Tag: singer/songwriter

WATCH: Molly Tuttle, Old Crow Cover Neil Young’s “Helpless” for WhyHunger

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Molly Tuttle and Old Crow Medicine Show have combined their voices to bring attention to a terrible byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together the BGS favorites cover Neil Young’s “Helpless,” spreading awareness and raising funds for WhyHunger, which works to eradicate hunger through community solutions rooted in social, environmental, racial and economic justice.

The accompanying music video for “Helpless” shares eye-opening statistics detailing what the coronavirus has meant to families and individuals facing food insecurity in the U.S. and around the world. WhyHunger aims to establish an understanding of food as a basic human right and to address structural inequities that cause varying degrees of access to food. Tuttle and Old Crow are further supporting WhyHunger by donating all proceeds collected from this track to the organization. 

Watch “Helpless” right here, and consider giving to WhyHunger to support this critical work.

LISTEN: Kris Delmhorst, “The Horses”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kris Delmhorst
Hometown: Buckland, Massachusetts
Song: “The Horses”
Album: Long Day in the Milky Way
Release Date: August 14, 2020
Label: CEN/The Orchard

In Their Words: “For me, Rickie Lee Jones represents artistic fearlessness and uncompromising freedom. Her work always offers the inspiration to take risks and reach farther. She’s a deep musician and a serious student of song — I love her covers records so much — but she’s also a free-range seeker, unhindered by the boundaries of genre. There’s such curiosity, joy, humor, and deep compassion running through all of her music.

“I don’t generally include covers on my albums, but while we were in the studio for this one we caught a version of ‘The Horses,’ and it ended up feeling like it belonged. I love how it resonates with the record’s themes, persistence and struggle and hope. And I love the idea of RLJ’s presence gracing the proceedings like an honored guest, a patron saint.” — Kris Delmhorst

Photo credit: Brittany Powers

LISTEN: William Matheny, “Mind for Leaving”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: William Matheny
Hometown: Morgantown, West Virginia
Song: “Mind for Leaving”
Album: Split 7″ single with Frontier Folk Nebraska
Release Date: July 11, 2020
Label: Soul Step

In Their Words: “‘Mind for Leaving’ was written and recorded in January, which feels like approximately 800 years ago at this point. In between tour dates, we holed up in a cabin outside of Point Pleasant, West Virginia (home of the Mothman, Shawnee leader Hokoleskwa and Mister Bee Potato Chips). No one was socially distancing yet, but given the set and setting, it felt like we got an early jump on it. Like most Januarys, I remember the days being brief, gray and severe. I finished the song while the mics were getting placed and we arranged and tracked it that same afternoon. It was just the way my band and I like to work: quickly, without distractions and, hopefully, no cell phone service.” — William Matheny

Photo credit: Max Nolte

WATCH: Chance Emerson, “Annabelle”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Chance Emerson
Hometown: Hong Kong, China / Providence, Rhode Island
Song: “Annabelle”
Album: The Raspberry Men

In Their Words: “My songs tend to take on the energy of the place they were written. I wrote this up in rural Maine so it was particularly fitting that the video ended up being shot there. This song has grown closer to me, especially recently with the shuttering of schools in this period of social distancing. I wrote ‘Annabelle’ as a goodbye to my friends in high school but it’s become significant to me yet again in these times. I’m certainly a bit of a worrier about this entire situation and when I’m firing off probabilities and news headlines at breakfast, my mother likes to quote this song: ‘Everything will be alright in time.’ A lot of friendships won’t last through your life. A lot of friendships fizzle out. Many good things must come to an end — hence the last line. There’s a little bit of the whole idea that ‘you don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone,’ too. Maybe you can’t truly treasure a relationship until it’s over.” — Chance Emerson

“We had been working on a cut of a short when a friend showed us Chance’s music. Immediately ‘Annabelle’ spoke to us and we couldn’t help but feel that the pieces shared common themes. Both are concerned with youthful relationships, anxiety surrounding their future, and the hopeful acts undertaken to preserve that future. Right away we began recutting the short to fit the song and luckily Chance felt the same way we did.” — Rob H. Campbell and Davíd Antonio Martín of Vacationland Collective (Directors)

