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Welcome to
the Weekly Dispatch! This week, we speak with Gillian Welch &
David Rawlings, pick with Trey Hensley, and marvel at just how
rootsy this year's CMA Awards nominations are.
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Ruination
& Revival: Our Exclusive Interview with Gillian Welch &
David Rawlings
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In the
catalog lore of Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, it’s April 14 that’s known as “Ruination
Day”— the historically resonant date marking the “Black
Sunday” of the Dust Bowl, the Titanic’s sinking, and the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Themes of hard times and disaster
have long floated throughout the duo’s music, but they found
themselves facing catastrophe with new urgency on March 2, 2020,
when a tornado laid waste to their Woodland Studios in their home
city of Nashville.
Their new album
Woodland feels like a statement of renewal and
endurance from Welch and Rawlings, the sort of subtle roll forward
that’s set them apart from other songwriters for so many years. The
musicians spoke with BGS about their new material, old ideas, and
what they still feel like they have left to do. [Read the interview]
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For the
First Time, Willie Watson Uses Original Songs to Tell His Own
Stories
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Willie
Watson has been a solo act for well over a decade, since leaving
Old Crow Medicine Show way back in 2011. And while he’s put out
records since then, in many ways his self-titled third release
marks a new beginning. [Read the
interview]
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American
Masters: Creative Spark - Jewel Finds Healing in Music and Art
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Do you
ever find yourself listening to something truly amazing and
wondering, "How did they do it?" Then you should
check out our friends at American Masters: Creative
Spark, the award-winning podcast from PBS. American Masters:
Creative Spark shares the creative journey of artists
and legends across disciplines, from music and theater to books and
beyond. If you need a place to start, check out their recent
interview with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel, where she
discusses her personal life and career and how she's channeled her
battles into bettering her artistry. [Listen and follow American
Masters: Creative Spark for even more interviews here]
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Already a
Blues Star, Shemekia Copeland Is Still Aiming for Higher Places
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Though she
downplays notions of fame and exposure, vocalist, songwriter, and
bandleader Shemekia Copeland qualifies as a genuine star.
[Read more]
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Yamaha
Sessions: Trey Hensley, "Can't Outrun the Blues"
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Our Yamaha
Sessions continue with guitarist, singer-songwriter, GRAMMY
nominee, and reigning IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Trey
Hensley, as he performs a growling original. [Watch]
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The
Remarkable Rootsiness of the 2024 CMA Awards Nominations
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The
headline takeaways from this year’s CMA Awards nominations may be
the inclusion (and exclusion) of pop superstars, with
understandable interest in what that says about today’s country
format. But the 2024 field features plenty of roots and bluegrass influence,
too. Regular BGS and Good Country readers
might even be surprised at the confluence of the modern mainstream
and its traditional tributaries.
We want to
highlight that dynamic as well. Country has always been a big tent,
but is it now becoming more receptive to its roots? In fact,
the commonalities between this year’s CMA Awards nominees and the
artists covered by BGS and GC are so striking, we wonder what you
think. [Take a look at the full list of nominees, and let us
know]
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