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Born Again: A Conversation with Mavis Staples
Sixty–five years into her recording career, Mavis Staples’ incomparable voice and infectious spirit are truly wonders to behold. Born in 1939 to Oceola and Roebuck “Pops” Staples, Mavis got her start early, singing in church and at home. Pops eventually put together a family band, and though Mavis was the youngest, she soon became the…
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Soul-Full: Ruby Amanfu Lets Her Little Light Shine
Every now and then, an artist comes along who is, at once, transcendent and humble, pursuant of glory but steadily grounded. Ruby Amanfu is such an artist, moving the audience\’s emotions alongside her own as she winds her way through a song. It\’s an inherent and intangible gift she brings to bear, and one that…
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Brandy Clark: Big Day in a Small Town
“Ain\’t we all the stars playing the leading part in our own soap opera?” Brandy Clark belts out that question to kick off Big Day in a Small Town, positing the premise of not just the opening track (“Soap Opera”), but all 10 songs that follow it. The towns that anchor Clark\’s new album may…
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Five Questions: Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones
Sometimes, two artists come together out of nowhere and, as great as the parts might be, the whole is even greater. That\’s just what happened with Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones. The singer/songwriters discovered a shared love of a classic sound and set about crafting a collection of their own. Through Little Windows, Thompson and…
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Squared Roots: Ryan Beaver x Kris Kristofferson
Of all the country music legends in the world, there\’s something truly special about Kris Kristofferson. He was — and is — a walking paradox. Gentle, yet rugged, poetic, but grounded, his personal spirit always pervaded his professional pursuits, bringing with it an air of wonder that reflected the sly, seemingly kind knowingness of his…
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A Hard Religion: An Interview with Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks is the type of songwriter capable of mining myriad different material sources for his work. His life and the lives of those around him are all fair game. On his new release, Upland Stories, the lives of those long gone even come into play. Some of the tales told here reach back to…
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Heather McEntire Splits the Difference
When you\’re born and raised in the South as singer/songwriter Heather McEntire was, being queer demands certain virtues because that singular incarnation is far from a simple proposition. Asked to sum up the experience in a few words, McEntire says, “Complicated. Revolutionary, frankly.” She laughs, then adds, “Brave. I also like that the visibility is…
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Brandy Clark: Sassy, Sentimental, and Sultry at Sold-Out Nashville Show
The thing about shows in Nashville is, even though there are sometimes way too many of them happening at once, local artists gone big often try to do something special for the hometown crowd. So, for her second-ever Music City show with a full band, Brandy Clark played the songs from her upcoming album (Big…
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Five Questions: Penny and Sparrow
The two gents who comprise Penny and Sparrow — Kyle Jahnke and Andy Baxter — didn\’t set out to be musicians. They were living together with a bunch of other guys in a house during college and, basically, stumbled into an artistic collaboration that worked… really, really well. With Jahnke focusing on guitar and Baxter…
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Hayes Carll: Lovers and Leavers
There comes a time of reckoning in nearly every artist\’s life, a reckoning of youthful wants and maturing needs. Some go kicking and screaming into their next phase, while others go quietly, thoughtfully. Singer/songwriter Hayes Carll chose the latter route on his new Lovers and Leavers LP, a collection of 10 tender tunes that documents…