Surprise guests are really nothing new at Newport Folk Festival but the 2019 edition highlighted a particularly timely legendary performer in Dolly Parton. The emcee of the Saturday night performance was Newport Folk Festival stalwart Brandi Carlile (introduced by Executive Produced of the Newport Folk Festival Jay Sweet) who introduced the country legend. Parton regaled […]
Andy Baxter of Penny and Sparrow Reflects on What’s Changed and What’s the Same in the Music Business
Andy Baxter talks about touring in “Cerebro”, the first song that the band wrote and sharing the stage with a giant paper-mache elephant.
Rod Picott on The Decline of CD Sales and His Definition of Hell
Singer-songwriter Rod Picott on getting stranded in Scranton, PA, the benefit of breaking his Starbucks habit and why artists need to work twice as hard and then again.
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2019 (So Far), the Songs
Canyon, Joshua Ray Walker (from the State Fair Records release Wish You Were Here) Talk about making a statement on your debut album. Walker’s moving acoustic ballad is both a highly personal reflection on his father’s battle with cancer and his own desire to be a better person. Simply stunning. Full Moon Goodbye, Michael McDermott […]
Robert Earl Keen on Learnable Skills and A Litany of Day Jobs
Singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen talks about finding good food while on tour, working as a roughneck and Larry’s Mexican Food Restaurant in Rosenberg, Texas.
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2019 (So Far), the Albums
Orphans by Michael McDermott It speaks volumes about Michael McDermott’s songwriting prowess that the songs that make up Orphans were originally written for his last few albums but were left sitting on the shelf. In some ways this is fairly relaxed record by McDermott standards, but it still packs a powerful emotional punch. Key Tracks: […]
Monday Morning Video – Andrew Duhon “No Man’s Land”
Andrew Duhon’s False River was one of my favorite albums from last year. He recently released this stunning video of the melancholy “No Man’s Land”, the beauty of the setting offering a gentle contrast to the song’s forlorn lyrics.
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2019, Part 2
All Some Kind of Dream, Josh Ritter (from the Pytheas Recordings release Fever Breaks) Josh Ritter is one of the most literate songwriters of these times, waxing poetic as easily as unleashing fiery commentary. He sets the tone early on the newly released Fever Breaks with “Ground Don’t Want Me” a somewhat jubilant melody and […]
Ariana Gillis on Her Favourite Day Job and Welcoming Her Mistakes
Singer-songwriter Ariana Gillis talks about the song that she wrote when she was three years old and getting back on the musical path after a two year hiatus resulting from a severe concussion.
Monday Morning Video – Jackson Emmer
I saw Jackson Emmer appear as part of a songwriter round a few weeks ago and I was captivated by the dark beauty of this song called “When the Lawn Gets Dark”. Emmer has just released Diamond Ranch Vol. 1., a pair of new singles that reflect on life as a traveling troubadour.