Tag: Virginia

WATCH: Scythian, “Galway City”

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Artist: Scythian
Hometown: Front Royal, Virginia
Song: “Galway City”
Album: Roots & Stones
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Label: Konenko Records

In Their Words: “We take a yearly trip to Ireland with our fans and have taken over 600 of them over the last seven years. There is one place we never miss — Galway City — and it never disappoints. So many magical nights. We wrote a song in tribute: a bunch Americans pulling up to the jewel of Ireland and falling in love with its cobblestone streets, cozy pubs, nooks and crannies, and coastal air. We hope ‘Galway City’ brings people back to happy days drinking and laughing with friends.” — Alex Fedoryka, Scythian

Photo credit: Brendan McLean

BGS 5+5: Larry Keel

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Larry Keel
Hometown: Lexington, Virginia for the past 24 years.
Latest album: American Dream, out November 6, 2020
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): My wife and I call each other “Ange” (pronounced “Aynge” with a long “a”) other nicknames are “Doghead” and “Late-night Man.”

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

My favorite memory is standing next to two of my heroes that I had studied all my life up to that point, and getting to collaborate and share in the music we made together on stage… I’m speaking of Tony Rice and Vassar Clements, during a period in my career when both of these iconic musicians played regularly in my band. Other major moments I cherish and will never forget are playing with Little Feat in Jamaica on a beach in Negril, playing Carnegie Hall in New York, playing Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and getting to play live music with my wife and my brother all throughout my career.

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

I truly love to paint! Bob Ross got to me early in my childhood, and he’s still all up in my soul. I paint with watercolors, markers, pens, anything when I feel the urge. I guess poetry also influences my music, because I lean on that literary form for my songwriting. And I’m currently getting more into designing a meal and preparing the food, then plating it artistically.

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

I knew I had to be a musician when I was little and I started paying more attention to my father and older brother playing (they both played guitar, my father also played banjo and sang). I loved watching them have such a good time and I could see how everyone playing music with them or listening to them all enjoyed it so much. Then, when I was 7, my brother bought me a guitar, helped me get started with chords and positions, and I never set the instrument down…I was hooked from then on.

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

The mission is to let the art take me and everyone listening on a journey together, to get us all on the same page for the time we’re connecting through the music. If I had to give myself or a budding musician advice, I’d say be ready to work HARD. Do your music and your business your own way. Let your own instincts and your own style guide your decisions. I’m a big believer in “march to the beat of your own drum…” and, be frugal and be kind.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I spend lots of time in the garden, right here at my home. It’s such a zen feeling to plant seeds, nurture them, watch them grow and then enjoy the fruits and veggies of mine and my wife’s labor. Fishing and being on any water is another zen-like activity that keeps me grounded. All in all, I try to spend as much time as possible in nature, because it charges up my “feel-good” and gives me a connection to something timeless and eternal. I’m always trying to tap that genuine energy when I write and play music. That’s the goal.

Photo credit: Lyric Photography

BGS 5+5: Jerry Castle

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Jerry Castle
Hometown: Abingdon, Virginia
Latest Album: Midnight Testaments (August 28, 2020)
Personal Nicknames: “Jer Bear,” Jerry “Cob”

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

As far back as I can remember really, which is since about the age of 3 or 4. My family would get together for parties and take turns singing country and gospel songs. I started writing lyrics by the age of 8, but I didn’t actually get my first guitar until I was 20. The first weekend I got it, I learned a bunch of cover songs and knew then that this was going to be my lot in life. There have been a lot of twists and turns in my life, but after all of these years, here I am, still doing it. Not only am I still doing it, but besides my kids, it has been the center of my universe.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I’m an ocean guy and always have been, which is a bit strange given that I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. At 17, I moved to Myrtle Beach for a short time and along the way, I ended up living in Virginia Beach, Venice Beach, and Honolulu. Being that I’m now landlocked in Nashville, Tennessee, I use my trips to the ocean to rejuvenate my spirit, to wash away all of the noise, and to give me a clean slate for creating. I also get a lot of my video ideas while I’m at the beach. It’s just easier for me to keep things in order while I’m near the ocean.

