All by Melissa Payne

Review- Scott Ballew: Rio Bravo

The problem with Scott Ballew is that you don’t know where to begin. Peeking into his bio is like embarking on a journey through a fascinating novel with chapters that each hold their own appeal, yet collectively seem too extraordinary to belong to just one man. From his days as a football star to his ventures in filmmaking and battles with addiction, and now emerging as a songwriter, Ballew's 40 years have been a whirlwind of experiences that are anything but ordinary. It's often said that experiences shape a songwriter, and if that's true, Ballew has that in spades. His introduction to Terry Allen, courtesy of their mutual friend Ryan Bingham, proved to be a pivotal moment, altering Ballew's perspective on life and art. Despite not venturing into songwriting until the age of 37, Ballew views writing as more than just a creative pursuit; it's a means of survival. Now, with his third album, Rio Bravo, set to release everywhere on March 29th, Ballew continues to carve his unique path in the world of music.

Review- Dallas Burrow: Blood Brothers

Listening to Texas native, Dallas Burrow’s stories, you get the feeling he has lived several lifetimes in his thirty-five years on earth. A former hell raiser with a knack for getting kicked out of his hometown bars, Dallas has wandered far and wide across this country and Europe and then returned like the prodigal son to his hometown of New Braunfels, Texas. Now the owner of the Redbird Listening Room and a devoted dad and husband, Dallas has traded crazy nights for morning cups of coffee. You can’t discuss Dallas and the reason behind the title of his new record without mentioning his father, Mike. If you’ve seen Dallas perform in the last couple of years, then you’ve likely seen his dad on stage with him or intently watching the set from the crowd. Armed with a cup of coffee, Mike makes the rounds pre-show, chatting with fans and checking in with those he’s already met on previous runs. At times he’ll jump on stage to sing a few songs with Dallas and the band, and inevitably, you’ll hear the story of Mike and Townes Van Zandt. It’s the kind of story that legends are made of, but this one happens to be true. In the 1970’s, after meeting Townes and friends at a bar that Mike and his siblings were operating and a late night after party, he became blood brothers with Townes on that fateful night, and the rest they say is history.

Premiere | Mike Frazier: Tulsa

Sometimes inspiration comes to you when you least expect it. That’s what happened with Mike Frazier for his new single, “Tulsa.” A trip to Oklahoma to open for Jason Hawk Harris at Mercury Lounge, way back in January 2020. The “before times;” before we knew the world would shut down for months and our whole way of living would be disrupted. This is where Mike found his inspiration, in the “bluest skies he’s ever seen, Tulsa will always be near and dear to my heart.”  Today we are premiering his single, “Tulsa.” It will be available everywhere on January 27th, which is the same day that Mike will announce pre-orders for his new album.

Premiere | Brittany Collins : Somebody

Today we’re debuting the video of “Somebody,” a single from Brittany Collins’ album, Things I Tell My Therapist. In case you missed it, the album was released in September of this year.  “Somebody” is the final single off the album and it’s one that speaks to childhood trauma, and processing that as an adult, while learning that where you came from and what you have experienced doesn’t have to define you. You can become the person you want to be, in spite of everything that you’ve experienced.  

Bluegrass, but not: An Interview with Golden Shoals

Nashville based roots duo, Golden Shoals, made up of Amy Alvey and Mark Kiliansk, have been making music together for a decade. During that time, they’ve weathered a pandemic, made the choice to change their name to Golden Shoals, and continue to write songs that address the issues that those of us are facing every day, whether it be inflation, climate change, the current political climate in America, or trying to keep your head above water in this crazy world we live in. In November they released two singles, “Ain’t No New Orleans” and “Treading Water”. Although a new album has yet to be announced, these two singles are a step in that direction. Please enjoy the interview we did with Golden Shoals about their current singles and what they have coming up in the new year.

Premiere | The Stubborn Lovers: Gramercy

We’ve got another new single to premiere for you this week. Today’s tune is from the Americana group, The Stubborn Lovers. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the band is made up of Jenny Taylor-, bassist and the primary songwriter of the group, Mandy Allen-, singer/guitarist and Michael “Pearl” Nelson on drums. Their upcoming album, Come a Reckoning is out on November 18th, but today we’ve got their latest single, “Gramercy” to share with you.

