Tag: track premiere

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Larry Keel & Jon Stickley, Gwen Levey, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Our new music and premiere roundup is ready and waiting for you, ’cause You Gotta Hear This!

Bluegrass gospel group Eighteen Mile from upstate South Carolina have released their very first single, “Above The Clouds” today. Dripping with rich harmony vocals, the track offers encouragement to anyone experiencing doubt, anxiety, and pain. Supergroup neo-folk assemblage Geckøs – featuring Howe Gelb, Mark McCausland (AKA McKowski), and M. Ward – dropped a new single earlier this week, as well. “Lo Hice” started as an instrumental number, but morphed and changed when it reached the group, ending up as one of their favorite tracks on the upcoming album.

Guitar greats Larry Keel and Jon Stickley have joined forces on a new project; their self-titled EP will be available in just a week. To mark the occasion, we’ve got a sneak preview of one of the tracks from that collection, “Take the Air,” featuring just two guitars in an exciting and engaging instrumental dialogue. Singer-songwriter – and Sister Sadie band member – Jaelee Roberts has released her brand new solo album today, sharing its title track below. “Let Me Be Lonely” was written by Kelsi Harrigill (formerly of Flatt Lonesome) and hit country writer Wyatt McCubbin and it showcases Roberts’ love of traditional country sounds.

Don’t miss another country sensation, Gwen Levey, too, who shares a brand new music video for “Lighter,” the title track from her upcoming EP that is another excellent anthem for survivors of systems of violence. Beginning with subdued solo guitar and voice, the song soars into crisp modern country that will certainly have you feeling… lighter.

It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Eighteen Mile, “Above The Clouds”

Artist: Eighteen Mile
Hometown: Upstate South Carolina
Song: “Above The Clouds”
Release Date: August 29, 2025

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Above The Clouds’ during a season when I was wrestling with uncertainty and learning to trust God more deeply. The song became a reminder to myself that no matter what we face – doubt, anxiety, or pain – God is steady and present above it all. I wanted the music to feel hopeful, something that lifts listeners up and reminds them that the sun still shines above every storm.” – Hallie Ritter

“We hope this song is an encouragement to listeners in all areas of life who may be dealing with clouds of doubt, pain, and anxieties. The sun will always shine above the clouds.” – Eighteen Mile

Track Credits:
Hallie Ritter – Upright bass, lead vocal, songwriter
Carson Aaron – Acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmony vocal
Emily Guy – Harmony vocal
Jack Ritter – Acoustic guitar
Savannah Aaron – Fiddle
Andy Leftwich – Mandolin

Geckøs, “Lo Hice”

Artist: Geckøs
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Omagh, Ireland
Song: “Lo Hice”
Album: Geckøs
Release Date: August 26, 2025 (single); September 26, 2025 (album)
Label: Org Music and PIAPTK Records

In Their Words: “‘Lo Hice’ is a song that started off in Ireland as an instrumental track. The bare bones was written specifically with Matt in mind to see if it perked his ears enough to finish it off. He picked it up and breathed brand new life into it. The song came alive with his voice and slide guitar and his Spanish lyrics took it to a whole new world. One of the beautiful things about Geckøs is I’m slowly learning how to speak the Spanish tongue, or at least I know how to say things like, ‘It’s fucking hot outside.’ We finished the song together in Bristol with John Parish driving the ship, and the puzzle was complete. It’s become one of my favourite tracks on the album. Definitely in the top eleven.” – Mark McCausland (AKA McKowski)

Larry Keel and Jon Stickley, “Take the Air”

Artist: Larry Keel and Jon Stickley
Hometown: Lexington, Virignia (Larry); Asheville, North Carolina (Jon)
Song: “Take the Air”
Album: Larry Keel and Jon Stickley (EP)
Release Date: September 5, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Take the Air’ is one of those musical ideas that came to me like a gift. It’s based on a happy riff that I would play every time I picked up my guitar during the height of COVID lockdown. It was such a time of stress and anxiety, yet I also experienced so much connection with the world around me. When life slowed down, the planes stopped flying overhead, and the wheels of the world stopped turning, suddenly everything in the natural world felt so much more alive. I posted a short video of myself playing it one day and got a text from Larry shortly after saying, ‘Hey man, let’s do some duo shows someday.’ It took about four years, but we’re finally making it happen. The arrangement of this tune purposely leaves some space to take a breath. I hope listeners find it as uplifting as I do.” – Jon Stickley

Track Credits:
Larry Keel – 2008 Andrew White handcrafted parlor style guitar
Jon Stickley – Preston Thompson D-EIA acoustic guitar

Gwen Levey, “Lighter”

Artist: Gwen Levey and The Breakdown
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Lighter”
Album: LIGHTER
Release Date: August 29, 2025 (single); October 24, 2025 (EP)
Label: GAL Productions

In Their Words: “If my previous EP, Not The Girl Next Door, was about all of the toxicity I was experiencing the first few decades of my life, ‘Lighter’ is about shedding all that sh*t and stepping into my healing era. The EP represents the light I’ve been able to find to carry me through some very dark days. The two-and-a-half minute song is an upbeat anthem as a survivor of not only an eating disorder, but of overcoming abuse and life’s tribulations, and my hope in writing it is that other survivors will also feel empowered.

“Being a survivor has given me the voice I have today. I co-founded Rise Above Justice Movement, a coalition of survivors impacted by systems of violence. The theme song for RAJM is ‘Barefoot & Pregnant,’ my viral pro-choice country anthem that has amassed over 20 million views, won several awards, and will premiere on PBS this summer. To this day, RAJM has several notable followers, including Rosie O’Donnell, the founder of the MeToo movement Tarana Burke, Alanis Morissette, and many others. ‘Lighter’ will be another anthem for our survivor movement.” – Gwen Levey

Jaelee Roberts, “Let Me Be Lonely”

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Let Me Be Lonely”
Album: Let Me Be Lonely
Release Date: August 29, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Let Me Be Lonely’ is one of my favorite songs on the album for sure! I am such a huge lover of classic/traditional country music and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t listen to it. I am beyond excited that I got to record a song that allowed me to give a nod to that sound. My friend and mentor, Kelsi Harrigill, sent me the demo of ‘Let Me Be Lonely’ that she wrote with hit country songwriter Wyatt McCubbin, and I knew before I’d even gotten halfway through the first listen that I absolutely had to put it on my album. As I’ve mentioned several times, I love sad songs with my whole heart, and this song has all the ingredients that make the perfect sad country song – lyrically and melodically. Kelsi and Wyatt joined me on this recording singing harmony vocals, which just topped it off for me. There is steel and fiddle on this track (which are my favorite instruments), and I sure hope that y’all enjoy my little tip of the hat to the trad country music that I love so much!” – Jaelee Roberts

Track Credits:
Jaelee Roberts – Lead vocal
Kelsi Harrigill – Harmony vocal
Wyatt McCubbin – Harmony vocal
Byron House – Bass
Cody Kilby – Guitar
Andy Leftwich – Mandolin
Ron Block – Guitar
Stuart Duncan – Fiddle
Russ Pahl – Steel guitar
John Gardner – Percussion

Photo Credit: Larry Keel and Jon Stickley by Lexi Simcic; Gwen Levey by Meaghan Campbell.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Josh Rinkel, West Texas Exiles, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Sit back and relax and enjoy a New Music Friday roots music picture show, right here on BGS! It’s wall-to-wall music and performance videos in this week’s roundup.

Starting us off, Roman Alexander’s new album, Midwest Calling, is available today, so we’re celebrating the occasion with his new music video for “Way Over You.” Built on strong mainstream country sounds, the track showcases how the entire project is built on an indelible sense of self, on acceptance, and firm home ties. In bluegrass, Kentuckian picker and singer-songwriter Josh “Jug” Rinkel debuts a new performance video for “I’m Only So Good At Being Good,” an original song about overcoming addiction and facing down temptation time after time. With just a guitar and a voice, it’s gorgeous-and-simple bluegrass at its best – down-to-earth and moving, too.

West Texas Exiles call on Kelly Willis to share lead vocals on “Division,” which they’ve paired with a gentle fingerpicked melody and a very fun and charming stop-motion music video inspired by a Wes Anderson sort of aesthetic. The harsh realities of a long-term relationship coming to a close have never looked so cute, but this song will gut you – or give comfort – all the same. Singer-songwriter Pete Droge brings us a gauzy, kaleidoscopic video for “Fade Away Blue,” the title track for his new album (out today) featuring lead guitar by Rusty Anderson. Steeped in azure and cerulean, there’s a tenor of hope and looking ahead in the alt-folk twang and open guitar tuning.

Plus, Rachel McIntyre Smith continues her Honeysuckle Friend Sessions with her pal Duke Jones. The pair perform a cover of Zach Bryan’s “Oklahoma City” to celebrate McIntyre Smith’s recent deluxe EP and the robustly talented community of musician, artist, and creator friends that surrounds her. It’s the second installment from the series we’ve shared here (see the first edition here) and we’ll continue in a couple of weeks with another video from the Honeysuckle Friend Sessions.

Pop some popcorn and enjoy the pictures – You Gotta Hear This!

