Send us Fan Mail On Episode 107, I am joined by Kentucky singer-songwriter Brit Taylor. Taylor released the wistful, melancholy single "Waking Up Ain't Easy" in the early summer. With its traditional country roots with weeping pedal steel and Taylor's own restless vocals and lyrics, she captures a desolate and endless lonesomeness of post-breakup life. During this interview, we talk about being an early morning person, how impacts her songwriting, country music for adults, growing up in Kentucky...
Jul 27, 2020•59 min•Season 5Ep. 107
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 106, I am joined by singer-songwriter Garrett T. Capps. Capps, who released the (inter)stellar Space Country record All Right, All Night, embraces the sonic tones and textures of yesterday and tomorrow throughout his rich and diverse catalog. At times, he turns back the pages of Tex-Mex, honky-tonk, and the sweltering heat of South Texas. Other times, he ventures off into the vast unknown and lays down a dreamy foundation with the cosmic chill and awe of deep space ad...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 106
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 105, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Jenny Tolman. Tolman released her debut full-length album, the excellent and charming There Goes The Neighborhood just about a year ago. During this interview, we discuss the creation of Jennyville--the fictional picturesque town that's the focal point of Neighborhood --how and why she drifted towards this concept, growing up in Nashville, the Nashville songwriting machine and industry as a whole, and how she's stayed focused, grou...
Jul 20, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 5Ep. 105
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 104, I'm joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Kalsey Kulyk. Kulyk released her impressive seven-song Kalsey Kulyk last August. Kulyk pulls from '90s Country icons like Shania Twain as well as Americana staples such as Patty Griffin to form an informative and highly emotional blend of pop smart country songs. Kulyk's crystalline vocals are versatile and strong. Throughout her S/T, Kulyk delivers stark, slow-burning ballads ("Roll With It"), sunny, chorus-laden charmers...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 104
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 103, I'm joined by Oklahoma singer-songwriter Samantha Crain. Crain is releasing A Small Death, her forthcoming album, Friday, July 17. Over the course of 11 tracks, Crain leads us on through a deeply personal collection of songs where she cries, mourns, confronts, perseveres, and presses on. For Crain, the last handful of years have been filled with setbacks and anguish as she battled depression, anxiety, and trauma as a result of a series of car wrecks. Tendinitis a...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 103
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 102, I am joined by Lou Lewis, the lead vocalist and lyricist of rollicking country-punk outfit Rattlesnake Milk. Lewis and company are largely informed by the flatlands of West Texas on their second album, a 10-tracked self-titled full-length that they released earlier this Spring. Through this string of character-driven narratives and truck driver country highway rollers, Lewis captures a gritty, dust-blown bunch of Flatlanders who are working the land--and being wo...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 5Ep. 102
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 101, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Taylor Alexander, who released his full-length debut album, the excellent Good Old Fashioned Pain , just over a year ago. The collection of songs in several ways reflect Alexander's early to mid-twenties and the growing and maturation that followed. During this interview, we talk about the moments that shaped those songs, growing up in Florida & Georgia, his ultimate move to Nashville, the intimacy of songwriting, the likes of ...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 35 min•Season 5Ep. 101
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 100, I am joined by Country music legend Clint Black. During this hour-plus conversation, Black gives incredible insight, detail, and perspective on his storied career. We go back and talk about his breakthrough debut album Killin' Time (which last year was its' 30th year anniversary), how being in the public eye changed his songwriting, how he and guitarist Hayden Nicholas formed an as unbeatable songwriting & creative team, writing & collaborating with the l...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Season 5Ep. 100
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 099, I'm joined by Lubbock singer-songwriter Daniel Fluitt. As lead vocalist of Thrift Store Cowboys, Fluitt and company played a vital role in shaping the way music from Lubbock and West Texas sounded and felt like. Here, Fluitt and I discuss that role in The New Lubbock Sound, meeting contemporaries like Rodney Parker, "lost" studio sessions with the Legendary Tommy Allsup, how recording in Tuscon, Arizona played a key role in finding their sound, playing three-hour...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 5Ep. 99
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 098, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Aubrie Sellers where we discuss the ins and outs of her latest album, the atmospheric Far From Home . Sellers and company recorded the sharp, bold, and stark Far From Home at the secluded studio Sonic Ranch right outside the desert town of Tornillo, Texas. The results are a mix of fierce rock and roll anthems such as the gritty "Drag You Down," and sugary and swaying "Lucky Charm" to the vulnerable ease of "Worried Mind" and the in...
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 98
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 097, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Will Hoge. At the end of this week (Friday, June 26), Hoge is releasing his latest album, Tiny Little Movies . At 11 tracks long, Hoge delivers vivid imagery and detail as he breathes life into a cast of common and everyday characters. Throughout, he captures their anxieties, struggles, dreams, successes, and relationships with a delicate understanding and empathetic touch. In addition, Hoge's brand of Heartland Rock meets country ...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 5Ep. 97
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 096, I'm joined by Mike Harmeier, the lead vocalist of blazing country outfit Mike and The Moonpies, and music producer Adam Odor. Mike and The Moonpies just released Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart , a 10 song collection of previously unreleased songs by the late iconic honky-tonking country legend. Here, I catch up with Harmeier and Odor to talk about how the instant classic collection came to be, recording the album during a Quarantine, and how essenti...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Season 5Ep. 96
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 095, I am joined by singer-songwriter Ruthie Collins. Collins recently released the calm, serene, and desert swept Cold Comfort . On the 11-track record, Collins captures the stark juxtaposition of the desert. At times, she's full of sunny and bright chorus lines and sun-kissed pedal steel swells. At others, Collins leaves us with the lonesome chill of an isolated desert night. All the while, Collins writes with a sense of vulnerability about heartbreak, tiring relati...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 95
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 094, I'm joined by Oklahoma fiddler and songwriter Kyle Nix. Nix releases his debut album, the mesmerizing and sonically sprawling Lightning On The Mountain & Other Short Stories on Friday, June 26. Throughout, Nix displays his knack for raw, gritty, and visceral storytelling with a diverse, yet cohesive sonic palette. During this interview, Nix and I talk about the creative process, his friendship & mentorship with Oklahoma legends such as Byron Berline, the ...
Jun 15, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 5Ep. 94
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 93, I am joined by singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson. I spoke with Robinson back in mid-April and we hit a number of conversations ranging from how she's handling the Quarantine in the Arizona Desert, hipster cowboys, how she's morphed as a songwriter and storyteller, capturing the essence of small towns across America (including a small Friday Night Lights cameo), Spotify's Indigo Playlist, women songwriters in country music and the glass ceiling, and of course,...
Jun 12, 2020•2 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 93
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 92, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle. Caudle released the sultry Southern country groover album, Better Hurry Up , earlier this year. At 11 songs long, Caudle balances introspective storytelling that feels comfortable and well lived in with a back porch familiarity and a roots rocking edge that welcomes toe-tapping rhythms. Caudle offers a look at rose-colored nostalgia with the likes of the thrilling "Monte Carlo," the sweltering bounce of "Let's Get," an...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 5Ep. 92
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 091, I'm joined by country songwriter Kathryn Legendre. Last year, Kathryn released the excellent EP, Making It Up . It was a blend of old-school honky-tonk ethos and the modern neo-traditional songs of the '90s. Throughout the five songs, she blended a familiar warmth found on old country albums that embraced pedal steel and smokey dive bar banter with clever storytelling and memorable choruses. Now, she's following up Making It Up with a two-song single, "One Long S...
May 28, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Season 5Ep. 91
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 90, I'm joined by journalist Christian Wallace, an associate editor at Texas Monthly , where he has delivered some of the best in-depth reporting and robust storytelling of recent memory. Namely, his nuanced storytelling of the Permian Basin oilfield in both the written word and most recently, the breakout podcast series, Boomtown . As a true West Texas native (a son of Andrews, Texas), Wallace and I discuss Far West Texas adventures, appreciation, and concerns that c...
May 25, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Season 5Ep. 90
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 89, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Gabe Lee. In 2019, Lee made quite the statement with the ever-impressive debut of farmland , a 10-song collection of sparsely arranged and primarily acoustic introspective storytellers and wallflower commentary. Lee didn't waste any time between his debut and follow-up, Honky Tonk Hell . Released in early March, Honky Tonk Hell is a natural progressive step in Lee's career as an artist. It finds his songs fully fleshed out as full-b...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Season 5Ep. 89
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 88, I'm joined by Reckless Kelly lead vocalist and chief lyricist Willy Braun. This year, the pioneering Americana Country outfit is doing a first with the release of American Jackpot / American Girls , two 10-song full-length albums released the same day. Much as the titles allude, the 20 songs of American Jackpot and American Girls give Braun and company ample of space to explore a multitude of American themes without ever settling in on a "Rah Rah Rah" tired trope....
