Artist:Hogslop String Band Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Mississippi Queen” Release Date: October 6, 2023 Label: Tone Tree Music
In Their Words: “‘Mississippi Queen’ is a story about an escaped inmate during the construction of the Richmond-Danville railroad. I wrote it years ago, and we have occasionally worked on it over the years, but we recently came up with a new arrangement of it that felt really good. The main character escapes on foot, follows the Tennessee River south, then across Alabama to find his family in North Mississippi. Ultimately, it’s a story about being separated from loved ones and doing whatever it takes to make it back home, which I think a lot of people can relate to.” – Daniel Binkley, banjo
Artist:The Brothers Comatose Hometown: San Francisco, California Song: “The IPA Song” (featuring Ronnie McCoury) Release Date: October 5, 2023 Label: Swamp Jam Records
In Their Words: “There comes a time in every band’s existence when you have speak up and let the chips fall where they may. We realize that this statement is really going to split our crowd, but it’s time we say something. We can’t drink IPAs anymore! They’ve gotten too strong and too hoppy and we just can’t do it any longer. All we drink are light beers now and maybe it’s because we turned into more of a quantity, not quality type of band… or maybe we just turned into a bunch of beer wusses. Either way, no more IPAs!
“It all stems from us overdoing it back in the day when we were sponsored by a beer company and they delivered 3 cases (72 beers!) of IPAs to every tour stop. So there we were, neck deep in super strong, warm IPAs in our van and we were just trying to keep up. It’s kinda like how you can’t drink Bacardi anymore because of that one bad night you had in college. That’s us with strong and hoppy beers. The song started off as a joke because venues kept putting IPAs in our green room, but we would never drink them. It turns out the message really hits home with a lot of people.
“When we were planning to go into the studio to record ‘The IPA Song,’ our mandolin player Greg wasn’t available, because he was out on tour with another band at the time. It turned out our buddy, mandolin maestro Ronnie McCoury, was going to be in town playing a show, so we got him to come and play mandolin and sing high harmonies on the track. And being the legend he is, he truly delivered the goods on this one.
“We recommend cracking a nice, cold, non-IPA beer to enjoy while watching this video.” – The Brothers Comatose
Photo courtesy of the Brothers Comatose, Pavement PR
Artist:Sarah King Hometown: currently Ripton, Vermont; formerly Columbus, Georgia Song: “Hey Hey What Can I Do” (Led Zeppelin cover) Release Date: September 1, 2023 (single) Label: Ringleader Records
In Their Words: “Recording ‘Hey Hey What Can I Do’ was a bold, last-minute decision in the studio to celebrate and share some self-love: It was the first song I learned to play by ear on guitar, and I kept the original pronouns as a nod to some of the wonderful women I’ve dated in the past. I am now married to a man, but owning my queerness through music felt like the right choice.
“When it came time to craft a video, I knew Loni (of Whiskey Ginger Goods, who also designs my logo and merch) was the perfect director. She’s excellent at capturing women feeling themselves, and those beautiful in-between, emotional moments that can really tell a story. During my summer tour in Montana, we set aside some time to film both the bar and bedroom scenes. Combined, the video leads us through the seductive, and at times silly, story of a woman in love with another woman who won’t be true. As the heartbreak unfolds, the video gets more unhinged, until I just flop on the bed, tired of trying. I loved recording the song and video, and I hope everyone who watches has a blast listening, too!” – Sarah King
Track Credits:
Sarah King – vocals, guitars
David Baron – piano, organ
Johnny Stanton – bass Jeff Lipstein – drums
Produced, recorded, and mixed by David Baron at Sun Mountain Studios, Boiceville, New York Renee Hikari – assistant engineer David Baron – mastering engineer
Photo Credit: Arielle Thomas Video Credit: Filmed & directed by Whiskey Ginger Goods, Bozeman, Montana
Artist:Mark & Maggie O’Connor Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Song: “All We Will Be” Release Date: September 30, 2023 Label: ONErpm/OMAC Records
In Their Words: “‘All We Will Be’ is one of our new vocal songs where we reach for a more contemplative place in words and music. There is such mystery and intrigue with the lyrics, by my co-writer Joe Henry, and the story-telling vocal performance by Maggie, that it was interesting for me to create an expanded instrumental soundscape for it. The musical qualities move from plaintive Americana guitar strums to a jazz-rock acoustic fusion crescendo that showcases Maggie’s majestic violin solo. The powerful and intuitive bass and drums on this song – by Dennis Crouch and John Gardner – help to elevate this idea. Our journey here is about testing faith and rediscovering it through love and music.
