All Americana/Singer-Songwriter Episodes

Kenny Roby is a singer-songwriter who has had an accomplished 20 year career that includes his former band 6 String Drag. They were a southern alt-country outfit who were part of that scene that included Whiskeytown, The Drive by Truckers, Drivin’ & Cryin’ amongst others in the mid 90s. Since the dissolution of 6 String Drag, Kenny has been on his own, making records, and trading songs with Neal Casal. In fact, Resevoir was to be produced by the late Neal Casal who passed a month before the prod...

Alex Jordan has been involved in the music scene in the Bay Area for a few years now, and you’ve heard his work with Midnight North. Now as he sets out on his own, he’s released a very impressive solo record that needs to be heard. So we caught up with Alex to talk about the subtitles of being an exhibitionist and putting out a record. Our conversation started when I asked Alex what the impetus was for making this record, and how things got started back in November 2017. To keep up with Alex che...

Omagah! Guster with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra was released to fans via the band’s website and bandcamp page in early May. It features 11 songs spanning the bands almost 30 year career and includes a few tracks from their last album "Look Alive", released just last year. We’ve followed the career of Guster seemingly from day one, and have always been impressed with their music. They aren’t by the way a nostalgic act by any means. They’ve fairly consistently put out new music and are extremely active touring. We caught up with Ryan Miller to talk more generally about the band’s career to date and quite specifically about Omagah!

We’ve watched Nicole Atkins’ career blossom in front of our eyes. I was a big fan of her debut Neptune City back in 2007, and with each subsequent record, she has impressed and matured, and now is no longer just a musician but a bonafide artist. Her latest release, Italian Ice which comes out May 29th is a pot pourri of lush sonic landscapes and musical influences. All of it though, in some way, harkens back to her days in New Jersey, as a young musician, who sought her own voice in the music business. And so our very detailed conversation began when I suggested to Nicole that while you can take the girl out of Jersey, since now lives in Nashville, you can’t take the Jersey out of the girl, and thus I wondered how much she thinks about those old days on the Jersey Shore. For more on Italian Ice visit nicoleatkins.com. Also, do follow Nicole on social media for details on her live Saturday night performances during this Covid19 mess.

I first heard Mike Mattison’s voice, like so man my of us did, listening to Derek Trucks Band records, but truly, the break through was a song called Sweet Inspiration. But Mike is more than just a singer as his now with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, he is a musician, a songwriter, an incredibly talented artist. He’s made records with a project called Scrapomatic, which is, as you’d expect rooted in blues, but After Glow a solo record,  shows his breadth as a songwriter, and the palette of sounds at his disposal. After Glow, his second solo record offers more than what you’d probably expect. It’s filled with Americana, Country and more, giving us some insight into the singer songwriter and artist Mike actually is.

Andy Frasco’s story has been well documented. His live antics are well known. But behind all of that is a gentle guy who deals with depression, insecurity and much more. On his last album Change of Pace, we were all exposed to his personal struggle and on Keep on Keepin’ On that very authentic human condition is exposed once again. He is an excellent showman, front man and prolific digital media content maker, but he is way more complex than all of that. So though he isn’t currently on tour, he is still putting out his podcast, a weekly live stream and tons of content. When Andy and I hooked up and got to talking I was curious to understand how he finds the time to do everything.

We're big fans of Leslie Mendelson. She is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter who is quite talented and varied in her presence in various scenes both in and out of the jam band community. She's played with Bob Weir at TRI Studios, worked on a project or two with Steve Kimock, and has opened for The Who in NYC at MSG. Her debut release was nominated for a Grammy, and her follow up Love and Murder remains one of our favorite albums since we started this podcast. Now she is set to release "If You Can't Say Anything Nice" which delves a little deeper into the human condition, more specifically hers, and offers up a fairly eclectic view of her as an artist. So, of course, we had to get Leslie on, to talk about the new record, cause we dig it quite a bit. 

Carolina has always been home for Jim Lauderdale. While he makes his residency in Nashville, this prolific singer-songwriter who’s resume speaks for itself still has a vast network of friends and family back all over the Carolinas and more specifically in North Carolina. His latest release, When Carolina Comes Home Again, his 33rd, draws on songs, stories, and indeed musicians who are now part of the scene in Carolina, most notably Ashville, North Carolina. It’s a record chalk full of amazing songs and performances. Our conversation took many twists and turns, as we spoke about the new record, John Oates, Robert Hunter and much more. When Carolina Comes Home Again is due out March 27th on Yep Roc records, and you’ll want to listen to it, over and over again.  Heck, you may even want to move to North Carolina. For more on Jim a Lauderdale visit jimlauderdalemusic.com. 

