From the first notes of Matt Campbell's "The Night I Found Jesus (Down at Robert's Western World)," the imagination fills with images of a charismatic, road-worn troubadour, one like Woody Guthrie, strapped with an acoustic guitar and some scuffed-up boots, who steps up onto a table in a crowded room, and grabs everyone's attention... Continue Reading →
Premiere: “If I Needed You” by Daniel Daniel
Nashville-based Daniel Daniel, who released his debut album The Lonesome Hollow on May 4th, is back with "If I Needed You," a reimagined version of Townes Van Zandt's 70's era tune. "Townes Van Zandt is one of my favorite songwriters and when I got the itch to try and cover one of his songs, I knew I... Continue Reading →
Video Premiere: “Rattling My Bones” by Brian Pounds
“If you don’t like this video, then I’ve wasted 1/4 of my life savings,” laughs Brian Pounds of "Rattling My Bones," his newest release. The song appears on the quick-witted Texas-based singer/songwriter's 2017 album, Southern Writer; in personal protest against mainstream streaming services, Pounds made the thoughtful decision not to make the album available via... Continue Reading →
“The Addict” – New Music from Lyman Ellerman
"Call me an addict," sings Lyman Ellerman--the first words of his recent aptly-titled single "The Addict" which lay all the cards on the table. Dedicated to his late son, who struggled much of his adult life with drug addiction, Ellerman recalls a conversation the two had before his passing; “At the time, he was using... Continue Reading →
Live Show Review: John Hiatt
Under normal circumstances, a quiet, motionless, crowd would spell trouble for an artist. However, when the artist is John Hiatt, the rules change a bit as fans tend to sit in reverence of one of Americana’s legendary songwriters. As one of the lucky few that managed to get tickets for night two of Hiatt’s stopover... Continue Reading →
Premiere: “Love In The Winter” by Romantica
On June 8th, Minnesota-based Americana band Romantica will release their new album Outlaws, a very personal collection of songs that reinforce the idea that hope, indeed, springs eternal. Born from recording sessions and live shows captured over the last ten years, Outlaws was put together during songwriter and frontman Ben Kyle’s two-year recovery from a... Continue Reading →
Live Show Review: Hugh Masterson
Hugh Masterson is a wonder--that was my impression after seeing him perform at Portland’s Mississippi Studios recently. This Wisconsin-born Nashville resident handily won the crowd’s hearts and souls with his road-worn brand of Americana. Touring with the venerable Lindi Ortega to showcase his debut EP, Lost + Found, Masterson took us with him through his... Continue Reading →
Interview: Charley Crockett
If to travel is to live, Charley Crockett is immortal. From his humble beginnings in south Texas, the multi-faceted Crockett has been all over the planet, playing his music for anyone who would listen. “When I was a teenager my mama got me a guitar from a pawn shop. I was going back and forth... Continue Reading →
Interview: Donovan Woods
Siblings relationships are like none other; in the case of acclaimed Toronto-based songcrafter Donovan Woods, a conversation with his sister shaped his life’s trajectory. “My sister sorry told me I wasn't sporty or good-looking enough to get girls, so I should probably get a skill or an instrument I could play,” he admits with a laugh.... Continue Reading →
Video Premiere: “Call Me The Lucky One” by The Contenders
Folkicana duo The Contenders released their debut full-length, Laughing With The Reckless on November 3rd via Rock Ridge Music. The pair traveled the world in support of the album, the follow-up to their 2014 EP, Meet The Contenders, which explores the perseverance of hope in dark times along with the powerful way that music can connect... Continue Reading →