Roots Rednecks and Radicals

Melody Walker has been making a name for herself in Nashville over the last few years as a go-to songwriter. She first came on to my radar with her work with Molly Tuttle on her album "Crooked Tree." And just recently she was honored with a Grammy for co-writing the song "American Dreaming" with Sierra Ferrell. That song was one of my favorites last year. I wanted to chat with her about the craft, and what it's like being a woman i...

Over the last decade or so there has been a hollowing out of money for musicians in the music industry. Streaming services like Spotify have siphoned off record sales, and touring is no longer viable for many musicians. What are they left to do? Ford Goodman thinks he has one solution that may be helpful. He started an organization that brings artists to areas that they often wouldn't come to, and makes sure they are well taken car...

The last few years have been pretty wild when it comes to the influence of women in music. In the world of Pop, Taylor Swift led the way with her Eras Tour. But there were so many others out there making incredible music and changing the face of pop. Sabrina Carpetner has developed her own sense of who she is. And Chappell Roan is bringing Drag to the masses with her makeup and stage performances. It's really a cool time for pop mu...

TopHouse is a folk/roots music band from the great state of Montana! Well, they live in Nashville now but their roots in the beautiful state are very evident on this new record. The band blends folk, bluegrass, Americana, and Western motifs into their sound and create style all their own. Their new EP is a follow up to a release from last year finishing up a look into the idea of Theory vs Practice. The record sounds great and I'm ...

It's Black History Month and this month we'll be taking a look at contributions to roots music by Black musicians. I spoke with Dom Flemons a few years ago at the Father's Day Bluegrass Festival. He sat down with me and chatted about roots music, the banjo, Mexican music and all sorts of fun things. Dom has an incredible catalog of music that includes his album Black Cowboys that takes a look at the contributions of Black musicians...

The history and culture of the West is alive and well. There has been a resurgence over the last few decades of artists throughout the West celebrating Cowboy Culture. It is much more diverse and fascinating than many people think. Poetry, music, storytelling, saddle making, it's incredible what there is to see. The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a place where artists of the West gather each year to share this diverse culture,...

I had an idea last week that I'd really like to use this podcast to connect with people on a human level. So I made a video and put it on my social media. I told all the people who interacted with that would get mentioned in a special "shoutout" episode of my podcast. So here it is! Thanks to everyone who listens, and follows along with me on this journey. I genuinely appreciate it. I plan on doing this again, I thought it was fun....

Last week we took a look at modern Americana/Roots artists who are changing the game. The list was too long to fit them into one episode! So this week we're taking a look at another group of insanely talented women. This week all the artists were featured in a group called Our Native Daughters which is made up of black women banjo players. Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla. Join me as we take a loo...

This is a rebroadcast of an interview I did with Amanda Shires about her song "The Problem." I spoke with her about it when the song came out, and as we approach the 2024 presidential election it just felt pertinent again. I wanted to put this out there so people can hear what Amanda has to say on this topic. I find her perspective to be illuminating. She has a gentle heart, and she's a very empathetic person. And I just love how s...