Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast

On Episode 14 of Steel, we meet Travis Toy, one of Nashville's deepest pedal steel players. Travis has shared the stage and studio with some of modern country's biggest acts, including Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Luke Combs, Steve Wariner and Patty Loveless. Travis is one of the deepest technical practitioners of pedal steel. He's just as comfortable playing a honky tonk gig as he is shredding jazz...

On Episode 13 of Steel, we catch up with guitarist and steel player Dave Biller. Based in Austin since the '90s, Dave's played with everyone from Johnny Bush and Ray Price to Jimmie Vaughan and Charley Crockett. There aren't many musicians who can play a classic country E9 gig in the afternoon, hit a jazz club on six-string that night, and then compose a piece for a chamber orchestra the next day....

For episode 12 of Steel, we meet Laurel Premo, an incredible folk musician from Traverse City, Michigan. Laurel's 2021 album, 'Golden Loam,' is a collection of deep, dark folk tunes played on solo electric guitar and lap steel, and the sound is completely her own. The record is spare, brooding, rhythmically deep, and completely captivating.  When I learned Laurel was coming to New York, I jumped a...

Episode 11 of Steel features legendary dobro player Jerry Douglas, who joins to discuss his new album 'The Set.'  Jerry Douglas is one of the most recorded, accomplished, and expressive players in the history of his instrument. His career is as deep as it is varied. He's been a top-flight bluegrass player for five decades and has shared the stage with everybody from J.D. Crowe to Billy Strings. He...

For Episode 10 of Steel, we meet Chris Parker, a deep guitarist living in Brooklyn who has found some incredible ways of copping classic pedal steel sounds on a plain old six-string guitar with just his fingers and a slide. Chris is a fixture on the Brooklyn guitar scene. Most nights of the week you can catch him backing up songwriters, playing fully improvised music, or leading his own band, Guru...

On Episode 9 of Steel, we travel to Portland, Oregon to interview Jeremy Wakefield, one of the finest swing and jazz lap steel players out there. He has a beautiful touch, he's a great improviser, and he breathes life into this style of American music. Jeremy has played and recorded alongside ridiculously great players like Dave Biller, TK Smith, Jonathan Stout and Sage Guyton. His albums 'Hot Gui...

For Episode 8 of Steel, we travel to Cork, Ireland to meet David Murphy and discuss his new album Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar. The album is a collection of melancholic Irish "airs" and Sean-nós tunes that David plays beautifully on the pedal steel.  In our chat, David breaks down how he became one of the few pedal steel players in Ireland, where this particul...

For Episode 7 of Steel, we catch up with legendary L.A. steel player Greg Leisz. Greg's steel playing has graced recordings with iconic artists like Bill Frisell, Joni Mitchell, Beck, Mark Knopfler, Phoebe Bridgers, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and many more. He's renowned for his ability to bring depth and emotions to recordings with his touch, tone and occasionally minimalist musical sense. ...

For episode 6 of Steel, we travel to Toronto to meet Christine Bougie. Christine is a guitarist and lap steel player who has shared the stage and studio with folks like Bahamas, Sarah Harmer, Amy Milan, the Queer Songbook Orchestra and Jeremy Dutcher. Christine just released 'Soft Start,' an album of gorgeous ambient music.  In our chat, Christine breaks down her musical journey, from learning to...

On this episode, we speak with Kashiah Hunter, a wonderful sacred steel player based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Sacred steel is an incredible form of gospel music played in House of God Pentecostal churches across the United States and the center of this rich musical tradition is the steel guitar. Kashiah's deeply expressive, lyrical playing is a hallmark of the sacred steel style. Kashiah plays ste...

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar. For Episode 4, we speak with Jeff Snyder, a musician, composer and instrument designer about his fascinating new creation, the Electrosteel pedal steel synthesizer. The Electrosteel feels like a pedal steel, but has capabilities and a sonic palette that are a long way from your grandpa's Sho-Bud. Jeff tells us...

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar. On Episode 3, we chat with Steve Fishell, a pedal steel player, a Grammy-winning record producer, and the author of the biography 'Buddy Emmons: Steel Guitar Icon.' Steve held down the steel guitar chair in the '80s incarnation of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band and has recorded with the likes of Dolly Parton, John P...

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar. For our second episode, we speak with Raphael McGregor, one of New York's most interesting steel guitar players. Raphael has shared stages with the likes of The Brain Cloud, Nation Beat, Jason Loughlin, Grant Gordy, Noam Pikelny, and Matt Munisteri. Raphael's musical sensibility and technical style give him a...

Welcome to the first episode of Steel, a Fretboard Journal podcast dedicated to the wonderful world of the steel guitar. Joining us today is Rich Hinman, a pedal steel player who's shared stages with k.d. lang, Sara Bareilles, Rosanne Cash, Adam Levy and more. He details his early musical life in Sleepy Hollow, NY, his journey with the steel guitar, how he approaches recording and more. If you wan...