Premiere | Kimmi Bitter: I Dream of You

oday we are excited to share a sneak peek of a new video from Kimmi Bitter, a self-described “Americana throwback” by the way of California, her video for the single, “I Dream of You” is out everywhere on November 3rd. Although Kimmi has released a few singles since her EP in 2019, this single will be one featured on her upcoming full-length album, due out in 2023.

Born & Raised 2022

It’s no secret that one of the best festivals to feature Americana and country music happens every September in the great state of Oklahoma. If you thought last year’s inaugural Born & Raised was good, then year two has set the bar even higher. This year’s lineup featured an even wider range of amazing artists, with the perfect blend of well-established artists and those that are still considered up and coming. A main wish of mine last year was more females to be added to the bill, so one of the best parts of the lineup announcement was seeing so many talented females included for the second year. Equal representation on the bill is always the goal, but compared to other festivals in the region that feature artists in the same genres, Born and Raised definitely did a better job with adding more female representation on this year’s lineup.

Premiere | Cassie Latshaw: Misery

Cassie Latshaw doesn’t have your typical background. She grew up on an exotic animal farm near Bristow, Oklahoma and was opening for artists like Ray Price and Sammy Smith before the age of 12. These days she’s a realtor by day and songwriter at night, regularly appearing on stage at well-known venues like the Mercury Lounge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Premiere | Will Payne Harrison: Don't Drink Well Whiskey in the Lonestar State

We’ve got a fun one for you today from Nashville-based artist, Will Payne Harrison. We’re premiering his latest single, “Don’t Drink Well Whiskey in the Lonestar State.” It rides the line of being equal parts funny and cautionary tale. The single appears on Harrison’s upcoming album, Tioga Titan, out on October 21st. A rollicking tune featuring Meredith Krygowski on fiddle and Gabe Tonon on baritone guitar. It’s a song that would feel right at home being played at any dance hall in the state of Texas. You might be surprised to learn that this honky-tonk vibe isn’t the sound Harrison originally tried to capture in his first couple of albums. “I’ve always wanted to be a bluegrass musician, but I just don’t have the chops so it comes out as Americana," he chuckles. "For these new songs, I paid attention to what the fans were really digging into previously and decided that I should release a full album of honky-tonk since those were the tracks that resonated most with listeners." If you think the light-hearted nature of “Don’t Drink Well Whiskey in the Lone Star State” is indicative of the tone of the rest of the album, you’d be wrong. Although Harrison knows how to keep things light, he also can write a tearjerker.

Vandoliers: Self-Titled

They say to rise you gotta fall. Sometimes that means it feels like the bottom is falling out and you’re losing everything. Since spring of 2020, that feeling has been common for many, and for some in the music industry, like the Vandoliers, they didn’t even know if their new self-titled album, The Vandoliers, would ever even be heard. Fast forward to 2022: Not only have they opened for Flogging Molly and Turnpike Troubadours, but they toured Europe for the first time and scored a spot on Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise. Now they’re about to release their fourth album and this may be the best album the Vandoliers have made. If you’ve ever attended a Vandoliers show, it’s a range of emotions. You’ll hear fist-pumping rowdy drinking songs, beautifully crafted story songs and heart-stirring ballads. Listening to the new album, The Vandoliers, is no different. Upon first listen, you pick your favorites, then you listen again to the lyrics and instrumentals and it’s likely that favorites will emerge. Maybe it’s the hot licks from Travis Curry’s fiddle, the keyboard stylings of Cory Graves or the distinctive voice of Josh Fleming, that make it hard to pick just one. Whatever it is, it’s an album you’re going to want to let live on your turntable for the foreseeable future.

Premiere | Chris Canterbury: Heartache for Hire

Today we’ve got the video premiere of Chris Canterbury’s new single, “Heartache for Hire,” off his upcoming album, Quaalude Lullabies, “a nine track collection of mostly sad songs that offers on-the-nose lyrical phrasing, subtlety loose production, and an honest insight into razor-edge topics like addiction, depression, and loneliness.” Quaalude Lullabies is the first studio album from Chris in five years and will be released on September 23rd.

