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Roots Culture Redefined

WATCH: Avi Kaplan, “First Place I Go”

Artist: Avi Kaplan
Hometown: Visalia, California; now living in Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “First Place I Go” (produced by Shooter Jennings)
Label: Fantasy Records

In Their Words: “I believe every human that has had some time to walk through life has experienced internal struggle in one way or another. Whether it be anxiety or depression, anger or addiction, there are parts of ourselves that can lead us down a path that is detrimental to our being. This song is about acknowledging that part of oneself and overcoming it.” — Avi Kaplan


Photo Credit: Bree Marie Fish

Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions: The Arcadian Wild (Part 1)

For the latest in our series of Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions we met up with Nashville-based string band The Arcadian Wild. Our exclusive video performances from the group feature two songs, including this energetic and deliciously tense number, “Hey, Runner!”

The Arcadian Wild is Bailey Warren on fiddle, Erik Coveney on bass, and is led by songwriters Lincoln Mick (mandolin) and Isaac Horn, who plays a Yamaha Custom FG Guitar built by Master Luthier Andrew Enns.

Watch for our second session featuring The Arcadian Wild coming soon!

You can discover more about Yamaha Guitars and the Yamaha Custom Shop here. ​​


“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” Goes Acoustic With the Arcadian Wild

Nashville-based string band The Arcadian Wild keep getting better and better with every release. This time it’s an inventive cover of the ’80s pop classic, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” If you’re new to the group’s music, they bring a unique blend of thought-out composition and musical accessibility, a mark that eludes many artists. In this live video, the four-piece achieves clever use of their acoustic instrumentation to cover all the iconic bells and whistles that make the original recording so infectious. From the shuffling groove in the upright bass to the pad-like chord movements highlighted by the fiddle, The Arcadian Wild emerge out of a dense musical landscape with an accessible rendition of everyone’s favorite Tears for Fears song. Look for The Arcadian Wild this winter on tour in a city near you.

Marcus King Trio Revives Grand Funk Railroad at Carter Vintage Guitars

Marcus King is here to show us that age really is just a number. Over the summer, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter and guitar slinger released a video filmed in the home of countless valuable instruments, Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. Performing as a three-piece, King and Co. cover a Grand Funk Railroad tune from 1970 called “Sin’s a Good Man’s Brother.” To further highlight the age contrast, the guitar and bass come from 1960 and 1954, respectively. It seems as though the youth of the group would be an odd match for the music, but the trio taps into the music in a way that is wholly authentic and genuine. It’s almost hard to believe, but the Marcus King Trio sounds like a vintage rock group here, complete with a soaring guitar solo that is built on a dynamic and expressive groove from the bass and drums. It’s incredible to see a band reach into the past and bring back some magic from rock ‘n’ roll’s adolescence. Shades of Hendrix, Rush, and Cream are apparent in this live performance from the Marcus King Trio.

Keb’ Mo’ and Darius Rucker Sing the Praises of a “Good Strong Woman”

Keb’ Mo’ returns to the recording studio for “Good Strong Woman,” a feel-good, fun song about the value of companionship — and the music video certainly backs it up, as legends like Darius Rucker, Vince Gill, and Tom Bukovac, alongside other friends, are shown wearing smiles and dancing in between takes. “Good Strong Woman” is the latest of three singles that Keb’ Mo’ has released since the start of 2021. “I co-wrote this with two of Nashville’s best country writers, Jason Nix and Jason Gantt. It’s a song that I didn’t think I’d be recording, but it was just too much fun, and I had to give it a shot. When Darius got involved, it went from fun to stun,” he says.

The 2021 Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Performance Award recipient, Keb’ Mo’ will release his new album, Good to Be, on January 21, 2022, via Concord Records. The singer-songwriter went back to his own roots for the project, writing it at home in Nashville and in his childhood home in Compton, California, where he purchased and renovated his late mother’s house. ​​“You can’t bring an attitude to Compton,” he says. “You can’t pose. You can’t be anything but real when you’re walking down the same streets you used to ride your bike on as a kid. In a lot of ways, coming back there felt like it completed me.”

Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions: Jackson+Sellers, “The World Is Black”

For this year’s virtual Folk Alliance International and SXSW conferences, BGS collaborated with Yamaha Guitars to film performances from some of the artists we are most excited about in 2021. This week, we bring you the final performance of the series, from a somewhat new duo.

