On his last release Y Los Lonely Hipsters, Garrett T. Capps offered the world a hometown anthem in the form of “Born In San Antone”,  a South Texas rock ’n soul epic that was showcased on the season premiere of Showtime’s Billions. Now, Capps has designated himself “flight director” on a mission known as “NASA country,” with the findings of this spacey endeavor presented in full on his latest outing, In The Shadows (Again). Here, the singer-songwriter answers his Essential 8 and talks briefly about the album, songwriting, how he spends a day off, and more.

​Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I consistently find myself trapped in the shadows, just when I thought the light was shinin' down on me.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I was born in San Antone.  Everything here is puro inspiración.

When/where do you do your best writing?
When I'm in a rush, sad, and/or caffeinated in San Antone.

Born and raised in the small town of Brownsville, TX, Mitch Bradford discovered music at a young age and immersed himself in the sounds of Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and others. The simplistic, warm nature of their lyrical styles and composition eventually inspired him to start writing his own material. Though music was always his first love, Mitch accepted a full-time position with Google and continued writing songs on the side. One Saturday morning in Monterey, CA, Mitch had an epiphany where he found himself soaking in the essence of California and ebing overcome with an intuitive feeling that California was where he was meant to be. He made his dreams become a reality and left his full-time gig to pursue his lifetime-gig: music.

For his new album, Love Is Kind (due later this year), Mitch teamed up with Grammy Award-Winning producer Matt Ross-Spang (Chris Isaak, Jason Isbell) seeking out a classic ‘California country’ feel, but with a modern twist. The result is a ten-song collection fit be the soundtrack of a long drive up the California coast or a weekend away in the mountains. In advance of the release, Bradford answers his Essential 8 and talks songwriting, shares the story behind Love Is Kind, and more!

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
My musical mentors are songwriters. That’s who I listen to and learn and take inspiration from. Folks like Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Margo Price, Jason Isbell. You can learn a lot from their songs.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
​I think “Sweet Defender” which is coming out soon turned out well. The original arrangement we were working on was loud and distorted. It was cool, but it didn’t fit the song. We moved Dave Cousar (who plays lead) to acoustic guitar and we switched up the arrangement to something simpler. It turned out well, I think. Very close to what I hear in my head. 

Fueled by her ability to merge the energy of rock ‘n’ roll with the honest storytelling of country music, Georgia native Lauren Ashley continues to put together carefully crafted projects and tour relentlessly, bringing her high octane shows to the masses. Recently, Lauren and her band, the Trainwreckers, released the ultimate ode to the joy that comes from chasing the sun and surf, “Always Wanted To,” from their current EP, Evolution Part Two.  Here, Lauren kindly took the time to answer her Essential 8 and speak about the EP, Chick-fil-A, Eric Church, and more.
 

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I did! I am lucky to have had many people along my music journey that helped me get where I am today, but I would have to say that it was my producer, Phillip White, who helped me find my voice and my sound! I am extremely grateful to have him on my team as a co-writer and producer!

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
I'd have to say... with our new song, "Like I'll Never Love Again" off of our upcoming album Evolution-Part Two there was definitely that a-ha moment! This song only took around an hour and a half to write and as soon as we finished we knew there was something special about it and it was as close to perfection as it possibly could be. It was beautiful and raw and heartbreaking and the whole thing turned out to be my favorite song I've ever written!

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Absolutely... Evolution is the title of our new album, and the name came from just the realness of the songs and stories on this album and how they describe an evolution in my own life and music/artistry. Every song on this album talks about the "evolution" of love and life. So, we felt that it was the perfect title for this album!

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
​All of the above! I think it's important, for me at least, to be real and express myself and my thoughts and my life in my songs... because the realness of that is something that is important that I get across to my fans! However, writing about the experiences of others and observations of life and fun, made-up stories make amazing songs too. My main goal in songwriting is to touch others and make a difference. Whether that be from my own experiences, or inspiration from something else... I want to make my listener feel something. 

Nashville-based, Virginia Native, Will Thomas Reed has been cutting his teeth in the music industry since the age of 13. Being a lover of all music, Will left East Tennessee State (on a Bluegrass Scholarship) to spend several years touring full-time with the Grammy Award Winning Rock Band 12 Stones; when they disbanded, Will moved on as Lead Guitarist for the popular rock group Throwing Gravity before fronting his own project, the Will Thomas Band and hitting the road with a multitude of major label acts.

