Tag: Sam Lewis

LISTEN: Harley Kimbro Lewis, “Creepin’ Charlie”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Harley Kimbro Lewis (Martin Harley, Daniel Kimbro and Sam Lewis)
Hometown: Hertfordshire (UK); Knoxville, Tenn.; Nashville
Song: “Creepin’ Charlie”
Album: Harley Kimbro Lewis
Release Date: February 22, 2022
Label: HKL Records

In Their Words: “Murder ballads are a common thread in folk music, especially here in Appalachia. This song is more of a suggestion that there might be some killing done. An old song I thought would never see the light of day that sprouted while weeding the wife’s garden…I was asking my wife why I couldn’t seem to get rid of two plants in particular, especially in the margins of the garden; between the sidewalk cracks and amongst the plants we intended to cultivate. She said, ‘That’s Creeping Charlie and Devil Vine.’ I grew up in a small town called Morristown, where news travels fast. For some reason my frustration while weeding manifested as a song about a brokenhearted man tending to his own unrequited love.” — Daniel Kimbro

Photo Credit: Harley Kimbro Lewis

Exclusive: Bluegrass Underground Reveals Season X Lineup

Posted on by Editor

The Bluegrass Situation is pleased to announce the artists for Bluegrass Underground’s milestone Season X on PBS. From March 27 through March 29, the Bluegrass Underground TV taping from The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee will treat music fans to performances by the finest in roots music and Americana.

This special 10th anniversary taping features cutting-edge singer-songwriters Cam, Yola, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Sam Lewis, and harmonious duos Mandolin Orange and three-time Grammy-nominated Milk Carton Kids, as well as legends like Asleep at the Wheel and Blind Boys of Alabama, and rising stars like bluegrass phenom Molly Tuttle, groove-driven jam band Goose, and psychedelic soul group Black Pumas, plus a surprise act to be announced in the coming weeks.

Jam-packed into one epic weekend of underground concerts, the performances will be captured for the 10th anniversary of the multiple Emmy Award-winning Bluegrass Underground series on PBS. To be in attendance at the 3-day live taping event is a music lover’s ultimate experience. The milestone Season X will premiere in the fall of 2020 on PBS stations nationwide.

“It’s amazing that Bluegrass Underground is the second-longest music series on American Public Television,” says Todd Mayo, Bluegrass Underground creator and co-producer. “And we look forward to the next 10 years of partnering with PBS in presenting the quality and diversity of roots music from one of the most iconic music destinations in the world, The Caverns in Grundy County, Tennessee.”

Three-Day & Single-Day Tickets go on sale on Friday, November 22 at 11 am CT at TheCaverns.com

Here’s the lineup for Bluegrass Underground Season X PBS TV Taping in The Caverns:

March 27:

● Molly Tuttle: An artist on the leading edge of bluegrass music, steeped in tradition while driving the genre forward in today’s musical landscape.

● Goose: This New England band’s mix of rock, funk, tropical grooves and extended jams will turn The Caverns into a subterranean dance party.

● Cam: From a GRAMMY nomination to headlining the Ryman Auditorium, this multi-platinum country singer-songwriter is a force to be reckoned with.

● Asleep at the Wheel: Ray Benson has now been leading a Western Swing band longer than Bob Wills, and he brings his iconic group to The Caverns for their 50th Anniversary Tour. Historic.

March 28:

● Sam Lewis: Best-known for touring and collaborating with Chris Stapleton (who helped inaugurate Bluegrass Underground in 2008), this singer-songwriter is one of the defining talents of modern Americana.

● Courtney Marie Andrews: Powerful vocals, passionate songs from one of today’s finest singer-songwriters.

● The Milk Carton Kids: One of Americana’s best live acts, the duo of singer/guitarists Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan combine close harmonies, wonderful original songs and humor.

● TBA: Bluegrass Underground will be announcing the day’s fourth artist in coming weeks. Who doesn’t love a surprise?

March 29:

● Blind Boys of Alabama: A rousing Sunday in The Caverns with the five-time GRAMMY Award-winning gospel group that helped create the genre.

● Black Pumas: Austin, Texas is known for its dynamic live music scene. Black Pumas are the city’s leading soul/funk band. Enough said.

