Interviews
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A Strong Whole: An Interview with Anderson East
Alabama has a lot to be proud of when it comes to musical heritage, from both then and now. One of the Cotton State\’s newest treasures is soul-based singer/songwriter Anderson East. With a voice and style that lands him somewhere between Ray LaMontagne and Joe Cocker, East is taking the world by storm. His new…
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Squared Roots: Dead Rock West x the Everly Brothers
Once known as \”Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil,\” Don and Phil Everly started singing together as young boys, first with their parents and, later, on their own. Their childhood years in Iowa led to teenage years in Tennessee, eventually landing them in Nashville. Chet Atkins took a liking to the lads and got them…
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Five Questions: Twin Bandit
The Canadian folk duo of Hannah Walker and Jamie Elliott — aka Twin Bandit — comes from a long line of harmony makers. Many times the pairing is made of siblings like the Louvins, Everlys McGarrigles, or Roches. While Walker and Elliott may not share biological DNA, their musical chemistry is undeniable. Twin Bandit\’s debut…
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Taking It on the Road: An Interview with Billy Joe Shaver
Sharing the bill with Reverend Horton Heat, the Blasters, John Doe, and others, country outlaw Billy Joe Shaver is set to close out this year\’s Roadshow Revival: A Tribute to the Music of Johnny Cash in Ventura\’s Mission Park. The event, which spans two stages and two days, takes place on June 27-28, and the…
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Five Questions: Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards is one of those singer/songwriters that everyone knows, even if they don\’t know they know. That\’s largely due to his 1971 folk-pop hit “Sunshine.” The iconic tune paved the way for Edwards who has since released 16 albums with Tomorrow\’s Child now joining the collection. Over the decades, Edwards has worked with Emmylou…
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The Immediacy of the Moment: An Interview with the Heartless Bastards
Oh, those Heartless Bastards. For 12 years now, various incarnations of this great American rock \’n\’ roll band have been churning out soulful, bluesy, rootsy records. Though the line up has shifted during that time, the heart (and head) of the band, Erika Wennerstrom, has always stayed put. The Bastards\’ last record, 2012\’s Arrow, and…
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Killing, the Blues: An Interview with Steve Earle
Texas-bred singer/songwriter Steve Earle is a rare breed. He has survived drug addiction and sobriety, myriad record label signings and droppings, and quite a few marriages and divorces. And he has documented his world and his woes in some of the best songs of the past few decades. Though he did some work before it,…
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Squared Roots: Joan Osborne x Mavis Staples
According to Wikipedia, “Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist who recorded with the Staple Singers, her family\’s band.” While that is true, it doesn\’t come close to describing who Mavis Staples is. Mavis began singing with Roebuck \”Pops\” Staples and her siblings — Cleotha, Yvonne,…
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Rocking the Roots: An Interview with Jackie Greene
Sacramento is known for a lot of things, but music is not really one of them. San Francisco? Absolutely. Los Angeles? Sure. Sacramento? Nope. But that’s the town singer-songwriter Jackie Greene called home as a kid. When he was a teen, Greene hit the bars and open-mics, eventually moving over to San Francisco to launch…
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Come a Long Way: An Interview with the Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls — Amy Ray and Emily Saliers — have been making music together for over 30 years now. From their first single in 1985 to their newest release, One Lost Day, the two have continually pushed their music forward, switching up styles and sounds as their muses demand — because, despite their activist and…