Tag: singer/songwriter

Gig Bag: Mary Bragg

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Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, Mary Bragg details the items she always has nearby when out on the road.

For me, there’s not a much better morning on tour than one that immediately starts with a good cup of coffee. My travel French press means all I have to locate is hot water; I bring my own beans, and voila, caffeine moments begin — usually paired with my journal full of scribbles, free-writing, and loads of to-do lists.

The tiny journal that fits in any bag. I carry one with me all the time — at home and on the road, in case something interesting falls out of the sky. And a Sharpie, too, both for writing and the emergency CD-signing.

My sweet travel jewelry box that makes me feel at home, carved with a little inspiration from the one and only Eleanor Roosevelt.

A whole host of my favorite print media for moments when I can sneak in a little quality journalism. (Ahem, journalism major here.)

The trustiest road snack: homemade granola. Schedules can be pretty wacky on tour, and you never know when you’re going to need a solid protein boost. Granola does the trick for me, on its own or with yogurt; I make it at home all the time and keep a stash in the car, especially for moments when I’m unexpectedly hungry and in the middle of nowhere.



Photo credit: Laura E. Partain

BGS 5+5: Fate McAfee

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Name: Fate McAfee
Hometown: Murray, Kentucky
Latest Album: Diesel Palomino
Rejected band name: Little Bill & the Late Fees

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Bob Dylan. He created the potential of the singer-songwriter to be a popular recording artist without compromising the quality of the work. I grew up listening to him, and I’ve found his colorful discography speaks to many different phases of life. He stayed true to himself, despite the backlash he faced while exploring new territory.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

My favorite memory thus far was performing with my backing band (Leonard the Band) and my duet partner (Melanie A. Davis) all together at a recent show in Paducah, Kentucky. The energy created amongst six people on the same page musically is a special thing, and I feel there is a lot of potential there.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

A lot of my songs are driven by imagery, so I enjoy reading content influenced by that. I also have some specific literary references in my songs, so I’m certainly inspired by the concepts in the poetry and novels that I read, as well. I enjoy writing that offers just enough for the reader to infer the rest. I think about it like triangulation; if you can give someone two specific ideas, they can deduce what the third (the main sentiment) might be.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I had a long, reserved introduction to performing live. I spent quite a few years writing and practicing before I ventured into public with my songs. But the moment I learned that I wouldn’t have the chance to try out for a college baseball team as I’d planned, I felt my wheels turning in another direction. It was disappointing at first, but I grew excited by the freedom. I began to use more of my time writing songs and practicing guitar, and within two years I began playing shows.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I believe it’s all of our responsibility to help out people who are less fortunate. My father, whose influence is all over Diesel Palomino (lyrically and in the artwork), dedicated his life to this sentiment. He was a photo-journalist who documented human rights abuses by crumbling regimes in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and much of his writing was centered around the concept of privilege vs. responsibility. I believe that humility is humanity.

LISTEN: Ky Burt, “Small Town Dream”

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Artist: Ky Burt
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Small Town Dream”
Album: The Sky in Between
Release Date: April 5, 2019
Label: Woodstove Records

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Small Town Dream’ in honor of the small towns I’ve lived in and traveled through across America. This song is my observation of the oldest towns that are still barely hanging on, where the roots run deep but the pockets lay thin. It is a testament of the enduring spirit and struggles of a country that is modernizing quicker than its antiquated towns can keep up with. And for myself and others, the enduring small town represents a slower way of life, a struggle to preserve community, and a place where old stories still live on the front porch steps.” — Ky Burt

Photo credit: Chelsea Donoho

BGS 5+5: Scott Mulvahill

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Artist: Scott Mulvahill
Hometown: Friendswood, Texas (near Houston)
Latest album: Himalayas
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): I played one show as “Scott Hill” towards the end of college. I was self-conscious about my rather different last name, but after that I just decided to embrace it. If Jake Gyllenhaal can do it…

