You could probably write a pretty interesting book on how bands were formed. It runs the gamut from high school friends to answering ads in newspapers or from guitar shop bulletin boards. In the case of Texas trio Kyle Park, Jason Roberts, and John Michael Whitby, thoughtfully named The Texas Trio, they’ve been playing one-off […]
Hannah Connolly – Shadowboxing
Making mixtapes for friends was an active hobby for those of us working in college radio back in the day. Turns out hoping to broaden someone else’s musical horizons wasn’t unique to FM DJ’s, and the mixtape, albeit no longer a tape, is still thriving. So it’s kind of heartwarming that even musicians find inspiration […]
Tim Easton on Thai Food and the Importance of Songs
Nashville singer-songwriter Tim Easton shares tales of his tour van, recalls the first song that he wrote, and the food on which he spares no expense while touring.
Ruby Joyful – The Pie Chart of Love
Bluegrass has always had a large family element to it. From sitting around picking with friends and relatives to packing the clan into the camper for a weekend festival, it’s frequently a multi-generational activity. That’s as true today as it was fifty years ago–witness the story behind Colorado duet/band, Ruby Joyful. Co-founder Dan Rubinoff lived […]
My Black Country – The Songs of Alice Randall
What do you get when Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens, Valerie June and others get together to sing songs by an underappreciated black songwriter on John Prine’s label? My Black Country – The Songs of Allice Randall. Alice Randall has been writing country music songs for decades. Though hers isn’t exactly a household name, she’s been […]
Monday Morning Video – Josh Ritter “Getting Ready to Get Down”
If you’ve ever seen Josh Ritter live, he’ll periodically introduce this song with a warning to other songwriters. I’ll paraphrase: always think about how you’ll perform a song live when you write one filled with rapid fire lyrics. Here’s Ritter spitting out the lyrics of “Getting Ready to Get Down”.
Anders Osborne on Early Song Titles and Setting Career Intentions
New Orleans songwriter and guitarist Anders Osborne recalls his first gig – at age 9 – and the tour vans he has owned over the course of his career.
Eric Bibb – Live at the Scala Theatre Stockholm
Taj Mahal … Keb’ Mo’ … Corey Harris … Guy Davis … Otis Taylor … Eric Bibb. These guys, along with a few others, are the vanguard of modern acoustic blues. With all of them, but especially with Bibb, listeners can be sure that every recording, every performance matters. Bibb’s new live album shows the […]
Monday Morning Video – Preview Our Upcoming Dallas House Show
Twangville invites you to join us for the next edition of our backyard concert series in Dallas, TX on 28 April. Details and RSVP here. Yeah, we’re biased – but it’s a great one. We’ve got three incredible artists converging on our stage in Dallas to swap songs and stories. It will be something special. […]
Alastair Caplin of The Langan Band on Rehearsals in the Scottish Highlands and Keeping a Journal
Fiddler Alastair Caplin of Scotland’s The Langan Band shares a tour lesson learned and talks about eating healthy while on tour and time spent teaching horse-back riding.