustic
Kevin McKinnon – Bass
Zack Arnold – Harmony vocals

Paula Boggs Band, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round”

Artist: Paula Boggs Band
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Song: “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” featuring Blind Boys of Alabama and Valerie June
Album: Sumatra
Release Date: March 27, 2026 (album)
Label: Boggs Media LLC

In Their Words: “Our cover of the civil rights anthem, ‘Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,’ feels more relevant today than when we recorded it. To highlight its American roots heritage, we incorporated bluegrass instruments like banjo and fiddle. The featured artists, Blind Boys of Alabama and Valerie June, further enhance the song’s messages of hope and determination. The lyric video grounds the song in present times.” – Paula Boggs

Track Credits:
Paula Boggs – Lead vocals
Tor Dietrichson – Percussion
Jacob Evans – Drums, percussion
Darren Loucas – Acoustic guitar, Dobro, banjo, ukulele
Paul Matthew Moore – Acoustic piano, percussion
David Salonen – Upright bass, fiddle
Blind Boys of Alabama (Ricky McKinnie, Sterling Glass, J.W. Smith, Joey Williams) – Co-lead vocals
Valerie June – Co-lead vocals

Gregory Alan Isakov and Sylvan Esso, “Fade Into You”

Artist: Gregory Alan Isakov and Sylvan Esso
Hometown: Gregory Alan Isakov: Born in Johannesburg, South Africa; grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sylvan Esso: Durham, North Carolina
Song: “Fade Into You”
Release Date: April 16, 2026
Label: Dualtone

In Their Words: “I grew up listening to Mazzy Star and sort of sketched this song out one afternoon. I had read an article about Hope Sandoval (the singer of Mazzy Star) the week before and there was this paragraph about how she played a few shows at the Sydney Opera House in almost complete darkness. Some of the crowd was super disgruntled about it and walked out. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, what a hero.’ I sat on the recording I made for a long time, thinking it wasn’t quite finished, and reached out to Amelia of Sylvan Esso. She has one of my favorite voices of all time. Once I heard her on it, it felt ready. I really love how it came out.” – Gregory Alan Isakov

Andy Leftwich, “Crossville”

Artist: Andy Leftwich
Hometown: Carthage, Tennessee
Song: “Crossville”
Album: Aced
Release Date: April 17, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “One of the greatest joys of playing music with Ricky Skaggs was getting a chance to jam on his original instrumentals! They all have great melodies and are structured in a way that gives you an opportunity to stretch out and push yourself. This song is certainly that. Ricky has always inspired me with his creativity and heart behind each note that he plays and I always looked forward to playing this one with him each night! It’s one of my favorites! I thought I’d pay homage to my friend and former boss by recording one of his wonderful compositions, ‘Crossville.'” – Andy Leftwich

Track Credits:
Andy Leftwich – Fiddle, mandolin
Byron House – Upright bass
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar
Matt Menefee – Banjo

Serafima and the Shakedowns, “Shivers”

Artist: Serafima and The Shakedowns
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Song: “Shivers”
Album: Ride Easy
Release Date: April 14, 2026 (single); May 1, 2026 (album)
Label: BWGiBWGAN

In Their Words: “‘Shivers’ is an ode to Seattle, Queen of the Pacific Northwest – a cloud-soaked rumination that finds the song’s lonely voice wondering, is there anyone out there? My friends have left the city and I’ve heard I’m supposed to have a guardian angel – but where is she? Maybe she’s hiding behind the marine layer.

“This is a song about the city I grew up in, missing all your friends that have moved far away, feeling like they lied to you about stuff like having a guardian angel, and wondering if heaven is a real place – either up there or down here.” – Serafima Healy

Track Credits:
Serafima Healy – Vocals, guitar
Sam Burrows – Guitar
Joe McPhee – Bass
Jules Tennyson – Drums
Finn O’Hea – Trumpet
Aaron Khawaja – Piano
Jay Kardong – Pedal steel

Video Credits: Hand animations by Serafima Healy.

