John Dickson has been fostering the Texas music scene for over five decades and is the brains behind one of the best country music festivals in the United States. John joins me on Only Vans to talk about the 40th anniversary of MusicFest, which is held annually in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
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Quite possibly the most talented guest we’ve had on Only Vans so far, Kristi Grider is a good friend of mine from the New Braunfels, Texas, area and we dig into topics like playing and teaching piano, being a substitute player, singing harmony, high-profile gigs, The Finishing School, therapizing your friends, and the benefits of walking.
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This is such interesting timing, having my friend Kristi Grider join me this week on the podcast. We recorded this episode right before the devastating floods in Kerrville, Texas, which happens to be Kristi’s hometown. Her heart is so big for her community, and she has encouraged everyone to go to CommunityFoundation.net to donate to this unimaginable tragedy.
Kristi is married to fellow Las Crucen (that’s where I’m from!) Josh Grider and we have gotten really close in recent years living in the same city here in Texas. In addition to her own writing, recording, and solo shows, she performs in cream-of-the-crop cover bands, plays shows with Josh, teaches piano lessons, and is a great mom. I’m so glad that she clarified that Josh is really supportive of her career; it’s the perfect example of how people can make incorrect assumptions from the outside. Kristi talks about being in my songwriting accountability group – where you force yourself to write a song every two weeks – which I stole from my producer Rachel Loy, who we give a lot of well-deserved love to on this episode.
Give Kristi a follow on Instagram and be sure to stream her new EP, All Right – and all her music – wherever you listen. She’s as beautiful as she is talented, so my joke about her being ugly is… a joke.
Photo Credit: AnneMarie Creative
Today’s Only Vans guests are one of the coolest and cutest bands in Austin, Texas! We get to talk with Kelly, Jace, Cody, and Violet of Madam Radar about palindromes, The Goose on Lime Creek, band names, and family bands, about The Finishing School, female musicians, genre lines, and their new album, Motel.
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Madam Radar is a band made up of two married couples: Kelly Green on lead guitar (y’all, she slays!), her husband Jace Cadle on rhythm guitar, Kody Lee on drums, Violet Lea on bass, and everyone sings and writes. Kelly and Kody are also brother and sister, so this band has really amazing chemistry and the coolest vibe. They’re all good at everything (except for math, Kelly jokes at the beginning if you don’t catch that).
They did end up selling out their album release party at Empire Garage in Austin, Texas this past May for their new record, Motel. Their producer Steve Berlin is a member of the band Los Lobos, but also has been a session musician in the studio for many amazing artists such as Sheryl Crow and R.E.M. We also talk former projects like The Texas KGB (which is where I first saw Kelly and fell in love) and current projects like PAACK (an all-female supergroup that plays weekly at our favorite The Saxon Pub). We give a shoutout to HAAM – for providing Austin musicians with health insurance and so much more – Swan Songs, and Dave and Rebecca at The Goose on Lime Creek for providing the amazing space in which to record this podcast.
Photo Credit: Mark Del Castillo
Today, I interview a legend! Gary P. Nunn joins the pod to talk about the Texas Country Music Cruise, writing a book, friendship with Willie Nelson, drummers and Texas Music Heritage.
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First thing: obviously the audio here is not ideal, and I really apologize. I was at a songwriting retreat in the sticks, so from my end, there was a lag and also some audio that cuts in and out. But when you get the chance to interview Gary P. Nunn, you take it! So even though I was not purposefully interrupting Gary P — I would never — it does happen due to the delay in audio. This legend is so unbelievably kind, open, fun, and genuine. We talk about his book At Home With The Armadillo, which I own and adore, and his new record To Texas With Love which is also fantastic. We talk about Willie and Jerry Jeff Walker, writing the epic song “London Homesick Blues,” all of the success around his song, “The Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” (which I had to sing in front of him at Steamboat, terrifying), and how he has stayed super independent through all of the changes in the music industry.
Gary P. and I share a love of red wine, and I spill the beans that I will be joining the Texas Country Music Cruise in Fall of 2026! You can see me there next year and Gary P. this year! Head to TexasCountryMusicCruise.com to book that right away!
