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John Moreland: LP5
For a writer of any kind, not wanting to — or not being able to — put pen to paper is a pretty horrifying phase to enter. It can start for a variety of reasons, but it can only end by sitting down and finding a way into the work. Often, it means letting go…
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Tré Burt: Caught It from the Rye
Songwriters don\’t exist in a vacuum. They learn their craft by listening to other songwriters, assessing what works and what doesn\’t, what fits and what doesn\’t, what inspires and what doesn\’t. Almost all of today\’s generation of artists run their roots through a handful of heroes: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Townes Van Zandt, and John…
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Bonny Light Horseman: Bonny Light Horseman
When you listen, today, to history as documented early on in the folk and blues cannons, it\’s all too apparent that the human condition hasn\’t come as far as the songs have over the centuries. Whether political oppression or romantic devastation, we\’re just really up to the same shenanigans we\’ve always been up to. So,…
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Sarah Harmer: “St. Peter’s Bay”
The world is at the brink, in so many ways, none more terrifying than the climate catastrophe that we humans have created through our capitalist, consumerist selfishness. In times like this, art seems both futile and vital. On one hand, it feels like an overly indulgent luxury stemming from incredibly excessive privilege to focus on…
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Hawktail: “Annbjørg”
True musical talent is a gift to the world, at any level. But when the player\’s skills reach into virtuoso terrain, it is an absolute wonder to behold. Anyone who\’s ever seen Yo-Yo Ma perform would likely agree. So what happens when, essentially, four Yo-Yo Mas join forces in one band? Hello, Hawktail. Populated by…
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Rose Cousins: “The Benefits of Being Alone”
Sad songs, friend. They are the salve that soothes the soul. And some artists are so synonymous with sad songs that they are, quite literally, part of their brand. From Gretchen Peters to Gregory Alan Isakov, leaning into the pain of life can be a creative process and a transformative experience, all in one. JUNO…
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The Avett Brothers: Closer Than Together
Political songs are a tough beat. They can\’t be too preachy nor overly earnest or else they\’ll fall on deaf ears. The best ones, it seems, tie the political to the personal in such a tangle that, even if you don\’t relate to the problem, you relate to the person. Gretchen Peters\’ “Lowlands” and Brandi…
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Michaela Anne: Desert Dove
Country music has long leaned into the un-simple aspects of life, like cheating on someone you love with someone you don\’t, for example. That\’s because being human is an un-simple experience. It\’s messy and painful and difficult, occasionally even at the same time that it\’s nice and joyful and fun. So when Michaela Anne weaves…
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Andrew Combs: Ideal Man
There\’s a Pampers commercial that hinges on the line, “Having a baby doesn\’t just change your life, it changes everything.” Not sure there\’s a parent around that would argue that point, though some might argue the ways in which it changes things. As with all of life\’s challenges, people respond to parenthood differently, especially the…
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Molly Sarlé: Karaoke Angel
Whether paradoxes or purgatory, liminal states of existence make people uneasy. Most folks like their status quo binary world of black or white, not black and white or, for heaven\’s sake, GREY. That would be sheer chaos wrapped in pure madness for those who can\’t even handle circles in their square lives. Well, with Karaoke…