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Anya Hinkle is one of the standout folk artists of the past few decades in Western North Carolina, making her own space and sound in the overlap of old Appalachian, singer-songwriter and bluegrass. I just saw her perform at Scruggs Fest with a trio she’s rolling out next year called Tanasi. But she’s also one of so many victims of Hurricane Helene, which slammed our beloved mountain region with incomprehensible rainfall and tropical storm winds, leaving countless victims of flooding, landslides and wind damage. We turn our attention to the region in this episode, and Hinkle’s “Hills of Swannanoa” already a favorite song of mine, hit really hard, so it’s part of a block of artists from the Asheville area. Hinkle herself is safe, but a 100-year-old tree fell on her house. There’s a lot to do. Please visit Blue Ridge Public Radio for updates and options for sending aid.

Americana music has been most conspicuously represented in the last few years by songwriting, band-leading artists, including Jason Isbell, Sierra Ferrell, and Billy Strings. Flash back to the origins of the alt-country and Americana movement, and the conversation was more often about bands, such as Son Volt, Whiskeytown, and the Old 97s. Such outfits made well-written roots music that rocked with that collective commitment that makes bandcraft so fascinating. This week I present two veteran and venerable roots rock bands that came along in the second Americana wave, bands that have weathered changes and renewed their vows - Austin’s revived Uncle Lucius and Raleigh, NC-based Blake Christiana of Yarn.

Irene Kelley’s bright and pretty voice and thoughtful songs have graced bluegrass and roots music since the 1980s when her career got going with a Ricky Skaggs/Sharon White duet that made the country charts. Since then she’s had hits and cuts by Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn, and many bluegrass artists, while releasing a half dozen albums of her own. She’s also made a good bit of music with her daughters Justyna and Sara Jean, and now they’re taking that to the scene formally as the new group Women Of Kelley. They debut here with their first single “Lining Track,” inspired by African American work songs and written with Shannon Sanders. Also this hour, a ripping new version of “Blue Night” from Nashville mandolin player and singer Ashby Frank, the first guitar instrumental album by East Nashville scene maker Colin O’Brien, and the long-sought collaboration between string bands Hawktail and Vassen of Sweden. Also, Amy Alvey sets up a set of Cajun and zydeco music inspired by her time at the Black Pot festival.

One of my highlights of 2024 was finally getting to see Minneapolis folk rocker Humbird, an artist whose three recordings display an unusual degree of sonic imagination and bandcraft, even beyond her serene and appealing voice. On her newest, Right On, songwriter Siri Undlin conjures ghosts, protests monoculture and environmental neglect, and investigates relationships. In this conversation, taped the morning after her official showcase at Americanafest 2024, we talk about her passion for folklore, the warm embrace of the Minneapolis DIY music scene, and the benefits of bare feet when using guitar pedals.

Featuring Lewis Stubbs Junior, Suzie Chism and Tiffany Williams & Dalton Mills.

The Final Finally Friday of 2024, featuring Dakota Ray Parker, Joseph Shipp & Stacey Earle.

This one’s personal. Eight years ago, when we launched the Roots Radio format on the historic signal WMOT 89.5 FM, a few of us knew we could have no better program director than Jessie Scott, and we were fortunate that she was in the right time and place to come on board. Her 50 years of on-air experience, her expertise in Americana music, and her warm and knowledgeable voice have become the core of WMOT’s sound. She governs the deep and excellent WMOT playlist and its mix of new and legacy music, plus she’s a fountain of enthusiasm on the air every weekday afternoon from 4 to 7 pm. So after all this time and hearing some of her career stories, it was time to invite her on The String for a special year-end episode.

It was 50 years ago this month that a 23-year-old Mickey Raphael felt his way through his first recording session with his relatively new band boss Willie Nelson. And it was no small thing, producing the iconic Red Headed Stranger. It was one event in a charmed life that set this Dallas musician on a path to the ultimate steady gig for more than 50 years, plus stature as the world’s most on-call harmonica player. Raphael’s played and recorded with Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Don Williams, Emmylou Harris, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Norah Jones, Wynton Marsalis, and even U2 and Motley Crue. In a session taped at WMOT’s East Nashville satellite studio, we talk about it all.

Featuring Jake Neuman, Molly Murphy & Nellen Dryden.

For country singer Kaitlin Butts, 2023 was very good and 2024 was even better, with an Americana Award nomination, praise in Rolling Stone magazine, and festival dates she’d been dreaming of. Her reputation and acclaim grew on the strength of her feisty stage temperament, her bold and cutting voice, and her fearless songs. Raised in Oklahoma on theater and country music, the iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical set in her state became a touchstone. Years later, she’d take the bold step of writing and recording a concept album reacting to and enlarging on the themes of the show. It’s called Roadrunner!, and it was among the most impactful albums in Americana and country music last year.