Videos Archive - The Bluegrass Situation

Yamaha Sessions: Cayden Wemple, “Handprint”

The warm, honeyed tone of a Yamaha acoustic guitar welcomes listeners to “Handprint,” a 2025 single from Wemple that’s racked up an impressive number of streams online. Our session is an excellent facsimile of the studio rendition of “Handprint;” Wemple is already an intimate, direct artist where it’s normal to feel like, as a listener, you’re being brought inside a cozy bedroom recording studio or perhaps Wemple’s living room at golden hour. On the studio track his vocals are stacked deep and lush, here in our Burbank studio the arrangement is more stark, but it certainly isn’t lacking any of the song’s sparkle and charm.

“…Taking advantage of the UV 9/ Your skin turns red and then back to white/ I put my handprint on it…” Wemple sings, text painting a scene so Californian it would fit right here in Hollywood or in Wemple’s hometown of San Luis Obispo, too. The song is emotive and broad, but tender and pointed, too. All the while, Wemple’s Yamaha guitar provides the perfect foundation for the song and its lyrics to soar.

Stay tuned, as we’ll unveil more Yamaha Sessions in the near future featuring more from Water Tower and Cayden Wemple, as well. It’s all part of our celebration of the 60th anniversary of Yamaha Guitars. From the legendary FG Red Label guitars to modern innovations like their TransAcoustic series, Yamaha continues to set the gold standard for acoustic guitar craftsmanship worldwide. To celebrate 60 years of guitar excellence, visit Yamaha.com and stop by your local Yamaha dealer today.

This content is brought to you in partnership with Yamaha Guitars.

Sagebrush SXSW Sessions: Shakey Graves

In March, the BGS and Good Country teams were honored to return once again to SXSW, this time partnering with our friends at Big Feat PR for A Night of Good Country at Sagebrush in Austin, Texas. The evening featured lovely half-hour sets from artists on Big Feat’s stellar roster of clients – and quite a few Good Country favorites – including Shakey Graves, Tyler Halverson, Aubrie Sellers, Travis Bolt, and Tenille Townes.

Our pals at I Know We Should were on hand at Sagebrush to capture these Good Country performances, and over the upcoming weeks and months we’ll be sharing clips and full sets right here on the site. To continue the series, we’re excited to bring you songs from Shakey Graves‘ performance at SXSW – perfectly timed for our celebration of Graves as our May Artist of the Month.

As contributor Matt Wickstrom pointed out in his article unveiling Graves as our Artist of the Month, the Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter has reinvented his sound and artistry time and time again across his career. But as contributor Brian D’Ambrosio notes in his BGS exclusive interview with Shakey for AOTM, his brand new album Fondness, Etc. is as much based on that tradition of reinvention as it is reflection – a new sort of Shakey sound that’s fresh, yet again, but based strikingly in the familiar. In the qualities of Graves that are hardest to pin down but most signature.

For his set at Sagebrush, Graves dipped back into his deep-and-wide discography to share classic songs from across those eras of reinvention. Though Shakey himself may balk at the idea of any of his songs being regarded as hits, these selections deserve the moniker objectively, that’s certain. Between them “Roll the Bones,” “Nobody’s Fool,” and “Dearly Departed” have racked up hundreds of millions of streams (on Spotify alone) with “Dearly Departed” numbering nearly 150 million streams and “Roll the Bones” tipping over 100 million.

Even sung in this simplified setting, to a small (but packed) bar during SXSW with just a simple acoustic or hollow-body electric guitar, a kick drum, and a tambourine for a “band,” these songs shine, demonstrating the reasons why they’ve taken this beloved artist in the alt, indie, and roots community and brought him to the entire world. Shakey never loses that sense, in whatever musical or performing context, that what you’re watching is real art, real music being made in realtime. These well-worn, well-loved songs still sound fresh and intoxicating; and fully realized even back in their original, primal forms performed by Shakey Graves, solo.

