Tag: You Gotta Hear This

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Danielia Cotton, Unspoken Tradition, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

To say good bye to the week and to August, we’ve got one more premiere round-up for the month – and, as always, You Gotta Hear This!

Among all the fine new music being released, we’re highlighting a handful of tracks newly minted or arriving very soon. First, there’s “Bring Out The Country (In Me),” the sole original number from Danielia Cotton’s new EP paying tribute to Country Music Hall of Famer Charley Pride. Then, check out singer-songwriter David Luning’s “Every Day I Am,” which explores the fear and anxiety of being a fugitive on the run.

As you continue, John Surge and the Haymakers bring us a properly Tex-Mex track, “Marisol,” from their upcoming album Maybe You Don’t Know Me. And, to bring us home, North Carolina-based bluegrass outfit Unspoken Tradition have a stellar cover of Alabama’s hit, “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why).”

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

Danielia Cotton, “Bring Out The Country (In Me)”

Artist: Danielia Cotton
Hometown: Hopewell, New Jersey
Song: “Bring Out The Country (In Me)”
Album: Charley’s Pride: A Tribute to Black Country Music
Release Date: August 29, 2024
Label: Cottontown LLC with Symphonic Distribution

In Their Words: “Coming to New York City from a small town was a major transition for me. What surprised me was how much of my small town ways and sensibility I didn’t lose. The big city can engulf you, however that made me more myself and embrace more of my country roots. Big cities, especially New York, are full of what is seemingly countless numbers of confident people, when in fact so many are struggling with the same need to define themselves and stand out. I think I finally realized that what makes me most unique is when I am true to myself.” – Danielia Cotton

Track Credits:
Danielia Cotton, Marc Copely – Songwriters
Danielia Cotton – Lead vocals
Marc Copely – Guitars, backing vocals, programming
Andy Hess – Bass
Aaron Comess – Drums, percussion
Ben Stivers – Piano, organ
Rocco DeLuca – Pedal Steel
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Marc Copely at Casa Copely Recording, NYC.
Mastered by Greg Calbi.

David Luning, “Every Day I Am”

Artist: David Luning
Hometown: Los Angeles via Forestville, California (Near Petaluma)
Song: “Every Day I Am”
Album: Lessons
Release Date: September 6, 2024

In Their Words:“Movies, songs, and stories, particularly set in the American west, have highly romanticized the life of running from the law, but in reality, in the long run, it’s gotta suck. So much fear and anxiety all the time. Always on the run. ‘Looking over your shoulder.’ Fleeing the consequences of your actions. Can’t trust anyone. At least I know in my life, running from my fears or consequences of things that I’ve done has never improved a thing. So on the surface, ‘Every Day I Am’ is about somebody running from the law, but underneath lies the story of somebody that is ‘…always hoping that one day it’ll be alright,’ without realizing that it could be, if they stop running.” – David Luning

Track Credits:
Written by David Luning.
David Luning – Vocals, Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano
Linden Reed – Drums
Ben Dubin – Electric bass
Dave Sampson – Electric guitar
Alex Leach – Electric guitar
Damien Lewis – Percussion, sound design

John Surge and the Haymakers, “Marisol”

Artist: John Surge
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Marisol”
Album: Maybe You Don’t Know Me
Release Date: September 6, 2024 (single); September 20, 2024 (album)
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “‘Marisol’ is a historical lament about a woman who claims ‘my love is like a heart attack, the kind of love that’ll keep you coming back.’ It has a rollicking feel that comes straight from the Doug Sahm playbook. The song has a natural Tex-Mex feel. I kept asking Tommy [Detamore], ‘What would Doug do?’ Detamore shared stories of producing Sahm’s final album, The Return of Wayne Douglas. We followed that inspiration and traveled down Sahm Highway.” – John Surge

Track Credits:
John Surge – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Randy Volin – Electric guitar, baritone guitar, harmony vocals
Brennen Leigh – Harmony vocals
Michael Guerra – Accordion
Brad Fordham – Bass
Tom Lewis – Drums
Floyd Domino – Organ
Kevin Jarvis – Percussion

Unspoken Tradition, “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”

Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina
Song: “I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”
Release Date: August 30, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I was born in ’85, so ’90s country was a part of life during that period. I still use ’90s country to get back there, nostalgically. Alabama was an awesome country band, and vocally, this song is just so fun to sing. The a capella intro always grabbed my attention back then and knowing our band has so many capable singers, I wanted to give this one a try as a fun cover. As a father with a family, a full time job, and also juggling music and other things, the message of the song is a reminder to slow down some and enjoy the little things.” – Audie McGinnis, guitar and lead vocals

Track Credits:
Audie McGinnis – Guitar, lead vocals
Sav Sankaran – Bass, vocals
Tim Gardner – Fiddle
Zane McGinnis – Banjo
Ty Gilpin – Mandolin

Photo Credit: Danielia Cotton by Chía Messina; Unspoken Tradition by Sandlin Gaither.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Flamy Grant, the Wildwoods, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

To close out the week and celebrate New Music Friday, we’ve got an excellent assortment of track premieres from artists working in Americana, bluegrass, folk, and beyond.

Singer-songwriter Brendan Forrest has brought us “Lowdown Stray Dog Blues,” which features bluegrass and old-time favorites Dominick Leslie and George Jackson backing him up. Plus, the groundbreaking and buzz-worthy queer artist Flamy Grant shares her new track, “If You Ever Leave,” about faith and healing, growth and redemption.

Fiery bluegrass fiddler Andy Leftwich debuts a new, musically acrobatic instrumental single, “Aced,” which boasts an ace backing band of Matt Menefee, Byron House, and Cody Kilby. And, to finish us off strong, Nebraska-based Americana trio The Wildwoods have unveiled “There Goes the Neighborhood,” a contemplative track that explores ideas and feelings around gentrification and transformation.

It’s all right here on BGS and you know what we think… You Gotta Hear This!

Brendan Forrest, “Lowdown Stray Dog Blues”

Artist: Brendan Forrest
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Song: “Lowdown Stray Dog Blues”
Album: Daydreaming Music Fiend
Release Date: September 27, 2024

In Their Words: “I collaborated on this song with Dominick Leslie – IBMA winner and two-time GRAMMY Award Winner for Best Bluegrass Album with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – and George Jackson – Australian American fiddler and IBMA winner who plays in the Jacob Jolliff Band, with Jake Blount, and countless other prominent groups. The collaboration with Dominick was the crux of the record and the reason I went to Nashville to record it in the first place. I’m a huge fan of his band, Hawktail, which is why I hit him up, and he said yes after listening to my demos. I knew at the time it was the only chance I’d have to work with him, because the pandemic had still held touring back (later that year, things blew up). Now he’s touring non-stop with Molly after their 2 GRAMMYs, and it’d be impossible to get him in the studio the way we did it.

“The recording session was lock and step, even though I’d never met George in person until he rang the doorbell moments before we recorded (nor had he heard any of the songs prior). He was informally invited to the session to ‘see what happens,’ and we knocked it out in just 2 or 3 takes. I think the instant success in the take was 50% the Nashville magic musicians and 50% the song speaking so effortlessly to us cats who have spent much of our lives dedicated to bridging the past Americana music spirit into the present.” – Brendan Forrest

Flamy Grant, “If You Ever Leave”

Artist: Flamy Grant
Hometown: Asheville, NC
Song: “If You Ever Leave”
Album: CHURCH
Release Date: September 27, 2024
Label: Glam & Glory Records

In Their Words: “It’s hard to heal where you’re being harmed. Sometimes, maybe even most times, the best thing a person can do to save themselves from a toxic place is to leave it. For queer folks and many others, church can be a place of real damage, and until the broader American church — and its God — have figured out how to love queer people properly, I intend to stick around and show them how it’s done. But I’ll also be pointing the way to the exits.” – Flamy Grant

Track Credits: Written by Flamy Grant.
Produced by Ben Grace.
Engineered by Charlie Chamberlain at Forty-one Fifteen Studio, Nashville.
Mixed by Latifah Alattas.
Mastered by David Wilton.

Flamy Grant – Acoustic guitar
Megan McCormick – Electric guitars
Juan Solorzano – Pedal steel
Will Honaker – Bass
Megan Jane – Drums
Andy Sydow – String arrangement
Sav Madigan – Violin and viola
Katie Larson – Cello

Andy Leftwich, “Aced”

Artist: Andy Leftwich
Hometown: Carthage, Tennessee
Song: “Aced”
Release Date: August 16, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “As musicians, we know that the journey never ends. You’re always trying to be better at your craft, always exploring new ways to approach certain things in music, and forever growing and learning. Every once in a while, you begin to see results of your hard work and it begins to pay off. When you get pickers like Cody Kilby, Byron House, and Matt Menefee together, good things happen. These guys are ‘Aces’ at their craft, and I’m honored they would pick with me on this song!” – Andy Leftwich

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

The Wildwoods, “There Goes the Neighborhood”

Artist: The Wildwoods
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
Song: “There Goes the Neighborhood”
Release Date: August 16, 2024

In Their Words: “The song ‘There Goes the Neighborhood’ was written as a tribute to our hometown of Lincoln, NE and the gradual transformation of the familiar places we think of as ‘home,’ evolving from charming old buildings to modern structures that feel unfamiliar.

