The 19th century Swedish philosopher and poet Henri Frederic Amiel wrote one of the most eloquent observations about music, saying “Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven.” If Amiel is right, and I have a feeling he is, then pairing Andrea Zonn and John Cowan in a setting where they can sing some of their favorite songs both old and new, is bound to take you at least a good part of the way to heaven. With their debut collaboration, the album Andrea Zonn & John Cowan Are The HercuLeons, the Nashville legends make the harmony part sound effortless, and with a cast of all stars behind them, have set their sights skyward. John Cowan and Andrea Zonn already had a harmonious relationship and had worked together in the decades leading up to now, but it was a quirk of having some more studio time together during the pandemic that set the stage for their first full length collaboration as band leaders. Here, Andrea and John detail that story behind their collaboration, as well as stories of their heroes like Leon Russell and Bill Monroe, and contemporaries like Tom Britt, their perspective on their own musical legacies, tales of their time in the shangri-la of western North Carolina’s musical past, Green Acres Music Hall, and more, including music excerpts of songs from their new album. Andrea Zonn and John Cowan performing live Songs heard in this episode:“Face Of Appalachia“ by The HercuLeons, from Andrea Zonn & John Cowan Are The HercuLeons“Straight Up” by The HercuLeons, from Andrea Zonn & John Cowan Are The HercuLeons, excerpt“Resurrection Road” by The HercuLeons, from Andrea Zonn & John Cowan Are The HercuLeons, excerpt“Barbed Wire Boys” by The HercuLeons, from Andrea Zonn & John Cowan Are The HercuLeons, excerpt“Long Way From Home” by The HercuLeons, from Andrea Zonn & John Cowan Are The HercuLeonsNoteworthy but not mentioned in our interview is John Cowan’s recent book Hold To A Dream: A Newgrass Odyssey, which features a foreword by HercuLeons’ producer Wendy Waldman, and is built on a series of John’s interviews with heroes like Kris Kristofferson, Rodney Crowell and Loretta Lynn as well as contemporaries like John Carter Cash. Thanks for being here! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice. You can find us on Apple here, Spotify here and YouTube here — hundreds more episodes await, filled with artists you may know by name, or musicians and bands that are ready to become your next favorites. This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick

It took a long time after I first read David Menconi’s work to finally meet him, and longer still to sit with him for an extended conversation, but fortunately, the time has finally come. And if the saying “good things come to those who wait” applies here, if I was indeed waiting years for that Tuesday afternoon interview in late September 2024, then it is doubly appropriate now that our conversation sees the light of day in this podcast nearly another half a year afterwards. Decades after first reading his work, more than a year after first meeting him, and another stretch of months after interviewing him, now is the moment for all of this to come together. It all feels a bit fortuitous, a feeling which is echoed in our conversation, especially regarding the subject of David Menconi’s latest book. David Menconi was a staff writer at the Raleigh News & Observer for 28 years, beginning in 1991, when the music scene in the region was exploding nationwide. He has also written for Rolling Stone, Billboard, Spin and New York Times. His latest book is titled Oh, Didn't They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music. David Menconi spoke with me at the IBMA conference in his adopted hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, in a conversation which touches on the remarkable story of Rounder Records, a music label whose story, as David put it, is the kismet story. A label formed by three idealistic folkies fresh out of college, it went on to champion the music of artists ranging from Alice Gerard to Alison Krauss, from the Blake Babies to Billy Strings, and from Ted Hawkins to Tony Rice. David talks about the Rounder Records story, the current state of the music industry, the challenges faced by writers and musicians alike, as well as the significant history of bluegrass music in the city of Raleigh and the state of North Carolina and more, including music excerpts from Rounder Records artists like Norman Blake and George Thorogood in this episode Southern Songs and Stories. David Menconi Songs heard in this episode:Tony Rice “Monroe’s Hornpipe”, from The Bluegrass Album Band, Volume 6“Tango Cool“ by Ted Gioia & Mark Lewis, from Tango Cool, excerpt“Ginseng Sullivan” by Norman Blake, from Back Home In Sulphur Springs, excerpt“Move It On Over” by George Thorogood & the Destroyers, from Move It On Over, excerpt“Away From the Mire” by Billy Strings, from HomeThanks for being here! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice. You can find us on Apple here, Spotify here and YouTube here — hundreds more episodes await, filled with artists you may know by name, or musicians and bands that are ready to become your next favorites. This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to everyone at the International Bluegrass Music Association for helping to make this interview possible, and to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick

It is great fun to witness lines reconverge in unexpected ways on this series. When I spoke with Andrew VanNorstrand and Chris Miller of The Faux Paws back at the end of summer, I learned that they had just received the masters for their next album. Fast forward to late winter the following year, and we happen to circle back to the band directly ahead of the release of their new record with this podcast. The trio, which is often a quartet on tour, is also set to come through southern Appalachia once again this spring, on the heels of their second full length album titled No Bad Ideas. The Faux Paws perform at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival 08/31/24Photo: Jess Maples It is easy to glance at The Faux Paws and mistake them for an old time string band or maybe a Celtic band, at least when they are playing banjo. But then, out comes the saxophone, and we are not in Kansas anymore. So, what are they, exactly? We answer that question in this conversation with banjo and saxophone player Chris Miller, and guitarist Andrew VanNorstrand, as well as musical specimens from their expansive, hypnotic and melodic new record. It is a lighthearted yet revealing conversation ranging from their experience playing contra dances, how being unmarketable is part of their DNA, to their relationship with the music of Earl Scruggs and more. Songs heard in this episode:“Bubwa - No Bad Ideas” by The Faux Paws, from No Bad Ideas“Rockingham” by The Faux Paws, from No Bad Ideas, excerpt“Night” by The Faux Paws, from No Bad Ideas, excerpt“15 Below” by The Faux Paws, from No Bad IdeasThanks for visiting! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice. You can find us on Apple here, Spotify here and YouTube here — hundreds more episodes await, filled with artists you may know by name, or musicians and bands that are ready to become your next favorites. This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to everyone at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival for helping to make this interview possible, and to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick

Conversation with NC banjo innovator Tray Wellington including his music, and commentary from host and producer Joe Kendrick

In the music business, the words “influence” and “inspiration” get thrown around a lot. Artist Y is “influenced” by artists A, B and C, or “inspired” by their love of genres D and E, often with no elaboration of what that really might mean. Influence and inspiration are often overused to the point of meaninglessness in these contexts, or perhaps misunderstood as something akin to emulation. It is an easy shortcut for folks reading or hearing those words to insert the phrase “sounds like” into the sentence when given no more substantial footing than those hackneyed terms. But in spending time with Lindsay Lou and hearing her perspective on bluegrass as a primary influence, this opened up another way to approach this, which was to think of “influence” and “inspiration” as something akin to a key opening a door, of being a catalyst for change and growth. The musical world heard in Lindsay Lou’s fourth album Queen Of Time begins at a door which she unlocked over the years since first experiencing bluegrass jams as a kid. On this record, it is a world which welcomes bluegrass legends like Jerry Douglas, who makes a guest appearance, as well as first-call songwriter Jon Weisberger, plus maverick superstar Billy Strings. It is full of electric guitar and drums, adding synthesizers, organ and even djembe into the mix. Its lyrics and melodies flow from both a psychedelic experience with the sacred feminine, as well as her enduring bond with her extraordinary grandmother. It is a world where self-discovery incorporates but also supersedes tradition; it is a world where bluegrass is both there and is not there, all at once. Lindsay Lou performs at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival 08/31/24 photo: Cora Wagoner) Songs heard in this episode:“Queen Of Time” by Lindsay Lou, from Queen Of Time“I Can Help” by Lindsay Lou, from Queen Of Time, excerpt“Nothing’s Working” by Lindsay Lou, from Queen Of Time, excerpt“On Your Side (Starman)” by Lindsay Lou, from Queen Of TimeThanks for dropping by! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice. You can find us on Apple here, and YouTube here — hundreds more episodes await, filled with artists you may know by name, or musicians and bands that are ready to become your next favorites. This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to everyone at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival for helping to make this interview possible, and to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs — you can link to his music here. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick