AmericanaMusic.com Podcast
In-depth interviews with Americana artists and discussions of related topics in Americana music. The show explores the stories behind songs, the nuances of songwriting, and real-life experiences from the road. It features both well-known and up-and-coming artists, focusing on the people who bring the music to life. Links to playlists of interviewed artists are available on the AmericanaMusic.com website.
Episodes
The Divorcees Interview: The Canadian Outlaw Country Band's New Album "Another Round"
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we’re excited to have Canadian Outlaw Country Band “The Divorcees”. They’ve won two East Coast Music Awards for Country Album of the Year and multiple Music New Brunswick awards. They’ve been featured on CMT. Their new album is a wonderful mixture of Bakersfield Sound, Honky-tonk, and the Tulsa Sound reminiscent of both The Tractors and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
The Caroline Cotter Interview: Hunting Season, Love is The Answer, and a WW2 Banner Gibson
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we excited to welcome Caroline Cotter. She’s performed at over 1,000 venues including the prestigious Falcon Ridge Folk Fest in New York and Rocky Mountain Folk Fest in Colorado. She was artist in residence for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan. Her single, Grounded in Love comes out Friday, August 14th followed by her album The Answer releasing October of 2026. Carol
The Nanseera Interview: Bluebird Golden Pick Winner's Heart Wrangling Song, "Mobile"
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we’re excited to welcome up-and-coming Nashville sensation Nanseera. Born in London, Nanseera grew up in Uganda and Ethiopia before moving to the US for high school and college. She’s a singer-songwriter with both depth and warmth to her style that draws you in like a moth. April 2026 Bluebird Golden Pick Winner, we are so excited to welcome Nanseera to our show. Suppor
The Tift Merritt Interview: Everyday Singing, Vulnerability in Songwriting, and Her New Album “Sugar”
Today on Americana Music.com Podcast we are excited to welcome Grammy nominee Tift Merritt. A brilliant songwriter and gifted vocalist Tift blends country, folk, rock, and soul influences in her music. Her song “Traveling Alone” has over 18 million streams on Spotify. She’s an advocate for musicians’ rights with the Artists Rights Alliance. With nearly a decade of life’s vicissitudes to draw from
The Danni Nicholls Interview: The Creative Draw of Nashville, Her New Album "Making Moves", and a Guitar Named Burnie
Today on the AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we are excited to have 3-time Americana Music UK award nominee Danni Nicholls. She’s shared bills with artists such as Lucinda Williams, The Secret Sisters, and Sturgill Simpson. Her fourth full length studio album, Making Moves is set to be released in Summer of 2026. With powerhouse vocals both hauntingly linger with you we are excited to have Danni Nicho
The Mary Lucey Interview: Appalachian String Band, Universal Language of Music, and TANASI’s Debut Album
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we have the great pleasure of welcoming Mary Lucey from the Appalachian String Band Tanasi. The Ashville Trio mix global folk and bluegrass with rich harmonies and world class dobro. Their members have performed on well-known stages such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Ryman Auditorium. Tanasi hails seasoned players drawing from old time classics creating
The Michael Rudd Interview: From a Songwriting Desert to a Waterfall of Inspiration
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we are excited to welcome Michael Rudd. He’s just released his brand-new album Ways of the World, the dreamy album feels seamless and before you know it you’ve listened to the whole thing. After a waterfall of inspiration through dreams and melodies on the road, Michael wrote 5 albums worth of songs. The journey of writing and recording these songs was only intensified
The Rissi Palmer Interview: Ways Songs Change Meaning and Her New EP Perspectives
Today on AmericanaMusic.com, we’re excited to have Grammy nominated Rissi Palmer. She’s shared bills with The Eagles, Chris Young, Taylor Swift, and Charley Crockett. In 2025 she received the Academy of Country Music Lift Every Voice Award recognizing her ongoing efforts to expand equity and visibility within the genre. She’s been listed by Spin Magazine as one of ten essential albums by black ar
The Cam Interview: Co-Writing on Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" and Her New Album "All Things Light"
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we’re excited to be talking with Producer, Artist, Songwriter Grammy Winner Cam. Her 4x Platinum song “Burning House” reached number 12 in Billboard top 200 and number 2 for Billboard Top Country Albums. She’s written songs for Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, and was a writer on 5 songs for Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album. Her latest album All Things Light has evolved with even m
The David Powys Interview: The Paper Kites New Album "If You Go There, I Hope You Find It"
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we have the pleasure of interviewing David Powys of The Paper Kites. A mellow blend of harmony rich leaning acoustic folk The Paper Kites are a welcome sound in the chaos of today. With two billion global streams, The Melbourne band’s music has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy, This Is Us, and Virgin River. With their 7th studio album, If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
The Geoffrey Himes Interview: Willie Nelson: All the Albums, The Stories Behind the Music
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we close out our season with Geoffrey Himes, the author of the book Willie Nelson All of the Albums – the stories behind the music which releases this coming Tuesday. Between 1977 and 2020 Geoffrey wrote weekly music publication for the Washington Post. He has also written for Rolling Stone, Paste, The NY Times, DownBeat, the Smithsonian, and Texas Music Magazine. We ar
The Ramona Martinez Interview: Ramona and the Holy Smokes' Debut Album with Traditional Country and Chicana Influence
Today on Americana Music.com we have the pleasure of interviewing Ramona Martinez from Ramona and the Holy Smokes. With Texas roots, based out of Virginia their music contains memorable lyrics, steel guitar licks, and a toe taping beat that is reminiscent of 50’s and 60’s Country music hits by artists like Buck Owens and Patsy Cline. Their debut self-titled album, Ramona and the Holy Smokes relea
The Mike Reid and Joe Henry Interview: Their Collaborative Album "Life & Time"
Today on AmericanaMusic.com Podcast with fall rolling in and football on many American television screens and devices, it’s only fitting that we start today’s podcast introducing a first draft pick for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was also part of NFL’s elite All Pro in 72 and 73. He later retired from football in 1980 to pursue songwriting. That songwriter is Mike Reid, half of the duo we are inte
The Maia Sharp Interview: Songwriting with Soldiers and Her New Album, Tomboy
Today on the AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we are interviewing Maia Sharp. She’s written songs for Keb Mo, Cher, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Art Garfunkel, and Trisha Yearwood including Trisha’s recent single “The Wall or the Way Over”. Maia's new album Tomboy is a catchy collection of songs that hit close to the bone, from one of the best songwriters around. Tomboy releases Friday, September 12th
The CJ Lewandowski Interview: Celebrating the Life and Music of Bobby Osborne
Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Grammy nominated vocalist and mandolin player CJ Lewandowski. He's the founder of The Po' Ramblin' Boys, but his most recent project is both a celebration of the life and music of Bobby Osborne and Bobby's last studio recording. Bobby Osborne was one half of the group the Osborne Brothers. In this episode, we talk with CJ about his fri
The James Kee Interview: East Nash Grass and Their New Album "All God's Children"
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we welcome James Kee from the bluegrass sensation East Nash Grass. Highly acclaimed by the 2024 International Bluegrass Music Association as New Artist of the Year, they consist of a supergroup of musicians who’ve payed behind artists such as Dan Tyminski, Tim O’Brien, Sierra Hull, and Rhonda Vincent. Jerry Douglas from Union Station whom we’ve recently interviewed call
The Grayson Jenkins Interview: Creating Community and His New Album “Country Parables”
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we welcome country singer/songwriter Greyson Jenkins' work has been featured in American Songwriter. With a quarter million miles logged touring his songs tell stories that are time honored but not antiquated. An amazing songwriter and lyricist, we are excited to welcome Greyson Jenkins to the show. Support the showAmericanaMusic.com Your Source for Americana Music
The Alaina Stacey Interview: Her EPs Dawn, Day, and Dusk and Psychology in Songwriting
Today on AmericanaMusic.com we welcome Alaina Stacey. Formally part of the country trio Maybe April which garnered accolades from Rolling Stone and Billboard, Alaina has created a collection of 19 songs in 3 separate EPs titled, “Dawn”, “Day”, and “Dusk”. Her EP “Dusk” releases Friday, July 15th. We are excited to have her on our show. Support the showAmericanaMusic.com Your Source for Americana M
The James McMurtry Interview: An Americana Legend on His New Album
Today on the Americana Music.com Podcast we have the privilege of welcoming James McMurtry. Texas Monthly calls him “a songwriter’s songwriter” and Rolling Stone says he’s "One of America's greatest living songwriters". James McMurtry’s ability to tell a story, write great lines that hit in the right places, and create memorable characters is the best in the business. His new album
The Jerry Douglas Interview: Alison Krauss and Union Station Tour, Rounder 0044, and Monty Python
Today on AmericanaMusic.com Podcast, we welcome Jerry Douglas. He’s a world renowned Dobro and lap steel player. He’s won 16 Grammy Awards, 3 CMA Awards, and Numerous IBMA awards, including multiple Dobro Player of the Year Awards. A member of the band Union Station since 1998, he’s also performed with Billy Strings, Phish, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, and Elvis Costello. He’s produced records for Ma
The Kai Crowe-Getty Interview: On Connecting with Listeners and His Solo Americana Album The Wreckage