We've been big fans of Mapache since their debut record a few years back and have been excited to get our hands on "From Liberty Street", a new record due out March 20th. The duo, Sam Blassuci and Clay Finch as you'll soon hear, share a creative brain, and they deliver a beautifully crafted pan California sound, that will have you intrigued and wanting more.  Their sound is unique, as it blends inspiration from growing up in Southern California and spending time in Mexico. They say that it takes a lifetime to put out your first record and Mapache did that not too long ago, so I wondered what sparked From Liberty Street's birth so quickly...

I can't lie, I love the Wood Brothers. There is just something very comfortable and fun about this band. That isn't to say they aren't dangerous, cause they are and perform with high octane and excellent musicianship. For those who don't know, the three piece is made up of brothers Wood; Chris on bass and Oliver on guitar and Jano Rix on drums and percussion. We've been fortunate enough to catch these guys live on one of their early tours and more recently at Borderlands Music Festival and here in Toronto at a packed and sweaty Mod Club. This is a Folk/Americana trio that makes the kind of music you want to hear more of. We caught up with drummer Jano Rix, the non brother in the band, to get his take on being in a band with two brothers, the making of Kingdom in My Mind and as you'll hear, much more. For more, visit thewoodbros.com.  

Silver Moon marks the 10th solo record for Jono Manson, and while you may not know exactly who he is, you should. In fact Jono should be credited with helping re-start the neo-jam band scene in New York. That is to say, his band The Worms, an eclectic dive bar rock band playing out of Nightingale’s in New York paved the way for bands like Blues Traveler, The Spin Doctors and Joan Osborne.  They were all big fans of his work, and continue to lend a hand today. So when we got the absolute privilege to talk with Jono, that’s where our conversation started when I asked if he thought his eclectic sonic pot pourri of sound was indeed responsible for the neo jam band movement of the early 90s and since.

G.Love's latest record, The Juice is out January 17th. This album marks a reunion of sorts for G. Love having reconnected with debut label mate and blues guitarist Keb Mo, who produced The Juice. The album is also filled with guests including Marcus King, Robert Randolph and Roosevelt Collier. So of course, with so many friends of the show contributing to G's record, we had to reach out. Truth be told, we're also big fans of his work, dating back to that debut record. We even chatted with him recently when he was in town as part of the tour that matched him with Blues Traveler and moe. So this time around our conversation started when I suggested that there are so many moving parts to this coming of age record, and that tackling the socio-political nature of The Juice must have been an important one. For more on G.Love and a reminder of all the tour dates and details on how you can pre-order the Juice, visit philadelphonic.com

For the uninitiated Chadwick or Chad Stokes is a member of neo-reggae folk band Dispatch but last week he released his third solo album with the Pintos, his backing band. Chad has always been a prolific writer, who is socially and political conscious. This album though is not only politically motivated, but many of the songs show a more tender side too. So it’s with that we got in touch with Chad for a really great conversation. You can learn about Chadwick and the Pistols upcoming tour dates and more at chadwickstokes.com.

Yes Darling are a duo made up of Hayley Jane and Ryan Montbleau. Ryan is a veteran of the American and Jam Band scene with his own solo work and guest appearances, while Hayley is well known for her work with The Primates and her solo work in that same scene. Together they make music across many genres, focused on the give and take of relationships, in their case, between men and women. Their whimsical take is fun, and in each song is full of great vocal performances and real genuine emotion. So naturally we wanted to get these two on to talk about the project. You can follow their story on social media or check out yesdarlingmusic.com.

If it’s your first time hearing about Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, it likely won’t be your last. The duo, of Madisen and his mama bear Ruth, are absolutely exceptional musicians, who blend voices and acoustic guitar playing for a truly genuine auditory experience. We’ve been big fans of the folk duo since their first release, and can’t get enough of the music they make. So on the news that there was a new record, we tracked the pair down. Check out madisenwardandthemamabear.com for tour news, videos and links to their albums.

The latest release from Robert Randolph and the Family Band, "Brighter Days" is a wonderfully full record. Not just with songs, but with inspiration, faith, and terrific musicianship. Robert Randolph never fails to deliver incredible performances on pedal steel, and the rest of the fam is equal to the task. We caught up with Robert, who we've chatted with before, in another life, and it was just like old times. He is an incredible musician, but an even better person. The man can play, and will go down as probably one of the top sacred steel players of all time. You'll definitely want to check him out live when you have a chance. For tour dates, and lots of great videos visit robertrandolph.net. 

