My name is Steven Moore. I’m a banjo player, currently touring with the David Mayfield Parade, and live in Saint Clairsville, Ohio.

JED: Oh cool man I didn’t realize you were touring with DMP. You’re an Ohio native, correct?

Yessir – well, I was born in Wheeling, WV, but have lived just across the river in Ohio my whole life.

JED: Gotcha. Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

My mom is a huge fan of the Statler Brothers, and I first heard a banjo on their Christmas album with the Jimmy Fortune song “Christmas Country Style.” I asked my mom what that sound was, and she told me that it was a banjo. I told her then that I wanted to play one from the sound alone, having never seen one or ever listened to bluegrass before. I guess the banjo sort of chose me. I started taking banjo lessons, got pretty decent at it, shared some videos online back in the early days of YouTube, won a few contests like Winfield (National Championships), RockyGrass, RenoFest, MerleFest, FreshGrass, etc., and earned some notoriety amongst other banjo players.

JED: When did you post your first videos on YouTube? I feel like my first few were back in the late 2000s. We met for the first time at a contest didn’t we?

I believe it was early 2007 – shortly after Google acquired YouTube – that some of my first banjo videos were posted to YouTube. My dad would run the camera and take clips of Butch Osborne (my banjo teacher) and me jamming on tunes after we’d finished a banjo lesson, usually with some harmonies or arranged sections thrown in. It was fun and a lot of people recognize me from those early double banjo videos. You and I first met at Winfield, maybe in 2006 or 2007, I believe at the Deering banjo booth. We picked a little bit then, but then re-met at Merlefest in 2012. We jammed most of the night there with your friend Clint Alphin (guitar) and a guy I knew David Watson (mandolin) from somewhere in WV.

JED: Dude those are great memories. I was at Winfield in 2007 – gosh that feels like a lifetime ago. What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

From an early age, my playing was largely influenced by other banjo players and their albums. I’ve proudly stolen licks, learned new techniques, and studied elements of composition from many great players… Here are a few banjo players and specific albums which made lasting impacts on my playing (listed alphabetically by last name):

Ron Block: So Long So Wrong (AKUS), Faraway Land, New Favorite (AKUS), Lonely Runs Both Ways (AKUS)

Alison Brown: Simple Pleasures, Twilight Motel, Stolen Moments

Ryan Cavanaugh: Songs for the New Frontier

Bela Fleck: Drive, Natural Bridge, Places, Double Time, various New Grass Revival albums, The Telluride Sessions (Strength in Numbers), Tales from the Acoustic Planet Vol. II

Tony Furtado: Within Reach

Jens Kruger: Between the Notes

Matt Menefee (Cadillac Sky): Talent Show, Blind Man Walking, Gravity’s Our Enemy

Noam Pikelny: In the Maze

Earl Scruggs: Foggy Mountain Banjo (my first real banjo album)

Scott Vestal: Bluegrass ‘95 – 2002, In Pursuit of Happiness, Millennia

A couple of guitar players who have also influenced my banjo playing a lot include Tommy Emmanuel and Pete Huttlinger.

JED: Man I’ve had so many interviews where people mention the So Long So Wrong album as a big influence in their musical journey. You also mentioned Bela’s Drive, and Tales From The Acoustic Planet 2 which are two of my all-time favorite albums as well. I originally pursued fingerstyle guitar in the early days of my guitar lessons so I’m familiar with Pete Huttlinger’s work. We actually interviewed a protege of his Ms. Emma Moseley who I’d definitely recommend you check out.

Will do! Pete was a great player and an even better guy. He is surely missed.

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

I most enjoy being able to entertain an audience and especially to be able to touch the hearts of listeners. I feel like that impact is most readily attainable through live performance.

JED: Who are three musicians that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

Sticking to only banjo players, I’d have to choose three deceased and three living examples. Deceased: Bobby Thompson, Jimmy Arnold, and Dennis Caplinger. Living: Pat Cloud, Matt Flinner, and Butch Osborne.

(deceased)

Bobby Thompson was especially ahead of his time as far as banjo playing techniques and innovation. He developed a melodic style on the banjo in the 50s that really laid the groundwork for the likes of Bill Keith in the 60s and for players onward. He was most famously featured on Hee Haw, but some of the other pickers on there really got the spotlight and notoriety, like Roy Clark… but Bobby was one of the first doing it, and never really got much attention for whatever reason… Even among some of the most informed banjo aficionados, he is mostly unknown.

Jimmy Arnold came around later. I believe his early records like Strictly Arnold with tunes like “Charmaine” have got to be some of the earliest examples of a complete meld of banjo styles – Scruggs, single-string, melodic, and jazzy elements all blended together with seamless transitions between them. He was a true banjo master. I think he may have played some with Keith Whitley but he never really earned the notoriety like some players. I believe he was pretty hard on his physical wellbeing with respect to substance abuse (especially alcoholism) and that may have been a contributing factor to his lack of renown.

Dennis Caplinger was an absurdly good banjo player (he played fiddle and mandolin quite well, too, I believe) from California who sadly passed away within the past couple of years. He was in the group Bluegrass, Etc., but recorded with Eric Clapton and some other really famous artists, Vince Gill maybe? But yet his name doesn’t often come up when talking about banjo greats. I first heard his banjo playing on the Van Halen bluegrass / southern fried cover album “Strummin with the Devil” – Dennis played Van Halen’s Eruption – crazy to fit all of that onto the banjo, but he did it! I think his playing was very advanced and he was as good as some of the more famous players, but somehow his notoriety never really caught up to that level.

(living)

Pat Cloud – What can I say except that Pat is an extremely musically educated player that has written the books for Mel Bay, Hal Leonard, etc. on jazz banjo and banjo improvisation. You can tell from his playing and educational materials that he’s studied jazz guitar greats and applies everything he’s learned to the banjo. I find it sad that a lot more folks don’t know of Pat and his playing. I’ve not actually met Pat, actually, but would love to sit down with him for a few hours and pick his brain and try to learn as much as I can from him.

Matt Flinner – Matt is definitely more well-known as a mandolin player (his albums Latitude and The View From Here are awesome, as well as his mandolin work on Noam’s In The Maze album) but his banjo playing is really wild! He’s rarely ever brought up in discussions about awesome banjo players, but he’s won Winfield on banjo as well as on mandolin, so he’s a beast! Listen to his banjo work with Darrell Scott’s band. You won’t be disappointed!

Butch Osborne – Butch might be one of the most under-recognized banjo players of our time. Butch is a part-time musician and drives a concrete truck throughout the work week, and does very little for self-promotion. I am fortunate, though, to have lived about an hour and a half drive from him and taken banjo lessons from him from age 13 through age 17. He taught me so much of what I know and I wouldn’t at all be the musician I am today without him! Butch plays banjo regularly with Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys – a band with other seriously under-recognized monster players like Johnny Staats (mandolin), formerly Robert Schafer (guitar), and others. Butch is one of my favorite banjo players ever – he can create killer arrangements with recurring motifs and his execution is top-level!

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

You will usually find me playing my Ome Gold Odyssey that I won at Winfield in 2008; gold-plated hardware, a curly maple neck/resonator with the 20-hole Ome Megatone 200 ring. I’ve also got a nice Prucha – Spirit Alison Brown Model that I won at FreshGrass that I like to do some recording with. I am a big endorser of Landis sterling silver finger picks – the tone and grips are remarkable! I also use Elliott capos and stainless steel strings (GHS and D’Addario).

For my stage rig, I’ve got a Myers feather pick-up (really not a pickup but rather a very small gooseneck mic with a built-in watch battery preamp), ¼” out of the preamp module wirelessly via a Boss WL-50 then into an LR Baggs Venue DI.

JED: Man it’s cool to me that you still play the banjo you won almost 15 years ago. Like so many contest winners end up selling the instrument they won or trading it for something else. I think it’s awesome that an instrument you won has become a part of your sound. That is a rarity!

Yeah – when you find one that fits you like a glove, I think you’d better keep it! Even though I mostly play my Ome, I actually have kept the majority of the instruments I’ve won! I have won several Deerings, two Omes, a Yates, a Prucha, maybe some others… I can’t thank those builders enough for their generosity in donating instruments to contests as prizes.

JED: Man you’ve got a serious arsenal. If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

I am very fortunate to have just released my dream album in September… I work a M-F day job and that income as well as other savings funded the project and its marketing. The album, called Just a Little Talk with Myself, is my debut solo album and was produced by one of my banjo heroes Scott Vestal at his Digital Underground recording studio in Greenbrier, TN. I play banjo on every track, pennywhistle on one track, and electric banjo on one track, and am accompanied by an all-star dream team: Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Byron House on bass, Cody Kilby on guitar, and James Seliga on mandolin (the core band), as well as Gaven Largent on dobro for three tracks, Chris Sexton on two tracks with string quartet and quintet, and some special guest appearances including Chris Brown on drums, Scott Vestal on a 2nd banjo, and vocalists including John Cowan, David Mayfield, Elliott Park, Rosa Vestal, and Scott Vestal.

JED: What a lineup man! What are you currently working on?

Right now I’m working on writing material for the next album! As well as playing and working with the David Mayfield Parade. I’d say we’ll be making an album in the next year as well! I also am working on building out my home recording studio… It is bare bones right now, with some decent mics to choose from and outboard preamps, but I basically want to be Scott Vestal when I grow up, so I have to build out and fill up a studio, get better at banjo, and try to just be awesome!

JED: Sounds like a plan man. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your next album Steven. I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me about your music. Can’t wait to hear the new tunes!

Follow Steven on his website, Instagram, and TikTok. Featured image by Christopher Bell and Sarah Bizanovich at TSG Studios.

The post The 5-String Banjo, and So Much Moore – Steven Moore appeared first on AcoustiCult.

Hello!! I’m Cassidy Maude, a 22 year old Queer Indie Folk musician currently living in Nashville TN. 

JED: Where d’you hail from?

Battle Ground, Washington. When my family moved there it was a very small country town, but it has grown a lot in the last 13 years. Lots of waterfalls and about three things to do for fun!

JED: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

I wrote my first song when I was four years old (my mom actually had to physically write it as I didn’t know how to yet) and have never stopped. It’s always been the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do along with painting, and the idea of creating new things for the rest of my life is so exciting to me. I feel like I didn’t choose being a musician because it’s just always been this way. I’m also the only musician in my family!

JED: That’s interesting, so neither of your parents played music?

They did not! Although, my dad loved playing very loud Americana and folk music on speakers through the house growing up – and singing made up opera as loud as possible to wake us up on the weekends! I credit a lot of my music taste to him and my mother. I also think my mom has a lovely voice however I’ve only ever heard her sing quietly to herself. Both of them have been completely supportive of my music and my dad is one hundred percent my biggest fan.

