May 9, 2025 • 19 mins
Natalie sat down with Northwest Arkansas native and folk singer Jude Brothers to dive into what we can look forward to this year at FreshGrass and how this area has shaped her as a musician.
Set in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas, FreshGrass at The Momentary is a two-day, all-ages festival that brings in the best in American and global roots music and folk traditions—right in the heart of Bentonville. Packed with award-winning artists, world premieres of special commissions, artist talks, instrument workshops, band competitions, square dancing, and more across three stages.
Together, they explore what makes FreshGrass unique, how Bentonville's hospitality welcomes artists from around the country, and a look ahead at what you can expect when you visit.
A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie Stika (00:10):
Welcome to New American Town.
I'm Natalie with VisitBentonville.
Today's guest is someone whodoesn't just perform music, she
invokes it.
Jude Brothers is a folk artistoriginally from right here in
the Ozarks.
She's carrying the spirit ofthis region everywhere she goes.
In this episode we talk aboutthe power of presence and live
performance, from the absolutestillness of her roadhouse set
(00:34):
here at the Momentary, where youcould have heard a pin drop, to
the collaborative, creativeenergy she's going to be sharing
on the Fresh Grass Review Tourand leading up to her appearance
at the Fresh Grass Festival.
Whether you're a fan of folkmusic, a festival traveler or
just someone who lives for thoserare goosebump-inducing shows,
jude's story is a reminder ofwhy live music still matters,
(00:58):
especially when it's rooted inplace and purpose.
Thank you for joining us, jude.
Purpose.
Jude Brothers (01:03):
Thank you for joining us, jude.
Thanks, that was a great intro.
Natalie Stika (01:06):
I'm glad.
I'm glad so you're from here.
I would love to know about yourexperience with being raised in
the Ozarks and your connectionto music and kind of how that
sparked yeah.
Jude Brothers (01:23):
Okay, so I grew up between like back and forth
in between Springdale andFayetteville like not a good
(01:49):
thing to say on the podcast, butlike I, yeah, it was not a fun
place to grow up as a likesocialized feminine person.
It wasn't a super fun place togrow up as a like closeted queer
person.
It wasn't a fun place to growup as a weird person who didn't
go to the right church anddidn't do the right things and
present the right way.
(02:09):
You know, to my speech, uh,being a little freak and being
um sort of feeling an outlier,um I think really shaped my
(02:34):
relationship to music, becauseit was my solace and it was like
my place to tell the truth,because when you're like a weird
little girl in the south, likeno one really cares what you
think, do they?
Um, at least that's you know,that was my experience.
(02:54):
Um, so that was where, yeah,that's how I developed a sense
of self and a sense of belongingand a sense of identity, and I
think that my time spent in thewoods and in the dirt and in the
river, like you know, I thinkthat any person from this region
(03:23):
can say, like, how shaped weare by this beautiful land that
we um grown up on and been apart of that.
We've sang in the bird songs,the peeper frogs, like all that
stuff you know shapes you.
And then, um, you know, on amore like practical and um
simple note, yeah, like I got tobe in choirs that were at my
(03:46):
elementary schools and hadamazing teachers who could see
that, like choir is a haven forweird kids and I'm also one of
those kids, so I get it.
choir was like such a importantpart of my musical life because
(04:08):
I think that, like, I think thatlike singing always sort of
felt as like reflexive andnatural as breathing to me is,
you know, like much to anyone'schagrin who had to hear me while
I was learning.
But, yeah, choir, and then myfolks, my grandparents, were
(04:32):
both musicians.
My grandmother was an operaticsoprano and my grandfather was a
choir director at the U of Aand they were total early music
nerds.
They like loved plain chantsequence and you know ancient
religious music, which, yeah, Ihave a tattoo of Hildegard von
(04:57):
Bingens because I share thatnerdship with them.
And then, yeah, of course, likelike the regional music of the
ozarks, um, those sounds are asmuch a part of the place as
anything else.