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

For me, art is art. All of it bleeds over into my music. When I was still living in Abingdon, Virginia, I’d hang out with a bunch of painters that also loved music. That set the stage for understanding that art is sacred and that it’s important to pour every bit of yourself into it and if you don’t, you can’t expect to do your best work. About five years ago I was really influenced by literature and these days I’m probably more influenced by film than any other art form.

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

Be yourself, don’t compare yourself as an artist to others, do the work, don’t judge the work, and move on. At this point of my life, I really don’t have any problem with being myself but the takes some work.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

The two artists that come to mind right off the bat are Tom Petty and Willie Nelson. They’re both unique, they both do the work, and they both come across as 100 percent authentic. Again, all you can be is yourself. As an artist and a human, you fuck up the most when you’re trying to be someone other than yourself. I’d say that both of those guys would say the exact same thing.

Photo credit: Scott Lukes

WATCH: Karen Jonas, “Pink Leather Boots”

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Artist: Karen Jonas
Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Song: “Pink Leather Boots”
Album: The Southwest Sky and Other Dreams
Release Date: Aug 28, 2020
Label: Yellow Brick Records

In Their Words: “Guitarist Tim Bray and I were driving from Austin to Santa Fe when I first scribbled some notes for ‘Pink Leather Boots.’ I had my boots up on the dash and was marveling at the space — the sheer acreage of Texas leaves room for all kinds of ghosts to hang around. There are old cars in the side yard, old houses crumbling beside new ones. We don’t have that kind of space on the East Coast, we have to build up instead of out. I thought out loud, ‘Who lives here with all these ghosts? What do they do? Are they happy?’ (I’m a hoot on long drives).

“We passed a neon sign that proudly announced ‘Dancing Girls!’ I pictured the scene there — an ambitious trucker falls in love and daydreams a future with this Dancing Girl, only to drive off into the sunset empty-handed. He drops that dream like the rusted car in the side yard, driving on to newer, shinier, perhaps more accessible dreams. On to whatever comes next. Sometimes, just dreaming is enough to fill the time.

“All of this contemplation simmered into a colorful story on top of a dusty shuffle, with Tim’s rockabilly-inspired Gretsch licks and Seth Morrissey’s thumping upright bass. Somehow strawberry milk got involved, and this feverishly fast-paced love-story-that-never-was unfolds like a big rig rolling down the unforgiving highway. Animator Matt Rasch captured the scene vividly in this fun, quirky video, complete with our starry-eyed hero and a herd of pink cows.” — Karen Jonas

Photo by Amber Renée Photography with art by Print Jazz

LISTEN: Lowland Hum, “This Will Be Our Year” (The Zombies Cover)

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Artist: Lowland Hum
Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia
Song: “This Will Be Our Year” (The Zombies cover)
Album: Singing Other People’s Love Songs
Release Date: June 5, 2020

In Their Words: “‘This Will Be Our Year’ by the Zombies grabbed us immediately with its simplicity and unfettered sweetness, not to mention its intuitive melodies and positive energy. We chose to record our version as simply as possible, with closely mic’d, bare vocals and simple nylon string guitar. At the time when we recorded it, we were feeling all kinds of optimism and excitement about what the year might hold for us, having just put the finishing touches on our recording studio, and feeling more adjusted than ever to life out in the countryside.

“Obviously there have been some unexpected turns since then. When we scheduled the release of this song, we had no idea the entire world would be in the midst of a pandemic, and all of the fear, financial strain and pain of isolation that has ensued. We had no idea our nation would be reeling from yet another wave of murders, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and now David McAtee and others as police continue to employ the use of military weapons on protestors. To release a song entitled ‘This Will Be Our Year’ at such a time as this feels perilously incongruous at best with where the nation is at, where we are at personally, and offensive at worst.

“Before the past few weeks we thought to ourselves, ‘Well, this is not the year we imagined when we recorded this song, but maybe there are things in store for us and others who are suffering, which we couldn’t have chosen or anticipated had all gone according to our ideal plans.’ At this point we hope that this is a year when things really begin to change. Perhaps this will be the year when people like ourselves, who have long been sympathetic to the cause of justice for black and brown people in America but haven’t taken the time to learn how to properly engage and act toward a better future, might finally buckle down and discern how to step up as allies. Perhaps this year will mark a turning point for many, that will start our nation down a road resulting in lasting and true change. We hope. — Lauren and Daniel Goans, Lowland Hum

Lowland Hum · This Will Be Our Year [Zombies cover]

Photo credit: Tristan Williams

LISTEN: The Gina Furtado Project, “The Things I Saw”

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Artist: The Gina Furtado Project
Hometown: Winchester, Virginia
Song: “The Things I Saw”
Release Date: April 24, 2020 (single)
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘The Things I Saw’ is just a song about my experiences of growing up on the Shenandoah River. All throughout my childhood I went to the river when I needed comfort of any kind. No matter what happened in my life, good or bad, the river stayed the same. The plants and critters and smells and sounds became like old friends; always welcoming and beautiful in every way, and utterly unstoppable.” — Gina Furtado

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: The Mammals, “Radio Signal”

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Artist: The Mammals
Hometown: Woodstock, New York
Song: “Radio Signal”
Album: Nonet
Release Date: March 27, 2020 (single); May 22 (album)
Label: Humble Abode Music / Soundly

In Their Words: “The day of the 2017 Charlottesville riot I got a text from our friend, Vern, reading: ‘PLEASE for the song that kills fascists.’ ‘Radio Signal’ was written in the next 10 minutes. Where is the hope in our twisted culture? Bob Dylan says it’s in the wind. Daniel Quinn described a sacred ‘blaze of life’ that connects all things. Pete Seeger showed us the power of many people making small contributions: the ‘tea-spoon brigade.’ Each verse of ‘Radio Signal’ is a nod to one of those three great teachers, melodically informed by the beautiful old folk song, ‘Shenandoah,’ and transformed into the anthemic rock song we share with you today. ‘And I roll, and I roll, down the backroads of my soul. Lookin’ for light like a radio signal…'” — Mike Merenda, The Mammals

Photo credit: Tom Eberhardt-Smith

LISTEN: Erin Lunsford, “How Many Birds”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Erin Lunsford
Hometown: Fincastle, Virginia
Song: “How Many Birds”
Album: The Damsel
Release Date: February 14, 2020 (single); April 3, 2020 (album)

In Their Words: “‘How Many Birds’ is a lonely ballad of singlehood by a 20-something woman. I was inspired by the sight of birds returning home to the trees of Southwest Virginia in springtime and wondered if any birds make that journey alone. ‘How Many Birds’ explores my craving for direction and control in my romantic life and wonderment at the heartache of being single when so many people around you are in love. When I play this song live, I usually say, ‘This song is about being single for an eternity lol.'” — Erin Lunsford

Photo credit: Joey Wharton

BGS 5+5: Donna Ulisse

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Artist: Donna Ulisse
Hometown: Hampton, Virginia
Latest album: Time for Love
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Lots of family and friends just call me “Da”, which didn’t work so well for me when we were in Russia doing some shows because da means yes in their language so I was always turning my head in big crowds, thinking someone was calling me! My band members sometimes call me by my initials: D.U.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

My dad and I have always had a major crush on Loretta Lynn! From as far back as my memory will go, I have admired her sassy songs and her way of delivering them. In my world, she is and will always be the cat’s meow. It took becoming a serious songwriter to realize that I also loved her writing. When I was young I didn’t give much thought to who wrote her songs, I just simply loved them. As I matured in this business I was struck by how many of the artists I adored actually wrote their own songs and Loretta was at the top of the heap.

