It’s almost here! It’s been a long four years since our last Local Brew Live show, which coincidentally was at Tennessee Brew Works at 809 Ewing Avenue in Nashville, where we will be Wednesday night! I really wanted to throw a big party for the fifth anniversary of WMOT’s Local Brew Series; dedicated local music programming on the Local Brew Hour and the Local Brew Daily. Thankfully, our generous partners at Tennessee Brew Works have a great spot for the show. I also really love that they support local whenever possible. According to their website, Tennessee Brew Works was founded with a mission to create high quality craft beer that pays homage to the land, traditions and culture of Tennessee. They brew beers using only quality, natural ingredients, and source them from local farms whenever possible. Everyone is welcome to join us and be part of our live audience! We’ll broadcast the show live from 7 to 9pm at 89.5fm, wmot.org and via our WMOT app, with performances from Golden Everything, The Tennessee Warblers and Sophie Gault. I asked each artist to tell us a little about themselves and what it means to have a local public radio station supporting this music making community.
Golden Everything (7-7:30pm)
Husband and wife duo Zach Schmidt and Jackie Berkley are a newly formed duo called Golden Everything and they’ll kick off the festivities at 7pm Wednesday night.
Golden Everything started as a happy accident. Jackie and I had been singing together for years already but never really talked about starting a band. I had always recorded my own music and had always talked about writing a record for her. But then our friend Jesse Noah Wilson (Rancho Deluxe Studios and bass player for John Fogerty) wanted us to come over to record something to help dial in the sounds of his new studio. So, we did, we recorded a new song and we came back and recorded another, and another. We never really stopped recording, even now. Somewhere along the way we realized we had a good collection of songs they weren't a “Zach Schmidt” record. This was a collaboration; this was something different than I had done and it felt really good. So, we dove straight into it. I sang some of the songs, Jackie sang some of the songs. We talked about band names, talked about just going by our own names, tried every combination we could think of but nothing stuck. We eventually landed on Golden Everything, and it felt less like a band name and more like a mantra. Finding the beauty in a bad situation, finding the light in the dark, and finding the gold in everything.
We can't say enough about how much WMOT and community radio mean to us. As folks who are adventuring to a new project, there are so many unknowns. Even if you have been through the process of releasing music and touring, there is nothing better than the support from people in your own city. And we are grateful to have WMOT on our side because it's hard out there for independent musicians.
- Zach Schmidt
Golden Everything - “Remedy” from Sweet Old World
The Tennessee Warblers (7:45-8:15pm)
Talk about a full circle moment… that photo is of the Tennessee Warblers playing their first gig at Tennessee Brew Works almost exactly ten years ago, on April 19, 2014! Thanks to the band’s Adam Dalton for sending that photo and this note:
John and I formed the Warblers after co-writing some tunes and then pickin’ them at our first gig at the newly opened Tennessee Brew Works; nearly 10 years ago if you can believe it! Since then, we’ve continued to collaborate and grow together, so it’s extra special that we get to celebrate the LOCAL BREW’s 5th anniversary of championing local artists in its beery taproom. Ana Lee has been the voice of my Nashville radio since I can remember. To have her and independent WMOT Roots Radio as an advocate for independent artists is just truly amazing for the community. Congratulations on 5 years! - Adam Dalton
The Tennessee Warblers, “Louis Collins” by Mississippi John Hurt
Sophie Gault (8:30-9pm)
Another full circle moment, Sophie Gault played our last Local Brew Live show in January of 2020, also at Tennessee Brew Works and we are thrilled to have her returning as she prepares to release her second full-length record later this year. Sophie just signed with the Torrez Music Group, home to some of our Local Brew/WMOT faves like Gabe Lee, Jason Eady and King Margo.
WMOT feels like home. As an artist it feels really good to have a place where my music can live among so many writers and musicians I look up to. I made my new album Baltic Street Hotel with Ray Kennedy, who helped create some of the same music that I grew up on, so of course it’s very special to me. We recorded it live with an outstanding group of musicians and I feel like it’s a great follow-up to my first album, Delusions of Grandeur.
- Sophie Gault
“Fixin' Things” from Baltic Street Hotel
The Local Brew Fifth Anniversary Show, Wednesday, April 17th at 7pm. Celebrate our creative community with these wonderful artists and your friends from WMOT! Tennessee Brew Works, 809 Ewing Ave., Nashville. https://www.tnbrew.com/
