Category: Podcast

Show 49 Dar Williams

By Ken Paulson

I try never to walk into a record store without buying something, but I was stumped one day in the mid-’90s. I felt like I had already bought everything I wanted in the pop, rock, country and R&B bins.

Dar Williams on the Cayamo Cruise 2020

So I walked over to the often-neglected folk section and came across an album called Mortal City by a young artist named Dar Williams. It was one of those “I think I’ve heard good things about her” moments and I took it to the register.

Good decision. Mortal City was an incredible album, book-ended by the exuberant opener “As Cool As I Am” and the captivating title cut about a new relationship forming during the worst of storms. Stunning.

That album came early in Dar’s career, but its ambition, honesty and compelling melodies can be found throughout her body of work.

We were pleased to visit with her earlier this year. Here’s our wide-ranging conversation with Dar Williams:

Show 48 The Reverend Shawn Amos’ new “Blue Sky”

Just out is the Reverend Shawn Amos’ new album “Blue Sky” with his band the Brotherhood. We had the pleasure of talking with Shawn about this new release a while back at the 30A Music Festival. He was excited – and we now know why.

Shawn is a dynamic artist and so is the album. Learn how Blue Sky came together and what he has in common with the Who on this edition of the Americana One Podcast.

Quarantine Playlist: Beth Nielsen Chapman

Here’s a two-fer : Stan Garfield’s Quarantine Playlist featuring Beth Nielsen Chapman, and a reposting of our American One podcast with this talented artist.

Here’s Stan: “Sand & Water,” written in the wake of Beth’s first husband’s death, and “Happy Girl” are two of my favorites. I have seen her several times at The Ark in Ann Arbor and once at 20 Front Street.

Beth’s life story is incredible. She lost her first husband to cancer, and then survived breast cancer and a brain tumor. Beth has written 7 #1 hits and has had songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo’, Roberta Flack, Waylon Jennings, and The Indigo Girls. She also wrote Faith Hill’s hit “This Kiss,” ASCAP’s 1999 Song Of The Year.

You’ll find our 2018 conversation with Beth here.

Show 47 Paul Thorn on songwriting

We’ve had the chance to see Paul Thorn perform twice in the past few months, first at John Prine’s All the Best Festival in the Dominican Republic and then at the 30A Songwriters Festival in January. The latter seemed a particularly apt location to talk with Paul about his approach (and tips on) songwriting. Insights abound on this edition of the Americana One podcast.

Photo of Paul Thorn
Paul Thorn

Sara Peacock concert streaming tonight

Sara Peacock brought a fresh new voice to this year’s 30A Songwriters Festival and we’ll be featuring her in an upcoming edition of the Americana One Podcast.

We’ve just learned that she’ll be doing a live concert at 7 p.m. Central via Facebook Live and Instagram tonight to promote her new album “Burn the Witch.” Highly recommended.

Conversations on Cayamo: The Quebe Sisters

By Ken Paulson

We met the Quebe Sisters on Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise a few years ago and were immediately impressed with their joy and talent. Both were even more apparent on this year’s Cayamo music cruise.

Quebe Sisters

The sisters’ triple-fiddling and tight harmonies create Western swing for a new generation. Their newest album – accurately named The Quebe Sisters – is their best yet, packed with traditional music with a progressive perspective.

Here’s our conversation with Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe.

Conversations on Cayamo: Emily Scott Robinson

By Ken Paulson

Emily Scott Robinson didn’t have an enviable first appearance on Cayamo this year. As one of the winners of the music cruise’s Soundcheck competition for new and emerging artists, she was on stage in the Atrium just as hundreds of passengers were boarding. It’s tough to connect with a room full of talking, giddy people.

Emily Scott Robinson

She went on to connect with people all over the ship throughout the week. From solo sets to concept shows to a Gospel gathering, she was there in great voice and good spirits.

We were pleased to talk with her for this Cayamo edition of the Americana One podcast about her outstanding Traveling Mercies album and her own mobile lifestyle.

Here’s our conversation with Emily Scott Robinson.

Conversations on Cayamo: Al Jardine of the Beach Boys

By Ken Paulson

The Cayamo music cruise from Sixthman, long a haven for Americana artists and audiences, shook things up this year with the headlining Brian Wilson Band. On two remarkable nights, the stage featured two founding Beach Boys – Wilson and Al Jardine – and an amazing band revisiting one of pop music’s most entertaining, important and influential catalogs.

Jardine is now touring the U.S. in a more intimate show, telling stories and performing Beach Boys classics. That’s his lead vocal on “Help Me Rhonda” and “Sloop John B.”

We had the chance to talk with Al on the 2020 edition of Cayamo about his rich career, love of “wingman” Brian and his upcoming show at the City Winery in Nashville on March 31.

Here’s our conversation:

Show 43 “Girl to City:” The Remarkable Amy Rigby

By Ken Paulson

We’ve been fans of Amy Rigby since meeting her at a party at Greg Trooper’s home in Nashville in 2002. Both Amy and Greg were working on new albums and played some new songs. Trooper played “Muhammed Ali (The Real Meaning of Christmas)” and Amy followed with “Are We Ever Going to Have Sex Again?” Both songs were jaw-dropping, for slightly different reasons.

Common to both, though, was honesty and a refreshing perspective. That – and a healthy shot of irreverence – have been the hallmarks of both Amy and Greg’s work.

There’s great news for Amy Rigby fans this year. There’s a vibrant new album called “The Old Guys” and “Girl to City,” a compelling memoir about Amy’s early career in New York and the era that spawned it.