We hope you enjoy these lovely SXSW performances of “Dearly Departed,” “Nobody’s Fool,” and “Roll the Bones.” Stay tuned as we will launch more Sagebrush SXSW Sessions in the coming weeks – including performances from Tyler Halverson, Travis Bolt, and Aubrie Sellers. It’s all coming soon right here on Good Country.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner, Juan Soria, and Charlie Peterson.
Photo Credit: Jessica Alexander

Explore more of our Artist of the Month coverage of Shakey Graves here.

These sessions brought to you in partnership with Big Feat PR.

Yamaha Sessions: Water Tower, “Sittin’ on Top of the World”

BGS is proud to partner once again with our friends at Yamaha Guitars to bring you exclusive Yamaha Sessions shot earlier this year in Los Angeles, California. On a sunny afternoon, the fellas of Water Tower joined us and Yamaha at a cozy and cute backyard studio in the shadow of the Hollywood Hills in Burbank. Water Tower are an exciting and buzzed-about band in the bluegrass space, pulling as much inspiration from punk, rock and roll, pop, and hip-hop as the mountains of Appalachia and the rural bluegrass landscapes and sounds we all hold familiar. Their sets and shows are rollicking, energetic, unhinged – and equally charming – wowing audiences with their energy, repertoire, and hijinks.

For our Yamaha Session, band founder and frontman – and a keystone string band community builder in Southern California and around the country – Kenny Feinstein is joined by bandmates Tommy Drinkard and John Seltzer. Feinstein and Drinkard swap verses and licks as they flatpick each bold, forward-leaning solo on their Yamaha Guitars – and Seltzer holds it all together on the ukulele bass. Even in a performance video such as this the appeal of Water Tower and their no-holds-barred approach is obvious. Feinstein’s lyric deliveries are as hilarious as they are legit, his voice twining with Drinkard’s into that classic high lonesome sound. “Sittin’ on Top of the World” is an incredibly common and familiar number in the bluegrass canon, but here it’s rendered with plenty of standout Water Tower flair. You’ll recognize the timeless lyrics, often referenced and interpolated elsewhere in roots music, in blues, Americana, folk, old-time, and beyond. It’s a perfect song for singing along, even if it’s not so perfect for, say… if you don’t like peaches. (Don’t shake the tree!)

Yamaha Guitars played by Water Tower provide the perfect, lush sound bed for the winking silliness and earnest hot licks they are known for. These are instruments not just well-suited to bluegrass, but to all sorts of string band sounds, whether infused with punk, showmanship, humor, grit, burnin’ licks – or all of the above.

Stay tuned, as we’ll unveil more Yamaha Sessions in the near future featuring more from Water Tower and songs from Californian indie-folk singer-songwriter Cayden Wemple, as well. It’s all part of our celebration of the 60th anniversary of Yamaha Guitars. From the legendary FG Red Label guitars to modern innovations like their TransAcoustic series, Yamaha continues to set the gold standard for acoustic guitar craftsmanship worldwide. To celebrate 60 years of guitar excellence, visit Yamaha.com and stop by your local Yamaha dealer today.

This content is brought to you in partnership with Yamaha Guitars.

Sagebrush SXSW Sessions: Tenille Townes

Our pals at I Know We Should were on hand at Sagebrush to capture these Good Country performances, and over the upcoming weeks and months we’ll be sharing clips and full sets right here on the site. To begin the series, we’re paying tribute to our April Artist of the Month, Tenille Townes, unveiling three song performances from SXSW as a special epilogue to our AOTM content. For her brand new album, The Acrobat, the Canadian singer-songwriter leans into her newfound independence, trusting herself not only to write and co-write each of the songs, but to produce them and perform them in their entirety, too. To bring the new project to the world, Townes has been performing her Living Room Tour, special stripped down shows featuring herself, solo, sharing songs, stories, and insights from her latest creative journey from major label to indie country powerhouse.

