Roots Rednecks and Radicals

Michelle Malone

Michelle Malone has been a stalwart singer songwriter for over 30 years now. Recording, touring, writing.. She’s done it all. Her music pulls on influences from blues, gospel, country, and folk. Her new album “1977” is a great collections of songs that are reminiscent of the “Laurel Canyon” folk scene of the 70s. We talked about he songs, the making of this latest album. I hope ya dig it! 

Michael Cleveland

Michael Cleveland is a fiddle player who’s been making a name for himself in the bluegrass community. Along with his band “Flamekeeper” he made an album called “Tall Fiddler” in 2019 that won a Grammy for bluegrass album of the year. The album featured greats like Bela Fleck, Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, and Tommy Emmanuel. He was also featured in a documentary called “Flamekeeper” the explored his life and music. I had a chance to catch up with Michael recently on tour. We talked about his music, his band, and his fiddle playing. I hope you dig it!

Della Mae

I had a chance to catch up with the bluegrass band Della Mae. Their brand of socially conscious bluegrass is inspiring and amazing. They've been making a space for women in this community for some time with their songs and their message and I'm just a big fan. Their lead singer Celia Woodsmith took time out of her busy schedule to chat with me about their most recent release. I hope you dig it! 

Aaron Skiles

Aaron Skiles is a singer/songwriter from the Bay Area. He is in the band Bourbon Therapy and he recently released a solo album called Wreckage From The Fire. It was recorded at Dial Back Sound in Water Valley Mississippi. That studio and label are owned by Drive By Truckers bassist Matt Patton. The album was engineered by Matt’s partner in crime Bronson Tew. And it sounds incredible. I had a chance to chat with Aaron about this album and what it was like to record in that space. I hope ya dig it! 

The American Songster Dom Flemons

Dom Flemons, also known as the American Songster, is a truly unique musician. A founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, he makes American string music. His most recent release is Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus. It’s an exploration of historic sounds, instruments, and musical styles. Dom is a true student of the history of American music and he’s a walking encyclopedia of not just songs but the stories behind the songs as well. I had a chance to chat with him about his music at a music festival recently. I got to see him perform as well which is always a pleasure. We had a great conversation about his music. I hope ya dig it! 

Elizabeth Cook

Elizabeth cook is a stalwart Nashville country artist. She released a pivotal album 15 years ago called “Balls.” She is re-releasing the album on vinyl with new artwork and putting it back into print. In the time since she’s released the album she has become a regular at the Ryman, hosts her own show on Sirius/XM radio, and has been releasing albums and touring the world. She’s also become a voice representing women in the country music and Americana scene. I had a chance to chat with her about her album and everything she’s been up to. I hope ya dig it!Side note. The audio got a little weird at one point due to a bad phone connection. I left it in because I thought the story was cool. 

Kanekoa

I recently had the Hawaiian band Kanekoa on my show. They were in the area playing a show in Lake Tahoe. The band called in live to my radio show and we talked about their most recent album. It was produced by Steve Berlin of the seminal band Los Lobos. The album features artists like G. Love and has an incredible laid back feel. Lots of great chill summer vibes. It was a fun time talking to the guys about their music, and their tour on the mainland. I hope you dig it! 

Thoughts and Prayers/Generation Lockdown: Drive-By Truckers and Will Hoge Have Some Thoughts

The most recent mass shooting at a school in Uvalde Texas has the nation reeling once again in the wake of gun violence. Both Drive-By Truckers and Will Hoge penned their thoughts on this issue in songs both titled "Thoughts and Prayers." In this episode I take a look at those song's lyrics, recent polling on gun policy, and an in-depth look at the statistics of gun violence. Our political structure may be broken, but we're not as divided as we might think. I hope you're well. Sources: Bipartisan Support for Gun Control:  https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/Five Thirty Eight Gun Gun Deaths in America: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/gun-deaths/ 

Twisted Pine

Twisted Pine is a bluegrass band based out of Boston Massachusetts. They have been playing together for some time now and got their start with musicians from the Berkeley Academy of Music. Their instrumentation combines traditional bluegrass instruments with the flute which adds a really interesting layer to the music. Their most recent record is called “Right Now” and was released in 2020I had a chance to catch a set of their tunes and chat with them about the band on tour recently. I hope ya dig it!

AJ Lee and Blue Summit

AJ Lee and Blue Summit is a bluegrass band based out of San Francisco California. The group got its start as The Tuttles with AJ Lee. That group was a family band made up of father Jack, siblings Molly, Sully and Michael, and AJ Lee. That formation morphed over time into the current lineup that is AJ Lee and Blue Summit. (explain my ignorance here) 
 
The lineup of AJ Lee and Blue Summit is AJ on vocals, Scott Gates on guitar, Sully Tuttle on guitar, Chad Bowen on bass, and Jan Purat on fiddle. I caught up with them after their set at WinterWonderGrass. The set blew me away, their stellar musicianship is impressive to say the least. We had a good talk about the band, their music, and touring. I hope you dig it!