Right, like it's like thosemelodies are old and have wide,
(05:18):
expanding root systems um, Imean your music.
Natalie Stika (05:23):
That's exactly what it sounds like like the
dirt the bird songs, the rivers,everything that you're talking
about.
Jude Brothers (05:29):
You can really tell that you have that rich,
those deep roots in your musicand it's, it's beautiful yeah, I
think that the I think that theprobably the most profound
impact on me stylistically on atraditional music level from our
region is the ballads of theOzarks, and I am by no means an
(05:51):
expert, but I'm working really,really, really hard to become an
expert um and doing balladstudy and song collection both
um here and abroad.
Natalie Stika (06:04):
And uh, I forgot what I was gonna say about the
rest of that but anyhow, yeah,yeah, that's awesome well that's
all some ozark stuff I lovethat and, like you know how you
originally started, the sentencewas that you didn't, you know,
love growing up here, but nowyou're back in fate, though.
So, like, tell me more aboutthat and how are you loving it
(06:26):
now?
Hopefully you are, um, and whatmade you come back?
Jude Brothers (06:32):
Um well, yeah, when I was 17, I was blessed
with the opportunity of ascholarship that took me to a um
, tiny art school in New Mexicowhere I lived for, like, yeah,
after school.
I had built this whole, youknow, arts and music community
for myself and had been invitedinto these other communities
(06:53):
that were existing there and washaving an awesome time and I
sort of I felt this magneticpull on my heart at some point
that it was time to go home.
I just was like man, I reallyjust kind of like left all my
(07:13):
old stuff there and I didn'treally like because I never
intended to come back, to be sohonest with you Like I didn't, I
didn't feel, yeah, I didn'tfeel, yeah, I didn't feel it.
And then one day I did and ithelped that like where I was
living had gotten untenablyexpensive.
(07:36):
I moved back in 2019 with theintention of like just kind of
getting my bearings reconnectingto my root system, and then, as
we all know, like the pandemichappened and I was like, okay, I
guess I'm staying here for morethan a year, totally fell in
love, fell back in love with myhome place and like felt that
(08:01):
that it was time to stay and, ofcourse, you, the longer you
stay, the more, like, yourconnections deepen with people,
the more you like, yeah, or likeI have to stick around because
I'm taking these lessons withthis person, or I have to stick
around because, like I'm helpingthis person out in their
kitchen, or like what you know.
It's like, oh, I'm like myfriend's birthday's next month,
oh, and that other friend'sbirthday is this month, and then
(08:23):
there's a wedding, and then, ohgod, and then it's like you
live somewhere and you're a partof it, yeah, part of you, and I
feel I feel like 25 differenttypes of ways about where I live
at all times, because I thinkthat, like being a person from
any place is a complicated thing, and like being especially part
(08:47):
of a region.
That's like growing and reallystruggling to make sure there's
room for the people who makethat region what it is, and
making sure there's there's roomfor people who are of like
varying class backgrounds andlike varying cultural
backgrounds and varying likeidentity backgrounds.
Natalie Stika (09:08):
We could talk more about your appearance at
Fresh Grass and all the amazingthings you're doing with your
music.
I would love to talk more abouthow you got connected with
Fresh Grass and, yeah, how thatrelationship has spurred on.
Jude Brothers (09:25):
Yeah, definitely I got.
I've been aware of Fresh Grassfor some time and I've done a
few like House of Songs thingsover the years, which was always
really fun, really great peopleinvolved in that, but I've
never actually been to a FreshGrass involved in that and um,
but I've never actually been toa Fresh Grass.
(09:47):
And, uh, robert Bishop, who issort of the mastermind behind
this Fresh Grass review tour andand this sort of thing, it's
like, as I understand it, he'sbeen really wanting to get more
like small-time, independent,local artists involved in the
festival to sort of like give itthat sense of place and
identity that you were speakingto in your introduction.