Premiere | The Flycatchers: The Ledge

Today we’re premiering the new single, “The Ledge” from Oklahoma City based band, The Flycatchers. If you’re wondering if this is the same band as Chris Jones & The Flycatchers, it is, in a way. As it did for many of us, the pandemic forced some changes for the band, as it lost members and ultimately fell apart, shows were canceled and Chris found himself back to square one and rebuilding from the bottom. The name has changed, but it’s still featuring a superb line-up of incredibly talented musicians, including Isaac Stalling, Ken Pomeroy, Chris Jones , Mike Rose and Ethan Teel. The line-up and name aren’t the only things that are different. Although hailed as an Americana band, the new single, “The Ledge” with its tinges of synthesizer and guitar riffs, seems to embrace more of a rock feel that previous songs and albums that the band has released. Change is always good, and it seems to have been a welcome thing for The Flycatchers.

Premiere | Ragland: Better to Be Lonely

oday we’re premiering a new single from Oklahoma based band, Ragland. Ragland was formed in 2015 by husband and wife, Autumn Ragland and Sam Cox. Although the band has gone through a few different versions of lineups and even taken a brief hiatus, they’re back and better than ever, playing shows all over the region and appearing on the Texas Radio charts. They’ve opened for everyone from The Damn Quails to Sunny Sweeney and you can catch them on the festival circuit this summer, including the local festival out of Tahlequah, Diamond Stone.

Roxi Copland: Two Shots In

We’ve got a fun video for you today. It's the single “Two Shots In” from Austin’s own Roxi Copland. A classically trained musician, Roxi’s previous life included being a singing pianist in a jazz club, but she’s dropped the complex cords for the storytelling that country and Americana music do so well. Recorded during the height of the pandemic, her EP, I Come From Crazy, is out April 8th.

Premiere | David Quinn: I Just Want to Feel Alright

It’s always exciting to be able to premiere a new single from an artist and we’re thrilled to be able to offer readers the first listen of David Quinn’s new single, “I Just Want to Feel Alright.”

“This song is really about wanting to feel better. Sometimes I can get stuck in my head about past mistakes I've made and things in life that are tough to deal with. I have a hard time letting all of it go. I have always been affected by the weather - rainy days and dark nights - that's when I really start thinking about all of it - especially late nights. This song is about trying to move on, find some peace, and hoping I'll wake up in the morning with a clear head.

Premiere | Hannah Bethel: Godspeed, Los Angeles

Today we have the privilege of premiering the new single, “Godspeed, Los Angeles,” from singer/songwriter, Hannah Bethel. No stranger to the music scene, Hannah has been making the rounds in Nashville since she moved there at age 18. Since that time, she’s released three albums and her video for the song, “Train,” was featured on CMT. Don’t try to pin Hannah down into any one genre though, as she blurs lines between country, Americana, folk, rock, and pop. Described as a “fiercely independent, wild, free, and untamed spirit,” her music blends elements of the many genres and styles that have influenced her writing and creative expression. Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, she grew up in Houghton, Michigan, listening to country and Seventies rock and drawing inspiration from Tom Petty, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Willie Nelson, and others.

Ryan Culwell: Run Like a Bull

It’s funny how a place calls to us, even when we think we escape it. It invades our dreams, and sometimes appears within our art. The Texas Panhandle can be an unforgiving and desolate place, but it also leaves a mark on those that weather the storms, the droughts, the oil booms and busts. Some never leave; they raise the next generation of homecoming queens and football teams. Others, like Ryan Culwell, escape their small town, strike out on their own and sample what the big world has to offer. Although not a household name, Ryan’s had his share of success: a critically acclaimed second album, with praise from Rolling Stone and NPR. There seems to be no formula that Culwell follows when making albums, as each of his three albums examine a different aspect of his life or the times he’s living in. “That first record was me setting my gaze on where I come from,” says Culwell, “and the second one was me setting my gaze on the country as a whole. This time around, though, I wanted to take a closer look at myself.”