Photo credit: Chance Emerson as photographed in Hong Kong by Manisha Shah

WATCH: Chris Knight, “I’m William Callahan”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Chris Knight
Hometown: Slaughters, Kentucky
Song: “I’m William Callahan” (Niangua Coffee Sessions)
Album: Almost Daylight
Label: Thirty Tigers

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘William Callahan’ with a friend of mine, Tim Krekel. We both were staff writers for Bluewater Music then. We wrote it and went on to the next song. I pulled the song back out before Almost Daylight and rewrote some lines and completely changed the melody. It’s probably my favorite song on the album now.” — Chris Knight

“While we were in Kentucky filming Chris’ recent music videos, we decided to take some time one afternoon and film a few live performances behind Chris’ barn. The acoustic performances turned out to be some of the most intimate, raw songs we’ve ever captured.” — Nathaniel Maddux, Slate & Glass, director

Photo credit: Ray Kennedy

WATCH: Market Junction, “Nebraska”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Market Junction
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Song: “Nebraska”
Album: Burning Bridges
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2020

In Their Words: “What we are most afraid of is that this dream of making a living in music and simultaneously being the fathers and husbands we know we need to be is impossible. This song is a foreshadowing of that fear. Sometimes you have to speak your fears out loud to relieve the tension in your own chest. ‘Nebraska,’ at least in this song, is less about a geographical location but more of a metaphor for whatever place you find yourself lost in.” — Matt Parrish, Market Junction

Photo credit: Jason Allison

LISTEN: Michaela Anne, “Good Times”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Michaela Anne
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Single: “Good Times”
Label: Yep Roc Records

In Their Words: “Hope and optimism are two things I have to work hard to keep. I often write songs as reminders or affirmations for myself and for the people I love. ‘Good Times’ is a prime example of that. Trying to remember the blue sky is always there behind the clouds.” — Michaela Anne

Photo credit: Matt Wignall

BGS Long Reads of the Week // June 26

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The BGS archives are simply a wealth of rootsy reading material. Each week we share our favorite longer, more in-depth articles, stories, and features to help you pass the time — summertime, COVID-19 time, or any ol’ free time you might have! We post our #longreadoftheday picks across our social media channels [on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram]. But of course, if you get ’em all right here in our weekly collection, that’s fine too!

This week’s long reads are about revitalization, reverence, rainbows, and real wisdom.

John Moreland Figures Out How to Love Music Again

We love a long read, yes, but we definitely love a birthday more! On Monday, we combined the two (as we do), celebrating Oklahoma singer/songwriter John Moreland’s day-of-birth with a revisit to our February interview about his latest album, LP5. While some listeners may have found the record to be something of a departure for Moreland, for his part, the “out there” elements of the music are what helped him learn to love creating again. [Read more]

Ricky Skaggs – Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass

Yes, this is a podcast, so technically this is a long listen rather than a long read, but we have good reason. Four years ago this week, Dr. Ralph Stanley passed away. As more and more of our bluegrass forebears leave us, their memories are even more important. On a recent episode of Toy Heart, hosted by Tom Power, Ricky Skaggs shared stories of his time with Ralph, the Clinch Mountain Boys, and Keith Whitley. It’s worth a listen to honor one of the most pivotal popularizers of this music. [Listen to the episode]

Way Above the Chimney Tops: A Pride Celebration of “Over the Rainbow”

Pride month is always full of rainbows, but never enough roots music! A couple of years ago we collected a handful of our favorite folky, country, bluegrassy, rootsy, ukulele-strumming renditions of “Over the Rainbow” to celebrate Pride month and each year since it’s been well worth a revisit. What cover of “Over the Rainbow” is your favorite? Did it make the list? [Read & listen here]

Counsel of Elders: Blind Boys of Alabama’s Jimmy Carter on Singing From Your Spirit

One quote from our 2017 interview with Blind Boys of Alabama founding member Jimmy Carter is enough to confirm this edition of Counsel of Elders’ excellence: “People ask me, ‘You’ve been doing this for almost seven decades, what keeps you going?’ I tell them, ‘When you love what you do — and we love what we’re doing — that keeps you motivated.'” 

