What's The Reason For This Podcast

What's The Reason For This Podcast
  • 4.8 (13)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

🎙️ What’s the Reason for This? is the unfiltered, unexpected, and sometimes unhinged podcast where music meets mayhem. Hosted by Kodi and Shay, two jamgrass junkies with a knack for storytelling, this show dives into the heart of the bluegrass and jam band scene—with a few nitrous-fueled detours along the way. 🤠🎻 From parking lot legends and VIP miracles to deeply personal redemption arcs, each episode brings you wild tales, offbeat interviews, and honest conversations that explore the why behind the chaos. It’s about the music, the misadventures, and the magic that ties it all together.

  1. WTRFT S2E39 - Front Porch

    Jun 3

    WTRFT S2E39 - Front Porch

    🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi flies solo in the dungeon with Front Porch, the Northwest Arkansas bluegrass outfit that's quietly building one of the most unique sounds in the scene today. 🪕🔥🌲 What starts as a conversation about bluegrass quickly turns into a deep dive into community, creativity, festivals, and why music matters now more than ever. These guys may call Arkansas home, but their influences come from everywhere... 🎻 Growing up in family bands and learning bluegrass from an early age 🎶 French Creole music, old-time traditions, jazz studies, punk rock, metal, and jamgrass all colliding into one sound 🏡 How a handful of local jams, festivals, and friendships eventually became Front Porch 🌄 Why Northwest Arkansas has quietly become a thriving music community of its own Then the conversation turns to the festival circuit and the power of community... 🏕️ The impact of Harvest Fest, Hillberry, Winfield, Wakarusa, and campground culture 🎸 The legendary late-night jam that helped convince the band they had something special 🍻 Meeting bandmates through festival pickin' circles instead of auditions ⚡ Chasing those magical musical moments that only happen when everyone is locked in together But this episode goes way beyond the band's origin story. 🎵 Why arts and music education seem to be disappearing for younger generations 📱 Social media, attention spans, and the challenge of keeping creativity alive 🎤 The importance of musicians having a voice beyond simply "shutting up and singing" 🤝 How music continues to create community during increasingly disconnected times The crew also gets into the realities of life as an independent touring band... 🚐 Why regional touring often makes more sense than massive national runs ⛽ The financial realities of life on the road in 2025 🎪 How festivals remain one of the best ways for young bands to build a following 🏔️ Why Colorado audiences continue to be some of the most supportive anywhere in the country And for aspiring musicians, there's some great insight along the way... 🎻 Learning through jams instead of lessons 🔥 Why it's okay to suck when you're starting out 🎶 The etiquette of bluegrass circles and late-night pickin' sessions 🤘 How the best musicians never stop being students of the craft At its core, this episode is about community — the festivals, friendships, jam circles, and shared experiences that keep independent music alive long after the headliners leave the stage. 🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. This one's funny, thoughtful, full of festival stories, and a reminder that some of the best bands in the scene aren't built in boardrooms or algorithms... they're built in campgrounds, parking lots, and late-night jams around people who simply love making music together. 🪕🔥✨ #WhatsTheReasonForThis #FrontPorch #Bluegrass #JamGrass #Hillberry #Winfield #FestivalCulture #LiveMusic #IndependentMusic #ColoradoMusic