Don Williams, “I’m The One (Alternate Version)”

Artist: Don Williams
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “I’m The One (Alternate Version)”
Album: Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes
Release Date: April 17, 2026 (single); May 29, 2026 (album)
Label: Craft Recordings

In Their Words: “I remember this song very well from when I was 13-14 years old. I always loved the song. Obviously, Daddy did too, or there would not have been strings on it. Strings are always about the last thing before mixing (sometimes percussion). When I realized that it was one of the songs on the tapes in the cellar, I was excited. I did, though, want to take a crack at stripping it down a bit or making a little more room for Dad’s vocal, which was my intention and the approach I took. The original version is definitely cool and pretty complicated, actually, but I wanted a version that would be a platform from which maybe there’d be a little more focus on the vocals.” – Tim Williams, son of Don Williams

Photo Credit: Don Williams by Jim McGuire via the Grand Ole Opry Archives; Victoria Bailey by Dylan Gordon.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From John R. Miller, Eilen Jewell, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Welcome to another edition of our weekly roundup of new roots music! You Gotta Hear This…

First up, country singer-songwriter Erin Gibney gives us a preview of a brand new version of “Risk It,” one of the first true love songs she had ever written. In this iteration, it’s stripped back to a more simple and acoustic approach, but still with a pop country sheen and plenty of big, energetic moments. Also in country, Carly King has announced her upcoming album, Loving You Is Easy, with a lovely and tender lead single, “Three Martinis.” King wrote the song about a fated trip to New York City where she fell in love with the man who would become her fiancé. It’s full of memories, nostalgia, and lush with imagery of falling head over heels, all wrapped in a cozy and gauzy folk-country package.

In the bluegrass world, North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition highlight their working-class bluegrass bent with a new single, “Company Man,” which celebrates and interrogates the reality of blue-collar, hard working folks in this day and age. As they describe it, “The song tells the story of a man who seems to live to work, not work to live. There’s pride in that, but also a sense of stoic sadness.” Also speaking to the social and political climate of today, folk artist and singer-songwriter Eilen Jewell has released her own version of Woody Guthrie’s important and sadly still applicable song, “Deportee.” Jewell’s rendition is twangy, honky-tonking, and plaintive, drawing inspiration from the first time she ever heard the song as a teenager. She tells us that story – and about how the number has “haunted” her since – below.

Roots music fans will also enjoy watching singer-songwriter Adam Klein perform “Burnin’ Love,” an original song, in a brand new music video. Previously released in 2015, Klein returned to the track with collaborator Adam Poulin for a simple duo, acoustic reimagination of the song, which Klein wrote while on a Peace Corps mission in Mali in West Africa. And be sure you don’t miss a brand new single – and live performance video, to boot! – from West Virginian Americana troubadour John R. Miller. “If You Could Only See Me Now” is Miller’s take on a song written by a dear friend and musical compatriot, William Matheny. It’s another two-stepping, honky-tonk ready track perfect for sliding across the shiny floorboards or leaving a tear in your beer. Miller inhabits the lyric intuitively, with languid and laid back phrasing while the lyric, fiddle, and pedal steels pull him along.

There’s plenty to listen to and love. You Gotta Hear This!

