Singer-songwriter Tristan Jackson returns with a new single, "When The Radio's Gone" from his upcoming album I Am. Co-written by Jackson with Love & Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson, along with Isaac Shiman, the new single is a heartfelt mid-tempo romantic ballad that you'll find yourself humming along to. Here, Jackson answers his Essential 8 where he talks I Am, songwriting inspiration, key lime pie, and more!

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Yes. The songs within I Am tell a story about my journey and what makes me who I am today. The title represents the strength and power that we all possess inside of us to achieve the things that we are passionate about.
 
Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
They all act as a page in a story, a chapter in a book that gives direction towards knowing who Tristan Jackson is. 
 
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I draw my inspiration from the people around me. When I write with other artists, we share the same common feelings. I believe in building relationships first before writing. 
 
What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road?
My “go-to” food on the road is a good slice of key lime pie or an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Fueled by whiskey, vinyl, and heartache, the Stubborn Lovers rumble like a vintage pony car across the landscape of American roots music. Though based in the indie-rock mecca of Portland, Oregon, the quintet’s country pedigree is genuine: singer/guitarist Mandy Allan hails from Hendersonville, Tennessee, where her grandfather delivered mail to the home of Johnny and June Carter Cash; lead six-stringer Todd Melton honed his licks in the hills of Kentucky, just a stone’s throw from where Sturgill Simpson did the same.
Bassist Jenny Taylor grew up along the storied highways of New Jersey, and wears a love for anthemic blue-collar rock on her sleeve. Drummer Michael “Pearl” Nelson and pedal steel guitarist Jeff Porter are both veterans of a diverse array of Northwest bands, with the chops to prove it.

The Stubborn Lovers will release their first full-length album, Mother Road, a ten-song set that explores themes of family and the road, on August 17th and here they answer their Essential 8 where they speak about the album, as well as share their touring tips, first concerts, and much more.

​Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Jenny: Mother Road is named for one of the songs on the album, which borrows the phrase from John Steinbeck. For anyone unfamiliar, it’s what he calls Route 66 in The Grapes of Wrath. We use it in reference to both 66 specifically and “the road” in general. “Mother Road” is also a play on “Thunder Road”, the Bruce Springsteen song to which our song serves as a sort of sequel. We chose it for the title because it encapsulates the album’s major themes: family bonds, especially those between mothers and daughters, and the journeys we take along the road that leads both away from and back towards home.
​
What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?   
Jeff: Don’t step on the vocal. That’s the most important part of the song and you need to work around it.

Jenny: Loop your instrument cable through your strap so that when (not if) you step on it, you don’t yank the cable out in the middle of a song. (Given to me at a show after I stepped on my cable and yanked it out in the middle of a song.)

Mandy: Take two Gas-X before you go on. ;)
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Todd: Look people in the eye when you play to them.

Atlanta’s Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics are the heirs to the thrones of the old-school masters....but they’re much more than just a group of revivalists trying to create a period piece. Powerhouse singer Velle and her band will settle for nothing less than bringing these classic sounds glimmering into the now with
a contemporary sheen. And that they did on their latest release, The State of All Things, a soulful, groove laden eleven song set that's fresh and fabulous. Here, Velle answers her Essential 8 and speaks about music as the great unifier, receiving a beautiful gift from a fan/friend Tennah, her bucket list item (heads up #teamcoco), and more.


With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
With the song “Broken Woman” we needed the build up and chaotic vocal delivery at the end. I just didn’t feel the song was complete without it. We haven’t really done anything like that in a song, so it made sense and it fit the vibe. I love when the horns come in just after the vocal part and amp up the crazy factor. To us, "Broken Woman" was the departure from our previous songs we were all craving at the time.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
The State of All Things is believing that despite the current climate of separatism, that we can unify despite differences. We see music as a great unifier and invite all our soul fam to feel these vibes through stories of the current times and issues, and through themes  of cosmic love and divine timing. We believe the state of all things is good.

How do you kill the long hours in the van?
I love working and reading in the van. It’s fun to hear what the bandmates want to listen to, so I tend to get a lot of work done while they are playing music or listening to podcasts. Shout out to Joe Rogan right now your podcast is on fire and sometimes so random and funny! We are loving it.
I have a hot spot so working from the road has been something I’ve done for almost a decade! There was one summer where I worked in 52 cities over 55 days, thanks internet!!

Twice winners of Scotland’s Traditional Music ‘Live Act of the Year’ Award, SKERRYVORE have been on a meteoric journey that has taken them from the remote Isle of Tiree on to International tours that have included performances in Central Park NYC, The Ryder Cup Louisville and the Shanghai Expo, China.

