Artist: Sam Williams
Hometown: Paris, Tennessee
In Their Words: “‘Blue Christmas’ is a classic that’s lonesome and vulnerable, while simultaneously fostering comfort to those of us feeling lonely during the holiday season. I loved drawing from some of the original melodies while giving my own fresh version of the song.” — Sam Williams
Artist: Johnnyswim
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “A Hard Year’s Christmas”
In Their Words: “Coming into this holiday season, we personally felt the weight of a long and hard year, filled with some disappointing surprises and lots of tests on our patience and long suffering. This song came as a sort of whispered reminder that this season isn’t just for the good years, but even more so for the years of hurting and trial because this is a season of giving, of imagination, of togetherness, and if we make space, of joy.” — Abner Ramirez
“Writing this song was the catharsis we needed; it’s about hope and hardship, wonder and weariness while coexisting with each other during the holiday. We hope it helps heal a bruised holiday for those of us that could use it.” — Amanda Sudano-Ramirez
Artists: Tammy Rogers & Thomm Jutz
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Dancing in the Snow”
In Their Words: “We both feel that it is important to write light-hearted songs like this one once in a while. Taking yourself too seriously doesn’t make your writing better, and it is certainly less fun. The first snow brings a kind of excitement that carries us from childhood all through our lives. Being able to get excited about these seemingly little things is what keeps us humble and happy. That’s what Tammy and I wanted to convey in this song.” — Thomm Jutz
Willie Nelson never ceases to amaze. His discography reads longer than most artists’ biography, and even as 2021 draws to a close, the Red-Headed Stranger is still putting out new music. This time, it’s a family affair, with the album The Willie Nelson Family on Legacy Recordings. The collection features old songs that helped build the Nelson family, from old religious standbys to Carter Family classics and even Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me.” For his 72nd studio album, Nelson is joined by his sister Bobbie on piano, as well as four of his children: Lukas Nelson (acoustic guitar, lead vocals, background vocals), Micah Nelson (bass, drums, background vocals), Paula Nelson (background vocals), and Amy Nelson (background vocals). And it wouldn’t be a Willie record without Mickey Raphael (harmonica).
One of the new album’s most recognizable selections is “I Saw the Light,” which Hank Williams started writing in 1947 and then recorded a year later. Considered a standard of the country music canon, it’s made frequent appearances in Nelson’s set list for decades now. By the way, The Willie Nelson Family is the country legend’s second release of 2021, following That’s Life, an album of Sinatra classics. He’s also the author of a children’s book (written with Bobbie Nelson) titled Sister, Brother, Family: An American Childhood in Music. Catching us up on everything, Nelson participated in a virtual visit with NBC’s Today Show. Asked by host Jenna Bush about which musicians he loves that might surprise people, Nelson quickly replied, “I like everything from bluegrass to classical music, you name it.”
Brandi Carlile hasn’t truly been silent during the promotion of her new album, In These Silent Days. The record (from Low Country Sound/Elektra Records) quickly received high critical praise and claimed a seat atop the Billboard Americana/Folk charts. Meanwhile, Carlile and the twins have been making the rounds, checking off major appearance after major appearance, from The Ellen Show and a Saturday Night Live debut to a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall.
If you haven’t heard In These Silent Days yet, we can only say you’re missing out. All of the attention is already fueling the anticipation for the singer-songwriter’s 2022 tour dates. Starting in February, Carlile will maintain a healthy road schedule through the summer. For a glimpse into what the buzz is all about, watch Brandi Carlile with her bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth perform the new song “This Time Tomorrow” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (She also enjoys an in-person chat with Colbert himself, then treats the audience to a stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue.”)
Artist: Skip Ewing
Hometown: Nashville/Wyoming
Song: “Christmas Carol”
Album: Christmas
In Their Words: “We didn’t know a little girl named Carol before we wrote ‘Christmas Carol,’ but I imagined that almost everyone would understand the hearts and feelings behind the relationships in the story. Because Christmas is a time for family, togetherness and love, we recorded ‘I’ll Be Home (An American Christmas)’ for much the same reasons. ‘Whenever a Child Is Born’ is about love, God and family, as well. All of those songs are appropriate because I believe our capacity as humans to love, offer compassion, and care for one another is always there and always accessible. The Christmas season can help inspire us, but it’s always the right season to practice kindness. Whether you identify with little Carol, Santa, or even the caregivers at the children’s home, I’d like to thank you for your heart, and for listening to the new album. Merry Christmas!” — Skip Ewing
Artist: Chris Jones & the Night Drivers
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Rise Up Shepherd and Follow”
In Their Words: “This song has been a part of my life and Christmas celebrations for as long as I can remember. I learned it from an Odetta album of Christmas spirituals, which was the only Christmas record in our house for about the first 10 or 12 years of my life. I probably first became aware of the song when I was 4 or 5 years old but I didn’t start performing ‘Rise Up Shepherd and Follow’ myself until fairly recently. It was really meaningful to me to go into the studio with the Night Drivers and record something that really represents one of my first musical memories. Our bass player Marshall Wilborn is spotlighted on the bass. He’s known — deservedly so, I think — as one of bluegrass music’s most solid traditional players, but on this recording he shows another side of his playing and his bass versatility. My wife Sally guests on harmony vocals.” — Chris Jones
A cinematic saga of a roots music icon has come to a close. The three-part documentary series titled Big Old Goofy World: The Story of Oh Boy Records celebrates not only the music of John Prine, but also his deeply-imprinted legacy as a writer and label executive. A beautifully done commemoration of Prine’s work on Oh Boy, Big Old Goofy World presents the history of Nashville’s oldest artist-owned independent record label (and the second-oldest in the country). After a decade of major-label releases, Prine started the business in 1981 with his manager, Al Bunetta. Over three installments and 40 years of memories, viewers can watch the ascent of a scrappy company into a highly-regarded label.
Artist: Amanda Shires
Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
Song: “Blame It on the Mistletoe”
Album: For Christmas
In Their Words: “I’ve always wanted to make a record that’s true to what Christmas is like for me, and all the mixed emotions that come with it. There’s the happiness of being with family, and then the reality that getting a bunch of your family members in the same room is maybe never a great idea. I’m one of those hopeless-romantic types, so there’s the romance and beauty of Christmas but also the sadness, especially when not everybody you’re used to having around gets to be there anymore. There’s a lot of nostalgia in these songs, but there’s a lot of reality, too.” — Amanda Shires
Artist: Tony Trischka
Hometown: Syracuse, New York, and Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Songs: “Christmas Night” & “The Christmas Medley”
In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Christmas Night’ around 10 years ago. The process of creating the lyric was inspired by a John Hartford song, wherein he stream-of-consciousnessed a descriptive story. By taking this approach with ‘Christmas Night’ the words just flowed out, rather than my painstakingly having to think of what lyric should come next. While doing this, an image popped into my head that brought me right back to my childhood. The wonderful thing about our tree, as opposed to those of other folks in our neighborhood, was that we had blue lights, rather than white or multi-colored. It created a beautifully peaceful atmosphere in the house that resonates with me to this day. It kind of symbolized the way I always knew my parents weren’t exactly in the Eisenhower mold.
“For ‘The Christmas Medley,’ I chose three of my favorite traditional Christmas carols. For the second song, ‘Joy to the World,’ I utilized Keith tuners to bring out the melody, similar to the Scruggs pegs Earl used on ‘Flint Hill Special,’ wherein the banjoista safely retunes while playing. These songs were recorded at Ricky Skaggs’ studio in December of 2019, after having just performed them on the Grand Ole Opry.” — Tony Trischka
