Johnny Meyer gives us a taste of his new music and new direction in this exclusive video for AcoustiCult.

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Gil: Emi, tell us a little bit about your origin story. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

My grandmothers taught me to sing harmony by singing different parts to me before I could talk, and I responded by humming along so they knew I had good pitch. When I was 6, I was in an all-ages talent show and won… that set me on my way. From there I formed my family band and at 9 had a video go viral of me singing a Jimmie Rodgers tune! I’ve just kept moving ever since.

Gil: Which part of your musical career do you enjoy the most – live performance, songwriting, recording, or something else?

Writing! But really, all of it! There are different aspects to every part! I think I’m going to love producing!

Gil: What about writing do you love so much? Tell us about your writing method, and what you do to get in the creative groove.

Sure! I write a few different ways. I love to write while traveling by car, but not on the tour bus, because it’s too rowdy, with the whole family. In a car, my mom and I write well. I also like to write in hotels, especially if they are unique. Sometimes I like to take a few days and do a B&B, too. Snacks, essential oils and instruments help me stay in a creative groove. Also, soft blankets and comfy couches! I like to surround myself with unique things while I’m writing—stuffed animals, antique dolls and various oddities! I’m a little eclectic, my co-writers say!

Gil: You’ve played the Opry multiple times. What did your first time playing there feel like?

I was confident but nervous— just a little, because I respect it so!!! Standing where so many heroes stood, was such an honor. It really is my favorite venue ever.

Gil: Speaking about performing, tell us a little about your current rig. What instruments are you playing right now? Any favorites?

I love my new Fender Mustang! I’m gravitating to it! I have a Martin D-16 and a Martin Tenor I love! My custom Kala Ukes are my go-to’s! I have a Super Tenor that’s out of this world! I’m about to come out with my own signature series Kala so I’m really excited for that! Plus, I’m loving my banjolele!

Gil: What are some of your favorite musical inspirations, whether musicians or specific
albums? How’ve they had an influence on your own music?

Well, I have to say Buddy Miller is huge in my world. It’s all the little things that have made me grow. Songs are like fertilizer—they expand my world! Patty Loveless and Rhonda Vincent taught me I can do this. Patty Griffin early on, and Dolly, Loretta, and now I’m just pulling from everywhere! Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Tom Waits, Queen, Merle Haggard— these people inspire me to have my own voice and write my own story!

Gil: Queen is always a solid pick. You released an album earlier this year called Family Wars. Tell us a bit about that and how it’s different than your past albums?

“Family Wars” is the best thing I’ve put out! It was produced by Tony Brown and me! I wrote or co-wrote everything on it! It’s a good representation of where I am going. He is just a master at producing. Plus, the songs were all my picks. Also, this album is more conflict-oriented than my previous ones. Most of the songs on “Family Wars” have something to do with different kinds of conflicts—political, violent or personal.

Gil: Who are some of the people playing on this album?

Justin Moses played on it. He was the 2018 IBMA Dobro Player of the Year, but he plays several instruments. He is a hometown friend of our family and has been on every one of my albums. He’s my go to guy! On accordion, we had Jeff Taylor, who is with The Time Jumpers. Kyle Jacobs plays keyboard on the song “Meanwhile In America,” which he co-wrote. The rest was all my family. My brother John played mandolin and guitar! My Uncle Bobby played drums and my dad is on bass. I played ukulele and guitar.

Gil: So what’s next for you?

Touring! Really buckling down and woodshedding my instruments! Recording and writing! Oh, and running Emi’s Closet, my new boutique in my hometown of Madisonville, Tennessee!

Gil: What made you want to open a clothing boutique?

Well, it’s more than clothing; it is unique items, too! It’s also my office. I wanted to have a place with good Internet because our home is very rural, with no Internet service, so I needed a place to work. Mom, too. Together, we found a spot in downtown Madisonville, Tennessee, and I love it! I find items all along my travels and buy things for the boutique that I think are interesting. It’s fun!

Gil: Thanks for talking with us, Emi, and best of luck with your new album. Merry Christmas!

You can connect with Emi and find out more about what she’s up to on her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Zeb Snyder puts his spin on a classic fiddle tune in this exclusive for AcoustiCult.com.

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Stephen Burwell joins Acousticult today for a few minutes of Snowflake Reel on fiddle.

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Tired of touring, Johnson and Burch left the band and were promptly replaced by Bela Fleck and Pat Flynn. Pat Flynn, an experienced singer-songwriter whose resume included work with the Beatles and other known talents pushed New Grass Revival into their peak performance throughout the 1980’s and became the brand name band associated with progressive bluegrass. Through this decade of transformation, the group produced an additional four studio albums and one live album. The last album, Friday Night in America debuted the group’s first Billboard Top 40 hit “Callin’ Baton Rouge” which hit number thirty-seven on the list. When it appeared as though New Grass Revival was at its peak, Bush made the decision to separate himself and form his own group which ultimately led to the breakup of the band.

As New Grass Revival matured so too did the subgenre of progressive bluegrass. Progressive bluegrass, known differently from its parent genre of bluegrass differs in the fact that it incorporates electrical instruments and songs or styles from other music genres. New Grass Revival played a major role in the evolutionary explosion of progressive bluegrass by incorporating first the electric bass and giving a progressive bluegrass taste of covered songs such as “One Love” by Bob Marley, and “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. Across the entirety of their discography it is easy to see the many instances in which New Grass Revival borrowed and covered songs from music styles such as country, jazz, reggae, and rock.

Although progressive bluegrass is not as widely followed as other popular music genres, New Grass Revival made a niche for themselves and are well known as the premiere progressive bluegrass band by many in the music world. During its eighteen-year existence, the band produced a total of nine studio albums and two live albums, they received both Best Band and Best Album awards in 1988 from Fret Magazine and placed on the Billboard Top 100 six times and the Top 40 one time.

