Wick's Picks Podcast

On this week’s episode of Wick’s Picks I’m joined by English singer-songwriter Jack Browning, who stopped into The Hound studio to talk about his across the pond Kentucky connections, his debut performance this past weekend at Laurel Cove Music Festival, how painting informs his musical endeavors, and more.

We also preview three new songs from Browning’s forthcoming album due this fall along with hearing another trio of tunes — “James Alley Blues,” “Painted Skies,” “Speak Your Mind” — live in studio.

In the second half of this week’s double header of Wick’s Picks we sit down with Western Australia entrepreneur and music fan, Rob Hillier, to discuss the origins of his music oriented social media app Jamm Nation, it’s Kentucky ties, plans to evolve the project and more.

We also preview music from Laurel Cove Music Festival past and present performers like Sierra Ferrell, Colby Acuff, Kaitlin Butts and more.

I’m joined by Erie, Pennsylvania based folk band Smilo & The Ghost, who will make their second appearance at Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville this weekend.

Recorded in April during their visit to Lexington to play the festival’s pre-party at The Burl, the band led by Tyler Smilo spoke with me about the role music has played in his recovery from substance abuse, the band’s founding, how they celebrate their fans, their path to Laurel Cove, and more.

We also hear the band perform three songs in the studio — “Hope & Hurt,” “Phantom & The Lonely Heart” and “Blood Of My Father” — along with ending the episode with three fully produced tunes straight from the band’s Twang & Fire EP.

Benton, KY based country rock singer-songwriter Tony Logue — who I first saw perform live at Pineville’s Laurel Cove Music Festival in 2022 — joins the program to discuss his musical roots, new album Dark Horse, and more.

Additionally, Logue also performed three songs in studio — "Honey Suckles," "Calloway County," and "Cinnamon Blonde” solo acoustic style. To contrast, we close the hour out with full band versions of “Dark Horse,” “Honey Suckles,” and “The Dawn” pulled straight from his latest compilation.

Richmond, Ky. based singer-songwriter Eric Bolander joins the program to discuss new music ahead of the single "Old Tattoo" dropping May 30, co-writing, balancing his day job as a high school art teacher with his own creative ambitions, and more.

Additionally, Bolander also performed three songs in studio — “Strawberry Moon,” “One More Ride,” “The Wind." We also previewed three songs from his forthcoming album due out in November as well.

London based singer-songwriter Jordan Allen joins the program to talk about his recent experience on NBC's music competition show "The Voice," lessons from playing with Nicholas Jamerson's band that he can apply to his solo work, his recent experience with the tornados that swept across Kentucky, and more.

Additionally, we also heard studio versions of Allen's three most recent singles — "The Curse," "Take This Outside" and "Dogwoods Bark" — along with hearing him perform three unreleased songs — "Rain In Chicago," "Haunted House" and "I Should've Called" — from inside The Hound studios, acoustic style.

Aaron Raitiere joins the program to discuss his recent ACM Awards experience, hitting the road with Ella Langley, working with Bob Weir, and getting back to “Ol’ Kentucky” for the Sleeping In The Woods Songwriter Festival in Monticello May 16-18.

Raitiere is a Danville born singer-songwriter who’s called Nashville home for the past 20+ years. During that time he’s become a mainstay in writing rooms across town, earning credits on songs by Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Leftover Salmon, The Steel Woods, Ella Langley and The Oak Ridge Boys, among others.

In addition to our conversation, Raitiere also performs three songs — Leftover Salmon’s “Good Dog,” Lambert’s “Armadillo” and Wilson’s “4X4XU” — solo acoustic style. Then to wrap up the episode we hear the more polished studio side of the singer with “Can’t Rain All The Time,” “Time Will Fly” and “Ol’ Kentucky.”

Maggie Nöelle and Ryan Allen from Lexington based Appalachian rock n'soul band Magnolia Boulevard join the program to talk about their recent Bluebird Cafe debut in Nashville, new music, playing as a duo vs. getting the whole band together, and more.

Additionally, the duo also perform three unreleased songs — "Devil You Know," "Anything" and "Nomad" — live in the Hound FM studio along with previewing their three singles with the band from earlier this year — "Spellbound," "On My Own" and "It's About Damn Time" — as well.

This week during Wick’s Picks on Hound FM presented by the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum I’m joined by John Smithwick of Hidden Ridge Camping / Black Mountain Management and Prestonsburg based singer-songwriter Nicholas Jamerson. Together the three of us preview the Sleeping In The Woods Songwriter Festival taking place May 16-18, get a first listen of new music from Jamerson, and more.

Of the latter, Jamerson performed three songs solo acoustic from his album The Narrow Way (expected Sept. 2025) — "Dark In Every Day," "Days Like These," and "Running Out Of Daylight." Additionally, we also fire up three songs from his 2023 album Peace Mountain — "Bad Imagination," "Lexington," and "Peace Mountain (feat. Charles Wesley Godwin)."

This week on Wick's Picks Colorado based bluegrass band Big Richard joins the program to talk about how the group's formation after a one- off festival gig, their new album Girl Dinner, making more space for women in bluegrass, and more.

Additionally, the foursome also performed two songs — "The Missing Stair" and a cover of Bill Monroe's "The One I Love Is Gone" — live from the Hound FM studio.