“In scouting locations for the music video, it was Maggie that suggested the piece be filmed adjacent to the stillness and reflection of our North Carolina lake. On the day of filming, it poured down during the day leaving us a sense of renewal in the forest when things cleared off to do the shoot. The storm also left a painting in the sky — one of those colorful Southern sunsets over the water that had us dancing to the music for the video on the shoreline. I had my 1865 Martin out there on the edge of the swampy part of the lake conveying timelessness through the bending of the strings like ripples in the water. With inspiration from the lyric, ‘Back into trees, like all that we are,’ the low setting sun gave us the shadow effect essential to combine Maggie’s violin and my viola that accompanies her, returning us into the roots of trees on the forest floor. It was joyful to create this video with my wife Maggie, and even more so to have my son Forrest handling the great camera work and the directing of our music video.” – Mark O’Connor
Track Credits: Written by Joe Henry and Mark O’Connor
Maggie O’Connor – vocals, violin, cello Mark O’Connor – vocals, guitar, mandolin, mandocello, violin, viola Dennis Crouch – upright bass John Gardner – drums Tracking Engineer – Neal Cappellino Overdubs and Mixing Engineer – Mark O’Connor Mastering Engineer – Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering, Charlotte, NC Recorded at Sound Emporium Studio A, Nashville, TN Overdubs at Hometone Studio
Photo Credit: David Hume Kennerly Video Credit: Filmed and directed by Forrest O’Connor
Artist:Hildaland Hometown: Portland, Maine Song: “Trains/Fin’s” Album:Sule Skerry Release Date: September 26, 2023 (single); November 3, 2023 (album) Label: Adhyâropa Records
In Their Words: “This set is comprised of ‘Trains’ by Ethan Setiawan and ‘Fin’s Foley’ by Louise Bichan. We decided these tunes would fit well together as they’re both in three parts, and both about movement. It was an honor to get the great Neil Pearlman on the track on keyboard as well. Ethan says of the first tune, ‘”Trains” was written during some discussion with the great harpist Maeve Gilchrist about hornpipes. I tried to integrate some of the stylistic ups and downs, using arpeggios to create a melody rather than something linear.’ And Louise wrote “Fin’s Foley” for her brother, after a wheel mishap. I had forgotten all about the unofficial title until I came across the original sheet music while rummaging through things at my folks’ house: Rover’s Revenge!'” – Hildaland
Artist:The Kody Norris Show Hometown: Mountain City, Tennessee Song: “Fidder’s Rock” Album:Rhinestone Revival Release Date: September 22, 2023 Label: Rebel Records
In Their Words: “The story of Fiddler’s Rock is one that I happened upon while in elementary school. It’s a story of an eccentric mountain fiddler by the name of Martin Stone, that often amused himself by playing his fiddle for a den of rattlesnakes. The legend says, he had the ability to charm the snakes to the point they would lay erect in the Sun. However, one day while watching the snakes in their trance, Mr. Stone was charmed and met his untimely demise.” – Kody Norris
Photo Credit: Radio Bristol Video Credit: BubbleUp
In Their Words: “This song, co-written by myself and Rachel Baiman, is a culmination of the frustrations I felt being a musician during the pandemic. Our jobs were the first to go and the clunkiest to return to full capacity. Performance opportunities are back, but the struggle of sustaining a career continues to weigh heavy on all artists alike. Obviously Spotify is mentioned in this song, and I even call out the media machine and the ‘pay to play’ nature of PR campaigns. We both connected to this song so much that Rachel even recorded a brooding version on her newest album, Common Nation of Sorrow. Our livelier version features banjo, baritone guitar and pedal steel.” – Amy Alvey
Track Credits: Produced by Thomas Bryan Eaton and Golden Shoals
Amy Alvey – acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonies Mark Kilianski – banjo, harmony vocals Thomas Bryan Eaton – piano, pedal steel, baritone guitar Jamie Dick – drums Miss Tess – bass
Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Raitz Video Credit: Trent Freeman
Artist:Melody Walker, Crys Matthews, Heather Mae Hometown: Melody – Bay Area, California; Crys – Richlands, North Carolina; Heather – Washington, D.C. Area Song: “Room” Release Date: September 15, 2023 Label: AntiFragile Music
In Their Words: “‘Room’ started as a conversation between me and my co-writer, Sarah Potenza, about the enduring underrepresentation of women and other marginalized folks on festival lineups, but it blossomed into so much more. The ways that women and woman-aligned people are expected to not take up space in the world: to not be fat, loud, queer, creative, assertive, and are definitely not to band together in solidarity to fight against our own oppression. Community and joy are the keys to liberation, and this song celebrates both. I am so glad my faves Heather and Crys were down to come bring it to life with me.” – Melody Walker
“The first time I heard the demo of ‘Room’ that Melody sent me, I had tears in my eyes by the time it got to, ‘Your win is mine, I’ll root for you.’ As a Black, Butch-of-center lesbian in the Americana and country genres, it rarely feels like there is room for women in general, and especially not for women like me. Getting to lift my voice alongside Melody to echo the powerful sentiment contained within this song was an absolute honor. I hope it empowers women and girls to advocate for one another on and off the stage.” – Crys Matthews
“This song is so much more than just an all-woman collab. ‘Room’ stands as a celebratory rallying cry against the enduring patriarchal norms that fuel female rivalry. There persists this notion that there’s only one seat at the table and, when women scan the music industry’s landscape, you can see why we’d be forced to think that. It’s 2023, and a woman has yet to secure a Grammy for Producer of the Year. Examine festival lineups and you’ll see a stark gender imbalance in the representation of male and female artists. This scarcity of ‘room’ forces us into a perceived competition, when in reality, our struggle should be directed at dismantling the system that pits us against one another.” – Heather Mae
Track Credits: Written by Melody Walker & Sarah Potenza
Vocals: Melody Walker; Heather Mae Vocals and Guitar: Crys Matthews Slide Guitar: Jacob Groopman Bass: Michael Majett Drums: Alex Bice Keys: Jen Gunderman Additional Guitars: Dan Knobler Produced by Dan Knobler
Photo and Video Credit: Kaitlyn Raitz Filmed live at Sound Emporium Studios, Nashville, TN
In Their Words: “I wrote this song in the passenger seat of a Chevy truck on a road trip from Idaho to Colorado. The world was slowly opening back up from those strange days. We found ourselves rediscovering the joys of a good, honest road trip. Rediscovering the joys of the open road. We were fixed up with the perfect ingredients: good company, a good playlist, and the here and now.
“The video was directed and edited by my friend, Jesse Borrell. He had me up at 4 a.m. a few times, headed to particular locations in order to get the right light and angles. I love what he created.” – Daniel Rodriguez
Artist:Cidny Bullens Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Little Pieces” Album:Little Pieces Release Date: September 14, 2023 Label: Kill Rock Stars
In Their Words: “‘Little Pieces’ is the very first song I wrote after I started transitioning. It took months to even notice what would or what eventually did start happening to me. The ‘old’ me was falling away piece by piece, but I could not yet see the ‘new’ me. In this song I ask myself the question, ‘What will I become?’ Knowing that whatever that was going to be — I had gone too far to turn back. I think every human has this experience at some point in their lives — a decision or choice that we make to change our reality from one thing to another. No matter how big or small, there is most likely some fear that accompanies the ‘not knowing’ of that choice.” — Cidny Bullens
Photo Credit: Travis Commeau
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