In our episode with Wisconsin-born, New England-based Jeffrey Foucault, we had a handful of questions for the singer-songwriter about his background: coffee, the Midwest, and Mark Twain wisdom. Then, we talked about Billy Conway for more than an hour. Conway was Foucault’s long-time partner in music, his drummer, and best friend who died from cancer in 2021. He was a roots rock and roll legend in Boston with his tenure in Morphine and Treat Her Right. Conway was like a holy man, known for his creative, curious, and infectious spirit where even people who met him only one time (myself included) were quite taken and inspired by his presence. His loss hit the music community hard. In 2023, a tribute album showcasing the songwriting of Conway recorded by some of his closest friends (including Chris Smither, Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, and Billy’s wife Laurie Sargent) was released. And now, with his latest album release, Jeff’s given us a working wake for his friend Billy, The Universal Fire.
Elsewhere in the episode, we talked about what was going on with Jeff when he met and started working with Billy in 2013. What state of mind made this spectacular friendship and collaboration completely click? Jeff has also been conscious about his reaction to Conway’s death and processing grief, when it comes to being an example for his teenage daughter (who is also getting into folk music and live performance, too – hi, Hazel!)
We also dig into the new album. Jeffrey paralleled the loss of Billy Conway with a different type of loss, the 2008 fire at the Universal Studios lot in California that destroyed master tapes of hugely influential American recordings. And finally, we check in on how Jeffrey’s human-ness is faring in the high-tech world in the year 2024.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings are ubiquitous in American roots music. The life and musical partners have spent nearly 30 years defining and redefining what it means to be prolific bluegrass, old-time, and Americana inhabiters and masters. Now, with the release of Woodland, their first studio album in four years, it seems they’re entering a new phase of their illustrious and storied careers – one where their pace and positioning have changed, somewhat. Or perhaps, solidified.
Since 2020’s All the Good Times, Welch & Rawlings have not exactly receded into hermitage. They appear regularly as track features on others’ recordings, they released dozens and dozens and dozens of demos on several Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs albums, they perform regularly and make appearances on all star lineups, at ceremonies, and on tribute shows in and outside of Nashville. Yet, as with many artists responding to a post-COVID world, their artistry seems to be taking an intentional shift toward slowing down, acting with renewed purpose, and focusing on storytelling, canon-crafting, and legacy-building. But certainly not for ambition’s sake alone.
It makes perfect sense, then, that Woodland chooses the pair’s East Nashville studio as its focal point, the fertile soil from which this verdant collection of songs has been cultivated and through which they’ve been channeled. It’s a thread easily traceable across all of their work together, and separately as solo artists: To ground their music in reality and in their own everyday. For a pair of musicians who have inspired countless emulators and acolytes, it’s remarkable to watch them both remain committed to truth and simplicity, and to authenticity not as social currency, but as demonstration of selfhood and agency.
Welch & Rawlings are legends, roots superstars. At this point in their careers, we are viewing their brand identity’s realtime shift toward longevity, striding confidently into their nascent roles as Americana elders. Who could possibly be better poised for this new era? Woodland, as nearly all of Welch & Rawlings’ outings over the past decade, seems to say these two global stars would really, truly be okay if the music industry shuttered once more or if they never stepped foot onto a stage in a 3,000-seat theatre again. These are creators in this business for themselves – though never self-serving. The tableaus and dioramas on Woodland, iconoclastic and archetypical Welch & Rawlings, are never small, but they are often minute. Nuanced. Detailed.
This is Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, after all. Surrounded throughout their long-running heyday by roots-infused, vest-wearing celebrities and bands like Mumford & Sons, Punch Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, and many more, they’ve time and time again refused to allow their own art to be enveloped or eclipsed by Americana-as-costume, or to devolve into millennial “shabby chic” as an aesthetic, or to revert to Pinterest-style, cottagecore performances of wholesome, American values to make a living. They even rose above the reflexive pigeon-holing following the massive success of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, using the soundtrack and tour’s enormous gravity for a slingshot assist into the stratosphere, rather than finding themselves in a limiting though profitable niche.
They started their careers as many folk, bluegrass, and old-time singers do – putting on “poverty drag” to signal their commitment to these songs and sounds, slumming it and road dogging while building their business bit by bit, paying their dues, worshipping at the feet of bluegrass and Americana forebears. Over time, Welch & Rawlings shifted from being simply performers of these aesthetics to being residents and artisans within these traditions. Apprentices become masters, pupils become professors. And, now, they themselves are the forebears building standards and models for new, oncoming generations just as Ralph Stanley, John Hartford, and so many more did for them.
