Roots Music Rambler

We’re taking a bit of a diversion from the typical artist interview this week on Roots Music Rambler with a special guest. Anne Gauthier is the primary producer and engineer behind the great sounds and recordings that come out of La La Land Sound in Louisville, Ky. She has produced, mixed and recorded with artists like Bonnie Prince Billy, Murder by Death, Joan Shelley and more. She has also contributed to records by Ray Lamontagne, Jake Shears and White Reaper.

One of her career highlights was also working with legendary producer Glyn Johns (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin). We asked her about that, how she came to be a record producer and where La La Land Sound fits in the musical landscape. Anne also shared some of her thoughts on production approaches and equipment, the use of A.I. in record production and more. 

Frank and Falls also caught us up on the latest from Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns whose America’s Got Talent quest was cut short. They also give a quick update on several past Roots Music Rambler guests and share their pics for new music recommendations in the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. 

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Anne Gauthier online

LaLaLand Sound online

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Shakey Graves

Witch

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. All music on the program is licensed by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bill Taylor got a message on TikTok in November from a talent scout for America’s Got Talent. Yes, he was interested, but he thought little of the outreach until two weeks later when the process began to have him and his Appalachian Heatherns fly to California for an audition in front of Simon Cowell, Sophia Vergara, Mel B and Howie Mandel. 

The band recorded their audition in March. In June, it aired and the nation finally got to see and hear Taylor’s bluegrass and countrified version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” which instantly vaulted Taylor and the Heatherns to global exposure. The performance warranted not just four “yes”es from the judging panel, but standing ovations from everyone in the packed theatre.

The Facebook video of the audition alone stands at over 11 million views.

Taylor and Appalachian Heatherns drummer Joe Cox joined us on Roots Music Rambler this week to take a breath from a month of exploding in the wake of national TV exposure. The band’s social media presence has blown up, they sold out a headline show at The Burl in Lexington, Ky., in July. They’ve also been added to a number of festival lineups and headline shows in the coming months.

The second audition of America’s Got Talent is not scheduled but is likely to occur sometime in August or September, so the band is keeping the schedule loose.

Taylor broke some news in the episode, revealing the band has a full-length album planned for release late this year, and hinted at some big live event news coming soon. We also dug into how both Taylor and Cox came to music and more.

Frank and Falls also talked about Amanda Shire’s long-awaited new album and single, and shared their normal Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment with recommendations of new music for you.

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns online

Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns AGT audition

Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns on Spotify

Bill Taylor (solo) on Spotify

Bill Taylor on Instagram

Bill Taylor on Facebook

Amanda Shires new single “A Way it Goes”

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Hollerhead

Wild Earp

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2018, a group of southern rock, soul and funk loving musicians from Lexington, Ky., got together to form a new band called Magnolia Boulevard. They quickly gelled and his momentum before the pandemic interrupted what seemed to be a sure rise to prominence in the emerging Americana blend of genres popular in today’s clubs and music festivals. 

As the COVID-19 fears subsided and they returned to the stage, their original drummer and universally loved musician Todd Copeland, died suddenly. But co-founders Maggie Noëlle and Ryan Allen continued working on their songwriting and the budding partnership, mixed in with a little grit and determination, and Magnolia Boulevard is still building to something bigger in 2025. 

The sound of the band is led by the sultry and powerful voice of Noëlle, who joined us on Roots Music Rambler this week to talk about her Southern Virginia roots (she hails from the hometown of Ralph Stanley), the continual climb of the band, its new lineup (which she calls the “dream team”), being a mother while living her musical dreams, and so much more.

Frank and Falls both admit to having crushes on Maggie, so this is a silly good episode with the leader of a band we can’t recommend enough.

The co-hosts also discuss Planting by the Signs, the new album from S.G. Goodman, and have their normal Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment with recommendations of new music for you.

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Magnolia Boulevard Online

Magnolia Boulevard on Spotify

Magnolia Boulevard on Instagram

Maggie Noëlle on Instagram

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

The Reverend Horton Heat

Drayton Farley

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. All music on the program is licensed by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did you know there’s a music festival coming Labor Day weekend that features an incredible roster of singers, songwriters and bands in the Americana, country, folk and bluegrass space and the tickets to said event are absolutely free? You do now. 

The Manchester Music Fest is in its seventh iteration in eight years (damnit, COVID) and has always been completely free to the public to attend. Yes, you have to get there. Manchester is a small little burg nestled in the heart of the Eastern Kentucky Appalachians. But it’s a short drive from Interstate 75 South from Lexington and North from Knoxville and is a community just bursting at the bit to welcome people to visit.