“Noah sparked the idea for the song and had been singing the chorus hook, ‘…there goes the neighborhood…’ for months just around the house. One rainy Tuesday afternoon back at home, while reminiscing about our old favorite local sandwich shop that had been transformed into a bank, we finished the rest of the song together in one sitting.

“This transformation from recognizable to unknown mirrors our own growth as a band and as individuals, reflecting the changes we’ve experienced over time. The lyrics and melody perfectly capture the bittersweet essence of these changes. The ending line of the chorus, ‘There goes the neighborhood, gone with the echoes of time,’ blends a sense of melancholy with acceptance and hope, enhanced by the lighthearted melody of the chorus. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the past while embracing the possibilities of the future, resonating deeply with anyone who has felt the inevitable passage of time and the shifts it brings to our surroundings and ourselves.” – The Wildwoods

Track Credits: Written by The Wildwoods.
Chloe Gose – Vocals, violin
Noah Gose – Vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
Andrew Vaggalis – Vocals, upright bass
Engineered and mixed by Noah Gose at The Goosenest Studio in Lincoln, NE.

Photo Credit: Flamy Grant by Ash Perlberg; the Wildwoods by Sarah and Jeanne Vaggalis (S+J Photography).

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Rhonda Vincent, Joy Clark, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Are you enjoying brat summer? We sure are, too, but as Teddy and the Rough Riders declare with their new video dropping today in You Gotta Hear This, “Catfish Summer” is what it’s really all about!

That’s not all our premiere round-up holds this week, either. We’ve got new videos from folks like guitarist-songwriter Joy Clark and Texan-Los Angeleno Silas Nello, and a new track has been unveiled by Americana duo Ocie Elliott, too.

Don’t miss bluegrass offerings from up-and-comers and legends, both. Jaelee Roberts brings a new single, “Between The Two Of Us,” East Nashville mainstays Greenwood Rye premiere “Down to the River,” and the Queen of Bluegrass herself, Rhonda Vincent, pays tribute to her homeland of Missouri with a song co-written by Opry star Jeannie Seely and Music Row stalwart writer Erin Enderlin. Vincent’s new album, Destinations And Fun Places, hits store shelves and digital platforms today.

To round out this edition of our weekly collection of premieres, don’t miss Moira Smiley’s rendition of the classic Jean Ritchie song, “Now Is The Cool Of The Day,” which debuted on the site earlier this week in honor of Farmworker Appreciation Day. It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Joy Clark, “Lesson”

Artist: Joy Clark
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Song: “Lesson”
Album: Tell it to the Wind
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Label: Righteous Babe Records

In Their Words: “My grandma is and was my root and when she passed, I thought about the gems she imparted to me in her 86 years of life. She’d say to me ‘Get your lesson!’ I’d sit at her table and talk to her. I came out to her at that very table. She accepted me. After she died, I sat down with my producer Margaret Becker to write, and the lyrics just rolled out; capturing the way my grandma lived her life. She taught me to treat everyone with kindness and to strive for peace while never backing down from a good fight. It’s a timely ‘Lesson’ for this country as we fight to take our rightful place in the struggle for freedom.” – Joy Clark

Video Credits: Directed and shot by Jared LaReau, Something Human.
AJ Haynes – Creative Assistant 

Ocie Elliott, “Adelina”

Artist: Ocie Elliott
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Song: Adelina
Release Date: August 9, 2024
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Adelina’ is about a fictional heroine inspired by a combination of legendary musicians and personal idols –people who hone that extra something inside of them to carve their way through the barriers of the tangible world, prying doors open for others in their wake. In comparison to some of our previous recordings, the final result of ‘Adelina’ reflects the way in which it was put together – with a lot of play, compromise, reinventing, and scrubbing at the built-up grime and loose ideas to make a smooth surface for finer grit to be poured back in. To us, it feels louder, more immediate, and present. It’s a song you play when leaving somewhere – a ‘windows down, future open and ready’ kind of song.” – Sierra Lundy and Jon Middleton, Ocie Elliott

Greenwood Rye, “Down to the River”

Artist: Greenwood Rye
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Down to the River”
Album: Hideaway
Release Date: August 9, 2024 (single); August 23, 2024 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Down to the River’ was one of the first songs I wrote when I moved to Nashville in 2020 and the first original song we started playing live as we started Greenwood Rye during the pandemic as the house band for Jane’s Hideaway in Nashville. I wanted to write the quintessential song for what we were trying to do as a band. It is a fun, funky groove with a singable chorus, has a jamgrass style instrumental bridge, and plays around lyrically with some bluegrass themes. I was thinking a lot of ‘Old Home Place’ and how the narrator is blaming others for his problems. So, I came up with the idea to have a character who takes responsibility for his actions. He ‘runs off to the vineyards’ rather than the ‘taverns took all his pay.’ But there is also a level of hubris in the narrator, as he feels like he can just go ‘down to the river’ every time he does someone wrong ‘again.’

“The track features Sasha Ostrovsky (Darius Rucker, Bering Strait) on dobro.” – Shawn Spencer, guitar, vocals, songwriter

Track Credits: Written by Shawn Spencer.
Shawn Spencer – Guitar, vocals
Cat McDonald – Fiddle, vocals
David Freeman – Mandolin, vocals
Taylor Shuck – Banjo
Sasha Ostrovsky – Dobro
Larry Cook – Bass

Produced & mixed by Billy Hume.
Mastered by Pete Lyman.
Matt Coles – Additional engineering
Recorded at Compass Records.

Silas Nello, “Holy Ghost Blues”

Artist: Silas Nello
Hometown: Los Angeles, California via Dallas, Texas
Song: “Holy Ghost Blues”
Album: From West Hollywood
Release Date: August 9, 2024 (single); September 13, 2024 (EP)
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “It came to me in a dream – a sort of fantasized crossroads moment of how mankind trades this for that and we don’t realize until the deal is already done. I wrote this song at the wet bar of my then 1980s home just north of Dallas sometime in 2016.” – Silas Nello

“The video was meant as a portrait of Silas Nello. We went around Los Feliz, West Hollywood, and Wild Horizon Sound, documenting his travels like a ‘day in the life.’ We broke the fourth wall with Silas acknowledging the camera and the audience throughout the piece. What this created was an intimate moment where we’re spending time with him but he was also spending time with us.” – Taylor Hungerford, filmmaker, Silverspark Printworks

Track Credits: Written by Silas Nello.
Silas Nello – Lead vocal, background vocal, acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine
Produced by Claire Morison & Silas Nello.
Recorded at Wild Horizon Sound.
Recording engineer, mixing engineer, and mastering engineer – Claire Morison

Video Credit: Taylor Hungerford, Silverspark Printworks

Jaelee Roberts, “Between The Two Of Us”

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Between The Two Of Us”
Release Date: August 8, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘Between The Two Of Us’ was written with my friends Donna Ulisse and Kristen Bearfield. When we got together, we agreed that we’d like to write something up-tempo and happy, and ‘Between The Two Of Us’ is the result of that session. It truly is a happy song about love lasting between two people and what you have to do to achieve that. Getting to hear this song come together in the studio was really amazing, and I am so thrilled with the end result. The musical arrangement provided by Ron Block, Andy Leftwich, Cody Kilby, Byron House, Justin Moses, Stuart Duncan, and John Gardner absolutely made this song even more special than I could have imagined! To top it off, Stephen Mougin and Kelsi Harrigill joined me on harmonies and their voices were the perfect touch to convey the message of the song. I hope y’all enjoy this love song that is filled with words of hope, joy, and encouragement.” – Jaelee Roberts

Teddy and the Rough Riders, “Catfish Summer”

Artist: Teddy and the Rough Riders
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Catfish Summer”
Album: Down Home
Release Date: October 11, 2024 (album)
Label: Appalachia Record Co.

In Their Words: “This one is about visiting my mom’s side of the family who live in Rockmart, Georgia. I was 12 or so and didn’t really wanna visit my grandma Lou-Lou that summer. But instead, my mom dropped me and my cousin off at my uncle Bubba’s house for a few weeks, and he lived in an amazing hillbilly shack on the side of a catfish pond with about ten dogs, deep in the woods. Greatest summer ever! From childhood bummer to high time.” – Ryan Jennings, Teddy and the Rough Riders

Rhonda Vincent, “I Miss Missouri”

Artist: Rhonda Vincent
Hometown: Greentop, Missouri
Song: “I Miss Missouri”
Album: Destinations And Fun Places
Release Date: August 9, 2024

In Their Words: “My Grand Ole Opry sister Jeannie Seely started writing ‘I Miss Missouri’ for me several years ago. She lost everything, including the lyrics she had written, in the Nashville flood of 2010. Fast forward to February 29, 2020, the night she made my greatest dream come true and invited me to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. We have since become close friends, and after the Opry invitation she said the lyrics started coming back to her.

