Browsing: Interviews

In this candid interview, blues singer Ollee Owens opens up about balancing motherhood with her musical career, the support of her family, and her exciting upcoming performance at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. As she discusses her new album, ‘Nowhere to Hide,’ Owens reflects on the deep connections that fuel her artistry.

Alongside his partner Kim, Reggie Harris has spent decades sharing stories of joy, history, and hope through music. As they prepare for Sing Solstice on December 15th, Harris discusses his role in the folk movement, the evolution of his music, and the transformative power of song to unite and uplift, especially during the darkest times of the year.

“He was my hero, man. I remember watching him on ‘Soul Train’ and ‘Hee Haw.’ I was so proud that this was my father. I was looking at the TV saying, ‘I love you, man.'”

Ronnie Baker Brooks reflects on his father Lonnie’s legacy, blending family, blues, and life lessons in his new Alligator Records album ‘Blues in My DNA.’ From a strict upbringing that taught him the value of hard work to the bittersweet farewell to his mentor, Ronnie carries on the tradition of authenticity and soul in every note.

“This book wrote itself,” says Cary Baker about ‘Down On The Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music.’ Reflecting on life’s transitions — from closing his PR firm to moving to the desert — he delves into the colorful, often untold stories of buskers, from icons like Elvis Costello to street performers like Grandpa Elliott.

He discusses his deep love for the written word, recounts a remarkable tale of Mick Jagger thanking Ramblin’ Jack Elliott for playing in a subway station during a school field trip, and more. It’s these serendipitous moments that make both Baker’s book and his career truly unique.

The video for “Things They Tellin’ You” from Robert Connely Farr’s ‘Pandora Sessions’ captures the universal weight of suffering and the blurred lines between truth and deception. Directed by longtime collaborator Jay Bundy Johnson, the visual pairs Farr’s melancholic, minimalist blues with haunting footage from the Prelinger Archive.

The Old Ceremony’s new album ‘Earthbound,’ forged through two decades of collaboration and a vast collection of songs born from the pandemic, is out now!

Frontman Django Haskins reflects on the band’s growth, the ongoing joy of making music together, and his Big Star tribute work. “Getting to know and play with so many people who had previously existed only on my turntables has been a thrill. Mike Mills played and sang on our last record… None of this would’ve happened without the Big Star thing, and — to give credit where it belongs — without the quixotic genius of Chris Stamey, who put the whole thing together, along with Big Star’s Jody Stephens.”

New York folkie Lucy Kaplansky reflects on her unexpected journey from clinical psychologist to celebrated singer-songwriter. In this candid interview, she shares insights on her creative process, the value of co-writing with her husband, and her unique approach to independently producing and marketing her music. With a new album on the horizon, Lucy discusses the evolution of her career, her enduring passion for songwriting, and the balance between artistry and business in today’s music world.

Smack dab in the middle of the milling crowds at the Notodden Blues Festival is the stage where the Little Steven’s Band Camp students play. “It’s very important for us to do that,” Festival Director Jostein Forsberg explained. “You’re going to see the kids one way or the other.”

“My U.S. fans are expecting ‘Devil with the Blues Dress On’ and ‘Jenny Take A Ride’ or ‘Sock It to Me.’ They’re gonna hear songs they have never heard before.”

On Thursday, November 7th, The Ruf Records 30th Anniversary Tour kicks off at Carnegie Of Homestead Music Hall in Pittsburgh. Samantha Fish headlines the show that includes Mitch Ryder, Canned Heat, Bernard Allison, and Ghalia Volt.

The Owsley Stanley Foundation of Grateful Dead fame has just released ‘You’re Doin’ Fine,’ a sumptuous three-CD set capturing John Hammond at two 1973 concerts at the Boarding House, a small club in San Francisco. The sound man was Owsley Stanley who invented the Grateful Dead’s wall of sound technology.

“I didn’t know that Owsley was recording that show. I was told he was the sound man, but I didn’t understand the significance of it. I mean the sound is great.”