Sisters In Song

Colby T. Helms was an absolute gem to talk to on the episode. We chatted about how he got started by performing around town, what's coming next, and his AmericanaFest experience (so far).

 The Blue Ridge Mountains wind through eight states over astretch of 615 miles. In Virginia, they overlook Franklin County south ofRoanoke. Back in the day, bootleggers would refer to the area as “The MoonshineCapital of the World” due to its perfect placement to export contraband. Thesedays, the textile mills of Rocky Mount and other once cozy-towns have shutdown, leaving minimal opportunity and a lot of hopelessness. At the bottom ofthe Southwest Virginia foothills half-a-mile from the nearest neighbor, ColbyHelms resides in an “underground house” built by his late father. He hunts andtakes care of his mom. He also pens the kind of raw and real country music thatcuts to the bone. After signing to Photo Finish Records, he introduces himselfwith a series of 2023 singles and his forthcoming debut album.  

 Joined by his band The Virginia Creepers, he cut his teeth with countless gigs around the area. He also shared a series of arresting D.I.Y. performance videos on YouTube, including “Smoke and Flames.” With starkly honest songwriting and a sharp angular twang to his vocals, he struck adynamic balance between country storytelling, blue grass energy, and blues power. He caught the attention of Photo Finish Records and inked a deal with the label in 2023. 

Now, he’s shining a light on a very special part of America and offering up hope.  

Be sure to check Colby out here: 

 We had such an engaging and inspiring conversation with Christopher Wyze! His passion for the blues, his infectious enthusiasm, and his journey from the world of advertising to pursuing music were all captivating. Christopher opened up about the story behind his new album, Live atClarksdale, and even challenged us with the reminder that you actually haveto do the work to create songs.  

With LIVE in CLARKSDALE, Christopher Wyze & the Tellers give fans around the world who have devoured their studio work a first look and listen to the band…LIVE.   

It all happened on October 1, 2024, at the Juke Joint Chapel – in front of a live audience. Wyze and the five-piece Tellers put on their finest show to date right there on the surprisingly grand stage. (Never mind that it was their first show.) History tells us the now-cozy Juke JointChapel music hall has been reincarnated. Long ago, the place attracted a much different crowd. And the sounds it emitted? Might different, too. We're talking the whirring , whizzing, straining refrains of different kind of "music" – the sound of cotton being ginned.   

LIVE in CLARKSDALE, the soundtrack and video show, features eight of the band's original radio-charting "Stuck in the Mud" album studio singles, including their RMR #1 hit "Back to Clarksdale"(Here's the Set List.) Plus, it features two all-time blues standards from the 1920s: "How Long, How Long Blues" and "Nobody Knows you When You're Down and Out" – the first made famous by early blues recording stars Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell with their 1928 recording.   

Along with the soundtrack and live show video, the combo CD/DVD set features a 50 minute "all things Clarksdale" documentary filmed in the Delta and hosted and produced by Christopher Wyze.   

The bonus content film, “Wyze in Clarksdale,” takes viewers on a journey through musically historic Clarksdale and surrounds. Featuring the cinematography of Clarksdale filmmaker Coop Cooper, it includes a look at the fabled Crossroads, where Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil. It takes viewers for a visit to the historic train depot platform in nearby Tutwiler, where W.C. Handy first heard the blues in 1903.   

Be sure to check Christopher Wyze and the Tellers out here: 

Website: christopherwyze.com 

 What a pleasure it was chattingwith Alaina Stacey. She’s such a kind and warm person with so much to share! We talked with her about her latest EP “Dusk” the third part of a 3-EP project and her trip to the 4-corners with her dad at the age of 10 that changed her life. She also introduced us to the idea of “hook books.”  

 Alaina Stacey grew up in a musical family in Chicago and moved to Nashville at 18 where she toured and recorded with Americana group Maybe April.   

Now working under her own name, Stacey’s solo work fuses her love of country, Americana, rock, pop, folk, and standards. Recorded and produced by Evan Redwine in Nashville and BrianDeck in Chicago, Stacey’s EP DUSK highlights the uneasy feeling of uncertainty in a new day that can also bring hope of springing out of the paralysis of choice into action. From “Think of You” to “Insomnia,” Stacey is fully awake, hopeful for tomorrow, and happy to get this project outinto the world.   

Be sure to check Alaina out here: 

 ** Please note that we had a bit of feedback during this episode. We’ve made every effort to clean that up as much as possible!  