At Sagebrush during SXSW, we got a taste of these “living room” style shows, as Townes captivated the audience during the first set of the evening with just her voice and her art-piece of a guitar. From the new album, we’re sharing two numbers, “enabling” and “we could use a little more.” Townes shows great skill in writing songs that consider and confront the many challenges of life while still finding hope, redemption, and a way forward. There’s endless passion and dynamics in Townes’ performances; you can tell she’s comfortable even in this solo setting, working the crowd and bringing them into her artistic universe.

Of course, Townes’ catalog of material – new and old – is chocked full of fan favorites and hits, so we were very pleased to hear her SXSW performance of “Jersey On the Wall,” arguably her most popular track. It’s easy to tell why the song has had such staying power, built around the bones of a modern country story song, but with subversive and nuanced messages throughout. This is certainly Good Country.

We were so pleased to get to highlight Tenille Townes as our Artist of the Month in April and on the Sagebrush stage at SXSW with our friends at Big Feat PR. Stay tuned as we will launch more Sagebrush SXSW Sessions in the coming weeks – including performances from our current Artist of the Month, Austin’s own Shakey Graves. It’s all coming soon right here on Good Country.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner, Juan Soria, and Charlie Peterson.

These sessions brought to you in partnership with Big Feat PR.

MerleFest Late Night Jam: “Red Rocking Chair,” Myles Gee & Sam Bush

For over 30 years, MerleFest’s Late Night Jam has been the after-hours festival gathering space for some of the best pickers in the world mingling alongside new generations of talent. This annual tradition was initially led by festival founder Doc Watson, his family, and his peers. In 2025, the Late Night Jam hosting torch was passed to the equally legendary Sam Bush, who held court alongside Peter Rowan, Casey Driessen, Jerry Douglas, and countless other musical friends. Over the years, BGS has had the pleasure of partnering with MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina to present the Late Night Jam on the Saturday night of the festival. As in 2025, we’ll be back this year in 2026 to enjoy the fun with Ketch Secor and Old Crow Medicine Show stepping in as hosts. Tickets for the Late Night Jam are still available.

In the run up to this year’s festival, set for April 23 through 26, BGS is partnering with MerleFest and our videographer friends at I Know We Should to share exclusive video clips from 2025’s Late Night Jam. Today marks the conclusion of our series, and what a great video to go out on! For our final clip, the 2025 Late Night Jam host Sam Bush returns to the stage, this time in just a simple duet. His duo partner? A young and spritely firebrand picker, then 13-year-old Myles Gee. Gee is a prodigious guitarist phenomenon who’s gone viral across social media on multiple occasions, especially for his appearances and informal jams with Billy Strings. Perhaps the youngest performer on the MerleFest lineup last year, Gee certainly holds his own alongside Bluegrass Hall of Famer Bush as the two play through “Red Rocking Chair.”

Gee’s voice – his vocals as well as on the guitar – is remarkably mature for his young age. You can certainly hear the influence of modern stylists like Strings on his style. Bush and Gee swap solos with ease, showcasing yet again the special cross-generational community that appear at MerleFest and on the Late Night Jam. The crowd hangs on for every note, yet again entranced by the talent on display. You never know what you’ll see at the festival, but you do know it will be top notch.

We’ve so enjoyed partnering with MerleFest to bring you these clips from last year’s Late Night Jam and festival. You can watch all of the videos in our series here. Make your plans now to experience it all live, in person, at the 2026 Late Night Jam at MerleFest, hosted by Ketch Secor & Old Crow Medicine Show. Buy your tickets here – and get more information on the Late Night Jam here.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner and Juan Soria.

MerleFest Late Night Jam: “Wade In The Water,” Barefoot Movement

In the run up to this year’s festival, set for April 23 through 26, BGS is partnering with MerleFest and our videographer friends at I Know We Should to share exclusive video clips from 2025’s Late Night Jam. The latest in the series features Americana and bluegrass string band the Barefoot Movement performing an absolute classic, the gospel stunner “Wade In the Water.” Lead singer Noah Wall, mandolinist Tommuy Norris, and bassist Katie Blomarz-Kimball are joined by Stephen Mougin (of the Sam Bush Band), fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and artist Bryan McDowell, Sam Bush Band drummer Chris Brown, and other friends, too. It really is a jam session each year at the Late Night Jam, as songs from the bluegrass and American songbooks are offered in special collaborations to the devoted MerleFest audience.