Last Friday, Trigger Hippy released their sophomore record Full Circle and Then Some. This is a band that has sort been on quasi hiatus at least from the public for quite some time, and that record, five years in the making brings them back into the spotlight. The band, comprised of bassist Nick Govrick and Steve Gorman, now includes Ed Jurdi and Amber Woodhouse. They’ve had several other members in the band over the years including Audley Freed, Jackie Greene and Joan Osborne. Their music blends stuff we love like rock, soul, Americana and more, so we were delighted to hear they had a new record.

Old Crow Medicine Show shouldn’t really need any introduction. After over two decades of making pure Americana Music, their body of work is well known. They’ve won awards for their six studio records and they have been mainstays on tours and festival lineups. This veteran outfit has played all the big rooms and virtually everyone I know knows the song Wagon Wheel. So with the announcement that they were releasing a live record, fittingly one whose tracks were recorded at The Ryman, I knew I had to get someone to talk with us. So we sat down with mandolin player Cory Younts to get the low down on the new record and well, lots more. For more on Old Crow Medicine Show visit crowmedicine.com and seriously listen to Live at The Ryman wherever you get music. 

While he isn’t specifically a typical “jam band” musician, G.Love has found a home within the community. Kind of makes sense when consider this delta blues/hip-hop musician not only saw the Dead as a kid, but has been on the scene for years. He was recently in Toronto on tour with Blues Traveler and moe. and we caught up to talk about well, just about everything. For more on G.Love visit philadelphonic.com. 

Rayland Baxter will be releasing a new EP called Good mmornin’ due out July 26th, which is a series of covers of Mac Miller’s work. If you’re unfamiliar with Miller, he was a hip hop artist who past last September at the age of 26. He was prolific during his short life, but demons, including depression and drug abuse caught up to him. The juxtaposition of Rayland’s spirit and Miller’s work was kind of initially difficult to get my head around, but having heard the EP now several times, I’m not only a fan of what Rayland has created but now I want to explore even more of Mac Miller’s work. I can tell you the sincerity with which Rayland speaks about this project is undeniable on the work itself. Good mmornin’ is a very solid listen, and an absolute stunning tribute to Mac Miller. Though the EP is only out at the end of the month you can catch Rayland on the road where he may be performing some of these or other Mac Miller songs. For all the details or to order the EP visit raylandbaxte…

If you are initially shocked that this hip-hop producer has the chops to pull off a record called Hippieland, give your head a shake and think again. Adler's father, Lou Adler produced some of the greatest musicians we know of including The Mamas and The Papas and Carole King. In fact, this laid back, chill vibe, this very genuine hippie thing that Adler has re-discovered in his latest record is part of his DNA. Sure he's collaborated and won Grammy's for his day time gig but one spin of Hippieland and you'll get that this is exactly where the dude should be, naked, wearing just boots and a cowboy hat. For more stuff, including some great videos visit ciscoadler.org. 

We've long admired Keb' Mo'. He is a crafty guitar playing bluesman, who is equally adept at both acoustic and electric blues guitar, but his real appeal is in his songwriting and storytelling. Oklahoma marks his 18th album, and it is likely his best yet, which is saying something given that he has won multiple Grammys and most recently released an album with roots-music icon Taj Mahal. So you can imagine, my absolute thrill to get the opportunity to chat with Keb. Our discussion while mostly focused on Oklahoma due out June 14th, did bounce around from politics, to the environment and much more. A lot, I'd say, like the themes of Oklahoma which are deeply personal but certainly shareable moments. For more on Keb you can visit his website at kebmo.com

Keller Williams will release yet another record, "Add" due out May 31st. Keller is just about as prolific a singer-songwriter that there is in our scene these days. As you'll soon hear, Keller is always thinking about expanding his craft, and is constantly thinking about not only how he writes and performs his music, but also how it will be received. We shared a few laughs in this one, and I can tell you first hand, Keller is a super good guy, that is always super accommodating when we reach out. So given that he is such a prolific writer, I wondered how the songs came together for Add, and thats where our conversation started. For more on Keller including tour dates and other neat stuff visit kellerwilliams.net.

Anders Osborne has been a long time favorite of ours, not only because he is an extremely talented writer and musician, but because of his wonderful spirit. This is a guy, who moved to the United States at a young age, and not only adopted New Orleans, Louisiana as his home, but became one with its music community and indeed the larger NOLA environment. So with The New Orleans Jazz Festival upon us, and with the release of Buddha and the Blues, his 14th solo record, it just felt right to check in and talk about his latest release, and indeed a lot more. In fact, with almost 3 years since the release of his last record, Flower Box, we wondered, what took so long for a new record, in fact, thats where our conversation started. For more on Buddha and the Blues and indeed tour dates and much more visit andersosborne.com.