Artist: The Local Honeys
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
Song: “Throw Me in the Thicket (When I Die)”
Album: The Local Honeys
Release Date: July 15, 2022
Label: La Honda Records
In Their Words: “This song is about giving back to the place that has provided nourishment to the belly, the heart, and the soul. The place that raised you and me. A wish to pass on without the tufts and frills that so often decorate a ceremonious death. This song is for those who wish to give themselves back to the earth, in the purest form, and to live eternally in the place you call home.”
Artist: Molly Tuttle
Hometown: Palo Alto, California
Song: “Grass Valley” (Live) feat. Jack Tuttle
Album: Crooked Tree
Release Date: April 1, 2022
Label: Nonesuch Records
In Their Words: “My dad took me to the Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley, California, when I was 10 years old and it changed my life. It was my first time going to a music festival and the songs that I heard on stage and jammed in the campground stuck with me for years to come. When I was writing the songs for Crooked Tree I kept going back to those earliest musical memories. I decided to close my album with a song about Grass Valley to give context to the music that I make now. I hope you enjoy this special version of ‘Grass Valley’ that I filmed with my dad! Happy Father’s Day weekend!” — Molly Tuttle
Artist: Freedy Johnston
Hometown: Kinsley, Kansas
Song: “Madeline’s Eye”
Album: Back On the Road to You
Release Date: September 9, 2022
Label: 40 Below Records
In Their Words: “‘Madeline’s Eye’ was inspired by my hearing the B.W. Stevenson hit ‘My Maria’ on the overhead music somewhere. A smash hit. That’s where the musical feel is borrowed from. I’m just doing my part for the environment by recycling the groove. The lyric is your typical human/android love story. A love for the ages. The kind of love for which there really is an instruction manual and a tool kit. She’s starting to think, ‘Maybe I am a machine’ and ‘Why do I keep setting off metal detectors?’ I am sure Dr. Sigmund could analyze the heck out of the writer of this song.” — Freedy Johnston
Bruce Hornsby’s ‘Flicted is the final installment of a three-album suite that follows Absolute Zero in 2019 and Non-Secure Connection in 2020. One highlight of the new project is a unique, modern adaptation of a Chuck Berry classic. Set to a funky, hip hop-leaning drum loop and resting on a sassy piano groove, Hornsby’s take on “Too Much Monkey Business” feels at first like an easygoing, rhythmic tune, but faint familiarity grows quickly into an a-ha moment when the chorus rolls around. The quirky music video is fun and inventive, just like many of the songs from ‘Flicted. As Hornsby himself explains, “The album title ‘Flicted relates to this strange time in which we live, when the world is basically, well, ‘flicted.” Look for Hornsby on the road with his band, The Noisemakers, throughout the summer.
Artist: Steven Denmark
Hometown: Northern California
Song: “Only Home I Need”
Release Date: June 2, 2022
In Their Words: “‘Only Home I Need’ was a song that really just fell into my lap. I set out to write a simple love song, which may sound redundant, but it was territory I’ve never ventured into as a songwriter. I wanted to write something that people could emotionally connect with, lyrically and musically. I didn’t know where the song would go when I first wrote it. The writing process was quick, but everything really fell into place when we got into Tiny Tape Room to record it. The vibe of the studio and the musicians who played on the song had a huge part in crafting it into something special. My hope is that ‘Only Home I Need’ is a song that people will connect with and will continue to listen to for years to come. The slow pace and overall vibe has a presence about it that I feel can draw people in. Even if you’re not in a relationship, it’s a song that evokes a feeling of genuine human connection.” — Steven Denmark
Artists: Wynonna & Waxahatchee
Song: “Other Side”
Release Date: May 24, 2022
Label: ANTI- Records
In Their Words: “In the midst of everything that has happened, I said that I would continue to sing. So, here I am. I met Katie Crutchfield last year and we connected immediately. We recorded ‘Other Side’ in the studio here on the farm and it was one of my favorite recording experiences ever. I’m thankful for the opportunity to sing with the next generation of greatness.” — Wynonna
“Working with Wynonna and Cactus [Moser, Wynonna’s husband] on this song was one of the more creatively stimulating and exciting experiences I’ve had in my songwriting career. Wynonna is an icon and a fountain of wisdom. Sharing space with her to create something new was really nothing but a joy and an honor. Her spirit inspires me daily and her continued encouragement has meant the world. Together, with Cactus, we made an amazing team and I’m so excited to share this song.” — Katie Crutchfield, Waxahatchee
Artist: Maggie Carson
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “Your Ghost”
Album: The Dark Was Aglow
Release Date: June 24, 2022
Label: Open Ocean
In Their Words: “How does the impression of others linger after they’re gone? ‘Your Ghost’ is thinking about someone who’s not with you. Feeling their presence in some way beyond just a memory. This song emerged quickly and completely. Inspired by the structures and melodies of old-time music, the song is a musing. A question. A moment of contemplation. Lush, spacious and airy.” — Maggie Carson
Artist: Hilary Hawke
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Album: LILYGILD
Release Date: May 24, 2022
In Their Words: “I wrote the tune ‘LILYGILD’ because I wanted to create something beautiful. It was the winter of 2020, and things were rough here in NYC. I was pretty isolated in a tiny apartment with no roommates and I was longing to have something new in my life to be excited about. To me, the banjo is the most versatile instrument in terms of tone, creativity and creating texture in songs. Sometimes people think the banjo can only sound very crisp and loud and I always try to counter that in my playing. One day, I got this melody stuck in my head, day in and day out I was humming and singing it. Although the tune sounds moody and brooding, when I finished writing it, I felt so much happiness. The name ‘LILYGILD’ comes from the Shakespearean expression, ‘to gild a lily.’ Meaning, when something is already beautiful, you don’t need to add unnecessary ornamentation. I wrote and recorded the tune from the heart, and didn’t feel the need to ‘gild’ it with extra production, or anything beyond guitar and banjo playing around a couple microphones.
“Especially in this world of social media, if feels good to recognize that things can be natural, simple and special. I kept this in mind as the concept for the entire album, on which ‘LILYGILD’ is the title track. A couple months later, I tested out the tune to a very small group of people in the backyard of this great bar called Sunny’s, along the water in Brooklyn. I had to play outdoors in the winter and I had on fingerless gloves and was drinking hot toddies to stay warm. Needless to say, the song stuck and ‘LILYGILD’ stands out as the only fingerpicked tune on the album. It starts in a minor key then elevates into a major key for the B section where it all wraps around back to the minor A section again. I’m joined by the wonderful guitar playing of Reed Stutz who captured the creative landscape and expression I was hoping for. We improvise through the tune though we stay connected to the melody, and let the banjo and guitar stay natural and exposed.” — Hilary Hawke
Artist: Early James
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Song: “What a Strange Time to Be Alive”
Album: Strange Time to Be Alive (produced by Dan Auerbach)
Release Date: August 19, 2022
Label: Easy Eye Sound
In Their Words: “I think it’s okay to admit you feel crazy or uncomfortable in your own skin — those are very human feelings that we need to say out loud. I hope this record reminds people that everyone feels crazy sometimes, and that the real crazy people are the ones who won’t admit self-doubt.” — Early James
“James is very particular with his lyrics and makes such uncommon choices, so I wanted to keep it raw and let that shine as much as possible. His writing is so idiosyncratic; there’s not one song that feels like anything you’ve heard before. But then there’s also something in his sound that feels carved out of stone, like it’s from another time — it’s a very strange mix.” — Dan Auerbach
Artist: Grant-Lee Phillips
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Remember This”
Album: All That You Can Dream
Release Date: May 20, 2022
Label: Yep Roc Records
In Their Words: “This is a father-to-daughter conversation. It’s a song for my daughter, who is just beginning her teen years. Such a strange time to be 14, I would imagine. All the natural growing pains are complicated by a lingering pandemic and a disruption of life. I feel for these kids. And I feel for their parents. The song is a reminder of that bond. While a part of this album is fixated on social issues, in songs like ‘Remember This’ I can speak in the most personal way about and to the people I love.” — Grant-Lee Phillips