 Eugene Rice (who called in from work at Malibu Music) and Joseph Perez of The American Mile sat down with us to talk about their growth as a band, their line up changes since 2018 and their sophomore album “American Mile.” We chatted about the uphills and downhills of being a band and excessive touring—with over 200 shows a year! The other two members of the band are Dezmond Saunders and Colton Miller.   

Road dogs at heart, American Mile plays over 200 shows a year and is currently in the middle of a 40+ city tour. Every time they get the train back on the tracks, something would derail it … again. But they never stopped. They never slowed down, even when they should’ve. They just keep on going. All gas and no brakes. And with every drum hit, guitar strum, and vocalline, you can hear the hard work and sacrifice poured into this album that documents the sacrifices, strength, and resilience it takes to keep a band together and to be a functioning human in the 2020s. 

 Made up of four young, seasoned studio and touring musicians, all of whom left their hometowns in the Midwest to come to Los Angeles to pursue music, the band started with a strong rock foundation and found themselves embracing the soul and storyteller songwriting of country music, finding those sweet spots that blend heavy-hitting riffs with soulfullyrics.   

Be sure to check out American Mile here: 

 We loved talking with New Zealand native Lisa Crawley! She had such a wonderful attitude that she calls the “LA Disposition” and was full of amazing insight! Lisa is a songwriter and session musician who started on the recorder as her first instrument and exploded from there! We talkabout songwriting game shows, her latest EP “New Girl Syndrome”, and the video for her fabulous song “Gatekeeper” which you can hear on this episode! 

Lisa Crawley is the indie-pop artist who makes vulnerability sound effortless. A multi-instrumentalist, in-demand session player, and songwriter, she has built a career spanning multiple continents, four APRA Silver Scroll Award nominations, and countless live performances. Known for her emotionally rich songs and sophisticated melodies, Lisa’s music blendsvulnerability with charm, captivating audiences worldwide. 

 Hailing from New Zealand and now based in Los Angeles after career forays in London and Melbourne,, Lisa’s journey has taken her from performing with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra to opening for the likes of John Mayer, Suzanne Vega, Paul Weller, and Simply Red. Her music has also made its mark in film and television, with placements on Nancy Drew, GoodTrouble, Stumptown, Proven Innocent, The Secret She Keeps, and feature films like The Last Days of Capitalism and WARU. You might have even caught her as an on-screen musician in NBC’s This Is Us. 

Beyond the recording studio, Lisa’s talents extend to the stage. She starred as ‘GIRL’ in the Tony Award-winning musical Once and co-created Elizabeth with Bullet Heart Club (Daffodils), agig-theater production blending her original songs with storytelling.   

Be sure to check Lisa out here: 

 We talked with Cali Navarro on this episode and what a delight! Cali is an up-and-coming singer songwriter who talked about her love of pop music, how she feels free on stage, and her love of the audience! 

 Calista Navarro, also known as Cali, is a singer-songwriter, actress, and storyteller from Elsa, Texas. Cali grew up with music all around her, from the classic rock, country, and pop played in the car on family road trips, to the soundtracks she heard while watching Mexican soapoperas on TV. It is no surprise that she developed a love of performance early on and was singing and dancing on stage in school assemblies by the time she was three years old. Two years later, Cali began taking voice lessons, marking the start of her formal education in music that continues to this day. Since embarking on her musical journey, she has learned to play the ukulele and acoustic guitar, and compose original songs inspired by artists she loves, suchas Taylor Swift, Janis Joplin, and Etta James.   

In 2022, Cali was invited to the PBS broadcast of Reading Rainbow, where her original song “Reading is Magical” was featured during the live premiere event. Other notable performances include singing the national anthem at sporting events and appearing in showcases for music schools across Texas and in New York City. In the summer of 2023, she had theopportunity to open for KidzBop during their Never Stop Live Tour at major venues such as Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Toyota Music Factory in Irving, and ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin.     

Be sure to check Cali out here: 

 We were so excited to be able to catch up with Ana Cristina Cash about her latest singles “Cheap Margaritas” and Daybreak” AVAILABLE NOW, as well as her upcoming EP “The Sunshine State Volume One” (forthcoming). 

We talked about writing bilingually, her introduction to the music business, and how she sees a song from start to finish. This was such a fun chat! 

 Ana Cristina Cash is a Nashville-based American singer-songwriter who was originally raised in Miami, Florida by her Cuban parents who moved to the United States in the early 1960s during the onset of the revolution. Growing up listening to a multitude of genres, Cash’s sound wasinfluenced by an eclectic array of inspiration from Country, Pop, improvisational Jazz, and Latin music. Writing directly from the heart, the singer-songwriter’s recordings exhibit a broad vocal range, spanning from an expressive and resonating contralto to a soaring coloratura soprano, otherwise known as the “whistle register.” Ana earned her bachelor’s degree in journalismfrom Florida International University and her master’s degree in creative writing and literature from Harvard University.  