We were able to catch up with Amy at this year’s 30A Songwriters Festival in Walton Beach, Florida and spoke to her about both the album and book in this edition of the Americana One Podcast.

(Photo above courtesy of Amy Rigby)

Show 42 – Last Train Home’s triumphant return

Image result for night time highs and daytime lows cd

We’ve been too long without a Last Train Home album. After a decade, Eric Brace and Last Train Home have released Daytime Highs & Overnght Lows, an always ambitious and musically diverse collection that reminds us once again of this band’s excellence.

We had the chance to visit with Eric Brace on Americana One about the reunion, and the compelling release that resulted.

Show 41 – The Genre-Defying Music of Robert Randolph

Robert Randolph

One of our favorite interviews this past year was a conversation with Robert Randolph, fresh off his “Brighter Days” album.

As you’ll hear, Robert is both confident and energetic -and a tremendous amount of fun. While we were doing the interview in the lobby of Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium, the venue’s staffers asked to shoot streaming video for Facebook as we talked. Robert was game for anything.

How does anyone muster that much energy a little after noon?

Show 40 Tami Neilson’s explosive “Chickaboom!”

Tami Neilson is a dynamic artist on stage, but the challenge is to capture that excitement in the recording studio. In this edition of Americana One, Tami talks about her new album Chickaboom! in a highly entertaining conversation at War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville.

Show #39 Raul Malo on “The Mavericks Play the Hits”

The Mavericks Play the Hits is to be taken literally. The band plays the hits. Other artists’ hits.

In this edition of the Americana One Podcast, Raul Malo tells us why the Mavericks decided to cover songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart,” Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – all with new arrangements and in delightfully tacky packaging.

Mavericks

Show 38 : Felice and Boudleaux Bryant honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame

By Ken Paulson –

There’s a remarkable new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville celebrating two of the most successful songwriters in the history of country music – or any genre for that matter – Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

We Could: The Songwriting Artistry of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant chronicles the writing of such indisputable classics as ” All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Devoted to You,” “Rocky Top,” “Love Hurts” and “Wake Up Little Susie.” The Everly Brothers alone recorded 29 of their songs.

The exhibit tells the couple’s story through a wide range of artifacts, but most impressive are the bound ledgers containing their hand-written songs. They’re a compelling reminder of how painstaking the process of writing truly great songs is.

In this edition of the Americana One podcast, we’re privileged to hear from Del Bryant, a longtime music industry executive and one of the Bryant’s two sons, and Dr. John Rumble, senior historian at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Show 37 Jason Ringenberg Stands Tall

Jason Ringenberg is spending his September touring Europe with Dan Baird and the Kentucky Headhunters (now that’s a show), but we caught up with him recently at the 895 Fest.


Jason Ringenberg © Gregg Roth.

His latest album Stand Tall is outstanding and we have a special fondness for “God Bless the Ramones.” Jason’s still a punk after all these years. Here’s our conversation with the Scorchers frontman.

Show #38 Mandy Barnett and her “Strange Conversation”

We recently enjoyed a not-so-strange chat with the engaging Mandy Barnett about her new album Strange Conversation. The setting was WMOT’s 895 Fest on the fields of the Hop Spring Beer Park, a distinctly different venue than her upcoming “Nashville Songbook” concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below on Broadway on August 13.

The Americana One podcast features Mandy Barnett and her new album "Strange Conversation."

But that’s no surprise. Mandy Barnett’s career has always been about versatility, balancing the classics and the contemporary, as you’ll hear in this week’s podcast:

Americana One #35 Gary Nicholson bridges the divide

By Ken Paulson

Gary Nicholson, one of Nashville’s most respected songwriters and artists, is overachieving these days. On June 7, he’ll release not one, but two new albums, and both are pretty special.

Nicholson, like so many of us, is concerned about the state of our nation these days. His The Great Divide captures that in 11 compelling songs, opening with “God Help America” and a nod to Irving Berlin. It’s not an angry album; it’s a call to action.

Whitey Johnson is the Clark Kent to Gary Nicholson’s Superman, or maybe it’s the other way around. As Whitey, Nicholson delivers a playful groove throughout More Days Like This. It’s a soulful and often charming collection of rhythm and blues, with co-writes from Delbert McClinton, Seth Walker, Donnie Fritts, Tom Hambridge and the late Arthur Alexander. Nicholson doesn’t mess around.

In this edition of the Americana One podcast, we paired our preview of the new albums with a conversation we had with Gary last year on Delbert’s Sandy Beaches Cruise. He took us all the way back to the roots of his career and the highly successful years that followed.

Americana One is heard twice a week on WMOT Roots Radio and is available as a podcast on iTunes, Google Play and other prominent podcast platforms. Subscribe now.

Americana One #36 Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan
Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan’s “Karma for Cheap” is one of our favorite albums of the past year. It’s adventurous, engaging and draws on the musical influence of a multitude of great artists. We wanted to talk to Aaron largely to figure out what’s in his record collection.

He gave us those details and also regaled us with his adventures as a member of the New York Dolls in this episode of Americana One, available wherever fine podcasts are distributed.

Americana One #34: A conversation with Elizabeth Cook and Carlene Carter

Describing Elizabeth Cook and Carlene Carter as kindred spirits doesn’t begin to cover it. We were about 10 minutes into our conversation with Elizabeth when Carlene dropped by. What followed was a highly entertaining, engaging and candid conversation about both women’s lives and careers – and how the two first connected.