Erin Gibney, “Risk It (Stripped)”

Artist: Erin Gibney
Hometown: Southington, Connecticut and Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Risk It (Stripped)”
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Label: Rock Ridge Music

In Their Words: “I wrote this song after meeting my now-fiancé and it is one of the first true love songs I have ever written. ‘Risk It’ really describes the feeling of falling in love knowing that it could either end in marriage or the greatest heartbreak of your life. During the beginning of the relationship, I felt all the fears and excitement that come in the early stages of love. I brought this experience to Kipp Williams when we began working together and this became the first song we created. It was so much fun to not only try something new with my sound, but explore new themes in my music. This song is so close to my heart and I can’t wait for the world to hear this reimagined version of it!” – Erin Gibney

Track Credits:
Kipp Williams – Producer, songwriter, all instruments
Erin Gibney – Vocals, songwriter

Eilen Jewell, “Deportee”

Artist: Eilen Jewell
Hometown: Boise, Idaho
Song: “Deportee”
Release Date: March 24, 2026
Label: Signature Sounds

In Their Words: “I first heard ‘Deportee’ when I was a teenager. I can’t recall which version it was, but I remember I was babysitting a little girl who was about six years old. She put it in the CD player, cranked it up, and started singing along loudly in a sweet and mournful tone. I could tell it really resonated with her so I listened closely and realized it resonated with me too – the grief in the sudden separation of friends, the ripping away of a shared humanity – it’s haunted me ever since. I’ve heard just about every version of it there is, searching for one as anguished as the one in my memory of that night with the little girl howling along.

“My search never yielded one that quite fit so I altered the song a bit by putting it in a minor key and choosing only the verses that felt closest to the bone. It’s disheartening to think that Woody Guthrie wrote ‘Deportee’ nearly 80 years ago and it still rings true. What can I do but join him in fighting fascism the only way I know how? With my conscience, with my guitar, with my voice.” – Eilen Jewell

Track Credits:
Eilen Jewell – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Jason Beek – Drums, vocals
Jerry Miller – Electric guitar
Matt Murphy – Upright bass

Carly King, “Three Martinis”

Artist: Carly King
Hometown: New Jersey and Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Three Martinis”
Album: Loving You Is Easy
Release Date: March 25, 2026 (single); May 15, 2026 (album)
Label: First City Artists

In Their Words: “I wrote this song about the first time I went to New York with my fiancé, who at the time was my boyfriend of one month and my brother’s best friend of 15 years. We stayed in a tiny hotel room and spent the whole day wandering Manhattan, falling in love, and ducking into dive-y music shops. I found a guitar I fell in love with and bought it and we carried it around the city all day – well, mostly he did. I remember feeling how simple and lucky everything was. Later, over martinis at the Carlyle Hotel (my namesake), guitar beside us, we talked deeply about our past, our families, and our future, and I knew I wanted to build a life with him around music. This song is the first date – it’s the taxi cab that takes you into the album.” – Carly King

Adam Klein, “Burnin’ Love”

Artist: Adam Klein
Hometown: Tucker, Georgia
Song: “Burnin’ Love”
Album: Live at Leesta Vall Sound Recordings
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Label: Cowboy Angel Music

In Their Words: “This album is a mix of previously released and unreleased songs. ‘Burnin’ Love’ was originally released on my 2015 album, Archer’s Arrow, with a full band presentation. Here, like all the songs on this new record, it’s stripped back to just acoustic guitar, vocals, and violin. But it still feels like it packs a punch. It randomly occurred to me to play it on tour in this duo format a couple nights before the session at Leesta Vall, so it’s fresh and a bit off the cuff. If the Archer’s Arrow version gave a nod to Neil Young & Crazy Horse in the sound of the electric guitar, somehow Adam Poulin’s fiddle playing here achieves something similar in its abandon.

“The song itself was written on my first full day in the village I lived in for two years during my Peace Corps service in rural Mali in West Africa. I was listening to the metal roof of my two-room mud house crackle from the blistering sunlight and questioning all my decisions – did I really want to spend two years here on my own in this curious land? It all loomed before me like a joke. I remember thinking of the feeling of solitude and emptiness that accompanies the end of love, and channeled it into this two-chord song.” – Adam Klein

Track Credits:
Adam Klein – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Adam Poulin – Violin, vocals

Video Credits: Filmed and edited by Jeff Shipman.