Woodland isn’t exactly a turning point, but Gillian Welch & David Rawlings are certainly entering a new era. While so much of what we know and love about this duo remains remarkably consistent across their music and releases over time (even going all the way back to Revival in 1996), this project reveals that only now, 30-some years since they began their journey in music, could Welch & Rawlings actually become the authentic Americana stalwarts that they’ve always strived to be. They’ve been dressing for the job they want the whole time, gradually becoming one with the characters that first stepped on stage those decades ago. Their catalog is a gradient, a line graph of growing and becoming, rising above theater and performance to a place of intimate self expression and respectful, expert mastery. However forest-for-the-trees it feels to state, these are no longer just the traditions they love, these are their traditions.
Below, enjoy our Essential Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Playlist. And, if you want more, you can return to 2017, when Welch was our Artist of the Month at the time of her Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg release – and revisit our Essentials Playlist from that time. Later in September, we’ll have an exclusive AOTM interview feature with both Gillian and Dave, so stay tuned as we celebrate Woodland all month long.
Forget the information age, we live in the age of hyper-stimulation. There seems to be less space to think – or to feel – than at any other point in human history, and music is not immune to that more-of-everything-all-at-once trap. But Andrew Combs’ sixth album Dream Pictures is your chance to take a break.
An acclaimed singer-songwriter with over a decade of work bridging country, folk, and pop songcraft, Combs is all too familiar with life on the run. He spent years trading his health and sanity for the precarious life of a traveling musician, but lately he’s been on a different program.
Born from quiet evenings of creative refuge, secluded in his garage after the kids went to bed, Dream Pictures finds Combs getting off the artistic treadmill and focusing on a sustainable life – one that includes a family and creative outlets not tied to a marketing calendar.
The result is a calming, relaxed fusion of roots pop and electronic folk, full of confessional character sketches and golden-hour contemplations that may require some slowing down to appreciate – but are well worth the effort. Basically, it’s the opposite of TikTok, and Combs spent one peaceful morning chatting with BGS about where it all came from.
It’s been about a dozen years since your debut album – how are you feeling about creativity as a job these days?
Andrew Combs: I feel more at ease and more creative and productive than I really ever have and I think that probably has a lot to do with just my schedule and having kids. I have no time to just sit around, so I don’t get caught in these periods of writer’s block or anything. I just don’t have time to do that.
Ok, that sounds pretty good!
Yeah, and I feel good. But I mean, the music industry is so fucked – especially for an artist at a lower level like myself. It’s just really hard. I’ve given up in a lot of ways trying to make a full money-making career out of it. I work a part-time job and I paint as well and I’ve decided that I want to do stuff that I want to do. That’s kept me going, and I’m actually happier than ever not being on the road all the time. I’m just doing things when they make sense and not looking at it as I have to go out on the road to make money.
That’s interesting. A lot of artists say that they do their best songwriting in periods of turmoil, but Dream Pictures feels very peaceful.
Yeah, I’d say the overall thesis statement about what the record is about is being content. And not to sound too “woo woo,” but just live in the moment and appreciate what is there around you. A year or two ago, I could easily fall into looking at Instagram and thinking “I should be doing that.” But for this record, I wrote all these songs in the evening after the kids went to bed in that sort of wind-down [stage]. … I kind of liken it to the golden hour of a summer night, just that quiet and calm time when my wife and I can interact as humans and adults and I can go to the garage and do my thing.
It is peaceful, but also patient. I was thinking like, “This is the opposite of TikTok,” and I mean that in a good way.
[Laughs] I actually chose this record to sign up on TikTok and try and put stuff on there and I’m just so lost. It’s so overwhelming when you open the thing, just like, “Bam!”
Likewise, back when you first started putting out records, Americana seemed like it was really exploding and growing, with a lot of new artists coming out. I’m just wondering, do you feel like the roots music scene has evolved in the last decade or so?
