Highway Butterfly: The Stories of Neal Casal

Rachel Dean became acquainted with Neal Casal when he was playing with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. They became close friends who shared many adventures, and Neal worked closely with Rachel on her debut solo album Indian Summer, co-producing, playing, and even taking the photos for the gatefold. Most recently, Neal contributed his signature guitarwork to Rachel's self-titled release with her band Starlight Cleaning Co. Rachel shares stories from these sessions and their friendship in this interview. Learn more about Rachel’s music: http://www.starlightcleaningco.com/about.html

Song clips in this episode: 

“So Far Astray” - Neal Casal, Roots & Wings

“The Cold & The Darkness” - Tim Heidecker, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

“So Far Astray” - Rachel Dean, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

“The Race” - Starlight Cleaning Co. Self Titled

Episode artwork photography by Neal Casal

Distributed by Osiris Media

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Jesse Aycock is a musician from Tulsa, Oklahoma who was a long-time fan of Neal Casal before they connected through a mutual friend. After meeting and becoming friends, Neal worked on Jesse's solo album Flowers and Wounds before recruiting him to join Hard Working Americans. In this interview, Jesse describes the fortuitous circumstances of their introduction, stories from recording his version of "The Losing End Again" for Highway Butterfly, and the importance of having honest conversations about mental health.

Song clips in this episode: 

“The Losing End Again” - Jesse Aycock, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

“The Losing End Again” - Neal Casal, Roots and Wings

Episode artwork photography by Neal Casal

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Kenny Roby first met Neal back in 1997, when Kenny’s Raleigh, NC based band, 6 String Drag, signed to Steve Earle’s E-Squared record label and made their classic album High Hat. Neal and Kenny became great pals and Neal invited Kenny along to open a month of shows on his 1998 tour of the UK and France. They sang together every night and when the tour ended they came back to the states and recorded their duo album Kenny Roby & Neal Casal: Black River Sides. They stayed friends until Neal’s passing in 2019 and Kenny recorded a fantastic version of Neal’s song “Too Much To Ask” for the Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal tribute album. Learn more about Kenny: https://kennyroby.net/

Song clips in this episode:

6 String Drag Bottle of Blues

Ain’t Got The Time

When I Loved You 

Silver Moon

Too Much To Ask

New Day

Episode artwork photography by Neal Casal

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Lauren Barth met Neal Casal at a show in her hometown of Santa Barbara, and the two became fast friends, and soon, musical partners. In this episode, Lauren shares the wisdom Neal imparted in their time playing together, how he laid the groundwork for her current musical and professional path, and why she chose to pay tribute to her friend with her stunning rendition of "Lost Satellite" from Neal's 2006 album No Wish to Reminisce. Visit Lauren’s website for info on past and upcoming releases: https://laurenbarthmusic.com/

Song clips in this episode: 

“Sleepless Nights” - Neal Casal and Lauren Barth, The Echo (Los Angeles, CA)

“Lost Satellite” - Lauren Barth, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

“Lost Satellite” - Neal Casal, No Wish To Reminisce

“Ocean Eyes” - Farmer Dave & The Wizards of the West

Episode artwork photography by Neal Casal

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For their first time together since the beginning of the Highway Butterfly tribute album project in February 2020, co-producers Jim Scott and Dave Schools along with executive producer Gary Waldman gathered at PLYRZ Studio in Valencia, California where Neal loved recording and where nearly all songs on Highway Butterfly were mixed or recorded prior to lockdowns.

Jim, Dave and Gary have a roundtable discussion sharing song by song stories about the recording process, revisiting the unique ways each of the tribute songs came to be included in the 41-song collection, released on November 12th, 2021. 

Learn more about ‘Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal’: https://nealcasalmusicfoundation.org/highway-butterfly

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Neal joined Ryan Adams & The Cardinals in 2005 and they built an unrivaled musical synergy together as they toured globally and recorded several studio releases. Jon Graboff and Brad Pemberton of The Cardinals chat with guest host Gary Waldman as they revisit memories of life on the road and in the studio with Neal, plus recording their respective parts for the Highway Butterfly tribute album. 

“Kiss Before I Go” - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Jacksonville City Nights

“Stella Blue” - Willie Nelson, Songbird

“Two” - Ryan Adams, Easy Tiger

“Everybody Knows” - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, David Letterman performance

“Need Shelter” - Jaime Wyatt, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

“Highway Butterfly” - Steve Earle & The Dukes, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

Episode artwork photography by Neal Casal

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Eric D. Johnson, AKA Fruit bats, met Neal Casal through their mutual friend Thom Monahan, and Neal subsequently added his signature touch to several songs on four of Eric's records. Thom produced many of Eric's records and also produced Neal's 2012 album Sweeten the Distance. That album features the song "Feathers for Bakersfield," which Eric covered for Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal. In this episode, Eric discusses why he chose this tune, how Bob Weir almost snatched it up first, and memories of what it was like to record with Neal. Learn more about Fruit Bats at http://www.fruitbatsmusic.com/.

“Feathers for Bakersfield” - Fruit Bats, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

“Feathers for Bakersfield - Neal Casal, Sweeten the Distance

“Shivering Fawn” - Fruit Bats, Tripper

“The Banishment Song” - Fruit Bats, Tripper

“My Sweet Midwest” - Fruit Bats, Absolute Loser

“Mandy from Mohawk” - Fruit Bats, Gold Past Life

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Neal met John Ginty in 1991 when he was looking for a keyboard player to record on his early solo demos. John became his main musical sidekick and was a huge part of Neal's sound, becoming the only other musician to play on all of Neal’s solo albums. John has also played with an incredible lineup of artists, including Dixie Chicks, Jewel, Citizen Cope, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and is currently a member of the Allman Betts Band. Find out more about John at www.johngintymusic.com

Song clips in this episode: 

“Silver Dollar” - Neal Casal, 1991 demo

“Little Wing” - Neal Casal Band at Arlington Cafe

“Angels on Hold” - Neal Casal, Rain, Wind & Speed

“Midway” - Neal Casal, Field Recordings

“Fell on Hard Times” - Angie McKenna, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal

Episode artwork photography of Neal Casal and John Ginty, 1995

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Today’s episode features guest host and one of Neal’s great pals, Jon Graboff. Jon chats with Shooter Jennings about his work as a producer and the many times he brought in Neal to play on records that he was producing. Shooter recently won Grammy awards for his work with Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker and he tells us about his version of one of Neal’s most loved songs, Maybe California, performed on Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal. Learn more about Shooter at: shooterjennings.com/

Song clips in this episode: 

“Broken Horses” - Brandi Carlile, ‘In These Silent Days’

“The Neverending Story” - Shooter Jennings, Brandi Carlile, ‘Countach (For Giorgio)’

“Maybe California” - Neal Casal, ‘Fade Away Diamond Time’

“Maybe California” - Shooter Jennings, ‘Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal’

Episode artwork photography by Neal Casal

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