“She invited Erin Enderlin and I to join her in writing the song. ‘I Miss Missouri’ was the inspiration for creating a ‘destinations’ project, with all the songs representing a destination.” – Rhonda Vincent

Track Credits: Written by Jeannie Seely, Erin Enderlin, and Rhonda Vincent.
Adam Haynes – Fiddle
Rhonda Vincent – Lead vocal, mandolin
Mickey Harris – Bass
Zack Arnold – Guitar, harmony vocal
Aaron McDaris – Banjo
Jacob Metz – Resophonic guitar

Moira Smiley, “Now Is The Cool Of The Day”

Artist: Moira Smiley
Hometown: New Haven, Vermont
Song: “Now Is The Cool Of The Day”
Album: The Rhizome Project
Release Date: September 6, 2024

In Their Words: “August 6th is Farmworker Appreciation Day, and I didn’t know that until this year. I am writing this as I sit on a hill above the rolling Vermont farmland where I grew up being a young farmworker and musician. In honor of this day, I’m releasing one of my favorite songs of all time – and the best one I know for reminding us to slow down and remember our roles as carers and tenders of this beautiful planet and the people around us. This week, I’m showering appreciation on the people that grow and tend food in my area; buying from small farmers, donating to the Open Door clinic that serves the medical needs of immigrant agricultural laborers. This gentle video hopes to slow your pace, and bring you along with me in acknowledging that farmworkers make our nourishment possible. Let us thank them.” – Moira Smiley

Read more here.

Photo Credit: Joy Clark by Steve Rapport; Rhonda Vincent by Tanner West.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Yasmin Williams, Danny Roberts, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s our first New Music Friday of August! This week, we’ve got an excellent handful of tracks you simply gotta hear. First, there’s Paula Fong with a “zippy little tune” that’s delightfully old school country. Plus, Danny Roberts brings us a ramblin’ bluegrass track, “The Drifter,” which pays homage both to David “Dawg” Grisman and Roberts’ late brother-in-law, Mike Mullins.

Our penultimate premiere is the title track for Americana duo – and 2024 AmericanaFest Official Showcase artist – A Tale of Two’s upcoming album, Renegade. To finish us off, the impeccable and mystifying guitarist Yasmin Williams calls on indie folk favs Darlingside for “Virga,” a swirling song from her just-announced upcoming album, Acadia.

Listen below, ’cause You Gotta Hear This!

Paula Fong, “A House Is Not A Home”

Artist: Paula Fong
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “A House Is Not A Home”
Album: Chestnut Mare
Release Date: September 6, 2024

In Their Words: “This is hands down the fastest I’ve ever written a song. It took me around 15 minutes to write it top to bottom – chords and lyrics – and felt like it just flew out of my head onto the page. I often write about fairly heavy subjects, but in this case I thought I’d just try out a zippy little tune that puts a smile in your heart and makes you want to tap your feet. I often get compliments that it sounds like an effortlessly classic old country tune.

“When I was in my early 20’s I moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina for a time to work at an outdoor Montessori/Quaker farm school that was located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Life there was full and busy, but in a different way from LA. Many things were clearer, more simple, more joyful in a way. I feel like this song captures one facet of the simplicity of that time (and some specific NC references – traveling across the mountains, chickens in the garden). Generally speaking, I think love is hardly simple, but there are certainly moments that can feel as easy and carefree as this song.” – Paula Fong

Danny Roberts, “The Drifter”

Artist: Danny Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Drifter”
Release Date: August 2, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “When I started writing ‘The Drifter,’ I was inspired to compose something to pay tribute to one of my all-time favorite mandolin players, David Grisman. I feel like this song has that vibe, though nobody can play that style like Dawg. The song title is in honor of my late brother-in-law, Mike Mullins, who wrote a book called The Drifter before he passed away; that title just seemed to fit this song. ‘The Drifter’ was so much fun to record, and it’s always great to have my wife Andrea playing bass with me and the solos that Tony Wray (banjo and guitar) and Jimmy Mattingly (fiddle) played on it are magical. I’m blessed to have such great musicians helping me bring my music to life!” – Danny Roberts

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

A Tale of Two, “Renegade”

Artist name: A Tale Of Two
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Renegade”
Album: Renegade
Release Date: October 4, 2024

In Their Words: “‘Renegade’ is a fitting title for both the record and this song. It represents a shift, a changing of the tide. Our aim is to embody an identity that defies the norms of Nashville. Drawing inspiration from fragments of a previously unreleased track, “Renegade” continues the next chapter of our story, infused with the spirit of the Appalachian terrain we know so well.” – A Tale of Two

Track Credits:
Aaron Lessard – Guitar and vocals
Stephanie Adlington – Vocals
Ross McReynolds – Percussion
Elizabeth Estes – Fiddle
Jon Estes – Bass

Yasmin Williams, “Virga”

Artist: Yasmin Williams
Hometown: Woodbridge, Virginia
Song: “Virga”
Album: Acadia
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Label: Nonesuch Records

In Their Words: “A virga occurs when trails of rainfall from a cloud evaporate before they reach the ground. While virga can be beautiful to look at, it can also cause extreme turbulence for aircrafts. I related this phenomenon to how I feel about participating in the music industry. While it’s so fulfilling to create music that I’m proud of and to be able to travel around the world, the industry itself is dangerous to be a part of and doesn’t always value art or artists.

“Instead, the music industry values metrics and other things that are related to business, not art, forcing most artists to think about hitting their next business target instead of putting their energy into their music. I often feel overwhelmed with all of the expectations that the music business puts on artists and the constant need to move on to the next goal post instead of being able to reflect on, and be grateful for, the things I’ve already achieved.

“While writing ‘Virga,’ I realized that it’s totally fine to feel suspended in time, with my career goals, hopes, and dreams suspended in the atmosphere of an environment I have no control over… and I eventually learned how to thrive “in Virga,” through both the beautiful times and the turbulent ones.” – Yasmin Williams

Track Credits:
Darlingside – Vocals
Rich Ruth – Synth,
Yasmin Williams – Harp guitar
Jeff Gruber – Recording engineer
Mixed by Ken Lewis at thATMOS Studios.

Photo Credit: Yasmin Williams by Ebru Yildiz; Danny Roberts by Sandlin Gaither.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Dan Tyminski, Liam Purcell, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Americana, alt-folk, bluegrass – whatever form these tracks may take, You Gotta Hear This! Our premiere round up this week includes plenty of Texas, a dash of Missouri, and a heaping helping of the Southeast, too. From new bluegrass numbers by the legendary Dan Tyminski and up-and-comers Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road to thoughtful and intentional Americana by John Calvin and Goodnight, Texas. Plus, there’s a musical tribute to Godfrey, Missouri, a small town on the mighty Mississippi River, by Lost on the Metro and the Steel Wheels reunite with Malena Cadiz on a Paul Simon cover.

Our second-to-last installment of our DelFest Sessions – featuring Mountain Grass Unit – is included here as well, as it premiered on the site earlier this week. It’s a mighty fine collection of music and you know what we think… You Gotta Hear This!

John Calvin, “Austin Chalk”

Artist: John Calvin
Hometown: Recently Boca Raton, Florida, but this record was written living in Dallas, Texas (and this song is very Dallas-centric).
Song: “Austin Chalk”
Album: Greener Fields & Fairer Seas
Release Date: July 25, 2024 (single); January 24, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “North Texas rests on an ancient deposit of chalk and marl that sits about five feet below the topsoil and runs for hundreds of feet below that. Living in North Texas, you realize how much of our present is determined by an ancient past. The Austin chalk formation leaves torrential rain with nowhere to go. Rivers, like the Trinity River, flood easily and entire neighborhoods and can be underwater in a matter of hours. There are beautiful communities on the banks of the Trinity like Joppa and Bonton that were only able to stabilize and grow with the extension of the levee system by the Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1990s. Our foothold is always more tenuous than we think, and that’s truest for those that can least afford to move.” – John Calvin

Track Credits: Written by John Calvin.
Produced by Nate Campisi.
John Calvin – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Greg DeCarolis – Piano, bass, electric guitar, OB-8 synth
Pat Coyle – Drums, percussion
James Hart – Pedal steel
Eric DeFade – Alto, tenor, baritone sax
Robert Matchett – Trombone
Joe Herndon – Trumpet
David Bernabo – Brass arrangement

Goodnight, Texas, “A Bank Robber’s Nightmare”