I don’t know if it’s evolved or de-volved. It seems like it’s just sort of an all-encompassing net for stuff that doesn’t work other places – which is great, and the cream of the crop is still amazing, but I do feel like there’s a lot of “genericana” going on. It’s just like I got a little bored with it and my origin into making music was electronic music, and then I drifted towards songwriting and Guy Clark, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and Townes Van Zandt, that kind of stuff. I still really think songs are important and words are important, but I’m also more interested in exploring different melodic things and the sonic quality of recording. I guess for a selfish reason, it’s just to keep me interested.
I can hear that mix of electronica and songwriting on Dream Pictures. You recorded everything with your friend Dom [Billett], what do you like most about how it came out?
We didn’t know we were starting a record. Dom – who has played with me live a lot and done a lot of recording with me, but never produced something with me – over COVID he built out his studio and got a tape machine, and he was like, “I’m just trying to figure this thing out. Do you have any songs that we can try?” The first song that I brought was “Your Eyes and Me,” and that ends up being one of my favorites. You can really hear the progression of him learning the tape machine … because by the end, it just sounds like a good recording. So I like that. I also feel like Dom’s friendship shows, at least to me. We also had our friend Spencer Cullum record some pedal steel, and it’s just us three. I like collaborating – but I really like collaborating when it’s a core group.
I read that “Eventide” was dedicated to your wife. Are you writing a lot of songs about family these days? What are you feeling inspired by?
Mostly right now, it’s about that contentment and mindfulness. I think it’s important for me to get out as well as I think it’s a worthwhile message to be spreading. There are also songs on the new record that another journalist I talked to – and he meant it in a really a nice way – he said they’re “low-stakes songwriting.” Songs that are about love, or heartbreak. Those kind of songs I’ve been writing for a long time. And I’m still able to harken back to my 20s and go through those feelings. I can still feel them like they were yesterday. But it probably helps to not be in despair and look back with a clear head.
Tell me a little bit about “Mary Gold.” It has a nice, delightful little bounce to it, and I love that lo-fi pop feel. What’s that one about?
That’s just a love song, kind of a “low-stakes songwriting” song. Just a feeling of this girl who doesn’t know how special she is, but in the eyes of the beholder is special. Lyrically, I think there’s some good stuff in there, but I was really focusing on that bounce you’re talking about. That ’70s pop feel, I felt like the record could use something like that. A lot of the songs are really subtle and soft and serious.
I dig the premise of “I’m Fine” – and the falsetto hook. Is that about trying to convince yourself you’re fine? Or is that more of that feeling when somebody asks “Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
I mean, I think it’s the latter. That’s the only song I co-wrote on this record and I’ve had it for a long time. The guy I wrote it with, Burton Collins is his name, we wrote again around when I was making the record and that song was good, but it just didn’t quite fit. So I just went back through stuff we had done in the past and was like, “Let me fiddle around with that one for a bit.” It ended up being fun.
What do you like about Dream Pictures as a title? Is that a central theme for the record, or just a cool title?
Well, I originally wanted to call it Eventide, but there’s a guitar-pedal company called Eventide and all my friends were like, “Oh, the pedal?” And I was like, “No, the time of evening.” [Laughs] They were like, “I didn’t know that’s what that meant.” So then Dream Pictures stood out, and the idea of that golden hour, in-between time of chaos and peace, which can also be associated with sleep. I feel like a lot of my song ideas and painting ideas come from that time period of just falling asleep or just waking up.
Big picture, what do you hope folks take away from this one? What are you looking for in the next 10 years?
Well, I hope people find a bit of peace and quiet with the record, and I hope it’s enjoyable. It’s sort of selfish, but I’m just happy to put it out there and get a piece of me out there. I don’t know what the future holds. I could say I’m going to make a synth pop record right now, but it could turn out to be something totally different, so I really don’t know. I’m just going to keep writing and being creative and enjoying my time here on earth.
Artist:Evan Honer Hometown: Surprise, Arizona Latest Album:Fighting For
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
It’s hard to pick just one, but the artist that I bring up most consistently is Tyler Childers. He was the first person where I realized how much lyrics mean to people and how much they meant to me. His way with words and how often he pushes his sound to be sonically different with each new project.
What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?
The best career advice I have received so far is to not compare yourself to any other artist and to realize that everyone is on their own timeline. No need to stress about the things you cannot control.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
My favorite memory currently was the last show of my first headline tour. I was so sick during the show and felt so many different emotions, but I was mainly relieved that I had made it through my my first tour. Tour has so many highs and lows, so I was just grateful to get through it.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
Stroopwafels and Jim Croce
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song that you adore that would surprise people?
