The Rugged Revival Podcast | Home of the UK’s Country, Americana, and Roots Music Community.

The Rugged Revival
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Music Interviews

The Rugged Revival Podcast brings you laid-back, real conversations with country music artists, songwriters, and storytellers. We dive into their journeys, music, and everything in between—all while keeping it authentic, fun, and true to the rugged spirit we stand for. Follow us on social media and join our Facebook group to become part of the Rugged Revival community!

  1. 3d ago

    Where the Mountains Sing: A Love Letter to Appalachia | Michael Holstein

    Deep in the mountains of Kentucky, Laurel Cove is more than a music festival. It's a celebration of music, community and the people of Appalachia.In this episode of Rugged Revival, we're joined by Michael Holstein, an award-winning filmmaker, director and producer with over 20 years of experience in television, film and music. His impressive career includes productions such as PBS's "In Performance at the White House", "Live at 9:30" and "An Opry Salute to Ray Charles".Michael joins Terry and Lance Rogers to discuss his upcoming documentary, "Where the Mountains Sing", which tells the story of Kentucky's remarkable Laurel Cove Music Festival and the people who make it so special.From the musicians and organisers to the fans and local community, Michael explains why this is about far more than music. It's a love letter to Appalachia, celebrating its people, traditions, authenticity and the extraordinary sense of belonging that brings them together.Discover the documentary: https://wherethemountainssing.com/Chapters00:00 Introduction: Michael Holstein & Where the Mountains Sing01:12 Manchester City, Oasis & Football Rivalries04:31 Michael's Background & Early Life06:46 NASCAR, Racing & Discovering a Hidden Talent11:34 Why Small-Town Music Festivals Are So Special13:28 From College Dropout to Filmmaker20:56 From Law to PBS & the White House Concerts25:58 A Private Beatles Concert with Paul McCartney31:26 The Television Show That Went Disastrously Wrong34:26 How Cole Chaney Introduced Michael to Laurel Cove37:24 Challenging the Stereotypes of Appalachia39:04 Bringing Where the Mountains Sing to Life43:20 Laurel Cove's Impact on Bell County & Kentucky Music50:44 Why the Documentary Is Really About the People53:08 The Trailer, Release Plans & Stories Left Untold57:20 Authentic Music, Artists & Appalachian Identity61:48 Nashville, Commercial Success & Staying True to Your Roots66:36 Giving Back: Appalachian Charities, Education & Amazon Prime71:58 Film Premieres, Future Plans & Final ThoughtsSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    Where the Mountains Sing: A Love Letter to Appalachia | Michael Holstein

  2. 5d ago

    The Devil’s in the Groove | Nico Swarley

    From bluegrass to blistering Southern rock, Nico Swarley has built a life around the low end.Bassist for Vern Daysel & The Burning Breeze, Nico joins Cam to talk life on the road, the beautiful chaos of improvisation, building a grassroots music scene and why nothing beats the real thing: live music.CHAPTERS00:00 – Finding the Beat 03:05 – From Drums to Bass 05:58 – The Monday Night Ramble 09:15 – Building a Scene from the Ground Up 10:42 – Bluegrass, Rock ’n’ Roll & the Open Road 13:48 – Road Survival: Haircuts, Hygiene & Hard Lessons 18:00 – Stage Style & the Perfect Vest 20:30 – Four-Legged Roadies 22:20 – The Working Musician: Why Live Music MattersSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    The Devil’s in the Groove | Nico Swarley

  3. Oct 14

    From Black Sabbath to Hellfest: The Story of Casey Rogers

    Before Hellfest, there was a basement drum kit, a father with a love of music, and a young Casey Rogers discovering Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Rush.The Mares of Thrace drummer joins Cam to talk early influences, life on the road, new musical projects and the extraordinary experience of stepping behind the kit for Kylesa at Hellfest. From childhood jams to festival stages, this is a story of heavy music, hard work and everything in between.CHAPTERS00:00 – Meet Casey Rogers of Mares of Thrace00:54 – Where It All Began: A Father and His Drums02:49 – The Early Influences: Rush, Sabbath & Zeppelin05:28 – Hitting the Road with Mares of Thrace06:17 – Life on Tour: Gear, Survival & Lessons Learned10:20 – New Music, New Projects & What's Next12:36 – Kylesa, Hellfest & Three Unforgettable Shows15:44 – Where to Find Casey RogersSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    From Black Sabbath to Hellfest: The Story of Casey Rogers

  4. Oct 6

    Sean Rodriguez: Bass, Style & Life on the Road with The Wilder Blue

    From sandy hot dogs on the Texas coast to a life spent holding down the low end on stages across the country, Sean Rodriguez has taken the long road to The Wilder Blue.Raised between Corpus Christi and College Station, Sean started out on trumpet before an early obsession with bootleg ’60s and ’70s concert footage on the newly launched YouTube drew his ear towards the bass. What followed was an education built through big-band jazz, funk, country and years on the road — touring the South with New Orleans indie-rock band Hazy Ray, playing blues in Houston, moving to Austin, and eventually spending almost eight years on the road with Bri Bagwell before becoming part of The Wilder Blue.In this episode of The Honky Tonk Hair Machine, Sean talks about the craft behind playing bass, singing harmonies and putting on a show at the same time; why The Wilder Blue runs its live set “like clockwork”; and the musical journey that shaped the player he is today.Then there’s the style. Sean digs into his love of colour, ’70s shirts, giant lapels, floral pearl snaps, Wrangler Ranchers and vintage Austin finds, a look influenced less by the modern Western revival than by old photographs of his great-grandfather. Music, clothes, hair and a life on the road with Sean Rodriguez of The Wilder Blue.Find Sean on Instagram: @MrFretlessThe Wilder Blue: TheWilderBlue.comChapters0:00 Intro — Sean Rodriguez of The Wilder Blue00:24 Growing Up Between Corpus Christi & College Station01:41 His First Instrument: Trumpet04:43 Discovering the Bass Through Early YouTube06:13 High School Bands, Van Halen & Rush07:43 Becoming a Road Musician — Jazz, Funk, Blues & Country11:26 Playing Bass, Singing Harmonies & Performing Live13:43 Developing His Personal Style16:24 Vintage Finds, Wrangler Ranchers & ’70s Inspiration20:31 Hair, Moustache Wax & Life on the Road23:38 Where to Find Sean & The Wilder BlueSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    Sean Rodriguez: Bass, Style & Life on the Road with The Wilder Blue