Thanks to Gary P. Nunn for hanging in there with me through the audio mishaps, and go to GaryPNunn.com for all of his merch, tour, videos, you name it! And Gary P! Release that photobook!
Photo Credit: Valerie Fremin Photography
Today we make a new friend! ISMAY is an outstanding human and artist based in California who happens to have a podcast of her own on The BGS Podcast Network! We went wayyy over on time so you’re welcome and I hope you enjoy learning about ISMAY as much as I did!
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ISMAY is an alternative folk music project driven by California-based singer/songwriter Avery Hellman. Avery does it all: curates a music festival called Woollystar, releases amazing records (go listen to ISMAY’s Desert Pavement LP now), and is currently working on a project documenting the early-musical footsteps of Americana icon Lucinda Williams. We dive into that immediately, and bring up Charlie Sexton, an amazing producer who was in Bob Dylan’s band and co-founded the Arc Angels. The Finding Lucinda podcast they recorded on this journey is out NOW everywhere you listen, and is presented by our same amazing podcast network, The Bluegrass Situation! Growing up on a farm in Sonoma County, California, with a grandfather who founded the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, ISMAY is an incredible product of that farm and musical lifestyle. You’re gonna “flip” when we talk about Avery’s phone, and we were instant friends!
Today’s guest on Only Vans is one of my bestest friends in the whole world, Mr. “Wear My Ring” himself, the one and only Bart Crow! We talk about everything from sales tax and pranks to parenthood and career trajectories.
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I want to tell you about how much I absolutely adore my friend Bart Crow, but since I don’t have two hours, you’ll pick up on it throughout the podcast. From Maypearl, Texas, Mr. “Wear My Ring” is as cool as he sounds – and dresses. Seriously, Bart always looks great. Shout out to the wifey for some of that, I’m sure.
We talk a lot about Bart’s new EP, Hey Pretty Thing, which was recorded at the studio of Gordy Quist from the Band of Heathens called The Finishing School. The “Nick” we refer to here as the EP producer is the one and only Nick Jay. I love the insight on recording a full-length album versus an EP. I’ve really wanted to dive into that and Bart was the perfect person for that conversation and much more – like not traveling with a band trailer or your own sound person!
We talk about the old days of touring and how it’s okay to play less and make more, even though that’s still a giant mind-shift for us both. I am glad that at the end we summarize we are very happy with our careers, but Bart always wants more in his career just like I do, which is probably why we are such great friends. Don’t take it too hard if a record doesn’t catapult you into superstar fame. You can still have a long, fantastic career and become best buds with someone that’s your hero, like me with Bart.
Oh! And if you don’t know like I didn’t know (but pretended to), Bryce Harper is a baseball player for the Phillies.
Two of my favorite brothers in Texas music, Garrett and Stewart Mann, make up The Statesboro Revue and they joined me on the couches for this weeks episode of Only Vans. We talk about using AI for tasks, back hair, battling siblings, and their brand new self-titled album!
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Y’all, we just heard that we are in the top 10% of all podcasts. You heard that right! This li’l operation that started with just me and Kyle, and is distributed by the BGS Podcast Network, is picking up steam. We have a big goal to get to the top 5% of all podcasts this year, and you can really help us out by liking, subscribing, and sharing wherever you listen. Thank you!
Today on Only Vans, I talk to brothers Stewart and Garrett Mann, who make up The Statesboro Revue. Their voices are very similar, but they’re very different, and their brotherly banter is adorable. Stewart is the lead singer and plays guitar and Garrett plays lead guitar and sings harmonies – and occasional lead if you’re lucky enough to catch that at a live show!
You can tell we’ve been buddies for over a decade and I love talking to them about the all-star local New Braunfels softball team that they put together (I mean all-star musician lineup, not necessarily that they were as successful on the field, as you’ll hear). The brothers starred in a Buddy Holly theater production and I tell them a story about a cricket (because Buddy Holly’s band was called The Crickets). Garrett is also in the band Timber Wilde with my friend Bo Brumble.