    57 min
  2. WTRFT Session - Front Porch

    Jun 3 ·  Bonus

    WTRFT Session - Front Porch

    🎶🔥 This week in the dungeon, Front Porch brings their Northwest Arkansas sound to Colorado for a session packed with heartfelt songwriting, rich harmonies, and the kind of road-worn authenticity that feels right at home in a late-night basement jam. 🪕✨ Fresh off a long drive through Kansas (and a highly recommended stop at Nafi's Pub 🍻), the band settles into the dungeon for a three-song session that showcases both their musical chemistry and their knack for writing songs that hit you right in the chest. The session opens with: 🌤️ “Times Like These” — This Foo Fighters cover is a powerful anthem about resilience, growth, and learning how to keep moving forward when life knocks you down. With soaring harmonies and an uplifting message, it's the perfect introduction to the band's heartfelt approach to songwriting. 🎶❤️ Next comes: 🛣️ “Roadside” — a standout track from their debut album Shallow Grave, exploring self-doubt, burnout, and the struggle of pretending everything is okay while searching for direction. Anchored by emotional vocals and introspective lyrics, this one feels like staring out a van window somewhere between towns wondering what's next. 🌙🚐 Then the band shifts into: 🚤 “Lifeboat” — a beautifully written song about holding onto hope, chasing connection, and finding your way through uncertainty. Built around sweeping melodies and reflective storytelling, it captures the emotional depth that makes Front Porch's music so relatable. 🌊✨ And to close things out: 🎸 “House Party” — a moving tune about perseverance, friendship, and trusting that things eventually work themselves out. Equal parts hopeful and honest, it leaves the session on a note of resilience and optimism. 🔥🌅 Along the way, there's plenty of dungeon chaos, confetti cannon confusion, band introductions, and the easygoing camaraderie that makes these sessions feel more like a living room jam than a performance. 😂🎉 At its core, this session is about finding light through uncertainty — leaning on music, friendship, and the road ahead even when you don't quite know where it's leading. 🎧 Full dungeon session streaming now on YouTube and wherever you follow What's the Reason for This? #WhatsTheReasonForThis #FrontPorch #DungeonSessions #Bluegrass #Americana #LiveMusic #NorthwestArkansas #Roadside #Lifeboat #GoodVibesOnly

    22 min
  3. WTRFT S2E28 - Broken Compass Bluegrass

    May 28

    WTRFT S2E28 - Broken Compass Bluegrass

    🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay welcome Broken Compass Bluegrass into the dungeonfor a conversation packed with jamgrass philosophy, festival culture, improvisation, and the next generation of bluegrass absolutely ripping the torch forward. 🪕🔥🌲 Hailing from Grass Valley, California, Broken Compass Bluegrass might be one of the hottest young bands in the scene right now — but what makes this episode special is hearing why they sound the way they do. From Deadhead parents and Doc Watson records to jazz phases, campground jam sessions, and growing up inside California bluegrass festivals… this band was practically built in the scene itself. 🎶✨ This one starts at the roots… 🏕️ Growing up at California bluegrass festivals like Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival and Live Oak 🎻 Kids on Bluegrass programs that helped shape the next generation of pickers 🔥 Being inspired by musicians like Molly Tuttle, AJ Lee, Nickel Creek, Tony Rice, and Doc Watson 🌌 How Deadhead parents, Phish tapes, and Yonder Mountain String Band created the perfect jamgrass foundation But what makes Broken Compass stand out is how many influences they pull from outside traditional bluegrass… 🎷 Django’s deep dive into jazz legends like Coltrane and Jaco Pastorius 🎸 Sam bringing funk bass influences into the band’s improvisation 🎶 Mei Lynn’s singer-songwriter inspirations like Iris DeMent and Kacey Musgraves ⚡ How improvisation, experimentation, and “failing forward” became central to the band’s live shows And then the conversation shifts into the reality of being a young touring band in 2025… 💸 The challenge of touring independently while trying to stay true to your sound 📲 The pressure of social media and building a following in the modern music industry 🚐 How festivals and live recordings have become one of the biggest ways bands grow organically 🎟️ Why younger fans are struggling to access live music and what the scene can do better The crew also dives into: 🎶 Recording live albums and uploading nearly every show to Nugs 🔥 Why jam fans love mistakes, risks, and unrehearsed moments 🪕 Curating eclectic covers from Fleetwood Mac to jamgrass classics 😂 Django accidentally revealing his middle school metal band past And honestly… one of the coolest parts of this episode is hearing how intentional this band is about building community instead of just chasing hype. 🏔️ Their breakout momentum after WinterWonderGrass 🎪 Playing intimate festivals like MeadowGrass and GoldenGrass 🤝 Staying independent while protecting their identity and creative freedom 🌲 Building a Colorado fanbase that’s quickly becoming one of their strongest audiences anywhere in the country PLUS — Colorado fans have multiple chances to catch them live during this run: 🍻 New Terrain Brewing (GoldenGrass kickoff) — Thursday, May 29 🏔️ Gold Hill Inn — Sunday, May 31 🎶 Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox — Wednesday, June 4 with All She Wrote At its core, this episode is about the next generation of bluegrass figuring it out in real time — balancing tradition with experimentation, independence with growth, and staying authentic while navigating an industry that looks completely different than it did even ten years ago. ✨ 🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. This one’s hilarious, thoughtful, and a reminder that the future of bluegrass is in very good hands. 🪕🔥🌌 #WhatsTheReasonForThis #BrokenCompassBluegrass #JamGrass #Bluegrass #ColoradoMusic #WinterWonderGrass #LiveMusic #Nugs #Improvisation #FestivalCulture