Although time has passed since New Grass Revival has performed or recorded anything their influence on progressive bluegrass, and to an extent on bluegrass remains profound. For anyone seeking a unique style of music that incorporates a multitude of genres and subgenres, New Grass Revival is certainly worth giving a listen to.

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The name “The Seldom Scene” came about when a friend of a band member jokingly suggested that they call themselves “the seldom seen” as he didn’t believe the band would establish any successful following. The band leader liked the name and it stuck, and the band is attributed with applying being “seldom seen” as a philosophy by having a light touring schedule. Regardless, the world came to know The Seldom Scene as one of the best examples of quality bluegrass music.

The band plays bluegrass versions of popular country, pop, and rock songs and each performance has a certain laid-back vibe, representing the band’s easy-going atmosphere. They are also praised for their pioneering role in the ‘new grass’ bluegrass movement which blended the original bluegrass sounds with more urban music genres.

Among the twenty one albums in their discography (many of which were produced under either the labels Sugar Hill or Rebel), “Little Georgia Rose” and “Wait a Minute” stand out as fan favorites. For 25 years, The Seldom Scene was one of the most famous bands in bluegrass until the death of John Duffey in 1996. Though the band seemed destined to split, Seldom Scene was too popular to disband. The band had experienced the arrival and departure of many members during its lifespan and while Duffey’s death was a hard blow, they forged on.

In more recent years the band has received two awards. Both of these awards were received in 2015, one being the Independent Music Award for Best Album in Bluegrass and the other being the Independent Music Award for Best Song in Bluegrass. They’ve also been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards. Despite such a long presence in the spotlight, Seldom Scene’s popularity is as strong as ever within the bluegrass circle.

Today, Seldom Scene is made up of none of its founding members but they still play all of the old favorites and continue to keep the band’s music and lifestyle alive for all to enjoy. The newest members of the band include Lou Reid as the lead vocalist, Dudley Connell on the guitar and vocals, Ronnie Simpkins playing the bass, dobro covered by Fred Travers, and Ron Stewart on the banjo and fiddle. The Seldom Scene recently released a new album called “Changes” in June of 2019 and they are currently on tour throughout the rest of 2019.

The 49-year old progressive bluegrass band still draws crowds and brings new listeners to the genre. Continuing to experiment with the genre, the band still tries to add new spins to their music by adding such influences as Jazz and Americana music. The Seldom Scene will go down in music history as innovators of the genre, sure to inspire the many bluegrass bands to follow.

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Attending Antioch College in Ohio, Gerrard befriended a group of fellow students living in her dorm who loved folk music. It was there that she was first introduced to Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music. Later in her career, Gerrard would say that it was this introduction to the “stark music and dark themes” of the anthology that inspired her to pick up a guitar and learn to play. Upon graduating college and moving to Washington D.C., Gerrard quickly found herself enveloped in the area’s passionate folk music community.

It was within the nation’s capital that she became more familiar with the bluegrass subgenre in particular. Gerrard met Hazel Dickens, a folk singer from West Virginia who shared her passion for folk music- the classic Appalachian style in particular. In forming a bond based around their common interests, Gerrard and Dickens found that they harmonized well together and decided to play shows together in the Baltimore area where they quickly rose to success.

In 1965, Gerrard and Dickens finally had their first recording session at a church in D.C., backed by the musical talents of Lamar Grier (banjo), David Grisman (mandolin), and both Billy Baker and Chubby Wise on fiddles. This first recording was a set of traditionally styled folk classics that would later be released under the title, Who’s That Knocking. This first release would ordain Gerrard and Dickens as the first “female-led act in bluegrass” while also becoming a key influence of many folk music artists to follow such as Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris.

It wouldn’t be until 1973 when a second LP, titled Won’t You Come and Sign For Me, was released that Gerrard would begin her rise to true fame within the bluegrass genre. Alice and Hazel (1973) and Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (1976) would be added to the duo’s discography and all four albums would later be included in a CD set titled, Pioneering Women of Bluegrass in 1996. 

Gerrard would branch off from Dickens at the start of the 80’s and while she recorded yet another album with folk artist Mike Seeger, Gerrard spent this decade investing her talents into other creative outlets. Ever the folk music lover, Gerrard became an editor for The Old-Time Herald- a magazine focused around the bluegrass genre. She would also direct the documentary, Sprout Wings and Fly, a documentary about the legendary Appalachian fiddler, Tommy Jarrell. 

Although Gerrard took a break from the musical spotlight, she made her return as a solo artist in 1994 with the release of Pieces of My Heart. In the remainder of her musical career, she would release a whopping five additional bluegrass albums from 1998 to 2005. Four of these albums were created alongside multi-instrumentalists Tom Sauber and Brad Leftwich with the creation of the trio, Tom, Brad, & Alice while Calling Me Home: Songs of Love and Loss, released in 2002, would be Gerrard’s second solo album. 

With the release of Tom, Brad, & Alice’s last album in 2005, Gerrard turned her attention primarily on her pursuits as an academic educator. She would teach music and folklore at Duke University in North Carolina until meeting a student, M.C. Taylor, who had been a fan of her earlier recordings with Hazel Dickens. Taylor would turn out to also be a talented musician and would offer to produce an album for Gerrard, resulting in 2014’s Follow the Music. Gerard’s most recent album, Tear Down the Fences, was released in 2017.

With a career spanning decades, Gerrard earned her place in bluegrass music history as a pioneering woman of the genre. Displaying her love of folk music, she also put her other creative talents into various projects that would touch the lives of bluegrass fans everywhere. Hailed as a treasure in the bluegrass community, Gerrard’s art will prove influential for bluegrass artists for many years to come.

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