The Music Universe Podcast

Last month, Cincinnati-based singer, songwriter and storyteller Michael Marcagi shared a raw and reflective new single entitled “Good Enough” via Warner Records. Marcagi co-wrote the tune with The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz, while David Baron produced.

The track’s breezy acoustic guitar and propulsive beat underline this modern troubadour’s unfiltered storytelling as nostalgia and bare emotion collide. In between the melodically buoyant harmony, the song culminates on an anthemic yet heartbreaking chant, “You said I wasn’t good…You said I wasn’t good enough.” As always, feeling bleeds through his delivery.

Marcagi chats with us to discuss the track, working with Schultz, and a big year of touring with more on the way.

"I record in upstate New York and it's with the same producer, the Lumineers have you been using for the past couple albums," he tells us. "And it was just one of those things where, you know, we, the producer had always been talking about like, 'Oh, I think you guys would get along. I think you guys would be a good fit to do a song together.' And it's just never really worked out or whatever. Finally, we had time in our schedules and [recorded] a song together. We spent a week, me and Wes, the lead singer of Lumineers spent a week together up in upstate New York and just wrote a song from scratch and recorded it and it was a really, really cool experience."

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Mark Farner will release Closer to My Home, his long-awaited new studio album, on November 8th via Righteous Rock Records with distribution by MVD Entertainment Group. Bridging past and present, the grit of industry, and the calloused hard work of a rural man, the project champions Farner’s multi-faceted artistry. Celebrating the 55th anniversary of the iconic Grand Funk Railroad hit “(I’m Your Captain) Closer To My Home,” the album is highlighted with a re-record, finding Farner in exactly the same form as 1970.

"There was no such thing as a click track back then. We played to the drummer. All of those hits back then, all of that music, it was all played to a real person, a drummer in a bone suit," Farner tells us about recreating the song. "So we did a tempo map. Josh Egan, who played drums on this particular cut, [Egen] did a tempo map of Brewer's original tempo, how it went up and down. I mean, if you looked at that map, you're going, 'What the hell?' You know, I mean, it was all over the place, but it doesn't sound like it. It's just naturally in and out. If the drummer does a fill, a lot of times, he's gonna make it to one before you do a pure tapping. (Laughing) He gets excited about what he's doing. So we wanted to capture that, and Josh certainly did. And he played Ludwig drums, just like Brewer played on the original track."

Farner talks to us more about the project and whether a reunion with the original Grand Funk Railroad is in the works or not.

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Award-winning artist and songwriter Brad Tursi of multi-platinum-selling band Old Dominion releases his first-ever solo project, Parallel Love, on July 19th.

Parallel Love is a collection of songs that have been written over the past ten years that are reflective of where the accomplished artist, guitarist, and writer is in the present moment. Created and released with the band's full support, the project features co-writes with Stephen Wilson Jr., Dan Isbell, Jessi Alexander, and Matt Jenkins. Tursi produced the entire project as well, with Ben West and Marc Scibilia co-producing select tracks.

In addition to his role with the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year, Tursi is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, has earned multiple CMA Triple Play Awards for writing three No. 1 songs in 12 months, been named AIMP Artist Writer of the Year, and co-written hits for Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Tyler Hubbard, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker, and Cole Swindell, among others.

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The musician discusses his new spoken-word solo album

Country, bluegrass, and Americana legend John McEuen release his long-awaited album, The Newsman: A Man Of Record, in April via Compass Records. In this project for McEuen, the album has ten spoken word tracks and one instrumental piece. Each one tells a special story in a way that's like a play, with John's style of music in the background. The album starts with a story about a newspaper seller who had a big impact on John when he was getting started in Los Angeles and ends with "Jules' Theme," a song inspired by Jules Verne talking about his wife, who passed away in a French cemetery. Every part of the album is carefully put together to make it unforgettable.

The collection spans various literary themes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Civil War-era poem "Killed at the Ford" (which we premiered) to Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" about a Yukon prospector. Other tracks include Stephen Vincent Benét's "The Mountain Whippoorwill," Hank Williams Sr.'s "Fly Trouble," and Walter Brennan's "Old Rivers." Thomas Monroe's Vietnam War reflection "Nui Ba Den" contrasts with more recent compositions like John Carter Cash's "The Guitar Of Pineapple John," Hans Olson's "I'll Be Glad (When They Run Out Of Gas)," and Thaddeus Bryant's "Red Clay."