    49 min
  4. WTRFT Session - Broken Compass Bluegrass

    May 27 ·  Bonus

    WTRFT Session - Broken Compass Bluegrass

    🎶🔥 This week in the dungeon, Broken Compass Bluegrass rolls in from Grass Valley, California with a session full of haunting harmonies, cosmic storytelling, and the kind of emotionally driven bluegrass that sticks with you long after the last note fades out. 🌲🪕✨ Blending progressive bluegrass, rich vocal layering, and deeply cinematic songwriting, the band delivers a three-song set that feels both intimate and massive at the same time. The session opens with: 🌌 “East Coast Blue” — a reflective and beautifully layered original about distance, memory, and searching for peace while trying to outrun the weight of the past. With soaring instrumentation and emotional vocals, the song immediately sets the tone for the journey ahead. 🌙✨ Then things drift into something mystical with: 🧚 “Fairies and Lightning” — written by fiddle player Maylyn Hirant, this haunting tune leans into fantasy imagery, eerie beauty, and emotional uncertainty. Inspired by the band’s original “Alien Song,” the track creates a dreamlike atmosphere that feels equal parts folklore and fever dream. ⚡🌲 And to close things out, the band pays tribute to one of Colorado’s most beloved jamgrass acts with: 🏔️ “New Horizons” by Yonder Mountain String Band — a powerful and emotional rendition that perfectly captures the spirit of the mountains, resilience, and the Colorado roots that helped inspire Broken Compass Bluegrass in the first place. 🌧️🎻🔥 Between songs, the band talks about their upcoming record, touring through Colorado, and how influential the Front Range bluegrass scene has been on shaping their sound. At its core, this session is about storytelling — blending emotion, imagination, and improvisation into songs that feel both deeply personal and completely transportive. ✨ 🎧 Full dungeon session streaming now on YouTube and wherever you stream What’s the Reason for This? #WhatsTheReasonForThis #BrokenCompassBluegrass #Bluegrass #JamGrass #DungeonSessions #YonderMountainStringBand #LiveMusic #ColoradoMusic #ProgressiveBluegrass