The Barefoot Movement lead singer Noah Wall leads the number with confidence and plenty of soul, her voice soaring and passionate, offering acrobatic twists, licks, and runs on the familiar melody. Between her lovely verses and choruses each of the talented musicians jam through in-the-moment improvised solos, again highlighting the special jam session quality of the evening. The crowd roared in applause.

Next week, we’ll just one more additional exciting performance from 2025’s Late Night Jam. Make your plans now to experience it all live, in person, at the 2026 Late Night Jam at MerleFest, hosted by Ketch Secor & Old Crow Medicine Show. Buy your tickets here – and get more information on the Late Night Jam here.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner and Juan Soria.

MerleFest Late Night Jam: “House of the Rising Sun,” Peter Rowan

For over thirty years, MerleFest’s Late Night Jam has been the after-hours festival gathering space for some of the best pickers in the world mingling alongside new generations of talent. This annual tradition was initially led by festival founder Doc Watson, his family, and his peers. In 2025, the Late Night Jam hosting torch was passed to the equally legendary Sam Bush, who held court alongside Peter Rowan, Casey Driessen, Jerry Douglas, and countless other musical friends. Over the years, BGS has had the pleasure of partnering with MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina to present the Late Night Jam on the Saturday night of the festival. As in 2025, we’ll be back this year in 2026 to enjoy the fun with Ketch Secor and Old Crow Medicine Show stepping in as hosts. Tickets for the Late Night Jam are still available.

In the run up to this year’s festival, set for April 23 through 26, BGS is partnering with MerleFest and our videographer friends at I Know We Should to share exclusive video clips from 2025’s Late Night Jam. Next in the series is a video that perfectly captures the jam session vibe of the evening. Bush, the host for the Late Night Jam, calls out to his friend, the legendary Peter Rowan, off stage: “Oh, Peter?” “Hello Sam, how are you this evening?” Rowan responds, in a cartoonish British accent. “Is it tea time yet?” He continues, to chuckles from the audience. “It’s totally tea time, Pete,” Bush responds with a mandolin chop and a laugh. The audience eats it up, happy to be on board for what’s clearly a typical, relaxed hang between lifelong friends, collaborators, and pickers.

Of course, Peter Rowan was on stage to play, so he introduces his version of a song Doc Watson used to perform frequently, “House of the Rising Sun.” With a broad, plodding, and pocketed groove he begins the familiar lyric. Rowan’s delivery, as always, is haunting and time-collapsing. Accompanied by Bush, Sam Bush Band banjo player Wes Corbett and drummer Chris Brown, Rowan gives an exciting acoustic guitar solo pressing forward against the lazy groove. Joining them on stage are perhaps the most VIP of the VIPs at MerleFest, “The Vets,” Jack Lawrence (guitar, center), Joe Smothers (guitar, right), and T Michael Coleman (far right), all alumni of Doc Watson’s various bands and lineups over the years.

As the on-the-fly arrangement continues, solos are swapped and Rowan delivers an absolute classic like only he can. A perfect way to wrap up a Saturday at MerleFest, at the Late Night Jam.

Over the next few weeks we’ll share additional exciting performances from 2025’s Late Night Jam. Stay tuned for more and make your plans now to experience it live, in person, at the 2026 Late Night Jam at MerleFest, hosted by Ketch Secor & Old Crow Medicine Show. Buy your tickets here – and get more information on the Late Night Jam here.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner and Juan Soria.

