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Joni Mitchell’s lyrics to, “I Wish I Had A River,” are running through myhead as I writethis. It is the first of Decemberand I am home fortheholidays, aboard our canal boat, off the Saône river in France.
Melancholy tends to set in when the touring season ends for the year. But I have to admit, I look forward to being away from the scene and finding a quiet place to sit and watch the fog drift offtheriver.I enjoy the freedom of walking into acafe where you hardly know the language and sittingaside, anonymously, to quietly watch the world and gather my energy.
Marrakesh, Morocco. We will spend a couple of weeks immersing ourselvesin aculture we are completely unfamiliar with. I cannot wait for sensory overload in sights, smells, color, musicetc. Thistype of thing feeds my inspiration and ignites new music.
Storytelling is a big part of our show; it is part of the troubadour tradition, getting the chance to tell the stories of our travels and experiences as touring musicians and traveling people. I am eagerly looking forward to hearing stories from Berbers desert and nomadic cultures in Morocco. I believe much of this will be in the form of song and rhythm. I want to soak it up and see how it might be reflected in my own music,songs and stories.
As a professional traveler who chases his guitar and songs from city to city, state to state, country to country, I still find myself wanting to keepmoving on when the touring ends.Itis my comfort zone; looking down the road; aroundthebend;andoverthe next horizon. SoI ask you, howdo you handle the off-season?Is it with relief and a big sigh for a break? Or is itanxiously waiting for the energy and incomeof anew year?
I supposeforme, one ofthe silver linings of the off-season is thinking of where I want to go, without havingbookings control my time or location. Embracing this, we just booked flights to
Everynew experiencehadand new person met has the chance of finding its way into a song. You just never cantell. Reach outand let me know what works for you in the seasonal downtime. We all embrace itdifferently.
If you want to follow us more closely, sign upforournewsletter, a monthly missive titled, theJust NowNews, named after another story from another part of this magical world.
www.mikeandamyaiken.com
Besttoyou from the road,seas and rivers. Cheers, Mike and Amy
Last issuewe dissected bluegrass festivals and toldthestory ofhow a production team put together a successful commercial bluegrass festival. While doing that story it came to mind that some years ago we told how we could bring live music to listeners in a more local manner. That method is known as a song farm and we would become song farmers if we chose to test the water.
Different Than A House Concert
This is a different take on the house concert subject. It is called a SongFarmer Club. It is an outflowof a music program airingon PBS known as the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour hosted by folksinger Michael Johnathon. One of Mr. Johnathon musical focuses is The WoodSongs Front Porch Association (WFPA). Michael said, “The Front Porch community is Americana at its best. It is nationwide and we are starting community SongFarmer Clubs and we call members of these clubs SongFarmers.”
The WFPA’s goal is to spread the spirit of local music into local communities across the country. Just as the farmers of the earth in by-gone days sat on their actual front porches at the end of their work day and made music with family and friends, the WFPA is hoping to gather music minded folks to be farmers of song who can andwill seekopportunities to use their music to spread the music and spirit of that old front porch into schools and communities around the world.
So, What Is It?
What exactly is a SongFarmer Music Club? Folk, roots and bluegrass music is best servedliveand local—in an environment where you and whole audiences can see
By Edward Tutwiler
and hear the artists perform and experience emotional reaction to that performance unfiltered.
Michael told us that SongFarmer Clubs are free community events. The leader of the club is registered as a member of the WFPA for the club to be official. Theleader’s roleis toinviteneighbors and friends and fellow musicians to come together as a happy community to play and to listen. The WFPAis hoping to get these local SongFarmers to start doing good things with their music such as taking their music to local schools, and sharing it there.
For Love Not Money
The WPFA is attempting to bring the front porch community together with little SongFarmer Clubs everywherefilled withvery passionate people doing music for love not money. We wondered if this club concept was better than unofficial jams and house concerts and Michael says it is because this club concept emphasizes that the members are part of a national community. Interestingconcept is it not? Here is how to become a SongFarmer and start a SongFarmer club. Refer to the following web page http\\www.songfarmers.org and follow the directions found there to start your own club.
Once you form your SongFarmer Club, here are a few guidelines to keep in mind: Pick an appropriate place and secure its availability; Create an invitation list and as often as the spirit moves you invite the local Song Farmers over with their instruments; and have some fun or just invite friends over for a music jam, a song circle, an open microphone night or even a sing along; Keep the gathering small and remem-
ber everyone plays and listens for free and for the sense of community. The more local and Front Porch you keep the environment, the longer the effort will last.
There you have it folks; the formula for how to have your very own mini-bluegrass festival right there on your own porch or patio. Are you game?
David Corlew:Carrying onCharlieDaniels’ Legacy of Veteran Support
“Our country trains veterans to fight, and to go to war, but we don’t train ‘em how to come home,” says David Corlew, the director of the Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project. After the country music icon passed in 2020, David took on sole leadership of thefoundation to carry on his friend’s legacy ofhelping military veterans who have encountered major challenges as they’ve returned homefrom their service.
David, who had been on the road with Charlie Daniels since 1973, progressing from roadie to road manager, tour manager and ultimately personal manager for the artist, explains the deep connectionCharlieDaniels,his bandand crew developed with the American military, as the Cold War ended: “All during the ‘80s, the ‘90s…we literally worked every military base,all overEurope and the world…” Later, the events of 9/11 and its aftermath led to Charlie’s focus on those returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and the overall War on Terror, and his support for a number of organi-
zations that sprang up to serve this growing group of veterans.
Now in its tenth year, the foundation, which grew out of these previous fundraising efforts, was given a focus by David’s own efforts to reveal veterans’ homecoming struggles via filmmaking. Drawing from hundreds of hours of footage he had gathered over the course of nine trips to the Middle East, David had created a documentary called A Soldier’s Story: The Journey Home. It pro-
vided “...not only the name of the foundation,” he says, “…but the mission statement…that we support all facets of the return, the rehabilitation and the reintegration back into civilian life for veterans…”
The foundation is a “passthrough” non-profit that supports other organizations doing good for veterans, first responders and theirfamilies,andhas raisedmore than $4 million during its ten years in existence. An important
By Dan Walsh
fundraiser for the group is its annual Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Dinner, most recently held on September 11, 2024, at CityWineryNashvilleandraising over $400,000 for the organization’s mission.
Those interested in donating to the organization can head to the website listed below.
David’s focus, however, is squarely on the needs of veterans and is not limited to his own foundation’s work. “...we do hope people will donate to us…If you can’t, give to somebody…and if not, just spread the word.” In a word, he says, “Care.”
“We all know somebody that has served,” David says. “And if they’re not alive, they have a family…Reach out…There are so many ways that civilians and veterans can support each other, if not financially, do it from your heart.”
Find out more about The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project at hecharliedanielsjourneyhomeproject.org
TheMechanicalLicensingCollective
Across the aisle from our show booth at the IBMA convention in Raleigh a month or so ago, was a booth whose signage read MLC. We made contact with the folks staffing the booth to learn more about their theme. What we learned was enlightening tous and might just be for many ofyou readers as well— especially if you are an aspiring singer/songwriter. The essay that follows tells a bit about the purpose of the MLC.
By Edward Tutwiler
PerformingistheeasiestpartofwhatIdo, andsongwritingisthehardest. Neil Diamond
If you are a music publisher or songwriter (AKA an independent
singer/song writer for instance), and you want to make money from your work, you probably use a digital service provider to send your work to a digital streaming platform. These streaming platforms make your work available to listeners who pay to download your work to their personal file.
When a streaming platform service makes a download available to a paying listener, it pays royalties through a member service such as the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); a not-for-profit organization that licenses the public performance rights of its members’ music).
What about royalties for the songwriter? Those royalties are paid to an organization known as The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). So if you are a songwriter, lyricist or composer with music available for streaming on digital platforms, you may not bereceivingall the moneyyou
areowedbecausemembergroups such as ASCAP do not collect separate royalties for the songwriting effort known as digitalmechanicalroyalties.Toinsure that songwriters get paid thedigital mechanical royalties they deserve for streams of their music, consider this point: Each month, the digital service providers that operate under a blanket license agreement, send data and royalties to the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) for all the music streamed and downloaded on theirservices.The MLC then matches those streamed downloads to the songs the singer/ songwriter members have registered with them and calculates the royalties they are owed. The MLC then pays its members on a monthly basis the digital mechanical royalties they have earned.
Here are some details about the MLC: The MLC is the statutory mechanical licensing collective established under the music modernization act. As such, it is responsible foradministeringthe blanket compulsory mechanical license availabletoalleligibledigitalserviceprovidersin the United States. The MLC issues these blanket mechanical licenses and collects royalties that are due under those licenses.
The MLC then pays registered music publishers; management organizations; and independent songwriters, composers,andlyriciststhe moneythey haveearned from the streaming downloads. Through this process a singer/ songwriter is rewarded for both sides of her or his creative effort. The bottom line for any of you aspiring singer/songwriters out
there who are streaming your work for hopeful listener downloadisthat you are entitledto receive digital audio mechanical royalties in the United States; however, you will need to become a member of the MLC to receive them.
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To learn much more about the MLCandhowtobecome amember, visit theirweb site at: https://www.themlc.com/
Amanda Cook Band
Florida native,Amanda Cook has become one of the top female band leaders on the bluegrass scene today. The Amanda Cook Band has reached the 10 year mark under her leadership, and just recently released their fifth album, Restless Soul. Sparked by her dad’s influence, and the desire to lead a band of her own, Amanda now has an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry to her credit, and is the chief of operations at Mountain Fever Records, thelabelwhofirst signedherback in 2017.
Dad Got It Rollin’
Amanda’s dad played banjo her entire childhood, and she spent the majority of her youth traveling to festivals with him, not as a player, but mostly just as a spectator. He often played in several bands and participated in band competitions while shewas growing up. “When I got to my mid 20s, I started a group with my dad,” she recalled. That’s really
where the Bluegrass bug took hold, and I really got my feet dipped into being in a bluegrass band.”
Amanda played in a band all through school, playing flute, “… you know, doing the marching band, and all that,” she laughed. “So really, I guess that’s where it (music) took hold. But it was in the band with my dad that I picked up the mandolin as my first bluegrass instrument.”
More To The Story
Amanda and her husband began their relationship as high school sweethearts, and got married a year out of high school. They started a family very young, which, as she puts it, “has now proven to be a wonderful decision.”
“My children areboth grown, and we’re all in a whole different season of life now,” she observed. “I was working at a local credit
By Greg Tutwiler
played mostly regionally. But that’s where Ireally got the fire to jump into my own sound. I played very traditional bluegrass
union there, working a regular, full time job when I also started working in the band with my dad. It was just a weekend thing, you know, here and there. We
with my dad. He’s aFlat and Scruggs man through and through.And as the time went on, I would try to introduce songs here and there that were a little
more progressive, a little more on the edge, and it just didn’t really suit them. It’s not that dad wasn’t supportive; but it just didn’t suit that band, you know?”
In 2013 Amanda decided it was time to do her own thing. “I wanted to make a record, and I wanted to start carving out my own sound. So I stayed in the band for another year, until that album came out. In late 2013, I started hiring my band, and then we started booking out as Amanda Cook and Kennesaw Ridge. We just mostly played locally, with some regional things here and there.”
In 2017 Amanda signed with Mountain Fever Records. “That’s where the trajectory really took off,” she said. “We did that first project called, Deep Water. And really, the rest is history. We’ve recorded five records now with Mountain Fever, and every record has had and seen more and more success.”
I asked Amanda if she ever envisioned a time where she would have the kind of success she has
been able to attain. “When I look back at 2013 when we got the band together, I had five or six festivals in my mind that I really wanted to play. And I thought, ‘I just want to be able to play festivals, and I want to play at IBMA one day. That’s what I had in my mind. When I cut that first record, I thought, ‘now I want to go to IBMA and actually play on a stage.’ Never did Iimagine that we’d live in Virginia (working for the record label).Icertainly never thought that we would have stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage. Never, ever, did I think any of that would happen.”
Grand Ole Opry
“I still don’t really believe that it happened,” she reminisced. “I look at my phone, I go across those pictures, I’ll see the videos; And I think, ‘did that really take place?’ Because it was so dream like, you know.”
On July 7 th, 2024, The Amanda Cook Band debuted on the Grand Ole Opry. “Darren and Brooke Aldridge reached out to me, and they were so kind. They said,
‘whatever you do, take in every moment of that night.’ I’ve had people compare it to wedding day, because, you know, your wedding day just goes by so fast. You try to take those mental pictures of the day. That’s exactly what it’s like at the Opry, because your adrenaline is so high, and the night goes by so fast. Before you know it, you’re on that stage, and there’s no turning back.”
“None of my band would admit to me that they were nervous becausethey thought ifthey toldme then that they were nervous, that my nerves would have tripled; (and they probably would have), But they alltried toplay it so cool. None of them wanted to admit that they were nervous.And then, after the fact, we all came together, and everybody was like, ‘Iwas scared to death,’ you know. It’s so emotional to make that as a goal for the band, and stand on that stage where all of our heroes have stood and the people that have gone on before us; it’s overwhelmingly nerve wracking, in a good way.”
Roll At The Label
Shortly afterAmanda signedwith Mountain Fever and recorded her second album, she and her husband relocated from her native Florida, to Virginia, to take a position as Sound Engineer at the label. “We (Mark Hodges, label owner, and Amanda) had a discussion about my interest, in December of 2018, and by May of 2019, we had moved,” she recalled. “We sold our house in Florida on impulse. Lots of prayers went up before we made the final decision, for sure. But it was pretty quick,andwe got here, and I started working in the studio.”
After Mark suffered some health issues in 2022,Amanda took over the roll of chief of operations at the label. “I feel like this is more suited to the type A personality brain that I have, and being in more of the production side and organizationalside,andjust keeping everything moving forward; I really love it.”
Catch the Amanda Cook Band at a bluegrass festival near you.
Marty Falle just released his fourth original Bluegrass LP in less than one year. One of Nashville’smost prolific Bluegrass singersongwriters released Appalachia Rust on August 1, 2024. As ofAugust 15th, Marty Falle Appalachia Rust has charted #1 for 15 straight days on the APD Top 50 Bluegrass Albums. In addition, Falle has four total albums in the APD Top 20 Bluegrass Albums at the same time. Roots Global Charts are reflecting similar success with Falle charting three albums in the Top 20.
This relentless singer songwriter out of the Eastern Kentucky Coalfields created another original Roots Music gem. The Appalachia Rust project isbolsteredwithcontributionsfromNashville royalty, which includes Becky Buller (vocals), Dale Ann Bradley (Vocals),Mike Bub (Acoustic Bass), Rob Ickes (Dobro), Josh Matheny (Dobro), Carl Miner (Guitar), Marty Slayton (Vocals), Matt Menefee (Banjo), Kim Parent (Vocals), Jordan Rainer (Vocals) and Grammy Winning Producer, Jonathan Yudkin (Fiddle and Mandolin).
According to an August 9th, 2024 article in Bluegrass Today - “Bluegrass singer/songwriter Marty Falle is nothing if not prolific. Since entering the bluegrass world, he has released a steady stream of new original songs, which have found a comfortable home on bluegrass radio.” Falle’s brand of Bluegrass is receiving worldwide attention. Bluegrass Radio in Europe, Australia and North America are enthusiastically playing his music around the clock. Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction has Falle’s “Tumbleweed’ and “Grampa’s Jukebox” in steady rotation and Annette Grady, DJ and Owner of the “Bluegrass Jamboree Network” declares, Appalachia Rust is Marty’s BEST Album yet. The perfect Bluegrass record.”. Falle has had FOUR different #1 singles on The Bluegrass Jamboree Top 100 in less than 12 months.
To find out more, visit www.martyfallemusic.com
Appalachian Smoke
The members of bluegrass outfit Appalachian Smoke literallyembodythe firstpartoftheirmoniker,allresidinginthe southernportionofthe great mountain chain.“...Where Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina all meet, there’s kind of a point there and we’re all roughly an hour away from thatindifferentdirections,”saysTimWilliams,the group’s bass player, when asked about their location.
Along with Tim, the group is made up of Mikel Laws (banjo, guitar), Jamie Mason (guitar, banjo), Kenneth Rymer (dobro),BJTaylor (mandolin, octave). All membersare vocalists, with Jamie providing the lead.
According to Tim, the band grew out of an originalsongwritingpartnershipbetween MikelandBJ. He had played with them briefly, but then, he says “I got a call from them, I guess about four years ago now, saying ‘Hey, we’re wanting to do something serious, are you interested?’And I was. We picked up Kenny and Jamie after the fact and have had a ball with it since.”
While remainingfirmly rooted in the region’s traditional sounds, Appalachian Smoke has also developedtheirownuniquecombinationofelements. The band offers mostly original music, along with strategic bluegrass and gospel classics—as well as the occasional “grassified” rock tune.Although Tim says “We’re too traditional fora lot of people and we’re too progressive fora lot ofpeople,” the band has steadily built an appreciative audience in theirarea andare looking to expandtheir horizons soon. “We’re having to figure out ways to get places…” Tim says. “We’ve had people call us fromArizona, Wisconsin,Arkansas, and that’s big for us.”
After their2022 independent release Colder Side of Love brought some chart success, Appalachian Smoke is nowpart ofthe MountainFever Records family, recently releasing their latest, self-titled effort on the label. “We were stoked…to be considered by a label that’scranked out as much good music that’s influenced me…was just amazing.”
To find out more, visit www.appalachiansmokemusic.com
Marty Falle
Tis The Season, Again
The sun has completed another spin around the world and The North Pole hasbeenbusycreatingallkindsoftrinkets and toys in preparation for Rudolph’sbigride. IamthinkingSanta has hishands full this year, as he does every year, withsome folks, the folks who aren’t especially happy to see all the tinsel and red ribbon. The kindness we humans muster upduring this season might mean more to some hearts than we can realize. We truly never know what another soul is goingthroughandChristmas/Wintertime can make sadness even sadder for some.
Take me for example.This will be my first Christmas without my parents. I don’thave asingle Christmasmemory that doesn’t hold my mom and dad. Even though Iam a grandmother now, the little holidaybutterflies thatcome to life during these frantic,jingle bell
ringing,SilentNight singing daysstill hold childhood magic for me. I will miss them so much as I look for that wrapped pack of socks and that 1000 piece jigsawpuzzle IgoteveryChristmas, no matter what.
Christmas MorningMemories
I always think of those Christmas mornings when Mom and Dad would try holding me and my three brothers inone place before releasingusto run wild towards our popcorn threaded, blinkinglittree!Istillsee themlaughing at our utter joy as Ido now, when my grandbabies scream with delight at a present they unwrap. Life goes on;Christmas’goeson;andgratefully, joy goes on for me. I will celebrate with gusto and toast my parents for allthe memoriesthatkeepthemalive!
There are people who do notcelebrate Christmas for a host of reasons and
that is alright… But, with all of the decorations, store sales, Christmas carolsblaring,time honoredChristmas programmingflashingacrossthe televisions, Iwould thinkit wouldbe hard to avoid the hoopla.Ihave often wonderedifthe spirit ofthe seasoncreeps upon those people regardless oftheir resolve not to get caught up in it. It’s hardnot to smile at achild hoppingup and down at the thought of sitting on Santa’s knee. Joy is so universal, crossing allboundaries;at leastin my way of thinking.
On The Spiritual Side
Ofcourse there is the spiritualside of thisholiday thatdwarfs the fantastical side ofit forme and manyothers. My celebrationswouldnotbe soulfulwithout the story of the Nativity, and my honed imagination of what that would have actually been like. In fact, Itook more than two years writing a whole song project on this holy event in an album titled, All The Way To Bethlehem, and happily tour much of December presenting this bluegrass
cantata. Through my songwriting imagination, Ifound a way to humanize the characters living through the birth of Christ, the same saints we have spent centuries putting on shelves,undertreesorsittingontables. I love Mary and Joesph, Gabriel, the Inn Keeper, and even the Star!
All Or Nothing
I suppose I typed these wandering thoughts because there are so many aspects to what someone might feel from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve,andallofit,ornone of it,iscompletely appropriate. In a world such as ours, with all walks of life getting from one day to the next, the fact that this particular celebration brings a poignancy like no other is part of the goodstuffofthisoldplanet.So,Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukah, Merry December, Happy Earth …just … let yourheart be kind and filled with love. There, I said it. Donna
Donna is the IBMA Songwriter of the year for 2016, And 2017 Song of the Year winner. She was also the 2018 SPBGMA Songwriter of the year. Her latest CD, Livin’ Large, on Blueboy Records, was released in February 2022. DonnaUlisse.com
By Greg Tutwiler
Jon Tyler Wiley
FEATURE ARTISTS
Session musicianand touring artist, Jon Tyler Wiley, has performed with a diverse range of acts throughout his career such as Sister Hazel, Stephen Kellogg, and Ron Holloway. He has performed on stages suchas The Grand Ole Opry, The Kennedy Center and PBS’s a CapitalFourth with artists like Paul Schaffer, Aloe Blacc, John Stamos, and Trace Atkins. He has performed all over the world as a member of the Americana band Melodime, and is a teaching instructor withthe MusiCorps program.
After Jon wrote and recorded his successful debut solo album, (performing allof the instruments himself), he assembled a band of his close friendsto bring that music to life out on the road. Known as, The Virginia Choir, they released four singles throughout 2021. In February of 2022, Wiley’s full length soloalbum, The Longing, received critical acclaim.
Sister Guitar
“My earliest memories as a kid are looking at albumartwork from my parent’s TomPetty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, andAllman Brothers records,” Jon told us recently. “When I was three, and my parents brought my newborn baby
sister home fromthe hospital, I asked them if I could hold her. As soon as I had her in my hands, I held her like a guitar, broke out into a power-stance, and starting doing my best Pete Townshend windmill on a newborn baby,” he quipped. Piano lessons soon followed.
Even from a young age, music seemed to always be in the cards for Jon Tyler. “I had always wanted to make a record, playing all the instruments, as a lot of my heroes haddone; Paul McCartney, Ben Folds, Prince, Dave Grohl. However, whenI started making TheLongingalbum, I didn’t know I was making a record; I didn’t know I was starting a new endeavor.”