● Yola: Demolishing genre with her evocative voice and debut record Walk Through Fire, Yola establishes herself as the Queen of Country Soul from the very first note.

● Mandolin Orange: Intimate and emotional, the music of multi-instrumental duo Emily Frantz and songwriter Andrew Marlin draws you into their world with a sound that floats like a butterfly, but speaks to the heart.

While the national festival season remains in hibernation, Bluegrass Underground and The Caverns will welcome spring to the rolling hills of Tennessee with its unique, world-renowned combination of top artists, award-winning sound and lighting production, and breathtaking natural beauty, creating an underground festival experience like none other. Bluegrass Underground events feature a clean and comfortable, fan-friendly environment, complete with high-quality concessions and beverage offerings, including craft beers.

Tickets & travel packages and Stay-and-Cave hotel packages make for a perfect and easy getaway weekend. Packages include the best seats to all tapings, lodging accommodations for two, transportation to and from the venue, food, and commemorative merchandise. There is no better way to experience the Bluegrass Underground tapings than a Stay-and-Cave package. Packages and tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 22nd at 11am central at TheCaverns.com

Bluegrass Underground is underwritten on PBS by Tennessee Tourism and by Grundy County, Tennessee. The 12-episode series is presented to PBS nationally in partnership with WCTE in Cookeville, Tennessee, which serves the Upper Cumberland and Middle Tennessee.

Sam Lewis, A Blue Jeans Type of Person

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Would you jump at the opportunity to hang out with Americana singer/songwriter Sam Lewis at a bowling alley while he waxes poetic about style? We would — and we did. He may describe his simple, blue jean style as “mediocre,” but his eye for detail, his love of functionality, and the sentimental value of pieces that some would consider everyday or commonplace set his looks apart. 

I’m clueless when it comes to style and fashion. I’m rarely comfortable wearing the clothes that make up my wardrobe and that’s probably why I despise shopping and will happily wear any article of clothing someone might give me before they donate it to a charity shop or, frighteningly enough, throw it away. It truly sickens me that some people throw away clothes… they’re probably the same people that leave the faucet running full blast while they are brushing their teeth.

I got into work boots recently. I’ve been wearing a pair of work boots since November. I don’t remember where they came from, or why I started wearing them, but I love them. It’s been a “get shit done” few months for me and I’m almost compelled to credit my footwear for helping me complete so many tasks. I’m a blue jean type of person — always have been and always will be. I love t-shirts with silly sayings and socks that compliment them. Long johns — thermal underwear, or whatever you call them — are in daily rotation from October through March. I’m not kidding. Ask anyone that knows me well enough and they’ll either agree or ask you to leave them alone. I hate being cold; it hurts!

Accessories can be very telling and extremely personal items; they typically find you and they certainly have stories to tell. The few I own are beyond being called “accessories.” I have a long, beaded necklace with a ceramic dove at the end that’s been with me since 2012. I purchased it from a registered nurse at a fire department fundraiser in Southwestern Virginia. She had a table filled with jewelry she made in her spare time. She told me the beads on the necklace I was holding were given to her by one of her favorite patients, who passed the year prior. They are similar to rosary beads and in place of the crucifix that you usually find sits a small dove that the nurse told me signifies peace.

I also have a leather belt that I wear almost daily that I purchased from a charity shop in 2003. It was already worn in when I found it and you can imagine the shape that it’s in currently. A few years ago a friend of mine gifted me an elaborate silver and turquoise belt buckle that now proudly holds the belt together. There’s a ring I wear most days that I found in New Orleans (my favorite city) that has a feather design that unintentionally matches the feathers on the belt buckle. These three items have been with me all over the world yet their stories were shared with very few people. I truly believe most things in life find you and not the other way around. Almost everything I truly cherish was either gifted to me or found me at the right place and right time.

Donelson Bowl is one of my favorite spots in Nashville. If they had better coffee and rented cots for overnight slumbers I would probably be paying rent there right now. Other than that, they have everything else you could want or need. Lots of room too; I like space. Space is so underrated. Space is my favorite instrument in music, but we are not talking about music right now so I’ll spare you anymore insight into that topic.

Photos by Kelly Amber Garcia