Artist:Sophie Gault Hometown: Temple Hills, Maryland; now Nashville, Tennessee Latest Album:UNHINGED (released January 23) Personal Nicknames (or rejected band names): Soph, SMFG, Dimples
Which artist has influenced you the most – and how?
Gurf Morlix has been my biggest influence since I was a teenager. I used to spend hours late at night in the barn behind our house with my guitar, playing along to records and trying to figure out his parts by ear — not just the notes, but the feel of them. His sense of space and restraint really shaped how I think about music.
Before that, I was listening to a lot of pop-punk like Green Day. I loved that raw energy, but Gurf’s playing opened up a different emotional world for me. It showed me that subtlety can be just as powerful as volume, and that sometimes what you leave out is what makes a song linger. That influence never really left me–it’s still part of how I write, arrange, and listen today.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
Recently, I played a show in Dallas celebrating Twangville’s 20-year anniversary and it ended up being one of those nights that reminds you why you do this. I hired a pickup band, and we had no rehearsals, but they absolutely knocked it out of the park. It was Louis Balderas on drums, Emsy Robsinson Jr. on bass, and Michal Witek on guitar. There was this instant trust and musical conversation onstage, and it felt special.
The whole night felt meaningful, because it was such a strong bill. I was opening for Lydia Loveless, and J. Isaiah Evans & the Boss Tweed, and that hit me in a very full-circle way. When I was in my first year of college, I became a huge fan of Lydia’s album Indestructible Machine. Her songwriting – that raw, gritty honesty – really shaped what I thought was possible in songs. I’ve always looked up to her as one of the great voices of my generation, so seeing my name on a poster with hers felt like one of those milestones you don’t forget.
What other art forms – literature, film, dance, painting, etc. – inform your music?
I’m drawn to short stories and mystical realism. Lately, I’ve been reading Haruki Murakami and Raymond Carver. There is a book called Kafka on the Shore by Murakami that is beautiful and strange and otherworldly. Ideally, that’s how I want my music to sound—like its own universe that doesn’t follow any set of rules.
Does pineapple belong on pizza?
Absolutely, yes. I’ve always ordered pineapple and black olives together. There is no other acceptable answer!
If you didn’t work in music, what would you do instead?
I love the idea of owning a wine shop with a carefully curated selection from all over the world. There is a great one already in Five Points in East Nashville called the Woodland Wine Merchant. They’re great.
It’s not only the end of the week, it’s the end of the month! And that, to us, is scary enough for October 31. Mark the occasion – whether Halloween, the end of the week, or the end of October – with our new music roundup.
Kicking us off, singer-songwriter Sophie Gault releases the title track from her upcoming album, Unhinged, today looking ahead to her full record release in January 2026. Inspired by a stroke of luck playing cards aboard a cruise ship, Gault leans into trusting your gut and doing what feels true – even if others might call that “unhinged.”
Red Camel Collective, 2025 IBMA Award winners for Best New Artist, have unveiled a new music video today for “In The Mexican Sun,” written by hit bluegrass songwriter Malcolm Pulley. Perfect contrast for the cool, rainy days of fall or the quickly approaching shivery weather of winter, “In The Mexican Sun” wasn’t intended to be a bluegrass number, but the Collective make it feel right at home in the genre.
Meanwhile, contemporary bluegrass (and everything else) guitar great Bryan Sutton has a special posthumous duet with Doc Watson that he’s sharing today. The new single, “Working Man Blues,” includes vocals and guitar by Watson and Sutton shares the story of how the Merle Haggard cover came to be.
Experimental old-time and indie musician Laurel Premo shares her new project today, Laments, a thoughtful and deep exploration of grief from a variety of perspectives. A sort of instrumental text painting, “Grief Of The Angler” listens like an entrancing dreamscape as resonant bow strokes and heart-wrenching vocalizations interweave in evocative and inspiring ways.
Bringing us home, Nashville bluegrass-Americana supergroup Wood Box Heroes pay tribute to K.T. Oslin with a video performance of their cover of “Do Ya.'” With fiddler/vocalist Jenee Fleenor on the mic, it’s a lovely homage to a relatively undersung hero of ’80s and ’90s country music. Of course, the track shines with the Wood Box treatment.
There’s plenty to enjoy in our weekly collection of new music, videos, and premieres. You Gotta Hear This!
Sophie Gault, “Unhinged”
Artist:Sophie Gault Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Unhinged” Album:Unhinged Release Date: October 31, 2025 (single); January 23, 2025 (album) Label: Torrez Music Group
In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Unhinged’ after going on the Outlaw Country Cruise. I was learning to play blackjack and everyone told me I was crazy for doubling down on a 17 – but I did it anyway, and won. That moment kind of summed up everything for me. The song’s about gambling, but really it’s about trusting your gut and doing what feels true, even when the odds are against you. Sometimes the biggest risk is the one that pays off inside. On the way off the boat, this guy stopped me and said, ‘Hey, you’re that unhinged girl from the blackjack table!’ and I thought, ‘Yup, that’s the spirit of the song right there.'” – Sophie Gault
Laurel Premo, “Grief Of The Angler”
Artist:Laurel Premo Hometown: Traverse City, Michigan Song: “Grief Of The Angler” Album:Laments Release Date: October 31, 2025
In Their Words: “The four pieces on this record each hold a different-sized relationship. The third track, ‘Grief Of The Angler / I Grieve In The Realization Of The Generosity Of Your Gift,’ is sung from a formed deeper intimacy with the ecosystem that I belong to. In my life, my relationship with a form of hunting has been fishing and this piece sings the shared experience of taking another body for nourishment.