This year’s lineup (did we mention it’s free yet?): 

Brent Cobb & the Fixin’s

Nicholas Jamerson & The Morning Jays

Taylor Hunnicut

The Creekers

Hollerhead

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley

Bill Taylor & The Appalachian Heathens

Deep South

Scott T. Smith

Abe Partridge

Emily Jamerson

Roy Caudill

Stinky Pete

Spooky Fox

The Seas

Mayor of Shenanigans 

Colby Sams

For free? Yes. Free.

Tim Parks and Jess Bowman are two of the people behind the Manchester Music Fest. They sat in with Falls this week to talk about the event, how they can pull this off without charging for tickets, booking artists and the impact of such an event on a small community. But they also talked about the early challenges some clever marketing presented for the isolated community in them thar hills (as they say).

Parks is even currently or formerly involved in the management and road management of acts like The Creekers and Sundy Best, so a lot of fun insights fell out of the conversation.

Frank also recaps the recent tribute concert for her late friend Lindsey Woodward and, of course, Frank and Falls also have their normal Pickin’ the Grinnin’ choices of recommendations of new music for you to experience. 

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Manchester Music Fest Online

Manchester Music Fest Instagram

City of Manchester, Kentucky online

Clay County Kentucky Fiscal Court Online

Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heathens on America’s Got Talent

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Lola Kirke

Gasoline Lollipops

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners. All music on the program is licensed by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nicholas Jamerson is regarded as one of the finer songwriters in the current Americana, folk and country scene. His heartfelt lyrics of love, loss and lamentation born from the hills of Eastern Kentucky were the foundation of the success of Sundy Best, his award-winning band and collaboration with Kris Bentley.

But after its temporary break-up/hiatus, Jamerson continued writing and recording as a solo act, often backed by the Morning Jays, his support band. He’s churned out six studio and two live albums over the last decade, the newest of which, The Narrow Way, dropped June 20. It is the third album in a trilogy preceded by The Wild Frontier (2020) and Peace Mountain (2023).

Jamerson joined Roots Music Rambler this week to talk about the new album, which he acknowledged is a bit meditative about life, love and loss. He also talked about his new status as an elder statesman in the folk/singer-songwriter space, how he balances projects like Sundy Best which still tours, and his past as a high school and college football star.

You’ll notice Jamerson repeats the notion that songs and songwriting are his “work.” We’re lucky to be able to experience the craftsmanship.

Frank and Falls also file their 2025 Americana Music Association Awards Ballot and have their normal Pickin’ the Grinnin’ choices of recommendations of new music for you to experience. 

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Nicholas Jamerson Online

Nicholas Jamerson on Patreon

Nicholas Jamerson on Spotify

Sundy Best Online

Sundy Best on Spotify

Nicholas Jamerson on Instagram

Nicholas Jamerson on Facebook

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

The Gypsy Kings

The Creekers

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Roots Music Rambler is not designed to be a breaking news outlet, but don’t tell Ben Chapman that. In our recent sit-down for Roots Music Rambler the Georgia-native and standout singer-songwriter dropped news item after news item.

Chapman, who recently tied the knot with longtime girlfriend and fellow songwriter Meg McRee shared the news of their upcoming first child (which they’d already shared on social media), but then told of a new solo album coming up, plus a collaboration project with McRee, Brit Taylor and Adam Chafins. The foursome released “Gone as it Gets” three years ago. Apparently a 10-track LP from the group is due in early 2026!

On his new solo album, Chapman said, “It’s weird.” He likened it to Pink Floyd, but promised it wouldn’t be a huge departure from what his fans have come to expect from him.

Chapman’s latest album is Downbeat. He’s been touring in support of it for over a year now and has added up-and-coming performer to an already impressive songwriting resume which includes material recorded by Shelby Lynne, The Steel Woods, Flatland Cavalry and Muscadine Bloodline, among others.

He’s spent the better part of the last 6-7 years as a contract songwriter in Nashville, along with McCree, who is a frequent collaborator. 

We were thrilled to have him join us and excited at the news he wound up sharing. You’ll enjoy this episodes. 

Frank and Falls also share this week’s Pickin’ the Grinnin’ choices for artist recommendations for you. 

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Ben Chapman Online

Ben Chapman on Spotify

Ben Chapman on Instagram

Meg McRee on Spotify

Meg McRee on Instagram

The Chapman/McCree/Brit Taylor/Adam Chaffins collaboration

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Rooster Blackspur

Bruce Springsteen’s Land of Hopes and Dreams (new protest EP)

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Ireland’s Mark Geary, America was everything. He moved to New York in the 1990s and cut his teeth in the music business alongside legendary artists like Jeff Buckley. Thirty years later, his songs continue to paint pictures of the modern Irish experience, especially as it relates to America.