Today on AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we’re excited to have Kai Crowe-Getty. With his new album The Wreckage, releasing this Friday, June 27th it echoes of Mellencamp, Petty, and Springsteen storytelling with driving guitar grooves. Kai is no stranger to touring as the frontman for the rock band Lord Nelson. We’re happy to have him on the show with us today.Support the showAmericanaMusic.com Your So
The Cat Terrones Interview: Welsh Influences, Liner Notes, and Her New Album "Shelter in Our Beauty"
Today on the AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we welcome Cat Terrones. She’s a singer-songwriter from California whose songs, vocal presence, and harmonies wrap you up in their sound. I first met Cat at the Folk Alliance Conference International in 2024 and have been a fan of her music ever since. She’s recently released her album, Shelter in Our Beauty. We’re excited to have Cat Terrones on our show to
The Zach John King Interview: From Indie Rock to Coming Home to Country Music
Today on the AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we welcome Zach John King. He’s recently signed with Sony Music Nashville, and has already performed at the Country to Country which is a huge three-day Country Music Festival in London, Glasgow, and Belfast. Country poet meets his Americana leaning sound that’s hard driving his new EP Slow Down drops today. Currently playing on The Highway XM and high-profi
The Gretchen Peters Interview: Connectivity and Empathy in Songwriting
Today on AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we welcome two time Grammy nominee singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, she’s a songwriter’s songwriter writing Country hits like “Independence Day” for Martina McBride, “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” for Patty Loveless, and Faith Hill’s “The Secret of Life”. Other elite artists who’ve cut her songs include Et
The Sam Robbins Interview: 70's Singer/Songwriter Influences and His New Album, So Much I Still Don't See
Today on AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we welcome Berklee College graduate and singer/songwriter Sam Robbins. His songs evoke the storytelling styles of James Taylor and Mary Chapin Carpenter by drawing you in while being accompanied by his old worn out martin guitar. He’s shared the stage with Jason Mraz and Liz Longley and has graced the stages of Kerrville and Falcon Ridge Folk Festivals. Support
The Leslie Jordan Interview: Her Debut Americana Album “The Agonist” Based Off Her Grandfather’s Writings
Today's interview is with Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Leslie Jordan with her first full length solo Americana album, "The Agonist" releasing this Friday, April 25th. Produced by Kenneth Pattengale Milk Carton Kids, the album is a collection of songs adapted from the writings and poetry of her grandfather, Robert S Gott. The album also features The Milk Carton Kids, Brittney S
The Tony Kamel Interview: Texas Songwriting, His Grandmother, and the New Album, "We're All Gonna Live"
On this AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we're excited to have Grammy nominated Tony Kamel frontman and songwriter for the band Wooden Wire, he's releasing his solo album We're All Gonna Live, April 18th. An amazing singer-songwriter who plays a clawhammer banjo, harmonica, and acoustic guitar on the album, his approach of mixing, songwriting, and philosophy stem right out of the Woody G
The Jonathan Rundman Interview: The Silos, Recording Analog, and His New Album "Waves"
Americana artist Jonathan Rundman has been recoding and touring for the last decade with The Silos. On April 11st, 2025 he releases his solo album, Waves where he not only sings and wrote the song, but performs organ, accordion, mandolin, and mandola on the record. Talked About in this Podcast: Jonathan RundmanThe Silos"Elizabeth, Don't Waste Your Breath"WavesLucinda WilliamsChuck B
The Doohickeys Interview: The New Album, "All Hat No Cattle", The Ryman, and Zombies
In this episode we're interviewing the duo The Doohickeys consisting of Haley Spence Brown and Jack Hackett. Their debut album, All Hat No Cattle, has charted number one on the Roots Music Report, number 21 on the Americana Music charts, and have songs on Outlaw Country. They've already performed at the prestigious Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This band mixes comedy with country mu
The Sierra Hull Interview: Mandolin, Bluegrass Influences, and "A Tip Toe High Wire"
Today on the AmericanaMusic.com Podcast we have the priveledge of interviewing Sierra Hull. A 2-time Grammy nominated artist, she's won 6 IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year Awards. She's also performed at Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and the White House and collaborated with Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Bela Fleck, Brandie Carlile, and Billy Strings. She has a unique wa
The Kelly Hunt Interview: Ozark Symphony and the Melding of Folk, Jazz, and Bluegrass
With her latest album Ozark Symphony, Kelly Hunt creates an orchestra of folk acoustic instruments with echoes of ragtime keys and horns to paint an era encapsulated in documentaries and faded black and white photographs. The much anticipated album to her 2019 nominated album of the year by the International Folk Music Awards brings stellar songwriting with Memphis and New Orleans sounds to life.