Artist: Goodnight, Texas
Hometown: San Francisco, California (Avi Vinocur) and Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Patrick Dyer Wolf); the real town of Goodnight, Texas is the exact mile-for-mile midpoint between the two locales.
Song: “A Bank Robber’s Nightmare”
Album: Signals
Release Date: July 19, 2024
Label: 2 Cent Bank Check

In Their Words: “We’re enjoying some light world building. Our most recent single, ‘The Lightning and The Old Man Todd,’ fleshes out the tragic story of a character from a previous song of ours, ‘The End of the Road.’ Meanwhile, ‘A Bank Robber’s Nightmare’ checks in a decade later on the once carefree, now world-weary and estranged heroes of our 2014 song, ‘A Bank Robber’s Nursery Rhyme,’ which has been a fan favorite and staple of our live shows. The scene is kind of a bittersweet reunion, emphasis on the bitter. What do you say to your former partner in crime?” – Patrick Dyer Wolf

Lost on the Metro, “Godfrey”

Artist: Lost on the Metro
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “Godfrey”
Album: Resonance and Regrets EP
Release Date: July 25, 2024 (single); September 20, 2024 (EP)

In Their Words: “We have this giant river confluence here in St. Louis, and it’s common to take a drive along the river road from St. Louis to get away from the city for a while. Godfrey is a real town along the Mississippi River. Imagine bluffs, eagles flying overhead, touristy shops and restaurants, and the river road cutting through it all carrying cars, trucks, boats, bikes, to some unknown destination. The lyrics focus on getting older in a relationship, and the doubts that creep in, and that need to find a way to clear your head. There’s a dark element to Godfrey as well. It’s definitely a driving song on the surface, but the undercurrent holds all the worries and doubts and fears and hopes that float around as we find our way alone. It’s those thoughts in your head that you’re not sure you want other people to know you’re thinking. Driving down the river road with an open window and the wide Mississippi next to me lets me think those thoughts and then let them go.” – Lost on the Metro

Track Credits:
Jilly Morey – Songwriter, lyricist, lead vocals, percussion
David Morey – Songwriter, composer, arranger, rhythm guitar, vocals
Chris Dunn – Composer, arranger, lead guitar, vocals
Lucan Stone – Composer, arranger, bass, vocals
Josh Bayless – Composer, arranger, drums, vocals

Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road, “Old Man’s Dream”

Artist: Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road
Hometown: Deep Gap, North Carolina
Song: “Old Man’s Dream”
Album: Yellow Line
Release Date: April 5, 2024
Label: Pinecastle Records

In Their Words: “This song is one of the most personal stories I’ve ever released. I wrote it one day while my father and I were working at my folks’ place in Deep Gap. The land next door had been sold off for housing development and we had to prepare for them to widen the road. Over the next few months, I watched the trucks come and go, watched the bulldozers change the shape of the mountains, and watched the destructive path of progress as it made its way through our little mountain community.” – Liam Purcell

The Steel Wheels, “Gone at Last” featuring Malena Cadiz

Artist: The Steel Wheels featuring Malena Cadiz
Hometown: Harrisonburg, Virginia (The Steel Wheels) and Kalamazoo, Michigan (Malena)
Song: “Gone At Last”
Release Date: July 19, 2024
Label: Big Ring Records

In Their Words: “This Paul Simon song has been a favorite of ours for awhile. The plain spoken, down to earth writing with a gospel-sounding flare. We have been known to sing a cappella from time to time, but this was an opportunity for strong vocals with a bed of active bass and drum parts.

“Last February we were asked to play as the house band for the International Folk Alliance Music Awards in Kansas City. The house band job comes with the joy of meeting and playing with a variety of musicians. When we got a chance to play and sing with Malena Cadiz, we immediately fell in love with her voice. We were inspired to look for a chance to record together and ‘Gone At Last’ was that chance.” – Trent Wagler

Dan Tyminski, “Whiskey Drinking Man”

Artist: Dan Tyminski
Hometown: Originally from West Rutland, Vermont. Lives in Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Whiskey Drinking Man”
Album: Whiskey Drinking Man
Release Date: July 19, 2024 (single); August 16, 2024 (album)
Label: 8 Track Entertainment

In Their Words: “My first single off of the new project is one I’m very excited to release. It’s written to be a toe tapping burner in the party spirit. This one should get your juices flowing.” – Dan Tyminski

DelFest Sessions: Mountain Grass Unit

Our second-to-last installment of our DelFest Sessions features Birmingham, Alabama-based jamgrass group, Mountain Grass Unit. Videographers I Know We Should were on hand at this year’s DelFest in Cumberland, Maryland over Memorial Day Weekend to capture a collection of beautiful, fun, and engaging live sessions on the banks of the Potomac River. (See all of our DelFest Sessions here.) For their shoot, Mountain Grass Unit played a pair of exciting cover songs.

Their first selection, “Big River,” is a funky and charming re-imagination of a Johnny Cash classic with a mash-tastic, blues-inflected groove. Drury Anderson, the group’s mandolin picker and lead vocalist on the track, sings with a drawl seemingly from right down the proverbial road from Cash’s homeland (near Memphis, Tennessee). It fits the bluesy undertones of their rendition perfectly, equal parts Muscle Shoals and Bean Blossom. Cash is a common cover subject in bluegrass, and MGU’s version of “Big River” demonstrates exactly why that’s the case.

Watch the full session here.

Photo Credit: Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road by Pinecastle Records; Dan Tyminski by Jeff Fasano.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Rose Cousins, Reckless Kelly, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

It’s a serendipitously Canada-filled day on You Gotta Hear This, where singer-songwriter Rose Cousins brings us a brand new track, “Forget Me Not,” with a beautiful accompanying visualizer, plus Alex Mason impressively performs “Broken Bottles” live from a canoe, and Bob Sumner and posse line-dance it up in a new video for “Motel Room.”

That’s not all, though, as we’ve got alt-country, bluegrass, and more from the southern side of that border, too. Don’t miss Reckless Kelly performing “Keep Lookin’ Down The Road” in a brand new, self-shot video that features gorgeous landscapes and stunning drone footage. Derek Vanderhorst brings us the title track to his upcoming album, Be Kind, as well, with a ringer cast of collaborators including Steve Poltz.

To round out our collection this week, we’re re-sharing two premieres from earlier in the week on the site. The Doohickeys brought us zombie-fied Good Country with “Rein It In Cowboy” and virtuosic pickers Steven Moore and Jed Clark paid tribute to what would have been Frank Wakefield’s 90th birthday with their rendition of “New Camptown Races.”

It’s all right here on BGS and, to be perfectly honest, You Gotta Hear This!

Rose Cousins, “Forget Me Not”

Artist: Rose Cousins
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Song: “Forget Me Not”
Release Date: June 28, 2024 (single)
Label: Nettwerk Music Group

In Their Words: “‘Forget Me Not’ is the romance of spring unfolding into summer as it pulls us into its presence. Nature asking us to pay attention and come along. Spring is my favourite season and I’ve now gotten to see it four times in a row in the same place which touring kept me from doing for years. It’s been like falling in love in a new way with an old flame.” – Rose Cousins

Reckless Kelly, “Keep Lookin’ Down The Road”

Artist: Reckless Kelly
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Keep Lookin’ Down The Road”
Album: The Last Frontier
Release Date: September 13, 2024 (album)
Label: No Big Deal Records

In Their Words: “‘Keep Lookin’ Down The Road’ is a reflection of the past and an appreciation for the present, but most importantly, it’s an optimistic look ahead. I wrote it with my brother Gary and our buddy Jeff Crosby during our annual songwriting retreat that we jokingly refer to as the ‘hitscation.’ I came up with the line on the way there. sang a few lines into my voice recorder, and we worked out the rest over the next couple of days. Once we were in the studio, I chopped up a couple of verses and used the best lines to shorten it up a bit to match the theme of the record, which is, in a nutshell, ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.’

“As technology advances by the second, I’ve wondered for a while how close to a pro-shot music video I could film using just an iPhone and a drone. Since the expense of filming a music video can sometimes outweigh its visibility, I decided to find out. Using the limited videography and editing skills I’d picked up filming the pandemic-inspired ‘Music from the Mountains’ and ‘Quarantine Kitchen’ shows, I set up time lapses of sunsets, sent the drone up to capture areal views of the mountains in my high desert backyard, and tried to time sunrises and sunsets for the cringiest part – standing in a field of sagebrush all alone, Uncle Rico style, filming myself singing and playing the song in front of a tripod. Luckily, my locations were so remote that nobody drove by and saw this old man making selfie videos like some 14-year-old influencer.

“I shot a lot of B roll road scenes, filmed at an old junkyard in the woods, waterfalls, national monuments, and in huge valleys surrounded by mountains on all sides. I tried to use the scenery as the main focus and also borrowed my brother Gary’s old Dodge truck to match the timeless vibe I was going for. It was a lot of work and took a lot more time than I thought it would, but it was fun and it turned out pretty cool, and I have a newfound appreciation for why these things cost so much. I’m not sure if I matched the quality of a high-end production, but for the cost of a tank of gas or two it’s close enough for RK!” – Willy Braun

Track Credits: Written by Willy Braun, Gary Braun (Micky & The Motorcars) and Jeff Crosby.