May 18, 2020•1 hr 30 min•Season 5Ep. 88
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 87, I am joined by rising country singer-songwriter Charlie Marie. Charlie really began turning heads last Spring when she released Charlie Marie , an incredibly strong and sharp five-song EP that displayed her knack for writing clever hooks and a highly emotive classic country croon. Songs such as "Rodeo" and "Shot in the Dark" had a vintage neon glow while EP standout "Countryside" felt like a breath of necessary fresh air way out on the outskirts of town. She booke...
May 14, 2020•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 87
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 086, I'm joined by Texas songwriter Zach Nytomt. This too was an interview conversation held pre-quarantine. Matter of fact, as I was heading to Nytomt and company's soundcheck at Blue Light, it was announced that SXSW was being canceled. It felt surreal and an extremely foreign idea to all of us--and still does. Regardless, Zach Nytomt is yet another rising singer-songwriter coming out of the state of Texas. Last year, he released New York to Montana, an extremely st...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 86
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 085, I'm joined by rising Texas songwriter Jarrod Morris. I caught up with Jarrod in early March at The Blue Light before Quarantine 2020 came our way. Jarrod released his promising debut album West of East a year ago this past March. Produced by Texas legend Lloyd Maines, West of East sprawls with bluegrass-tinged numbers like the infectious "Red Bandana," the soaring picturesque soundscapes of "Panoramic View," and the bustling dive-bar hustler "Coyote." This episod...
May 07, 2020•43 min•Season 5Ep. 85
Send us Fan Mail Episode 84 is another "old & unreleased" interview episode. This time around, it's one I did with Rod Melancon this past summer (2019). I'd stopped by his Austin apartment to talk about Pinkville, his excellent 2019 album, Southern Gothic literature, and really dived into our film and TV series obsessions. Melancon is as well-versed as they come in both modern pop culture and classic southern Americana. Being the son of Louisiana and a teacher, Melancon is a student of story...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 84
Send us Fan Mail On episode 83, I'm joined by songwriter Jesse Daniel. Daniel just released his second album, the rollicking honky-tonk homage album Rollin' On. A California son, the influence is all over Daniel's songwriting and sound. There's a definite Bakersfield Sound influence on these highway songs, honky-tonk bar vignettes, and lonesome country breakup ballads. Here, Daniel and I discuss releasing an album in the midst of a pandemic, recording Rollin' On, the writing of the album and whe...
Apr 30, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 83
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 82, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Hailey Whitters. She called me last week to discuss her second full-length album, the sonically charming The Dream. While sitting in her Nashville backyard, we spoke about how growing up in rural Iowa has had an impact on her songwriting style, working with the likes of Lori McKenna and Brandy Clark, her first official co-writing session with Kacey Musgraves, the honest hardships of her song "Ten Year Town," The Dixie Chicks, and wh...
Apr 28, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 82
Send us Fan Mail On Episode 81, I'm joined by songwriter Jeff Crosby. I caught up with Jeff back in mid-January when he was coming through town and playing The Blue Light. We sat down and talked a lot about his forthcoming album, North Star. As his fifth full-length album, it finds Jeff really rediscovering his home state of Idaho, small-town characters, and the strained relationships of a touring musician. Standout songs like "Laramie" and "North Star" use the Pacific Northwest as an elegant ba...
Apr 23, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 81
Send us Fan Mail Episode 080 is with singer-songwriter Isaac Hoskins. I sat down with the Kansas native at the beginning of the year to discuss songwriting, country music, and winning the 2019 Blue Light Singer-Songwriter Competition. An added bonus at the end, the three songs Isaac performed the night he won the competition. New Slang Patreon New Slang Twitter New Slang Instagram New Slang Facebook New Slang Merch Store The Neon Eon Podcast The Neon Eon Merch Store Support the show...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 5Ep. 80
Send us Fan Mail Episode 079 is an old interview from 2018 with the guys from Turnpike Troubadours–it’s with Ryan Engleman, RC Edwards, Kyle Nix, Gabe Pearson, and Hank Early. We sat on the bus for a loose and rambling conversation about music, the band's early days, old bands, and hear a few stories. New Slang Patreon New Slang Twitter New Slang Instagram New Slang Facebook New Slang Merch Store The Neon Eon Podcast The Neon Eon Merch Store Support the show...
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 79
Send us Fan Mail Episode 078 is with Nathan Mongol Wells of the Dallas country-punk outfit Ottoman Turks. We talk about their debut album, playing with Joshua Ray Walker, Dallas, and dive bars. New Slang Patreon New Slang Twitter New Slang Instagram New Slang Facebook New Slang Merch Store The Neon Eon Podcast The Neon Eon Merch Store Support the show...
Apr 09, 2020•42 min•Season 5Ep. 78