Jon had been in another band for nearly a decade and it was coming to an end. He was still doing sidemanwork, playing guitar for other artists, but began to realize that he didn’t have a creative outlet anymore.
“One night, I found a video from a decade prior of me and a friend playing a song I had written,” he recalled. “I had the thought to demo out the song, right then and there. I playedall the instruments, because I was the only one in the room when I had the idea. When I finished, I really liked what I heard, and thought that I should write some more songs. Everything just snowballedfrom there. I kept writing over the following months. Before I knew it, I had a bunch of demos, which became the record.”
Even Sister Hazel
“I had been in bands and played with other artists as a guitar player, including as a substitute guitar player for the band Sister Hazel. I had stayed busy. But my hand was never on the wheel, creatively speaking,” he said.
“During the decade when I was in the band, Melodime, I had a group of friends outside the band that
were also full-time musicians. Whenever we weren’t touring, we’d come together and play classic rock songs at local pubs in our hometown of Fredericksburg, Va. We did this for years, and we learned how to play with each otherthrough that experience,” Jon remembered. “When I made my record, it made sense to call them and see if they wanted to be in a band with me, because we already knew how to work together. Now we just had to learn to write together. I came up with the name, The Virginia Choir, because I wanted the band to sound big, grand, andquite frankly, auspicious. I always thought the musicians of the band sounded like a large ensemble when we played together. It didn’t sound like five people, it sounded like 50.”
They Really Like Us
“What’s been fun to see is that the people who like us really like us,” he observed. “We have people travel to see the band live. We have people that will see multiple nights of the same tour. I think as the landscape of rock music changes, the desire for true rock and rollmusic and storytelling music becomes more sincere, more potent. The people that want to be moved by music, moved by a live show, those are the people that are digging into what we’re doing.”
Listen to the expanded interviews by searching Americana Music Profiles on all of your favorite Podcast platforms!
DarylMosley
Bluegrass fans will probably recognize Daryl Mosley fromhiswork withNewTradition,The Osborne Brothers and The Farm Hands. Most recently he has also carved out a satisfying solo career, which has seen him release four solo albums over the last five years.
Daryl’s fourthsolo album, Long Days and Short Stories, which came out in October, turned out to have an unintended connection between many of the songs, according to the artist: “...I realized there is kind of an underlying theme, about embracing the passing of time and your mortality…I just turned 60 and I think that was probably part of that.”
Mike Schikora Rock Hearts
Singer-songwriter, horse breeder/trainer and occasional chef Mike Schikora says “I always keep plates spinning; life’s much too short to have one focus.” His latest album, Outlaw from the South (his third solo effort, released July 2024) reflects this diversity of interests, in that, according to Mike, it has no single overall theme.
Of the record’s 11 tracks, Daryl wrote 10 ofthem by himself. When solo writing he says, “I write a lot while I’m driving.” He finds that the time spent driving allows him to capture and work out the many ideas he has “rolling around” in his head. “I’ve often told people,” Daryl says, “it’s a little bit like trying to remember a song you used to know.” He also feels that writing without a guitar in hand helps him create stronger, more unique melodies.
Daryl still resides in his small hometown of Waverly, Tennessee, about an hour west of Nashville. “I guess our biggest claim to fame is that Loretta Lynn lived here for many years.” When her ranch was a thriving vacationspot back in the 1980s Daryl was hired to do their “campfire show.” He remembers, “They had a little stage, and every night I would get up there and the campers would come down and I would entertain. Thatwas reallymyfirstexperience ofbeingonstage…” Daryl would go on to have a number of encouraging conversations with Loretta about the music business, and credits her with pointing him toward songwriting early on.
His initial development as a writer was due to New Tradition’s basic need forsongs. “We knew we needed material…so I started writing.” A major lesson Daryl learned through this experience was the importance of “craft” along with “gift.” He says “It was up to me to learn how to be the best songwriter I could be. It’s been a life-long process.” This process has led to the artist being considered a “songwriter’s songwriter” who can connect with audiences with his smooth baritone voice, sharing stories about “salt-of-the-earth” people that evoke comparisons to Flannery O’Connor andNormanRockwell.
To find out more, visit www.darylmosley.com
“This is the first time I went without a plan, a design,” he says. “The first two albums, I had a specific category of song I wanted on the album. A bluesy kind of style, more country, traditional—I wanted to get that out of my system…” About the diversity of styles he included on the third album, Mike goes so far as to say, “I’m not gonna conform to any kind of structure, if anything, that’s completely against my nature.” The one unifying element that Mike will admit to is a distinct ‘70s vibe to the record, which he attributes to his producer, Michael Bonagura.