“As every relationship deepens, as the bonds are woven together between individuals, there is the opportunity for those threads to hold beings closer together but also to create tension when one leans back. The ties stay connected in both directions and that reciprocity demanded is an exchange for the gift of being able to be closer in intimacy. This piece sings from the moment of gravity of the fisherperson deciding to keep a catch and the energetic blending of beings therein.” – Laurel Premo
Red Camel Collective, “In The Mexican Sun”
Artist:Red Camel Collective Hometown: Wirtz, Virginia (Johnathan Dillon); Walnut Cove, North Carolina (Tony and Heather Mabe); Oakboro, North Carolina (Curt Love). Song: “In The Mexican Sun” Release Date: October 17, 2025 (single); October 31, 2025 (video) Label: Pinecastle Records
In Their Words: “This tune comes to us from the pen of our buddy Malcolm Pulley. You may recognize that name as he also wrote the hit song ‘In The Gravel Yard,’ which went on to become a bluegrass jam standard. ‘In The Mexican Sun’ is one of those songs that you’re sure you’ve heard somewhere before. The melody seems familiar somehow. It has all the earmarks of a hit tune. This one wasn’t a bluegrass song from its conception, but I believe it was always destined to become one.” – Heather Berry Mabe
Track Credits: Heather Berry Mabe – Guitar, vocals Tony Mabe – Banjo, vocals Johnathan Dillon – Mandolin Curt Love – Bass Stephen Burwell – Fiddle
Video Credit: Laci Mack
Bryan Sutton, “Working Man Blues”
Artist:Bryan Sutton Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Working Man Blues” Album:From Roots to Branches Release Date: October 31, 2025 (single) Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “On the original 2006 release, I would just show up, set my gear up, and we would record. Even in those sessions I had a general idea but not so much of a design on what exactly I needed to get. Once [Doc] got comfortable, he was just starting to talk and show me some different tunes. … He just launched into ‘Working Man Blues,’ out of nowhere! It felt like, ‘I hope I got all that, I hope the tape didn’t run out.’ Then he said at the end of it (and I kept it on the recordings), ‘I just wanted to hear what you did with it.’
“You never knew what you were going to get with Doc Watson – from Crystal Gayle songs and ‘Nights in White Satin,’ certainly all that Doc-abilly stuff and swing tunes – outside of just fiddle tunes and bluegrass and folk ballads and things like that. Certainly Doc Watson was a fan of Merle Haggard and probably knew more Merle Haggard songs than he ever played for anybody. And I don’t know that I’ve ever heard him play it any other place.” – Bryan Sutton
In Their Words: “I heard K.T. Oslin’s ‘Do Ya” on the radio one day and immediately thought, ‘Now that’s a song I’d love to sing.’ I brought it to the guys and when we worked it up together the crowd response was incredible! K.T. has always inspired me – not just because of her artistry, but because her country career didn’t take off until she was in her 40s. I’ve been so blessed with a successful fiddle career, but I’ll admit, there were times I thought about stepping away from singing and letting that part of me go. Starting Wood Box Heroes reignited that spark and this song, in particular, hit me on so many levels. It’s a joy to perform and I hope we can all take a moment to remember and celebrate the great K.T. Oslin.” – Jenee Fleenor
Track Credits: Jenee Fleenor – Lead vocal, fiddle Josh Martin – Vocals, guitar Barry Bales – Upright bass Matt Menefee – Banjo Thomas Cassell – Mandolin
Video Credits: Videography by Barry Rice, Steve Anderson, and Andy Jeffers.
Photo Credit: Red Camel Collective by Ed Rode; Wood Box Heroes by Eric Ahlgrim.
Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?
Lucinda Williams. In high school, I had the 1998 Austin City Limits DVD with the Car Wheels band, and every night I’d stay up for hours playing my guitar with it on repeat. It was like this world I could escape to and I learned a lot from it, from guitar playing to singing to songwriting. That was the most formative thing ever for me, musically.
What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?
My fondest memory of being on stage is getting to play at Americanafest last year where I got to sing with Logan Ledger and trade guitar licks with Jules Belmont.
What inspired your new single, “Golden Rule”?
I got home late one night from my mail sorting job and came up with the melody. Then I kept working on the words on my drives from Nashville to La Vergne where my job was. I really wanted to write a song for working-class people. And I mentioned DC because it’s a really nostalgic place for me. My mom used to work at a healthcare nonprofit there and I went to preschool there. They used to take us on day trips to the free museums, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and other landmarks. I remember one of the preschool teachers writing the Golden Rule on a chalkboard and teaching what it meant. That’s a vivid memory. I really love the wind chime percussion on this. Lemmy Hayes makes all his own percussion so it’s always exciting to see what he’s going to choose.
What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?
When I was 12 I had a crush on this guy who liked Linkin Park. I wanted to impress him so I decided to learn the guitar. I don’t think it ever worked but I stuck with it anyway, haha.
Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?
Artist:Sophie & the Broken Things Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Tornado” Album:Sophie & the Broken Things Release Date: January 31, 2020 Label: Petaluma Records
In Their Words: “Tornadoes have been occurring in my dreams for as long as I can remember. A few years ago I had one that was really memorable. So I woke up with the first line from this song in my head. Around that time I felt totally uncertain in every aspect of my life and was doubting every decision I was making. Having that kind of uncertainty makes you freeze in how you go about your life and influences every decision you make, and I just remember feeling very immobile.” — Sophie Gault
Photo credit: Annelise Loughead
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
