Hops & Spirits Bar Conversations

Amy Sheppard, alongside her siblings George and Emma, is a founding and current member of the indie-pop sensation Sheppard. The band stands as one of Australia's most prominent musical exports of the past decade. Amy has launched the next chapter of her country music career with the release  ‘Overthinking’ from her debut full-length album. In the first 18 months of her solo country music career, A...

Throughout his distinguished career, Donovan Woods has built a devoted following who cling to the acclaimed songwriter’s every word. Never one to mince words, Woods is one of music’s most vulnerable storytellers.

Born and raised in Toccoa, Georgia, Scoot Teasley has been immersed in the world of music since his earliest days. With a deep-rooted passion for rhythm and melody, he initially found his groove behind the drum kit and in the church pews fostering a lifelong love of music. Drawing inspiration from artists like Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers, Scoot is on a mission to carve out his unique niche...

Comprised of newcomers Leo Brooks and Andrew Millsaps, Neon Union is a duo preparing to take country music by storm. Brooks grew up in Miami and has collaborated with artists like Pitbull, Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green and John Legend. Millsaps grew up in North Carolina and has been writing songs ever since the age of 13. Together as Neon Union, Brooks and Millsaps are b...

Flat River Band consists of three brothers Andy, Chad and Dennijo Sitze, who grew up in a multi-generational family band. Performing alongside their parents and grandparents, they held residencies at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri and at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Throughout their tenure in music, the Missouri natives have charted #1 hits on the bluegrass gospel charts and have...

Late nights (and early mornings) under the influence of a guitar and a bottle, thousand-mile moves for the sake of new love, and a once-in-a-lifetime friendship carried Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy to Lakeview. The Nashville-by-way-of-Pittsburgh duo distill country soul, rock scope, and pop ambition into a singular style rooted in old school storytelling and elevated by modern attitude and producti...

Singer-songwriter Annie Bosko pairs a sound anchored deep in the organic twang of ‘90s country with simple songs told from the heart, preaching equal parts healing and honky-tonk hope. We chat with her about her busy start to 2024, dropping her self-titled EP, how she got her first guitar, getting into music professionally at a young age, rediscovering her sound, meeting Vince Gill, playing the Op...

A look back at Bourbon and Beyond Day 3. We talk about finally checking out the Bluegrass Stage, including checking out Della Mae, and another great day with standouts Old Crow Medicine Show and The Black Keys.

Wesley and Aaron Smith, the brothers at the heart of Brother Smith, are shapeshifters of the highest order. Wes shreds guitar, plays beautiful piano, lays down a rock-solid rhythm guitar, and even occasionally breaks out a horn. Aaron switches back and forth between fiddle and drums. We chat with both about how they got into music, how their sound has evolved over the years, playing so many differ...

Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra write music steeped in 20th-century American traditions—jazz, folk, country, blues, and rock—but tackle modern subjects with urgency, humor, and a well of deep feeling. The quartet has released four studio albums with their fifth album "Did You Do The Thing We Talked About?" dropping Feb. 16. We chat with Ethan about the album, the group's name, what else is happenin...

A look back at Bourbon and Beyond Day 2, including the bad and good. Mostly good, like performances by Bastille, The Killers, Hozier, Brittany Howard, Wayne Newton and so many more.

We take a look back at Day 1 of Bourbon & Beyond 2023. We talk about the setup, the food and, of course, the lineup. Some standouts include Buddy Guy, Midland, Train, Brandi Carlile, and Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors.

Formed in their teens, Boy Named Banjo includes Barton Davies (banjo), Ford Garrard (bass/standing bass), Sam McCullough (drums) Willard Logan (mandolin, acoustic/electric guitar) and William Reames (acoustic guitar/harmonica). We chat with the guys about their major label debut album Dusk, being able to capture all the band's personalities on it, making their Opry debut, being from Nashville, how...