McEuen was set to support the project, but underwent an unexpected medical procedure around the time of the album's release, forcing him to be sidelined for several months.

We recently chatted with the country legend to discuss the project, his latest book, and his history with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

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Rising country star Kassi Ashton is a week away from releasing her major debut album, Made From The Dirt, via MCA Records on September 20th. The project features her top 40 country radio hit, "Called Crazy," "I Don't Wanna Dance," her chilling new ballad "The Straw," and others.

She holds nothing back on the ten tracks. Spiking her brand of country with rock ‘n’ roll spirit and unabashed vulnerability, she proudly wears her heart on her sleeve.

Ashton tells us the album title describes who she is.

"I was watching a live feed of a couture fashion show. And these models were wearing the most gorgeous, handmade, textured, metallic gowns trudging through mud. The stage in which the show was presented was like a pitch black, high spotlight beamed, motocross field, basically," she says. "The puddles, the hills, the obstacles. And I thought 'I wonder if everyone realizes that the gowns are all the more beautiful because they're being dragged through the mud because the models are having to climb and claw and really put their back into it.' And I just related so heavily to that imagery because all of my favorite things about myself if I could make a list have come from struggle or overcoming obstacles. I wasn't born with any of my favorite things. That's like, congrats, you were born with it, no one cares. But the things that have given me scars and that have shaped me are my favorite things. So yeah, I'm 'Made From Dirt.' And I tell everybody, I love the get back up. Please push me down, because I'm all the more interesting afterward."

In the episode, Ashton also explains the idea behind "Called Crazy," her stage presence, and more.

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McBride & The Ride celebrates its 35th anniversary with a new live EP this fall. The album's first single, "Amarillo Sky," is available now and may be familiar to country fans as it was made famous by Jason Aldean although Terry McBride & Co had recorded it years before Aldean.

"We've never recorded a live album, record or anything," McBride shares with us. "A lot of people have always asked us about live music. Our live show has a lot of energy that wasn't always captured in the studio, especially way back in the day when we were cutting a lot of ballads for radio. We just thought it was a great way for people who are fans or maybe never heard us to maybe get an idea of who we are live."

2024 also marks the 30th anniversary of the blockbuster film 8 Seconds, starring Luke Perry as bull rider Lane Frost. The band appeared in the film and contributed "No More Cryin'" to its soundtrack.

When they first began releasing music in 1989, McBride & The Ride released three acclaimed albums Burnin’ Up The Road, Sacred Ground, and Hurry Sundown, with hit singles like "Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run," “Sacred Ground,” "Going Out of My Mind," and many more. In the spring of 2021, they announced they were reuniting and going back in the studio to record new music. Though the band has been on and off over the past 30 years, its members have thrived through their careers.

Ray Herndon has been Lyle Lovett’s lead guitarist since 1985 and has had songs cut by Kenny Chesney, Aaron Tippin, Lee Greenwood, Linda Davis, and more, he continues to operate his family’s historic club, Handlebar J, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Terry McBride has had quite a fruitful career, writing major hits for Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Easton Corbin, Cody Johnson, and more. He toured with Brooks & Dunn through most of their biggest years playing bass and writing songs.

Billy Thomas moved to Nashville from Los Angeles in 1987 and immediately started working with Vince Gill along with many other country stars, including Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Steve Wariner & Earl Scruggs. He’s been Gill’s drummer on the road and in the studio ever since, adding background vocals to his many hits, as well as joining him as a member of The Time Jumpers, one of Nashville’s favorite bands.

The trio’s previous EP, Marlboros & Avon, produced by all three members, was released in 2023.

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Australian indie pop group Sheppard has returned with Zora, its fourth studio album, available now via Universal Music Group. The highly-anticipated project sees siblings Amy, Emma, and George Sheppard sharing their thoughts during uncertain times.

"We started writing it pretty much the day after we released Kaleidoscope Eyes," George says of the group's third album released during COVID. "We sorta started channeling those frustrations into a new album. We just kinda got back to work and a lot of this album was out of trying to give ourselves some hope of what was to come."