MerleFest Late Night Jam: “Toy Heart,” East Nash Grass

In the run up to this year’s festival, set for April 23 through 26, BGS is partnering with MerleFest and our videographer friends at I Know We Should to share exclusive video clips from 2025’s Late Night Jam. Our second clip in the series features Nashville’s favorite bluegrass-band-in-residence East Nash Grass joining the evening’s host Sam Bush on stage for an absolute timeless bluegrass banger, “Toy Heart.” Originated by Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, East Nash Grass do the song justice with a kick-off by mandolinist Harry Clark punctuated by the beloved, crispy chop of Bush. James Kee sings lead, while banjoist Cory Walker offers two solos spanning traditional and off-the-wall picking styles. And ENG fiddler Maddie Denton makes her second appearance in a Late Night Jam clip – watch her perform twin fiddle with Casey Driessen, Tony Trischka, and Bush on “Close By” here. You’re always going have plenty of excellent, straight ahead bluegrass to enjoy at MerleFest and the Late Night Jam.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner and Juan Soria.

AEA Sessions: Palmyra

(Editor’s Note: BGS has partnered with AEA Ribbon Mics and AmericanaFest to share special live sessions shot at Welcome to 1979 in Nashville, Tennessee during AmericanaFest 2025. Over the last few weeks, we’ve enjoyed select performances from AEA Ribbon Mics’ sessions in Nashville premiered right here on BGS. Our video today concludes the series – see all of the videos we’ve shared previously here.)

Artist: Palmyra
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Songs: “Palm Readers,” “Arizona,” “Shape I’m In”

In Their Words: “I was introduced to Palmyra via my friend publicist Rob Evanoff. So I watched a few YouTube videos, thought they were pretty good, and we booked them. I collected some basic background info so we’d have something to talk about, but otherwise knew little about them. Because we were shooting six to eight artists back to back each day, we normally only had one hour to set up, soundcheck, and video each artist. After we finished this session, I really wished that I had time to sit and have an extended chat with this band over a long meal. Their songs, while they sound catchy and upbeat, are so multi-layered and introspective. Some of the conversation that we had off-camera gave a glimpse of their history and brought so much meaning and nuance to their songs. By the time they played ‘Shape I’m In,’ even as the song sounded upbeat, when Sasha started singing the third verse about their identity, my eyes were welling up.

“This band is proof of the power of music. Hopefully, it’s bands like Palmyra that will drive us to continue supporting live music (human-created music) and artists with different perspectives. Just the way that Manoa can got more than a dozen types of sounds out of his upright bass was mastery in motion. Teddy brings a different voice and perspective, and together, they are just mesmerizing. Catch them live if you can. There’s a reason this band is on Oh Boy Records. Folk/Americana music is about speaking truth and building community. Palmyra is at the forefront of carrying on that legacy.” – Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics

Video Credits: Audio recorded and mixed by Brandon Bell.
Video directed and edited by Michael Perlmutter, assisted by Patrick Dwyer.
Hosted by Julie Tan.

To purchase AEA Ribbon Mics or other gear, contact your local dealer. More information is available at AEARibbonMics.com.

MerleFest Late Night Jam: “Close By,” Sam Bush with Tony Trischka

In the run up to this year’s festival, set for April 23 through 26, BGS is partnering with MerleFest and our videographer friends at I Know We Should to share exclusive video clips from 2025’s Late Night Jam. Our first clip features the evening’s host Sam Bush alongside Tony Trischka, Michael Daves, Casey Driessen, Maddie Denton, and Jared Engel performing a Bill Monroe classic, “Close By.” Denton and Driessen’s twin fiddle kick-off is mournful and lonesome, before Daves jumps in to render lead vocals for the bluegrass jam favorite. Playing off the cuff, it’s fascinating to watch these expert bluegrassers communicate and arrange the song in real time, all familiar with the contours of the number, but performing it together for the very first time. Each take turns giving gritty, exciting solos punctuated by the tasty twin fiddles.

The video highlights exactly what’s so magical about the Late Night Jam: You never know exactly who you’ll get to catch performing in one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime configurations and lineups on the jam stage.

Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner and Juan Soria.