Wily Braun – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, percussion
Cody Braun – Fiddle, harmony vocals, mandolin, tenor guitar, synth, percussion
Jay Nazz – Drums, percussion
Joe Miller – Bass guitar
Geoff Queen – Lead electric guitar, pedal steel guitar
Bukka Allen – Hammond B3 organ, piano, harmonium
Kelley Mickwee – Harmony vocals

Produced by Jonathan Tyler, Cody Braun, Willy Braun.
Engineered by Joseph Holguin.
Mixed by Jacob Sciba, Cody Braun, Jonathan Tyler.
Mastered by Jacob Sciba.
Recorded at Arlyn Studios, Austin, Texas.
Additional recording at Clyde’s VIP Room, Austin, Texas.

Video Credit: Produced, directed, filmed, and edited by Willy Braun. Filmed on location in Idaho.

Alex Mason, “Broken Bottles”

Artist: Alex Mason
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Song: “Broken Bottles”

In Their Words: “‘Broken Bottles’ is a song about how when memories form, especially when we’re younger, they can take on an almost mythical quality in our imaginations and dreams. Then as we grow older and that spell of innocence is broken, we leave them behind, only to return to them again later when they likely don’t resemble anything like what they originally looked like. After losing my mom, writing songs became a way to preserve memories, even painful ones from when I was a kid. Sometimes even difficult memories can sweeten and soften with time. I was exploring a lot of open tunings with this new album, and felt a bit like Dylan on Blood On The Tracks – something about playing in open D on this Martin opened up a new space and new ideas for me and reminded me of being a teenager exploring the same tunings. It’s funny how things make their way back around.” – Alex Mason

Video Credit: Bradley Pearson, Don River Music

Bob Sumner, “Motel Room”

Artist: Bob Sumner
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Song: “Motel Room”
Album: Some Place to Rest Easy
Release Date: September 6, 2024
Label: Fluff and Gravy Records

In Their Words: “There is a rapper/DJ named Channel Tres. Everything Channel does is cool. He drips cool. I’m a big fan of his music, his aesthetic, and his videos. He has a video for a tune called ‘Weedman.’ It’s Channel and his homies hanging out in a home ordering weed from their dealer. Throughout the video they break into dance routines. It’s chill af. It’s funny. It’s joyous. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. I wanted that for ‘Motel Room.’

“I wrangled two of my close friends, Logan Wolff & Matty Beans. I knew they’d be down. My partner Mica Kayde choreographed a dance routine for us. With my director Dana Bontempo and his partner Zara, we loaded into my pickup truck, brought Endo my tripod dog (and best friend), and spent three days on a road trip messing around. We danced in front of a motel called El Rancho in the interior of B.C. We went to the Armstrong Fair & Rodeo. We laughed a lot, mostly at ourselves, and we had the time of our lives doing it. It’s no Channel Tres, but I think we did what we set out to do. The video turned out to be a joy. It’s fun. It’s funny. It encapsulates those magical carefree years I spent with my friend. At the end of the video the character ends up alone in a motel room wantonly gazing out the window. We felt that was a part of the story we couldn’t leave out.” – Bob Sumner

Derek Vanderhorst, “Be Kind” (featuring Steve Poltz)

Artist: Derek Vanderhorst
Hometown: Golden, Colorado but moving to Nice, France in September
Song: “Be Kind”
Album: Be Kind
Release Date: July 12, 2024

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Be Kind’ in a fun, humorous way to address serious issues that are dividing friends and family and loved ones. Racism and intolerance are making their way into our everyday experience and becoming somewhat normalized. The divisiveness is becoming so overwhelming that it’s now hard to have these serious conversations and I wanted to send the simple message of acceptance, love, and kindness – as well as [pointing out] differences are what makes life so great and worth living.

“As Gen Xers, we need to be open, aware, and embrace all the progress and change, not forgetting our generation’s great changes. We sometimes need to remember that we need change to have stagnant waters.” – Derek Vanderhorst

Track Credits:
Derek Vanderhorst – Music, lyrics, guitar, vocals
Steve Poltz – Vocals, guitar
John Mailander – Fiddle, mandolin
Frank Evans – Banjo
Brook Sutton – Bass
Jamie Dick – Percussion

The Doohickeys, “Rein It In Cowboy”

Artist: The Doohickeys
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Rein It In Cowboy”
Album: All Hat No Cattle
Release Date: January 24, 2025
Label: Forty Below Records

In Their Words: “We wrote ‘Rein It In Cowboy’ after Haley got her butt grabbed in a bar… He copped a feel and we copped a song. The unsettling vibe you get from a creepy guy groping you is eerily similar to the feeling zombies evoke, which is why our video draws inspiration from our love of classic zombie films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. We had a blast coming up with t-shirt pick-up lines and other visual jokes throughout the video. With the help of our friends, we crafted a visual narrative we’re truly proud of and can stand behind (and grab).” – Jack Hackett, The Doohickeys

More here.

Steven Moore & Jed Clark, “New Camptown Races”

Artist: Steven Moore & Jed Clark
Hometown: Jed Clark lives in Nashville, Tennessee, originally from Searcy, Arkansas; Steven Moore lives in Saint Clairsville, Ohio, originally from Bethesda, Ohio.
Song: “New Camptown Races” (by Frank Wakefield)
Release Date: June 26, 2024

In Their Words: “We are very excited to share our music video of ‘New Camptown Races,’ a tune by the late Frank Wakefield (June 26, 1934 – April 26, 2024) that has become a bluegrass standard. The idea for this video began at SPBGMA 2023, when we jammed to ‘New Camptown Races’ with both of us playing it in B-flat without using capos. We laughed and agreed that we needed to record it and maybe do a video shoot of it someday. It wasn’t until a year later at SPBGMA 2024, when we met up again, that we really solidified plans to make the video happen. Our hopes were to record the video and put it out on June 26, 2024 in honor of Frank’s 90th birthday. Unfortunately, the world lost Frank two months before he turned 90, but we decided to still aim to put out the video on what would have been Frank’s 90th birthday, in his memory…” – Steven Moore

More here.

Photo Credit: Rose Cousins by Lindsay Duncan; Reckless Kelly by Cassy Weyandt.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Natalie Spears, Chris Jones, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

You Gotta Hear This! We’ve got an excellent collection of premieres for you today on BGS, including two new music videos and a new tribute track, too.

Check out a brand new video for “Homeward” by Natalie Spears, off her upcoming album, Hymn of Wild Things, which is set for release June 28. Also, don’t miss a fiery, Tarantino-esque video from India Ramey for “Baptized By the Blaze,” the title track of her new record coming in August.

To round us out, bluegrass singer-songwriter and radio personality Chris Jones pays tribute to iconic folk songwriter Tom Paxton with a rendition of “The Last Hobo” from the stacked Bluegrass Sings Paxton project.

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

Natalie Spears, “Homeward”

Artist: Natalie Spears
Hometown: Carbondale, Colorado
Song: “Homeward”
Album: Hymn of Wild Things
Release Date: June 28, 2024 (album)
Label: SleeLee

In Their Words: “‘Homeward’ is a soulful manifesto about returning to oneself. It can be so easy to lose ourselves in relationships and this song is about coming home to our own being. I left Colorado during the pandemic to be with my partner on the East Coast. When things hit rock bottom, I packed the car and headed west. Miles of empty flatlands, cornfields, and numbing road noise only made my static mind chatter louder, constantly questioning, ruminating in self doubt. When the Rocky Mountains finally came into view, my whole body let go. I pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot to write these words, ‘That muddy road was getting old and keeping on just kept me down, I was one step forward, two steps back, now I’m heading homeward bound.'” – Natalie Spears

Track Credits:
Natalie Spears – Vocals and keys
Bradley Morse – Bass
Kevin Matthews – Drums
Eric Wiggs – Audio engineering and mixing

Video Credit: Erik Fellenstein
Payden Winner and Eric Fellenstein – Camera operators

Chris Jones, “The Last Hobo” (From Bluegrass Sings Paxton)

Artist: Chris Jones
Song: “The Last Hobo”
Album: Bluegrass Sings Paxton
Release Date: June 14, 2024 (single)
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “It was such an honor to get to participate in the Bluegrass Sings Paxton project as both studio guitarist and as a vocalist on ‘The Last Hobo.’ I was immediately drawn to this song, which struck me as a classic Tom Paxton story song of travel and love lost. It’s the kind of song that pretty much sings itself. Plus, I’ve just always wanted to sing a song that mentions Tucumcari, New Mexico.” – Chris Jones

Track Credits:
Chris Jones – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Darren Nicholson –Mandolin
Deanie Richardson – Fiddle
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Nelson Williams – Upright bass

India Ramey, “Baptized By the Blaze”

Artist: India Ramey
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee (by way of Birmingham, Alabama)
Song: “Baptized By the Blaze”
Album: Baptized By the Blaze
Release Date: June 14, 2024 (single); August 23, 2024 (album)
Label: Mule Kick Records

In Their Words: “This is a song about how I made the choice to put myself through the pain of getting off an anxiety drug that I was seemingly hopelessly addicted to, going through excruciating withdrawals, confronting my childhood trauma, and starting my healing journey in order to step into my personal power and become a better version of myself. It’s about phoenix energy. It’s about the death of the old me that was a slave to my trauma and the birth of the new me who is living a full and happy life without fear.