You’re going to want to read the rest! [Read the full interview]

Photo of John Moreland: Crackerfarm
Photo of Blind Boys of Alabama: Jim Herrington

LISTEN: Matt Lovell, “The Way That It Was”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Matt Lovell
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Way That It Was”
Album: Nobody Cries Today
Release Date: June 19, 2020

In Their Words: “‘The Way That It Was’ is probably the most personal song on the album. I wrote it with my friend Mike Applegate during a tumultuous time that happened to fall right before the recording of Nobody Cries Today. I think everyone probably has experienced some version of the story told in this song — some ‘way that it was’ that they have left behind. Anyone who knows me personally will know exactly what I’m referencing in this song, and will likely hear the tired pain in my voice as I sing about my ‘way that it was.’ As a gay man of Southern origin, my road to self-acceptance was a long one, with many stops along the way. Nearly losing my life in a shooting somehow created just the sort of disruption needed to help me find that acceptance — both for myself and for the world I’m living in.” — Matt Lovell

Photo credit: Jason Lee Denton

Best of: Live From Here

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This month brought the unfortunate news that Live From Here, hosted by Chris Thile, has been cancelled.

The American Public Media-produced radio show, previously known as A Prairie Home Companion, has been beloved by listeners since its inception in 1974, and continued in 2016 when the series was rebranded as Live From Here, with Thile leading the way.

The show was cut from production as a result of COVID-19’s widespread impact on the music and entertainment industries. On his socials, Thile graciously acknowledged the decision, stating the purpose of Live From Here as “a celebration of live, collaborative audible art.”

So, without further hesitation, let’s look at 11 of our favorite Live From Here moments.

“Dean Town” – Vulfpeck & Chris Thile

Perhaps one of the most loved Live From Here moments was Thile’s guest performance with Vulfpeck on their classic, “Dean Town.” One has every reason to assume that eye contact between Thile and Joe Dart is still going strong at this very moment.

“Fiddle Sticks” — Billy Contreras

It may be one of the lesser-viewed bits from the show, but this “Fast-AF” fiddle tune feature by Billy Contreras is certainly not short on notes. Two and a half minutes of pure double stops and bass walks.

“Lovesick Blues” — Brandi Carlile, Ben Folds, Chris Thile, & Sarah Jarosz

Ever wondered if Brandi Carlile could yodel on par with Jimmie Rodgers — or everyone’s favorite Walmart yodeling kid, Mason Ramsey? Well, look no further than this early Live From Here collaboration with Carlile, Thile, Ben Folds, and Sarah Jarosz.

“Change” – Mavis Staples

“Say it loud, say it clear!” We’ve shared this powerful performance from the legendary Mavis Staples before, but it is even more relevant now. Things are starting to change around here!

“Toy Heart / Marry Me / Jerusalem” – I’m With Her

Almost 10 minutes of mind blowing harmony and togetherness from I’m With Her, all beloved guests throughout the show’s course. As Thile so happily declares at the end, “There’s not a better band — in the world — than I’m With Her.”

“In Da Club” / Musician Birthdays – Julian Lage, O’Donovan, Thile, and More

What could be better than the composer of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” jamming with Chris Thile, or Julian Lage playing Django Reinhardt? Oh that’s right: it’s Aoife O’Donovan singing Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”

“Blue Skies” – Andrew Bird & Chris Thile

Not only does this pair look quite the same, but their playing together is divine, and one of the last Live From Here moments we were graced with before shutdown.

“Kodachrome” – Paul Simon

This one’ll make you think all the world is a sunny day. Just look at Thile’s face!

“Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith)” – Rachael Price

The tonal map of this moment is pure magic. Lake Street Dive’s Rachael Price supported by Thile’s harmony, Mike Elizondo’s bass lines, Brittany Haas’s fiddle playing — need we say more?

“Winter Boy” – Amanda Brown

Since Thile’s takeover as host, Live From Here has always had a strong female vocalist on stage. From Aoife O’Donovan to Sarah Jarosz to Gaby Moreno to more recent guest Amanda Brown — these women have been an integral part of the show’s cast and performance. Enjoy Brown’s beautiful take on this Buffy Sainte-Marie classic. 

“Hard Times” – Chris Thile

It only seems right to acknowledge the many efforts of the Live From Here cast and crew to bring listeners the show, recast as “Live From Home,” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and global shutdown. For the last three months, those at the show worked tirelessly to bring us the weekly program, with the help of dozens of musicians, show regulars, and the #LiveFromHome social media campaign.

All we have left to say is — thank you to Chris Thile, all of the musicians, crew, and those who made Live From Here possible. And we hope these “Hard Times” we’re all living in together come again no more.

Photo credit: Nate Ryan