Americana Podcast

It’s happened to all of us. we’re chatting with another person, getting to know each other and then the question “What kind of music do you like” comes up.. At which point many of us are better off reading a thesaurus outloud trying to describe it as we do our best impression of that scene in High Fidelity where Dick is describing the enigmatic Mardie de Salle to Rob “She's kind of Sheryl Crow-ish...

Hailing from Americus Georgia, Brent Cobb got his start with his first record “No Place to Leave” in 2006, a roots meets red hot chilli peppers- esque album produced by his cousin Dave Cobb. After “no place to leave”, Brent returned to Georgia but moved to Nashville shortly after with the encouragement of singer Luke Bryan- where Cobb then joined carnival music publishing as a regular songwriter....

Okay y'all… We need to talk about something. at first we only heard about it in whispers or read it in citations or saw the occasional New Yorker comic about it. But now’s it’s been going on for a bit and we can’t ignore the elephant in the room any longer..  Bluegrass music is considered cool now.  I know. I'd like to say i’m surprised, but I’m really not. Bluegrass music has a rich and vibrant h...

John Craigie began his career like many artists of the early 2000’s- playing in coffee shops up and down the coast of California with the occasional intrastate appearances in other coffee shops. during this time, Craigie honed his craft as a songwriter but also took the time to develop a real stage experience. looking to artists he admired such as Todd snider and Arlo Guthrie- John Craigie adopted...

Storytelling is as old as communal language itself and songwriters are an extension of the great tradition of sharing experience through words... And Americana music is as loyal to that part of our history as it is dedicated to continuing to share those experiences between artists and listeners.   Possibly one of the most talented of those writers working now is Todd Snider. Originally born in Por...

Waylon Payne's road to country music stardom seemed to be paved with gold. Son of songwriting legend Sammi Smith, guitar player Jodi Payne, and godson to Waylon Jennings.. The pedigree was there and it didn't take long to see that Waylon Payne's way with words and musical ability were also flourishing.. But sometimes life takes us on different paths and we find that our story becomes one fo redemp...

Originally from Funkstown, Maryland- Josh is a singer-songwriter now based in Kentucky. He’s toured with the contemporary greats including Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Shooter Jennings, and Todd Snider- and has written hit songs for artists including Cody Jinks and Hayes Carll and is just an overall song-smithing son of a gun.  Morningstar only has one album out currently - but it’s the kind of re...

Grammy-winning Lori Mckenna was born, raised in, and remains in Stoughton Massachusetts. If you’re unfamiliar with her solo career I would personally bet that you’re still familiar with her songwriting. Having penned and/or co-penned songs like Faith Hill’s “Stealing Kisses”, Little Big Town’s Girl Crush, and Tim McGraw’s “Humble & Kind”. Her work has not only rooted itself in every class of Nashv...

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan have been writing and working together as the Milk Carton Kids since 2011. In that time they have released five records, been included in various small and big screen enterprises and, as of 2018, are the acting hosts of the Americana Music Awards.  This colorful history can most likely be particularly attributed to two aspects of their work together: there melliflu...

In the summer of 2018, we said  "We need to talk about Americana music". At the time it felt that there was an apparent disconnect in not only the discussion around the genre but in the would-be community as well. Industry workers and audiences were leading the conversation, but there appeared to be a disturbing absence of input from the most important individuals in American-roots-based music… Th...

"Sentimental music has a great way of taking you back somewhere at the same time it takes you forward, so you feel nostalgic and hopeful at the same time."- Nick Hornby  Robert Earl Keen speaks live from Railbird Music Festival with Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Mandolin Orange about developing a setlist from a large catalog, building a community, and the future of Americana music.  Americana...

Drew Holcomb, originally from Memphis and currently residing in Nashville, TN, formed his band Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors in 2006 and was an early adopter of the term "Americana".  Holcomb's discography is impressive, extending as far back as 2005, and has a nearly consistent output of a 2-year album cycle. His most recent record, Dragons , was released in August of 2019. Holcomb's musical ide...

BE SURE TO LISTEN TO THE WALKING THE FLOOR PODCAST TO HEAR THE OTHER HALF OF THIS LIVE-RECORDED EVENT Recorded life at AMERICANAFEST in Nashville, TN, host Robert Earl Keen speaks with Chris Shiflett . Some of you may recognize him as the guitarist of the famed rock-band the Foo Fighters while others (or both) might know him from his podcast Walking the Floor with Chris Shiflett. Shiflett was podc...