“My healing journey felt like a phoenix building its own funeral pyre, setting itself on fire, and being reborn as a more powerful version of itself in the flames. I took that myth and put it in a sort of Tarantino-esque, Faster Pussycat vibe, because that’s what I like, and made the car the ‘pyre.’ Alan Collins, my friend of over 15 years, is a VFX genius and he shot and edited the video.” – India Ramey

Track Credits: Produced, mixed and mastered by Luke Wooten at Station West Studios.
India Ramey – Lead vocal
Seth Taylor – Acoustic guitars
Tommy Hardin – Drums
Alyson Prestwood – Bass guitar
Scotty Sanders – Pedal steel
James Mitchell – Electric guitars

Photo Credit: India Ramey by Stacie Huckeba; Natalie Spears by Emily Teague.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Gangstagrass, Jaelee Roberts, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This week, it’s a tale of two Mothers in our premiere round-up! First, Gangstagrass bring us their latest single, “Mother,” ahead of their full album release next week, then Portland, Oregon-based string band Never Come Down bring us their own track, “Mother,” performed live at Ear Trumpet Labs. The serendipitously themed selections couldn’t be more distinct and unique, relative to the other, demonstrating the depth and breadth of these roots genres.

Plus, elsewhere in our collection of new music, hear fresh tracks from Jaelee Roberts, Kate Prascher, Karen Jonas, and Eddy Lee Ryder – a taste of bluegrass, a dash of singer-songwriter, a heaping helping of reckless abandon, and so much more.

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

Gangstagrass, “Mother”

Artist: Gangstagrass
Hometown: All over the USA! Rench: Brooklyn with Oklahoma roots; Dolio the Sleuth: Pensacola, Florida; R-SON the Voice of Reason: Philly; Danjo: Washington, D.C.; Farrow: Omaha; Sleevs: Baltimore.
Song: “Mother”
Album: The Blackest Thing on the Menu
Release Date: June 7, 2024 (single); June 14, 2024 (album)
Label: Rench Audio

In Their Words: “It started as a poem I wrote one day on tour. We were in the north of France, and just as described, I was sitting under a tree looking around me thinking about the world, our place in it, and what major changes we’d have to make in order to ensure the survival of humanity. My younger brother was actively deployed at the time and since my family has generations of men who’ve served, including my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and numerous uncles and aunts and cousins, there is always real concern about why the country is involved in active aggression, especially when that same country is obsessed with committing violence against its own citizens, my community in particular. I shared it with the crew, and Rench cooked up a haunting oeuvre.” – Dolio the Sleuth

Karen Jonas, “Gold in the Sand”

Artist: Karen Jonas
Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Song: “Gold in the Sand”
Album: The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch
Release Date: June 7, 2024 (single); August 9, 2024 (album)
Label: Yellow Brick Records

In Their Words: “My dreamy Las Vegas wedding song; it’s an against-all-odds love story, a starry-eyed late-night wedding, the sweet optimism of love at first sight. I pictured a very zoomed-out and very zoomed-in Vegas as I wrote this, a drone image of a city rising from the desert and her hand tightly in his as they walk down the neon-lit midnight strip. We stumbled into Benji Porecki’s bittersweet piano intro during our live-in-the-studio recording session, with fiddle by Bobby Hawk and a tearing solo by guitarist Tim Bray capturing the intimacy and boldness of this love story. The monochromatic gold-washed video by videographer Ryan Poe feels like a retro dream sequence, pairing performance with delicate details.” – Karen Jonas

Track Credits: Written by Karen Jonas.
Karen Jonas – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Tim Bray – Electric guitar
Benji Porecki – Piano
Bobby Hawk – Fiddle
Seth Morrissey – Bass
Ben Tufts – Drums
Ahren Buchheister – Pedal steel

Video Credit: Ryan Poe at Oddbox Studios in Fredericksburg, Virginia

Never Come Down, “Mother”

Artist: Never Come Down
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Mother”
Album: Greener Pastures
Release Date: June 7, 2024

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Mother’ after finding myself living back at home, at my Mom’s house, and with my sister there, too. I had just left an emotionally turbulent relationship and was kind of broke and starting over at 29, but also extremely hopeful and grateful that I had my life back and could decide what I wanted to do with it. Having my sister and my mother around was really important for me at that time, to get me back to a place of feeling unconditionally loved and safe. The song came out of my subconscious need for those women to tell me what to do and to be there for me as I figured out what to do.

“I feel like it’s a really simple song, actually. I think most of us can relate to needing a parent or a mother figure or somebody that’s not family that’s a mother figure to be guided by. In this day and age, we all need mentors and guides more than ever and the age old wisdom of women, of mothers, of nurturers, of ‘kissing it to make it better’ and softness and the divine feminine.

“I hope all that comes through in this song. Because when I was writing it I wasn’t thinking about all those things, I was just singing my own little mantras out of my head, things that were just making me feel safe and loved. I hope this song makes people feel safe and loved. I hope people relate to it in all the ways that we relate to our mothers. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s lovely. I think if we all lived like our mothers were still watching over us or were in their presence, we’d all be happier and kinder human beings.” — Crystal Lariza

Video Credit: Ear Trumpet Labs

Kate Prascher, “Mary Ellen”

Artist: Kate Prascher
Hometown: Hudson Valley, New York
Song: “Mary Ellen”
Album: Shake The Dust
Release Date: August 30, 2024

In Their Words: “This song names the sensations of a summer’s day when she decides to leave, a taxi ride and the cigarette smoke that both soothes her and sets her free. Banjo and drums and the steady rhythm of driving wheels.” – Kate Prascher

Jaelee Roberts, “Georgia Rain”

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Georgia Rain”
Release Date: June 7, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Georgia Rain’ after experiencing my first breakup/heartbreak when I was 16 years old. Interestingly enough, I had the melody come to me first and then the lyrics, which isn’t the normal songwriting process for me. I really do love this melody and the little twist in the chord structure. If you know me or have followed my musical journey so far, you know that I absolutely love a good ole heartbreak song and having rain be part of the scenario makes a heartbreak song even more lonesome and sad! When I wrote ‘Georgia Rain’ it really came to me like a movie and the words are really visual and I hope that y’all will be able to hear it and see it along with me when you listen.” – Jaelee Roberts

Track Credits:
Jaelee Roberts – Vocals
Stephen Mougin – Harmony vocal
Byron House – Bass
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar
Andy Leftwitch – Mandolin
Stuart Duncan – Fiddle
Ron Block – Banjo
John Gardner – Drums

Eddie Lee Ryder, “Bad Decisions”

Artist: Eddy Lee Ryder
Hometown: Woodstock, New York (current); Irvington, New York (hometown)
Song: “Bad Decisions”
Album: Sweet Delusions
Release Date: June 6, 2024 (single); July 19, 2024 (album)

In Their Words: “The song is a collection of fragments from a story marked by a string of bad decisions, beginning with falling for someone who misled me about their relationship status. However, the song sat in the dust-bin for a long time until I knew it would ultimately be a story about crashing and burning. I began noticing his intense jealousy, which you will find in lines woven into the song like, ‘Don’t ask me how I know those guys you wouldn’t like to know.’ The song is about being reckless and wild, which is the state we were in when we fell for each other. But when I was ready to move past being reckless and wild, to just stay home and watch crime shows together, that’s when he left. So anyways, I’m back to making ‘Bad Decisions’ and it’s going great.” – Eddy Lee Ryder

Track Credits: Written by Eddy Lee Ryder.
Produced, Engineered, mixed by Dave Cerminara.
Mastered by Adam Ayan.

Daniel Chae – Bass, guitar
Dan Bailey – Drums
Eddy Lee Ryder – Vocals
Rich Hinan – Pedal steel
Todd Caldwell – Organs

Photo Credit: Gangstagrass by Melodie Yvonne; Jaelee Roberts by Eric Ahlgrim.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From John Cowan, Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, & More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

To close the month of May, we have an absolutely stacked round up of premieres this week!

It’s lovely any time natural and organic themes twist their way through our batches of premiere. This week, it certainly seems like cutting-edge bluegrass is front and center, with new tracks and videos from John Cowan, Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, and husband-and-wife duo, Benson.