The Jeff Trott Interview: Writing Sheryl Crow Hits and His New Album
This Grammy Nominated Songwriter has Co-written and recorded some of Sheryl Crow's biggest hits like "If It Makes You Happy", "Soak Up The Sun", and "Every Day is a Winding Road". A previous BMI Songwriter of the Year Award Winner, he also has played in bands for Sheryl Crow and Tears for Fears among many others. This year he's releasing a new album called
The Jessica Willis Fisher Interview: Truth, Honesty, and Kindness as a Compass and Recording Her New Upcoming Record, "Bloom"
In this episode of AmericanaMusic.com we have the privilege of interviewing Jessica Willis Fisher. Her unmistakeable vocal vibrato and amazing fiddle chops are reminiscent of Allison Krauss and Union Station with the storytelling skills of Dolly Parton. Her first solo appearance on the Grand Ole' Opry Stage was her 60th. Her book Unspeakable, Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice follow
The Bayker Blankenship and Lilly Hiatt Interviews: Lilly's New Album and Her Dad's Influence; and Bayker's Touring with the Band and Co-Writing
Welcome back to Season 2 of the AmericanaMusic.com Podcast. In this first episode we have the great privilege of interviewing two phenomenal singer-songwriters, Lilly Hiatt and Bayker Blankenship. Lilly Hiatt talks about releasing her new album, "Forever" and the vulnerability of the journey taken to get there. Bayker Blankenship humbly talks about his quick rise to country music fame vi
The Suzy Bogguss Interview: TV Dinners w/ Roy Rogers, Finding the Perfect Song, & Songwriting
Season 1's final interview is with none other than Grammy Award winner Suzy Bogguss. She's sold over four million records, with top country hits like "Outbound Plane", "Aces", "Letting Go", "Someday Soon", "Drive South", and "Hey Cinderella". Her latest album "Praying for Sunshine" consists of 10 songs all written by B
The Tim Easton Interview: Busking in Europe, Music Cities, and Guitar Names
Tim Easton is a confessional storyteller who has lived a thousand lives in one, having lived and played in London, Dublin, Paris, Prague, and Madrid. After returning to the States, the singer-songwriter with the vagabond heart moved to New York City and then Los Angeles before making his way to settling down in Nashville. Tim's latest album, "Find Your Way" was released this past Ma
The JM Stevens Interview: Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, and Getting Back to Mississipi Roots
Today's guest is an Americana artist out of Austin, Texas, JM Stevens. Former lead singer of the Retro-rock band Moonlight Towers. Stevens has performed at the prestigious SXSW and Folk Alliance Showcases since striking out solo. He's owner of East Austin Recording Studio and most recently released his second solo album, "Nowhere to Land" with a mixture of blues, country, and f
The Jesse Ray Smith Interview: That Bay Area Sound, Music as a Way to Cope, and the Definition of a Great Album
Today we have Jesse Ray Smith. He’s a singer-songwriter out of California. His sound is reminiscent of those famous crossovers from the 70s like Fleetwood Mac, Joe Cocker, Eagles, and Jackson Browne with a fresh take. It’s not a carbon copy of that sound, but a resurgence with creative compositions, lyrics, melody and production good enough to rival. Basically they’re just good songs. We’re ecstat
The Matt Joe Gow Interview: Early Americana Influences, Collaboration, and Songwriting
Somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, in a city known for its gothic style architecture, a singer-songwriter was born whose life would change forever hearing a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album which grew into a love for bands like The Jayhawks, Wilco, and Whiskeytown. Native of Dunedin, the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, Matt Joe Gow has lately been touring the Northe
The McKinley James Interview: The Advice His Dad Gave Him, "Working Class Blues" Album, and Motown, Stax, & Chicago Blues
Opening for ZZ Top throughout multiple dates on their tour to opening up for the Mavericks at The Ryman Auditorium their’s something universal that connects McKinley James‘s music to playing for these two diverse audiences. That universality is blues meets old school rock meets a straight forward songwriting style. His latest album, Working Class Blues, highlights catchy songs with only him and hi
The Wesley Dean Interview: Australian Roots, Crazy Hearts, and the Creative Mindset
Dubbed "The Psychedelic Cowboy", Wesley Dean is an Aussie with the spirit of the American West. His latest album, Music from Crazy Hearts, with the title track, video featuring two performers from the Nashville Ballet, dancing around Wesley. His sound is reminiscent of Joe Cocker meets Tom Petty meets outlaw country. Moving to Nashville in 2021, along with the the Crazy Hearts album rele
The Edie Carey and Sarah Sample Interview: Songs of Comfort, Recording, and Balancing Touring w/ Motherhood
With gentle piano melody, a soft strum on the guitar, and floating vocals In My Arms is more than a lullaby. It is a love song that only two experienced songwriters writing about motherhood can so eloquently express. The first of Edie Carey and Sarah Samples single releases for the new album, Lantern In The Dark: Songs of Comforts and Lullabies. The second is a gorgeous Beatles cover of Blackb
The Crys Matthews Interview: LGBTQ+ Preacher's Kid, Ted Talk, and Reclaiming Country Music
An in-depth conversation with singer/songwriter Crys Matthews about the importance of having candid conversations to those in your community and how she uses music intentionally to educate through story and emotion. Her sound is a mixture of Country, Blues, and Folk. This preacher's kid from North Carolina'a songs are message driven and she has a new album coming out this month. We talk
The Teresa Knox Interview: Renovating The Church Studio, Leon Russell's Legacy, and The Tulsa Sound Revival
Within The Church Studio walls if you listen close you can hear the stories of those who've hallowed it, including Leon Russell, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, JJ Cale, Freddie King, Tom Petty, Phoebe Snow, and Willie Nelson to name a few. The studio once owned by Leon Russell has since been not only restored, but also made a world class music studio where most recent studio record
The Kim Richey Interview: Album Inspiration, Girls Just Wanna Weekend, & Songwriting Heroes; w/ special guest Jillian Matundan
This week’s Artists You Should Know is a treat to introduce, because she’s one of my favorite songwriters, Kim Richey. She’s had her songs recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Jim Lauderdale, Patty Loveless, Suzy Bogguss, Terri Clark, Brooks and Dunn, and Radney Foster. She’s recorded harmony vocals on songs for Jason Isbell, Reba McEntire, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ryan Adams, Rodney Crowell, Radney Foster,
The Willie Watson Interview: Real Love, Creative Outlets, and Meeting One of The Beatles
Willie Watson's debut self-titled album was released this past Friday. Since leaving Old Crow Medicine Show, founding member Willie Watson, has been forging together an album that really reflects himself as an artist. After two solo albums, the self titled third album finally feels like the solo expression he’s been seeking. To Willie, it’s epic poetry, the journey from stereotypical excess t
The Young Fables Interview: The Songwriting Process and the Stories Behind Them
Here’s AmericanaMusic.com's podcast interview with the Americana band, The Young Fables. With Laurel’s powerhouse vocals, Wes’s smooth electric guitar lines, and the band’s amazing songwriting chops you’ll be hooked instantly. Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford live in Nashville, but are originally from Maryville, TN. With 3 full length albums under their belt, their sound is a blend of Classic C