Burned-out, frustrated, and pulling further away from his Country roots, Will took a much needed break from the industry, to write, record and develop his own unique sound. 

His new E.P. To Whom It May Concern…, due June 1, 2018, is a brilliant blend of fun and emotional life-stories, but also showcases great songwriting and a wide array of dynamic musical influence. Here, Reed answers his Essential 8 and talks about the story behind his album's title, his musical mentor, touring tips, and much more!

Did you have a musical mentor and if so who was it and how did they influence you?
My musical mentor growing up and still is to this day is my good friend Mr. Brian Craddock. I’ve known Brian since I was a young teen and we started writing and recording together when I was 16. My band use to always open up for his band and he use to always take the time to give me guidance and show me how it was really done.

Is there a story behind your album's title?
So the story behind my album title, To Whom It May Concern, came from the fact that I had taken a long sabbatical from music after touring for over a decade and had written a bunch of new songs but wasn’t quite sure what genre to put it in. My style has continued to grow and change over the years and I knew I was somewhere between a classic rock sound and straight up country, so I figured “whoever likes it, likes it”, hence “to whom it may concern...”. 

Where do you draw from when writing?
I draw inspiration from personal life experiences and from life experiences of those around me who I am close to. Sometimes I can even meet someone for a quick moment in time and their story can inspire an entire song for me. 

If you take a look at the vast history of country music in New Jersey, you’ll find there isn’t a vast history of country music in New Jersey, which is what makes twin sister country duo Spinn a bit of an anomaly. Stephanie and Cheryl Lynn Spinner are city girls with country hearts, and while their New Jersey home may not be known for country music, they’re putting their cowboy boot imprint on the Garden State, and the rest of the country.

This past year Spinn won country music station NASH FM’s NASH Next regional competition – which featured over 750 bands – earning them a trip to Nashville to perform in the finals, and tour with the other Top 10 finalists from around the country. Hitting the stage with their unique mix of traditional country – including Cheryl Lynn playing the Autoharp – playful banter, and a heaping dose of humor, Spinn wins people over with both their music, and their personalities. 

With two successful EPs already under their belt – A Little Crazy, and City Country – and a third, titled Freedom, on its way this summer, Spinn are thoroughly enjoying living out their dreams.  Having recently released their first single off of the EP, "Time, Love and Freedom", the fun-loving sisters kindly took the time to answer their Essential 8 where they talked about their love of pizza, Song Roulette, their dream venue, fan gifts, and so much more!

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
With our new single “Crazy For You”, the chorus came together pretty quickly, within 5 minutes actually which is a record time for us. It gave a false sense of confidence actually haha. While we were writing the verses, we loved them, but the song just didn’t seem perfect to us. Our “ah-ha” moment happened a few days later when we realized “OH obviously” and flipped the versus around. So little insider information, the second verse of Crazy For You actually started out as the first verse. Makes way more sense this way!

How do you kill the long hours in the van?
We play Song Roulette! It’s very high pressure, we go around the car and everyone takes turns playing songs from their iPod that they think the band would love. We all have very eclectic tastes in music and we get pumped about spreading new artists we’ve found or new releases. It could be anything from Chris Stapleton, Alessia Cara, Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, to Justin Timberlake. The rabbit holes we find ourselves down make long drives seem much shorter!​

What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road?
Pizza! Over the years we’ve found that pizza is really the only thing we can stomach before big shows. Coming from the NYC area we can definitely be pizza snobs, but we’ve figured out that if you think of it just was “bread, sauce, and cheese” any slice will do in a pinch!

Singer. Songwriter. Heather Whitney comes from an itty bitty, one red light town deep in the pines of Southeast Texas where the mosquitoes are big but her love for music is bigger!