Mike got his musical start with violin in sixth grade, about which he says, “I immediately broke all the strings, because I wanted to ‘fiddle’.” The next year, his school’s choir teacher recruited him after hearing him sing every note as he was practicing his instrument.
The songwriting came a bit later.
Mike says hearing a college roommate’s attempts led him to believe he could also succeed at songwriting, but it wasn’t until he landed in Nashville for an internship at RCA that he began really developing his skills. A major step was learning every song that was included in a Nashville newspaper’s “song of the week” section, complete with lyrics and chords. “I cut them out. I still have that binder—it’s like a foot thick!” Mike says. Next, the music of K.T. Oslin inspired him again to say “I can write that! And I started writing. Six months later I had a publishing deal.”
After seven years in Nashville, Mike headed out for greener pastures in Colorado. “I had this image in my head that I was gonna be a famous singer with horses. I had the singing part down, I didn’t have the famous part down yet, and I didn’t have any horses…” Now the artist is based in northern Texas, dividing his time between his two primary passions, music and horses; he’s “living the dream,” riding and writing in between trips to Nashville and performing on the road.
To find out more, visit Mike on Facebook
Rock Hearts is a bluegrass group based in the south—the southern part of New England, that is. Despite their physical distance from the southern Appalachian center of bluegrass, their dedication to the musical traditions of the genre places them squarely in its musical territory.
According to the band’s lead singer and guitarist Alex MacLeod, “We are a New Englandbased bluegrass band but we still adhere to a very traditional bluegrass setup.” He continues, “We are pretty strictly traditional as far as instrumentation, as far as material, as far as the sources of inspiration of our music…” That being said, the band is also known for its command of old country and southern gospel, as well as the occasional “bluegrassified” number culled from completely unrelated genres.
Along with Alex, the band consists of founding member and banjo player Joe Deetz, Billy Thibodeau on mandolin, bassist Rick Brodsky, and fiddler Austin Scelzo. All are veteran musicians bringing a heavy load of road-tested bluegrass chops to the table.
Their latest release is Unfinished Bridges, out in October 2024 (released on 615 Hideaway Records), has already scored a series of number #1 charting singles. It includes a title track by gospel great Mark “Brink” Brinkman and a track called “Lonesome Man in a Lonesome Town,” (by Billy Thibodeau and Stan Keach), which features a guest co-lead vocal by Danny Paisely (2024 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year).
However you describe them, since their formation in 2013 Rock Hearts has rolled toward greater and greater success, with the latest proof being a repeat showcase stint at the 2024 IBMAs (after being chosen in 2021 as well). Band members have also recently been acknowledged individually for their achievements, with Alex being chosen as one of 10 songwriters selected for the 2024 IBMA World of Bluegrass Songwriter Showcase, Austin Scelzo being nominated for the 2024 IBMA Momentum Awards: Industry Involvement, and Billy Thibodeau recently being inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame. The bottom line is that the talented members of Rock Hearts are making a solid name for themselves in the bluegrass world.
To find out more, visit www.rockheartsbluegrass.com
ARTICLESBYDANWALSH
2024 Award Winners
The 35th anual IBMA Bluegrass awards were held September, 26th in Raleigh,NC.The winnerswere as follows:
“Fall in Tennessee,” recorded by Authentic Unlimited; written by John Meador & Bob Minner; produced by Authentic Unlimited; Billy Blue Records
Album ofthe year:
City of Gold, recorded by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway; produced by Jerry Douglas & Molly Tuttle; Nonesuch Records
Banjoplayer Rob McCoury
Bassplayer
Vickie Vaughn
Fiddleplayer Deanie Richardson
Resophonic guitar player
GavenLargent
Guitarplayer CodyKilby
Mandolin player
Jesse Brock
Gospel recording of the year: “God Already Has,” recorded by Dale Ann Bradley; written by Mark “Brink” Brinkman & David
Stewart; produced by Dale Ann Bradley; Pinecastle Records
Instrumental recording of the year:
“Knee Deep in Bluegrass,” recorded by Ashby Frank; written by Terry Baucom; produced by Ashby Frank; Mountain Home Music Company
Collaborative recording of the year: “Brown’s Ferry Blues,” recorded by Tony Trischka with Billy Strings; written by Alton & Rabon Delmore; produced by Béla Fleck; Down the Road Records
Music video of the year (tie):
“Fall in Tennessee,” Authentic Unlimited
“Alberta Bound,” Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Patrick Sauber, Trisha Gagnon, Pharis & Jason Romero, and Claire Lynch
Settled in for my long winter’s nap - but it didn’t last long as the new CDs began piling up on my desk. There’s never a shortage of new, good music from so many talented musicians.
