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Southern Songs and Stories is a documentary series about the music of the South and the artists who make it. Hear their performances and discover the stories behind their songs with a look at their lives on stage, in the studio and at home as well as the family, friends, fans and music professionals around them. The series is based in western North Carolina and the surrounding Appalachian and foothill regions, covering an incredible array of musicians and bands. Podcast episodes are produced in partnership with public radio station WNCW as well as the Osiris podcast network, and are also carried on Bluegrass Planet Radio. Host Joe Kendrick produces Southern Songs and Stories, documenting the current music of the South and the story of how it came to be, from styles that are centuries old to genres that are just emerging. Episodes typically spotlight individual artists and bands, and occasionally focus on historical topics, issues surrounding musicians and the music industry, and even a song itself, like in the podcast on “Wagon Wheel”. It is a show for everyone who loves music and for anyone who wants to explore the South.
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Conversations with and music from with Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear of Donna the Buffalo and Jim Lauderdale who were interviewed at MerleFest in late April 2024
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Welcoming a recent episode of the music history podcast American Songcatcher to our series, courtesy of host and producer Nicholas Edward Williams
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Conversations with two rising stars in the roots and country music world making their MerleFest debuts, along with excerpts of their latest music and commentary from host and producer Joe Kendrick
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A short history of a gospel niche, with interviews of artists performing at the spring 2024 GospelSHOUT! event as well as live music, plus the unlikely story of how Henry Louis Gates Jr. helped lead us to discover something so surprising and unique in our own back yard
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Music and conversation from cosmic country pioneer Daniel Donato, who talks in depth about his life’s work is a service to listeners, his ever-present muse, playing with Bob Weir of Grateful Dead fame, and perhaps surprisingly, having been an angry kid who was an avid wrestler and more, along with commentary from host Joe Kendrick