Your Front Row Seat To Americana Music
“When I was kid, my granddad showed me some gospel music licks on the guitar,” recalls blue-eyed soul man BJ Wilbanks. “I got interested in playing, but didn’t take it seriously until I was a teenager, and I started writing, kind of out of necessity for me. It was like therapy for heartbreak and all... Continue Reading →
The Maytags, Des Moines, Iowa’s ruling retro-soul collective, will release The Secret Stash Sessions EP on May 9th, a follow-up to their stellar debut album, 2016’s Love Lines. Ahead of releasing their new tunes, the band has a brand new video for “On My Mind,” a track from the forthcoming release. “This song is about a... Continue Reading →
“Music found me as a kid,” says Georgia-bred Nashville-based soulstress Jessie Smith. “I was an average kid in every other way, but the first time I noticed I could keep a beat was in first grade church choir, I had to tell all the other kids when to come in! That same year, my mom... Continue Reading →
With Diamond Dreams, the debut EP from folkicana trio Castro, out September 2nd via Fervent Records, siblings Jason, Michael, and Jackie Castro take the concept of “blood harmony” to an atmospheric, otherworldly level. Their goosebump-inducing blend, a seamless, velvety tapestry of vocal virtuosity, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. The... Continue Reading →
“Yeah, I guess it’s kind of creepy,” laughs soulful songcrafter Matt Brown about naming his baby blue Fender Telecaster. “I have lots of guitars, but ‘Stella’ and I have a special bond. I think every player has that ‘one’ guitar. She’s irreplaceable.” The Washington native with an old soul got Stella at the turning point in his... Continue Reading →
Soul music—a genre synonymous with places like Memphis, Detroit, Chicago, and…Des Moines? That’s right, y’all. Des Moines, Iowa has a thriving arts community which is home to my new favorite blue-eyed soul outfit, The Maytags, who will release their debut full-length record, Love Lines, on July 1st. “What’s happening here is super unique; there have... Continue Reading →
Not too long ago, we shared Iowa-based blues-meets blue-eyed soul outfit The Maytags' single "Marry Ya", from their forthcoming debut album, Love Lines, due out July 1st. Comprised of heartland musicians whose roots are in jazz, The Maytags have created a sound that's truly "Midwest Nouveau". Love Lines, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville with... Continue Reading →
Texas-raised, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Charlie Oxford creates his own blend of modern soul on his self-titled debut due for release this Friday, September 25th. It's been a long road for Oxford and this album, which almost never saw the light of day; "It was a classic situation of artist signs with record label, things don't pan out the way... Continue Reading →