The WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour Podcast

NO BS! BRASS BAND has quickly earned a reputation as a premiere band to see for heart-pounding energy and uncontrollable dancing. Based in Richmond, Virginia, they take their music into uncharted territory, embracing the spirit of New Orleans into its original East Coast modern funk and fearlessly combining elements of James Brown, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson, and Led Zeppelin into their fiercely original sound. Founders Reggie Pace and Lance Koehler have cast this 11-piece band in which nearly every member has had conservatory training, holding various degrees in music. They have the look of New Orleans with the raw sound all their own -- music is a true definition of the “Richmond sound".

MICHELLE MALONE defies easy description. Wild-haired Rock God, political singer/songwriter, passionate performer with roots in church music–no single characterization tells the whole story. Over the course of this Atlanta native's decades-spanning career, she’s collaborated with artists from Steve Earle to ZZ Top to Greg Allman, released more than a dozen records and gone indie when it still took guts. Equal parts badass guitar slinger and sweet songstress, Malone artfully balances her penchant for ripping it through the roof with masterful lyrical introspection and vocals that range from sublime to raucous. She'll be performing songs from her 15th release, the self-produced 'Slings and Arrows', which debuted at #8 on the Billboard blues charts.

WoodSongs Kid: Williams Stone Atkins is high school student from Lexington, Kentucky with a passion for singing. He performs a classic Frankie Valli tune a cappela on the broadcast.

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RUEN BROTHERS were inspired by their music aficionado father who raised the duo on a steady diet of The Rolling Stones and The Everly Brothers, the two would rehearse in the family kitchen while scrounging for gigs in their blue-collar hometown of Scunthorpe, England. The brothers quickly collected a global audience of fans, none more influential than iconic producer Rick Rubin, who quickly recognized their talent and promptly took the brothers under his wing. The brothers’ artistic background and pedigree come into full focus on their debut studio album ‘All My Shades of Blue’.

KITTEL & CO. is a contemporary string collective fronted by violin virtuoso Jeremy Kittel (formerly of the GRAMMY award-winning Turtle Island Quartet). Kittle has worked such diverse artists as My Morning Jacket, Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble, and Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn but for the last few years, the Brooklyn-based artist has been diligently building his own repertoire of music for a wholly original new group. ‘Whorls’ is the band’s debut album on Compass Records and it inhabits the space between classical and acoustic roots, Celtic and bluegrass aesthetics, folk and jazz sensibilities.

WoodSongs Kids: Ivey Station is a siblingfiddle duo from Cedar Bluff, Alabama made up of Jenalee and Elijah Roberts.

RHONDA VINCENT was famously crowned as "The New Queen of Bluegrass" by the Wall Street Journal, and is considered the most decorated artist in that field. She is an 8-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year and Grammy winner. Her group The Rage is the most Award Winning Group in Bluegrass Music History. Vincent's music incorporates savvy contemporary touches while drawing deeply from the authentic traditions of classic bluegrass, with a flawless band that can execute break-neck instrumentals to heart wrenching ballads. She will be performing material for her latest project ‘Rhonda Vincent & The Rage with Bluegrass Legends Live at the Ryman’.

WoodSongs Kids: The Borders Band is a family band from Clarksville, TN consisting of five siblings ranging in age from 6-13 years old. All attend the Conservatory of Annie Moses in Nashville, TN, where each studies at least two instruments, vocal and stage performance, music theory and composition, and family performance.

Young Thumbs is an organization started at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention in Nashville by John Knowles and Tommy Emmanuel. Both of these legendary guitar masters, awarded Certified Guitar Player (CGP) honors by Chet Atkins, offer advice, encouragement, and help these teenage pickers continue Chet’s legacy by connecting with older, established fingerstyle guitarists. Young master guitarists from around the world perform on this Special Event broadcast of WoodSongs and are mentored by one of the most revered guitar players on Earth Tommy Emmanuel. Young Thumbs appearing include thirteen-year-old award-winning guitarist Frano from Croatia, Nathan Miller, Parker Hastings, Bella Spellman, plus Take Two Guitar Duo with Katelyn Prieboy and Emma Pettyjohn..

GRETCHEN PETERS, after moving to Nashville in the late 80’s, quickly established herself as both a talented performer and in-demand songwriter, writing songs for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, and Neil Diamond. She also collaborated with Bryan Adams Peters won the 1995 CMA for Best Song with her breakout song “Independence Day”. Her new album ‘Dancing With The Beast’ showcases her skill at creating characters who feel true-to-life within stories that are all too relatable in reflecting the times we live in.

MARTY BROWN was born in Maceo, Kentucky and eventually made his way to Nashville, Tennessee to a record deal at MCA Records. He toured with acts such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams, Jr. and many, many more. After his recording years, he started writing hit songs for artists like the heart-felt and groovy “I’m From the Country and I Like It That Way” for Tracy Byrd. He recently also appeared on America’s Got Talent and will have a new album out later this year on Plowboy Records.

WoodSongs Kid: Shelby Callahan is a talented thirteen-year-old vocalist and guitarist from Lexington, Kentucky. Shelby performs Trisha Yearwood’s breakout song “Independence Day” which was written by Gretchen Peters.

