All Americana/Singer-Songwriter Episodes

Ethan Miller the principle behind Howlin Rain is one of those dudes, who doesn’t just make great music, he makes a lot of it. Not only that, but aside from writing and composing the band’s music he also oversees virtually all facets of getting his music to you via his own imprint Silver Current Records. He is a fascinating individual, who is involved in several bands, and writes poetry in his down time. Our discussion leaves a lot to unpack and for good reason. Ethan Miller is both thoughtful and provocative and those sentiments come across in all his work. With a jam packed June and July in the offing, you may want to check out howlinrain.com for dates in your area and a lot more stuff on the band.

If you aren't familiar with the California Honeydrops they are a 7 piece ensemble that started as a busking duo. It's been 11 years since multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski and percussionist Ben Malament were two dudes in the Oakland subway system. Since then they have grown into that big band, put out 5 studio records, and 1 live one, opened for the likes of Bonnie Rait, BB King, Buddy Guy, and Dr.John. They blend several influences from Bay area R&B, funk, soul, to delta blues to so much more. This sonic pot pourri offers a great soundtrack to your day, and what must be an absolutely body shaking live performance.

Allen Stone 8 years into a career has already put out two records, and has sights on putting out a third this year. This Soul singer has a lot to say, and recently appeared on American Idol as a guest coach. We caught up with him on his tour bus, as he continues his 3 month tour with Andrew McMahon, Zach Clark and Bob Oxblood aptly named Pen and Piano tour. Insightful, bright, and an incredible talent. Thats the holy grail probably when it comes to being a musician in 2018. With pending nuptials and more touring and recording in his future, Stone is a busy dude with a lot on the go. Look out for his new release soon, and catch him on the road this spring and summer. For more info on Allen Stone visit, allenstone.com.

I first heard about Anderson East from a friend in New Jersey, who I trust implicitly with music recommendations and such. He's the guy that turned us on to Marcus King, so as you can imagine, when he says I need to check something out, I usually obey and listen. We actually posted pictures on our instagram channel back in January of Anderson's gig at the Bowery Ballroom. Truth is, I cannot say enough about this young dude's tremendous talent as a singer-songwriter, but to say he is exclusively that, also doesn't tell the whole tale. Anderson's vocal stylings will make you think of R&B and Soul singers of days gone by, but his lyrics, will conjour up images of love lost, good times and plenty more.

For those unfamiliar with Kevin Kendrick, he is a New York based singer songwriter, who got his start with Fat Mama back in the early 2000s. In fact, virtually all of the members of Fat Mama are now in Kevin’s project Big Yes and a small no. His latest record Mise En Abyme due out April 20th, is a musical ode to Kevin’s trials and tribulations. It is, artistically an opportunity to turn the personal page and begin a new. It is filled with thoughtful lyrics and a sonic landscape I found appealing, fresh and eclectic.

I’ve been listening to The Mother Hips out of the Bay area for almost as long as I can remember. Their studio albums particularly Pacific Dust where “One Way Out” comes from is amongst my favorites of all time. While they been at this music thing for about twenty five years, the last five or so years, since the release of the album Chronicle Man have been filled with personal challenges, and thus we haven’t heard much from the band. As you’ll soon hear from Tim, working on a new record was a cathartic way to deal with the curveballs he and his band mates faced. I’ve only heard bits and pieces of Chorus thus far, I can tell you I am eagerly awaiting its release, and you should be too! For more on the Mother Hips you can visit the.motherhips.com.

Jim Cuddy has been toiling in the music business for 35 years, for the most part as a key member of Canandian alt-country, country, folk-rock outfit Blue Rodeo. He has written and co-written some of the past few decades most loved and iconic songs, and brings a tenderness in both his words and performance that envelopes you and makes you feel right at home. He has been recognized by both peers and Canadians with several accolades and awards for his work. I’d suggest his true reward is continuing to work at an art he is so good at. He recently released his 4th solo record Costellations, his most eclectic effort yet, that continues his legacy of writing genuine and authentic songs that paint beautiful portraits of the human condition. I had the chance to catch up with Jim as he prepared to tour the record across Canada, and he was as warm and honest with me as he is in his work.

Fruition has gone through tremendous change since it’s early days as an acoustic based string outfit in 2008, to a full fledged rock band. Maybe that’s why they enlisted noted producer Tucker Martine to help their sonic shifting moods for their fifth release. We caught up with Kellen Asebroek while on tour, to talk about the band’s metamorphosis and what the future holds.