Natalie Stika (10:04):
Um, and so, yeah, he and I had a coffee meeting
and we gabbed a bunch about abunch of stuff and uh, yeah, so
this all came together, sort ofyou know, like any spontaneously
like any good things do waslike good friends gabbing about
(10:25):
fun music stuff to do so thereview tour is coming up really
soon, um may 6th, 7th and 8th Ithink, and uh, you're gonna be
in fayetteville, springfield andtulsa.
Um are you looking forward toone of those cities more than
the other, or are you justexcited for the experience?
Jude Brothers (10:43):
Oh, I think both of those places are so cool and
I think it's like really fun toexplore different parts of our
regional like there are regionalpanels right.
Tulsa is like what two hours,springfield's like an hour and
some change.
And like both of those towns, Ifeel so kindred with people who
live there and like we alwayshave fun stuff to talk about.
(11:05):
And there's a few musiciansthat I like I'm a huge fan of,
and and especially in Tulsa, butlike I've only become like sort
of acquainted with it, more andmore acquainted through the
Springfield scene, throughmusicians like guinevere and
then, um, my friend grady philipdrug is also a really amazing
(11:25):
musician based up there.
The drive to springfield, if youtake the long way which I have
an old car, I always take thelong way um, the slow way where
I don't have to go over 45 um isuh, spectacularly beautiful.
I mean, like this southernmissouri is like yeah, yeah,
(11:46):
you've got all the, all therivers, all the trees, all the
stuff, like can't beat it.
And then, uh, yeah, tulsa I'm areally big fan of.
Um, kaylin faye is a reallyactive musician in the tulsa
scene who also was once based innorthwest arkansas, and she is
just a an absolutely brilliantsongwriter, beautiful voice, um,
yeah and uh.
(12:07):
I just love that scene.
I think the Tulsa scene isincredible.
I think it's a cool town andthey're good neighbors.
Natalie Stika (12:14):
Yeah, we've got great neighbors and we have a
whole goofy bunch of peoplebringing our own thing their way
yeah, well, I don't know if youknow, but there is a little
incentive if people go to one ofthe review tours, they can get
20% off their tickets to freshgrass if they visit the merch
table.
So if anyone goes and sees dudebrothers at the review tour,
(12:37):
make sure you stop by the merchtable to get a discount.
Kind of pivoting back toFreshgrass, is there one thing
that you're most excited about?
Jude Brothers (12:53):
The crowd, the setting, other artists oh yeah,
I mean I've been a fan of JamieWyatt for a minute.
I really like Jamie Wyatt.
I'm also really excited to seeBella Fleck.
That's never someone I thoughtI'd get to see play.
I'm really excited to reunitewith old friends that are going
to be around and there's a lotof.
I'm really, really stoked atthe amount of local
representation we have, bothwith the Fresh Grass Review
(13:17):
crowd and then on the like.
I forget all the names thatwere on the songwriter stage
thing, but I know Dana Louise isplaying.
That's going to be really cool.
I know Willie Carlisle is goingto be around.
He's a friend and so I thinkit'll.
I think it'll feel really cozyand and friendly, like yeah.
Natalie Stika (13:34):
I love that.
That's so good to know that thecommunity is so connected.
You definitely get the sense ofthat when you go to Fresh Grass
, so I'm hoping that you havethat experience, since it'll be
your first time.
Now I would love to talk aboutyour experience at Roadhouse,
because I had a friend go toyour show and she was just like
(13:54):
jaw to the floor, you could heara pin drop.
It was astonishing.
You did so good and I heard allabout it.
Um, did you have a similarexperience?
Did you know that the audiencewas so engaged and did you enjoy
being there?
Jude Brothers (14:10):
they really like had the Arkansas hospitality
dialed into a fine art.
I felt so welcome the minute Ilike pulled up to the door to
load in.
It was really awesome.
That was like one of.
I think one of the highlightsactually was just the staff,
like Andrew and Misha, like umI'm struggling with some of the
other names right now, but Iremember like there were just
(14:31):
like so many lovely people Ifelt really looked after, which,
like being a solo artist is isso valuable.
When I show up at a venue and Ifeel like people are checking
in on me and making sure I havewhat I need, I'm like, oh my god
really.
And then I was elated to beasked to open for the Wonder
Women of Country because, I mean, they're shredders.
(14:53):
They're just so good at whatthey do.
They're undeniably yeah,they're undeniably I'm trying to
find a word that is not a cussword to say how cool they are um
, they're undeniably bad to thebone fabulous.
You know that's bad to the bone.
Fabulous all of it the beesknees, the cat's pajamas, the
(15:15):
whole that and a cherry on top,but uh I love yeah, and here
sorry I love to hear how goodyour experiences.
Natalie Stika (15:25):
Experience was at Roadhouse with the crew, the
welcome team, because I think wereally pride ourselves in, like
the Bentonville hospitality, sothat's so good to know from an
artist's perspective too, notjust from a tourist perspective
oh yeah it.
Jude Brothers (15:38):
The hospitality was aces.
I had such a nice time and feltso cared for.
And then I would say, as far asmy set went, I've never
performed and not been nervous.
I've been doing this for like13 years and I still feel like a
little kid every time I get upon stage and so, like I have no
(16:00):
idea what's happening in theaudience's head while I'm there,
because I'm just like it's likeevery.
I think it's the only time Iactually experience true focus
as a person, because I'm kind ofsquirrely.
You've probably noticed in thenature of this conversation that
I'm thinking about 25 differentthings at the same time.
But like um, I you know it'slike focusing on what my fingers
(16:23):
are doing, focusing on what mythroat's doing and what my back
is doing and what my stomach is.
Like I'm very I'm always likereally in my body, trying to
make sure that I'm, uh,communicating the music
optimally for it to be received.
You know, it's like that's my,it's like my.
(16:45):
I take my job very seriously,which is that, like I'm there to
I'm, I'm there to bring peoplein inward if they need to be
inward, or bring them intooutward if they need to be
outward like I'm.
I'm there as a conduit forspirit, because that's what I
think music is kind of.
So I don't know how anyoneexperienced it until I got off
(17:08):
stage and they say something tome and I'm like, oh really, you
like that crazy.
I'm glad yeah.
I still can't believe sometimesyeah, oh, that's great.
Natalie Stika (17:19):
I I feel like I'm the same way when I get on
stage, so I can totallyunderstand.
Because you're from theNorthwest Arkansas region, I
have to ask if you have a coreBentonville memory that you like
to share.
Jude Brothers (17:33):
Core Bentonville memory I mean I have a couple
One from early on is just on, isjust that like it's grown so
quickly.
So I think that maybe it's nota very exciting memory but it is
like I remember.
Yeah, there's like venue,there's venues and fancy cool
(18:07):
restaurants and dance partiesand stuff happening in
Bentonville which is just like,as a person who grew up here is
just so like whoa, there's likea cool party in Bentonville and
that that's wild.
Um, yeah, and then, uh, a morerecent memory that I have, I
would say, is like is likesometime after I moved back, I
was just kind of driving aroundgetting lost and I stopped at
that little.
There's like a little naturepark that's connected to where
(18:32):
the like biking trails are.
Natalie Stika (18:35):
Yeah.
Jude Brothers (18:37):
Yeah, I think so, and there was a beautiful heron
in a hat.
Um, that was.
Maybe I imagined the hat.
No, I think it was wearing ahat.
Anyway, I had this reallybeautiful moment in that nature
park, recording the creek,looking at the cows and looking
at a little blue heron in a hat.
(18:58):
So if anyone has anyinformation about the heron and
why it's wearing a hat, pleasereach out to me.
I have a contact form in myemail.
Natalie Stika (19:07):
That's awesome.
Thank you so much for being onthe podcast, Jude.