Statesboro’s new album is a really cool, self-titled collection of songs. Please check it out and give them a follow – as of this recording they’ve got some shows all around Texas. And sorry that Garrett cusses in here, Mama Bagwell.
My fairly new and hilarious friend, Steve Treviño, kindly welcomed us into his home podcast studio to film this episode of Only Vans. We talk about sleeping with your road manager, comedy and music parallels, representing Mexican-American culture, The Comedy Store, mentors, and more.
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Comedian Steve Treviño must be one of the most generous, kind, and brilliant human beings. I know he’s hilarious, and we have spent tiny pockets of time together in passing before this interview, but this man is a legit all-around family man, entrepreneur, road warrior, and not to mention, an extreme giver of his time. As you’ll find out, he was going to Canada to do a big show the morning after this interview and still agreed to this somehow– and invited Kyle and I to use his podcast room at his house in the Texas Hill Country (because my RV was in the shop)!
In our Only Vans conversation, Steve and I get into what we have in common, like being on the road, being with a partner who is also an entertainer, and the parallels of the music biz and the comedy biz. I love his insider insight into Nashville vs. Texas and we talk about Steve being an integral part in opening Gruene Recording Studio, seven minutes from my house. His hustle is unmatched and it’s so beautiful how much he loves and supports Texas music. Wait ’til you hear his Pat Green story – and the Randy we mention a lot is, in fact, Randy Rogers.
Steve takes a phone call with his wife Renae mid-podcast, which ends up being our first comedic bit together about it potentially being about Steve having cancer… anyway, Renae is @iamrenaewithana on Instagram. She is equally as talented and brilliant, and Steve would probably argue she is more of those things than him. But give him and her a follow and if you have not seen Steve live, he’s going everywhere and his tour sells out quick! SteveTreviño.com is the website, and if you haven’t yet – what are you doing? – check out his comedy specials for down-to-earth, real-life, feel-good, truly memorable comedy!
KC Johns is an incredible singer-songwriter and artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. We had an excellent Only Vans conversation live from the mountain at Steamboat MusicFest 2025! In this episode we get into old fashioneds, cruise ship jobs, Nashville, singing in the mountains, touring overseas, and more.
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KC Johns and I met over social media and we became fast friends. She is a whiskey girl like me and has her own mesquite-smoked Thunder Whiskey. This was a live-audience episode recorded and filmed at MusicFest in Steamboat, Colorado. The audio for her live acoustic performances ended up being unusable, totally on our end, and I am so sorry about that. KC is such a great live singer, but unfortunately the recording was too distorted to use. Please go see her sing live if you can, or check her out on Instagram.
During this episode, I jump into talking about her life as a cruise ship performer, and also provide no context when I bring up her super clever song, “I Wanna Rock for Christmas.” Sorry gal, I just love that tune!
Anyway, this is KC Johns. Check out her new single, “Break From the Heart,” and KC, I will come find your next Key West show at Hogs Breath and crash your stage!
And, happy birthday to Only Vans producer Kyle! You rock.
Photo Credit: Bob Pierce
Sundance Head is not only one of my oldest friends in the Texas country scene, but also a previous winner of NBC’s The Voice – and probably the most insanely talented individual alive. In this episode we discuss divine intervention, OnlyFans, shooting yourself (accidentally), colonoscopies, and much more.
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Sundance Head has one of the most amazing voices of anyone I know and I was really thankful we got to showcase that at the last special live audience taping of this podcast at MusicFest in Steamboat, Colorado. Winner of the hit NBC TV show The Voice in 2016, Sundance has been showcased on a worldwide stage, but please go to SundanceHead.com and check out his current tour schedule so that you can go support him (and have your face melted off in person)!
Sundance is the son of Roy Head, who had a successful music career of his own; Roy Head and The Traits were inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2007 and that musical bloodline and those natural entertainer vibes shine in this episode. Sundance is so funny. Oh, and we talk about the bullet still lodged in his stomach. Everyone laughs and everyone cries. Enjoy!
Photo Credit: NBCU Photo Bank