Both Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers have built successful musical careers over the years, with Sellers’ powerful vocals and undeniable twang carrying on her country lineage from parents Lee Ann Womack and Jason Sellers, and Jackson’s California alt-country songwriting being showcased on her records produced by punk icon Mike Ness of Social Distortion. Now, the two have come together as Jackson+Sellers to create the rock record they’ve always dreamed of.

Following the new release of Breaking Point, the duo brings us a riveting performance of “The World Is Black,” penned by Sellers, who says the song addresses “that isolation that comes from being your own person and having your own standards as an artist. It’s hard when you’re a super-sensitive person, which we both are. When you feel everything, this is what that sounds like.”

You can discover more about Yamaha Guitars and the Yamaha Custom Shop at YamahaGuitars.com.

WATCH: Roses & Revolutions, “Coffee” (From Nettwerk 21 in ’21)

Artist: Roses & Revolutions
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Song: “Coffee” (from Nettwerk 21 in ’21)
Album: Midnight Monsters
Label: Nettwerk Music Group
Release Date: October 15, 2021

In Their Words: “Towards the beginning of quarantine, when everything felt very mundane, I brought my mind back to being on tour just at the beginning of March, to quite literally sitting downstairs in the lobby of one of the hotels, sipping a cup of coffee. I realized there’s something so small and special about it… there have been many times in my life that things have been discussed, or worked out with someone in a lobby of a hotel, whether in person or on the phone. Some of our most treasured moments happen over a simple cup of coffee. Especially on tour, it’s our way to unwind, have time to ourselves and work through whatever’s on our mind. This song captures a moment in a troubled relationship where things are worked out over a cup of coffee together.” — Alyssa Coco, Roses & Revolutions


Longing for Classic Country Music, Alan Jackson Asks, “Where Have You Gone”?

Alan Jackson, an elder statesman of modern country music, plays tenderly on the heartstrings of nostalgia in his new video, “Where Have You Gone.” Standing center stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, he delivers a heartfelt message to the heroes of country music that have come before this generation. In what may seem like a somber ballad, Jackson celebrates not only the artists that have made country music through the decades, but also the sounds and traditions that have shaped the style. As he delivers lyrics about steel guitars and soulful fiddling, he is surrounded on stage by a full outfit of country instruments, but they all remain unattended. Instead of being joined by players, though, the Country Music Hall of Fame member is flanked by fleeting images of greats like Johnny Cash and George Jones. In solidarity, Jackson offers a love letter to country music that once was, and only a voice as seasoned as his could capture the reverence and longing felt by fans of classic country everywhere.


Photo credit: David McClister

Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions: Stillhouse Junkies (Part 1)

For the latest in our series of Yamaha x BGS Artist Sessions we linked up with IBMA Momentum Award winners Stillhouse Junkies in Denver, Colorado. Our exclusive video performances by the Durango-based trio feature two songs, including this rip-roaring old-timey instrumental, “Jonny Mac.”

Stillhouse Junkies is Cody Tinnin, Alissa Wolf, and Fred Kosak, who plays a Yamaha Custom FG Guitar built by Master Luthier Andrew Enns. Check out an exclusive interview with Kosak about his Custom Yamaha FG Guitar via Yamaha’s Guitar Development Custom Shop.

Watch for our second session featuring the Stillhouse Junkies coming soon!

You can discover more about Yamaha Guitars and the Yamaha Custom Shop here. ​​


Tim O’Brien Jams With Sam Bush on Irish Tune, “Land’s End”

Tim O’Brien, our Artist of the Month in July, paid a visit to another favorite of ours at BGS. On an episode of Sam Bush’s Jammin With Sam series, a weekly session with Sam Bush and his fellow bluegrass artists, the pair pick an Irish traditional tune called “Land’s End.” Its Celtic heritage shines brightly as Bush and O’Brien’s mandolins dance through the upbeat, modal waltz. Exceptional writers and pickers as they are in their own right, it’s entertaining to see Bush and O’Brien communicate through the course of the tune, each taking turns to improvise and converse before seamlessly transitioning into a harmony section and finishing the piece on a feeling of anticipation. The look on their faces as the instruments ring out the final notes indicates at least a small element of surprise at their togetherness. For as much great music and profound performances that find their way to the Bluegrass Situation, it’s a pleasure to see a lighthearted, fun jam between two such gifted instrumentalists. Watch “Land’s End” and see other clips from the Jammin With Sam series on YouTube.