    26 min
  5. WTRFT Session - Foggy Memory Boys

    May 19 ·  Bonus

    WTRFT Session - Foggy Memory Boys

    🎶🔥 This week in the dungeon, Foggy Memory Boys bring the spirit of Taos, New Mexico straight into Morrison for a session packed with wildgrass energy, rich harmonies, and stories that feel like they were pulled straight from a late-night festival campsite. 🌵🪕✨ Blending bluegrass, jamgrass, folk storytelling, and outlaw country vibes, the Foggy crew delivers a three-song session that perfectly captures the freedom, grit, and heart behind their unique sound. The session kicks off with: 🌧️ “Arkansas Rain” — a moonshine-soaked road song full of river memories, backwoods imagery, and smoky harmonies that instantly transport you deep into the Ozarks. Equal parts nostalgic and rowdy, this one feels like driving backroads at midnight with nowhere to be but the next campsite. 🌙🥃 Then the band shifts gears with: 🔥 “Resting Day” — an uplifting, hard-driving original about refusing to sit still, chasing purpose, and getting after the life you actually want. Built around themes of movement, self-discovery, and perseverance, the song explodes with jamgrass energy… plus a perfectly timed confetti cannon attack mid-song. 🎉🪕⚡ And the session closes with: 🎻 “Tow That Line” — a haunting and emotionally charged cover of the Devil Makes Three classic, delivered with gritty harmonies, raw instrumentation, and the kind of late-night intensity that makes everyone in the room stop what they’re doing and listen. 🌌🔥 Between songs, the crew dives into stories about Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, late-night water slide adventures, touring through the Midwest, and building their sound through years of jamming together in the Taos bluegrass scene. At its core, this session feels like exactly what the Foggy Memory Boys represent — friends making music together because they genuinely love it, chasing connection over perfection, and turning every show into a living-room-style jam with whoever’s willing to pull up a chair. 🌲✨ 🎧 Tap into the full dungeon session now on YouTube and wherever you stream What’s the Reason for This?

    19 min
  6. WTRFT S2E37 - Foggy Memory Boys

    May 19

    WTRFT S2E37 - Foggy Memory Boys

    🎻🔥 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay sit down with New Mexico’s own Foggy Memory Boys for a conversation full of wildgrass chaos, festival lore, lamp camp philosophy, and the beautiful madness of building a band from the ground up. 🌵✨ What started as a trio of friends jamming in Taos turned into one of the most unique sounds in the Southwest scene… 🎶 Teaching themselves instruments and learning music completely by feel 🏆 Winning a mandolin competition after only knowing a few songs 🌌 Finding inspiration through Grisman, the Dead, bluegrass jams, and psychedelic festival culture 🔥 Building a sound that blends jamgrass, songwriting, improvisation, and pure New Mexico weirdness But this episode goes way deeper than just the music… 🏕️ The legendary story behind “Lamp Camp” and how one Coleman lantern became a full-blown festival beacon for late-night jams 🚐 Grinding through bars, festivals, and DIY touring while building a loyal grassroots following 💔 Recording their first album right as the pandemic shut the world down 🎥 Learning how to survive in the social media era while staying authentic and unapologetically themselves And honestly… this episode is exactly what independent music is supposed to feel like. ⚡ Friends first, band second 🎶 Community over clout 🍻 Playing for 12 people like it’s 12,000 🔥 Creating music because they love it — not because it fits neatly into a genre box At its core, this episode is about chasing connection, embracing imperfections, and building something real with the people around you. 🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. This one’s hilarious, heartfelt, slightly unhinged, and packed with the kind of stories that only happen deep in the festival trenches. 🌲💨✨ #WhatsTheReasonForThis #FoggyMemoryBoys #JamGrass