Jude Brothers (19:11):
Thank you for having me, Natalie.
Natalie Stika (19:14):
Don't forget, visit Bentonville is here to
help you navigate things to do,where to eat and stay and what's
going on in our new Americantown.
Check out the show notes tofollow us on social, sign up for
our newsletter and check ourwebsite at visitventonvillecom.
Thanks for listening.
Welcome to New American Town.
I'm Natalie with VisitBentonville.
Today's guest is someone whodoesn't just perform music, she
invokes it.
Jude Brothers is a folk artistoriginally from right here in
the Ozarks.
She's carrying the spirit ofthis region everywhere she goes.
In this episode we talk aboutthe power of presence and live
performance, from the absolutestillness of her roadhouse set
(00:34):
here at the Momentary, where youcould have heard a pin drop, to
the collaborative, creativeenergy she's going to be sharing
on the Fresh Grass Review Tourand leading up to her appearance
at the Fresh Grass Festival.
Whether you're a fan of folkmusic, a festival traveler or
just someone who lives for thoserare goosebump-inducing shows,
jude's story is a reminder ofwhy live music still matters,
(00:58):
especially when it's rooted inplace and purpose.
Thank you for joining us, jude.
Purpose.
Jude Brothers (01:03):
Thank you for joining us, jude.
Thanks, that was a great intro.
Natalie Stika (01:06):
I'm glad.
I'm glad so you're from here.
I would love to know about yourexperience with being raised in
the Ozarks and your connectionto music and kind of how that
sparked yeah.
Jude Brothers (01:23):
Okay, so I grew up between like back and forth
in between Springdale andFayetteville like not a good
(01:49):
thing to say on the podcast, butlike I, yeah, it was not a fun
place to grow up as a likesocialized feminine person.
It wasn't a super fun place togrow up as a like closeted queer
person.
It wasn't a fun place to growup as a weird person who didn't
go to the right church anddidn't do the right things and
present the right way.
(02:09):
You know, to my speech, uh,being a little freak and being
um sort of feeling an outlier,um I think really shaped my
(02:34):
relationship to music, becauseit was my solace and it was like
my place to tell the truth,because when you're like a weird
little girl in the south, likeno one really cares what you
think, do they?
Um, at least that's you know,that was my experience.
(02:54):
Um, so that was where, yeah,that's how I developed a sense
of self and a sense of belongingand a sense of identity, and I
think that my time spent in thewoods and in the dirt and in the
river, like you know, I thinkthat any person from this region
(03:23):
can say, like, how shaped weare by this beautiful land that
we um grown up on and been apart of that.
We've sang in the bird songs,the peeper frogs, like all that
stuff you know shapes you.
And then, um, you know, on amore like practical and um
simple note, yeah, like I got tobe in choirs that were at my
(03:46):
elementary schools and hadamazing teachers who could see
that, like choir is a haven forweird kids and I'm also one of
those kids, so I get it.
choir was like such a importantpart of my musical life because
(04:08):
I think that, like, I think thatlike singing always sort of
felt as like reflexive andnatural as breathing to me is,
you know, like much to anyone'schagrin who had to hear me while
I was learning.
But, yeah, choir, and then myfolks, my grandparents, were
(04:32):
both musicians.
My grandmother was an operaticsoprano and my grandfather was a
choir director at the U of Aand they were total early music
nerds.
They like loved plain chantsequence and you know ancient
religious music, which, yeah, Ihave a tattoo of Hildegard von
(04:57):
Bingens because I share thatnerdship with them.
And then, yeah, of course, likelike the regional music of the
ozarks, um, those sounds are asmuch a part of the place as
anything else.
Right, like it's like thosemelodies are old and have wide,
(05:18):
expanding root systems um, Imean your music.
Natalie Stika (05:23):
That's exactly what it sounds like like the
dirt the bird songs, the rivers,everything that you're talking
about.