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

A few years ago, I played a show in Nashville where I gathered a bunch of friends to cover all of Paul Simon’s Graceland album, which is one of my desert island records. It was as fun as it sounds!! But we had a moment of true magic when the power went out in the building. Everyone in the room gathered in and gave us light from their cell phones, and we sang the song “Homeless” acoustically — just my upright and about 10 singers, no PA [system]. It was so powerful, and a moment of chaos was turned into something beautiful. We actually captured it all on video and it’s on YouTube. After we finished the song, the power miraculously came back on and we finished the show. That was such a great moment that I recorded that arrangement of that song and included it on my album.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I just finished a new one that I re-wrote about five times. Eventually I had verses in a decent form, and I ended up writing the chorus with my brilliant friend Ben Shive. At that point it was good, but still not quite there, so I took it into a co-write with the great Beth Nielsen Chapman, and we edited it line by line and she made it so much stronger. So that was a long process, but worth it because I think the end result is pretty special. I’m excited to record it.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I don’t believe in pre-show rituals, besides a very simple warm-up of singing or playing just about anything. I’ll sing a few notes, noodle on bass, mostly just relax. If I had some elaborate ritual that I depended on, I think that would be a mental crutch more than a help. I’ll hear singers talk about certain warm-up routines, or how dairy will throw you off, how you must drink honey, and stuff like that. I want to get my technique and experience to a level where I’m not worried about things like milk ruining my show. Was it really the milk?

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

To always get down to the truth, to find the edge of my abilities, and try to spend as much time there as possible. A song can’t be too vulnerable or too personal in my opinion. The more personal and vulnerable, the more distinct and powerful it’s likely to be. People are looking to artists to be brave in their music, to speak truths from their own angle, and that’s my goal.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

At times I’ve done this without knowing it; I’ve written songs that feel powerful, and only half-way through writing it do I realize that it’s about me and my real-life events. I almost never purposefully write characters, and I wish I could… it’s a different approach that I just don’t know how to do convincingly yet. So my songs to date are almost all autobiographical. And that doesn’t prevent them from being relatable for people. For almost every song I sing, I have a person in mind that I conjure while I sing the song, and that helps me re-enter the emotional space of when the song was written. For songs that are about real events, I want them to feel as real as possible for the audience.

Photo credit: David Dobson

LISTEN: Shawn Lane and Richard Bennett, “Charlestown”

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Artist: Shawn Lane and Richard Bennett
Song: “Charlestown”
Album: Land And Harbor
Release Date: March 8, 2019
Label: Bonfire Recording Company

In Their Words: “I had the musical hook portion of this song for a while before we found the subject to start writing about. I played it one day for my son, Grayson. He said, ‘We’ve been studying the history of Charleston, South Carolina, in class. It used to be called Charlestown years ago. I think that’s what this melody says.’ It was like a light came on. That was exactly what it was supposed to be.” — Shawn Lane

“‘Charlestown’ is one of my personal favorites from our recent project. The song is loaded with visual imagery. Shawn’s exceptional vocals really bring it all to life. I’m honored to be a part of the magic.” — Richard Bennett

Photo credit: Nate Smith, Bonfire Recording Co.

LISTEN: Julie Belle, “The Only Way to Mend Is to Forgive”

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Artist: Julie Belle
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Song: “The Only Way to Mend Is to Forgive”
Release Date: March 1, 2019

In Their Words: “‘The Only Way to Mend Is to Forgive’ is a really long title, and I’ve been particularly stubborn about abbreviating it because I believe so strongly in the message. I love that people are talking about heart-work and wholeness, and I think forgiveness is the most important part. And for sure the worst part. I’ve learned (the hard way) that pain only serves to keep me tethered to the thing that hurts me most, and forgiveness is the only way to get free. This song is really about the idea of exploring that freedom.” — Julie Belle

Photo credit: Julie Belle

LISTEN: Dustin Bentall, ” If Yer Willin'”

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Artist: Dustin Bentall
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “If Yer Willin'”
Album: High in the Satellite EP
Release Date: March 1, 2019
Label: Roaring Girl Records

In Their Words: “This is a song about being willing to take that chance in love and those feelings you get when you’re falling in that direction. Sometimes you get on that highway blindly and hope that you can make someone’s life richer in hopes that the same thing returned back to you. And maybe that love is just returning to a place you’ve been going to since childhood.” — Dustin Bentall

Photo credit: Stefan Berrill

LISTEN: Silver Lake 66, “Ragged Heart”

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Artist: Silver Lake 66
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Ragged Heart”
Album: Ragged Heart
Release Date: April 5, 2019

In Their Words: “‘Ragged Heart,’ the title track on our new album, was inspired by a documentary we watched about the tragic life of the late, deeply talented Townes Van Zandt. What resonated for me were the consequences brought on by the road taken in the pursuit of the dream. The narrator in ‘Ragged Heart’ yearns to reconnect with an estranged love, even though she realizes that the sacrifices made for the pursuit of a dream demand a heavy price. She’s been through hell and back with her partner, and her heart is worn and ‘ragged,’ although there is still a hint of hope in her words. Musically, the arrangements and instrumentation are stripped down and straight ahead to highlight the vocals. I think of this tune as having a modern California country vibe with a dash of the Bakersfield sound of the ‘60s thrown in for good measure.” — Maria Francis