The Wood Brothers 6th full length album One Drop of Truth, is already an early contender for one of my favorite records of 2018. Seriously, its that good. Which really shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, considering how talented the Wood Brothers are. One Drop of Truth is due out February 2nd, and you really should listen to it at least once. I’ve worn the digital copy out, if there is even such a thing, playing it a ton in the car. For those that don’t already know the Woods brothers are a trio of made up of Oliver and Chris Wood and Jano Rix. I recently caught up with Oliver Wood, the lesser known of the Wood brothers in some circles, because many know his brother’s work in jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood. I’ve chatted with Oliver before, so it was great to hear his signature voice on the line. Our conversation started when I asked Oliver about the eclectic nature of this new record even though River Takes the Town is so much of their signature sound……   For more on the Wood Bro…

G.Love is actually Garrett Dutton, a Philadelphia native who toiled in clubs and bars playing his brand of hip hop blues before getting to Boston where he met the “special sauce” in 93. That connection propelled G. to his first record deal and 25 years later, the rest as they say is history. Since he is celebrating his 25th year, we sat down with the guy that’s played with all kinds of great people, but more to the point has made great music in his own right.G.Love and Special Sauce’s longevity in its various forms is absolutely a testament to their live performances, the community they have built around those shows and their fairly prolific recording history. Our conversation started when I asked Garret how the 25th anniversary was going….   You can check the tour schedule at philadelphonic.com or listen to their music wherever you stream tunes.

The Sheepdogs’ sound is a familiar one, and this is a band that wears their influence on their sleeves, and don’t care. I’ve been following the career of The Sheepdogs for quite some time and we’ve shared many laughs along the way. Thats why I was excited to get bassist Ryan Gullen on phone to talk about their 6th studio album, and everything going on with them. Definitely blue collar types that love the music they write and play, and that genuine approach comes through in everything they do. If you’ve never heard of The Sheepdogs, you can check them out on all the music streaming services or at their website thesheepdogs.com. You’ll want to check out their touring schedule and be sure to see them when they hit your town.

When I sit down each week to compile The Sound Podcast’s Weekly Mix-Tape playlist, the goal is always to find artists and songs that fit the general philosophy of music that we love. Meaningful, inspirational tunes, that are genuine in their creation, and authentic in their sound. Obviously the playlist is compiled from songs and artists that we already know and love, but sometimes, I come across a new artist that is new to me, that may in fact may not be new to anyone else. Such apparently was the case when we added Sugar Queen by The Band of Heathens last week. I didn’t realize at the time, that the band had quite a large following and through there 13 years of writing and performing music they had honed their craft into quite a career. So I was elated to sit down with Ed Jurdi to talk about his band, The Band of Heathens, to learn more about them, their inspiration, and a whole lot more. For more visit bandofheathens.com, and do check them out when they visit your town, or on your …

I enjoy talking to solo performers, the singer-songwriter type, because there isn’t anything more genuine, than a performer and their guitar. When you peel the layers of any song, ultimately it’s that individuals ability to connect with their audience through their words, and the way they play their instrument that makes a lasting impact. I’m often in awe of the process, as much as the performance. So it was a treat to connect with Grayson Capps a man who you will soon hear doesn’t take his craft too seriously, but is serious about what he does.  I suspect we’ll be hearing a lot more of Grayson Capps but he might be the type of artist you have to seek out. I believe thats time well spent, cause his music is just so great. For more on Grayson visit graysoncapps.com. Show Notes:  First Song:  00:37 - Scarlett Roses Interview Begins: 05:00 Extro Song:  20:50 - Taos

You may not know the name, and if you do, you already know that this mysterious singer songwriter cloaks himself in an alias to stay as secretive as possible. Ironic, when you consider his songs are written and sung with such a genuine and authentic tone and mood. He is a modern day poet of the american landscape, and when we sat down to talk, I asked about just that, the potential political nature of his music, and the the reality with which he paints it.    Visit the whitebuffalo.com for more.    Show Notes:   First Song:  Avalon - 00:14 (from Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights)    Interview Begins: 02:59   Extro Song:  Nightstalker Blues - 20:08 (from Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights)  You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://bit.ly/sndpodi TuneIn: http://bit.ly/sndti Stitcher: http://bit.ly/sndsti GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/sndplay Check out …

Once in a while, we get thrown music our way, we play it, and sometimes are absolutely stunned about the great music that is being made everywhere. Once you hear Mapache, I think you’ll agree that their debut Spiritual Pajamas is that kind of band. The whole record is a throwback to that acoustic, harmonizing California sound made so popular in 60s by bands like Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Grateful Dead, Flying Burrito Brothers amongst others. Now if I tell you, the two guys in the band, Clay and Sam are barely in their twenties, you may wonder how they got to where they were. Who knows what the future holds for the dudes from Mapache, but I can tell you, I am psyched to see their story unfold, and listen to more great music.   For now head on over to mapachesounds.bandcamp.com to check out their music. You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: h…