Her new album, Moving On is everything she lived through, felt, and overcame....full of love, heartbreak, and moving on. Here, Whitney answers her Essential 8+ and talks everything from songwriting and Whataburger, to Grey's Anatomy, 'Moving On', and much more!
​
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I’d have to say Johnny Lee would be my musical mentor. He gave me all the in and outs of how everything works and what my next steps would be.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
Yes, with "Moving On." When my friend and I finally came up with “moving on song” which became its title. We knew it was the perfect touch and tied everything together. It was def an “aha” moment.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
When I was recording my album Moving On I was actually in the process of a really bad break up from the father of my children. We had been together for 8 years and it definitely played a part in my album. Pretty much every song on my album somehow relates to a time in my life that I went trough during and after the break-up.

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
They all just fit perfectly together. Each one I felt in my soul and in my bones. It took my a year just to pick songs.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Just my everyday life. The ups the downs and everything that was going on around me.

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Taylor Hungerford's family relocated to Chatsworth, a small equestrian town on the outer rim of the valley when he was a boy. There, he found a kindred spirit in Wolf Kroeger (bass) who shared a love of the frontier and open land that would shape and guide the gritty, desert inspired sound on their latest, Indian Summer. Here, Hungerford answers his Essential 8 where he shares the story behind Indian Summer, talks songwriting, bucket list items (Europe, the Opry), and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
​As you know, an “Indian Summer” is a summer that lasts for longer than it should. For me, at least, it became a metaphor for the extended childhood I experienced living in my childhood home for so many years. It was a sweet deal - I had bandmates there, lots of parties and it was close to a lot of great western history. The album, by incidence, became a sort of story around that time. The album title also served the production, which gave the album a sort of Native American sound.
​
Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I wanted the album to be a journey that was uniform. I came to my producer Wolf Kroeger with a bunch of songs and we kind of chose the best ones out of the lot. I was also workshopping songs at a big open mic at The Lost Knight pub, so in the process of recording we also added new songs that we thought fit together with the others. I wanted to tell a story of the end of innocence and chose songs based around that.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? 
I think that really depends on the song in question. For some songs, it might be an idea, like returning to nostalgia, others it might be a story that I feel the song is trying to say. For example, on the track Rumor, it begins with just two notes alternating. It started to paint a picture for me of two people running, and the story sort of flowed out from there. More generally, the character of the west - the romanticism of open of land as well as the desert. 

“Little Big Town John Mayer.” Those are the first five words Derek Drye utters when asked to describe the sound of The Dryes, the duo he and his wife Katelyn formed in 2010, not surprisingly right after seeing Little Big Town open for Carrie Underwood in concert. “Heart. Love. Heartache.” Those three words are how Katelyn characterizes the essence of the duo’s music. “Timeless” is what both agree is something they strive for when writing their deeply personal songs.

Today, the duo shared the first single from their upcoming EP, “Amen," a soulful country rocker with its seeds sown in church. Katelyn – who grew up singing in the church choir where her father was a pastor – recalls that Derek – then a long-haired member of a rock band – one day walked into church and she knew instantly that she’d found the man she was going to marry. Fast-forward and Katelyn says they basically wrote “Amen” “to make light of our relationship with how we met, and just make it like a fun thing.” Derek adds that after their first date, “I text my buddy and said, ‘I’m probably gonna marry this girl’ and she texted her friend the same thing.” Here, Derek and Katelyn answer their Essential 8 and talk songwriting, Chipotle, collaborating, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Derek: I have friends that’ve had specific mentors which is fantastic, but I really fell in love with the blues first, which is a genre that you literally have to feel through to learn. For example, BB King or Stevie Ray Vaughan can hit the same note and it sounds totally different, almost like a different emotion. That’s how I found my voice on guitar. When I started to sing, I approached it that way as well. Silverchair’s “Diorama” album helped me experiment with harmony.
 
Katelyn: I was also mentored “afar” through my favorite female artists growing up. Some big ones for me were LeAnn Rimes, Dixie Chicks, & Shania Twain. I remember going on trips often to visit family since both sides lived in different states. I would play their albums over and over and pretend I was performing shows while in the passenger seat of the car haha. My parents can attest to this. Those artists and albums all have a part in why I chose this route.
 
With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
Katelyn: Yes, it was actually when we tried it out live. We knew that it was a keeper after we had people asking us what “that one song we played about Amen” was after the show that night.
 
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations,
made-up stories, something else or a combination?
Derek: We usually write from personal experience.
Katelyn: It’s much easier to connect on stage and is more authentic when you know what you’re singing about!