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 at the chance to meet her and talk about her musical life. In this episode, we discuss Laurel’s musica...
Mar 02, 2025•1 hr 16 min
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 is a Nashville session ace and has played on thousands of recordings. And when he can find the time,...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 26 min
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 Complex. Chris and I discuss the evolution of his singular slide guitar sound, his approach to prac...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 39 min
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 Guitars of Biller and Wakefield' and 'Steel Guitar Caviar' are touchstone latterday swing steel guitar ...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 27 min
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 particular strain of traditional Irish music comes from, what these songs mean, and how he brought them to li...
Jul 07, 2024•1 hr 15 min
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. Greg and I discuss his musical journey, from high school garage bands and learning steel in honky ton...
May 01, 2024•2 hr 7 min
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 record as a teenager with the two cassette records, to how a few choice words from Bill Frisell inspi...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 16 min
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 steel in the New Mercy, New Beginnings, New Victory Ministries church in Georgia, but I was lucky enoug...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 10 min
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 about his life as a musician, a composer, and instrument designer; his work as Director of Electron...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 45 min
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 Prine, Sam Bush, and Linda Ronstadt. We discuss coming up in the 1970s California country rock scene,...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 11 min
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 really unique lap steel sound. We dig into his musical beginnings, his steel guitar journey, and mor...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 6 min
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 want to dig deeper into Rich's music or educational materials, check out the following links: https://w...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 16 min