Plus, we have a trio of songs about touring, coming and going, leaving and returning – Rob Baird asking his listeners to “Hold Tight” ’til his return, Evan Boyer longs for home and hearth in a song for his wife, “Home to You,” and Rose Gerber pays tribute to a vagabond period in her own life with “Off to See America.”

Finally, don’t miss a danceable rockabilly number, “If I Didn’t Have You,” from Matt Hillyer and roots duo Native Harrow bring us a new music video for “Borrowing Time.” It’s a packed premiere round up this week and You Gotta Hear This!

John Cowan, “Fiction”

Artist: John Cowan
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Fiction”
Album: Fiction
Release Date: June 7, 2024 (single); Fall 2024 (album)
Label: True Lonesome Records

In Their Words: “The genesis of the song is that Eddie [Sanders] and I had sat down to write a song for this new recording that eventually was titled ‘Fiction.’ I have been a voracious reader my whole adult life. I was discussing with Eddie the problem of living in a world at this time, which is confounding, scary, and frustrating. My expansive bookcase is loaded with non-fiction books. I had just said to him that I can hardly stand to pick up these two new books I’d bought, ’cause I didn’t feel like I needed any more affirmation about the state of our country and the world. What I needed was an escape to a place of commonality with the people I’ve encountered and my loved ones. I think we did a good job on it and that’s all I know for now except, I always believe in hope and grace.” – John Cowan

Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, “Give It Away”

Artist: Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Hometown: Floyd, Kentucky, now living in Hendersonville, Tennessee (Jason); Charlestown, Indiana (Michael)
Song: “Give It Away”
Release Date: May 8, 2024
Label: Fiddle Man Records

In Their Words: “I feel that the world we live in is a beautiful place, but it takes all of us to make that world. Every time I hear this song it brings a smile to my face, thinking of the day we recorded it. The room was filled with friends making music and the joy that was shared between us really comes through in the recording. This song was written by two of my favorite fiddlers, Tim O’Brien and Matt Combs, and that was another thing that made me feel like it was right for Michael and I to record it.

“Every time I’ve been around Sam Bush, I feel the love he puts out into the world and I thought he’d be the perfect person to sing this song with. I feel the same way about Michael, it’s always such a joyful experience to get to play or even hang out with him. With that said, ‘Give It Away’ sets the tone for the entire record, I hope you enjoy it.” – Jason Carter

“‘Give It Away’ is a hard driving bluegrass song in the key of B, except this time nobody leaves or dies. Instead, it reinforces the valuable lesson that if you want to ever find love, you have to learn to give it away. I would like to thank Bryan Sutton, Cory Walker, Alan Bartram, and Sam Bush for creating one of the most grooving tracks I’ve ever been a part of, they really made this song come to life. This song was a natural for twin fiddles, and Jason and Sam’s vocals are absolutely incredible.” – Michael Cleveland

Rob Baird, “Hold Tight”

Artist: Rob Baird
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Hold Tight”
Album: Burning In the Stars
Release Date: June 21, 2024
Label: Hard Luck Recording Company

In Their Words: “Early on in my career, I spent a lot of time in a van, touring all over God’s green earth. This song, ‘Hold Tight,’ is a reflection of those times. It’s about the chaotic feeling of driving through the night to get back home to one who’s been waiting for you. I wanted that feeling of desperation and determination to build every second of this song. Hold tight and hold on for just a few more hours.” – Rob Baird

Track Credits:
Produced by Brian Douglass Phillips.
Jacob Hildebrand – Electric guitar, slide guitar
Z Lynch – Bass guitar
Brian Douglas Phillips – Pedal steel, background vocals
Fred Mandujano – Drums, percussion
Sean Giddings – Organ

Benson, “Donner Pass”

Artist: Benson
Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Song: “Donner Pass”
Release Date: May 31, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words:“‘Donner Pass’ is a tune I wrote while traveling with IIIrd Tyme Out. We were heading back east after a west coast string of gigs and, with a little time to kill, decided to stop in Reno, Nevada. We parked in the same general area where the Donner Party had been trapped over the winter, so this felt like a great song title for a minor-key melody. I had been working on the tune itself for a few days as we played out our gigs in California, but the original cell phone demo was recorded at Donner Pass where we parked overnight before driving into town.” – Wayne Benson

“This is one of my favorite tunes that Wayne has written. It feels dark, which is appropriate considering the title and location that it’s written about. The track moves a lot dynamically and I always enjoy that — I love taking a fairly simple melody and working with it to create different moods.” – Kristin Scott Benson

Track Credits:
Wayne Benson – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Cody Kilby – Acoustic Guitar
Tony Creasman – Drums
Kevin McKinnon – Bass

Evan Boyer, “Home to You”

Artist: Evan Boyer
Hometown: Somers, Connecticut originally; Dallas, Texas since 2010
Song: “Home to You”
Album: The Devil in Me
Release Date: June 7, 2024 (album)
Label: Medicine for Mary Records

In Their Words: “‘Home to You’ is a special song to me for a few reasons. First, the writing – it was the first song I really wrote for my wife. I’ve had others kind of about us or about our relationship, but I had never written one that focused on the fact that she’s my rock. Another is the production and the players I have on this track. Jenee on fiddle absolutely blew me away. Tim wrote that solo on the floor and then was able to perfectly replicate it two other times so that we could layer it three times. It’s stuff like that that’ll keep me making records for as long as I can.” – Evan Boyer

Track Credits:
Lyrics and music by Evan Boyer.
Produced by Bradley Prakope.
Recorded at The Panhandle House, Denton, Texas.
Evan Boyer – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Timothy Allen – Electric Guitar
Nate Coon – Drums
Bob Parr – Bass
Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle
Drew Harakal – B3 organ

Native Harrow, “Borrowing Time”

Artist: Native Harrow
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Song: “Borrowing Time”
Album: Divided Kind
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Label: Different Time Records

In Their Words: “This is one of those songs that was written in a few minutes, recorded in an afternoon, and came together like it was always a song. The rhythm signifies a lazy, hazy walk through the fields, lost in thoughts and daydreams. It is loose and meanders its way with pedal steel swirls (Joe Harvey-Whyte) and a single snare drum played with brushes while the bass thumps its way along the dusty trail. I go on daily walks to clear my head and to be in nature. I never want them to end and am always a little melancholy when they do and I have to return to my to-do list. I feel things very deeply and in trying times it often feels like life is a giant wheel rolling down a road and I am either being plowed over by it or chasing to keep up and it doesn’t pay any mind to my own struggles. In writing this song I realized that maybe being lost is better than having it all figured out and we’re all just borrowing time.” – Devin Tuel

“We recorded ‘Borrowing Time’ on a hot, dry day last summer (2023), setting up in the living room, with the windows wide open to take in the little bit of breeze that snuck in over the hills that afternoon. We started with Devin’s vocal and guitar and my Hofner Beatles bass (no click track, of course), sitting a foot away from each other. So close in fact, that you can hear the faint clack of my pick on the flat-wound bass strings bleeding into the vocal track. Next, we added a simple snare drum with brushes (myself) and shaker (Devin), again around the same mic. Finally, we added the electric guitar overdub, my black Gretsch hollowbody guitar through our old Fender amp, with its drippy reverb and dense tremolo, before sending the track up to our buddy Joe Harvey-Whyte in London where he added his cosmic outer space pedal steel. Sometimes we like to spend weeks working on a track, adding as many layers as it needs, and sometimes a finished song (as in the case of ‘Borrowing Time’) comes together in a single afternoon. Either way, we’ll take them as they come.” – Stephen Harms

Video Credits: Photography by Rosie Lord.
Edited by Devin Tuel & Stephen Harms.

Matt Hillyer, “If I Didn’t Have You”

Artist: Matt Hillyer
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Song: “If I Didn’t Have You”
Album: Bright Skyline
Release Date: June 7, 2024 (single); June 21, 2024 (album)
Label: State Fair Records

In Their Words: “I got my start playing rockabilly music. I’ve enjoyed playing many different styles of roots music over the years, but I always seem to gravitate back to that rockabilly swing. It just feels good and puts a smile on my face. It’s even better being able to have some great players and even better friends on it: Heather Stalling on fiddle, Kevin Smith on bass, Lloyd Maines on steel guitar, and Arjuna Contreras on drums. The song itself is a love song, and in my opinion, you can’t have enough of those. I was thinking about my wife when I wrote it. I was imagining a way to tell her how lost I’d be if I didn’t have her in my life.” – Matt Hillyer

Rose Gerber, “Off to See America”

Artist: Rose Gerber
Hometown: Portland
Song: “Off to See America”
Album: Untraveled Highway EP
Release Date: July 5, 2024

In Their Words: “When I was 17, I set out on a road trip that had no planned end. I was a high school drop-out running from a broken home and thought the romance of the road would save me. You can’t run from life though and the road wears you down. After thumbing around, riding freight trains and some lean times, I finally threw in the towel; but can’t say I regret a minute of it. This song is a tribute to that time of my life.” – Rose Gerber

Video Credits: Starring Mary Krantz and Just Clark.
Directed By Benjamin Olsen.