John R. Miller, “If You Could Only See Me Now”

Artist: John R. Miller
Hometown: West Virginia
Song: “If You Could Only See Me Now”
Release Date: March 27, 2026
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: “I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with William Matheny for a majority of my musical life at this point. Probably 15 years or so now, definitely in the widest variety of musical situations. The first time I saw him play at 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 2004 I passed out on a bench and somehow remembered his set that night. I’d get to meet him a few years later and we’ve been playing shows together ever since.

“William’s been playing in bands since he was in the single digits, and his body of work as a songwriter is huge and detailed, with recurring motifs and great riffs. His way of zooming in on the minutiae of viscerally familiar settings in his writing is something I have always admired, and his songs are imbued with literary and philosophical references that reward repeated listening.

“This is my take on a country song of his, one that we recorded some years back for his album That Grand, Old Feeling. I’ve always loved this song, feels like some unearthed forgotten classic country gem every time I hear it. It’s an evocative, tongue-in-cheek ode to the gutter that reads like a drunk postcard to a lost loved one back home.” – John R. Miller

“I’ve played a lot of music with John R. Miller over the years. Sometimes it was my band, sometimes it was his, and sometimes it was something else entirely. When the subject comes up, I usually tell people that we’ve been giving each other the same hundred dollars back and forth for 15 years. I say that completely in jest, of course. We’ve only recently started making that kind of money. When John played [the song] for me, I was incredibly flattered. I mean, it’s certainly not as if he’s hurting for material. On a completely selfish level, I got a huge kick out of hearing such a great singer interpret it and the Tulsa players putting their own spin on it.

“I love songs that bury the lede on the listener a little bit. Stuff like Tom Waits’ ‘Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis,’ Tom T. Hall’s ‘The Homecoming’ or ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’ by Tom Jones. I didn’t want to let guys named Tom have all the fun, so I wrote this.” – William Matheny

Unspoken Tradition, “Company Man”

Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Western North Carolina
Song: “Company Man”
Release Date: March 27, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “When Unspoken Tradition first started trying to find our niche, we branded ourselves as ‘working class bluegrass.’ Though we’ve grown and evolved, that is still very much who we are. ‘Company Man’ perfectly exemplifies this slogan. Our nation was built by folks just like the man portrayed in this song. I’ve known and was even raised by a few of them. I’d like to think that the men and women this song was written about would appreciate our music.

“The song tells the story of a man who seems to live to work, not work to live. There’s pride in that, but also a sense of stoic sadness. The lines, ‘Only thing waiting is a watch and chain’ and, ‘Old men are really what the company makes’ hit so hard, and could have only been written by Tim Stafford and Mark Bumgarner. These guys are two incredibly talented songwriters and we’re honored they shared this song with us. Evoking images of the hard-working people we all know and love, this song is a bittersweet reminder to work hard but not make work your master.” – Audie McGinnis

Track Credits:
Audie McGinnis – Acoustic guitar, lead vocal
Sav Sankaran – Upright bass, harmony vocal
Tim Gardner – Fiddle, harmony vocal
Ty Gilpin – Mandolin
Zane McGinnis – Banjo

Photo Credit: John R. Miller by Larry Nieuhes; Eilen Jewell by Damu Malik.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Dirk Powell, Daniel Grindstaff, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Need some new music in your life? You Gotta Hear This!

This time, our weekly roundup is kicked off – pun intended – by mandolinist and singer-songwriter Ashby Frank, who has just released “Stokes County Buck Dancing Man.” Written with Mason Via, the track pays tribute to the tradition of flatfooting and buck dancing at fiddlers conventions, old-time jams, and bluegrass festivals – especially giving homage to Todd “The Bod” Inman of Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention fame. It’s modern bluegrass with plenty of fun, down-home, mountain music infusions. Also in bluegrass, Daniel Grindstaff & the Uptown Troubadours have a brand new self-titled album out today. To celebrate, we’re sharing their cover of “Denver,” a song written by the legendary Larry Gatlin. Whatever the genre, whomever the artist, the song certainly shines; Grindstaff and company do it justice.