I love Olivia Rodrigo, I think she is the greatest.
I moved around a lot as a child – from Ireland to Indianapolis to Puerto Rico to Seattle to Spain and more. It was so wonderful to experience different cultures and connect with new people. And I think these experiences caused me to have a restless soul. I am always looking for new people to meet and new experiences to have. I am always searching for meaning in life and for authenticity and joy. This Mixtape is for people struck by a seemingly endless sense of wanderlust who are enjoying the journey as we try to figure out this thing called life. – Katherine Nagy
“All Done” – Katherine Nagy with Austin Johnson
I wrote this song as I started living life the way I want to live. We only get one shot and I don’t want to have regrets. So the people-pleaser in me is “done pleasing everybody else, I can only be myself.”
“Starting Over” – Chris Stapleton
Sometimes I just want to pick up and start over again, like I did so many times as a child. A new house, new roads, new people, new experiences. I daydream about “starting over.”
“Into the Mystic” – Van Morrison
He is a fellow Irishman and I have always admired the passion of delivery and arrangements he uses in his songs. This classic has long rocked my gypsy soul.
“Angela” – The Lumineers
I have driven a Volvo since I was 16 years old, so I love the lyric about the “Volvo lights.” And so many times I’ve gone for long drives with the windows down listening to great songs that resonate with me the way this one does.
“Gypsy” – Stevie Nicks
I just adore Stevie and her essence. She is magical and whimsical and so in touch with her heart and art. I have always loved this song and related so strongly to it for years.
“Send me on My Way” – Rusted Root
This was one of the most fun concerts I have been to. It was at the House of Blues in Chicago. I was young and free as I danced all night enjoying the vibes of their music.
“Midnight Train to Georgia” – Indigo Girls
If the Indigo Girls are on the train – I am coming! Love their harmonies and beautiful melodies. This is a favorite and I perform it at my own shows.
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” – U2
Me neither, Bono! (another fellow Irishman) I am still searching over here. I’m always writing to process life and try out new things. Life is a journey of searching, and I’m not sure we ever find what we are looking for – wish I knew.
“Mockingbird” – Ruston Kelly
I am a sucker for beautiful guitar work and pedal steel. The intro to this song gets me every time and it just keeps getting better with the harmonica. It makes me want to go on a road trip. Plus, I love birds!
“The Time I’ve Wasted” – Lori McKenna
Let’s not waste time doing things or being with people that do not bring us joy. Life is too short, and “time goes by and when it’s gone it’s gone.” Live your life authentically – be brave.
“Shine” – Dolly Parton
I love Dolly and I love ’90s music, so this cover is just amazing and resonating with me. And I always want heaven to shine its light down!
“The Architect” – Kacey Musgraves
Kacey is an amazing writer. I love her music. This little gem of a song is so profound, as it’s trying to understand this beautiful life. Is there a higher power and what’s the masterplan?
“Keeps Getting Better” – Katherine Nagy
Stay optimistic and stay checked-in with life. Stay true to your heart and surround yourself with people that love you. If you do, it will just keep getting better.
To say good bye to the week and to August, we’ve got one more premiere round-up for the month – and, as always, You Gotta Hear This!
Among all the fine new music being released, we’re highlighting a handful of tracks newly minted or arriving very soon. First, there’s “Bring Out The Country (In Me),” the sole original number from Danielia Cotton’s new EP paying tribute to Country Music Hall of Famer Charley Pride. Then, check out singer-songwriter David Luning’s “Every Day I Am,” which explores the fear and anxiety of being a fugitive on the run.
As you continue, John Surge and the Haymakers bring us a properly Tex-Mex track, “Marisol,” from their upcoming album Maybe You Don’t Know Me. And, to bring us home, North Carolina-based bluegrass outfit Unspoken Tradition have a stellar cover of Alabama’s hit, “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why).”
It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!