A Nashvillian by way of Philadelphia, Vinnie Paolizzi has spent the better part of the last decade in the songwriting trenches, making a name for himself as a rising singer-songwriter to watch. Vinnie talks about his new album Vinnie Paolizzi LP, growing up in Pennsylvania, ending up in Nashville, writing music, working with talented artists, favorite song to perform on stage, what folks can expec...

The tapestry of Southern music in America is rich, vivid and diverse. Adam Hood is an artist who exudes that substantial musical lineage each time he straps on his Telecaster for a show or picks up his pen to write a song. The roots of his Opelika, AL upbringing inform his musicality and guide his soul-stirring lyrics. Adam talks about re-recording his album Different Groove, hitting the road with...

Made up of Logan Moore (guitar, vocals), Alex Kerns (bass, vocals), Riley Kerns (drums, background vocals), James Montgomery (lead guitar), Justin Carver (pedal steel, banjo), and Rudy Bzdyk (fiddle, trumpet, keyboards), Low Water Bridge Band have made their career by furthering their sound; forged by firelight picking and ramped up into a romping, stomping on-stage energy. We chat with Logan and...

Emmet Stevens Jr. stands as a testament to the profound impact that music, faith, and personal resilience can have on shaping a life of purpose and accomplishment. Born and raised in Dade City, Florida, his narrative is a seamless intertwining of his deep-rooted faith, musical prowess, and unyielding commitment to sharing his songwriting and melodies with the world. Emmet talks about his debut sin...

James Barker Band -- made up of James Barker (lead vocals/guitar), Taylor Abram (guitar/background vocals), Connor Stephen (drums), and Bobby Martin (bass) -- have fueled an incredible story over the last eight years, largely on their own, from opening for local bands in dive bars to charting multiple No. 1 singles and hundreds of millions of global streams to headlining festivals and playing stag...

Born and raised in Mississippi, near the birthplace of the musical style known as the Delta Blues, Peyton Aldridge found his love for music at an early age, singing with his church choir and at local music venues. Peyton talks about being on The Voice, what he learned from John Legend, learning to play the piano & guitar, how important family is to him, writing songs about his wife, his latest...

Masters of their trade, The Lonesome Ace Stringband (Chris Coole, John Showman and Max Malone) bring grit, skill and abandon to Americana music, bridging old-time, bluegrass and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original material that is at once fresh and timeless. We chat Chris and John about how the group came together, their name, how they got into their instruments, their new album Try...

Nashville native Jenny Tolman is your "ride or die" kind of artist. Her songs will make audiences laugh, cry, stomp their feet, clap their hands and shake their heads in wonder at her inciteful, story-like lyrics. Jenny talks about growing up around the music industry, being a Nashville native, getting into songwriting, why she has so much fun with her songs, her growing family, hosting Cowgirls a...

A salt-of-the-earth southerner with a straight-shooting swagger and kind smile, Shane Profitt’s musical toolbox is full of all-natural talent. At the end of 2021, he was still pulling overtime at his job with the city, busting his back about an hour south of Nashville and living for the weekend. But now, he is rocking sold-out crowds at the historic Ryman Auditorium, earning standing ovations at t...

Tyler Reese Tritt is a Nashville-based country artist whose career has been fueled by her passion for music and her exceptional vocal prowess. At just 14 years old, she made her debut recording the timeless duet "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" alongside her father, the renowned Travis Tritt. This pivotal moment sparked her journey into the limelight and set her on a path of success. Tyler talks...

As a native of small-town Kentucky who’s influences range from Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle to classic rock, Gospel, R&B and hip hop, Wheelhouse Records’ Elvie Shane has emerged as a country star with his heart on his sleeve – and as a champion of those with their name on a patch. Elvie talks about his favorite drinks, taking a break from music and getting back into it, his family, growing up...

As a native of small-town Kentucky who’s influences range from Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle to classic rock, Gospel, R&B and hip hop, Wheelhouse Records’ Elvie Shane has emerged as a country star with his heart on his sleeve – and as a champion of those with their name on a patch. Elvie talks about his favorite drinks, taking a break from music and getting back into it, his family, growing up...