The Barr Brothers, are a pair of brothers originally from Rhode Island, who now make Montreal home. While they have been at this new construct for about 6 years, you may remember their former group, The Slip. I first met the Barr Brothers almost 6 years to the day, and have watched, rather listened to the growth in the music ever since.    You can learn more about to The Barr Brothers here!   You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://bit.ly/sndpodi TuneIn: http://bit.ly/sndti Stitcher: http://bit.ly/sndsti GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/sndplay Check out The Sound Podcast on Youtube, and subscribe today.  Get The Sound Podcast App: http://bit.ly/TSPAPPS Show Notes:  00:53 - Queens of the Breakers  - Taken from Queens of the Breakers 05:47 - Interview  31:32 - Defibrillation - Taken from Queens of the Breakers

Jackie Greene is one of those artists who you hear and think, “hey this guys sounds great, who is it”? And then when you find out who it is you say to yourself, “oh yeah, that guy, he’s awesome”. There is no question that Jackie has a knack for writing songs with a story. His talent as a storyteller is only surpassed by his ability to play and sing those genuine songs he creates. If you know his work, you know I’m right, if you’ve never heard him, have a listen to our conversation, and some of his music.

The Jamband community is so diverse in it’s talent that when you see someone you know about or even have never heard of, step up and play with other musicians you enjoy so much, you get super psyched. That’s certainly the case when we caught Anders Osborne playing with Sandy Kosek and Randy Rothman of the Jerry Garcia Almost Acoustic Band accompanied by Travis Book and Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters at Jerry Garcia’s 75th birthday celebrations at Red Rocks a few weeks ago. We’ve been following Anders for quite some time so it was a thrill to catch up with him and hear about that performance and what he’s up to now, including his plans to open for Bonnie Raitt and an upcoming tour with Jackie Greene. We started though with that Red Rocks performance…. You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://bit.ly/sndpodi TuneIn: http://bit.l…

Sometimes you have to go a long way from home and try things way out of your comfort zone, to ultimately reach your goals…. that’s the case for Ross James a Bay Area guitar and pedal steel player who grew up listening to punk rock and country in his home state of Michigan. He left shortly after high school to live with his sister specifically for the warmer weather. As fate would have it, he wound up working with a Bay Area legend in Phil Lesh and his family. Now Ross is set to release a solo record one I think is quite good. We caught up with Ross to get the low down on the bushy bearded guy with dark glasses we often see around Phil Lesh. You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://bit.ly/sndpodi TuneIn: http://bit.ly/sndti Stitcher: http://bit.ly/sndsti GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/sndplay Get The Sound Podcast App: http://bit.ly/TSPAPPS

If you don’t know Hayley Jane yet, you will, I promise. And after you listen to this conversation we had a few weeks back, I guarantee you will be scouring the internet for videos and other music. She is, an artist, who doesn’t fit into any pre-conceived boxes. What separates her though from other young singers in the business, besides her immense talent and range, is her background in musical theatre which provides an electric on stage presence. We caught up with Hayley at her home in Burlington Vermont….. after a whirlwind at Moedown…..    You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://bit.ly/sndpodi TuneIn: http://bit.ly/sndti Stitcher: http://bit.ly/sndsti GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/sndplay Get The Sound Podcast App: http://bit.ly/TSPAPPS

While he certainly has the musical pedigree, this Lesh is making his own mark with a great band that features outstanding 3 part harmonies, great songs and a really great vibe. We’ve had a chance to listen to their latest release “Under the Lights” due out June 16th and we were thoroughly impressed with the playing and memorable songs. I sat down with Grahame to get an understanding of where the band is at in their very early career. We talked about that, the song making process, their residency at Terrapin Crossroads and more. 

Nicole is an incredible vocalist and songwriter who’s taken some time since her last record Slow Phaser, to get married, figure out life and write new material. We’ve always been a big fan of her work, and the fact that she’s joined Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on stage makes us appreciate her even more! We sat down to talk to her about the delay between records, writing music and her performances with JRAD…..

Leslie Mendelson is a Grammy nominated artist that is not as a house hold name but should be! Her 2009 debut Swan Feathers did receive accolades and through all kinds of crummy circumstance we’ve waited a long time for a follow up. The good news is, the tide has turned and Leslie with the help from some notable friends is well on the path to certain creative justice.  She recently released Love & Murder, a haunting and memorable solo album, that is absolutely gorgeous We sat down to discuss the new record, and the goings on her life now and the very bright future.

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. In fact, if you do, you may miss Levi Robin’s sound entirely. This up and coming singer-songwriter needs to be heard. His songs are beautiful, combining mindful lyrics, a soulful sound and very distinct guitar player. We sat down with Levi to learn more. You can listen to everything else here: https://soundcloud.com/levirobin and follow his exploits at levirobin.com