Kelsey Wilson is my guest on a new Leagto with Sean Mathis podcast. We met serendipitously three years ago after a Rayland Baxter show, and she is one of the coolest humans I know. She’s wonderfully candid, and the musical arc of her last 10 years is a beautiful story of growth that every artist should hear. Her mercurial ascent with Wild Child (alongside Alexander Beggins), her involvement with Glorietta , and her current project Sir Woman, have all taught her valuable lessons along the way. However, what she learned at a nerdy Celtic fiddle camp may be the highlight of our talk. She also takes time to recognize so many friends who helped her realize her vision along the way. Special thanks to Taylor Craft for being a part of this recording. Huge shout out to my old friend and huge music fan, Greg Davis for letting us use his Gusto Studio for this recording.

My latest guest on Legato is Stephanie Hunt (@wearebuffalohunt), one of the most creative and productive artists I know. She is talented, wise, compassionate, hilarious, and always so present. She's the first woman I've had on THE ‘cast, and I had SO much fun hearing her take on why and how she does what she does. We delve deep into the nebulous realm of the artistic process and discuss a few of her other projects as well.
 
 Her podcast, Empty Spaces, discusses the value of live music venues and the struggles they’re facing at this point in history. Bringing Music Home is a sister project book. Ambitions of Ambiguity (check it out on bandcamp) is the name of her eclectic and super catchy first album, and we get to the bottom of why she chose Buffalo Hunt as her musical moniker.

A few years ago, she and her sister @phoebehuntmusic and their non-profit Fuel Our Fire, joined forces with @dustinwelch and his organization, Soldier Songs and Voices, to create the Reveille Retreat for combat veterans who are also songwriters. 
 
 "Art is a secret that I don’t want to keep," she says at one point, and I'm so glad she shares it with us. 

Second part of my time with Walker Lukens. In Part Two, we take a deep dive into his production style, the peaks and valleys of the music industry, the process of assembling Song Confessional, and then we finish with a somewhat haunting acoustic version of his song, We See U.  I hope you enjoy it all. 

Walker Lukens and I spent a few hours in his studio, where we talked about nearly everything. It was wonderfully candid. We just couldn't stop, and because of that, I am breaking this podcast into two parts. We discuss his podcast, Song Confessional, and how he's able to pull off such a great concept. After an amazing anecdote about performing at a wedding, we also discuss what it's like to share be in a band with his fiancé, McKenzie, his lyrical style, and what he's been doing during to create meaning during this challenging COVID era. In Part Two, we take a deep dive into his production style, the peaks and valleys of the music industry, the process of assembling Song Confessional, and then we finish with a somewhat haunting acoustic version of his song, We See U. 

I share an afternoon with Eric Burton, the phenomenal and energetic lead singer of Black Pumas, who were nominated for a Grammy earlier this year in the Best New Artist category. I owe much to Eric, as he was the one who first mentioned Pickathon to me in the spring of 2018. I know, I know... I always seem to mention it, but seriously, you'd get it if you'd been there. Since then, the Pumas have taken flight. They've played all the late night talk shows, sold out venues across Europe and America, and are already working on new material for their sophomore album. Like Adrian Quesada, Eric is both excited and wisely cautious about their trajectory. He shares his creative philosophies, his pursuit of balance, and also plays a gorgeous new song he's been working on.

Adrian tells me about his seminal days in Austin, where he formed Brownout and Grupo Fantasma, the musical ultimatum posed by his parents, meeting Matthew Logan Vasquez and working with him during the Glorietta project. We also dive deep into the history and trajectory of Black Pumas, who were nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist earlier this year. 

Jonathan discusses the crafting of his latest album, WESTWARD, what inspired its theme, how dancers helped shape its songs, the love and actual support he got from the Austin music community during its production, and how COVID changed its release plans. We also discuss the night he kept Bill Murray on the White Horse dance floor, and how a dream inspired a song. 

Matthew discusses his time with Delta Spirit, his role in collaborations, the brilliant stage banter of A.A. Bondy, the excess of Glorietta, his recent sobriety, Willie Nelson’s willingness to play anything in his catalog, the best concert he’s ever seen, and how he insulates himself from sonic influences when he’s recording new music.

Rob Baird is my guest (and I'm HIS guest in his home) as we eat dinner, imbibe, and explore topics like his latest single, "Waiting On Time," the seedy underbelly of being a musician and songwriter in Nashville, and dodging teenager's vomit at a his own show. He likens cooking to songwriting and how finding the melody is the key. 

David Ramirez talks about his career and his newest release, MY LOVE IS A HURRICANE.