Photo Credit: John Cowan by Madison Thorne; Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland by Sam Wiseman.

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Andy Leftwich, Vestal Brothers, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

You know we always have your back when you need new music recommendations, right?

This week, we’re sharing premieres from extraordinary bluegrass pickers like fiddler Andy Leftwich and the Vestal Brothers, Curtis and Scott. Plus, singer-songwriters Eden Brent and Annie Bacon each showcase new emotive and moving songs about family, love, and grief. Bacon wrote “Alone With Grief” to be a comfort and a balm to those who have experienced loss, but without sugar-coating or toxic positivity. While Brent’s “You On My Mind” was written by her husband – and collaborator and bandmate – Bob Dowell, about their long distance courtship.

Don’t miss the Faux Paws reprising a song from their 2023 EP, Backburner, with bassist Zoe Guigueno or the final installment of Meadow Mountains SkyTheory Sessions series, which we’ve premiered in four parts over the last few weeks. You can watch “Backburner” and “Count Me In” below and find links to the Faux Paws’ crowdfunding campaign and the preceding three performances from Meadow Mountains video series, as well.

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

Andy Leftwich, “R-26”

Artist: Andy Leftwich
Hometown: Carthage, Tennessee
Song: “R-26”
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I’ve always loved the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. This fun tune was introduced to me by my wife’s cousin, Luke. It’s one that you don’t hear very often, but has a simple and catchy melody that is extremely fun to improvise and solo over. Django and Stephane have inspired so many great musicians and have had a huge impact on bluegrass music. I first heard about Stephane through David Grisman and their record, Live. I instantly fell in love with that style of music and dove head first into their catalog. The art of improvisation is something that makes bluegrass and swing music so unique and I was thrilled to record this one with Cody Kilby on guitar and Byron House on upright bass. I hope it brings a smile to your face as it does for me each time we play it!” – Andy Leftwich

Annie Bacon & her Oshen, “Alone with Grief”

Artist: Annie Bacon & her Oshen
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Song: “Alone With Grief”
Album: Storm
Release Date: June 14, 2024

In Their Words: “Before I wrote this song, I knew this was my grief album and it’s deeply personal. But with the recording sessions approaching, I felt this urgency to say something directly to the listeners and not just share my own experience. I wanted to speak to that strange time in early grief when you need so much comfort, but also you kind of need zero bullshit. For example, I wanted the word dead in this song. No euphemisms. Your loved one is dead. They’re dead. That’s what it is. It’s strange how people struggle to say that word. For me there was a lot of comfort in being able to say it that plainly. But I also knew that my nervous system in that period was so dysregulated all the time. I was a disaster: veering between jumpy and catatonic. So when I was writing this song and channeling that time of grief, I wanted to create as much comfort and emotional safety as possible.

“I listen to a really wide variety of music, and while I didn’t make a conscious decision to give this a samba feel when I was first writing it, that’s definitely the kind of music that soothes me. When it was clear that that was what the song was leaning towards, I leaned all the way in. I’m so lucky that the musicians I was working with (Anson, Thomas and Paul) are really versatile and talented across multiple genres. So it wasn’t a stretch or strain. After I’d received the final master, I saw a friend’s post about her Mom dying suddenly, and I recognized the tone of her writing: a distant numbness from shock, matched with a recounting of the details, and then veering into total heartbreak. I sent her the song and she wrote back, ‘I feel like this was made just for me,’ and that’s about the best compliment I could’ve received. I hope that’s how it feels to everyone who hears it.” – Annie Bacon

Track Credits: Written by Annie Bacon.
Performed by Annie Bacon, Paul Defiglia, Thomas Bryan Eaton, and Anson Hohne.

Produced by Annie Bacon and Paul Defiglia.
Recorded by Paul Defiglia with Kate Haldrup and Wil Tsyon at Daylight, Nashville, Tennessee.
Mixed by Mike Clemow and Wade Strange at SeeThruSound, New York.
Mastered by Piper Payne at Neato Mastering, California.

Eden Brent, “You On My Mind”

Artist: Eden Brent
Hometown: Greenville, Mississippi
Song: “You On My Mind”
Album: Getaway Blues
Release Date: June 21, 2024
Label: Yellow Dog Records

In Their Words: “My husband Bob, who produced and plays bass on this recording, wrote this song for me, so it’s very personal. He is from London and I am from the Mississippi Delta, which means that we spent the whole seven years of our courtship across the Atlantic Ocean from each other. This song expresses the love that made our long separation tolerable. The idea is borrowed from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 44, which is a favorite of mine. In those 14 lines the poet declares that despite distance, one’s true love is only a thought away. When Bob was writing this, we discussed how most songs are remembered for the repeated lyrics and not for the meaning of the song in its entirety. We mentioned ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ and ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy,’ and discussed John Mayer’s ‘Say.’ Melodically and lyrically, Bob wanted a song that was simple and easy to remember. We joke about this popular songwriting style and sing it like this: ‘Say what you need to say. Say what you need to say. Say what you need to say. Say what you need to say, and get out!’

“Musically, Bob originally envisioned a sort of marching gospel, but once the studio session began, my keyboard part sounded more like a country waltz. Here, Bob plays a warm sostenuto bass and asked the guitarist, Rob Updegraff, to, ‘Make it as country as you can.’ When the tape rolls, Rob bends the Telecaster strings making that lovely cry that opens the track. The drummer, Pat Levett, with his love of New Orleans rhythm, adds a triplet undercurrent and brings the song back into the gospel realm. The resulting landscape is unusual yet familiar and lends the perfect accompaniment to the simple, heartfelt lyrics. ‘Everything is easy with you on my mind.'” – Eden Brent

Track Credits: Produced and written by Bob Dowell.
Recorded by Benedic Lamdin at Fish Factory Studio, London.

The Faux Paws, “Backburner” (featuring Zoe Guigueno)

Artist: The Faux Paws
Hometown: Springfield, Vermont
Song: “Backburner”
Album: Backburner EP
Release Date: April 7, 2023
Label: Great Bear Records

In Their Words: “Hey, have you ever had sad feelings? Have you ever tried shoving those feelings deep down and not feeling them and then everything’s great!? That’s what this song is about! It’s a bop and the title track off our 2023 EP. Noah really cuts loose on the fiddle insanity. Lately we’ve been thrilled to tour and record with bassist Zoe Guigueno (Hadestown, Della Mae, Fish & Bird) and will be hitting a slew of festivals with her this summer. We’ve also got a new album in the works right now and are in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign to make it all happen! Check out the details and other fun content here.” – Chris Miller

Video Credit: Directed and Produced by Rebecca Branson Jones. 

The Vestal Brothers, “Let Those Fingers Fly”

Artist: The Vestal Brothers
Hometown: Duncan, Oklahoma
Song: “Let Those Fingers Fly”
Album: Family Ties
Release Date: May 28, 2024
Label: True Lonesome Records

In Their Words: “‘Let Those Fingers Fly’ is a song written in a reflective mindset thinking back to the days Scott and I would head to Oklahoma to stay with our grandparents for the weekend or off to a festival with grandma and grandpa, Famon Self. He was a fiddle player in a country western band and they played local rodeos, nursing homes, and special events local to the community there in Duncan, Oklahoma. I remember seeing him on a tractor-trailer stage in the parking lot at the mall, and he’d get us up to play with them. Good times!

“We had this song recorded and along with Eddie Sanders of True Lonesome Records, decided it was time we went ahead and work on a record that will be released later this year. Be on the lookout for Family Ties.” – Curtis Vestal

Track Credits:
Curtis Vestal – Lead vocal, bass
Scott Vestal – Banjo, harmony vocal
Tim Crouch – Fiddle
Cody Kilby – Guitar, mandolin
Randy Kohers – Resophonic guitar, harmony vocal

Meadow Mountain, “Count Me In”

Artist: Meadow Mountain
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Song: “Count Me In”
Album: June Nights
Release Date: May 22, 2024

In Their Words: “I originally conceived of this song as a ‘rewriting’ of ‘Rocky Mountain High’ by John Denver. The first lyric from ‘Count Me In’ is: ‘Twenty-seven came and went like a storm, hanging on by the songs I wrote on the day that I was born,’ which is an homage to Denver’s lyrics: ‘He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he’d never been before.’ From there, the song took on its own life. It is a celebration of life in The Rocky Mountains. You want to go play up in the talus fields and by the ice cold mountain lakes? ‘Count Me In.'” – Summers Baker

More here.

Photo Credit: Andy Leftwich by Erick Anderson; Annie Bacon by Cybelle Codish.