Kris Kristofferson’s passing this week prompted an outpouring of thoughtful articles about what made this man and his art so special. We had the pleasure of interviewing Kristofferson about two decades ago about songs that challenge and sometimes offend an audience. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
Category: Interviews
From the archives – A conversation with Justin Townes Earle
In this January 2018 interview, the late Justin Townes Earle talked about his unique approach to songwriting and the release of what would prove to be his final album. – Ken Paulson
Show 48 The Reverend Shawn Amos’ new “Blue Sky”
Learn how Shawn Amos’ Blue Sky came together and what he has in common with the Who on this edition of the Americana One Podcast.
Bill Lloyd on his new live album 2GTRSBSDRMS
The prolific Bill Lloyd talks about his new live album cryptically called “2GTRSBSDRMS.” It’s full-throttle back-to-basics rock.
Show 47 Paul Thorn on songwriting
Paul Thorn talks about the art of songwriting and offers tips on this edition of the Americana One podcast from the 2020 30A Songwriters Festival.
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.
Interview: Aubrie Sellers on WMOT’s Americana One
Aubrie Sellers talks about her career and upcoming album on Americana One on WMOT Roots Radio.
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. 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…
New Steve Poltz video: “Ballin’ On a Wednesday”
Steve Poltz has a new video taken from his current album Shine On and it’s unsurprisingly goofy. Best of all, he recreates the incident that inspired the song, a tale he shared in his Americana One podcast interview.
Americana One #36 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.
Americana One #33 Steve Poltz Shines On
We met Steve Poltz in Nashville on July 4th, 2017 when he happened to walk into a local club where we were holding one of our free speech in music nights. He wasn’t on the bill, but about two minutes into his visit, he committed to performing. That spontaneity and commitment show up big time on his just-released album “Shine…
Interview: Sarah Potenza and her “Road to Rome”
Paul T. Mueller talks with Sarah Potenza about her new album “Road to Rome” before she takes the stage at the Mucky Duck in Houston.
Americana One #32 Michael McDermott embraces his “Orphans”
In this week’s Americana One podcast, Michael McDermott talks about his rich career, his personal struggles and his new “Orphans” album, an engaging collection of songs that didn’t quite fit elsewhere.
The Strategic Songwriting of Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle knows how to pace himself. In a wide-ranging conversation at the 30A Songwriters Festival, Justin told us how he writes a new album: 12 songs written over the span of a year and astonishingly, in the exact order they show up on the finished collection. In this excerpt, he talks about how it all comes together. The…
Michael McDermott on writing the truth
We visited with Michael McDermott about his new collection “Orphans” at the 30A Songwriters Festival, but also spoke about his truthful songwriting and his penchant for performing the National Anthem. Here’s an excerpt: The full interview will be available soon on the Americana Music News Podcast (find it on iTunes) and broadcast on WMOT Roots Radio.
Steve Poltz at the 30A Songwriters Festival
Steve Poltz has something that most of the artists at the 30A Songwriters Festival can only dream of – an honest to goodness hit song. But his “You Were Meant For Me,” co-written and recorded by Jewel in the mid-’90s, was actually a bit of an impediment as Poltz tried to develop his own solo career. In this interview excerpt…
Aaron Lee Tasjan, New York Doll
We all know of Aaron Lee Tasjan’s success as an Americana music artist fresh off his success with “Karma for Cheap” and “Silver Tears,” but few know that he played guitar with the legendary New York Dolls. We caught up with Aaron Lee at the 30A Songwriters Festival to talk about his music and career, but couldn’t resist asking about…
Clare Dunn’s surprising path to success
Clare Dunn is a country artist and songwriter with a bright future and we spent some time with her at the 30A Songwriters Festival. We
Show #8: Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane; Kyle Frederick
Jorma Kaukonen has had a rich career as a founding member of Jefferson Airplane add Hot Tuna, and as an accomplished solo artist. He’s ready to tell his life story in a new memoir called “Been So Long.”
Show #5 Ashley Cleveland’s “One More Song”
Ashley Cleveland, a 3-time Grammy winner for rock gospel, has just released ‘One More Song,” a powerful and personal album that mirrors the honesty of her memoir “Little Black Sheep.” She talks about her once-tumultuous life and music in this episode of the Americana Music Podcast.