Geary sat down with Roots Music Rambler before his May headline show at The Monarch Music Community in Louisville, Ky., to talk about his latest album, In the Time of Locusts, songwriting, developing his sound and style and much more. 

Geary is on the sonaBlast Records label, which is based in Louisville, but has a roster of independent singers, songwriters and bands from around the world. In fact, labelmate Cait Justice, a previous guest on Roots Music Rambler, even popped into the interview, recorded in the green room at The Monarch. 

Frank and Falls also share this week’s Pickin’ the Grinnin’ choices for artist recommendations for you. 

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Mark Geary online

Mark Geary on Spotify

Mark Geary on Instagram

The Monarch Music & Arts Community

Cait Justice episode of RMR

The Roots Music Rambler Store

Roots Music Rambler on Instagram

Roots Music Rambler on TikTok 

Roots Music Rambler on Facebook

Jason Falls on Instagram

Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Magnolia Boulevard

Amythyst Kiah

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’ve listened to Roots Music Rambler much at all you know Frank and Falls are suckers for the new wave of retro-sounding Americana and Country artists. (See our previous episode with Kimmi Bitter.) When we first heard Logan Ledger, the same fascination kicked in. 

With sounds reminiscent of Marty Robbins, Jim Croce and The Byrds, it was easy to see why this Bay Area product was reclaiming the title of purveyor of California Country in early album reviews. His debut record in 2020 was produced by T. Bone Burnett. His sophomore effort, “Golden State,” was produced by none other than Shooter Jennings.

And it’s magnificent. 

Ledger joined Roots Music Rambler this week to talk about his albums, his sound and how a long-time Nashville singer-songwriter found his way into the professional musician space by finding and amplifying his own style. 

Falls shares his thoughts on a weird Jim Morrison documentary and he and Frank offer up their normal pickin’ the grinnin’ picks for the week as well.

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Audio production by Resonate Recordings. Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Songwriters and storytellers are at the core of Americana music. Few conversations in the genre go very long without the mention of names like John Prine, Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch and others. Most of those folks flocked to Nashville at one time or another to get a publishing deal, cut some records and try to make it in music.

Gabe Lee never had to flock to Nashville. He was born and raised there. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, his mother a pianist, Lee studied to be a classical concert pianist as a kid. Adolescence derailed those plans and Gabe joined garage bands and caught the music bug in a different way.

He now has emerged as one of Nashville’s most promising singer-songwriters. His four albums have shown a maturation into an artist who has been compared to the Prines, Isbells and Welches of the world. He even tells a story of his in-laws thinking of him as the Asian John Prine, a title he’s proud to represent. 

Lee sat in with Roots Music Rambler this week to talk about his upbringing and influences, his albums and his music. We discussed everything from listening rooms to college professors.

Lee’s latest album Drink the River came out in 2023. He says he’s intentionally taking time to build up a catalogue of “bangers” for a new LP, which he admits may not come out for another year. But he continues to drop singles, play tours opening for the likes of American Aquarium and dotting music festivals, and sit in with cool podcasts. 

Frank and Falls also talk about their own musical abilities (or lack thereof) and offer up their normal pickin’ the grinnin’ picks for the week.

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Audio production by Resonate Recordings. Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The mountains of Appalachia have produced some of the most memorable music in recent memory. From Dwight Yoakam to Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson to Tyler Childers, plus up-and-comers like Brit Taylor and Leah Blevins, there’s beautiful tunes in “them-thar hills.”

Cait Justice’s debut album Angel Teeth from sonaBlast Records offers a new entry in the fresh voices from Eastern Kentucky. The 20-something college student from Pikeville, Ky., now resides in Louisville. Within weeks of hitting town, she played a few open-mic and listening rooms, was recommended to sonaBlast’s Gill Holland, and found herself recording a debut album in Louisville’s famed La La Land Studios. 

Justice sat in with Frank and Falls on the latest episode of Roots Music Rambler to talk about her sudden insertion into the Louisville and Americana music scene, her background in music, and what it’s like to be at the beginning of what promises to be a meteoric rise to music relevance. 

Frank and Falls also talk about the impact their respective mothers had on their interest in music and offer up their normal pickin’ the grinnin’ picks for the week.

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links: 

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

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Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum; Audio production by Resonate Recordings. Copyright 2025 - Falls+Partners.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.