Roman Alexander, “Way Over You”

Artist: Roman Alexander
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Song: “Way Over You”
Album: Midwest Calling
Release Date: August 22, 2025
Label: Twelve6 Entertainment

In Their Words: “Midwest Calling is about knowing who you are no matter where you go. It’s about carrying a sense of home through breakups, long nights, and big dreams – the moments that shape you, but also test you. No matter how far I’ve wandered or how much life has shifted, there’s always a part of the Midwest that pulls me back, grounding me in where I come from and reminding me why I started chasing this dream in the first place. It’s both a comfort and a compass – a voice that whispers you can grow, you can change, you can hurt and you can hope, but you’ll always belong to something bigger than yourself.” – Roman Alexander

Video Credits: Directed and edited by Sean O’Halloran.
Coloring by Sam Aldrich.

Pete Droge, “Fade Away Blue”

Artist: Pete Droge
Hometown: Bainbridge Island, Washington
Song: “Fade Away Blue”
Album: Fade Away Blue
Release Date: August 22, 2025
Label: Puzzle Tree/Missing Piece Records

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Fade Away Blue’ in an open tuning, DADGAD. There is a melody inherent in my acoustic rhythm part that was not speaking through the track once we added drums and bass. So we enlisted Rusty Anderson from Paul McCartney’s band on lead guitar to bring those phrases to the forefront. His tone, pocket, and feel are impeccable. He also added the slide guitar and an additional rhythm part in the chorus. Listen carefully and you’ll hear him add a nice Beatles chord on the last note. I guess after working with Sir Paul for all those years, that stuff is bound to rub off.” – Pete Droge

Rachel McIntyre Smith, “Oklahoma City” featuring Duke Jones (Honeysuckle Friend Sessions)

Artist: Rachel McIntyre Smith and Duke Jones
Hometown: Oliver Springs, Tennessee
Song: “Oklahoma City”
Latest Album: Honeysuckle Friend (Deluxe)
Release Date: August 27, 2025 (video); June 27, 2025 (deluxe EP)

In Their Words: “Duke and I both made our Whiskey Jam debut on the same night! His artistry really stuck out to me and I knew that I wanted to invite him to be part of my ongoing series, the Honeysuckle Friend Sessions. This song was suggested by Duke and for good reason! No one can cover a Zach Bryan song better than him. I’m grateful that BGS partnered with me to release this session. Keep an eye out in two weeks for the final video in this series with BGS as part of ‘You Gotta Hear This.’” – Rachel McIntyre Smith

“This song was one of the songs that inspired me to start singing and playing guitar. I’m thankful Rachel let me join her in this performance! Truly a special song for a special moment.” – Duke Jones

Track Credits:
Duke Jones – Vocals, guitar
Rachel McIntyre Smith – Vocals

Video Credits: Filmed and edited by Rachel McIntyre Smith.

Watch another Honeysuckle Friend Session on BGS here.

Josh Rinkel, “I’m Only So Good At Being Good”

Artist: Josh Rinkel
Hometown: Mount Eden, Kentucky
Song: “I’m Only So Good At Being Good”
Album: Live from Reverb and Echo Studio
Release Date: August 22, 2025
Label: Reverb and Echo

In Their Words: “‘Only So Good At Being Good,’ at its core, is a song about overcoming addiction. About a year into being sober, I started wondering how long I could actually keep it going, how long could I continue to make good decisions and say no to constant temptation. Recognizing your weaknesses is an essential part of overcoming them. That’s what ‘Only So Good At Being Good’ was for me. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to co-write this song with the legendary Jim Lauderdale and he recorded it on his most recent bluegrass album, The Long And Lonesome Letting Go.” – Josh Rinkel

Video Credits: Carter Brice

West Texas Exiles, “Division” featuring Kelly Willis

Artist: West Texas Exiles
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Division” featuring Kelly Willis
Album: 8000 Days
Release Date: August 22, 2025 (video); May 2, 2025 (single); September 12, 2025 (album)
Label: Floating Mesa Records

In Their Words: “‘Division’ dissects some harsh realities that come with ending a long-term relationship. Hopeful beginnings can unravel to expose a bitter end. Adding Kelly Willis as a counterpart lead vocal really brought home the split screen feeling of the song:

It’s the division
I’ll take the couch, you sleep wherever
Division
I’ve learned there’s no such thing as forever
Division
A storage unit full of tainted memories
And things you deem unworthy for the next part of life…

“As we were finishing this song, the production was really giving Wes Anderson-esque feels. The idea to make a stop-motion video of a house building itself then being torn apart, but the ‘stifling vines’ just felt like a natural and fun way expand upon the emotion and vibe of the song. Callum Scott-Dyson makes award-winning art and absolutely nailed the vision we had for the video.” – West Texas Exiles

Track Credits:
Marco Gutierrez – Lead vocals, guitar
Kelly Willis – Lead vocals
Daniel Davis – Guitar, keys, BGVs
Eric Harrison – Bass, BGVs
Colin Gilmore – Mandolin, BGVs
Trinidad Leal – Drums

Photo Credit: Josh Rinkel by Dan Deurloo; West Texas Exiles with Kelly Willis by Ramon Meija.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Katie Boeck, Ben Garnett, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

You’ve reached the end of the week and, for your reward, we’ve collected a superlative handful of brand new videos, visualizers, and songs from roots music spheres.

Kicking us off, actor and indie-folk singer-songwriter Katie Boeck puts yearning “almost-love” in the spotlight with “Dust.” It’s a lovely, contemplative track that showcases that Boeck is equally at home in indie-tinged Americana as she is on a Broadway stage. Continuing in a similar context, with tender harmonies and fingerpicking as a sound bed Canadian folk duo Ocie Elliott also consider the messy, uncertain, shifting sands of loving someone and the circular nature of giving of yourself to another in that most intimate way.

Guitarist and composer Ben Garnett announced his upcoming sophomore album earlier this week. Kite’s Keep arrives in October, heralded here with the first single, “Look Again,” and a live performance video of the bustling, prismatic track featuring Brittany Haas on fiddle and Ethan Jodziewicz on bass. It demonstrates the consistently thoughtful and outside-the-box approach Garnett takes in crafting solo acoustic guitar music that bridges jazz, bluegrass, new acoustic, and more.

The Far West, Los Angeles-based country strutters, tapped Dave Alvin as a guest for their brand new track, “Hope I Don’t Bleed.” Dropping next week on August 22, you can get a sneak preview of the vibing, psychedelic LA-canyons-via-swampy-bottoms tune below. And, wrapping us up, singer-songwriter Jon LaDeau draws inspiration from a long New York City to Bristol, Tennessee, drive with “East Tennessee Wrecker.” He’s joined by Emily Jackson on the new single and performance video, which features a lovely stripped down version of the track, unadorned and shining.

Whatever your favorite flavor of country, folk, and roots music, there’s something for you to enjoy herein. You Gotta Hear This!

Katie Boeck, “Dust”

Artist: Katie Boeck
Hometown: San Luis Obispo, California
Song: “Dust”
Release Date: August 15, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Dust’ came out of the ache of almost-love – the kind where someone lingers near your heart, but never fully arrives. I was thinking of the tortoise and the hare, but as a metaphor for emotional pacing between two people. It began as an ultimatum, but ended as an acceptance of what is – without clinging to what could’ve been. I recorded it with Shane Leonard (Anna Tivel, Humbird), a producer I’ve long admired, at his studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, live to tape, which was my first experience in that setting. Creatively, it was also an exercise in letting something be what it was in that moment, without all the modern temptations and expectations of perfection.” – Katie Boeck

Track Credits:
Katie Boeck – Vocals, guitars, songwriter
Joe Westerlund – Drums
Pat Keen – Bass
Paul Brandt – Keys
Shane Leonard – Drums, producer, mixing, mastering

Video Credit: Bella Mazzola, Twin Lantern Productions

Ocie Elliott, “By The Way”

Artist: Ocie Elliott
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “By The Way”
Album: Bungalow
Release Date: August 15, 2025 (single); October 24, 2025 (album)
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “‘By The Way’ is a song about the beautiful mess of loving someone – choosing love not just in spite of challenging dynamics, but because of them. It’s a recognition that no matter how fleeting and uncertain the unfolding of a story may be, love is the constant that it always circles back to. The song was written after many months away on tour and it was one of the first melodies and chord progressions that came to me once I delved back into writing. Sometimes songs take a while to come into being, but this was one of those tunes that arrived almost fully formed.” – Jon Middleton

The Far West, “Hope I Don’t Bleed”

Artist: The Far West
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Hope I Don’t Bleed” featuring Dave Alvin
Album: Everything We Thought We Wanted
Release Date: August 22, 2025 (single); September 26, 2025 (album)
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “I’d been kicking this one around for years, but could never find the arrangement I wanted to suit the lyrics. Aaron, Robert, and Brian really found the swampy vibe I couldn’t seem to. The bass puts this right in the pocket it needed to be, and having Dave Alvin tear a white-hot solo through it made it complete.