JED: It’s great to have a supportive family when pursuing what you love. That’s really sweet to hear that your dad is your biggest fan. What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

“Sound & Color” by Alabama Shakes was the first album I got on vinyl which gave it a sweet spot in my heart forever. Brittany Howard’s voice itches something in my brain that few modern voices do which makes me want to listen to this album on repeat. A lot of the lyrics  feel very conversational which is what I strive for in my music as well. I want to feel like I am telling a story to a dear friend. I feel like I’m having a conversation with Brittany everytime I listen.

“In Memory Of Loss” by Nathaniel Rateliff is an album I discovered within the last year and every single song just rips me to pieces and puts me back again. Rateliff is so honest and unembarrassed in his writing and his voice is very unique. This is the first album I have heard in a long time that has absolutely no skips for me and that I can listen to everyday without getting bored.

With “The Avett Brothers”, you could pick any song from “I And Love And You” and I would have a childhood memory of my dad associated with it. This album is what I heard everyday growing up after it came out. I love the storytelling and instrumentation of the album, and in most of their music from before 2017. I think this album is what started my affinity for folk rock music.

The music I listen to inspires me to be open and raw with my lyrics and to just put out music that I love and would want to listen to. I also have grown a strong affinity in the past five years  for lots of old country musicians like Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Ferlin Husky, Doc Watson and so many more.

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

I love performing live and I love meeting people that my music resonates with. It’s so interesting and cool to have people like what I write and to talk about it with them. I also love making my merch!

JED: You make your own merch? Tell me more about that.

I carve and block-print all of my designs for merch! The shirts, bags, pants and other clothing I use for this are all thrifted and upcycled. I wanted to be environmentally conscious when creating it and the best way I found to do that was to upcycle- and it’s really special because every piece is truly one of a kind. I also block-print my own posters and greeting cards and design all of my stickers. I like having fun one of a kind merch that you wouldn’t tend to find from other artists like handmade zines and preserved and pinned butterflies with my signature on the card they are tacked to! It is a lot of work to do by myself but it is very rewarding.

JED: Very cool. Who are three musicians that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

Keenan O’Meara has a timeless voice and writing style. I think he always has beautiful melodies and lyrics as well. Every song of his puts me into a movie scene and I think he is on the same level as others that I would relate him to like Keaton Henson and Hozier. I also think the quality of the instrumentation in all of his songs is really great.

Purser! Purser is a dear friend and fellow Queer musician that I really admire. They actually opened for me on tour in the summer of 2022. Every single song they write is beautiful and tear jerking and “head bangable” at the same time. I don’t know how they make everything seem so effortless. They can take these absolutely gut wrenching lyrics and make them fit into a beautiful melody for everyone to understand and digest. They also put on one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Truly one to watch.

Field Guide does have a bigger following in the music world, but I would love to see him playing sold out arenas and being held to the same light as a lot of other musicians of his style. His lyrics are beautiful, his voice is precious and he just warms my heart. I think his music is really something special and I want as many people as possible to hear it.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

I generally play either my nylon Breedlove acoustic or this crappy Martin I picked up from a music store here in town. I like to keep things pretty simple, and I also have a band consisting of electric guitar, drums and upright bass! 

JED: Tell me more about your band. Who plays in it? How did your band come to be?

I feel very lucky that they are all amazing musicians, but also great friends. I knew all of them as friends first before recruiting them for the band! JJ (Jeff Halpin Jr.) is my upright bassist and bestie. Charlie Fuertsch is my guitarist who actually just joined us and has played one or two gigs with the band, but I have known him for years now. Garrett Goodwin is my fantastic drummer and friend. We actually all lived in Boston around the same time and became friends there before moving to Nashville in 2021 and 2022! JJ and Charlie play in a band together and the three of them all went to Berklee together. I didn’t go to school with them but was involved in the music scene as well. They are all a part of multiple bands, I don’t know how they do it!

JED: If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

I would love to go somewhere very secluded with my band and just unplug from all social media and electronics except for the recording equipment. I’d probably take them on trust building exercises and bonding hikes haha. I would record the album that I currently have ready to go consisting of 12 original tunes and I would love to hire a full string orchestra. Still saving up!

JED: I like the emphasis on focusing on the music free from distractions. You have an album already recorded?

I think that my best songs have come to me when I’m completely unplugged from electronics. It makes it easier for me to just write and not focus on anything else. Not yet, but I have one ready! I have 3 singles out right now and have a 3 song Live EP coming out this month. I’m hoping to start on the album in 2023. 

JED: What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

I just released my second single titled “Ghost” that I love with my whole heart. It has such personal meaning to me- and it’s actually been getting streams from over 60 countries in the world which is insane to me. To think that there are people with completely different lifestyles and backgrounds and cultures that are listening and relating to my music is crazy. 

JED: What are you currently working on?

I have a live EP called “Live In The Quiet Church” coming out January 27th 2023 that I’m incredibly excited for. It just has myself and my upright bass player JJ on it which feels very special because they were the first person to join my band and are also one of my best friends. There are three original acoustic songs, two of which have never been released in any other format. One entitled ‘Ghost” was released in October 2022 as a studio version. I think that this EP is putting me another step into where I want my music to be and I’m very hopeful that it will reach people who connect with it.

JED: Cassidy thank you for taking some time to tell us about your musical journey. We’ll stay tuned for your EP release!

Follow Cassidy on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok
Featured photo by Nylah Bannister.

The post Something Maude Something New – Cassidy Maude appeared first on AcoustiCult.

Hello, I’m Tommy Emmanuel, and I’m a guitar player. I’m here for ROMP, and I’m playing tonight. This is Saturday night, right? I’m playing tonight, and a lot of my friends are on the show as well–Marty Stewart and Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley; Del McCoury. A lot of people that I really love and admire are playing here. It’s a great lineup. And I really love a chance to support the Bluegrass Hall of Fame here. It’s an important part of the musical heritage of American music. You know, it’s really, really important. So that’s why I’m here.

Ella: Absolutely. Well, thank you. So first of all, I picked out a word you said in your set: “Australiana”, which I enjoyed because I think a lot of people might classify your music as Americana music, or Roots music, right? You list your influences as like, Chet Atkins, and then you played a Merle Travis song, but also a Tennessee Ernie Ford song, right?

Tennessee Ernie Ford sang 16 Tons. That was written by Merle Travis.

Ella: Yeah, but you know, the version I know is Tennessee Ernie Ford. Anyway, so you list your influences as these American musicians so…

Well, some of my influences, right? I talked about those things because I’m playing today in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, right?

Ella: I see, catering to the audience?

No, no, just, you know, I didn’t want to assume that it was okay for me to get up there and talk about Eric Clapton or The Beatles or whatever. Though, I don’t think people are so one-eyed or closed off about the influences of the other parts of the world. So, I’m an Australian who grew up listening to American and English and Australian music. And also, obviously, in pop music, there’s music that comes from Italy, comes from Germany, from Spain. I’ve listened to all kinds of music, but Bluegrass and Country is what’s really in my blood.

Ella: And that’s interesting to me, because (including jazz as well) those three genres are like the primary American developed genres of music. So yeah, I just wanted to ask about your perspective playing American music as a non-American. How did you get into it and why were you drawn to this culture, specifically, growing up outside of it?

Okay. Well, let’s go back to the early 60s. And I’m listening to Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams, Hank Locklin, Hank Snow, Patsy Cline. And then, of course, Jim Reeves, Buddy Holly. And so there’s all that kind of music. And then the Beatles come along. And that’s all you hear on the radio, you know. But the first music that really moved me was Hank Williams and Jimmy Rogers. So that that’s what got me interested in music in the first place. And the other thing I want to tell you is that during the 60s, when I was a young guy, I used to go to bed at night reading the Fender catalog, because I couldn’t afford a Fender guitar or Fender amp–they were hard enough to find in Australia. But I would be sitting there looking at the catalog, looking at photos of Buck Owens and people like that playing his Fender, you know. “I want one of those guitars. Oh, look at that white Jaguar. Oh, look at that Fender Twin. Oh, look at that Telecaster.” You know, eventually I did get those things.

Ella: I was about to ask, did you become a collector?

Well, my Fenders served me well, and they still do. And of course, Chet Atkins…this is a thing about a guy like Chet Atkins: people don’t realize in this generation, that in the 60s, he was the name on everyone’s lips. People are like; “Have you heard this guy Chet Atkins?” And it’s like, oh God, who is that good? No one’s that good. It’s got to be a recording trick. And his record sounded so amazing. His ideas were brilliant, you know, and so he was a big influence…So all that stuff was an important part of my growing up in and being influenced by American music and American culture. And so in the early 70s, I bought a Pontiac so I could own an American car. And it was a great car.

Ella: We had an old Pontiac, we loved that thing.

Yeah, it was a good car. And I’ve owned a Chev, I’ve owned a Pontiac, I’ve driven a DeSoto…a long, long time ago…The thing is, anything made in America, in the 60s, was the best in the world. There’s no doubt about that. And it still is when when people do it right, you know?

Ella: Yeah. So as I understand, you started playing at a very young age. 

Yeah, when I was four. 

Ella: So one thing I’ve been asking folks that I’ve been interviewing at ROMP is: what is your earliest bluegrass memory? And if it’s not a bluegrass memory, maybe it’s a musical memory in general.

Well, I was listening to bluegrass, I just didn’t know it was bluegrass–I thought it was country music. If you put on, you know, Merle Haggard in the early days, it sounds like Americana now, but what it is, is country music before it got taken into the rock and roll stadiums. Yeah. And I love all kinds of music. But I think some of my earliest memories of listening to music that was bluegrass style was Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs. You know, I’d have to say Flatt and Scruggs, more than anybody, because they were on TV. The Beverly Hillbillies was on and you could see them. And every now and again, at a film–like, there was a film came to Australia and it was called “Country Music on Broadway”. And it started out with Vassar Clements playing the violin up close, and it was playing this beautiful music. And then there was Hank Snow and people like that. And Wanda Jackson, and Connie Smith, Tom T. Hall, Leroy Van Dyck. I mean, just so many people. And I remember all that, that period, you know? It was just really, really beautiful. I think one of my favorite bluegrass records still to this day is Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice together (Skaggs and Rice, 1993). It’s a true masterpiece.

Ella: Completely agree. The first bluegrass musician that I heard other than my family was Tony Rice, right? And he is such an influence on me, as a person, as a musician. So yeah, that that very much hits me where I live, the Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice album.

Skaggs–I just loved his choices of songs, the way he sang. That voice he has is just out of this world. It’s so gorgeous. I remember when Alison Krauss came over to my house, and we were working on a song together. And I played her this new song that I just recorded, where Ricky was singing. And she got tears in her eyes when she heard him sing. And she said: “Oh, that voice”. You know, it’s such a part of our life. It’s the same as when I hear Hank Williams or when I hear Merle Haggard. There are certain songs that I can’t listen to without crying because they touch me in a place that only they can. And that’s the heart and soul of this music. It’s beautiful.

Ella: Yeah. Ricky Skaggs has a really perfect example of a Bluegrass vocal style. Like, if you want to study the Bluegrass vocal style, listen to him, listen to Ralph Stanley, right? So speaking of a flat picker, speaking of Tony Rice–you’ve obviously developed a very distinctive personal style in your playing. And it’s percussive, and it’s precise and dynamically really interesting.

Thank you.

Ella: Of course! So I wondered: if you grew up listening to these country artists–who were fantastic musicians, but who weren’t really doing the type of harmonics that you were doing today, weren’t really doing interesting time signatures and phrasing. How did you develop that more progressive style?

I think that was just the influence of movie music, [and] of listening to other styles of music…When I wrote the song Fuel, which you may have picked up on, had some interesting time things–all I was trying to do with that was be adventurous and write something that would take the place of Classical Gas. Because since 1969, you get out a guitar, and someone will say: “Do you play Classical Gas?” I still love the song, and I know the guy who wrote it: Mason Williams. But I tried to write something that was from me, and that could challenge that piece of music. So, the funny thing about the time signatures in that song: I’m not adept at playing in odd times. If you watch my foot when I’m playing the song, I tap time right through every change, and the time doesn’t move. It’s the time signatures that that move. So you can tap time right through it. But it’s interesting, because my style has developed–and you’re one of the first people who’s picked up on this–that my style…you can trace it right back to Ike Everly, Moes Rega, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed–but there’s all this other stuff going on. [There’s] movie music, there’s jazz, there’s country, there’s rock and roll, there’s blues.

Ella: I’m even thinking of classical guitar, like Spanish guitar. There’s for sure elements of that.

Yeah. So it’s just, I don’t know. It’s just my sound, thank heavens.

Ella: It’s a good one.

Thank you. Well, it’s still a work in progress. And I really hope that I get better over the years. I practice a lot, and I’m always looking for something new to play, trying to keep it interesting for my audience and for myself. I’m constantly wanting to be challenged. And I floor it when I go on stage, I don’t hold anything back. And you got to do that. And that’s why we love people like Del McCoury…people like that, because those guys are pouring their hearts out. They’re coming from deep in their soul. And that’s what makes people enjoy it so much. You know, I would have to say, the person with the most charisma I’ve ever seen in my life was Johnny Cash.

Ella: Yeah, that would track. But it’s interesting because he wasn’t a spectacularly showy performer, nor had any schtick really at all, like so many of the artists of that era. But I appreciate your comment that like, the raw charisma…

Yeah, his charisma was, it was jaw dropping. I had never witnessed it before. In ’95, I saw him at a big place. And he was with the Highwaymen. And he was last to come on. And when he walked on stage, the crowd erupting was like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life, the way that people were falling down on their knees, wailing and crying. Women were almost fainting, and tears came to my eyes and I didn’t even know why. He just stood there and did nothing but just stand there. And then eventually, the crowd composed itself. And he got up to the microphone and he went: “Mmmm [low hum]”. It just–it went through you like a bolt of lightning! And he didn’t say anything, he just went “Mmmm”– he took my breath away! And then the roar came up from the crowd again; we had to wait for that to go down. And then he went: “Get rhythm / when you get the blues”. Oh my God, I thought my heart was gonna explode. How do you explain that to somebody? What the hell is it?

Ella: That one man can get on stage and sing three words and have a crowd falling over themselves?

What’s he doing? He’s not doing anything. What he’s doing is being a channel. He’s a channel for something much bigger than us. Whatever that is–I can’t tell you what it is. But there’s something much bigger than us going on. We’re just the vehicle sometimes if we’re lucky. So I try to keep my channel open waiting for a bigger power than me to appear.

Ella: Lastly, what would you say to a beginning Bluegrass student like me?

Listen to all kinds of music, right? Learn all the good songs. Find all the really good songs and study from the greats and everything. But, at the moment, you can watch any video by Molly Tuttle, and it’ll be one of your greatest lessons in playing, singing, arranging [and] songwriting. She is incredibly adept at what she’s doing. And she has my absolute respect in every way. Her and Sierra Hull are as good as bluegrass music has ever been. So, yeah, just learn all the good songs and then get out there and don’t hold anything back when it’s your turn. And if you play music from deep in your heart for people, they all know it, and all they’re going to want to know is: when are you coming back? That’s what you need. People are always saying to me: “What do you think about reviews and critics and blah, blah…”, I say: “I don’t care about any of that shit”. What I care about is the person who comes up to me and says: “When are you coming back?” That’s what I want to hear. You know, because a man needs a good job.

Ella: It is a living after all! *chuckles*

It’s the best. Yeah, I play for free. I just get paid well to travel.

Ella: Hmm, the long con. 

*both laugh*

Ella: Thank you so much for talking to me. It’s been a real joy.

Thanks for your really interesting questions, and I look forward to buying your new album.

Ella: Oh, thank you. Yeah, coming out in 2035.

For more information on Tommy Emmanuel, check out his website and Instagram profile. Photos by Ella Cope.

The post Tommy Emmanuel Interview From ROMP 2022 In Owensboro KY appeared first on AcoustiCult.

JED: Hey Jason! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us today. If you would, introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jason Moore and I am the bass player with the bluegrass group Sideline.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

Everybody in my family played music. My dad played bass, his brother played, and both grandfathers played. My dad’s sister married Allen Mills (bass player with The Lost and Found). I actually play the same bass my father played and it is the only one I have ever played. I do have an extra bass that Allen Mills gave me but my nephew has somehow adopted it.

JED: I always think it’s really cool to see people who grew up with multiple instrumentalists in their lineage. That must’ve been a really cool community to develop in. Your family is loaded with players! I had no idea Allen Mills is your uncle.

I never really set out to play music for a living. I basically just fell into it. It’s been 27 years now so I must have made the right choice.

JED: What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

Growing up, I listened to all kinds of music so this is a tough question. As far as favorite albums go, I would have to say;

The Deal – Lost and Found
Cardinal Soul – Bluegrass Cardinals
Every Time you Say Goodbye – Alison Krauss and Union Station
And anything Flatt and Scruggs and Jimmy Martin.

That’s just on the bluegrass side. There are also Rubber Soul and The White Album by The Beatles. Kill’em All and The Black Album by Metallica. And anything AC/DC. 

I would say that the bluegrass list helped teach me about timing and tone more than anything and how not to play too much. Everything else really influenced me as far as aggression and energy and melodic bass lines. I try to incorporate all of these into a song when we work it up.

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.? 

I would have to say that my favorite part is working up new songs with Sideline. Being creative and putting my stamp on songs is the best feeling of all to me. Still, it’s tough to say because I really enjoy the studio and live shows all for different reasons. 

JED: What are three musicians today that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

Aaron Ramsey, Skip Cherryholmes, and Rickey Wasson.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

My current rig consists of my 1945 M-1 Kay Bass. It has a Fishman Full Circle [pickup] on it and that runs to a Peterson Strobostomp tuner, then into a GK Plex. The Plex goes to the house and I run out of the Plex to a GK MB 115 for a stage monitor.

JED: If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like? 

To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it. It would probably be a different band for every song and it definitely wouldn’t be just a bluegrass thing, it would cover several genres. I would love to completely back out of a song and have [Paul] McCartney play one.

JED: What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

I would have to say that No Apologies by Jim VanCleve is probably what I am most proud of because of where I was when we cut it. It pulled things out of me that I didn’t know were there. 

I do however have to say that, Sidelines latest project Breaks to the Edge is right up there and it has more of my personality in it.

JED: What are you currently working on?

Right now, just touring with Sideline in support of Breaks to the Edge. We will probably start working up new songs for the next project in a month or so.

To conclude, we’d like to include this statement from Ms. Mollie Moore, Jason’s wife;

“Outside of music he was an amazing husband for 23 years. He was the best Dad ever. We have two children that were mine from a previous marriage. We never said “step” because he was so much more. He loved our children just as if they were truly his. He was also the best “Pappy” to our six grandchildren Rachel, Kylee, Caroline, Emmy, Declan, and Barrett.

He was such a great friend to many. He never said anything bad to, or about, anyone.

Pat and Carol Murray were our travel buddies. We loved to travel together, especially backroads. We had such an amazing time and got to see so many amazing places together. He loved to play golf with Pat. They would make up golf games in the back yard after returning from a day of golf and laugh like crazy while Carol and I watched from inside laughing at the two of them.

He would do anything for anyone. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandbabies. His favorite was when we would sit on the porch in the evenings listening to all types of music, spending time together and talking.”

Thank you for reading. In closing Ms. Mollie Moore wanted to make sure we included ” . . . how much I appreciate all the love, support, kindness, thoughts, and prayers from the bluegrass community. Y’all are some amazing people!“
We had multiple photos in this article that we couldn’t trace origins to. If you have any information on who to credit for the uncredited pictures, please contact Jed.

The post An Interview with Jason Moore appeared first on AcoustiCult.

My name is Sarah Jane Twigg. I am a lifelong musician, artist, and mother of 3. I currently reside in the mountains of Western Maryland, but hail from Ellicott City, Maryland. I play music full time with my all female acoustic ensemble The Fly Birds. Guitar and banjo are my main axes. I also teach beginner guitar and banjo on the side to all ages. 

JED: Between 3 little ones and playing with The Fly Birds I imagine your schedule is plenty busy! 

Oh yes, there have been shows when all 7 collective band kids are present. Usually festivals, but sometimes even taking them to private functions. They know the drill for the most part, but it’s never been easy that’s for sure!

JED: Seven band kids?! That is epic. I’m sure that is challenging but I bet it’s a blast too. Those kids are going to have really unique memories to color their life experience with. Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

Music was never something I got into, it just seemed to be a default setting. Coming from a musical family I was always around a stringed instrument. My father and mother both played everything from Led Zeppelin to Ralph Stanley.

JED: Did they play instruments as well? 

My father and mother are the main reason I play music. My mom writes a lot of songs, they both play guitar, and both have sang and been actively musical all throughout their lives. My dad used to be in a bluegrass band called “The Twigg Brothers” and played all around Maryland in the 80’s. I have a lot of their old tapes and treasure them so.

Music helped keep things held together through my childhood and adolescence. It was very much an escape. I started playing violin in my elementary school orchestra, then found a pick with a mandolin to be more to my liking. The melodies and notes obviously transferred seamlessly [they’re tuned the same]. However my interests tend to be broad and my attention span short, so I wanted to try out other instruments. My uncle played banjo along with my dad in a bluegrass band called “The Twigg Brothers” and it always fascinated me. So I eventually asked for a banjo on my Christmas list and was gifted one by my father when I was 13. After that the little bar I had grown up playing music in had a fundraiser in honor of a regular who had recently passed. The sweetest of souls, Gisela who owned the bar, used the funds towards a scholarship. I was awarded this and used it towards taking banjo lessons at The Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe in Catonsville, Maryland. Not long after the guitar called to me. At 15 I asked for one. My father again came through and I haven’t looked back since. Singing was something I was born to do; sharing the deepest depths of myself or that of another artist. From the age of 2 I don’t think I’ve ever shut up. I have my mother to thank for that mostly, she was always humming & strumming and encouraging me to join. I have no doubt her lullabies inspired me, along with my 4 other older sisters. 

JED: What are some of your earliest playing and performing memories? 

I can remember always singing. At age 2 my mom would sit the guitar across my lap and let me strum. I remember her video taping me very vividly and I even began to make up my own nonsensical lyrics. I would sing with my parents at family shindigs, I remember a red solo cup being passed around where I collected tips at age 5. I first sang on a microphone at an amazing little place called “The Friendly Inn;” a little bar in Ellicott City, Maryland. It’s where I really got my start in live performing. It was a mere 5 miles from my house and had some of the best bluegrass bands around. They would host open mic nights on Thursday and I learned a few songs with my mom. I was 8 years old and remember staring at a bag of Funyuns behind the bar the ENTIRE time I sang. I think it helped me to concentrate because I was a very shy kid and had to work hard to overcome stage fright.

It was the most nerve racking thing I had done up to that point. My family always believed in me and supported me in my musical interest. It was a way of life and still is. Later on I had the opportunity to be a guest with other bands that performed there and met some bluegrass legends as well, such as Bill Harrell.

JED: Ya know I watched an interview recently with Mike Bub and he talked about how his parents were very supportive of his musical pursuits. Not every career musician I’ve met has had that. In fact sometimes quite the contrary. That is a luxurious thing to have as a young aspiring artist. What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

I don’t really have favorites, I mean I do . . . but there are way too many influences I pull from to narrow it down so simply. Albums from Alison Krauss, Dixie Chicks, Lynn Morris, India Arie, Patty Loveless, 90’s alt, Grand Funk Railroad, Neil Young, James Taylor, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and so many others work I have been drawn to and influenced by.

JED: If you were to pick only 3, who are the 3 artists that you’d say you’re most influenced by?

Alison Krauss, my parents Mike & Donna Twigg and Tony Rice. I heard them the most and they resonated with me on deeper levels. 

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

Definitely live shows, there is nothing like pouring it all out on stage. There is something so personal about sharing the internal and people not only connecting to it, but appreciating it. Some of the people I have met and the comradeship I have formed through music is something I will never take for granted. I play locally with my sister Heather at assisted living homes and adult daycare centers. Real magic takes place, the disabled and forgotten bring more meaning to music than the common listener. 

JED: God bless you for that. I mean it. I’ve played in some of those places. I know those gigs can be hard. 

I’ve grown close to many souls in these homes and have wept when I returned to find one has passed on. There was a blind man in particular who every month would be waiting at the front table for my sister and I to sing and play. He knew so much about roots music and always appreciated and extended his gratitude. He made comments about notes and melodies and I can only assume he paid even more attention due to his lack of vision. I’ll never forget him.

JED: That’s beautiful.

Studio stuff is a whole other world of fun, but nothing beats experiencing the essence of my craft in the moment it is being shared beneath some hazy stage lights. Not to mention I have the best outfit of girls to play music with, everything is an adventure. If I could say one thing I detest is being crammed in the car with an upright bass and kids and sound and snacks and everything else under the sun for hours.

JED: Hahaha! Being a Mom and a band mate is a loaded plate! 

It is, but having a creative outlet makes me a better mom! 

JED: That is great. Who are three musicians that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

So many. I know personally a plethora of folks who downright amaze me and are not well known outside of their community. Dori Freeman would be one of them, incredible songwriting and effortless-sounding vocals. I first heard her at Live at Watermelon Park and my whole body froze when I turned to the stage. Her simple acoustic delivery entwined with heart ache, truth, and soul-stirring tones is nothing short of perfect.

My best friend Elizabeth Baker, is an absolute hoss on the fiddle (although she’d argue with me) and banjo. She can write a song in 5 minutes that’s witty or sentimental. Her voice is like the force of the earth and her harmony is quite comparable to gravity for me! I would not be the musician I am today without her.

Lastly, Ethan Hughes, his voice would probably be one of my all time favorite male voices. I remember well when I first met him and his father. Their presence in music and friendships are truly telling of what wonderful people they are. He plays the dobro and guitar with such finesse it invokes warmth within me.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.? 

I’m currently playing a Martin D-15 with an LR Baggs Lyric pickup. I normally use a blue chip pick and medium Elixir strings. I currently use an MXL 770 open diaphragm condenser mic, for vocals. Gives more of an intimate feel and allows me to move around the stage freely.

JED: Those Lyric pickups are fantastic. Jake Stargel turned me on to them. I’ve not heard a guitar “plugged in” that sounds as true to it’s acoustic tone as one using a “Lyric.” If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

It would be long, most likely in a series.

JED: Oh, like in multiple volumes? 

Yes I’m very indecisive and the vault of songs and music I’d like to record seems infinite at times. Many guests and favorite musicians would be invited to partake.

JED: Who are some of the people you’d want to play on it? Who would you want to engineer it? 

I have so many close friends that are so talented I’d have to include. If I could pick anyone though I’d have my heroes on it somehow although I don’t think I’d be worthy haha. I would want it to be versatile, original, and from the heart. Art would be done by my family as always.

JED: Oh cool you have family that does graphic design / artwork for your projects? 

Everyone in my family just oozes with creativity and talent. All album work has been done by family members of mine and of the band. I can only hope we inspire one another. My sister Holly Smoot painted the cover of my last album. Just as she is beautiful, she exudes beauty in everything she does. She has been one of my biggest supporters my entire life. My band mate’s sister Jill Shields painted the cover of our first album as well as the back of the most recent. Her natural love for music and birds shines through her work. Jack Dunlap, a brother to two of my band mates, helped pull all the graphic design work for the album together in a flash and extended his expertise, we are very thankful for him. We also had help from some artist friends. Lulu Furtado, a fellow musician and friend, is responsible for drawing one of our most favorite pictures that is the face of our CD, T-shirts, and stickers. Caroline McGovern, another lovely band friend, also contributed a painting of birds that we included on our latest release. The next album art should be nothing short of spectacular. 

JED: You’ve definitely got no shortage of help in that department. What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

“The Band is Causing Problems” would be the only and favorite full album I have completed and been a part of. It depicts a story of an exhausted worn out musician mom who just wants to feed her passion and her kids all while balancing love, life, fear and celebrating new beginnings. So many loved ones helped to make it a reality and added their own touches to this final project.

JED: Is it a story album? That is a really unique concept for an album; original material centered around the theme of being an overtaxed music mom. Would that be right?

Honestly that’s the one of best ways I’ve heard it interpreted. You could say for sure it is a story of our struggle and determination. It certainly embodies all we’ve been through and all we hope to achieve. 

JED: What are you currently working on?

A new album! 6 songs down 4 more to go, really excited for the quality of this one. Going with more covers that fans have requested and a few originals. 

JED: Keep us updated on the release of that album! Sarah I’ve loved getting to chat with you about your life and your music. Keep us updated on the progress of your album. Stop by and say “hi” again soon!

Keep us with Sarah and her band, The Fly Birds, on their respective Instagram pages. Featured article photo by Amy Kay Ellis.

The post Interview : Sarah Jane Twigg appeared first on AcoustiCult.

My name is CJ Cain. I play guitar in a bluegrass band called The Wooks. I am from Lexington, KY.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

My dad plays the mandolin and guitar. Around the age of 13 I decided to tinker around with the guitar for the first time. I was very into Tom Petty’s record “Full Moon Fever” along with the Beatles “Abby Road.”

JED: Really? This is wild that you play in a band with my brother because we cut our teeth on Full Moon Fever. My dad had that cassette and would play it a lot whenever we’d ride around in his truck.

Once I showed enough interest and improvement on my own my mother signed me up for lessons in the ChildBloom Guitar program. This is sorta suzuki violin for guitar.

JED: I’ve never heard of this? Can you tell me more about it?

Childbloom is basically a classical guitar program that is available all over the country, they have a good website that is probably more informative than I can be.

JED: Cool man, I’ll check that out.

My teacher at the time eventually showed me the pentatonic scale and thus my time as a classical musician was over really before it began. I got into Stevie Ray Vaughn, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers. I played a lot of electric for a couple years but eventually around the age of 15 laid the guitar down for a bit. I found myself in a rut and just lost interest for a bit. My dad eventually took me to my first bluegrass festival just before I turned 17. It was the Festival of the Bluegrass in Lexington, KY. The lineup consisted of JD Crowe and the New South (the Wildfire formation), The Soggy Bottom Boys, The Dillards, The Lewis Family, and for me at that time most importantly the Seldom Scene.

JED: What year would that have been? Who all was in the “Soggy Bottom Boys” during that show?

I feel like that show was in June of 2001. I don’t remember the lineup as at the time I didn’t really know who anyone was. Looking back I believe it was Jerry [Douglas], Dan [Tyminski], Ron Block, Barry Bales, and maybe [Mike] Compton or Jeff White? I can’t remember.  

But the Seldom Scene really broke the ice for me and bluegrass. They made it seem so cool to me, playing Clapton and Muddy Waters within the bluegrass scene. They also had Ben Eldridge’s son Chris (now the guitarist with Chris Thile’s The Punch Brothers) playing lead guitar. He was a young man, a bit older than me, but young enough for me to realize that this music was really more hip than I thought. There was a record store within the festival I believe it was called “county store” or something like that. My friend Dove suggested I purchase the Tony Rice Plays and Sings Bluegrass album as it was a good introduction to learning bluegrass guitar. This record still means a lot to me. A few months later I saw Tony and Peter on a bill with the legendary Guy Clark. I was able to meet Tony and get an autograph after the show. If the Scene didn’t “seal the deal” of sending me down the path of playing music for a living Tony Rice for sure did. I stayed in touch with Chris Eldridge over the years and a band that he helped start called The Infamous Stringdusters. They’ve been very influential to me musically and business-wise as I have set out to operate a Bluegrass band in the modern world. They, among a few others, have set a real benchmark on how to successfully operate a Bluegrass band. They are also just great guys. My connection with them goes all the way back to my very first bluegrass experience at Festival of the Bluegrass.

JED: Yeah man The Dusters have really killed it over the last decade. They’ve been on [Stephen] Colbert, won a GRAMMY, headlined Red Rocks, the whole 9 yards. They’re definitely a great example of what hard work can accomplish within the “bluegrass” genre. What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

Flatt and Scruggs – Live at Carnegie Hall

This record is what I think of when I think of Bluegrass. There is not much more I can say about that. Side note it’s truly amazing on vinyl.

JED: I take it you have it on vinyl? What are some things that stick out to you more about this album on vinyl than in a digital medium?

I think that vinyl makes any recording sound better, but I think vintage recordings particularly tape recordings shine in the vinyl medium. For one the vintage stereos sound better than our new bluetooth speakers and car stereos, but mainly vinyl just has a fatter tone, it paints a clearer picture of the tonal structures of a recording that was not recorded to be an MP3 in the first place. To me the bass sounds better on vinyl with vintage bluegrass recordings than it does on MP3. There is an intangible quality too where I feel more like I am watching a band live when I listen to vinyl vs MP3’s.

JED: Very interesting man. Sounds like I need to get a turntable and some old speakers.

Tony Rice Unit – Manzanita

To me this one changed the game on both bluegrass guitar and vocals. It also is the gold standard in my opinion to recording tones and engineering. Billy Wolf really blew the doors off the industry with his records at 1750 Arch Studios in Berkeley.

JED: Totally man. Gold standard material for bluegrass guitarists.

Van Morrison – It’s Too Late to Stop Now

This is an amazing live record. One can hear what a truly responsive band is on this record. They never miss a beat with the band completely in the pocket following Van’s every cue on some insanely difficult arrangements that Van seems to create on the fly while the band is on top of every change.

John Prine – Bruised Orange

There are only two songwriters that I can think of that dont have a single song out of hundreds that I find myself skipping when it comes across the iPod; John Prine and Tyler Childers. I have a lot of songwriting heros but John is the gold-standard for me. This record embodies what is amazing to me about John Prine. 

The Band – The Last Waltz

This is a controversial live album as it was set up to be their last show even though Robbie Robertson was the only band member wanting to shut the band down. Levon and the guys put on an epic show despite the animosity in the air. After playing on the road for over 15 years I find this record to be amazing. How these guys could be angry with a situation and still put together a monumental concert featuring their hero’s on some of the most jaw-dropping tear-jerking versions of their hit songs amazes me. I’ve seen musicians fold over far lesser issues. It was a truly pro move. Levon Helm is right there with Tony Rice on my influence in how I perceive the rhythmic “pocket” the song “Don’t Do It” on this record is an awesome example of Levon’s singing and drumming and how they fit together.

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

I love all of these aspects of the business however, the energy I feel when playing in front of a live audience is what I love the most. When the music moves a group of people to forget their troubles and they in turn send back that energy to the band, it produces the most incredible feeling in the world. The Wooks are lucky to have the fans that we have – they have pushed us through even the toughest of times.

JED: You know The Wooks really do have some amazing fans. Every show or wooks-related event I’ve been to in Lexington always seems to sell out or come really close to it. What do you think it is that has given your band such a devout following? 

I think we have been lucky to help build a little culture around our music that people are able to identify with and make it a part of their lifestyle. Now we just want to grow that same philosophy nationwide like it is here in Kentucky. This band came along at a good time with Tyler [Childers], Chris [Stapleton], and Sturgil [Simpson] really growing the music scene in Kentucky, we were able to be a part of that and add to it the best we could. As to why people got on board with us I think it was partly because we made friends with them, and played songs they liked either covers or originals. We played some down the line grass but we also played songs by The Band, The Beatles, and The Grateful Dead. I think choosing good songs and taking writing seriously was our biggest asset when building our fan base here in Kentucky. If you can get people to dance they will come to the show. 

JED: Man I can’t think of a more danceable grass tune than Wookie Foot Shuffle. I think you are totally right man; “if you can get people to dance they will come to the show.” Aspiring musicians reading this article, take note. Who are three musicians that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

This is tough because I could name 300. I’m going to keep it in the acoustic world for this question since this thing is called AcoustiCult after all. Number one would be my old band mate Kati Penn. Kati is a fiddler and singer, and I will say a damn good one at that. She has amazing tone and timing, and, much like Sis Draper, she’s got a hell of a bow arm too. 

Jon Stickley is the type of player that only comes around every 20 to 25 years. He is constantly reinventing himself as a flatpicker and I have been lucky enough to watch it go down for a long time. I think the first time I saw him play was around 2006 or so. Don’t be fooled by his outer space bass lines and riffs with the Jon Stickley trio; this guy can also play some Tony Rice note-for-note. He’s also a great guy!

Mr. Robert Greer, I think, is the greatest bluegrass singer of my generation. Robert keeps the spirit of Jimmy Martin alive while making it his own by adding a southern rock sound akin to Ronnie Van Zandt’s vocal stylings and like Ronnie he’s got the songwriting chops too. It doesn’t hurt that the rest of the band (Town Mountain) write tons of good songs too.

JED: Robert really does bring that Jimmy Martin energy and grit to his performances. I saw Town Mountain play last year at the Station Inn and Robert really brought the heat. Great performance. Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

Acoustics…Heroshi Suda Style 28 Critter Model, Martin LSV, Collings D1A, 1957 D-18, Harmony Buck Owens, Resler OM.

JED: You mostly play the D1A now right? 

Yea the D1A is the road guitar, the buck is my favorite songwriting guitar. I use them all in the studio. 

Electrics…Chad Underwood strat, Quilter MicroPro Mach II amp that I use on electric and acoustic, Steve Carr Mercury V tube amp, I usually only use one pedal on electric which is a light speed OD.

Acoustic Live Rig… Grace Bix, LR Baggs Anthem, Strymon Delay, Bognor Boost/Comp, Peterson Strobe tuner and a Fishman Loudbox amp for gigs with drums.

JED: Which of the Fishman Loudbox amps do you use? 

The medium size one is best for me. 

JED: If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

I would record at Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock, NY with Levon’s right hand man Larry Campbell as the producer. I never got to see Levon play and that sorta haunts me, because he is probably my second largest influence to Tony. I feel like cutting a record up there would be special for that reason. The studio is on his property and in the area where The Band lived together and worked together alongside Dylan to make so much american music history. It would be cool to feel that energy.

JED: Who are some of the musicians you’d want to have on it?

THE WOOKS! 

JED: Ha! Love it. What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

I love the last Wooks album Glory Bound. We had a good friend JT Cure who plays bass with Chris Stapleton produce it, and it was an honor to be on his first production. I might add that he was also kind enough to get Vance Powell to mix it to tape. This gave the record a natural delay/reverb sound from the 70’s that you can hear plainly in the vocals. We recorded this at Rick Wasson’s studio in Clay City so it was an all-Kentucky thing with JT and Rick. I was really proud of that too. It was also nice to hear all the JD Crowe stories and spend time with a legend like Rick Wasson.

JED: Yeah man I bet he has so many interesting stories. That is one thing that I love hearing from musicians who have toured more extensively than I have; the stories. A lot of these stories never get physically documented so getting to hear them first-hand is a real privilege. I’m glad y’all got to do that man. What are you currently working on?

The Wooks currently have a new full length album in the can at Jake Stargel’s studio in Nashville. The album consists of 8 originals written by band members Harry Clark, George Guthrie, and myself. We also recently added Allen Cooke from Boulder, Colorado on dobro and Johnson City’s John Calamari on bass. We are currently taking some time off due to the pandemic and doing a lot of rehearsing so that we are ready to rock when things are safe. We can not wait to present our new material to the world. 

JED: Awesome! Jake is who I’ve done the majority of my recording with and he’s fantastic! He gets great tones and is a killer hang. I am really eager to hear it. Thank you so much for being willing to chat with me about your story dude. Stop in and say “hi” anytime and we’ll keep our eyes open for the next Wooks album.

Keep up with CJ on his Instagram, WookStagram, and The Wooks’ website. Featured photo by Garrett Casto.

The post Raisin’ Cain with The Wooks : CJ Cain appeared first on AcoustiCult.

Hi! My name is Kelsey Crews, I am primarily a banjo, mandolin, and guitar musician. I perform and teach all kinds of music from Bluegrass to Country to most any other styles of music. I also create social media content when I’m not playing. I am based out of Nashville, and I work wherever the music takes me!

JED: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

I am originally from Glasgow, KY. I grew up on a farm outside of town. About the age of 6, I started listening to my Dad who would play and sing old country songs from people like Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and Lefty Frizzell. My dad only knew about three chords on guitar, D, A, and G, but this was enough to get me interested. He also loved bluegrass, so that was my start. I remember the first bluegrass record I ever listened to was a JD Crowe 45 rpm, which included Red Allen, Bobby Slone, and Doyle Lawson. That sparked my interest, and after learning a bit on guitar, I insisted that I get a banjo.

JED: How old would you have been when you decided you wanted a banjo?

I think I was around 10 years old when I got my first banjo. I was drawn to that particular instrument for whatever reason I’m not sure. I suppose each of us are drawn to different instruments and styles, perhaps depending on what artist or musician stands out to us. 

From there, I spent all my time on nothing but music. I knew this was my calling. My father passed away when I was 12 years old. I then moved to Nashville with my mother, and that’s where I really got to meet a lot of folks in the scene.

JED: Wow man, I didn’t realize your dad had passed away when you were so young. I can’t imagine how difficult that must’ve been. So you were in Glasgow up until about age 12? What part of Nashville did you grow up in?

Yes, I had a wonderful childhood, and many fond memories of Kentucky. My family was very supportive. After the death of my father, My mother decided to make the move, with my music career in mind, We came to Nashville. I started my first year of high School in Franklin. I lived in Brentwood on the Nolensville side.

I later had the pleasure of meeting, playing, and recording with a few of my heroes. I now am blessed to have many friends, and now what I consider family, in this music.

JED: Oh that’s cool! Who are some of your heroes that you’ve gotten to share music with? 

I’ve had the pleasure of making music with many wonderful people. Some of them were childhood heroes, and some of them became my heroes after joining their bands or playing with them. Ray Cardwell became a good friend and mentor, he was like a big brother. I learned to grow in his band. He taught me so much about how to be in a band, and one of my biggest influences while learning vocal harmony.

I’ve had the pleasure of picking with many other of my heroes, and I’m sure probably heores to many folks, such as Roland White and Sam Bush, Curtis Burch, Pat Flynn, David Grier, Wayne Lewis, Mike Bub, just to name a few. Of course we all love JT Gray, and he has become one of my biggest heroes and dearest friends.

What is really cool for me is that I have many friends here that reach way back to my folks in my hometown that play music.

JED: So there is a community of musicians in town that hail from the Glasgow area?

Not so much that there are musicians from that area that live in Nashville, but many don’t know that Newgrass Revival started in that area. Courtney Johnson lived in Barren County his whole life and career, and was the connection from the Nashville circuit of music and musicians, to that part of the world. All of the members, including Sam, lived there at one point or another. There is a whole different sound that is acquainted with that area of KY, and that is where my style originated.

Music is still my passion, and I have no regrets in choosing this path, only that my father could be here to enjoy it.

JED: Ya know something that has been a recurring theme when I ask people that question is that they say they didn’t really feel they had much of a choice; it’s almost like the path chose them. Do you relate to that sentiment?

I agree with that 100%. Obviously everyone has the choice not to pursue music, but when the music is in your soul, that is the path you must take.

JED: What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

When I was starting out, some of the guys from the early Newgrass Revival became good friends of mine, including the great Curtis Burch. All of Newgrass’s early albums influenced me greatly through Courtney Johnsons’s banjo playing, and the new things they were doing with the music at the time. 

I always got so much out of Courtney’s picking. He knew how to put just the right amount of melodic playing in with hard driving phrases. This gave so much drive to the melodic style. I think you can play too much melodic or too many licks, and your playing loses drive and taste. He played some of the most soulful and beautiful melodies, but could switch into high gear and play some of the most nitty-gritty, bad-ass, red rooster claw, string bendin’ pickin’ you ever heard. A Lot of times they would play tunes that had a lot of syncopated rhythms in it. Now Courtney didn’t always understand Syncopation, coming from a straight grass background, but he always came up with his own thing and it never failed to be something amazing, and that’s what set him apart from everybody else. The reason I say all this is because I know most people don’t appreciate his picking like I do, but you’ve got to understand, that’s what made Courtney, Courtney. In my opinion, his organic, heartfelt, soulful banjo style is still in a league all of its own, and I am honored to carry on his music. Courtney gave 100% to the music 100% of the time.

I am also a big Seldom Scene study, mostly for the vocal parts.

JED: What are some of your favorite NGR & Seldom Scene records?

It would be hard to choose, each record from each band brought something different. Personally when I run across bootleg live shows, I tend to study those even more, That is where the real music happens, in real time.

JED: Yeah man I can see that. The stage puts some additional pressure on the band to really deliver the goods and thus those live shows can really capture a moment that the studio can’t. Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

Early on, I was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my days on the road. Nowadays, after having traveled half the globe, I enjoy studio work, running my online content, teaching, writing, and any new projects that come my way; although, being on the road with the Farmhands is great right now.

JED: Did the road just wear you out? I always feel like I romanticize getting to tour extensively until I go out for a weekend run and eat fastfood 2-3 times a day, don’t get any sleep, and arrive home as broke as when I left. Haha! Maybe I just need better gigs.

The road has been very rough at times. I think every musician goes through this starting out. I have been cramped up in the back of a 6 passenger SUV for 14 hours at a time. No leg room and not much pay. I have also been on very comfortable tour busses with great pay and very enjoyable music and musicians. 

Right now I am with the Farmhands. Tim has a great vintage 40’ 1971 MCI, great shower, with soft bunks. We work hard, but we stay very busy. I am very thankful, the future looks very bright. The good Lord has blessed me. 

JED: What are three musicians today do you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

That is easy. Listen folks; COURTNEY JOHNSON. JOHN DUFFEY. CURTIS BURCH. JOHN STARLING. Yes this is more than three, and three of which have passed away, but they deserve notoriety.

Courtney was my all time banjo idol, as I explained before.

Curtis Burch has been a great friend of mine for many years, and I am very honored and thankful for his friendship. He has taught me more about music theory, chord work, and told me more stories of music past than I ever imagined possible. I think Curtis is one of the most underrated musicians of our time and Newgrass Revival would not be what it is today without him.

As I said before, I am a very big Seldom Scene study. John Duffey and John Starling have been two of the most influential vocalists for me and my career. 

Duffey grew up in a household where both his parents were professional operatic singers, so he was taught correct vocalization from the start. In my opinion, he remains one of the greatest tenors of our time. 

John Starling still remains one of my favorite lead singers ever. His phrasing, tone, and soul felt conviction still remains untouched. 

This is part of what made the Scene so great.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

I don’t do much in the way of electric, other than the occasional pickup and fishman preamp. I play Hatfield Banjos, and Ed Weber Banjos. I also play a Collings A-model varnish mandolin, and a 2002 HD-28 martin guitar.

JED: Man I used to be a Collings diehard. I’ve owned 2 CWMhas and a D2HAV all of which were fantastic instruments. Right when I bought my last Collings the varnish finish option was becoming popular. It is a pretty substantial upcharge for that finish isn’t it? Do you think it makes a strong tonal difference over a traditional finish?

Actually I bought mine from an individual. I’m not sure if the varnish perk factored into the price or not. Yes, I think Varnish and lacquer allows the wood to breath and therefore age well. If you’ve got polyurethane on one, you might as well pour concrete over it.

JED: Interesting man. If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

It would be ungodly.

JED: That is, without question, the most concise response to that question I’ve ever gotten. I almost don’t really want to ask for more details and just leave it at that, but just because I’m curious; Who would you want to record on it? What kind of tunes would you want to record? Who would you want to engineer and mix it? Would you want to self-produce or would you want someone else’s input?

I would definitely spare no expense. I would pay whatever it took to have every musician for as long as needed and make it as great as it could be. I would definitely have all of my hero pickers and friends. Each track would have whoever needed so as to give it exactly what is required of the song. Given that there would be no track limit, half would probably be originals, the rest would be covers and originals by those joining me on the record.

I have recorded quite a bit up at Chris Lathams’s studio. He is a good guy, and has the same mindset of what you need done. He’s already got it done before you ask. I would definitely self-produce, but would be open to others input.

JED: What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

I guess one of the coolest records I ever played on was Ray Cardwell’s “Stand on my own” album. A lot of great music, and it was the first time founding member, and later member of Newgrass Revival ever recorded together; Curtis Burch and Pat Flynn, respectively. They’re two of my great friends. It was an honor to be a part of that.

JED: What are you currently working on?

I currently create online social media content, gaining quite a following. As I said, social media is a wonderful way to share exactly what you do, and who you are, organically. I also teach on the side and work the road with the Farmhands. My fellow bandmates are very open-minded and the music is very intriguing. We are currently working on a new record that will be coming out on Pinecastle in January. I also work on my own projects off and on. I am very blessed and many great things are happening.

JED: It is great that you’ve been able to stay busy during a time when so many musicians have struggled to make ends meet. Kelsey thank you for being willing to interview with us and talk to me about your music man. Stay safe on the road and don’t be a stranger!

Jed, thank you for having me, it’s always a pleasure.

Keep in touch with Kelsey via his Instagram profile. Featured article photo by LuAnn Smith.

The post Kentucky Bluegrass via Kelsey Crews appeared first on AcoustiCult.

Hi everyone and thank you Jed for doing this interview with me. My name is Jefferson Louvat, I am Belgian and currently residing in Brussels, Belgium. I am a weather forecaster for the Belgian Air Force as a full time job but music is my true passion and where my heart is I must say. I am a mandolin player plus I play mandolin family instruments.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

To make it short, my dad has always been fond of Blues and Southern Rock Blues (S.R.Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Z.Z Top, J.J. Cale, Gary Moore, etc.). In the ‘70s when I was born, he used to rent LP’s at a local music store. One day he came across Long Hard Ride by the Marshall Tucker Band which was also a blues/rock band but with country influences and an eclectic sound. The opening track featured the 5-string banjo and he got struck by this music he had never heard before. Quite soon after he came back home with banjo records by emerging artists like Tony Trischka or the New Grass Revival in their early years. Later, in the late ‘80s, my older brother Steve asked my parents to learn the guitar after one of his classmates brought a guitar to school. Despite the fact that guitar is a great instrument, they propositioned him to learn the banjo instead because it was much less common. This is where it really started from; a cadet always wants to imitate his elder brother so I picked up the mandolin at age eleven. Quite rapidly we were both swallowed by a devouring passion for Bluegrass music and our respective instruments. Around fourteen, I picked up the fiddle and the guitar at sixteen. But I soon realized that three instruments were too much for me, so I dropped the fiddle a few years later. I am still playing some guitar now and then.

JED: Ya know that is interesting, I was learning fingerstyle guitar initially and got drawn into the world of bluegrass music because my brother played mandolin. It is interesting to hear that you were so overtaken by that passion – I felt the same way – it’s like I didn’t really have an interest in anything else once I found acoustic music.

Totally Jed. As a kid I used to play with toys and games of my age but as soon as I discovered music I just focused on it 100%. I felt like I was a bit special since no one else at school listened to Bluegrass or played mandolin, I really was the only one. You have to know that this genre of music and instruments were definitely not common in Belgium back in those days. Only a small group of older people would know what it was. Nowadays, things are a bit different although Bluegrass is still marginal, it is less “weird” to say you play mandolin or banjo. Things are changing hopefully.

JED: You are a part of the change! What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

There are so many, this is always a tricky question but if I have to pick a few I would certainly choose Late as Usual the first solo album by Sam Bush. Thanks to this record, Sam was one of the very first mandolin players I ever heard. He became my mandolin hero and was one of my biggest influences throughout my teenage years. His style merging rock, reggae, blues, and bluegrass always amazed me. When I was turning fifteen, Sam was playing with Emmylou Harris in a band called the Nash Ramblers. This was in the early 90’s. They did a tour in Europe and happened to play at the Belgian coast. I was so excited to see my hero that I couldn’t sleep for nights prior to the concert as you can imagine. My parents and my brother were standing at the entrance door and as soon as they opened it I ran like a fool to the first row and sat right in front of Sam’s stage spot. Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller did an opening duo set then Emmylou and her band arrived on stage. Sam was there right in front of me, I couldn’t believe it. I prepared in advance, with the help of my dad, some papers with messages written in big letters I would show Sam between the songs. First I introduced myself, told him I was a mandolin player…etc… The last message said I would love to meet him after the show, and I did. We talked for a moment in the lobby of his hotel with the rest of the band passing by. What a wonderful moment and fond memories.

JED: That is awesome! So you wrote that you wanted to meet him on paper and held it up between songs so he would see it? Was it just normal 8.5 x 11 inch printer paper or was it like a big cardboard sign?

Yes it was written on A4 format print paper I taped together. And believe it or not, I still have them somewhere in my archives.

JED: That is awesome man. I love that.

Other albums would certainly be No Hurry by guitarist Scott Nygaard featuring John Reischman on mandolin, ALL the New Grass Revival records, and Béla Fleck’s Drive album. These records are true gold mines for instrumentalists. The groove, the timing, the musicality, the tone are phenomenal. I spent hundreds of hours trying to replicate by ear all these fantastic mandolin breaks from LP’s or cassettes. It was definitely a giant step for me in developing my skills and trying to find my own style of playing.

JED: Man “Drive” is truly a gold-standard album. As a guitarist, Tony’s playing on that album is as influential to me as his playing on any of his own albums. I can’t believe I never get tired of it; I listen to it so often. It is as musically relevant as when I first heard it 14 years ago. Bela deserves a lot of credit for writing songs that don’t sound complicated, but are incredibly musically interesting. His Tales From The Acoustic Planet 2 has some great tunes on it too.

I totally agree, it is amazing how I can listen to these albums a million times and never be tired of. True musical Masterpieces. In a way, I’ve never heard anything better or even equivalent in this particular music genre since then.

JED: They are really timeless works of art. Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

Live performance for sure, sharing music with the audience, sharing the good vibes and all the emotions music can spread is a wonderful feeling and so rewarding. In these crazy COVID times I am deeply missing playing live and do hope we’ll be able to make it again real soon. A world without live music is not the same, we need it so badly.

Recording in a studio is also fun when you can fix your music with high quality equipment in order to perpetuate your work for anyone, anytime, anywhere. I also really enjoy composing and although I do not consider myself a particularly skilled composer, I’ve written a few pieces in my life that I am pretty proud of. 

JED: Who are three musicians that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

Hard to tell, there are so many that I actually have no specific names to give. To me notoriety is pretty much directly linked to the genre of music you play. Commercial music verses less popular music etc. It depends on so many parameters (time, environment, opportunities to get exposed, chance…) I come from the rather small world of Bluegrass and I know a lot of  extremely talented musicians who are known in their field only and totally unknown outside this musical genre. Once you are capable of covering a wider range of music styles then you can reach out to a wider audience; Chris Thile, Alison Krauss, and Béla Fleck are some fine examples.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

I play a 2019 custom (I am left-handed) Apitius mandolin built by Oliver Apitius. He is from the Toronto area in Ontario, Canada. He is known as one of the finest mandolin builders of his time and in addition, he is a perfect gentleman. I am very happy to play an instrument that is so good and made by such a humble and lovely person. I also play an old 1916 Gibson H-1 mandola, and a 2017 mandocello made by a very talented young belgian guitar luthier named Mathieu Boulet.

JED: What kinds of strings and picks do you use?

Strings and picks choice is a quest on which most players spend quite some time as I did. String-wise I use D’Addario EJ74s. It is a good compromise regarding the quality and price as I restring my mando rather often. Concerning the picks, I love the second generation of the Dawg and also the Pro Plec 1.5mm. Despite the fact it is made of plastic it delivers a warm, mellow and woody sound. I’ve been playing these picks for years but on the other hand it does not fit to all kinds of mandolin music. When I need more accuracy and sharper sound or attack I use a Jim Dunlop Primetone sculpted semi round. It also depends on the weather and humidity rate and how the instrument reacts to it. Some days one particular pick sounds better than another so I choose the pick that compensates for the lack of what I need to hear and feel. Anyway, no matter the pick I use, it is always around 1.5mm.

JED: If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

I think it would be an album including mostly if not entirely my own compositions recorded with several of my heroes and Sam Bush would be in the top three for sure. I would do it in one of the finest studios in Nashville to get “THE” sound. It is good to dream isn’t it?

JED: Absolutely! Who else would you want to guest on the album? Who would you want to produce it? Who would you want to engineer it?

If I may keep on dreaming, I would ask Béla Fleck to cut some banjo tracks and to produce the album. He is such an accomplished musician. Everything he did in his career up to now is terrific. It would be a lifetime achievement for me to work with him.

There are some great engineers in Nashville, guys like David Sinko, Ben Surratt, and Bill Vorn Dick…to name a few.

JED: You have great taste Jeff. I will keep my fingers crossed that you can make this album some day! What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

I used to play for decades with my brother Steve as a duet and later as a trio with a bassist (Louvat Brothers). While I was still in the band we made two records including one on a famous German label “Acoustic Music Records” called Contrasts and featuring our good friend Byron Berline on the fiddle. I also recorded two albums with one of the finest French bluegrass flat-picking guitarists, Thierry Massoubre; one of them, A Walk with You featuring the one and only Stuart Duncan on the fiddle and Missy Raines on the bass.

JED: What are you currently working on?

Since I left the Louvat Brothers trio in 2017, I started a new musical adventure with my partner and violinist/violist Ariane Cohen-Adad. Together we form “Szabadsag” (meaning freedom in Hungarian, I have Hungarian roots). This duet blends traditional music from the Bluegrass and Irish repertoire with Klezmer and Eastern European music and Yiddish songs as well as our own compositions. Since we started this project I’ve incorporated mandolin family instruments such as mandola and mandocello. We use every possible combination of our five instruments to deliver the widest panel of sounds we can. It is very interesting to ask yourself what instruments would sound the best for a given tune or song. 

We just released a brand new album entitled Ellis Island which is now available directly from us at or via our official distributor. We also took the liberty to overdub more than two instruments on the record and to add some percussion. I am very proud of this record as it explores new fields to me. The musical process of writing is different from what I was used to in a band. As a duet you have to think differently as with a quartet for example.  You feel more exposed, there is no place to hide If I may say so.

JED: Man I am stoked to hear it. Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us about your music and your story. Congratulations on the release of Ellis Island! Please stay in touch with us and stop in and say hi again soon!

Check out Jefferson’s website. Featured article photo of Jefferson and his Apitius mandolin by François Roland.

The post Belgian Mandolinist Jefferson Louvat appeared first on AcoustiCult.

Howdy! I’m so glad we could make this happen. My name is Emma Dean Moseley, and I’m an acoustic fingerstyle guitar player / songwriter. I currently attend Berklee College of Music in Boston.

JED: You were in Austin for the summer yeah? Did they resume regular classes this fall?

Yes I spent the summer and am now spending the fall back in Austin with my family. Berklee has gone completely online for now, so I’m soaking up the Texas sun and time with my dog while I can!

JED: Gotcha. Well I would bet the fall in Austin is easier to handle than the fall in Boston (I like the warm :)) Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

Let me tell a little story. I hear my shoe nervously tap against the hard, wooden floor of the spacious theater. A sold out crowd on the other side of the red curtain buzzed. I was ten years old, performing at the Manship Theater in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and I was petrified. There was a world of difference between the cozy coffee shop open mics and the quaint churches I was used to playing in and the situation in which I currently found myself. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling as many nerves as possible when I heard my cue. The billowing curtains rolled themselves out of the way, exposing little me. As I sat on a stool with my guitar, I remember flashing a nervous smile at the audience, then poured my heart out like I never had before. At that moment, I made a choice, consciously or not, that pursuing a music career would become my life. I had been stuck on the guitar since picking it up at my own insistence at the age of six, and grew up singing and playing in a quaint, wooden church in the deep south. Thirteen years of later, now studying music in college, I couldn’t be more grateful that I discovered my passion at such a young age.

JED: It is a luxury to discover music early-on. It sounds like you’re right where you need to be doing exactly what you need to be doing. What are your favorite 5 albums, and do they influence your work? If so, in what ways?

What a hard question! Tommy Emmanuel’s 2011 album “Little By Little” is the first thing that came to mind.  I grew up studying classical guitar, and discovering Tommy Emmanuel’s steel string fingerpicking through this record changed my whole world!  It inspired me to translate all the mechanics and technique I had been learning in my classical studies to more modern music, and now I consider myself to primarily be a steel string fingerpicker.

Next, I’d say Good Old War’s “Come Back as Rain” and Amos Lee’s self titled record were hugely influential.  These are bands my mom used to play in the car often when I was small and as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned to love their songwriting and sounds tremendously.

Lastly, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Live at the El Mocambo” and John Mayer’s “Live at the Nokia Theater” were cornerstones of my musical development. I was incredibly lucky to find my first guitar teacher and biggest musical inspiration, Jeromy Spiers in small-town Mississippi where I grew up. After a particular lesson in 2010, Jeromy gifted me his CD copy of SRV’s record and told me to watch it ten times in its entirety before I saw him the next week. After that, life was never the same.

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

Performance is most definitely my favorite part of music.  Whether I’m the person performing or I’m soaking in the energy of one of my favorite live bands, there is just nothing like it.

JED: Who are three musicians today that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

Having spent the last seven years in the music-filled city of Austin, Texas, I’ve been spoiled to befriend some of the most talented, and underrated individuals anyone could hope to meet in a lifetime. Tom Meny, award winning Austin singer-songwriter, is one of these people. His songs somehow manage to break my heart, then put it back together again in approximately three minutes. Also, what’s with all the hate for John Mayer’s music?! Hot take: I think he is a fantastic guitarist and songwriter, and deserves more kind regard from the music community.  And lastly… how does the whole world not know about D’Angelo?!

JED: I’m with you on the John Mayer thing – I think he’s incredibly talented. It seems like once you “make it” everyone wants to hate on you because you’re “too mainstream” or something? Does that resonate at all? I mean who doesn’t want their art to become a household name of an era? Why hate on the guy who has attained that?

While I will admit much of the music that made him “famous” and hit the charts isn’t my style, there really are some gems in his discography. The “Where the Light Is” album/documentary was a HUGE inspiration for me growing up. I spent years slowing down the part where he plays “Neon” on an acoustic guitar, trying to figure out how the heck he was pulling it off. I think there’s much to be learned from and respected about him.

JED: I agree. Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

I am a Collings Guitars player, through and through! My main guitar is a custom Collings OM2H Cutaway that I was lucky to design with the help of Bill Collings and the rest of the incredible Collings family. I am convinced that it is the guitar of my lifetime. I don’t experiment with many pedals for my acoustic guitar, but I do use a RedEye preamp. For my electric rig, I play a Collings I35 hollow body guitar through a Mesa Lonestar Special. I am always exploring and switching out what is on my pedal board (as we guitar players do), but right now I’m trying out Analogman’s King of Tone for my crunchier tunes. Oh, and clayton picks are my favorite!

JED: Elixir strings? 11s on the OM?

Funny you say that, I’ve been trying out some new string options lately. I love Curt Mangan or D’Addario NYXL 12s for my OM. I gave some 11s a test run, and while they feel better for my tiny hands, they just don’t sound the same.