Jude Brothers (05:29):
You can really tell that you have that rich,
those deep roots in your musicand it's, it's beautiful yeah, I
think that the I think that theprobably the most profound
impact on me stylistically on atraditional music level from our
region is the ballads of theOzarks, and I am by no means an
(05:51):
expert, but I'm working really,really, really hard to become an
expert um and doing balladstudy and song collection both
um here and abroad.
Natalie Stika (06:04):
And uh, I forgot what I was gonna say about the
rest of that but anyhow, yeah,yeah, that's awesome well that's
all some ozark stuff I lovethat and, like you know how you
originally started, the sentencewas that you didn't, you know,
love growing up here, but nowyou're back in fate, though.
So, like, tell me more aboutthat and how are you loving it
(06:26):
now?
Hopefully you are, um, and whatmade you come back?
Jude Brothers (06:32):
Um well, yeah, when I was 17, I was blessed
with the opportunity of ascholarship that took me to a um
, tiny art school in New Mexicowhere I lived for, like, yeah,
after school.
I had built this whole, youknow, arts and music community
for myself and had been invitedinto these other communities
(06:53):
that were existing there and washaving an awesome time and I
sort of I felt this magneticpull on my heart at some point
that it was time to go home.
I just was like man, I reallyjust kind of like left all my
(07:13):
old stuff there and I didn'treally like because I never
intended to come back, to be sohonest with you Like I didn't, I
didn't feel, yeah, I didn'tfeel, yeah, I didn't feel it.
And then one day I did and ithelped that like where I was
living had gotten untenablyexpensive.
(07:36):
I moved back in 2019 with theintention of like just kind of
getting my bearings reconnectingto my root system, and then, as
we all know, like the pandemichappened and I was like, okay, I
guess I'm staying here for morethan a year, totally fell in
love, fell back in love with myhome place and like felt that
(08:01):
that it was time to stay and, ofcourse, you, the longer you
stay, the more, like, yourconnections deepen with people,
the more you like, yeah, or likeI have to stick around because
I'm taking these lessons withthis person, or I have to stick
around because, like I'm helpingthis person out in their
kitchen, or like what you know.
It's like, oh, I'm like myfriend's birthday's next month,
oh, and that other friend'sbirthday is this month, and then
(08:23):
there's a wedding, and then, ohgod, and then it's like you
live somewhere and you're a partof it, yeah, part of you, and I
feel I feel like 25 differenttypes of ways about where I live
at all times, because I thinkthat, like being a person from
any place is a complicated thing, and like being especially part
(08:47):
of a region.
That's like growing and reallystruggling to make sure there's
room for the people who makethat region what it is, and
making sure there's there's roomfor people who are of like
varying class backgrounds andlike varying cultural
backgrounds and varying likeidentity backgrounds.
Natalie Stika (09:08):
We could talk more about your appearance at
Fresh Grass and all the amazingthings you're doing with your
music.
I would love to talk more abouthow you got connected with
Fresh Grass and, yeah, how thatrelationship has spurred on.
Jude Brothers (09:25):
Yeah, definitely I got.
I've been aware of Fresh Grassfor some time and I've done a
few like House of Songs thingsover the years, which was always
really fun, really great peopleinvolved in that, but I've
never actually been to a FreshGrass involved in that and um,
but I've never actually been toa Fresh Grass.
(09:47):
And, uh, robert Bishop, who issort of the mastermind behind
this Fresh Grass review tour andand this sort of thing, it's
like, as I understand it, he'sbeen really wanting to get more
like small-time, independent,local artists involved in the
festival to sort of like give itthat sense of place and
identity that you were speakingto in your introduction.
Natalie Stika (10:04):
Um, and so, yeah, he and I had a coffee meeting
and we gabbed a bunch about abunch of stuff and uh, yeah, so
this all came together, sort ofyou know, like any spontaneously
like any good things do waslike good friends gabbing about
(10:25):
fun music stuff to do so thereview tour is coming up really
soon, um may 6th, 7th and 8th Ithink, and uh, you're gonna be
in fayetteville, springfield andtulsa.