“Dave played this solo though my amp, which is a special little factoid for me. The amp is now blessed. My little Fender only has a volume and tone knob, and I used to tape the volume knob down at shows because the vibration of the amp would cause it to turn itself up as it rattled. I took the tape off in the studio. Dave likes things loud and either the amp turned itself up to 10 or he did, either way each take got louder.

“You can hear the amp being pressed to its absolute limit. I know he’s blown some bigger amps on stage, I was surprised my little amp survived. A few months after he laid down this solo, I saw him at the Astro Diner and mentioned we were listening back and ‘we think the amp turned itself up on you during the session’… he just looked at me and said, ‘No it didn’t.’ Anyway, this one is simply about being afraid of experiencing pain at death.” – Lee Briante

Ben Garnett, “Look Again”

Artist: Ben Garnett
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Look Again”
Album: Kite’s Keep
Release Date: August 12, 2025 (single); October 10, 2025 (album)
Label: Padiddle Records

In Their Words: “‘Look Again’ is the first track on my sophomore studio album, Kite’s Keep. The album title loosely refers to this idea of a child’s inner world – a dreamscape where each song represents a different vignette of imagination.

“With ‘Look Again,’ I wanted the music to feel prismatic. As if to suggest an imaginative universe emerging from an ordinary one. I was interested in exploring, in musical terms, the idea that perception is never fixed. Like the old saying goes, ‘You never step in the same river twice’ – one also never sees the same thing twice. Any time we return to anything, it’s always different, with all things constantly in motion.

“On top of this, I had the immense joy of working with two musicians I deeply adore: Brittany Haas on fiddle and Ethan Jodziewicz on bass. Their performances brought the track to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.” – Ben Garnett

Track Credits:
Ben Garnett – Guitar
Brittany Haas – Fiddle
Ethan Jodziewicz – Bass

Video Credits: Tessa Cokkinias – Cinematography
Ben Garnett – Video

Jon LaDeau, “East Tennessee Wrecker”

Artist: Jon LaDeau
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “East Tennessee Wrecker” featuring Emily Jackson
Album: Chateau LaDeau
Release Date: August 22, 2025
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “‘East Tennessee Wrecker’ is a song that has been picking at me for a long time. Several years ago, I was traveling with my band from Brooklyn, NY to Bristol, TN to play at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. It’s about a 10-hour drive and for some reason our navigation system was counting down the hours until we arrived at East Tennessee Wrecker. We didn’t know what that was, but discovered upon arriving in the area that it was a towing service that I believe has since changed names. For some reason that title got imprinted in my mind and as time went by the structure of a song began to reveal itself.

“I recorded the guitars, bass, and drums in my studio in Brooklyn and when the music felt right, I was lucky to have Emily Jackson come by and sing a duet with me to tie it all together. We sang together live into one mic and that’s what you hear on the album. I brought this version of the song to David Butler and he fleshed out the arrangement by adding a second drum set, a drum machine, and some sparse keyboard stuff. I’m really happy with how this one came out and I feel lucky that D. James Goodwin was available to really bring the performances we captured to their full sonic potential by mixing and mastering.

“At the heart of the song it’s really just acoustic guitar and vocals, so I wanted to capture a stripped down version as well. Aaron Cassara filmed Emily and I singing it at The Scratcher here in the East Village, NYC. I’ve been very fortunate to work out a lot of my songs here over the years during their Sunday night music series so it felt natural to capture a version of the song in the same way you would hear it live in a room that means so much to me. This song seems to reinforce the feelings of connection I have to my community. I hope that it lifts up anyone who gives it a listen.” – Jon LaDeau

Photo Credit: Katie Boeck by New Norm Studios; Ben Garnett by Natia Cinco.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Sunny Sweeney, Hannah Delynn, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Somehow we’ve already arrived at August!? How did that happen? At any rate, there’s no better way to kick off the month than another brand new edition of You Gotta Hear This.

This week, we have a small but mighty collection of country and folk. Just a couple of days ago husband-and-wife duo Alyssa & Wayne Brewer announced an upcoming album, Lonesome & Blue, slated for release in September. To celebrate the announcement, they dropped the title track and lead single and for our roundup they’re sharing its accompanying music video for the first time. Watch below.

Plus, singer-songwriter Hannah Delynn gives a sneak preview of “Jealousy,” her third and final single from her upcoming September release, Trust Fall. Out next Friday, the number was produced by Maya de Vitry and is anchored by emotive piano, exploring the depths and catacombs of often squashed emotions.

To wrap things up, Texan country veteran Sunny Sweeney releases her new album Rhinestone Requiem today, so we’re spotlighting an as-yet-unreleased track, “Find It Where I Can,” that’s twangy, honky-tonkin’, and rocking and rolling, too. Congrats on the new LP, Sunny!

It’s all right here on BGS – and You Gotta Hear This!

Alyssa & Wayne Brewer, “Lonesome & Blue”

Artist: Alyssa & Wayne Brewer
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Lonesome & Blue”
Album: Lonesome & Blue
Release Date: July 31, 2025 (single); September 12, 2025 (album)
Label: Sony/Orchard

In Their Words: “‘Lonesome & Blue’ is our first original offering as A&W Brewer. This song is our interpretation of a classic country tune written in our modern-day time. It’s a forbidden love, sad country song that was written to closely mirror the tumultuous relationship of George Jones and Tammy Wynette. In the video, we not only act out the tune as the characters, ‘Lonesome’ & ‘Blue,’ but also act out the characters’ daydream fantasy of being together as shiny country music stars. In the end, because of life, it doesn’t work out.” – Alyssa & Wayne Brewer

Track Credits:
Alyssa Brewer – Vocals
Wayne Brewer – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Gary Brewer – Electric guitar
Tom Killen – Pedal steel
Mason Brewer – Drums

Video Credits:
Director of Photography: Kevin Bryan, Visual Poet Studios
Dave Santiago – Bartender
Alyssa Brewer – Video editing, production
Wayne Brewer – Executive producer

Hannah Delynn, “Jealousy”

Artist: Hannah Delynn
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Jealousy”
Album: Trust Fall
Release Date: August 8, 2025 (single); September 5, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Jealousy’ is a journey through emotional alchemy, I’d say. It’s certainly a vulnerable one and when Maya suggested we put it on the record, I was admittedly a little scared!

“So often, I think we shy away from difficult emotions because they feel shameful. They’re hard to look at, definitely – but I believe that beneath any feeling, even those which are seemingly abhorrent or benign, is an innocent desire. There is a deep chasm of pain with gold waiting within it. If we can just push past the discomfort, we can find what we’re really looking for. It’s a freeing reframe.

“Perhaps the feeling of jealousy, deep down, is a desire to be seen and recognized, to feel we belong. Who doesn’t want that? Instead of getting curious, however, we often bury or project these things in unhelpful ways, creating distance instead of closeness with ourselves and with others. Jealousy isn’t about what anyone else has; it’s about what we already have inside –we’ve simply lost sight of it.

“Following it as a sort of internal compass can connect us with that desire underneath, to recognize ourselves instead of seeking it elsewhere. It can free us from comparison and allow us to embrace our own light and celebrate the light of the other luminous creative beings all around us. (That’s everyone). Besides, the glory of a night sky is billions of stars beaming back at us… What fun would there be in seeing only one single light shining up there all by its lonesome?

“I’m so grateful to my dear, brilliant friends Alex Wilder and Lizzy Ross for sharing their bright light with us all. Alex created the beautiful piano parts within the song. I love, so very much, that the harmonies were a spontaneous unfolding between us three friends who love singing together. Also, it says quite a lot about Clare that we could write a song about jealousy together. The trust, the openheartedness, the non-judgment… may we all be that kind of friend and collaborator to one another. This whole team is bursting at the seams with bright, beautiful stars. Making this with them feels like I made a wish and it’s coming true.” – Hannah Delynn

Track Credits:
Hannah Delynn – Vocals, guitar, harmonies, songwriter
Alex Wilder – Piano, harmonies
Lizzy Ross – Harmonies
Clare “Lollies” Reynolds – Songwriter
Maya de Vitry – Producer
Ethan Jodziewicz – Engineer

Sunny Sweeney, “Find It Where I Can”

Artist: Sunny Sweeney
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Song: “Find It Where I Can”
Album: Rhinestone Requiem
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Label: Aunt Daddy Records

In Their Words: “‘Find It Where I Can’ is about that ache you get when love turns cold and you start looking for warmth anywhere you can find it. It’s not about being reckless… it’s about being human. I heard Jerry Lee Lewis’ version of this song at a time when I had just gotten out of a long relationship filled with lonely nights – not single, just lonely. There’s a specific kind of ache that comes from loving someone who stopped reaching for you a long time ago. This song doesn’t point fingers. It just says, ‘Hey, I’m still here, and I still need something real. If you can’t give it to me, I’ll find someone who will.’ It’s really just a line in the sand.” – Sunny Sweeney

Photo Credit: Sunny Sweeney by Nash Nouveau; Hannah Delynn by Betsy Phillips.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Andy Leftwich, Vickie Vaughn, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

You know what you need? You need a roundup of brand new roots music!