  5. Oct 1

    Singer-Songwriter from Detroit | Ander$on

    Ander$on is a singer-songwriter from the Detroit area, cutting his teeth on the independent music scene.Subscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    Singer-Songwriter from Detroit | Ander$on

  6. Sep 24

    Addiction, Fatherhood & a Life Built Around Music | Chasen Wayne

    Chasen Wayne’s route into music has been anything but conventional.Raised around rodeo cowboys and blue-collar workers, Wayne spent years working with his hands while finding whatever time he could to write songs, play guitar and build a life in music. What followed has been a journey through hard work, addiction, sobriety, marriage, fatherhood and an unwavering commitment to his craft.In this deeply candid conversation with Slim Chance Cowboy, Chasen opens up about the experiences behind his music, the reality of making earlier records while heavily drinking and using drugs, his decision to get sober, and the family that now means more to him than any stage or record ever could.We also dig into his evolution as a songwriter, his work as a talent buyer at the Sagebrush, the sacrifices that come with touring as a father, and the story behind Chasen Wayne & The Honky Tonk Machine’s latest record, The Diamond Saloon.This is more than a conversation about country music. It’s an honest look at the life behind the songs... the mistakes, the work, the people worth changing for, and what it means to keep pursuing something after more than a decade of trying to get it right.Chapters00:00 Introducing Chasen Wayne00:36 Rodeo Roots & a Blue-Collar Upbringing03:59 Austin, Plumbing & Learning the Craft07:39 Injury, Addiction & a Turning Point at the Sagebrush10:48 From King Cowboy to The Diamond Saloon12:43 Writing His Life Into the Songs14:02 Getting Sober & Looking Back at the Early Records14:57 Strange Places & Moving Beyond Traditional Country17:57 The Story Behind “Honeymoon” & Corpus Christi20:36 Addiction, Sobriety & Choosing His Family21:47 Work Ethic, Fatherhood & the Cost of Touring25:15 Finding His Own Sound & Why He Keeps Going28:57 What’s Next for Chasen WayneSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    Addiction, Fatherhood & a Life Built Around Music | Chasen Wayne

  7. Sep 15

    Wrong Notes, Pearl Snaps & Life on the Road: Lance Roark

    Lance Roark has spent years figuring out what makes a song work - sometimes by writing bad ones, sometimes by rewriting other people’s, and eventually by learning when to stop chasing perfection altogether.In this episode, Lance talks growing up in Oklahoma, learning guitar alongside his dad, finding his voice as a songwriter and why, these days, the feeling matters more than hitting every note right. There’s also life on the road, forgotten lyrics, wrong harmonicas, Pearl Snaps, canned salmon and the realities that sit behind the songs.An honest, funny conversation with an artist who’s learned to trust his instincts - onstage, on the page and everywhere in between.Chapters00:00 Oklahoma Roots & Learning Guitar with Dad01:23 Writing Bad Songs & Finding His Own Style03:35 Letting Go of Perfection on Stage07:18 Pearl Snaps, Levi’s & the Lance Roark Look09:17 Road Essentials, Wrong Harmonicas & Canned Salmon11:16 Europe, New Music & What’s Coming NextSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    Wrong Notes, Pearl Snaps & Life on the Road: Lance Roark

  8. Sep 9

    Twenty Percent of Zero | B.Knox on Staying Independent

    B.Knox is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose music sits somewhere between Alt-Country, Americana and the Folk traditions he grew up around. Raised between Newfoundland and Ontario, his songs carry traces of the East Coast homesickness, storytelling and old Celtic influences.In this Podcast, B.Knox talks about putting writing before performance, remaining fiercely independent, and navigating an industry that increasingly asks musicians to be content creators as much as artists. He gets into publishing deals, the economics of giving up a piece of your work, his complicated relationship with social media, and why privacy still has value.Chapters00:00 Newfoundland, Ontario & Growing Up02:31 From Playing Covers to Writing His Own Songs05:18 Writing, Recording & the Reality of Touring08:35 Publishing Deals & Staying Independent09:43 Social Media, Privacy & the Content Machine11:34 Songwriting Influences & Newfoundland Roots15:12 Finding His Sound & Letting the Songs Lead18:18 Personal Style, New Music & Going AcousticSubscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com

    Twenty Percent of Zero | B.Knox on Staying Independent
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Rugged Revival Podcast brings you laid-back, real conversations with country music artists, songwriters, and storytellers. We dive into their journeys, music, and everything in between—all while keeping it authentic, fun, and true to the rugged spirit we stand for. Follow us on social media and join our Facebook group to become part of the Rugged Revival community!

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