Old-time, Cajun, and Americana musician Dirk Powell shares a new lyric video with us today, as well. “Down The Line” captures the musical itinerant lifestyle and career Powell has made for himself, reflecting on the journeys he’s taken from his home in Louisiana to points all over the map – but especially Powell’s beloved Southwest. From West Virginia, singer-songwriter Brad Goodall draws from the river town vibes of his native Huntington for “River Water.” Found at the confluence of clean, manicured soft rock and gritty Americana folk rock, Goodall plays with themes well-placed in roots music: home, belonging, leaving, staying, and – eventually – coming to terms with all of it.

Texan artist, songwriter, and cowgirl Candace Hastings has brought us her new song, “Loving Cowboys,” today as well. It’s a song about being left behind by the person you love, watching the dust kick up from their truck tires as they head off to make their living. Jazzy and swinging, it’s country steeped in the “& western” most of the genre has long since dropped, but Texas keeps well alive for all of us to enjoy. To wrap us up, SUSTO’s acoustic iteration, Susto Stringband, team up with Morgan Wade for “Hard Drugs,” off an upcoming second volume of Susto Stringband. The group wasn’t originally planning to include this song on the project, but were convinced by Wade – to the benefit of each of us.

There’s so much to check out and enjoy below! You Gotta Hear This…

Ashby Frank, “Stokes County Buck Dancing Man”

Artist: Ashby Frank
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Stokes County Buck Dancing Man”
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I wrote this song with my buddy Mason Via. We both attended fiddlers conventions and bluegrass festivals in North Carolina and Virginia when we were kids and, of course, flatfoot buck dancing and clogging are a big part of these events. There were always so many great musicians and dancers there, as well as some larger-than-life personalities, but Todd ‘The Bod’ Inman from Stokes County, North Carolina, might have been the biggest and brightest character of them all.

“We wrote this song as a tribute to Todd and we were able to send him a work tape version of it before he passed away from cancer in 2024. He loved being the life of the party and the star of the show and he seemed to really get a kick out of our song about him. Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention will never be the same without his iconic dance moves and sense of humor. I was so pleased that Mason agreed to sing harmony with me on this track and I’m so very proud of how it turned out. This one’s for The Bodman!” – Ashby Frank

Track Credits:
Ashby Frank – Mandolin, lead vocal
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitar
Travis Anderson – Bass
Matt Menefee – Banjo
Tony Creasman – Drums
Mason Via – Harmony vocal
Jim VanCleve – Fiddle

Daniel Grindstaff, “Denver”

Artist: Daniel Grindstaff
Hometown: Elizabethton, Tennessee
Song: “Denver”
Album: Daniel Grindstaff & The Uptown Troubadours
Release Date: March 20, 2026 (album)
Label: Bonfire Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Denver’ lyrically paints a picture and tells a story of heartbreak set against the backdrop of the Rockies. Written more than 40 years ago by legendary songwriter Larry Gatlin, I felt it was the perfect time to introduce ‘Denver’ to a new bluegrass audience. There’s so much about the song that I loved when I first heard it – the melody, the storyline, and the vocal lift in the chorus all grabbed me. Being a huge fan of Larry Gatlin’s songwriting and the music of the the Gatlin Brothers, it’s an honor to put our spin on this great song and show how incredible lyrics and melodies can move through genres and generations and stand the test of time.” – Daniel Grindstaff

Brad Goodall, “River Water”

Artist: Brad Goodall
Hometown: Huntington, West Virginia
Song: “River Water”
Album: Hometown
Release Date: March 20, 2026 (single); May 1, 2026 (album)

In Their Words: “Biographical in nature, this song pulled from me a lot of the bittersweet feelings I have regarding my surroundings. ‘You can leave it, it’ll be there when you need it,’ in the hook. West Virginia isn’t going anywhere, and it’s home, but finding my own brand of happiness here took a lot of maturing, because I spent much of my twenties confused, frustrated, and wanting out. As my values changed, my outlook on it brightened.