In this edition of our weekly collection, Andy Leftwich kicks us off with a frequent fiddle contest selection, “Tom and Jerry,” giving an appropriate Texas swing treatment to the classic tune. It draws from his childhood growing up performing and competing at contests. A couple of Leftwich’s labelmates on Mountain Home Music are included below, as well. North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition call on Danny Paisley, Jason Carter, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes to guest on “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight.” Below, the group’s bassist Sav Sankaran gives us some insight on who inspired their cover of the track and how they chose their special guests. Plus, bassist and singer-songwriter Vickie Vaughn, also on Mountain Home, releases her most vulnerable original track to date, “Mama Took Her Ring Off Yesterday.” Written with Deanie Richardson, who produced Vaughn’s upcoming solo debut, it’s a song about grief, loss, and how life always marches on.

In a similar sonic space to our bluegrass selections, Old Crow Medicine Show have pitched in for John McCutcheon’s upcoming album that pays tribute to the seminal 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention to mark the year of its 100th anniversary. The album, Long Journey Home: a Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, was produced by McCutcheon and features an incredible varied roster of artists and pickers rendering songs that pay homage to the important East Tennessee gathering. OCMS perform “Whatcha Gonna Do with the Baby,” which McCutcheon has set to photos from the album’s star-studded recording sessions.

Also below you’ll hear Amanda Pascali combine cultures and sounds from Sicily and the American South on “Amuri,” a brand new song from her upcoming album, Roses and Basil. It’s a delightfully cross-genre track, with touches of cumbia, Latin folk, Texas, Sicily – of course – and beyond. You won’t want to miss new music from Queen Bonobo (AKA Maya Goldblum), either. “Waiting Tables” is the indie-alt-folk artist’s Saturn Return song, about manifesting success and chasing dreams.

It’s a lovely collection of new songs and videos and you know what we’re gonna say… You Gotta Hear This!

Andy Leftwich, “Tom and Jerry”

Artist: Andy Leftwich
Hometown: Carthage, Tennessee
Song: “Tom and Jerry”
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “This song brings back so many memories for me. I grew up competing in fiddle contests all around the southern region of the United States where I met some of the best fiddlers of our day and was introduced to the style of Texas fiddling. ‘Tom and Jerry’ is an anthem and you’ll hear it played in just about every fiddling contest and Texas jam session there is. This arrangement is a development of those experiences and pays homage to my upbringing, reminding me of where I started. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when you play these tunes with those incredible passing chords along with the Texas swing feel. It’s just so much fun!” – Andy Leftwich

Track Credits:
Andy Leftwich – Fiddle, mandolin
Byron House – Upright bass
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar

Old Crow Medicine Show, “Whatcha Gonna Do with the Baby”

Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Whatcha Gonna Do With the Baby”
Album: Long Journey Home: a Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention
Release Date: August 1, 2025 (single); September 5, 2025 (album)
Label: Appalseed

In Their Words: “Old Crow Medicine Show probably wouldn’t be a band if it weren’t for the time we spent around Johnson County, Tennessee, in the late ’90s. It was there that we learned to love the plain affairs of simple living in the hills, where country music was born. Fiddlers like JB Grayson were an early inspiration to us and the legend of the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention loomed large, even 75 years later. Now 100 years have passed since this, the first of the big national old-time music conventions, and we are mighty proud to have played a role alongside the great John McCutcheon in bringing this album to fruition.

John first approached me a year ago with the exciting news that he was embarking on a tribute to the Mountain City Fiddlers convention, the event that was so instrumental to the development of the Upper East Tennessee region’s identity as the national headwaters for hillbilly music. I immediately jumped in headfirst, bringing along Old Crow as the first act to sign up for the project. Many of the recordings we helped John make at our own Hartland Studio in East Nashville and now we are honored to finally be able to express our gratitude to Johnson County, Tennessee, an inspirational community for our band.” – Ketch Secor

“I first heard about Mountain City, Tennessee, as a teenager just beginning to play the banjo. I heard the Folkways album Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley’s and it changed the way I thought about the banjo and music as a whole. When I was finally lucky enough to get to Mountain City – doing a concert – I realized how important this little town and its heritage was. When the centenary of the 1925 fiddlers convention was rolling around, I called a bunch of my musical pals and invited them to join me in celebrating this event and, at the same time, benefit the fledgling arts center the town had started. My only request of the musicians was: Don’t make these museum pieces. Own them. I want to hear your fingerprints all over the music. And it turned out way cooler than I ever imagined.” – John McCutcheon

Amanda Pascali, “Amuri”

Artist: Amanda Pascali
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Song: “Amuri”
Album: Roses and Basil
Release Date: July 23, 2025 (single); September 12, 2025 (album)
Label: Amanda Pascali & the Family/Missing Piece Records

In Their Words: “‘Amuri’ is the first song off my new record, Roses and Basil. The song opens the album with a Leonard Cohen-esque guitar part and a stanza of ancient Sicilian verse: ‘Amuri, amuri, chi m’hai fattu fari? M’hai fattu fari ‘na granni pazzia.’ (‘My love, my love, what have you made me do? You’ve made me go mad.’) These centuries-old lines, interpreted by many artists over time, tell the story of someone so overtaken by love that they forget the way to the church. In my version, that sense of losing the path becomes a metaphor for drifting away from what once felt like absolute truth, all in the name of love.

“The song quickly shifts from that quiet opening into a vibrant cumbia rhythm, inspired by the Latin sounds I grew up with in Texas. A spaghetti western-style electric guitar, 1960s and ’70s Italian lounge piano and vibraphone, and the figure of the priest reimagined as a Southern preacher man all come together to bridge my two worlds: Sicily and the American South.

“Though ‘Amuri’ borrows its opening from the past, the song itself is entirely my own. It sets the tone for the album: anchored in tradition, but reimagined for today. How strange and beautiful that something so old can still feel so relatable.

“The album was recorded at Niles City Sound in Fort Worth, Texas. The day before we recorded this song, my producer Robert Ellis came over to the place where I was staying, with a second-hand nylon string guitar he had bought that very same day. He sat at the table with me at golden hour and as the sun shone through the windows, he played the song in a way that resembled Leonard Cohen’s ‘Master Song.’ The wheels started spinning at that moment.” – Amanda Pascali

Track Credits:
Amanda Pascali – Vocals, songwriter
Robert Ellis – Piano, vibraphone, guitar, prodcuer
Jordan Richardson – Drums, percussion
Aden Bubeck – Bass

Queen Bonobo, “Waiting Tables”

Artist: Queen Bonobo
Hometown: Sandpoint, Idaho
Song: “Waiting Tables”
Release Date: August 1, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Waiting Tables’ is my Saturn Return song. It’s about envisioning how I want my life to be and letting go of all that’s not serving me. I’ve been in the service industry since I was 14 years old and this song is my slightly sassy and soothing way of manifesting success in my music career. We all deserve safety, peace, and for our dreams to be actualized.” – Queen Bonobo

Track Credits:
Maya Goldblum – Guitar, vocals, producer
Joe Kaplow – Drums, percussion, engineer
Joel Ludford – Stand-up bass
Kyle Knadinger – Pedal steel
Neil Burns – Keys

Unspoken Tradition, “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight” featuring Danny Paisley

Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Western North Carolina
Song: “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight” featuring Danny Paisley
Album: Resilience
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘I’ll Break Out Again Tonight’ was one of the first bluegrass songs I ever learned, largely inspired by the captivating rendition of the song by Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass. It has long been one of my favorite old country ballads to sing and to honor my Mid-Atlantic bluegrass roots and collaborate with Danny on this song is a dream come true. Danny is my all-time favorite bluegrass vocalist, and has been an inspiration to me since I was a child. I’m so excited to have Unspoken Tradition’s version of this classic out in the world, and even more excited to share the track with my bluegrass hero!” – Sav Sankaran

Track Credits:
Audie McGinnis – Acoustic guitar
Sav Sankaran – Bass, lead vocal, harmony vocal
Tim Gardner – Fiddle, harmony vocal
Zane McGinnis – Banjo
Ty Gilpin – Mandolin
Danny Paisley – Lead vocal, harmony vocal
Jason Carter – Fiddle
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes – Fiddle

Vickie Vaughn, “Mama Took Her Ring Off Yesterday”

Artist: Vickie Vaughn
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Mama Took Her Ring Off Yesterday”
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I was having lunch with Mama at a Mexican restaurant in Paducah, Kentucky, one day about three months after my father’s unexpected passing. In her charming and sneaky lil way, she wiggled the fingers of her left hand past the chips toward me. (She’s always had a soft/sweet way of breaking strange news to me and my brother.) I saw that her wedding ring was off, a final signal to me, my brother, and her that life goes on after tragedy. The whole situation struck me so much that I had to write this song with Deanie Richardson about the day we found out Mama took her ring off.” – Vickie Vaughn

Track Credits:
Vickie Vaughn – Upright bass, lead vocal
Cody Kilby – Guitar
Casey Campbell – Mandolin
Wes Corbett – Banjo
Dave Racine – Drums
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Frank Rische – Harmony vocal

Photo Credit: Andy Leftwich by Erick Anderson; Vickie Vaughn by Laura Schneider.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Tray Wellington, Dallas Burrow, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Country and folk, bluegrass and new acoustic music all come together in this week’s edition of our new music and premiere roundup!