LINDSAY LOU has been making beautiful, soul-shaking music for the last decade with her band The Flatbellys. This Michigan songbird has been featured in a number of the best acoustic music festivals in the US. Her singing floats over the instrumental mastery and deep groove of her band with dynamics that range from a lullaby to a battle cry. 2018 marks what might be the biggest year for the band, both sonically and with the fact that they are dropping “& The Flatbellys” from their name, a decision that seemed like the natural next step for them. The band is set to release their latest, a transformative and heart-wrenching album titled ‘Southland’.

DAWN LANDES is one of the most fearlessly innovative musicians working today. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and Branson, Missouri, Landes cultivated her musical gifts not only through performing and songwriting, but also through learn-by-doing production work that eventually led her to co-owning a recording studio for a time. Over the years, she has collaborated with such contemporaries as Will Oldham, Justin Townes Earle, and Norah Jones. Her latest ‘Meet Me At The River’ is Landes’ self-described “Nashville record.” She has assured its pedigree by enlisting the production skills of Fred Foster, the Country Music Hall of Fame member and an an A-Team of Nashville musicians.

WoodSongs Kid: Cash Staub is a twelve-year-old musician from Williamstown, Kentucky. He has a deep love of bluegrass and old timey music.

THE LOOSE STRINGS BAND is an all women band, five members ranging in age from fifteen to twenty three years of age from Galax, Virginia. The band has been together for nine years, playing at bluegrass conventions, special events, ceremonies, and festivals. They are well known in the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond for their nice blend of tight vocal harmonies and sweet rhythms. They are also unique in their style since they all play an instrument and sing. The band has been well supported and embraced by many through the years.

KIRBY JANE is a Nashville-based guitarist from Charleston, South Carolina, specializing in solo jazz/americana performance and fingerstyle arranging. Her award-winning playing style stems from her roots as an ex-pat pianist and her guitar approach draws significantly on composing and arranging methods more commonly seen in the piano world, providing for a nuanced, expressive approach to the guitar. At 24 years of age, Kirby is a protégé of Grammy-winning guitarist John Knowles, CGP. She is also a contributor for for Premier Guitar Magazine.

WoodSongs Kid: Although only 8-years-old, Ashlyn Smith flat-picks the guitar well beyond her years. Her hometown is Louisville, Kentucky

SARAH PATRICK is a Kentucky girl with a passion for traditional music. The singer/songwriter embodies the spirit of real country music: hope and heartbreak, working hard, playing hard, focusing on family and appreciating the simple things. She loves the music of Loretta Lynn. And now, this simple girl has her sights set on a big dream with the impending release of a new album produced by country music’s living legend, the multi-award-winning David Frizzell.

DILLON CARMICHAEL is a Kentucky bred solid country gold singer whose plainspoken lyrics and a rich baritone voice recently was just named one of Rolling Stone Country’s 10 New Country Artists You Need To Know. To say he knows a thing or two about music is putting it lightly. To say he knows a thing or two about music is putting it lightly. His musical pedigree includes uncles John Michael Montgomery and Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery. Produced by GRAMMY award-winning Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton & Sturgill Simpson) Carmichael’s debut record is stocked with songs that nod to Outlaw country while still making room for Carmichael’s stunning.

WoodSongs Kid: Made New is a family bluegrass and country band originally from Southeast Michigan but now based in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

GLEN PHILLIPS has been making music for over two decades, starting as the

14-year-old frontman of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Since then, hes

accumulated an esteemed body of work comprising eight albums with Toad

(which collectively have sold close to 4 million units) and three as a

solo artist. Swallowed By The New, on Compass Records, is the most

intensely personal album of his career, reflecting his mastery for

converting raw emotion into sound. Taking on lifes difficult transitions,

Phillips delivers some of his most vulnerable songs yet.

MIPSO is an acclaimed indie-Americana quartet from Chapel Hill, North

Carolina. Recently recognized by Rolling Stone as an Artist You Need to

Know, the band ventures ever-further from its string-band pedigree to

discover a broader Americana where classic folk-rock and modern

alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition. Their fifth

album, Edges Run, is lush and forward moving, with lyrics that sear and salve in turn.

ASHLEY CAMPBELL is a triple threat songwriter, singer and banjo virtuoso. Following in the footsteps of a famous parent is never an easy path, and Ashley, the daughter of music legend Glen Campbell, initially pursued dance and acting. But when Ashley was asked to learn banjo for a part in a play, a spark was lit and her calling was found. Soon Ashley was studying with banjo luminary Carl Jackson (her godfather and longtime member of Glen's band) and mastering her technique. Ashley co-wrote all thirteen songs on her debut album 'The Lonely One', chronicling a personal journey - by turns bold, reflective and brazenly funny - of a young woman grappling with grown up choices.

LILLIE MAE has been singing and playing on stages across the country since she could stand on her own two feet. ‘Forever and Then Some’, her much anticipated Third Man Records debut, sees the Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist weaving her own extraordinary experiences with the myriad strains of Americana to create a breathtaking song cycle of romance and struggle, solitude and adventure. Produced by multiple GRAMMY® Award-winner Jack White III at Third Man Studio in Nashville, the album affirms Lillie Mae as a remarkably gifted musical storyteller, a bright new star that’s been here all along.

WoodSongs Kid: Kate Ward is a fifteen-year-old fiddler from Kuttawa, Kentucky. Kate is a staff fiddler at the Kentucky Opry and she has competed in numerous fiddle across the country.

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