The individuals we bring into our lives are sources of happiness, pain, direction, growth, etc. Some may be new and others may have been there from what feels like the very beginning. And like that, there stands a physical embodiment of the intersection of time and influence all wrapped up into one person, or two… or maybe three. On today's episode of Americana Podcast, recorded LIVE at Railbird,...

On today's episode of Americana podcast: the 51st State - Kevin Russell. Also known as Shinyribs . Kevin Russell, or as we've been calling him "the physical embodiment of sound"- was born in the late '60s in Beaumont, Texas. In his formative years, Russell's family relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was exposed to one of the richest hotbeds for roots-based music. At 17 he began to play i...

Up to this point, Americana has been defined as American root-based music. What then when the roots grow deeper and expand beyond the borders of the continent? What if the sounds, cadence, and singer-songwriter qualities of Americana are there.. just not the language?  Baptiste W. Hamon has been playing and writing music professionally since about 2015. Releasing his first record in 2016 and his s...

Americana, for all intents and purposes, is roots-based music. Sounds, songs, and stories are as much a part of the region as they are apart of the artist. Although the Americana generally adopts regional sounds and sub-genres and provides a platform with a wider national and international reach, we have to wonder what we as listeners might be losing when not defining a song or a band by where it/...

Host, Robert Earl Keen speaks with frontman and lyricist BJ Barham of the band American Aquarium. BJ Barham, originally from Rockingham, North Carolina, started American Aquarium in 2006. Despite going through a number of members, Barham has stuck with the band through and through acting as the frontman and primary lyricist throughout its changes. Touring anywhere from 200 to just over 300 dates a...

Historic music venues are such special places. Beacons of history and culture, these venues are ones act almost as a road between the past and the present. For newer musicians taking the same stage as their heroes- and audiences getting to be apart of that moment, is a magical experience.  On this episode of Word on the Street, Americana Podcast speaks with talent buyer, Mark McKinney of Floore's...

On Americana Podcast: The 51st State, Robert Earl Keen speaks with The White Buffalo aka Jake Smith. Smith has a way of combining plain-speak lyrics with punk-like acoustic chord progressions that become all the more powerful when partnered with his resounding and unmistakable baritone.  Smith's work was used heavily in the hit show "Sons of Anarchy" and his last record Darkest Darks, Lightest Lig...

The legendary songwriter Blaze Foley died tragically in 1989. His catalog has lived on in the hearts of music lovers everywhere and was brought back to life in the biopic "Blaze". Adapted from Sybil Rosen's book "Living in the Woods in a Tree" and directed by Ethan Hawke, the film was released in 2018 and introduced the world to musician/actor, Ben Dickey. Ben Dickey has been playing music most of...

At Americana Podcast it is our goal to define and expand on the term Americana as it applies to music. Word on the Street are brief interviews with music industry professionals and dedicated music lovers alike. On this episode of our Word on the Street segment, we speak with author, producer, and Americana champion Tamara Saviano. Saviano is a prolific author, Grammy-award-winning producer, music...

Since the word Americana was first used in application to music, Reckless Kelly has championed it throughout their career. Beginning in Idaho and moving down to Austin, TX, Reckless Kelly has had a long and fulfilling career without any signs of slowing down. Having made 9 studio records, attracted a loyal following, and overseen the transition of the famed Braun Brother Reunion from regional cele...

Welcome to our Word on the Street Segment of Americana Podcast! As part of our goal to define and expand the term Americana in regards to music, Word on the Street is a brief interview with either music industry professionals or a dedicated music lovers. "Word on the Street" is released two weeks after episodes of "Americana Podcast: The 51st State". Our first episode of "Word on the Street" featu...

Robert Earl Keen talks with singer/songwriter Bruce Robison. During his career, Robison has written hits for acts including but not limited to Tim McGraw and George Strait. On this episode, Bruce Robison discusses his songwriting, changes in music production, and his thoughts on how to expand the reach of Americana music.   Americana Podcast: The 51st State is a platform dedicated to sharing and e...