Danielia Cotton, “Bring Out The Country (In Me)”
Artist:Danielia Cotton Hometown: Hopewell, New Jersey Song: “Bring Out The Country (In Me)” Album:Charley’s Pride: A Tribute to Black Country Music Release Date: August 29, 2024 Label: Cottontown LLC with Symphonic Distribution
In Their Words: “Coming to New York City from a small town was a major transition for me. What surprised me was how much of my small town ways and sensibility I didn’t lose. The big city can engulf you, however that made me more myself and embrace more of my country roots. Big cities, especially New York, are full of what is seemingly countless numbers of confident people, when in fact so many are struggling with the same need to define themselves and stand out. I think I finally realized that what makes me most unique is when I am true to myself.” – Danielia Cotton
Track Credits: Danielia Cotton, Marc Copely – Songwriters Danielia Cotton – Lead vocals Marc Copely – Guitars, backing vocals, programming Andy Hess – Bass Aaron Comess – Drums, percussion Ben Stivers – Piano, organ Rocco DeLuca – Pedal Steel Produced, engineered, and mixed by Marc Copely at Casa Copely Recording, NYC. Mastered by Greg Calbi.
David Luning, “Every Day I Am”
Artist:David Luning Hometown: Los Angeles via Forestville, California (Near Petaluma) Song: “Every Day I Am” Album:Lessons Release Date: September 6, 2024
In Their Words:“Movies, songs, and stories, particularly set in the American west, have highly romanticized the life of running from the law, but in reality, in the long run, it’s gotta suck. So much fear and anxiety all the time. Always on the run. ‘Looking over your shoulder.’ Fleeing the consequences of your actions. Can’t trust anyone. At least I know in my life, running from my fears or consequences of things that I’ve done has never improved a thing. So on the surface, ‘Every Day I Am’ is about somebody running from the law, but underneath lies the story of somebody that is ‘…always hoping that one day it’ll be alright,’ without realizing that it could be, if they stop running.” – David Luning
Track Credits: Written by David Luning. David Luning – Vocals, Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano Linden Reed – Drums Ben Dubin – Electric bass Dave Sampson – Electric guitar Alex Leach – Electric guitar Damien Lewis – Percussion, sound design
John Surge and the Haymakers, “Marisol”
Artist:John Surge Hometown: Los Angeles, California Song: “Marisol” Album:Maybe You Don’t Know Me Release Date: September 6, 2024 (single); September 20, 2024 (album) Label: Blackbird Record Label
In Their Words: “‘Marisol’ is a historical lament about a woman who claims ‘my love is like a heart attack, the kind of love that’ll keep you coming back.’ It has a rollicking feel that comes straight from the Doug Sahm playbook. The song has a natural Tex-Mex feel. I kept asking Tommy [Detamore], ‘What would Doug do?’ Detamore shared stories of producing Sahm’s final album, The Return of Wayne Douglas. We followed that inspiration and traveled down Sahm Highway.” – John Surge
Track Credits: John Surge – Vocals, acoustic guitar Randy Volin – Electric guitar, baritone guitar, harmony vocals Brennen Leigh – Harmony vocals Michael Guerra – Accordion Brad Fordham – Bass Tom Lewis – Drums Floyd Domino – Organ Kevin Jarvis – Percussion
Unspoken Tradition, “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”
Artist:Unspoken Tradition Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina Song: “I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)” Release Date: August 30, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “I was born in ’85, so ’90s country was a part of life during that period. I still use ’90s country to get back there, nostalgically. Alabama was an awesome country band, and vocally, this song is just so fun to sing. The a capella intro always grabbed my attention back then and knowing our band has so many capable singers, I wanted to give this one a try as a fun cover. As a father with a family, a full time job, and also juggling music and other things, the message of the song is a reminder to slow down some and enjoy the little things.” – Audie McGinnis, guitar and lead vocals
Track Credits: Audie McGinnis – Guitar, lead vocals Sav Sankaran – Bass, vocals Tim Gardner – Fiddle Zane McGinnis – Banjo Ty Gilpin – Mandolin
Photo Credit: Danielia Cotton by Chía Messina; Unspoken Tradition by Sandlin Gaither.
Throughout his music career, singer-songwriter Amos Lee has cultivated a large female fanbase and also owes a lot of his early start to Norah Jones (a female!). He’s about to hit the road co-headlining with folk music and queer icons the Indigo Girls. In our conversation, he talks about the atmosphere he’s going for in concert, and it’s not a very bro-centered vibe. His latest album Transmissions further proves his case with a gorgeous sonic palette that includes country music, indie folk, folk rock and acoustic music sounds. Recorded with his longtime band in a studio in rural Marlboro, New York, the songs came out as warm as the reclaimed church wood it was built out of.
