Craig Havighurst

Fifteen years into their close and literally harmonious relationship, Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sound as satisfied and enriched as ever by the audience and aura they’ve established in Americana music. The Milk Carton Kids name was a self-effacing joke about how quickly they expected to be forgotten, but it’s been quite the opposite. They’ve earned four Grammy nominations and an Americana Award as Duo/Group of the Year. Audiences still lean in to hear the nuances of their quiet and thoughtful sound. Their seventh album Lost Cause Lover Fool is the latest iteration of their less-is-more approach to folk artistry.

Most virtuoso mandolin players don’t get to make friends with new audiences by the tens of thousands, but Jarrod Walker has done so touring for years with Billy Strings, from sold out arenas and the occasional broken ankle. Now Jarrod is rolling out a debut album. Called Nighthawk, it’s due May 8, and we’ve got the title track in this hour. Walker plays guitar and mandocello too, and he’s joined by Christian Ward (fiddle), Jake Stargel (guitar), Royal Masat (vocals, bass), Cory Walker (banjo), and Mr. Strings as well. We’re excited to hear this full project. Walker says: “I find that with trad bluegrass it’s best to keep things close to home or else you risk losing the essence of the song. I say that now, but ask me how I feel next year.” Also this hour, Sierra Hull goes neo-classical, Nashville banjo man Frank Evans drops a single from his upcoming solo LP, and Darin and Brooke Aldridge deliver upbeat new gospel.

Liam Duncan grew up in the small city of Brandon, Manitoba and moved to the provincial capitol and musical hotbed of Winnipeg as soon as he could, thinking he might be a session musician and sideman. But post pandemic, he’s been Boy Golden, a quirky, neo-romantic persona making some of Canada’s most compelling folk rock. During a swing through Nashville, Boy Golden talked about shifting focus from Canada to the US, his tight band of old friends, and his new album Best Of Our Possible Lives.

The Nashville Musicians Association - the union representing working players - has launched a Fair Trade Music program that gives consumers insight into which venues treat musicians best in the city’s downtown core. Ten venues were chosen, based on the results of a confidential survey of more than 300 musicians. The union made anonymous comments about difficult working conditions available to WMOT exclusively.

A nice WMOT confluence happened this month around the emerging band Upstream Rebellion. Just as we heard their debut album Headwaters and picked their song “Lonesome Wind” for this week, our program director Jessie Scott independently booked the band for our April 11 WMOT event 895Fest. Which meant I got to find out in real time if the show measured up to the record, and friends, it was at least as good. The guys came together at Western Carolina University in way-out-there Cullowhee, NC, and their mission is specific: “our goal is to carry this tradition forward with heart, honesty, and high energy — creating spaces where everyone feels like part of the family.” Nice. They write original music and they play together really well, knowing their strengths and limits. They will only grow from here. Special notice for their group harmonies; they can really sing. We’ll keep listening. We spin new music from the Lonesome River Band, Thomm Jutz, Unspoken Tradition, and Rick Faris. Also this week, we mark our 200th show, not with any special feature or theme but with a lot of pride and excitement about the years ahead.

Brit Taylor came to town from eastern Kentucky chasing the US Route 23 dream that brought us Loretta Lynn and Patty Loveless - and wound up working with Cowboy Jack Clement and Sturgill Simpson. Adam Chaffins grew up one or two counties over and ensconced himself, as a bass player and singer, in the East Nashville bluegrass scene. Eventually, a friend was smart enough to introduce them, and they became a super-talented Americana couple. But not a duo. Taylor has four albums out, including two produced by her husband. Chaffins dropped a debut LP in 2020 and a soulful EP last year, with Taylor’s harmony vocals. Craig visited their homestead near Mt. Juliet to hear their story around their kitchen table.

Nearly 12 years ago, an informal arrangement between the caretakers of a down-on-its-luck American Legion Post and a handful of young honky tonk musicians led to the creation of Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights, one of the most vibrant residency music series of the past two decades. It’s been a haven for people who love to dance, for East Nashville community, for visits from stars, and for talent development in roots/Americana music. Craig spends time with the event’s founders and takes you to the scene, now moved to Eastside Bowl in Madison. With a photo essay by John Partipilo.

Even with the draws of Nashville and Boston, some bluegrass and string band musicians choose to settle in New York City, where the folk boom of the 1950s never died. When I asked mandolinist Jacob Jolliff why he bases in the biggest city in the USA in a String interview this winter, he gave the same answer many artists do – New York has energy, variety and musicianship like nowhere else. That includes bluegrass standout Michael Daves, an astonishing old-school singer and guitar player. The two surprised us with the release of the new covers album We Like Jim And Jesse!, the most clearly articulated tribute concept ever. That’s how we kick off this week’s show, but we’ve also got a hot track from a new live album by Blue Highway celebrating 30 years of classic songs. And we feature several artists who made the Bluegrass Situation’s recent article “Ten Fiddlers We Know You’ll Love” by our pal Rachel Baiman. Amy Alvey is one of them!

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings introduced themselves to the world 30 years ago with their seminal Americana recording Revival. Now, they’re tapping their shared youthful love of the Grateful Dead on an extensive tour celebrating the 45th anniversary of the live acoustic album Reckoning. In between, the duo/couple has made an indelible mark on American roots, with Grammy Awards and an Americana lifetime achievement award for songwriting. Just before the tour’s launch with a pair of Brooklyn Bowl shows last weekend, Craig caught up with Gillian Welch for this Q&A.

The Infamous Stringdusters emerged out of Nashville’s world-class but somewhat undiscovered bluegrass scene of the 2000s. Six guys with different professional pathways into the music and wide ranging tastes in other genres got to know each other at gigs, picking parties, and the IBMA World of Bluegrass. And their first gesture as a band - the 2007 album Fork In The Road - was a triumph, winning three IBMA Awards. Since those days and after a couple of early personnel changes, today’s quintet has become a huge force in jamgrass music with a fierce and in-demand live show. Yet they turn back to some of the simpler and more blues-based elements of their core heritage on their new 20th anniversary release, 20/20.