SKERRYVORE create a unique fusion of folk, trad, rock and Americana that represents all the different personalities and upbringing of the 8 band members who hail from different regions of Scotland. Recently they released their sixth album, EVO, and here band members answer their Essential 8 where they speak about road life, Red Rocks, what they're listening to, and more

What do you love most about being on the road?
(Scott) I love being able to meet new friends. Every place we travel to,  we seem to connect with new fans, promoters and musicians-- it’s great being able to maintain these relationships over the years on the road and makes you feel like you’re are at home when you’re really on the other side of the world!
 
What’s your dream venue and why?
(Scott) Definitely the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado! A lot of my favourite bands have played there and it just looks like such an amazing and iconic venue! 
 
Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended?
(Fraser)  First concert I ever attended was back in 2003/4. I saw the Foo Fighters in The Exchange in Edinburgh. You’re lucky if you can fit 2000 people in that venue. 

Favorite thing to do on a day off? 
(Fraser) At home, I love spending time with my wife and kids. It’s great to go out to a park somewhere and go out for lunch. Then spend the evening watching a movie together. On tour, it’s good to get to the gym, depending where you are get out and do some sightseeing, have a nice meal out somewhere and get a couple drinks. Just relax mainly though, and recharge. 

As any artist knows, traversing life’s valleys can be uncomfortable, but often invaluable for creative inspiration. Ashley & Eric L'Esperance (aka The Promise is Hope) are living proof of this very process in the making of their sophomore album, Every Seed Must Die.

The husband-and-wife duo -- who first performed together at an impromptu song swap and were married a year and a half later -- found themselves to be both personal and musical soulmates, releasing a joyful debut full-length in 2015 Where We've Been & Where We're Going. Following this upswing, the couple moved together into a painful season, losing four family members and enduring the disintegration of their local faith community.  Having witnessed firsthand the effects of cancer, suicide, mental illness, and disillusionment, the L’Esperances saw only one way to work through their confusion and questions. They began a slow process of songwriting as an outlet, which ultimately resulted in Every Seed Must Die. Here the couple answer their Essential 8 where they share the story behind the album's title,  growing together as a couple, Glen Hansard, Chipotle, and more.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
The two of us draw from the well of our own life experiences. This has been a matter of intuition rather than a specific choice. We each write as a way of processing big events, meaningful conversations, and transitions; and to wrestle the meaning out of the moments we've lived. We both find that we can express things in songwriting that we wouldn't necessarily go out and say otherwise. We find over and over again that the personal nature of our music resonates with listeners in a deep way. This continues to fuel the inspiration to pursue deeper intimacy in our writing.

Is there a story behind your album's title?
This set of songs is a collection of reflections on loss and death. We had witnessed the passing of five family members in three years. In the same season we saw a community of people that we had poured our hearts into slowly fall apart. The pain and disillusionment of these events found a cathartic repose in the writing, recording, and performing process. The title of the album is a reflection on the cycle of death and life that we see in the natural world. A seed goes into the ground and dies, but the death leads to new life, growth, beauty, and sustenance. We are wrestling to understand how to go through the pain of letting go and saying goodbye while also looking for the beauty that can come from our loss.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
In the title track, "Every Seed Must Die," Eric had a really strong first verse, chorus, and bridge, but was struggling to find the right imagery for the second verse. He kept returning to the song over the course of several months trying different approaches, but was not feeling settled with any of the results. Then he had a conversation with one of his cousins who shared his experience of watching his mother die from cancer. The exchange gave Eric what he needed to pull the song together. We both are really happy with the result.

Heart Hunters’ Drew de Man founded his first band, No River City, in 2001 and spent the next several years making records, touring the country and sharing bills with artists such as Iron & Wine, Calexico and Alejandro Escovedo. After a decade away from the spotlight, his new project Heart Hunters—a duo with his wife, singer/songwriter Brianna Blackbird—builds on the moody indie/alt-country sounds de Man explored with No River City, updating them for a new era with debut LP American Eclipse (July 20). The record’s alternately haunting and wistful folk songs find De Man and Blackbird engaging in potent social and spiritual commentary, clinging to silver linings while wrestling with an increasingly turbulent country. But while the subject matter is often heavy, the duo’s hook-laden melodicism offers all the balance the record needs. Here, de Man answers his Essential 8 where he shares the story behind the album's title, talks about road life, drinking at gigs, and more.

​What’s the story behind your album’s title?
We began the recording of the album during the solar eclipse of 2017. We wrapped it up on a full moon. We loved all the connotations of the phrase: an eclipse of the US, a darkening of the political and social landscape, an auspicious window of time during which vast galactic shifts can occur. Has America been eclipsed? Astrology even pointed to the eclipse having negative impacts on Trump...tee hee!!! We also mention the moon in the lyrics of four of the songs. It all just made sense. 

Who would you love to collaborate with?
We keep saying our next record might be a sort of folkloring trip around Senegal or Mali - we talk about grafting some West African music and instruments onto our music and writing a crop of songs with some artists there. We both have long been interested in a wide variety of African music. 

Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative?
Well, Bri drinks lightly at shows and prefers to play without a buzz. Drew doesn't drink at all. You might say it used to be a negative for him, but he quit drinking over 5 years ago! 

What’s your favorite food on the road?
We always travel with a "foodbox" - a cardboard box with, you guessed it, food. We usually have salt and some utensils, fruit and healthy snacks. Remember, we take our two children with us. We keep trying to duplicate a certain hummus kale wrap with kimchi. (We pretty much eat like most hippies.)

Jacki Stone has announced her arrival with a debut LP loaded with her self-styled ‘California Country’ sound. On Like Hell It’s Yours, produced by the legendary Keb' Mo, the Sonoma County native crafts a raw, rootsy sound with a healthy dose of southern rock grit.

Like Hell It’s Yours is built on Stone’s uniquely approachable manner of songwriting, a style that owes a debt to the formative influence of seeing Carole King perform on her Living Room tour when Jacki was nine years old.  “That night, I realized that I wanted to be a songwriter as well as a singer,” Stone says. “Carole King is like the writer that I aspire to be.” 

As an eating disorder survivor and recovering alcoholic herself, Stone is evangelical about the importance of healing, hope and compassion. “When we heal ourselves…we help [others] heal,” she says. “I feel that music, in so many ways, can help…Whether that’s a teenager listening to the radio because it’s the only sanity he has, or someone in recovery from an addiction and they have that one song that can keep them from relapsing.” The track “This Side Of Blue” sits at the album’s core and expounds this central message by exploring recovery, acceptance, and self-realization. With this depth of soul-searching it is clear that Stone is not just a singer with a country sound. She embodies the spirit of the genre and the heritage of the land around her. Here, she answers her Essential 8 and speaks about the album, the place where she does her best songwriting, Carole King, her love of nature, and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Like Hell It’s Yours is a bit like the light at the end of the tunnel, coming out of a dark time in my life, into new beginnings. It is me, taking my power back.

With Like Hell It’s Yours, what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
My ah-ha moment with this song was actually a surprise, because I thought it was done.. but then it was accidentally sent in to have horns arranged for it, and the moment I heard the example arrangement, that was it - I knew it was meant to be; it had to have horns or it wouldn’t be right. Now, I cannot even imagine the song without them! Haha.
​
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
My musical mentors have been the vocal coaches that I have worked with throughout my career. Each one of them gave me new wonderful tools I would never live without, different and exciting perspectives, and each of them helped me build confidence in myself and my artistry. Those three women have helped me grow into the artist and person that I am today, and grateful is not a strong enough word to describe how I feel for them.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I draw inspiration from all around me. Whether it’s a couple at the local market, a woman riding her bike past me, or looking down at dirt on my feet. Sometimes it’s the realization of a feeling or a thought that I have. It shows up in beautiful and trying, unexpected moments. ​

When/where do you do your best writing?
I write best at night or driving around in my car. A combination of the two is golden, haha.

Country-rocker Adam Rutledge recently released his EP Runway on June 22. The new project showcases Rutledge's first class songwriting, which caught the attention of country music hitmaker Phil Vassar through a connection with longtime Vassar collaborator, Jeff Smith. This resulted in Vassar taking the fellow Virginian under his wing as a management client and opening act. Runway was produced by Smith alongside Hunter Hayes' band leader Andy Sheridan (CharlieHorse Productions). The seven-song collection features fan-favorite singles “July,” “Rub A Little Dirt On It” and “Love Kickin’ In.” Here, Rutledge answers his Essential 8 and talks about the project, his musical mentors, and the concert that changed his life forever.


Is there a story behind your album’s title?
It ties into the lyrics of my first single "Love Kickin' In" ("It feels like a jet plane on a runway about to fly, fly..."), but I also felt like this was the starting point of my career and that hopefully it's about to takeoff!
 
Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
Well, we had originally planned to only record five songs, but then "Hard To Be Happy For You" (Andy Sheridan, Justin Adams and Jared Slocum) popped up, and I loved it. I'd have to have been crazy to pass that opportunity up. I loved that song from the very first note. Such an honest lyric...Who hasn't had a relationship fall apart and then heard that the the other person is doing well or has moved on? That's hard to hear no matter how much you want those things for the person. We added "Curls" at the last second. Andy Sheridan (Producer) and I really liked that song. It's a sexy, playful song I wrote about my wife.  She has really beautiful straight black hair, but this one night I was waiting in the living room to take her out, and she walked into the room with these beautiful curls in her hair and KNOCKED ME OUT! So much so that I had to write a song about it.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
When we were recording overdubs for "Wherever The Night Takes Us," Andy Sheridan (Producer) had a last second idea to have pedal steel added to it.  When we got the mix back with the pedal steel, I knew it was finished. It was the icing on the cake...scratch that, it was the cherry on top!