Amos dives into topics like how he feels about kids, to his work with cancer patients, to the benefits of caring for your mental health and music. He touches on anxiety and overstimulation (a topic mostly prompted by my anxiety!) and overcoming adversity. He also talks about being a mentor for the Black Opry residency at WXPN in his town of Philadelphia, and explains what a Hoagiemouth is. Amaze and delight at the wonderful Amos Lee.
Artist:Kate Prascher Hometown: Hudson Valley, New York Latest Album:Shake The Dust (out August 30, 2024) Personal Nicknames (or Rejected Band Names): Kate or Katie. I go by my middle name, which I have always thought of as a Southern thing. Growing up in Tennessee, it was not uncommon to go by a middle name or even a family nickname and it has taken some explaining over the years. Especially when I moved to New York.
What rituals do you have in the studio or before a show?
I like to move some way or other, I will often practice yoga and try to get out of my head a little bit. I also warm up my voice and hands, drink tea, and run through whichever songs are new or have parts that need attention. I try to practice the week before a show and avoid day-of practicing whenever that’s possible, especially when there is new material. I have also started working with visualization this year. It is a thing I’m trying, so that I can see the audience in my mind before I meet them and give my brain a roadmap for how the next performance will go.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting – inform your music?
Books are a huge part of my life and a big part of my songwriting practice. I read all the time, all different kinds of things. I think of reading as stuffing my brain with words that are then (hopefully) at my fingertips when I sit down to write. Reading so much has given me a clearer picture of what good storytelling can be, the moves a writer can make to hide, to expose, and to captivate. And it has taught me about characters. I do the same kind of gathering with music, I pack my mind with good songwriting – or bad – and try to name the things that work or don’t work, things that I find interesting, and ideas or themes I would like to filter through my own voice. Also, I find myself asking: What’s fun and intriguing? Why do I love this song so much?
Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?
I am lucky to live in the Hudson Valley now. This after years of city living. I see the mountains every day; a privilege that I do not take for granted. There is something about this area, the Shawangunk Ridge and the Catskills, that cradles a person and whispers of things I’ve never known. I go walking or for a hike and usually return with a more rounded perspective. These old beings, these mountains, offer some kind of magic to us who live around here. They have seen things that they keep secret, but maybe also transmit in some silent way. I know at least one song of mine has come from a walk through the mountains, over a railroad trestle near my house.
What is a genre, album, artist, musician, or song you adore that would surprise people?
I love the Cranberries. Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? was on heavy rotation in my preteen years. I love Dolores O’Riordan’s voice and the intensity that she could hammer across, but then release to tenderness. Love and love. Also, who doesn’t adore Snoop Dogg? Watching him at the Super Bowl in 2022, the charisma he threw out in that giant arena, surrounded by other huge stars, reached past the fireworks and through the screen. He. Is. So. Good. But you didn’t need me to tell you this.
If I didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
I would very likely be a writer. I am word nerd at heart and not sure I could ever really let go of that part of myself. Maybe an actor? I thought I was going to be an actor for a while, even majored in theater. I am sure the actors and writers who have worked tirelessly and sacrificed daily to master their craft just love hearing this casual statement from me!
I do have a day job, as an elementary school teacher, love the kids, love the work, I learn something every day from teaching. It is a part of my life I am very proud of.
Ryder Grimes is one Texas Country’s most exciting up-and-comers. He’s got a vintage, old soul style and one-of-a-kind voice. On today’s episode of Only Vans we dive into starting early, self-confidence, fashion sense, and the classic “van vs. bus” argument.
Editor’s Note: Only Vans with Bri Bagwell is the latest addition to the BGS Podcast Network! Read more about the podcast coming on board here. Find our episode archive here.
We’ve got a fine collection of new tracks, videos, and performances for you this week in our premiere round-up, You Gotta Hear This!
Don’t miss some stellar bluegrass from genre staples – and labelmates – the Grascals, who are celebrating their 20-year anniversary, and Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. The former celebrate their heroes, the Osborne Brothers, with a cover of “Georgia Pineywoods” while the latter get topical while poking fun at doomsday rhetoric on “What If You’re Wrong.”
Jazzy roots duo Winterlark bring us a charming number with a somewhat unlikely subject– emojis. Well, and love gone not-so-right, too. Felled Oak, AKA Brian Carroll, also debuts “Taplines,” a track written while he worked the maple syrup season in Vermont. Singer-songwriter Amy Speace considers the construction of “The American Dream” with a brand new, summery music video and Spooky Mansion performs the title track from his upcoming album, What About You?, live outdoors on the ranch.