    49 min
  7. WTRFT S2E36 - Jon "Barber" Gutwillig - Disco Biscuits

    May 12

    WTRFT S2E36 - Jon "Barber" Gutwillig - Disco Biscuits

    🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi heads into the dungeon with Jon “Barber” Gutwillig of The Disco Biscuits for a deep dive into improvisation, originality, the evolution of the jam scene, and what it really means to create something completely your own. 🎸🔥 Fresh off a massive run of Vegas aftershows during Phish Sphere weekend, Barber opens up about the mindset behind improvisation and why, after 30 years, the Biscuits still approach jamming less like a formula… and more like chasing a feeling in real time. 🌌🎶 This one starts in the chaos of the jam itself… 🎸 The Disco Biscuits’ obsession with improvisation — “nobody jams more than the Biscuits” 🧠 Singing every note while playing to stay connected to melodies and ideas inside a jam ⚡ Flow state, muscle memory, and why some of the best moments happen completely unconsciously 🎶 Accidentally quoting his own guitar playing from decades ago without even realizing it But then the conversation opens into something much bigger… 🔥 The early jam scene days — when originality mattered more than perfection 🎧 Why modern music feels more focused on refinement and imitation instead of exploration 🎼 Barber’s approach to originality: intentionally avoiding music he was afraid of subconsciously copying 🎹 The influence of jazz legends like Monk, Miles Davis, and McLaughlin on finding your own voice And then… it gets philosophical. 💭 Why jam bands don’t always get the credit they deserve as musicians 🎸 The difference between technical guitar playing and truly serving a jam ⚖️ Why less notes can sometimes create more impact inside improvisation 🌌 The challenge of creating art for yourself instead of chasing audience expectations The episode also dives into the evolution of the scene itself… 🚐 Burned CDs, tiny clubs, and discovering the Biscuits in the early 2000s before streaming existed 🏔️ Colorado becoming one of the greatest concert markets in the country 🎟️ The rising cost of concerts and how the live music experience has changed 🤝 Why the jam scene still creates some of the deepest friendships and strongest communities in music And of course… things get hilariously weird too. 🚗 The legendary story of a fan driving a car directly into a hotel room during the early Biscuits days 🤯 The infamous First Bank Center stage-diving incident that nobody can fully explain 😂 Wooks, stereotypes, and why outsiders still don’t fully understand jam culture Then the conversation comes full circle… 🏕️ Returning to Colorado for a three-night Memorial Day run at the legendary Mishawaka Amphitheatre 🎶 Fan-voted setlists, intimate mountain shows, and why the Mish remains one of the most magical venues in the country 🔥 Reflecting on 30+ years of building a scene that was never supposed to last this long At its core, this episode is about authenticity — trusting your instincts, embracing experimentation, and refusing to sand down the weird parts of yourself just to fit into someone else’s version of success. ✨ 🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. This one’s funny, thoughtful, wildly insightful, and a rare glimpse inside the mind of one of the true architects of the modern jam scene. 🎸🌌 #WhatsTheReasonForThis #DiscoBiscuits #JonBarber

    44 min

  8. May 12 ·  Bonus

    WTRFT Session - Liver Down The River

    🎶🔥 This week in the dungeon, Liver Down the River brings the full spirit of Colorado “Funkadeligrass” straight into the basement for a session that’s equal parts haunting, heartfelt, and wildly psychedelic. 🪕🌈🔥 Blending bluegrass roots with jam energy, dark storytelling, rich harmonies, and mountain-town weirdness, the band delivers a three-song set that perfectly captures why they’ve become such a staple in the Front Range scene. The session opens with: 🎻 “Hung My Head” — a haunting reimagining of the Johnny Cash classic (inspired by Blue Highway’s version) that immediately sets the tone with cinematic energy, gritty emotion, and soaring fiddle work. The band transforms the song into a dark, atmospheric journey that feels tailor-made for a late-night Colorado campfire. 🔥🌙 Next comes: 🌊 “The Shape We’re In” — an original tune written as a reflection on uncertainty, resilience, and finding hope through nature. Using rivers, storms, and canyon imagery as metaphors for life’s chaos, the song balances introspection with optimism and showcases the band’s ability to blend emotional songwriting with expansive jamgrass textures. 🌧️✨ And the session closes with: 🌙 “Take Me Home” — an original song Patty and Emily wrote when they were 19 years old, built around dark river imagery, longing, and murder-ballad storytelling. Haunting harmonies and emotional instrumentation make it feel like a late-night campfire confession drifting down the water. 🪕✨

    33 min
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4.8
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

🎙️ What’s the Reason for This? is the unfiltered, unexpected, and sometimes unhinged podcast where music meets mayhem. Hosted by Kodi and Shay, two jamgrass junkies with a knack for storytelling, this show dives into the heart of the bluegrass and jam band scene—with a few nitrous-fueled detours along the way. 🤠🎻 From parking lot legends and VIP miracles to deeply personal redemption arcs, each episode brings you wild tales, offbeat interviews, and honest conversations that explore the why behind the chaos. It’s about the music, the misadventures, and the magic that ties it all together.

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