Here again is our selection for the holiday/winter season. We found some gems we hope you’ll like too. Check them out, and Tell ‘em we sent you.
Got one you want us to consider? send it to: Uncle Woody The Spin Doctor, PO Box 45 Bridgewater, VA 22812
In2018RebeccaFraizerwas thefirstfemale tobefeatured on the cover of Flatpicking magazine. 2018 and 2019 Guitar Performer of the year at SPBGMA, Rebecca’s latest work is finally hereand will likely earn her more nodastheseasonplaysout.
Shelton & Williams A Time For Every Season www.sheltonandwilliams.com
JohnnyandJeanetteWilliams aremulti-awardwinning,long standing bluegrass musicians. Recent recipiants of Danville, VA’s Lifetime AchievementAward,theirlatest album is just a reminder of howtalented thisband is.
Gary Nicholson CommonSense www.garynicholson.com
As a song writer, artsts have recordedandperformedover 700 of Gary Nicholson’s songs. This ‘songwriter’s songwriter” just released his latest solo record, Common Sense. This 12 song collectionis timeless. Good stuff.
Decorated musiciansintheir own right, when Tim and Thommcolaborate,youknow good stuff is gonna happen. WallsDogsisthe followupto theirfirst album, Lost Voices It’s a great listen and definatelyone to collect.
The Bluegrass collective knownastheBluegrassJourneymen, are a group of accomplished musicians dedicatedtoexpandingtheworldwide footprint of bluegrass music. This is a representationof their work to bring the world closer through music.
Authentic Unlimited So Much For Forever www.authenticunlimitedband.com
Three members of Doyle Laswon’sformerbandformed Authentic Unlimited in 2022 after his retirement. In 2023 they won the IBMA Vocal GroupandNewArtistawards. They wonfour IBMA awards in‘24 including Vocal Group again.Topnotchgrass!.
The Silas Powell Band Makin’A Run www.silaspowell.com
Twenty year old Silas Powell from Salem, WV, is a fifth generationpicker. The multiinstrumentalist favors the mandolin and has become knownforhis uniquestryle of MonroePickin’.Thefourtime MarlyandjuniorchampionoffershisdebutCD here.
Thomas Cassell TheNever-EndingYears www.thomascassell.com
Cassellisafoundingmember of the group, Circus No. 9, andhasperformed asaside man with some of todays greats,includingBillyStrings, Jim Lauderdale, Missy Raines, and Becky Buller. This is hislatest collectionof originalmaterial.
Jeremie Albino
Our TimeIn The Sun www.jeremiealbino.com
JeremieAlbinohasgonefrom busking on the streets of Toronto, to sharing stages with artists like Orville Peck andSierraFerrell.Thisisthe next chapter in his note worthycareer.This70’s,beachy, summer anthem vibe will makeyoufeelgood.
Mano Pan Americanos
Larry& Joe www.larryandJoe.com
Multi-instrumentalists, Larry Bellorin, and Joe Troop, perform as a duo performing a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and whatever else they throw in the van. The result is amazing. This is good stuff.
John Surge & The Haymakers
Maybe You Don’tKnowMe www.alanwalkermusic.net
Their first album reached number 32ontheAmericana Music Association chart in 2023. The bands new EP, MaybeYouDon’t KnowMe,is another doseof high octane, alt-country.Trynot dancingto this one.
Lance Cowan So FarSo Good www.lancecowanmusic.com
For 30 years Lance Cowan has been helping artists like Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale, Butch Hancock, Michael Martin Murphy, and many more, bringtheirmusictothepublic eye as a publicist. He offers asetof alloriginaltuneshere ashis new,personalproject.
John Mailander’s Forcast Let The World In www.troyengle.com
If instrumental music is your thing,you’ll wantto checkout this new collection of music from John Mailander’s Forcast. Let The World In is number three in a trilogy of “Forcast” records, showcasingthelarger visionandwide sounddesignof the band.
The Sensational Country Blues Wonders
If I Stop Moving, I’ll Fall From The Sky
This is the third release from psycho-belly musician, Gary Van Miert. The veteran songwriter calls it Psychedelic Americana. We’ll take that. Whatever you call it, we call it agood time for sure.
