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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 and carpal tunnel syndrome made playing guitar virtually impossible and left Crain questioning herself as an artist. Slowly but surely though, Crain has been able to adapt and begin anew--hence, A Small Death and rebirth for Crain. She captures flashes of previous misery and dread throughout with dark textures, droning effects, and a fever-dream haze. Still, Crain doesn't just float around in the darkest experiences without reason. Much of A Small Death sees her processing the doom and darkness and searching for the light. Speaking with Crain, it's that much more apparent. She's excited and optimistic as she's shedding the cocoon of the last few years.

This episode's presenting partner is  The Blue Light Live and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 worked by the harsh land themselves. During this episode, we talk about those who influence & inspired Lewis's writing, farming in the South Plains, cultivating their sound, Mid-2000s era Lubbock music, contemporaries like Daniel Fluitt of Thrift Store Cowboys & Red Shahan, and discovering songwriters like Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, and Townes Van Zandt and their impact.

This episode's presenting partner is  The Blue Light Live and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 Bright Eyes & Elliott Smith, and how he's stayed inspired during the 2020 Pandemic.

This episode's presenting partner is  The Blue Light Live and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 likes of Merle Haggard, how "going electric" helped shape and expand his artistic process, and his latest album, Out of Sane.

This episode's presenting partner is  The Blue Light Live and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 gigs in Lubbock, and surprise Christmas shows with Jason Isbell.

This episode's presenting partner is Smith Iron & Design and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 intimate smoky postcard of "Haven't Even Kissed Me Yet." Throughout, Sellers shines as a vocalist and moment capturer--especially on the aforementioned "Haven't Even Kissed Me Yet." Sellers and I talk about growing up on a tour bus, songwriting--in Nashville, in the modern era, and when collaborations click--Led Zeppelin, and recording an album out in the desert.

This episode's presenting partner is Smith Iron & Design and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 sees the blue-collar Nashville troubadour often embraces a grittier and rollicking sonic punch that's as driving as anything in Hoge's diverse song catalog.

This episode's presenting partner is Smith Iron & Design and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 essential Stewart is to the Moonpies sound. We dip into conversation about their previous works like Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold, writing songs with winking meta self-references, and of course, our favorite classic video games such as Goldeneye & Red Dead Redemption.

This episode's presenting partner is Smith Iron & Design and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 relationships, and moments of unsureness. At its' best, Cold Comfort glows with cosmic country ambiance and Collins finding strength during her most trying of times.

This episode's presenting partner is Smith Iron & Design and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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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 initial stages of Lightning, and Bob Dylan records & eras.

Check out Kyle Nix's site and preorder Lightning On the Mountain & Other Short Stories here.

This episode's presenting partner is Smith Iron & Design and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.

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