Um are you looking forward toone of those cities more than
the other, or are you justexcited for the experience?
Jude Brothers (10:43):
Oh, I think both of those places are so cool and
I think it's like really fun toexplore different parts of our
regional like there are regionalpanels right.
Tulsa is like what two hours,springfield's like an hour and
some change.
And like both of those towns, Ifeel so kindred with people who
live there and like we alwayshave fun stuff to talk about.
(11:05):
And there's a few musiciansthat I like I'm a huge fan of,
and and especially in Tulsa, butlike I've only become like sort
of acquainted with it, more andmore acquainted through the
Springfield scene, throughmusicians like guinevere and
then, um, my friend grady philipdrug is also a really amazing
(11:25):
musician based up there.
The drive to springfield, if youtake the long way which I have
an old car, I always take thelong way um, the slow way where
I don't have to go over 45 um isuh, spectacularly beautiful.
I mean, like this southernmissouri is like yeah, yeah,
(11:46):
you've got all the, all therivers, all the trees, all the
stuff, like can't beat it.
And then, uh, yeah, tulsa I'm areally big fan of.
Um, kaylin faye is a reallyactive musician in the tulsa
scene who also was once based innorthwest arkansas, and she is
just a an absolutely brilliantsongwriter, beautiful voice, um,
yeah and uh.
(12:07):
I just love that scene.
I think the Tulsa scene isincredible.
I think it's a cool town andthey're good neighbors.
Natalie Stika (12:14):
Yeah, we've got great neighbors and we have a
whole goofy bunch of peoplebringing our own thing their way
yeah, well, I don't know if youknow, but there is a little
incentive if people go to one ofthe review tours, they can get
20% off their tickets to freshgrass if they visit the merch
table.
So if anyone goes and sees dudebrothers at the review tour,
(12:37):
make sure you stop by the merchtable to get a discount.
Kind of pivoting back toFreshgrass, is there one thing
that you're most excited about?
Jude Brothers (12:53):
The crowd, the setting, other artists oh yeah,
I mean I've been a fan of JamieWyatt for a minute.
I really like Jamie Wyatt.
I'm also really excited to seeBella Fleck.
That's never someone I thoughtI'd get to see play.
I'm really excited to reunitewith old friends that are going
to be around and there's a lotof.
I'm really, really stoked atthe amount of local
representation we have, bothwith the Fresh Grass Review
(13:17):
crowd and then on the like.
I forget all the names thatwere on the songwriter stage
thing, but I know Dana Louise isplaying.
That's going to be really cool.
I know Willie Carlisle is goingto be around.
He's a friend and so I thinkit'll.
I think it'll feel really cozyand and friendly, like yeah.
Natalie Stika (13:34):
I love that.
That's so good to know that thecommunity is so connected.
You definitely get the sense ofthat when you go to Fresh Grass
, so I'm hoping that you havethat experience, since it'll be
your first time.
Now I would love to talk aboutyour experience at Roadhouse,
because I had a friend go toyour show and she was just like
(13:54):
jaw to the floor, you could heara pin drop.
It was astonishing.
You did so good and I heard allabout it.
Um, did you have a similarexperience?
Did you know that the audiencewas so engaged and did you enjoy
being there?
Jude Brothers (14:10):
they really like had the Arkansas hospitality
dialed into a fine art.
I felt so welcome the minute Ilike pulled up to the door to
load in.
It was really awesome.
That was like one of.
I think one of the highlightsactually was just the staff,
like Andrew and Misha, like umI'm struggling with some of the
other names right now, but Iremember like there were just
(14:31):
like so many lovely people Ifelt really looked after, which,
like being a solo artist is isso valuable.
When I show up at a venue and Ifeel like people are checking
in on me and making sure I havewhat I need, I'm like, oh my god
really.
And then I was elated to beasked to open for the Wonder
Women of Country because, I mean, they're shredders.