Photo credit: Jason Quigley

LISTEN: Abigail Dowd, “To Have a Friend”

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Artist: Abigail Dowd
Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Song: “To Have a Friend”
Album: Not What I Seem
Release Date: April 5, 2019

In Their Words: “‘To Have a Friend’ was written for an animated film about a dog that’s being created by Out of Our Minds Animation Studios. After they sent me the script, I knew I wanted to write the song from the dog’s perspective, a song that gives a voice to all the dogs out there who need a home. But, however you hear the song, I think a lot of folks can relate, especially to the importance of companionship.

“Writing this song, I would read through the script and then take my dog, who is a rescue, for a long walk. I call them ‘song walks’ and most of this one was written that way, stopping to jot down lyrics as they came. When we were recording the song, my friend Sam Frazier came to the studio and laid down a beautiful second guitar track. There are a handful of musicians who really strike a chord and raise the bar high for me; Sam is one of those. I love any chance we get to play together and so it was a real honor to have him on this song.” — Abigail Dowd

Photo credit: Todd Turner

Gig Bag: Steve Poltz

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Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, singer/songwriter Steve Poltz details the items he always has nearby when out on the road.

Hey Kiddos! People don’t know this about me but I need to do the same thing over and over again. It’s probably because I’m in a different city every day. I need to feel like something is stable. Last year I was gone 285 days.

Breakfast is important. I eat the same thing every single day: Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Oats Cereal with Flaxseed. I travel with all these ingredients. These little almond butter packs are a perfect serving for stirring in to my oats. The almond butter is a good source of protein and keeps your stomach feeling full a bit longer. I like it with cinnamon and dried cranberries. I always travel with my favorite bowl. If my little hotel has a wee kitchen I cook it on the stove. If it has a microwave then I sometimes use that.

I also travel with PG Tips English breakfast tea. It’s my favorite. The water has to be boiling and I steep it for four minutes. These little milk packs are great and I always bring a bunch of ’em. I can’t have my tea until AFTER I’ve had my oats. If I have my tea first I get anxiety. Caffeine on an empty stomach makes me crazy.

P.S. I eat a pound of oats a week.
P.P.S. This regimen keeps you regular.
P.P.P.S. Healthy colon healthy life.

Marie Kondo has nothing on me. I taught her everything she knows about folding clothes.

I travel with seven pairs of undies and seven pairs of socks and seven t-shirts. They fit perfectly in this little netted ziplock bag. I do laundry every seven days unless I’m traveling alone. Then I can stretch it out a few days more. Especially in the wintertime when I sweat less. Sometimes I wear the same undies and socks and tees two days in row. Sometimes three or four. But then I notice my merch sales drop because no one wants to get close to me. So I guess it’s better to do laundry every seven days.

I wear the same boots everyday. RM Williams Craftsman Chestnut Brown. They’re Australian beauties. Some guy bought me them in Melbourne after he saw me play at Port Fairy Folk Festival. He said, “These boots will see you out.” I guess that means they’re lifetime boots. Just get ’em resoled.

Soap? Yes. Gotta smell good. I always use Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap. Hemp peppermint. This soap makes your private parts tingle. This is the best soap in the world.

I also bring one really sweet Japanese raw denim shirt. I’ll wear it for the whole tour and it’ll always break in and fade nicely.

My favorite charger to bring is called an Anker. It charges multiple things at once. Headphones, smartphones, iPads and all that crap.

I switch hats a lot for different tours but the one I always go back to is a Stetson Open Road. LBJ always wore one of these. You see ’em a lot lately but I don’t care. I still love it. You could bury me in this hat and I wouldn’t mind. Except for the fact that I’d rather be cremated. I guess I could say you could cremate me in this hat.

I always travel with only one guitar. Smokey Joe. He’s been with me for 16 years. He’s old enough to drive. So that’s cool. Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars gave me this ax. He was gonna throw it away but then he met me and felt sorry for me. So I accepted his “sort of” gift. I love this guitar. I love it so much that I put letters on the back so people know it’s mine. If someone tries to steal it, I’ll throw a bag of oats at their head.

Lede photo of Steve Poltz: Laura E. Partain