Red Line Roots Red Line Roots

A chance encounter in a used book store has brought us a stunning new record from Dawn Landes. Years ago, she came upon The Liberated Woman’s Songbook, a 77-song collection curated by Jerry Silverman, who authored more than 200 music instruction books and was music editor for Sing Out! Magazine. Recently, Dawn teamed up with Josh Kaufman to produce an album by the same name, and has curated some truly spectacular live shows to celebrate both these songs from our history and some of the most a...

Ryan Flaherty and Erika Stahl are the powerhouse duo out of Maine, Muddy Ruckus. Last year, they released Vacationland, which demonstrates just how expansively two people can make music. We got to chat with Ryan and Erika and really enjoyed their reflections on process and following where the music is leading, as well as their thoughts on how an album has to ebb and flow to be engaging to listeners and satisfying to musicians. Thanks for listening to the podcast–share it with friends who...

For this episode of the podcast, we got to talk with Dr. Newman about his work. We discuss the state of mental health in the music industry, the different stressors on not only artists, but the myriad people who support art, the challenges in accessing mental health support, and possible paths forward to make sure people get the care they need. As Dr. Newman puts it, where there was no “net” before, Amber Health is beginning to build one. This is inspiring work for anyone who cares about musi...

Larry & Joe: Honest MusicOn March 24, the virtuosic duo Larry & Joe released their album Nuevo South Train in Durham, NC at The Fruit. Joe Troop, the guitar, fiddle, and banjo player from the Grammy-nominated band Che Apalache, did a residency series at The Fruit and Larry Bellorín, a harp player from Venezuela had been encouraged to connect with Joe. Their connection was immediate and what results is a vibrant, joyful sound. In our podcast interview, we talk about that show at T...

Our first ever repeat guest, mandolinist and songwriter Ethan Setiawan, returns to talk about his new record, Gambit. We talk writing and naming tunes, moving to a new community, playing together with friends and contemporaries and recording releasing a record through a pandemic.Ethan is one of the most exciting, versatile and virtuosic musicians in today's acoustic music landscape. Be sure to check out his new record (and dig into his previous releases while you are at it!).https://www.ethan...

Max García Conover: I Saw The DevilMax García Conover’s new record, “Deer,” (Son Canciones) came out on June 3. It feels like a collection of poems in the best possible way. As Max talks about in our most recent podcast, not poems like the ones you read in school–“intelligence tests,” meant to be obtuse. No, these are songs that keep you awake to yourself and the world. They are mostly quiet, and there is a tendency for uncertainty, or, at least, a questioning of what makes us so certain...