First up, country singer-songwriter Dallas Burrow is joined by Ray Wylie Hubbard on a brand new music video for their duo track, “Read ‘Em and Weep,” from Burrow’s upcoming September release. The song was inspired by classic gambling songs, so of course Ray Wylie was the perfect special guest to tap for the track and the country & western-styled video. Also bringing a new music video this week are Americana/folk trio The Last Revel, of Minneapolis. “Static” is about the overwhelm and confusion of new love.

In bluegrass, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers tap Jim Lauderdale for a new track, “How Small of Me.” Despite knowing each other for decades, it’s the first time Jones and Lauderdale have collaborated in the studio. Jones’ labelmates Deanie Richardson & Kimber Ludiker debut another new twin fiddle tune, this time offering their take on a Frank Wakefield classic, “New Camptown Races,” with a mighty backing band.

From experimental string band fringes we have a few stellar selections, as well. Award-winning banjoist Tray Wellington readies a new EP – set for release August 8 – with a performance video of an original song, “Man on the Moon,” continuing his creative relationship and fascination with the earth’s celestial relative. It’s jammy, expressive, and contemplative and shows a blend of many of the different styles of ‘grass he often employs. Mandolinist and composer Ethan Setiawan has new music on the way, too. His next project, Encyclopedia Mandolinnica, arrives mid-August and to celebrate, he’s shared a track featuring Joe K. Walsh called “Mount Holly.”

Finally, you won’t want to miss the return of Thompson the Fox, Tokyo’s quartet of mind-bending pickers who combine jazz, bebop, new acoustic, bluegrass, and so much more. Volume 2 of The Fox In Tiger’s Clothing – entitled TIGER – drops next month, so we’re sharing “Minute Waltz Rag,” the group’s reimagination of Chopin’s quintessential composition that’s ragtime, bluegrass, classical, and jazz altogether. Still, it’s incredibly easy to listen to – and impressive in technique and artfulness, both.

It’s all right here on BGS and, truly, You Gotta Hear This!

Dallas Burrow, “Read ‘Em and Weep” featuring Ray Wylie Hubbard

Artist: Dallas Burrow
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Song: “Read ‘Em & Weep” featuring Ray Wylie Hubbard
Album: The Way The West Was Won
Release Date: July 18, 2025 (video); September 26, 2025 (album)
Label: Forty Below Records

In Their Words: “This song, which serves as the opening track of the album, is actually a musical sequel to a song I wrote with my good friend Charley Crockett called ‘The Only Game in Town,’ which I wrote all the verses for after he brought me a chorus and a chord progression. In that song’s third verse the narrator tells us, ‘The dealer is [his] friend and the house always wins.’ This song you might say serves as a challenge to its prequel, with the opening verse declaring, ‘I heard the dealer was your friend, I heard you know him well.’ Both, stylistically, were inspired by great gambling songs like ‘Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold’ by Townes Van Zandt and ‘Dust of the Chase’ by Ray Wylie Hubbard. It was only fitting then that Ray Wylie would sing on this tune. I gave him the whole record to listen to and this was the one he picked out to sing on. It was quite the honor to have him sing the entire second verse, since he’s always been one of my biggest inspirations and heroes. The tune opens with producer Lloyd Maines counting it off and playing a striking harmonic guitar part. As the track continues to build it is further brought to life by Lloyd’s legendary Dobro playing, and Katie Shore’s immaculate fiddle work.” – Dallas Burrow

Track Credits:
Ray Wylie Hubbard – Vocals
Dallas Burrow – Vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriter
Katie Shore – Fiddle
Lloyd Maines – Dobro, bass, acoustic guitar, producer
Pat Manske – percussion

Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, “How Small of Me” featuring Jim Lauderdale

Artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “How Small of Me”
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Jim Lauderdale and I have been friends for decades now, but this is the first time we have ever sung together on a recording, so I’m really happy about this. Meanwhile I co-wrote the song with John McCutcheon, somebody I first met when I was a teenager, and though more recently, he’s somebody who the band and I have performed with a few times at the Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas, we had never written a song together until last year, and ‘How Small of Me’ is one of our first results.” – Chris Jones

Track Credits:
Chris Jones – Acoustic guitar, lead vocal
Jim Lauderdale – Harmony vocal
Mark Stoffel – Mandolin
Grace van’t Hof – Ukelele
Jon Weisberger – Bass
Tony Creasman – Drums
Chris Scruggs – Steel guitar

The Last Revel, “Static”

Artist: The Last Revel
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Song: “Static”
Album: Gone For Good
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Label: Thirty Tigers

In Their Words: “It’s a simple little song about how overwhelming and confusing love can feel especially in the beginning. It’s about losing yourself and everything you have just to spend time with the only person that seems to be vibrating at the same frantic frequency while everything else seems still and static.” – Lee Henke

Deanie Richardson & Kimber Ludiker, “New Camptown Races”

Artist: Deanie Richardson & Kimber Ludiker
Song: “New Camptown Races”
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘New Camptown Races’ is a song that Kimber and I played together last year and it went so well we knew it was one we wanted on this record. I went to a recording from one of my fiddle heroes, Randy Howard, on this. I will admit, I did steal a few licks from Randy on this one. Love that my dear friend is with us on this track.” – Deanie Richardson

“We have long loved Frank Wakefield’s great mandolin tune ‘New Camptown Races,’ which quickly became part of the bluegrass canon when he first recorded it in 1957. We set out to create a twin fiddle reimagining of this classic Bb tune with the spirit of a high-energy late-night jam with phenomenal playing by Tristan Scroggins on mandolin, Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Cody Kilby on guitar, and Hasee Ciaccio on bass.” – Kimber Ludiker

Track Credits:
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Kimber Ludiker – Fiddle
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar
Hasee Ciaccio – Upright bass
Tristan Scroggins – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo

Ethan Setiawan, “Mount Holly” featuring Joe K. Walsh

(Click to listen)

Artist name: Ethan Setiawan
Hometown: Cornish, Maine
Song: “Mount Holly” featuring Joe K. Walsh
Album: Encyclopedia Mandolinnica
Release Date: July 23, 2025 (single); August 15, 2025 (album)
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “This one’s for the Fogels, at whose cabin in Vermont I spent a couple of great New Years, and who smoke the most delicious meat at all hours at festivals in the Northeast. I started to work on the tune in 2022 or 2023 up in Vermont and then finished it soon before tracking with Joe in early 2024. I finished it without a mandolin in hand, which lately has been a good exercise in letting my ear rather than my hands guide the composition. I’m playing mandola and Joe is playing octave mandolin, because we had to get in those low mandolins!” – Ethan Setiawan

Thompson the Fox, “Minute Waltz Rag”

Artist: Thompson the Fox
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Song: “Minute Waltz Rag”
Album: The Fox In Tiger’s Clothing, Vol.2: TIGER
Release Date: August 9, 2025
Label: Prefab Records

In Their Words: “Following our May release of The Fox In Tiger’s Clothing, Vol.1: FOX, we’re excited to announce the upcoming release of its sister album, Vol.2: TIGER, coming out on August 9.

“The album title is a play on two phrases from different cultures: the Japanese proverb, ‘The fox borrowing the tiger’s authority’ and the English idiom, ‘A wolf in sheep’s clothing.’

“While Vol.1: FOX consisted entirely of our original compositions, Vol.2: TIGER is a collection of cover tunes. Ahead of the album’s release, we’ve just shared a music video for ‘Minute Waltz Rag.’ It’s a reimagining of Chopin’s beautiful waltz, which I arranged in two-time for this quartet. We hope you enjoy it!” – Takumi Kodera

Track Credits:
Rie Koyama – Xylophone
Takumi Kodera – Banjo
Akihide Teshima – Bass
Tomohito Yoshijima – Drums

Video Credit: Takumi Kodera

Tray Wellington, “Man on the Moon”

Artist: Tray Wellington
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Song: Man on the Moon
Album: Spatial Awareness (EP)
Release Date: July 18, 2025 (single); August 8, 2025 (EP)
Label: Free Dirt Records

In Their Words: “‘Man on the Moon’ is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. I wanted to capture how easy it is to hide struggle behind a smile and how many of us carry that weight silently. Writing has always helped me process things I hadn’t fully acknowledged and I hope it can do the same for someone else. This track was also one of my favorites for production as it’s one of the songs I feel like we really captured the feelings of the song throughout.” – Tray Wellington

Video Credit: Rob Laughter

Photo Credit: Tray Wellington by Heidi Holloway; Dallas Burrow by Melissa Payne.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From The Brothers Comatose, Goldpine, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s a golden weekly roundup of new music and premieres! You Gotta Hear This.

Kicking off the collection, San Francisco-based bluegrassers the Brothers Comatose unveil “25 Miles,” a single from their upcoming album, Golden Grass. The full project arrives in September, but you need not journey that far to hear “25 miles,” which is available everywhere today. Listen below.

Then, Nashville Americana duo Goldpine keep the shimmering, golden aura going with “Space,” a blend of futurism and roots music about craving a break from the rat race and the “real world.” Goldpine’s brand new album, Three – their third, indeed – releases today, so we’re happy to spotlight a track from the project in celebration.