The album was written in Brisbane, LA, and Stockholm and is dedicated to their grandmother Zora.

The project is available on CD, and a limited edition double yellow vinyl and cassette.

The trio recently relocated to Nashville from their native Australia. They chat with Matt Bailey at a recent tour stop in Washington, DC about the project and how the move has affected their career.

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Capitol Nashville's Caylee Hammack has released her newest single, “The Hill,” laying the groundwork for her next creative chapter, pairing her with Celtic influences. The song opens a new spin sonically that pays homage to her transformative time in Scotland and Ireland as well as her sad surrender to a love that can no longer survive. Known as a deeply personal artist, Hammock vulnerably shares the internal battle of when to wave the white flag in a relationship.

Hammack co-wrote the song with singer/songwriter Tenille Townes, and songwriter Logan Wall, with John Osborne (of the country music duo Brothers Osborne) serving as a producer.

Hammack has carved a place for herself in country music, releasing her debut record If It Wasn't For You in 2020 with writer and producer credits for the entire project. She tapped Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, and Reba McEntire for collaborations on the project.

In this episode, the rising country star talks to us about her new music and what gave her the courage to ask three country superstars to guest on her debut which was recorded largely independently before signing with UMG Nashville.

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Grammy Award honoree, Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don McLean released his most recent album, American Boys, earlier this month via BFD/Audium Nashville and distributed exclusively through The Orchard. Paying tribute to his rock and roll heroes, McLean's new single honors those who paved the way.

"American boys invented rock and roll. That's the idea," McLean tells us. "It's really the high school version of 'American Pie' which is the college version, but it's not complicated at all, it's just a simple homage, but they invented rock and roll. That's the thing I want to get across to people that America has invented a lot of different kinds of music. It comes from the soil. It comes from the south. It comes from Memphis, and Nashville, the Texas Panhandle, Louisiana, Arkansas, all over. It doesn't come from New England. It does not come from the West. It comes from these places."

Last week, McLean was a guest at The White House State Dinner for President Ruto of Kenya. 

The legendary and still active singer/songwriter has had a significant career, selling over 50 million albums worldwide. Among other things, Don McLean received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021, was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2022, received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame in 2019 and the Music City Walk of Fame in 2023, and was recently the focus of a Paramount+ documentary The Day The Music Died.

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Texas country singer-songwriter Wade Bowen recently released his new album, Flyin, through his Bowen Sounds via Thirty Tigers/The Orchard. The 12-track record features a curated track listing with diverse songs ranging from old-fashioned honky-tonk country to gut-wrenching ballads, classic rock and even a love song to his home state for shaping him who he is today.

As the second project that Bowen has produced fully himself, Flyin came together over a year and provides listeners with an unexpected array of songs that will keep them on their toes and take them through a unique, musical journey. With this album, Bowen explores the individuality of each song and takes a deep dive into his creativity through songwriting and storytelling.

"Having a new album is always fun. It's always exciting. I really believe in this record and like I've been telling people, an artist, you know, a songwriter always says their most recent song they wrote is always their favorite and the artist always says their most recent album is always their favorite. So I'm trying really hard not to say that this time because I know that's the most cliche answer, but even though I do believe it's my favorite, but I do believe there's an energy to this record that I've never had before," Bowen tells us.

He continues, "This is the second record that I produced on my own of mine. And I believe that as I listen through to it, I think there's an energy to this thing that I've never had. Something that I could carry over into my live shows and something that we have carried over into my live show that has really amped things up and really given like, spirit to things that I've never had something that this really crank things up a little bit and just shown and it really is not it's not just about the tempo it's just this this energy this spirit this this this this this this fun and and happiness and just showing that that I'm having more fun than I've ever had and I feel like I'm at the top of my game right now this far into my career that feels really good to hear all of that in this record and I hope people hear that when they hear this record."

We chat about the new album, teaming up with good friend Miranda Lambert for the first time for a limited Texas run May 24-26 in his hometown of New Braunfels, his Bowen Family Foundation, and performing the National Anthem for the 2024 Texas Rangers Opening Day game.

Be sure to subscribe to The Music Universe Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Select episodes now streaming on Canyon Star TV.

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