When I started my journey into the bluegrass genre, my first producer, Keith Sewell, hit the talkback button in the studio after we cut a song I wrote called “When I Look Back” and said he thought I wrote like a mix of Loretta and Dolly. I didn’t touch the ground for two weeks after that. What a wonderful compliment! Loretta’s influence is certainly pronounced throughout my song catalog.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

This one is easy! I was 12 and I was asked to sing one song at a popular venue in Mathews, Virginia, called Donk’s Theater. The show was loosely patterned after the Grand Ole Opry, with a staff band that would help spotlight young talent and I was one of the fortunate recipients. My mom and dad were SO excited! They invited all kinds of family and friends, probably thirty or so. The week before the show dad took me out shopping; I’ll never forget it. He let me buy a Gunne Sax dress that reached the floor. I thought I looked just like Loretta Lynn. I twirled in front of my mirror for hours when I got home and used my hairbrush to practice holding a microphone.

The night of the show is still so clear. The place was packed and the spotlights were incredibly bright. I was given a generous introduction and I walked out and sang a Loretta Lynn song, “Somebody Somewhere,” to the top of my lungs. I loved it, every moment, smell, sight, clap, note… all of it. Years later, my Aunt Helen told me that my mom and dad lost all their color when my name was announced and never blinked or swallowed while I was on stage, bless their hearts. I guess I didn’t have to be nervous, Mom and Dad did that for me.

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

In all honesty, I knew I would be on stage when I was very young, maybe 5 or 6 years old. I have never dreamed of another career, it was always going to be the stage for me. But if you want to know the exact moment my star was born, it would be that Loretta Lynn song I performed on the Donks stage when I was 12. I owned it and never looked back.

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

I’ve never been good with homework, but I believe the topic of my mission statement would be perseverance! I have never given up on my dream of performing, even through the darkest of times. I was one of the blessed when I was signed to Atlantic Records in the early ’90s. A major country deal is a huge accomplishment and much coveted. I was out in L.A. doing a Dick Clark show when I got the call that I lost my deal. It was brutal, heartbreaking. I was so lost in those days but I knew deep down there was a place for me to sing.

I turned my heart and hopes into songwriting and it saved my music life. Through songwriting I discovered the mountains that lived in my soul and I started writing Appalachian sounding tunes that led me into this warm and wonderful world of bluegrass. I am having success in this business a little late, but so very cherished and appreciated. This is the world I was always meant for and perseverance got me here!

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

My husband and I bought a little farm outside of Nashville a few years ago. I’m not your typical farm girl but I love this land. It has a sweeping field that leads down to a creek and I spend lots of time watching goats and cows and all the changes that spread across the field. In the spring, vibrant yellow flowers show off the new season like a Sunday hat. In the summer there is so much purple bursting out all over the tall grasses, reminding me of an Irish hillside. In the fall there are elements that look like a harvest, like a bounty was laid there though we don’t plant anything, and in the winter the field lays there like temptation and whispers for springtime. This is where so much of my inspiration is found these days. I write about the spirit and the glory and the life that I see from my table on the porch.

LISTEN: Nothin’ Fancy, “Leaving’s Up to You”

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Artist: Nothin’ Fancy
Hometown: Lexington, Virginia
Song: “Leaving’s Up To You”
Album: Undeniable
Release Date: October 11, 2019
Label: Mountain Fever Records

In Their Words: “‘Leaving’s Up To You’ is one of the more traditional-style songs on this new album. When I penned this song a couple years ago I was trying to write a straightforward, cookie-cutter bluegrass song, and I believe I was able to achieve that. Lost love, cheating, leaving, and a traditional melody are the foundation for ‘Leaving’s Up to You.’ Hope you enjoy!” — Caleb Cox, Nothin’ Fancy

Photo credit: Susie Neel