LISTEN: Nickel&Rose, ‘Americana’

Artist name: Nickel&Rose
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
EP: Americana
Release Date: September 14, 2018

In Their Words: “The EP was inspired by over a year of touring, presenting American folk music to European audiences as well as side gigs playing bluegrass and blues in the US. It made us rethink what “Americana” really is. We wanted to show that we have respect for Americana as it is but also that we feel it needs to be moved in new directions. Each song on the EP is a inspired by American music but performed through our own experiences.” — Carl Nichols

“Americana is sonically our most traditional release yet. We didn’t necessarily set out to be an Americana folk band but the more we played and wrote, the more we identified with that genre. On this release we explored a lot of the roots of Americana and tried to pay homage to the music and the people who made it what it is today while challenging exactly what that looks and sounds like. Throughout the EP, we grapple with our personal experiences of loss, but in the end I think we persevere. We are able to say what we need to and perhaps offer listeners a little compassion. We can’t necessarily say to listeners everything is going to be okay, but we can relate our challenges and say that we got through it and so can you.” — Johanna Rose


Photo credit: Amanda Mills

WATCH: Trapper Schoepp, ‘Dream’

Artist: Trapper Schoepp
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Song: "Dream"
Album: Rangers & Valentines
Label: Xtra Mile Recordings

In Their Words: "Some 450 million years ago, a meteor the size of a football field crashed into Rock Elm, Wisconsin, whereabouts we filmed our music video for 'Dream.' At the impact site, you won't find a crater to climb into, but an unusual overhanging rock formation called Blue Rock.

In the video, I explore these ancient etchings, go underground in Crystal Cave, and run around forests with a busted up Hummingbird guitar. These woods are filled with a strange aura of mystery, which felt right for a song about two mythical mentors of mine who suddenly left this world but still feel very present. A few weeks ago, tornadoes wrecked havoc on this same area​,​ uprooting many of these trees and bridges. Nature has a strange way of giving and taking." — Trapper Schoepp


Photo credit: Erik Nelson