JED: Curt Mangan strings are still around? I haven’t heard of those in years. Thats cool. Yeah I agree, lighter strings are always easier on the fingers & hands, but the tone can sound weak too. What difference do you notice in the nickel strings (NYXLs) that you prefer over a typical phosphor string?

I LOVE the way they respond with fingerstyle stuff.  They don’t last quite as long as my other go-to strings but I always reach for them when changing my strings before a show because of how lively they are.

JED: If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

If I could record anywhere with anyone in the world, I would have to choose my aforementioned friend Jeromy Spiers. His recording and production skills are the best I’ve ever experienced, and his ability to pull out the best in my music is unmatched. He has a home studio set up in an old victorian house with all the cool vintage guitars you can imagine, and the best vibes around.

I also got the chance to record at Eric Johnson’s studio here in Austin and that was a pretty crazy experience, so I certainly wouldn’t complain about going back.

JED: Yoooooo that is awesome! I would’ve just spent the whole time asking him to play ‘Cliffs Of Dover.’ 😀 Would you have any special guests on your album? Or would you want it to just be you?

I would LOVE to have Malford Milligan of Storyville sing on a tune with me, it would be a bucket list thing for sure. I think his song “Don’t Make Me Cry” is my most played Spotify song.  As far as other guests go, I plan on having my dear fiddler friends Kimberly Zielnicki and Eddie Dickerson join in. I’m a sucker for some twin fiddles.

JED: What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

I would say the projects I’m currently working on with Jeromy are the recordings I’m the most proud of and excited to release. I think the songs I’ve written in the past year or so of my life have finally felt authentic and album-worthy. I’m finding the blend between singer-songwriter Emma, soul-inspired Emma, and “shreddy”-fingerstyle-acoustic-guitarist Emma. It will be a while before this stuff is released, but gosh I’m excited about it.

JED: How long is “a while?” 😀

Well, 2021 is what I’m hearing through the grapevine!! 😉

JED: We’ll be anxiously awaiting that. What are you currently working on?

I’ve been really working on my flatpicking and hybrid picking chops lately, working on tunes like “Nickel for Your Thoughts” by Pete Huttlinger and learning fiddle tunes with my friends here at Berklee. Also, my professor here at Berklee, Guy Van Duser’s arrangement of “Stars and Stripes Forever” has been the challenge of the semester.

JED: There was a video of you playing “Dixie” or something I ran across recently. You were playing two tunes at once. What tune was that?

Yes! Chet Atkins’ arrangement of Yankee Doodle Dixie… what a finger twister. He plays Yankee Doodle in the bass and Dixie on the upper strings at the same time. My most recent challenge has been figuring out how to sing “Old MacDonald” on top of them. We’ll see how that goes…

JED: Wow. While you’re at it you should try juggling flaming bowling pins with your feet too.

Hahaha!! Maybe that’s next…

JED: Well Emma I seriously can’t thank you enough for taking the time to do this. I’m glad we got to talk a bit and learn more about your story. Please keep us updated on the album release!

I had so much fun hanging out with you, and will keep you in the loop 😉 Thanks for having me!!

Keep up with the latest and greatest from Emma on her Instagram and
Twitter. Featured article photo by Tina Dunnington.

The post Austin to Boston : Guitarist Emma Dean Moseley appeared first on AcoustiCult.

I’m Sav Sankaran, and I’m an upright bassist and vocalist with the NC-based bluegrass band Unspoken Tradition. I previously toured extensively with The Dixie Bee-Liners, among others. I live in Asheville, NC.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your beginnings. Your origin story, so to speak. How did you get into music, and what made you choose this path over others?

I was classically trained from a young age and explored a lot of genres, but always held old-time and bluegrass close to my heart and chose to focus on it. I’m a first-generation American, born into a family of Indian immigrants. For me, being born and raised in Appalachia and having ownership over its culture is as formative and important to me as my family’s Indian heritage and culture. I was always trying to balance my parents’ culture with my own. I think that’s what drew me to bluegrass and old-time music – it was a music of identity, of MY American identity. By learning it and playing it I could assert my ownership over my country, and develop a sense of belonging.

JED: What an interesting perspective man! You’re the first musician I’ve interviewed who is a first-generation American. That is a unique blend of cultural influence. What are some of your favorite albums, and how do they influence your work?

My music taste is so eclectic; that’s a loaded question that could probably be an entire standalone interview! I’ll just mention a couple that have been formative for me as it pertains to bluegrass. One that stands out for me is Bob Paisley & The Southern Grass’ “Live in Holland.” I have proclaimed the gospel of The Southern Grass over the years to anyone that would listen. To me they were, and continue to be, the gold standard for what I think a “traditional” bluegrass band should sound like. Another really influential album for me was Blue Highway’s “Still Climbing Mountains” from the early 2000s. I have always loved their stellar song choices, pristine arrangements, vocal prowess… you name it – they’ve got it. I think they set such a good example of how to establish a “band sound;” how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

JED: A huge part of Blue Highway’s sound to me has always been Tim Stafford’s writing.

Yeah, I love Tim’s songwriting, too! I feel like their storytelling is such an integral part of the sound they’ve crafted; you almost can’t separate the band from their catalog, which is a great problem to have.

JED: Which part of your music career do you enjoy the most – live performance, recording, writing, etc.?

I think for me there is nothing that rivals the simple act of playing music with other people. Whether that is in front of an audience or in my living room is immaterial to me – I think the thrill for me is to communicate with the other musicians in a shared dialect. I think that’s another thing that attracted me to playing acoustic music – there is an immediacy and an intimacy to it that’s intoxicating.

JED: Man I think a solid, low pressure, and quiet jam session is about as musically satisfying as anything else I could do. Jamming allows you to focus strictly on vibing with the other musicians. If you can get to where you can do that on stage, your show becomes magic.

Yes, exactly! That’s always the goal for Unspoken Tradition; to create that sort of atmosphere on stage where the audience feels like they’ve been given an opportunity to just watch us enjoy playing music together. Obviously we try to play to the energy of the crowd, but the joy for us comes from what we can create together. That being said, I think under the current circumstances we are all missing the opportunity to play for a crowd!

JED: Who are three musicians that you think are underrated or deserve more notoriety for their art?

The first one that comes to mind falls outside the world of bluegrass: Western NC vocalist and songwriter Dulci Ellenberger of the bands Fwuit! and Cowboy Judy. She is one of my all-time favorite vocalists, and an incredible songwriter that has immeasurable depth. Her songs span the spectrum from silly ditties to songs with so much gravitas and substance.

Another artist that I think deserves more recognition is the Alex Leach Band. It’s not often a band that is ostensibly very traditional in style sounds so novel and fresh. I love his singing, as well as his banjo and guitar playing. Alex spent time in the Clinch Mountain Boys, and you can hear the influence of the Stanleys in his music, but it is uniquely his own. I was excited to see them sign with Mountain Home, the same label as Unspoken Tradition, so I look forward to a new release from them soon.

Gina Furtado has certainly been lauded for her amazing banjo virtuosity, but with her new band and project that came out last year, I don’t think she gets enough credit as a singer and songwriter. I’ve always admired her banjo stylings, but I think her newest release shows just how multifaceted an artist she is.

JED: Tell us a little bit about your current rig – what does your “rig” consist of? What instrument(s) do you play, pedals, mics, etc.?

My primary bass is a 1949 American Standard.

JED: I’ve wanted to find an old Standard or King for a few years now. The few that I’ve been able to play sound amazing. 

I absolutely love the way the old Standards sound; I think it’s the quintessential old plywood bass- it’s got great, resonant low end, just enough definition to avoid being muddy, and you can really dig in and get it to “thump.” I tend to be pretty aggressive, particularly with my right hand attack, and more than any other bass I’ve had, this old Standard really responds to that and allows me to pull a lot of tone.

It was originally restored by the late Lonnie Hamer in Pennsylvania, and he built a great ebony fingerboard for it that has served me really well. It has an adjustable bridge made by Dustin Williams of Williams Fine Violins in Nashville. To amplify it, I use a Fishman Full Circle pickup which I then run into a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ, and an Acoustic Image Coda II amplifier.

JED: I use the Full Circle on my old Epiphone. I feel like it represents my bass very accurately.

I prefer Thomastik Spirocore medium gauge strings, although I have had success with D’addario Helicores as well. When I have to fly for gigs, I use an NS Design CRT Electric Upright bass, which I absolutely love.

JED: Have you ever used the D’Addario Zyex strings? I used the medium tension strings and really liked them, but the E was incredibly “ropey.” Like it was too loose and had no definition at all.

I tried them once very briefly, but higher tension strings have always been my preference. I think they offer a good balance of pizzicato and arco tone, because I do occasionally play with a bow as well. I’ve never played on gut, though, and I know that players who do like the Zyex for a more stable string that still approximates gut.

JED: Thats a good way to put it – like a more stable and “hard” gut tone. If you were given an unlimited budget for an album production to record your dream album, what would it look like?

I have had this lingering idea for years to write and perform a concept album that is inspired by my family’s journey, sort of an exploration of the American immigrant experience through the medium of acoustic music. The way I imagine it is to have traditional musicians from different cultures collaborate and interweave the various styles of music to create something richer, denser – something that illustrates how our greater culture benefits from the contributions of so many varied individuals with diverse backgrounds.

JED: Dude – you should do that. That is uncharted territory with your name written all over it. What is your favorite album or recording that you’ve made to date?

Back in 2011, I made my first solo record, “Back to Bassics.” I was lucky enough to get to record that project with some incredible musicians, including heroes of mine like Adam Steffey and Ron Stewart. It included some of my originals as well as songs written by Jon Weisberger, Charles Humphrey III, and Phil Barker, among others. It was my first attempt at making a recorded project that was solely focused on showcasing my playing, singing, and writing, and although there are some things I would have done differently – I’m really proud of it.

JED: That is such a satisfying feeling; to be able to look back at a musical project and say “after all this time, growth, change, and maturity I can still appreciate and be proud of that.” What are you currently working on?

Unspoken Tradition is getting ready to head back into the studio soon to record some new music that will be out in the second half of 2020 and beyond. I’m really excited to share that music with y’all – it’s gonna be great! I’m also taking on freelance writing gigs – artist bios, album press releases, marketing copy, features; I’m open to really anything that’s music-adjacent in that venue. 

JED: Well I’d imagine that if you’re open to it it’ll find it’s way to you. Dude I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and share part of your story with out AcoustiCult readers. Keep us updated on the new UT album!

Follow Sav on his Instagram and Unspoken Tradition’s Instagram, Spotify page, and website. Featured article photo by Sandlin Gaither.

The post First Generation Appalachian – Sav Sankaran appeared first on AcoustiCult.