(14:53):
They're just so good at whatthey do.
They're undeniably yeah,they're undeniably I'm trying to
find a word that is not a cussword to say how cool they are um
, they're undeniably bad to thebone fabulous.
You know that's bad to the bone.
Fabulous all of it the beesknees, the cat's pajamas, the
(15:15):
whole that and a cherry on top,but uh I love yeah, and here
sorry I love to hear how goodyour experiences.
Natalie Stika (15:25):
Experience was at Roadhouse with the crew, the
welcome team, because I think wereally pride ourselves in, like
the Bentonville hospitality, sothat's so good to know from an
artist's perspective too, notjust from a tourist perspective
oh yeah it.
Jude Brothers (15:38):
The hospitality was aces.
I had such a nice time and feltso cared for.
And then I would say, as far asmy set went, I've never
performed and not been nervous.
I've been doing this for like13 years and I still feel like a
little kid every time I get upon stage and so, like I have no
(16:00):
idea what's happening in theaudience's head while I'm there,
because I'm just like it's likeevery.
I think it's the only time Iactually experience true focus
as a person, because I'm kind ofsquirrely.
You've probably noticed in thenature of this conversation that
I'm thinking about 25 differentthings at the same time.
But like um, I you know it'slike focusing on what my fingers
(16:23):
are doing, focusing on what mythroat's doing and what my back
is doing and what my stomach is.
Like I'm very I'm always likereally in my body, trying to
make sure that I'm, uh,communicating the music
optimally for it to be received.
You know, it's like that's my,it's like my.
(16:45):
I take my job very seriously,which is that, like I'm there to
I'm, I'm there to bring peoplein inward if they need to be
inward, or bring them intooutward if they need to be
outward like I'm.
I'm there as a conduit forspirit, because that's what I
think music is kind of.
So I don't know how anyoneexperienced it until I got off
(17:08):
stage and they say something tome and I'm like, oh really, you
like that crazy.
I'm glad yeah.
I still can't believe sometimesyeah, oh, that's great.
Natalie Stika (17:19):
I I feel like I'm the same way when I get on
stage, so I can totallyunderstand.
Because you're from theNorthwest Arkansas region, I
have to ask if you have a coreBentonville memory that you like
to share.
Jude Brothers (17:33):
Core Bentonville memory I mean I have a couple
One from early on is just on, isjust that like it's grown so
quickly.
So I think that maybe it's nota very exciting memory but it is
like I remember.
Yeah, there's like venue,there's venues and fancy cool
(18:07):
restaurants and dance partiesand stuff happening in
Bentonville which is just like,as a person who grew up here is
just so like whoa, there's likea cool party in Bentonville and
that that's wild.
Um, yeah, and then, uh, a morerecent memory that I have, I
would say, is like is likesometime after I moved back, I
was just kind of driving aroundgetting lost and I stopped at
that little.
There's like a little naturepark that's connected to where
(18:32):
the like biking trails are.
Natalie Stika (18:35):
Yeah.
Jude Brothers (18:37):
Yeah, I think so, and there was a beautiful heron
in a hat.
Um, that was.
Maybe I imagined the hat.
No, I think it was wearing ahat.
Anyway, I had this reallybeautiful moment in that nature
park, recording the creek,looking at the cows and looking
at a little blue heron in a hat.
(18:58):
So if anyone has anyinformation about the heron and
why it's wearing a hat, pleasereach out to me.
I have a contact form in myemail.
Natalie Stika (19:07):
That's awesome.
Thank you so much for being onthe podcast, Jude.
Jude Brothers (19:11):
Thank you for having me, Natalie.
Natalie Stika (19:14):
Don't forget, visit Bentonville is here to
help you navigate things to do,where to eat and stay and what's
going on in our new Americantown.
Check out the show notes tofollow us on social, sign up for
our newsletter and check ourwebsite at visitventonvillecom.
Thanks for listening.
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