Alaskan bluegrass and country artist Josh Fortenbery shows off his new, expanded sound with “City Lights,” a song – and accompanying music video – about aging, opportunity, and anxiety that’s twangy and danceable even wrapped up in existential pondering. Plus, Mountain Home Music Company recording artist Jesse Smathers declares “If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)” in his latest single, a tongue-in-cheek number that you’re sure to find hilarious and top notch.

To close us out on New Music Friday, Duluth, Minnesota’s Ross Thorn brings us “Baby, That’s All I Need.” With a folky sound and backed by lovely finger-picked guitar, the song is about empathy and, as Thorn puts it, “…Seeing the divine in everything, and seeing the divine in yourself.” It’s a perfect bookend for this week’s roundup.

We appreciate you joining us each week for new music. Because you know what we think – You Gotta Hear This!

The Brothers Comatose, “25 Miles”

Artist: The Brother Comatose
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Song: “25 Miles”
Album: Golden Grass
Release Date: July 16, 2025 (single); September 12, 2025 (album)
Label: Swamp Jam Records

In Their Words: “’25 Miles’ was born out of a late-night drive from the SF Bay Area to LA, up and over the Grapevine, and a feeling that most of us know all too well: the weight of the world pressing down as we’re trying to outrun it. It’s about restless energy, being burned out and broke, with only dreams and close friends guiding you to your destination.

“It was written during a time of uncertainty and mental noise, and explores the tension between responsibility and freedom, and momentum and stillness.

“The line, ’25 miles to go and we’re running out of gas,’ is a metaphor for the transitional moments when you’re not quite sure where you’re headed, but you know you can’t turn back. There’s a subtle ache and a longing to escape not just a place, but also pressure, expectation, and the past. It’s about how getting lost is part of the plan, and survival sometimes looks like singing too loud with the windows down.” – Ben Morrison

Josh Fortenbery, “City Lights”

Artist: Josh Fortenbery
Hometown: Juneau, Alaska
Song: “City Lights”
Album: Tidy Memorial
Release Date: July 11, 2025 (single); October 10, 2025 (album)
Label: Muskeg Collective

In Their Words: “This melody has been kicking around since I was in high school and I’ve returned to it and slowly tweaked the lyrics over the years. It definitely captures the expansion in my sound since the last record, but also highlights that internally, I feel as lost as ever. My anxiety around aging is pretty new – I think I’m finally recognizing that some doors are closed or closing, and I’m trying to decide if I’m still having fun.

“I worked with a videographer in Juneau, David Rossow, to visually capture the feeling of standing still in a small town while the world moves rapidly past. We probably weirded out some tourists walking in slow motion while singing the song at .2 speed, but it definitely shows off my local haunts and the local life that sometimes haunts me.” – Josh Fortenbery

Track Credits:
Josh Fortenbery – Vocals, guitar
Erik Clampitt – Pedal Steel
Kat Moore –Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3
Sam Roberts – Bass
Todd Vierra – Drums
Kennedy Jo Kruchoski – Vocals
Taylor Dallas Vidic – Vocals

Video Credits: Directed by David Rossow.

Goldpine, “Space”

Artist: Goldpine
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Space”
Album: Three
Release Date: July 11, 2025

In Their Words: “We spend a lot of time on the road these days… it’s just become our regular life now. It seems like we drive so much, and do so much computer work, and are on the move so often that we just really cherish our breaks and time off. ‘Space’ is kind of like a stream of consciousness song about the desire for a break from the real world stuff. It’s a space-aged dreamy Americana tune with futuristic sounds and a rockin’ guitar solo. This tune was recorded from a compilation of live takes from shows on the road last year and mastered by engineer Dave McNair (Shovels & Rope, Brandi Carlile). We really captured the raw live performance feel on this tune, which is what we specialize in.” – Goldpine

Jesse Smathers, “If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)”

Artist: Jesse Smathers
Hometown: Floyd, Virginia
Song: “If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)”
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “This tune was fun as could be to write and record. ‘If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)’ is a common saying most folks have heard. I know I’ve heard it my whole life. However, the family in this tune must not be up to speed on the old idiom. This tune is a tongue-in-cheek reminder that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – just leave well enough alone.” – Jesse Smathers

Track Credits:
Jesse Smathers – Guitar, lead vocal
Hunter Berry – Fiddle
Corbin Hayslett – Banjo
Nick Goad – Mandolin, harmony vocal
Joe Hannabach – Upright Bass

Ross Thorn, “Baby, That’s All I Need”

Artist: Ross Thorn
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Song: “Baby, That’s All I Need”
Album: Fitting In
Release Date: July 11, 2025 (single); August 8, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “I began writing this one morning after I went for a walk in the graveyard, a swim in Lake Superior during a storm, and came home to see a robin in the yard. It’s a song about radical empathy, seeing yourself in everything, seeing the divine in everything, and seeing the divine in yourself. We recorded the song live at the fabled Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. To me, the song feels like John Prine collaborated with the rooster from the old Robin Hood cartoon (AKA Roger Miller), with a blend of honesty, humor, and some good old-fashioned whistling.” – Ross Thorn

Track Credits:
Ross Thorn – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Clark Singleton – Bass
Cassandra Sotos – Violin, vocals
Jacob Mahon – Banjo, vocals
Ian Hopp – Drums
Kyle Orla – Acoustic guitar, vocals

Photo Credit: The Brothers Comatose by Jessie McCall; Goldpine by Raechel Curtis.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From JigJam, Ashby Frank, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

A long weekend requires great music on the speakers, doesn’t it? Here are a handful of brand new tunes to add to your playlists for the festivities – You Gotta Hear This! This week, our roundup includes bluegrass from the Carolinas and from across the pond, too.

Below you’ll find fun-filled Irish bluegrass and string band JigJam enlisting Lindsay Lou for their new track, which releases tomorrow, called “Running Back to You.” It’s a delightful, traditionally-crafted song of love, longing, and life on the road.

From the foothills in upstate South Carolina, husband-and-wife duo Benson – Kristin Scott Benson (the Grascals) and Wayne Benson (IIIrd Tyme Out) – are joined by their friend from just up the mountains, Woody Platt, on a song written by Grant Williams. “Lover of the Road” continues in a similar vein to JigJam’s new number, lamenting the haunting and nagging feelings of being gone from the people you love while off traveling.

Rounding out our collection this week is Ashby Frank, Nashville-based North Carolinian mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who’s assembled quite the band for his latest, “Everybody’s Got Their Nine Pound Hammer.” Frank found the song through Tim Stafford, one of the track’s co-writers, and was immediately drawn to the universality of its central sentiment.

It’s a mighty trifecta of bluegrass sampled from across this genre’s spectrum of sound – and geography. And you know what we think… You Gotta Hear This!

Benson, “Lover of the Road”

Artist: Benson
Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Song: “Lover of the Road”
Release Date: July 4, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I’m really happy with how ‘Lover of the Road’ turned out. It was written by my best friend from college and we were so lucky to get Woody Platt to sing it. I’ve enjoyed the heck out of getting to play some shows with Woody and he sang this song perfectly. His vocal embodies the haunting, nagging feeling any of us can experience when trying to maintain relationships while traveling.” – Kristin Scott Benson

“Here’s a song by Grant Williams, who also wrote ‘Sleeping with the Reaper’ for the Grascals. The first time I ever heard Grant’s material was when he recorded a demo at our house, 20 or 25 years ago. He’s an eclectic writer and it’s been fun to watch him take an interest in bluegrass and see how appropriately he writes for us. We’re always trying to wisely pair songs with vocalists and Woody Platt did a great job delivering this one. Woody is well-known for good reason and we were really happy when he agreed to sing it.” – Wayne Benson

“I’ve long admired Kristin and Wayne Benson for their individual brilliance and their powerful partnership in shaping bluegrass music. Their influence on the genre and the industry is truly remarkable. It was an absolute honor to record ‘Lover of the Road’ with them!” – Woody Platt

“There’s something in me that loves being out on the road, but more than that, I love being at home with the people I love, my dog, and my bed. This song was what I imagined it would be like if those two loves traded places in priority in my heart.” – Grant Williams, songwriter

Track Credits:
Wayne Benson – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Woody Platt – Lead vocal
Cody Kilby – Acoustic, harmony vocal
Kevin McKinnon – Bass
Mickey Harris – Harmony vocal

Ashby Frank, “Everybody’s Got Their Nine Pound Hammer”

Artist: Ashby Frank
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Everybody’s Got Their Nine Pound Hammer”
Release Date: July 4, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I was immediately drawn to ‘Everybody’s Got Their Nine Pound Hammer’ when my good friend Tim Stafford shared a work tape with me. He co-wrote it with Eric Gibson and Greg Cornett. I loved the way it focuses on the everyday struggles we all face and it really has that traditional bluegrass feel. To bring this song to life, I brought in some incredibly talented musicians, including Matt Menefee on banjo, Seth Taylor on guitar, Jim VanCleve on fiddle, Tony Creasman on percussion, and Travis Anderson on bass. I was also honored to have Tim and my friend Kelsey Crews add those high and lonesome harmonies. They truly made the tune come alive and gave it a timeless quality. I’m really excited for everyone to hear it!” – Ashby Frank