“This song became more than I imagined in the initial demos. The record version scratches my soft rock itch and even leaves room for a hypothetical live jam in the instrumental bridge section – both of those qualities are pure to me. I was also lucky to have found a defining riff song, which has blossomed again in trending indie and folk songs of today’s landscape. ‘River Water’ is a personal favorite of mine for another reason, it’s malleable. On the road last year and now, I’ve played it as a solo piano ballad, which has brought me close to the tune in inspiring new ways.” – Brad Goodall

Track Credits:
Brad Goodall – Vocals, piano, songwriter, producer
Jason Boesel – Producer
Zack Owens – Guitar, vocals
Griff Goldsmith – Drums, vocals
Macey Taylor – Bass
Jack Tellmann – Engineer

Candace Hastings, “Loving Cowboys”

Artist: Candace Hastings
Hometown: San Marcos, Texas
Song: “Loving Cowboys”
Release Date: March 26, 2026

In Their Words: “I’ve loved a lot of leavers in my life. ‘Loving Cowboys’ is for all of us who stay home and watch the truck kick up dust on the way out of the gate at sunrise or the ship pull away from the dock for yet another six-month tour. It’s about loving someone with a divided heart, a touchstone for those of us who are left behind – how much are we willing to give up of ourselves to make someone else’s dreams come true? ‘Loving Cowboys’ is a song that gets folks to push back the tables in a crowded bar and dance in the dark. It’s a late-night, jazz-tinted country ballad you can’t help but sway to, a dive bar classic jukebox tune that closes out the night for every lonely heart in the joint. So close the blinds and turn down the lights – it’s time to dance.” – Candace Hastings

Track Credits:
Candace Hastings – Vocals, guitar
Lloyd Maines – Guitar
Glen Fukunaga – Upright bass
Chris Gage – Piano
Pat Manske – Drums

Dirk Powell, “Down The Line”

Artist: Dirk Powell
Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana (Born in Oberlin, Ohio into a family with deep Kentucky roots.)
Song: “Down The Line”
Album: Wake
Release Date: April 17, 2026 (album)
Label: The Last Music Company

In Their Words: “Softly rolling banjos, stark guitars, and distant fiddles paint pictures of journeys from my home in Louisiana through places that have inspired me to lay everything on the line – and given me settings in which to do so. West. South. I’ll take either one, but both at once makes the blood rise in my chest. To feel the moisture of the Gulf give way to chaparral, then to scrubby plains, and finally to the bright desert. Danger and its opposite.” – Dirk Powell

Susto Stringband, “Hard Drugs” Featuring Morgan Wade

Artist: Susto Stringband
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Hard Drugs” featuring Morgan Wade
Album: Susto Stringband (Volume Two)
Release Date: May 29, 2026 (album)
Label: Missing Piece Records

In Their Words: “‘Hard Drugs’ was written in the early days of SUSTO, shortly after the release of our self-titled debut. It’s a song about loss, and performing it for years has always taken me back to the moment when it was written. It’s one of the songs from our catalog that people have really latched on to over the years and I’m glad to have been able to revisit it for Susto Stringband (Volume Two). I wasn’t originally planning on including this track for the record, but after chatting with Morgan [Wade] about doing a feature for the album, she requested this one in particular and I’m really glad she did. Morgan’s vocals, along with the string band reimagining of the song, have really breathed new life into it for me and reminded me that songs written from the heart can continue to transcend when presented in new light. I’m so grateful for Morgan adding her voice to this song and the stories it represents, and I’m extra glad to finally share it with the world!” – Justin Osborne

Photo Credit: Dirk Powell by Karen Cox; Daniel Grindstaff courtesy of Bonfire Music Group.