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Home Is Where the Song Is: An Interview with John Moreland
On his new album, High on Tulsa Heat, John Moreland explores the idea of home — what it means and doesn\’t mean, what it is and what it wants to be. He questions the faith that some folks rely on and questions the love of others. It\’s a deep, rich exploration of where he is,…
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Five Questions: Darrell Scott
Ben Bullington wasn\’t just any small-town Montana doctor. He was also a revered songwriter who counted Rodney Crowell, Will Kimbrough, and Darrell Scott among his fans and friends. But despite his musical output, Bullington\’s first-ever performance happened in December of 2012 at Nashville\’s Station Inn, a month after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The…
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Squared Roots: Will Dailey x Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going, even as he celebrated his 82nd birthday last week. (The guy wrote his first song 75 years ago!) His career really got going in the 1950s, though, as he split his time between writing songs and radio DJing. By the time 1960…
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Here and Now: An Interview with Alabama Shakes
When your influences range from James Brown to Led Zeppelin, you already have a lot to work with. Add in immense and innovative talent, and you\’re going to rule the world. Case in point: Alabama Shakes. Just over four years ago, the band went into a Nashville studio to lay down some demos. In less…
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Ladies and Gentlemen… the Bangles
Even though most people know the Bangles from glossy pop hits like “Eternal Flame” and “Walk Like an Egyptian,” they weren’t always so polished. Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, and Debbi Peterson started the band, quite literally, in a garage — Hoffs’ parents’ garage, to be specific. Inspired by the melodies of the Beatles and the energy…
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Five Questions: Ray Wylie Hubbard
With its homespun eloquence and hard-earned wisdom, Ray Wylie Hubbard\’s music comes off as equal parts Buddha, books, and bars. The Texas songwriter has done some living and he\’s never been shy about sharing the stories. Some of them are even true. And some of them fill out the minutes of The Ruffian\’s Misfortune, Hubbard\’s…
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John Moreland: High on Tulsa Heat
Falling somewhere between Jason Isbell and Tom Waits, Oklahoma singer/songwriter John Moreland sure does have a way with a song. Much like Isbell\’s Southeastern before it, Moreland\’s new High on Tulsa Heat explores the writer\’s inner world with startling honesty. While it relinquishes regret, it refuses to forsake remorse because that\’s where the healing happens.…
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Living the Dream: An Interview with Betty Who
Betty Who, the Australian singer/songwriter once known as Jessica Newham, started her musical journey as a kid, studying classical cello, before adding piano and guitar to her repertoire. The switchover from classical to pop took her to Boston\’s Berklee College of Music where she studied voice and recorded her first single, “Somebody Loves You,” which…
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Alabama Shakes Give It All Away
In case you don\’t know the story of the Alabama Shakes\’ meteoric rise to glory, it all started when Brittany Howard approached Zac Cockrell in an East Limestone High School psychology class about jamming together. She played guitar and sang; he played bass. Soon enough, they added drummer Steve Johnson and, later, guitarist Heath Fogg.…
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Mavis Staples: Your Good Fortune
Mavis Staples has a once-in-a-generation voice and, when she wields it, she lifts spirits and saves souls with its power — something she\’s been doing for most of her life. On her new four-song EP, Your Good Fortune, the legendary gospel singer teams with young bluesman Son Little who has made a name for himself…