Track Credits:
Ashby Frank – Mandolin, lead vocal
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitar
Travis Anderson – Bass
Matt Menefee – Banjo
Jim VanCleve – Fiddle
Kelsey Crews – Harmony vocal
Tim Stafford – Harmony vocal

JigJam, “Running Back to You” (Featuring Lindsay Lou)

Artist: JigJam
Hometown: County Offaly, Ireland
Song: “Running Back To You” (Featuring Lindsay Lou)
Release Date: July 5, 2025 (single)

In Their Words: “I wrote this song on the road last year. Constantly being on the move going from hotel to hotel after shows isn’t easy when you’re away from a loved one. Having that someone to go home to after a tour can keep you going when the going gets tough and that’s where ‘Running Back to You’ comes from. Knowing there’s someone waiting for you at the end of a tour makes it a lot easier and worthwhile. The recurring fiddle tune part came to me first one day as I was on the I-55 from Chicago to St. Louis and the song was pretty much built around that tune. We thought Lindsay Lou would be a great fit for this song. We’re big fans of Lindsay’s music and her vocals have really complemented the track in both lead and harmony roles throughout. It’s a lively number and one we really enjoy playing at live shows!” – Jamie McKeogh

Photo Credit: JigJam courtesy of the artist; Ashby Frank by Melissa DuPuy.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Darren Nicholson, Jackson Scribner, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s Friday, so we’ve got a passel of new songs and videos just for you. You Gotta Hear This!

Kicking us off, Nashville-based Americana duo Haunted Like Human bring their new single, “Married in Savannah,” about change, growth, and vowing to break generational cycles. It’s a thoughtful track with a beat and vibe that lean forward expectantly – or, perhaps, still hopefully. Meanwhile, Lauren Lovelle shares a song that she released earlier this week, “Anxiously Attached,” a two-steppin’ honky-tonk number about repeated disappointments in love and relationships that’s perfectly lonesome and self-deprecating.

Aptly timed for our current heat wave, Hawaii-born country artist Maoli drops his new album Last Sip of Summer today, and you can hear “Better Off on a Beach” below. While you sweat through these high temps, hit play and lean into his mainstream island-drenched country sounds while you imagine the sand between your toes. Plus, keeping the summer mood going, roots rockers Little Feat have released a brand new video for “4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work,” the groovin’ opening track from their new album, Strike Up The Band, which was released last month.  

Mandolinist Danny Roberts shares a new instrumental tune below, too. “Leitchfield” is a pulsing, acrobatic original mandolin composition that pays homage to Leitchfield, Kentucky, a place Roberts calls “the fiddling capital of Kentucky.” (He should know, too, as he holds a Key to the City!) His labelmate and fellow mandolinist Darren Nicholson also has a new single today, “I’ve Got No Tears Left to Cry.” It’s a lonesome fast waltz that follows Marty Stuart’s sage advice to always trust a simple song.

To wrap us up, check out singer-songwriter Jackson Scribner’s “Depression Kids,” the title track for his just-announced album that was unveiled earlier this week. “…Although [depression is] looked at in a negative manner most of the time,” Jackson says, “it’s something that can bring us all together.” Packaged in vibey steel guitar and equal dashes of Americana and indie folk, the song ends up where our collection this week started, finding traces of hope in perhaps unlikely sentiments.

Of course we think this is a lovely round-up of new music, but you ought to decide for yourself. After all, You Gotta Hear This!

Haunted Like Human, “Married in Savannah”

Artist: Haunted Like Human
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee; originally Fayetteville, Georgia (Dale Chapman) and Milton-Freewater, Oregon (Cody Clark)
Song: “Married In Savannah”
Album: American Mythology
Release Date: June 27, 2025 (single); October 17, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Married in Savannah’ is a song about growing up and realizing that you’ve grown into someone very different than the people that you thought that you knew. The song unfolds as the narrator looks at their relationship with an old and dear friend that they’ve drifted apart from. She was fiery and passionate and felt stifled by the expectations of the posh Southern family that she came from. The two spent their younger years vowing to break cycles and craft lives of their own, but the narrator now finds that their friend has seemingly become all of the things that she used to hate. Our narrator has to sit with the questions that they won’t ever get answers to, like whether the friend’s spirit was broken or if it was all just youthful naiveté that she set aside as she matured. They mourn the loss of the friend that they knew and the future that she could have had.” – Haunted Like Human

Track Credits:
Byron House – Bass
Paul Eckberg – Percussion
Charlie Lowell – Keys
Eleonore Denig – Violin
Cody Clark – Guitar, vocals
Dale Chapman – Vocals
Engineered and mixed by Mitch Dane.
Mastered by Veronica Conners.

Little Feat, “4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work”

Artist: Little Feat
Hometown: Bill Payne – Emigrant, Montana;  Kenny Grandy – Los Angeles, California; Sam Clayton – Fallbrook, California; Fred Tackett – Los Angeles, California; Scott Sharrard – New York, New York; Tony Leone – New York, New York
Song: “4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work”
Album: Strike Up The Band
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Label: Hot Tomato

In Their Words: “‘4 Days of Heaven 3 Days of Work’ is the opening track on our new album. The ‘Gonzo Funk’ in the song’s lyrics and groove exemplify our lineup’s take on the classic Feat boogie. It is also the only tune on the album that was co-written by Bill, Tony, and I. All the riffs and lyrical imagery could only have come out of the three of us throwing ideas around together. Once the band got a hold of it, it went to a whole other level. This one was a true collaboration in service of the song.” – Scott Sharrard

Lauren Lovelle, “Anxiously Attached”

Artist: Lauren Lovelle
Hometown: Newton, Kansas
Song: “Anxiously Attached”
Album: Other Dreams EP
Release Date: June 25, 2025 (single); September 9, 2025 (EP)

In Their Words: “[‘Anxiously Attached’ is] about begging for the bare minimum, putting your partner on a pedestal, and in turn, repeatedly disappointing yourself. I find myself laughing during that ‘dammit I gotta work the dinner shift’ line, because I often am playing a gig right after working a dinner shift.” – Lauren Lovelle

Maoli, “Better Off on a Beach”

Artist: Maoli
Hometown: Maui, Hawaii
Song: “Better Off on a Beach”
Album: Last Sip of Summer
Release Date: June 27, 2025

In Their Words: “‘Better off on a Beach’ is such a vibe. There’s something magical about the beach – it’s like time slows down, and everything just clicks into place. Honestly, I don’t know a single person who isn’t better off with their toes in the sand. Being from Hawai‘i, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the ocean. The sound of waves rolling in, the warm sand beneath your feet – it takes you to a different place mentally. This song brings all of that home for me. It’s about letting go of your worries, surrounding yourself with good friends, and soaking up the good times. It’s about leaving your troubles behind… back where the pavement ends.” – Maoli

Darren Nicholson, “I’ve Got No Tears Left to Cry”

Artist: Darren Nicholson
Hometown: Canton, North Carolina
Song: “I’ve Got No Tears Left To Cry”
Release Date: June 27, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I heard Marty Stuart say once that you should always trust a simple song. That stuck with me. So, ‘I’ve Got No Tears Left To Cry’ is just that. It’s a blunt goodbye letter from a jaded lover who is completely over being burned one too many times. It’s a ‘moving on’ song. Musically, it’s a traditional sounding piece that is reminiscent of classic bluegrass and honky-tonk music. It’s written to sing with big harmonies and Kevin and Avery nailed those. I am very proud of this cut and think bluegrass fans will enjoy it!” – Darren Nicholson

Track Credits:
Darren Nicholson – Mandolin, lead vocal
Mark Fain – Upright bass
David Johnson – Acoustic guitar
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Avery Welter – Harmony vocal
Kevin Sluder – Harmony vocal

Danny Roberts, “Leitchfield”

Artist: Danny Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Leitchfield”
Release Date: June 27, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “When I wrote this tune, I didn’t have a title in mind and needed to come up with something to call it. While listening to the song and pondering on a name, I got thinking about the fact that my lifelong friend, Jimmy Mattingly, played fiddle on it. That led me down the path of recalling us growing up on adjacent farms, going to school and playing music together which gave me the idea that it would be cool to have a song named after our hometown of Leitchfield, Kentucky. Leitchfield/Grayson County is the fiddling capital of Kentucky and has produced many fiddlers and other musicians over the years and I’m very proud to call it home. I was honored to receive the Key to the City from Mayor Harold Miller at last year’s Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship and I’m dedicating ‘Leitchfield’ to all the wonderful folks there.

