Hops & Spirits Bar Conversations

Country rock band Cigarettes @ Sunset joins Bar Conversations to talk about their new EP Possum Rock and the journey from the Blue Ridge Mountains to life on the road. Featuring Garrett Dellinger, Wells Whitman, Sarah Vann, Ryland Bagbey, and Ethan Moore, the band reflects on how friendships formed in the Boone and Banner Elk, North Carolina area helped shape their sound, along with the mountain culture and musical influences. From...

Country artist and songwriter Styles Haury joins Bar Conversations to talk about his upcoming 5 TO 9 EP, out May 15, and the journey that took him from blue-collar roots to Nashville success.

Raised between Northeast Ohio and North Carolina, Styles shares how family, faith and a strong work ethic shaped his path—from working as a union pipefitter to chasing music full-time, backed by the unforgettable sacrifice of his dad selling h...

Country singer-songwriter Filmore joins Bar Conversations to talk about his latest album Atypical and the journey that’s defined his career in Nashville. Filmore reflects on growing up in Missouri, discovering music in an unexpected way, and eventually making the leap to Nashville in 2011—selling his Jeep to chase the dream. From his breakout hit Slower to building a fanbase one show at a time, he shares how saying “yes” to opportu...

Country singer-songwriter Ashland Craft joins Bar Conversations to talk about her latest album dive bar beauty queen, out now, along with newly released reimagined collaborations from the project. Ashland reflects on growing up in South Carolina, where a blue-collar upbringing and strong work ethic helped shape her authentic sound. From learning guitar by watching CMT to singing in church and playing local bars at just 17, she shar...

Country singer-songwriter Leah Blevins joins Bar Conversations to talk about her new album All Dressed Up, out March 20, 2026, and the path that led her from Sandy Hook to Nashville. Leah reflects on growing up in a musical, faith-driven family in Eastern Kentucky, the early influences that shaped her sound, and the journey of embracing her natural voice after being told she was “too country.”

She also dives into the making of All D...

Country artist Austin Michael joins Bar Conversations to talk about his new album Lonestar, released March 6, and the milestone of making his Grand Ole Opry debut. Austin reflects on growing up on a ranch in Van Alstyne, where life revolved around rodeo, roping, hunting, and fishing. He shares how those Texas roots helped shape his identity and storytelling, the music he grew up listening to, and the unexpected moment when a video ...

Country singer-songwriter Paul Cauthen joins Bar Conversations to talk about his upcoming fifth album Book of Paul, arriving April 3, 2026, and the life experiences that shaped the record. Paul reflects on growing up in East Texas, singing harmony in church without instruments, and learning from his grandfather—moments that helped develop the powerful “Big Velvet” voice fans know today. He also looks back at cutting his teeth in th...

Country artist Savannah Dean Reeves joins Bar Conversations to talk about her latest single Get Me Everytime and the Kentucky roots that continue to shape her sound and stage presence. Savannah shares how her love of music began singing in the back seat with her mom, putting on ticketed “shows” with her pink childhood guitar, and eventually stepping onto real stages — from local dive bars to the Kentucky State Fair.

Savannah also o...

Country singer-songwriter Claudia Hoyser joins Bar Conversations to talk about her new album Before The Dawn, her journey from growing up in New York to building an independent career with more than 120 million views, and how a breakthrough moment with her song No Matter What It Costs changed everything. She shares how her musical family shaped her sound, why moving to Nashville pushed her creatively, and how losing her voice after...

Country artist JD Shelburne is back to talk about his latest album Raised on the Good Stuff, his Kentucky roots, and the journey that’s taken him from small-town stages to the Opry. JD reflects on growing up in Taylorsville, performing in church, and teaching himself guitar after a life-changing moment in his grandmother’s house that sparked his passion for music. He shares stories from his early days chasing a dream in Nashville, ...

Country singer-songwriter MaRynn Taylor joins Bar Conversations to talk about her journey from growing up in Michigan to releasing her self-titled debut album. MaRynn shares how performing for her family at just four years old with a plastic microphone sparked her love for music, the artists who influenced her early on, and how small-town life shaped both her songwriting and identity. She reflects on visiting Nashville at age 12, m...

Country artist Hayden Baker talks about his journey from growing up in Katy, Texas, to becoming one of the most respected guitar players in modern country music. Hayden shares how early exposure to rural life, sports, and faith shaped who he is, and how picking up a guitar at 16—something he’s called a “God thing”—changed the direction of his life. He reflects on how an unexpected college injury led him to singing and songwriting, ...

Country artist Olivia Harms talks about her journey from growing up on a multi-generation cattle ranch in Oregon to appearing on the CBS series The Road. Olivia shares how being raised in a musical family—literally taking the stage at just two days old—set her on a path toward country music, along with the early influences that shaped her sound. She reflects on recording her first album at 16, navigating a more pop-country phase, a...

Maygen & The Birdwatcher join Bar Conversations to talk about their latest album The Americana Dream, songwriting, and building a band rooted in collaboration. We chat with Maygen Lacey and Noah Neumann to discuss growing up in Minnesota, early musical influences, and how their partnership began. From overcoming a fear of performing live to breaking the rules in piano lessons, they share how writing together helped shape their ...

Singer-songwriter Alexandra King shares the story behind her debut EP Across the Pond, blending her New York upbringing with her deep Irish roots. Alexandra talks about growing up surrounded by music, from parents who met through music to having a piano before she was even born, and how summers spent on her aunt’s sheep farm in Ireland shaped her identity and songwriting. She reflects on studying abroad in Galway, nearly becoming a...

Bluegrass-folk trio Damn Tall Buildings released their latest album The Universe Is Hungry this fall. We sit down with Avery Ballotta to talk about growing up in Montana, early musical influences, and how a love for music—and the fiddle—started at a young age. We dive deep into the inspiration behind the album, recording process, and the band’s commitment to staying truly independent—self-producing, self-managing, and even running ...

Country singer-songwriter Jeremy Pinnell talks about his new album Decades, life growing up in Northern Kentucky, and the influences that shaped his music.

From a childhood filled with Christian hymns and classic rock legends to the life-changing moment of seeing Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” Jeremy shares how punk rock energy evolved into his heartfelt country sound. He opens up about his songwriting process, drawing fro...

We sit down with country singer-songwriter Kelsi Mayne to talk about her latest singles “Someone Who Knows” and “For The Record,” and the winding road that’s shaped her career.

Kelsi opens up about growing up in Windsor, Ontario, balancing music with life as a nationally ranked track athlete and registered nurse, and how playing bar gigs helped spark the realization that music was more than just a side passion. She reflects on relea...

We catch up with country artist Jon Wolfe as he returns to the show to talk about his most personal project to date, Barstool Therapy: Session One, which is out now. Jon opens up about the winding road that took him from a finance degree and the oil industry to the heart of the Texas country scene, and how he found his sound.

Jon dives deep into the concept behind Barstool Therapy, an eight-song collection built around honesty, refl...