Ana Cristina is currently preparing Part 1 and Part 2 of EP releases of songs that incorporate her country music with pop sensibilities and Latin influences. She will follow up the two EP releases with a full expanded album edition including several new tracks. She is a frequent performer on the Grand Ole Opry, The Bluebird Café, 3rdandLindsley, major sporting events and isan active part of the thriving Nashville music scene. 

Be sure to check Ana Cristina out here: 

 We were so honored when Kirsten Rodden-Clarke and Jordan Coaker of Quote the Raven agreed to chat with us on the show! We had a great conversation about how they got involved in music “by accident,” their latest release “Map the Dark,” writing camps and we geeked out about vinyl (again!). 

Quote the Raven, consisting of Jordan Coaker and Kirsten Rodden-Clarke have been performing together for over a decade. The pair got their start in small bars and pubs around St. John’s and in the past few years have rapidly grown to a household name around Canada and are steadily growing their clout on an international level.    

The dynamic duo have a harmonious blend that’s incomparable; it’s like the blending of two voices into one, while their Americana meets east coast songwriting and stage dynamic are irresistibly charming.  

Their sophomore album titled "Can’t Hold the Light,” an album that delves into the lives of working musicians won the 2022 ECMA for Contemporary Roots album of the year and was nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards. Their latest release “Map the Dark” is an amazing showcase of their talents!  

Be sure to check them out here: 

 Talking with Shelby Means was such a delight! We geeked out over dogs. We talked about her amazing solo debut, self-titled album and the excitement of what happens next. Shelby has a long career touring alongside many legends and her first solo album shows what a legend SHE is! 

Born in the bluegrass of Kentucky and raised on Wyoming’s high plains, Shelby Means is one of the foremost bassists in bluegrass, with nearly two decades of experience in bluegrass, folk, rock, Americana, and country outfits. Now based in Charleston, SC, during her tenure in Nashvilleshe was a member of the incredibly impactful GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass band of all women, Della Mae. With Della Mae and others she has traveled to more than 20 countries around the world spreading musical diplomacy.  

  Means is also one half of roots duo Sally & George with her husband and collaborator, Sol Driven Train’s Joel Timmons. With Timmons, Mary Lucey, and Billy Cardine, she co-founded another group, Lover’s Leap, a genre blurring, heart-led Americana band. Means is a member of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, with whom she gained her first GRAMMY win for their 2023album, City of Gold. She’s also received more than a handful of awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association for her work with Della Mae and Golden Highway. 

 Means is a driving player with a deep pocket, a singular stage presence, and a magnetic, centered approach to the upright bass. Beyond her work on the instrument, she’s also an accomplished songwriter and a heartfelt vocalist whose voice is rooted in tradition while authentically her own. With her debut solo music, released in 2025, Means inviteslisteners to experience the same soulful presence and adventurous spirit she has built her career on. Her singing and playing has been heard across the country and around the world, from NPR’s airwaves, the Grand Ole Opry, Bonnaroo, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Newport Folk to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kazakhstan, Australia, and beyond. 

Be sure to check Shelby out here: 

We had the opportunity to chat with Gayle Skidmore right before she got on stage for a gig! She put out her most recent album "The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster" in April of this year and calls it her "pandemic project." She was doing work on her geneology when she dove deep into this project and it helped to kick off her next project--an album with her cousin in Finland!

 San Diego-based artist Gayle Skidmore is set to release her highly anticipated neoclassical album, The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster, on April 4, 2025. Known for her hauntingly beautiful piano compositions and emotive performances, Skidmore’s new album is a deeplypersonal and historically rich exploration of one of America's most tragic events: the collapse of a railroad bridge in Ashtabula, Ohio, in December 1876. The disaster claimed the lives of 92 people, including Skidmore’s relative, renowned hymn writer Philip P. Bliss.This eleven-track album is an evocative journey through both the human tragedy and the historical significance of the event, blending delicate, intricate melodies with deeply emotional compositions. Skidmore’s piano work captures the sorrow, resilience, and humanity at the heart of the disaster. The album is also a tribute to her grandmother, who passed away in 2019, and who was proud of their family’s connection to Bliss..After eight years in The Netherlands, Skidmore is thrilled to be back home in San Diego.  

Be sure to check out Gayle here: