Andrea Zonn and John Cowan have a few years under their belts as co-lead vocalists in the Nashville supergroup The HercuLeons, and now they have a debut album to complement their regular shows at 3rd & Lindsley. Given that they have significant touring commitments with superstar bands The Doobie Brothers (Cowan) and James Taylor (Zonn), they’ve done well to corral this assembly of musicians and songs. They’re both Music City veterans with rich stories to tell, so we’ve given them each their own episode of The String.
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Lance Cowan came to Nashville from his native Kentucky in the 1980s to build his career as a newspaper reporter, but he had the songwriting bug from the beginning. He made the scene at the Bluebird Café and made musical friendships. But with a family to raise, he wasn’t up for the sacrifices of the touring life. So he turned to music PR and he’s been one of the most trusted and easy-going pros in the roots music field for three decades. Now though, he’s turned back to music, releasing two albums in two years. Craig catches up with his old friend and colleague about his new direction.
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It’s hard to believe that Nashville’s SteelDrivers have been making their unique brand of hard-core string band music for nearly twenty years. They were the vehicle through which many of us were introduced to the epic voice of Chris Stapleton, back when he and Mike Henderson co-wrote that band’s high impact debut album of 2008. When Henderson and Stapleton had to move on, the band pulled its greatest trick, growing bigger and building a legacy that’s like nothing else in 21st century bluegrass. In Episode 324 of The String, Craig talks with original members Mike Fleming, bass player and baritone vocal, and Tammy Rogers, the fiddler and harmony singer who now leads the way with the band’s songwriting. We talk about the whole ride, up to the new album Outrun, out now on a revived Sun Records.
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The story of how global banjo explorer Joe Troop (formerly of Che Apalache) met Venezuelan harpist and all-around folk music master Larry Bellorín is testimony to the magic of global culture and a cautionary tale about the stark turn US policy has taken against working asylum seekers this year. Over three years as the bilingual, genre-fusing, and multi-instrumental duo Larry & Joe, they’ve toured widely and made two albums together to great acclaim among folk music lovers. They’re one of the most charismatic and culture-crossing acts to come out of roots music in the past decade. Here in a special episode of The String, they tell their story in an interview that took place in Knoxville, TN in March.
LINER NOTES
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Jessie Scott sat down with Judy Collins for a special Words & Music session at WMOT's Riverside Revival studio in East Nashville.
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Listen to Jessie Scott as she sits down with William Prince for a Words & Music session.
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The gang from Fruition sat down with Jessie Scott for a special Words & Music set Monday, November 18th.
WMOT VIDEO: LIVE SESSIONS ON NPR MUSIC
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Ahead of her main stage performance at last week's Wired In at Riverside Revival, Kristina Murray, one of Nashville's most respected country songwriters, stopped by WMOT's backstage studio. She and her guys played stripped-down versions of "Watchin’ the World Pass Me By," "Just A Little While Longer," and "Get Down To It" from Little Blue, her latest album and her first for New West Records' Normaltown imprint.
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Nashville's best kept secret Lilly Winwood rounds out our 2025 30A Songwriters Sessions with songs and stories, in conversation with Jessie Scott. Once again, we've had a great time with our springtime series where we present artists in acoustic settings, taped in our beach house turned studio near Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, during the 30A Songwriters Festival. Here, you'll get Lilly performing new material: "Illusionist," "All Things Uncertain," and "Broken Promise."
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WMOT's own Webb Wilder joins Jessie Scott for Words & Music, where we invite artists to discuss and perform acoustic versions of their latest projects. Webb performed "Kick Me When I'm Down", "Coupla Good Moves", and "Puttin' On A Show" from his new record 'Hillbilly Speedball' and chats with Jessie about his radio career and the making of his latest record.
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Willi Carlisle is this week's guest for 30A Songwriters Sessions, where we invite artists to perform acoustic sets in a beach house turned studio near Santa Rosa Beach, Florida during the 30A Songwriters Festival. Carlisle performed the title track of his upcoming album 'Winged Victory', "I Want No Children", and "The Arrangements". Plus, a behind-the-scenes interview with Jessie Scott about his upcoming tour with Tyler Childers and songwriting process.
NPR Top Stories
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Recent years have seen an upswing in people playing tennis (or at least dressing like it). But it's not just a phase. The sport — at least some version of it — has been around since medieval times.
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The 21-year-old Real Salt Lake midfielder, with his bleached hair and dozens of tattoos, stands out on the soccer field. But it's his attitude that has won praise from his coach, teammates and fans.
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The symptoms can include nerve pain, emotional numbness and sexual dysfunction and can last for years after stopping the drugs. Patients are pushing for recognition and more research.
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