“It was so much fun getting to record this with some of the greatest musicians I’ve ever picked with – Jimmy Mattingly, Tony Wray, and Andrea Roberts, and I appreciate them helping me bring this tune to life. I hope everyone enjoys it!” – Danny Roberts

Track Credits:
Danny Roberts – Mandolin
Andrea Roberts – Bass
Tony Wray – Acoustic guitar, banjo
Jimmy Mattingly – Fiddle

Jackson Scribner, “Depression Kids”

Artist: Jackson Scribner
Hometown: Melissa, Texas
Song: Depression Kids
Album: Depression Kids
Release Date: June 25, 2025 (single); September 19, 2025 (album)
Label: State Fair Records

In Their Words: “I wrote this song on a bunch of sticky notes on my bedroom floor, thinking about the different ways I feel depression. It occurred to me that no matter what sort of depression people are dealing with, everyone deals with it. Everyone’s in the same giant boat. In a way, although it’s looked at in a negative manner most of the time, it’s something that can bring us all together.” – Jackson Scribner

Photo Credit: Darren Nicholson by Jeff Smith; Jackson Scribner by Brendan Blaney.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Tift Merritt, Kyshona, and More

Posted on by Editor

Folk, country, and Americana join together in this week’s edition of our new music and premiere roundup. You Gotta Hear This!

The lovely and ethereal Tift Merritt is celebrating 20 years since the release of Tambourine this year with an upcoming vinyl reissue and a special collection of demos to go alongside it. Kicking off our new music collection today is one of those demos, “Good Hearted Man,” an intimate kitchen recording of just piano and vocals.

From the country realm, two impeccable artists and singer-songwriters have new albums out today, William Beckmann and Kelsey Waldon. Kentuckian Waldon sings about family ties, generational cycles, and finding oneself on “My Kin,” available today on her stunning new project, Every Ghost. Texan Mexican American Beckmann, for his part, brings a gorgeous, retro-styled music video for “Lonely Over You” that draws inspiration from classic television variety shows and huge musical personalities like Roy Orbison and Elvis.

Elsewhere in our collection you’ll find Steve Gillette paying tribute to his friend, musician and songwriter Gamble Rogers with the touching homage, “Song for Gamble.” The bluesy, energetic track is paired with vintage clips of Rogers set alongside photos and performance and recording footage of Gillette.

To celebrate Juneteenth yesterday, Kyshona released a new single, “More In Common (Live From the Blueroom Studio),” contextualizing the track saying, “I’m releasing ‘More in Common’ on Juneteenth as a reminder that none of us are truly free until all of us are free.” It’s an excellent, all-too-timely reminder – and you’ll be sure to enjoy the performance video shared below.

We always love wrapping up the week with the best new roots music. And you know what we think– You Gotta Hear This!

Tift Merritt, “Good Hearted Man (Kitchen Recording)”

 

Artist: Tift Merritt
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Song: “Good Hearted Man (Kitchen Recording)”
Album: Time and Patience (a collection of demos releasing in tandem with the 20th anniversary vinyl reissue of Tambourine)
Release Date: June 18, 2025 (single); August 29, 2025 (album)
Label: One Riot Records

In Their Words: “When I hear my 27-year-old self singing this song, after just having finished writing it, recording in the kitchen on an ADAT machine, I hear my dreams. I can’t help but smile – at my big dreams, the raw reaching, the no costume. I am enormously proud of these kitchen recordings and Tambourine, so happy they are coming out to the world this fall.” – Tift Merritt

Track Credits:
Tift Merritt – Piano, vocals

Kyshona, “More In Common (Live From The Blueroom Studios)”

Artist: Kyshona
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee by way of Irmo, South Carolina
Song: “More In Common (Live From The Blueroom Studios)”
Release Date: June 19, 2025
Label: Lamiere Records/Moraine Music Group

In Their Words: “I’m releasing ‘More in Common’ on Juneteenth as a reminder that none of us are truly free until all of us are free. What if we took ‘I,’ ‘mine,’ ‘them,’ and ‘me’ out of our vocabulary—just for a moment? It’s so easy to tune out, to disassociate from the chaos we’re witnessing. But what if we remembered that we are under attack? That every child is our child?

“After a full year of touring the Legacy album, it’s been deeply moving to see how my own family’s story – of freedom, land ownership, and the wisdom of our elders – resonates with people from all backgrounds. No matter your race or religion, there’s a common thread in how we were raised and what we’ve inherited.

“When we peel back the layers that divide us and look closer at our shared values and stories, we begin to reconnect. The conversations that have come out of this tour have been powerful. People aren’t talking about differences – they’re talking about what unites us.

“As a society, I think we’ve gotten lazy. We’ve stopped looking for what ties us together. My hope is that this song reaches the quiet few who’ve been asking, ‘What happened to us? May it serve as a gentle nudge to follow the thread instead of cutting the seams.

“There’s a lot of noise in the world right now, and I know this message may not reach everyone. But if it reaches even one person – someone overwhelmed by it all – let it be a reminder: we can make ripples of good.

“All it takes is open eyes, open ears, and the courage to show up for each other. Let people know they are seen. Let them know their existence matters.” – Kyshona

Track Credits:
Larissa Maestro – String arrangement, cello
Kristin Weber – Violin
Kyshona Armstrong – Vocals, songwriter
Simon Gugala – Songwriter

Video Credits: Recorded at The Blueroom Studios.
Videographer – Jesse Carr
Edited by Caryn Johnson, Tiny Sunshine Studios.

William Beckmann, “Lonely Over You”

Artist: William Beckmann
Hometown: Del Rio, Texas
Song: “Lonely Over You”
Album: Whiskey Lies & Alibis
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Warner Music Nashville

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Lonely Over You’ with Jesse Frasure and Jessie Jo Dillon. It’s probably my favorite song that I wrote for this album. To me, it feels reminiscent of Roy Orbison, and there’s definitely some Elvis influence in there too. I love the way it was tracked and recorded—there are a lot of stacked harmonies, which give it that lush sound. It’s a new direction I was able to discover and bring to this record. I also think the music video for ‘Lonely Over You’ is my best yet. We shot it all on film in Austin, Texas, and aimed to capture the vibe of the Elvis comeback special. The set design was incredible and made it feel like we were in the late ’60s or early ’70s. Altogether, it’s a special song. I’m very proud of it, and the video that goes with it is a great piece of art as well. We’re looking forward to sharing it.” – William Beckmann

Track Credits:
William Beckmann – Lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriter
Chad Cromwell – Drums, percussion
Craig Young – Bass
Jedd Hughes – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Jesse Frasure – Baritone guitar, background vocals, songwriter, producer
Jimmy Wallace – B3, piano, synth
Jon Randall – Acoustic guitar, producer
Todd Lombardo – Acoustic guitar
Jessie Jo Dillon – Songwriter

Kelsey Waldon, “My Kin”

Artist: Kelsey Waldon
Hometown: Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky
Song: “My Kin”
Album: Every Ghost
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Oh Boy Records

In Their Words: “I am the best of my kin and I am the worst of my kin. I got all of it. It took me a long time, but now, I love that for me. That means I got all of the character, the resilience, the grit, the beauty, the spirit, the humor, the independence, the self-sufficient ideals, the wisdom, and so much more. That, unfortunately, also means I also got the generational trauma, the demons, the stubbornness, the guilt, the defensiveness, and the thing that makes me want to push away anyone who tries to help or love me. I got the gene that makes me want to self-destruct a little bit, for sure. This song is saying, ‘I am all that, and I do have these issues, but the difference is that I am willing to learn and grow, and I am finally willing to break these cycles as well.’ These things are a part of me, and you will have to take me as I am, to a certain extent, and have patience with me. And don’t you love that all these things make me who I am? We just have to learn how to reign them in and use them for good.” – Kelsey Waldon

Track Credits:
Kelsey Waldon – Rhythm acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Junior Tutwiler – Electric guitar, baritone, high strung guitar, lead acoustic guitar
Cooper Dickerson – Pedal steel guitar
Blakely Burger – Kentucky fiddle
Erik Mendez – Electric bass, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer electric piano
Evan Kesel – Drums, percussion
Kristen Rogers – Background vocals

Steve Gillette, “Song for Gamble”

Artist: Steve Gillette
Hometown: North Bennington, Vermont
Song: “Song For Gamble”
Album: Steve Gillette – The Best Of…
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: Compass Rose Music

In Their Words: “I met Gamble [Rogers] at the Bitter End in New York in 1967 and we bonded over songs and Merle Travis’ guitar finger picking that became known as ‘Travis Picking.’ Over the years, we would often run into Gamble at festivals or when he was in the New England area. One time stands out for me, when I arrived in Kerrville in 1984: Gamble was booked to perform on the main stage, but he also gave a special one-hour workshop on his guitar technique and his performance ideas. He was so generous about sharing the secrets of his showmanship, and of course, that was consistent with his selflessness as a person. Sadly, it was just his willingness to consider others before himself that contributed to his losing his own life while trying to help another. He was with his family for a day at the beach just south of St. Augustine, Florida, when a little girl ran up to him in tears, begging him to help her father, who was in trouble in the surf. Gamble went into the water, but was unable to help the man and, sadly, both were drowned. That beach is now known as the Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area.” – Steve Gillette

Track Credits:
Steve Gillette and Charles John Quarto.

Video Credit: Thank you to Rick Davidson, Cathy Roberts, and Sherry Boas for their photos and video contributions.

Photo Credits: Tift Merritt by Alexandra Valenti; Kyshona by Anna Haas.