Tag Archives: red dirt music

John Moreland: Changing your tune

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Now there’s a John Moreland song for whatever mood you’re in…

Singer and songwriter John Moreland has built a reputation for passionate lyrics and acoustic performances that connect with audiences across the country. Born in Texas, Moreland spent time there and in Kentucky before another move brought him to Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was 10 years old.

It was here where Moreland began to play guitar and write his own songs. A member of a few different bands, his initial interest was in hard core music but a transition to his more familiar sound began to occur following high school. Moreland has built a following largely on his own, consistently writing songs, self-producing and releasing three solo albums. Even using his parent’s home as a recording studio for his third album, High on Tulsa Heat.

Becoming known for his story telling capabilities and piercing lyrics that often not only hint at, but face dark and depressing tones full on, Moreland himself began to succumb to his own endeavor. He shared these feelings with Rolling Stone in a past interview.

“When I heard the sad bastard thing more and more, it came to a point where I felt like a caricature of a real person. It made me really depressed for a little while, where I kind of believed it and put too much stock in that. I felt like it was all I had to offer: just bumming people out. It got really dark. I was a happy person, and then everybody called me a sad person, and then that made me sad. I felt like, ‘Am I just bumming everybody out? Is my art just this one-dimensional, negative thing?'”

Now a few years older, in love and married, Moreland released his first full band record, Big Bad Luv last year. His most recent performances have been a mix of his rock based beginnings, fully backed anthems and a peppered mix of his acoustic renditions, which still can quiet a venue demanding their appropriate attention.

Moreland has been heralded by country superstar Miranda Lambert but won’t be writing anything for her or anyone else, anytime in the near future. A rising star in his own right, Moreland continues to receive praise from Lambert and countless others in the music industry.

As his evolution continues, expect Moreland’s music to maintain its hard hitting ability to impact an audience – now, covering an even wider array of emotions.

MerleFest 2018: Mike Aiken Band

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Life on the fringe has its benefits, not the least of which is the perspective from an outsider’s view. Northwind Records is proud to announce the release of Mike Aiken’s seventh studio album, WAYWARD TROUBADOUR. Aiken’s 11song package is the anticipated follow-up to the Grammy nominated Captains & Cowboys (produced by Dan Baird, Georgia Satellites). As the first track’s title indicates, ‘Everything Changed’ with this album. Another conceptualized work that each of us can relate to, WAYWARD TROUBADOUR tells tales of trouble and charm.

It has been five years since Captains & Cowboys made its debut and Aiken says he wasn’t going to stop, not until he achieved what he was after. “I had a very clear sound in my head for this album, one I’ve always wanted to capture and I was not going to settle. At this point in my career I don’t have time for folks who don’t believe in the music 110%. These are the folks I want to write, record and perform with.”

Wayward, by definition, is difficult to control, unpredictable, non-conforming. It took three studios and almost as many years to complete this troubadour’s collection of true north. Tracking began in Austin, Texas late in 2016. Aiken then found his way to Latitude Studio South in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. Here is where the magic started, where the wayward musicians could be themselves and Mike could begin to capture what he heard in his head on the vintage equipment.

If anybody has earned the title of WAYWARD TROUBADOUR, Mike Aiken has. He ran away as a kid to play music, he became a licensed USCG Captain, he has sailed over 30,000 bluewater miles on his own sailboat and logged countless miles on the road performing in North American and Europe.

Bio provided courtesy of www.mikeaikenmusic.com

Catch the Mike Aiken Band at one of their two Friday (April 27) sets during MerleFest this year.

Friday, 12:15pm-12:45pm (Cabin Stage)
Friday, 1:30pm-2:00pm (Austin Stage at Alumni Hall)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

MerleFest 2018: Alison Brown

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Alison Brown doesn’t play the banjo. Alison Brown plays music on the banjo.

In the instrumental food chain, the five-string banjo is one of the more dominant beasts: loud, brash and very hard to tame. In 1945, Earl Scruggs made the biggest leap in harnessing its raw power, bringing a revolutionary precision of touch and depth of tone.

Thousands of three-finger style banjo players have since made their marks, but none has cut such a path or moved so far along it as has Alison Brown. She’s acclaimed as one of today’s finest progressive banjo players, but you rarely find her in a conventional bluegrass setting. Instead, she’s known for leading an ensemble that successfully marries a broad array of roots-influenced music: folk, jazz, Celtic and Latin.

With her new Compass project, The Song of the Banjo, the 2015 IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award and 2001 GRAMMY Award-winning musician/composer/producer/entrepreneur plants another flag in her ongoing journey of sonic exploration.

“It’s amazing to me how much the banjo changed in the 20th Century,” Brown says. “And here we are in the dawn of the 21st; who knows where it may go?”

For one answer to that question, look no further than The Song of the Banjo.


Bio provided courtesy of Larry Nager at www.alisonbrown.com

Make sure you see Alison Brown perform at one (or all!) of her three sets during MerleFest on Saturday or Sunday (April 28-29).

Saturday, 1:45pm-2:30pm (Hillside Stage)
Saturday, 5:45pm-6:30pm (Walker Center)
Sunday, 11:15am-12:15pm (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

Live Review: Brent Cobb in Charlotte

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Georgia native Brent Cobb captivated the Queen City on Friday night…

Brent Cobb has recently been making the rounds throughout North Carolina with stops in Asheville and Raleigh, prior to his show on Friday night at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte. It was the last of his local dates before a spring spent mostly on the west coast touring prior to joining up with Chris Stapleton on his All American Road Show, traveling throughout the country. Once he does, even more people will get to witness the magical sound that immediately connects with listeners in a small venue but remains capable of translating to stadiums and amphitheaters.

In a world where every artist attempts to separate themselves from the next, whether by sound or unique instrumentation, Cobb achieves both. Immediately, his voice is recognizable no matter the song being played, while his use of the guitar keeps the momentum going with a solid sound.

Cobb took the stage at Neighborhood Theatre in front of a good crowd with many who were there to sing along. Word for word, a majority of the audience was ready for “Diggin’ Holes,” “Down Home” and “South of Atlanta,” despite some in attendance who needed a lesson in concert etiquette from American Aquarium front-man and North Carolina’s own BJ Barham.

Regardless of the unnecessary chatter taking place, Cobb declared that while he normally prefers to tell tales, he would instead stick to the music in an effort to fit as many songs into his two-hour set as possible. The time passed quickly as another highlight included the tribute song for Wayne Mills when “The King of Alabama” and our very own Tuesday Tune of the week, “Ain’t A Road Too Long” were played.

Overall, an exciting show with a receptive Charlotte crowd who was familiar with Cobb’s music because once he graces stages across America prior to Stapleton, his stock is only going to rise. For those in attendance on Friday night and in audiences recently throughout North Carolina, remember your time well spent when friends ask you about him in October, following dates with Stapleton in Raleigh and Charlotte.

You had a chance to witness his musical mastery in an intimate setting and while it may briefly continue, once more individuals are exposed to his relatable lyrics, then the opportunities similar to what Charlotte experienced on Friday night will diminish.

Cobb is on the rise and we are thankful he chose to spend multiple dates within his northeast neighbor before moving on across the country. See you again soon and while we’ll always be thankful for choosing the smaller venues, we’ll simultaneously appreciate your continued rise to whatever the future has in store.

MerleFest 2018: Brandy Clark

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

“Ain’t we all the stars playing the leading part in our own soap opera?” Brandy Clark belts out that question to kick off Big Day in a Small Town, positing the premise of not just the opening track (“Soap Opera”), but all 10 songs that follow it. The towns that anchor Clark’s new album may be small enough to warrant only a single blinking light, but the lives lived in them are anything but … and neither are the hopes and dreams that rise from their backroads and bedrooms.

When you grow up in a small town, oftentimes, your dreams are all you have. Whether it’s to become a football star or a father, a homecoming queen or a hairdresser, your dreams might be the only thing that keep you going. For Clark, the dream she harbored in her small hometown of Morton, Washington, was to be a country singer. Sure, once she moved to Nashville, she had successful cuts as a songwriter [The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow” which won the CMA Song of the Year Award in 2014], but being an artist in her own right was a dream she had stopped dreaming until three years ago when her first album, the stunning 12 Stories, debuted.

Along with Sturgill Simpson, Ashley Monroe, Chris Stapleton, and Kacey Musgraves (who provides guest vocals on “Daughter”), Clark is part of a new vanguard in country music — one that tips a hat to tradition, while not eschewing its evolution. “I see what’s happening right now and I feel this groundswell of people who love… I would say ‘country’ music, but I’ll take it a step further and say ‘real’ music. I feel like there are people who are starved for that,” she says. “The only music I’ve ever made is country music. The only music I’ve ever really listened to consistently is country music. And I want to keep that alive, so there’s a responsibility in that, for me.”

But, for Brandy Clark, that responsibility is a dream come true.

Bio provided courtesy of www.brandyclarkmusic.com

You don’t want to miss seeing Brandy Clark perform during MerleFest on Friday (April 27) afternoon.

Friday, 3:15pm-4:15pm (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

MerleFest 2018: Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn present their eponymous debut album as a duo, after many years of prominence as banjo players and composers in their own eclectic avenues. Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn is a front porch banjo and vocal album of new music, Appalachian murder ballads, gospel, chamber and blues; the culmination of a yearlong tour as a duo in 2013, following the birth of their son, Juno.

Béla, an icon and innovator of jazz, classical and world, with more multi-category GRAMMY wins than any other artist (15 total), and Abigail, a formidable talent with triumphs in songwriting, theater, performance, and even Chinese diplomacy by way of banjo, turn out to be quite a fortuitous pairing with a deep, distinct and satisfying outcome. The culmination is an album like no other. The record reveals their astounding chemistry as collaborators, as the two seamlessly stitch together singular banjo sounds (through an assortment of seven banjos spanning the recording) in service to the stories that their songs tell, with no studio gimmickry needed.

According to Béla, “finding a way to make every song have its own unique stamp, yet the whole project having a big cohesive sound – with only two people,” was at the core of their joint vision. Demonstrating seemingly unlimited rhythmic, tonal and melodic capabilities, Fleck and Washburn confirm the banjo’s versatility as the perfect backdrop to the rich lyrical component that Fleck and Washburn offer, “Sometimes when you add other instruments, you take away from the banjo’s being able to show all its colors, which are actually quite beautiful.” Thanks to this album, the musicians’ palette has never been more vivid or pure.

Sure, in the abstract, a banjo duo might seem like a musical concept beset by limitations. But when the banjo players cast in those roles are Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck—she with the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter, he with the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots— it’s a different matter entirely. There’s no denying that theirs is a one-of-a-kind pairing, with one-of-a-kind possibilities.


Bio provided courtesy of www.abigailwashburn.com

See Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn perform together during MerleFest on Friday (April 27).

Friday, 8:00pm-9:00pm (Watson Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

Red Dirt NC: Weekend Watch, April 12-14

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Another weekend begins on Thursday as three shows are peppered across the south, central portion of North Carolina…

Spring has arrived and as the weather warms, so too is the concert calendar. This week requires a bit of decision making but the opportunity to catch multiple shows across North Carolina remains. The good news is that you can’t go wrong, no matter which show(s) you decide to attend.

This weekend also features a good mix of North Carolina based acts in addition to visitors from across the Americana, Texas country and Red Dirt genres to our state. Further, while a majority of the shows will be taking place in Charlotte, there are still opportunities for fans located in other parts of the state.

There is no shortage of shows this weekend, so get out and support live music in North Carolina!

THURSDAY – APRIL 12, 2018

*Pistol Hill – Newgrass Brewing, Shelby

Independent and traditional country music. Emerging local artists within the genre featuring both original songs and covers from some of your favorite individuals and bands.

Blackberry Smoke – The Fillmore, Charlotte

Blackberry Smoke has never been a band that stands still. Whether pursuing the dream by logging hundreds of thousands of miles on America’s highways and abroad or relentlessly exploring the many facets of its most unique art form, the Atlanta quintet is always on the move. The songs on Blackberry Smoke’s sixth album, Like an Arrow show just how far this authentic American rock band has come as the accomplished group of musicians tackles a diverse set of new ideas, sounds and territories, long after most bands with half the success might have settled into a well-worn groove.

Jaimee Harris – The Rooster’s Wife, Aberdeen

Jaimee Harris is poised to become the next queen of Americana-Folk, a slightly edgier Emmylou Harris for the younger generation. Her new album draws comparisons to Patty Griffin, Ryan Adams, and Kathleen Edwards – all writers who know how to craft a heartbreakingly beautiful song with just enough grit to keep you enthralled. Harris writes about the basic human experience, in a way that is simple, poetic, and often painfully relatable.

FRIDAY – APRIL 13, 2018

*Mipso – Visulite Theatre, Charlotte

Chapel Hill’s indie Americana quartet Mipso – Jacob Sharp (mandolin, vocals), Wood Robinson (bass, vocals), Joseph Terrell (guitar, vocals), and Libby Rodenbough (fiddle, vocals) – release their fifth album, Edges Run, on April 6th, 2018 via a newly inked record deal with AntiFragile Music. Influenced by the contradiction of its progressive home and the surrounding rural southern landscapes, Mipso has been hailed as “hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular” (Acoustic Guitar) and was recently recognized by Rolling Stone as an “ Artist You Need to Know.”

The Lone Bellow – Music in the Mill, Hickory

The Lone Bellow burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut in 2013. The Brooklyn-based band quickly became known for their transcendent harmonies, serious musicianship and raucous live performance — a reputation that earned them their rabid fan base.

*Caleb Caudle – The Ramkat, Winston-Salem

One of Caudle’s strongest attributes, which journalists and listeners alike continue to find endearing, is his unique and genuine method of songwriting, which Paste Magazine compared to Jason Isbell. “The lyrics are very biographical. I write about what I know, so my albums are a snapshot into a six month window of my life.” From announcing his romantic vulnerability with Paint Another Layer On My Heart to actually finding love on Carolina Ghost, Caudle’s strong lyrical driving force makes him consistently relatable. And his newest project, Crushed Coins, is no exception to that rule.

Brent Cobb – Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte

Brent Cobb didn’t set out to write an album that feels and sounds like the place he grew up. But now that the grooves have been cut in his debut LP, Shine on Rainy Day, there’s no denying the people, the places and the vibe of his south central Georgia home infuse almost every song.

SATURDAY – APRIL 14, 2018

Casey Donahew – Coyote Joe’s, Charlotte

The Burleson, Texas native, (with the help of his wife Melinda,) has painstakingly carved out an impressive niche for himself on the country music scene over the past decade, attracting a solid base of loyal fans who flock to his legendary live shows. Building his career from the ground up one show at a time, he’s managed to perform on countless stages night after night in front of thousands, topped the Texas music charts several times, released four albums independently to critical acclaim, and forged a path all his own through the music scene without the aid or muscle of a major record label or power-suit management company.

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Look for us out on the road this weekend and enjoy the shows! Keep spreading the love, one song at a time…

*denotes NC artists

MerleFest 2018: Jim Lauderdale

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Jim Lauderdale is both a “songwriter’s songwriter,” who’s written/co-written many modern classics for iconic artists, as well as an intuitive sideman, who’s enhanced the music of a bevy of esteemed musicians. As a solo artist, since 1986 up until now, he’s created a body work spanning 29 albums of imaginative roots music, encompassing country, bluegrass, soul, R&B and rock, as well as helping pave the way for the current Americana movement.

A longtime ambassador of the Americana genre, Jim received the WagonMaster Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by George Strait, on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, as part of the 15th annual Americana Honors & Awards.

“I know him mostly as a songwriter; a really, really, really good hit songwriter, and I’ve been very fortunate to cut a lot of his songs over the years,” Strait said in his speech. “Like Porter Wagoner, Jim Lauderdale is a consummate entertainer, a sharp dressed man as well, a terrific songwriter and a great singer.”

Lauderdale has released at least one, and sometimes as many as three, records every years since 1998. He is the second most recorded writer in George Strait’s canon, as well as responsible for country hits for Patty Loveless, George Jones, Mark Chesnutt and the Dixie Chicks. He’s also recorded albums with Dr. Ralph Stanley, the North Mississippi Allstars, Donna the Buffalo, Elvis Presley’s band, Elvis Costello and Buddy Miller, as well as collections written whole albums with long time Grateful Dead collaborator Robert Hunter. He’s the co-hosts a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Buddy Miller, “The Buddy & Jim Show”. He is also co-host of Music City Roots, the weekly live and radio, podcast and PBS series.

June 30th Lauderdale released his 29th album, London Southern that was recorded in London at Goldtop studios and produced by Neil Brockbank and Robert Trehern. London Southern features co-writes with Dan Penn, Joan Oates, Odie Blackmon and Kendell Marvell alongside six Lauderdale solo compositions and a host of celebrated guest musicians.

Bio provided courtesy of www.jimlauderdale.com

See Jim Lauderdale at one of his many sets during MerleFest on Friday and continuing thru the weekend (April 27-29).

Friday, 2:00pm-3:30pm (Austin Stage at Alumni Hall)
Friday, 6:05pm-6:30pm (Cabin Stage)
Saturday, 11:15am-12:00pm (Hillside Stage)
Saturday, 2:00pm-2:45pm (Walker Center)
Saturday, 9:30pm-10:45pm (Watson Stage)
Saturday, 10:30pm-12:30am (Walker Center)
Sunday, 3:35pm-4:00pm (Cabin Stage)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

MerleFest 2018: Hubby Jenkins

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As MerleFest 2018 approaches, a highlight from one of the 100+ performing acts will be featured daily…

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn he delved into his Southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo, and traditional jazz.

Hubby got his higher musical education started as a busker. He developed his guitar and vocal craft on the sidewalks and subway platforms of New York City, performing material by those venerable artists whose work he was quickly absorbing. An ambitiously itinerant musician, he took his show on the road, playing the streets, coffee shops, bars, and house parties of cities around the U.S.

After years of busking around the country and making a name for himself, Hubby became acquainted with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Since 2010 he has been an integral part of the Grammy award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops and continues to make solo performances.

Bio provided courtesy of www.hubbyjenkins.com

Hear Hubby Jenkins at one of his two sets during MerleFest on Friday (April 27).

Friday, 9:30am-1:45pm (Austin Stage at Alumni Hall)
Friday, 3:00pm-3:45pm (Traditional)

View the full MerleFest schedule and stage lineup here.

Caleb Caudle: Crushing It

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Get to know North Carolina native Caleb Caudle and his music…

Recently, Caleb Caudle returned home to North Carolina for an album release show at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro. The late February release of Caudle’s eighth album, Crushed Coins, has been well received by all who have listened and has him gaining serious recognition for his music, in addition to comparisons of Jason Isbell and John Moreland.

Caudle left the comforts and familiarity of home to record his latest record out in Los Angeles at Mixtown USA’s studio. His storytelling and songwriting is based on a lot of personal experiences and since his previous release, Caudle has gotten married and traveled across much of the United States.

According to him, “Crushed Coins is a departure from my past records in a few ways. In the months leading up to recording these songs, I was listening to a lot of jazz, specifically a copy of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way that my wife bought me. That album helped me realize you can truly do whatever you want with music, and it put me in that mindset heading into the studio. I also did the majority of the record near Skid Row in Los Angeles, which took me out of my comfort zone having made the last couple albums at home in North Carolina. I worked with my long-time engineer and collaborator Jon Ashley, but we approached this record with an anything-goes mentality, unafraid to do whatever the songs called for.”

Listeners will also enjoy the sounds of other talented musicians who are featured on the album including: Joshua Hedley, Erin Rae, electric guitarist Megan McCormick, pedal steel player Brett Resnick and bassist Kevin Black (longtime member of the band with Sturgill Simpson, who has also more recently played with Margo Price). Caudle himself has also been on the move, performing on this year’s Cayamo Cruise, South by Southwest and Willie Nelson’s own Luck Reunion.

Caudle has a few more North Carolina dates upcoming on Friday, April 13 in his hometown of Winston-Salem and Thursday, April 26 back in Carrboro. Following, he embarks on a summer tour extending across 13 states over the next couple of months.

If at all possible, get to one of his shows this month and find out first-hand why Rolling Stone describes Caudle as, “the musical equivalent of high-proof bourbon – rich in flavor, with a subtle, satisfying bite.”