Red Barn Radio

Red Barn Radio

Roots Music Southern Style! Weekly interviews and performances from talented guests exemplifying Appalachian folk heritage - as it lives today. Join us as we bring musicians from all parts of the country who have roots in traditional genres founded in the southern United States. Red Barn Radio is a syndicated weekly radio show produced via live recordings in Lexington, Kentucky.

  1. FEB 3

    Will Jones

    With deep bluegrass roots and a hard-edged traditional country sound, Will Jones is carving out a space where Appalachian soul meets outlaw grit.Will didn’t so much learn three chords as inherit them. Raised deep in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, his music carries the raw heartbeat of Appalachian bluegrass and the fierce edge of traditional country. “I knew three chords and the truth before I even knew my ABCs,” he says, summing up his earliest years in music, when he was already on stage with a guitar in hand, immersed in the mountain spirit that shaped generations before him.Born into the family band, The Cana Ramblers, Will learned early what it meant to perform. By age six, he was singing lead, strumming guitar, and commanding the crowd as the band’s natural MC. “I was always the one talking to the crowd,” he recalls. “Knowing how to entertain and hold a stage — that’s what I’m still doing now. Nothing’s changed.”Nothing’s changed, but he’s certainly refined. For Will, Appalachian bluegrass is the lifeblood that shapes both his music and his story. Now, Will’s music feels equal parts front-porch picker and highway poet, which comes through clearly in his most recent songs, “Lonesome Dove,” “My Country’s Showing” and “Devil’s Den.” While his artistry continues to expand, he explains, “the heart of my sound remains rooted in my bluegrass beginnings.” As Will puts it, “being surrounded by bluegrass mountain music as I grew up — that’s what made me, that’s what raised me.” When his sisters left the band to pursue other paths, Will faced a crossroads. “I knew I was meant to play music,” he says. “I wanted to take it to a bigger stage, and my family supported and encouraged that dream.” Driven by that hunger, at 17 he stepped out on his own, carrying the Appalachian soul with him and choosing the road less traveled. Now based in Nashville,

    59 min
  2. JAN 14

    Michael G. Ronstadt

    Musician Michael G. Ronstadt has traversed a wide range of musical styles from singer-songwriter, folk, jazz, classical, Americana to new age. Ronstadt displays genre-blending explorations on cello and guitar in complement to thought-provoking lyrics, as well as instrumental work. In addition to his solo and group recordings with Ronstadt Brothers, Trotta & Ronstadt, Serenity Fisher & The Cardboard Hearts, Aaron Na-thans & Michael G. Ronstadt, he is a much sought-after studio musician, who has appeared on more than 200 albums in the last 20 years. Michael has recorded in studios across the United States in Philadelphia, Tucson, Phoenix, Nashville, New York City, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Germany & North Wales (UK). His versatile work has been tapped for studio and concert work by such artists as David Bromberg, Linda Ronstadt, Murial Anderson and Craig Bickhardt (SKB). He has opened up for artists like Ruthie Foster, Jor-ma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane), Steve Katz (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Neil Young, Death Cab For Cutie, Smashing Pumpkins and Josh Groban. He has toured and performed with the late, great Rick Rosas (Crazy Horse) and Dave Krusen (Pearl Jam). His performances have been heard at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Elko, NV), Philadelphia Folk Festival, San Diego Sail Festival, Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), Common Ground On The Hill Music Festival, and Tucson Folk Festival to name a few. Serenity Fisher has a piano style that is theatrical and passionate. Her music has been compared to Regina Spektor, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.

    59 min
  3. 12/30/2025

    Bryce Mullins

    Episode 228 First Air 01-04-26 Bryce Mullins Cask Strength A OK Breakthrough Sidewalkin' Always Right by Your Side Alice's Saturday Night Train Raising Kane E.T Bryce Mullins is a seasoned fingerstyle guitarist and songwriter hailing from Batesville, Indiana, with a rich and diverse musical background. Initially introduced to the guitar by his father, Bryce's passion quickly grew, drawing him into a world where classic rock intertwined with classical music, blues, and bluegrass. A pivotal moment in his early development came when he encountered the works of Andrés Segovia, leading him to pursue classical guitar with fervor. Bryce's academic journey took him to the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Classical Guitar Performance under the guidance of Professor Clare Callahan. He continued his education at Austin Peay State University, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance, studying with Dr. Stanley Yates. It was during this period that Bryce was introduced to the vibrant world of fingerstyle guitar, inspired by artists like Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, and Antoine Dufour. Armed with a deep understanding of technique and music theory, Bryce began composing his own fingerstyle guitar pieces. His debut album, "First Sip," released in 2017, garnered critical acclaim from outlets like Minor 7th, which praised his "melodic diversity" and the intricate interplay of melodies and contrasts in his compositions. This album marked the beginning of a distinctive voice in the fingerstyle community, where Bryce seamlessly weaves together his myriad influences into a sound that is both unique and familiar.

    59 min
  4. 12/09/2025

    Wicked Peace

    In 2013, frontman Tanner Blevins and guitarist Patrick Brumback shared a Morehead State dorm hallway and musical dreams. With Tanner’s older sister Amanda joining on vo-cals and songwriting duties, the band quickly took shape, releasing Conclusions in 2014 — a charmingly DIY debut full of personal, scornful laments and loose acoustic-pop, setting the tone for the heartfelt, genre-blurring path ahead. They followed with 2015’s Growing Pain EP. Chasing a bigger sound, the band headed to Nashville to record The Edge EP at Blackbird Studios. A run of polished singles followed — “All of Me,” “Halfway,” “New Addiction,” and “Tubesox” — recorded back home at Lexington’s Shangri-La Studio. With the addition of powerhouse drummer Matt Holleran and bassist Jared “Hippie” Davis, Wicked Peace also dove deep into production work, building their own Butchwood Studios in the process. Over the next few years, the band entered their most prolific era: four EPs (The Portland EP, The Evening EP, The High Road EP, Scott Named the Band (Live at Butchwood)), high-energy singles like “(Take Off My) T-Shirt” and “Ur Welcome,” and — at last — their first full-length album: 2019’s Rock N Roll Racecar, a full-throttle showcase of their growth, hu-mor, and heart. In 2023, the band returned with Wicked Peace, a self-titled record that sharpened their hooks and expanded their palette — delivering 10 hummable, harmonized songs about heartbreak, resilience, and boats. Now in 2025, Wicked Peace celebrates 13 years together with two retrospective releases

    59 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Roots Music Southern Style! Weekly interviews and performances from talented guests exemplifying Appalachian folk heritage - as it lives today. Join us as we bring musicians from all parts of the country who have roots in traditional genres founded in the southern United States. Red Barn Radio is a syndicated weekly radio show produced via live recordings in Lexington, Kentucky.