Don’t miss Julian Taylor’s debut of a brand new music video for “Pathways,” a song released earlier this week about family, connection, and inter-generational perspective that features the one and only Allison Russell.
To cap it all off, we’ve got an exclusive Yamaha Session from flatpicker Trey Hensley that posted to BGS earlier this week, too. It’s all right here and, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, but You Gotta Hear This!
Felled Oak, “Taplines”
Artist:Felled Oak Hometown: Corinth, Vermont Song: “Taplines” Album:Smoke on the Hillside Release Date: September 30, 2024
In Their Words: “All of the tunes on this project were birthed from time tapping trees in the sugarbush this past January here in Vermont. In the dead silence of winter, alone in a cluster of skeletal maples hiking uphill, I found myself humming and whistling melodies to keep myself (and the winter birds) company. Some of those melodies stuck and I’d pull out my phone, make a quick voice recording then when I got home transcribe them on the mandolin and octave mandolin.
“‘Taplines’ was a melody that fell beneath my own fingers effortlessly and when I brought it to good friend and musical partner, Mark Burds, a smile crept across his face as we played it together for the first time. All of these tunes were recorded in luthier workshops and small, personal spaces around central Vermont and featuring my closest musical friends. It’s music to be shared and played together, to connect. Intimate, organic, and honest.” – Brian Carroll, Felled Oak
“‘Taplines’ was really fun to put clawhammer on, because it’s one of those simple yet beautiful melodies that falls so nicely on banjo and it’s so satisfying to groove on.” – Mark Burds, banjo
Track Credits: Brian Carroll – Octave mandolin, mandolin, upright bass, acoustic guitar Mark Burds – Banjo
The Grascals, “Georgia Pineywoods”
Artist:The Grascals Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Georgia Pineywoods” Album:20 Release Date: August 23, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “I don’t believe The Grascals would be in existence without The Osborne Brothers. Their heavy impact and influence on us is one of the main reasons we all love bluegrass music so much. ‘Georgia Pineywoods’ is a classic Boudleaux and Felice Bryant song originally recorded by The Osborne Brothers and it just felt very fitting for us to include it on this album celebrating our 20th band anniversary. We will always salute The Osborne Brothers’ music and their continued inspiration to The Grascals!” – Jamie Johnson
Track Credits: Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo Danny Roberts – Mandolin Jamie Johnson – Guitar, lead vocals Terry Smith – Bass, baritone vocals John Bryan – Guitar, tenor vocals Jamie Harper – Fiddle, vocals
Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, “What If You’re Wrong”
Artist:Chris Jones & The Night Drivers Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “What If You’re Wrong” Release Date: August 23, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “Jon Weisberger and I co-wrote the song as a conversation with a conspiracy theorist. It’s meant to be a light-hearted look at the subject – I’m pretty sure it’s the first bluegrass song to mention chem trails! – but it does ask a serious question: When something earth-shaking is predicted, whether it’s the end of the world, a change of government, or just the results of a major ballgame, what do you do when it doesn’t happen? Do you question your sources or double down? We have so much of this in the era of social media and different realities we live with, it seemed pretty timely, and we had fun with it.” – Chris Jones
Amy Speace, “The American Dream”
Artist:Amy Speace Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “The American Dream” Album:The American Dream Release Date: October 18, 2024 Label: Wind Bone Records
In Their Words: “I’ve worked with Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt (their production company is Neighborhoods Apart) on a bunch of videos, so I trusted them to get the vibe of the song. Also, Neilson produced the record and Josh played on it, so I knew they got it. We all wanted to capture that feeling of the freedom of the end of summer. I grew up mostly in a small town with rural countryside all around it and we’d take long drives through the cornfields as the sun set. We shot this on a country drive and an abandoned cabin (also used in the album art) near Franklin, Tennessee. The appearance of the tractor and the train are coincidences.” – Amy Speace
Video Credit: Neighborhoods Apart, Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt
Spooky Mansion, “What About You?”
Artist:Spooky Mansion Hometown: San Francisco, California / Bay Area Song: “What About You?” Album:What About You? Release Date: August 22, 2024 (song); October 31, 2024 (album)
In Their Words: “I wrote ‘What About You?’ with the intention of painting a picture of my life through different stories. The places I’ve been and the people I come from have all made me who I am. In those early days of a relationship, when you’re getting to know someone, there are certain memories that you retell to explain who you are.
