Hops & Spirits Bar Conversations Hops & Spirits

The six-piece group Southall brings together the talents of Read Southall, Reid Barber, Jeremee Knipp, Braxton Curliss, John Tyler Perry and Ryan Wellman. We chat with Read and Reid about how the band came together, their name change to Southall, their latest album Southall, their journey, bucket list places to play, what's next and more.
Jonathan's Drink: Penelope Bourbon Tokaji Cask Finish

Gangstagrass harmonizes the unwavering array of skills from Rench, R-SON the Voice of Reason (MC), and Dolio the Sleuth (MC, Vocals), in addition to featuring Dan “Danjo” Whitener (Banjo, Vocals), and B.E. Farrow (Fiddle, Vocals), among other brilliant instrumentalists. With roots across the country, the ensemble has skillfully blended the traditional sounds of fiddles and banjos with contemporary hip-hop beats. We chat with Rench, Dolio, R-SON and Sleevs about how Gangstagrass came to be, how everyone joined the group, their new album Blackest Thing on the Menu dropping June 14, what folks can expect on the album, seeing a live show and so much more. 

Country artist and songwriter George Ducas is set to release a new album, Long Way From Home, on June 21. We chat with George about his favorite drink, writing a song "Women and Whiskey" at age 12, growing up in Texas and California, getting to Nashville, co-writing "Just Call Me Lonesome", taking a different career path, his songwriting process, getting back in the studio, going on tour and more.

Bryce Leatherwood is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter who aims to carry the torch of country music and continue the legacy of legends prior. Bryce was born and raised in Woodstock, GA, and his passion for music began at an early age. He competed on the NBC hit television show The Voice and was crowned the Season 22 winner in December of 2022. Bryce talks about growing up working on his grandpa's farm, how he got into country music, forming a band while at George Southern, going on The Voice, his single "The One My Daddy Found," writting more than 80 songs for his next project, his Neon Does tour, what's next and more. 

We chat with American folk legend Jim Kweskin about his latest album Never Too Late: Duets With My Friends, which features a collection of 18 recordings and storied collaborations with some of his favorite female musicians. The new album stands as a testament to the generation and genre-spanning brilliance that has defined Kweskin's illustrious career for the past six decades.

Nice Horse is a wild, fresh, and fierce pair that has established themselves as one of the most buzzed-about acts in the Canadian music industry. The duo, made up of Katie Rox (vocals/banjo/acoustic guitar) and Brandi Sidoryk (vocals/bass), has garnered significant accolades, including two Canadian Country Music Award (CCMA) wins, eight CCMA nominations, and ten Country Music Alberta Awards. They talk about their new album dropping April 19, how they were friends before the group, how Nice Horse came to be, their name, growing up in Alberta, learning to play instruments and so much more!