“The verses are meant to be quiet, subdued, and more introspective as I try to describe myself. The chorus is bigger and joyful as I turn the attention to the person I’m talking to. In all my experiences, ‘I didn’t even know that I was looking for you.’ It culminates in a repeated anthem at the end as a reminder that despite what you’ve already lived through, there is more in life that will keep changing you and continuously creating you into the person you are. In this case, it was a beautiful woman I’d recently met who is now my wife and love of my life.” – Grayson Converse, Spooky Mansion
Artist:Julian Taylor Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Song: “Pathways” Album:Pathways Release Date: August 21, 2024 (song); September 27, 2024 (album) Label: Howling Turtle Inc.
In Their Words: “I remember sitting in my living room when the melody and chord patterns just came to me. Often, when I sit down to write music, it’s the first thing that I start playing that sticks, because it’s raw and honest. I worked the progression in several different ways. First on the acoustic guitar and then on the piano. I still have probably upwards of seven or eight takes of it somewhere on my voice notes. Some were quite punk sounding, while others were quite folk sounding. Ultimately, the sound of the melody and progression in 6/8 time seemed to have the most impact on me.
“This song became a lyrical collaboration between two friends of mine that are also neighbors. I was invited to hang out and write with my pals Robert Priest and Rosanne Baker Thornley, who has a studio down the road from me. When I arrived, I showed them what I had been working on and they loved it. We ultimately wanted to write a hopeful song that spoke to our next of kin, and since we all have children who are the most important people in the world to us, we followed that inspiration. I performed with my friend Allison Russell at the Juno Awards this year and asked her if should be interested in collaborating on the song seeing as she is a mother as well and I am so honored that she said yes and brought yet another magical spark to our creation.” – Julian Taylor
Track Credits: Julian Taylor – Vocal, guitar Allison Russell – Duet vocal Colin Linden – Electric Dobro, mandotar, bass, harmony vocal Gary Craig – Drums, percussion Jim Hoke – Saxophones Janice Powers – B3 organ
Winterlark, “Ending With Heart Heart Heart”
Artist:Winterlark Hometown: Santa Cruz, California Song: “Ending With Heart Heart Heart” Album:Sing To Me About Tomorrow (EP) Release Date: August 23, 2024 (song); September 20, 2024 (EP) Label: Squink Records
In Their Words: “It seemed that the world was ready for a song about the insidiousness of emojis, so I tried to write a modern-day song about a poorly communicated break-up, like the one in Elvis Presley’s rock-n-roll classic ‘Return to Sender.’ One of the keys to the song is the pairing of the sad lyrics with the happy, infectious beat driven by Kristin and drummer Chris Haskett. They make everything swing.” – Sweeney Schragg
“When Sweeney shared the core idea of this song, I do believe I laughed – uncomfortably. Aren’t we all guilty of throwing emojis at people instead of real words? Sweeney left six spots open for bass fills, a better gift than a box of black licorice (my favorite).” – Kristin Olson
Yamaha Sessions: Trey Hensley, “Hold What You Got”
On a sunny Sunday afternoon just outside of Nashville, Tennessee earlier this summer, BGS linked up with award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and jaw-dropping flatpicker Trey Hensley to kick off a new series of Yamaha Sessions. Hensley, a GRAMMY nominee and the reigning IBMA Guitar Player of the year, pulled his custom Yamaha FG9 R out of its road case to shred through a cover of a classic Jimmy Martin number, “Hold What You Got.”
Hensley is a picture perfect modern demonstration of how bluegrass trailblazers, like Martin, blurred the lines between country, old-time, bluegrass, and beyond. His voice reminds of honeyed country singers like Randy Travis, while his blisteringly quick picking and remarkable articulation are built on Tony Rice and Clarence White building blocks – but simultaneously, those techniques are as forward-looking and contemporary as his peers, Billy Strings, Jake Workman, and others. Hensley pulls limitless tone and warmness from his Yamaha FG9 R, even while approaching the song with near-aggression, ripping through acrobatic triplet licks and leaning into ugly delicious chromaticism in every solo.
Photo Credit: Julian Taylor by Robert Georgeff; the Grascals by Laci Mack.
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