Husband and wife duo Carriage House seem to absorb the surroundings around them. From their time living in Red Wing, MN to their current home in La Crosse, WI, the melodies and soothing presence of Jenna and Jeffrey Kelly are part of the natural landscape. Both Jenna and Jeffrey care so much about the lyrics and telling a story poetically, where landmarks, hills, and community are meaningfully intertwined. Their dedication to connecting community reaches even further than their music through the house concert series they host. For this episode, they and host Tom Smouse were joined by multi-intrumentalist Cass. They discussed their songwriting and performing process, and I got to learn more about two of Tom's favorite songs of theirs.

Molly Maher is a connector and advocate for our local music scene who lives quietly under the radar. She’s got her hands in a variety of festivals, shows, and collaborations, which in itself is impressive to see. But it’s when you add in her own music, which carries such heart and weight in its lyrics, that you fully understand the importance of Molly’s voice in our scene. Sitting in her basement surrounded by iconic photos of Dylan and a collection of instruments made the whole experience of this episode magical for host Tom Smouse.

Daphne Jane builds worlds around her music. Using her own home, friends, partner, and iconic sense of style, Daphne has a vision of where her music lives. It’s no surprise that she creates Pinterest boards for each song to help her creative team understand the colors and landscape of her music. That intention and strength support songs that feel like a piece of life and authentically feel like they’re your own stories. For a podcast that explores how environments influence art, Daphne Jane exemplifies that theme expertly.

Can you have too much fun recording a podcast? You can decide that when listening to Colin Bracewell and host Tom Smouse discuss songwriting. Maybe it was the 30-minute walkabout in downtown Stillwater that added a layer of comfort before they hit record. But it’s definitely the charm and charisma that Colin exudes that makes it genuinely easy to talk with him. Catching up with Colin in the quiet before his next project was an interesting insight into intention, patience, and where he’s ready to embark. His music is going in an exciting new direction—if “Choo Choo” is the tip of the iceberg, then bring it all on.

Seeing an artist find their own voice, and step out with their own songs, feels like watching a bird take flight. In 2025, Anna Devine released her debut EP, and she has continued to navigate the local and regional music scene ever since. Anna chats with host Tom Smouse about the early moments of performing solo and her process for songwriting, then she shared two newer songs!

Originally from Austin, TX, Ethan Lee and Cara B — otherwise known as The Tennessee Stiffs — have been hard at work creating their own scene down in Red Wing, MN steeped in their love and dedication to Americana music. When Cara and Lee moved back to Minnesota, they left their full band behind and went through a personal and musical transformation. In this episode, they chat about that shift and how it has impacted their music and songwriting, and how that natural growth as artists has created a checkpoint on what lies ahead. Listen to a couple of their songs recorded live and hear about the shows they host in their home to nurture the local music scene and a sense of community.

Clayton Ryan is that guy we all want to know. He stands out, in height and in personality. Sitting down to talk with him, it felt like a casual buddy-buddy chat about life. Clayton doesn’t disguise his feelings, mince words or feed you something flashy just because. He wants to build a fanbase by meeting people, having real conversations and finding moments to connect.

Our host Tom Smouse visits the Minneapolis home of Indigenous singer-songwriter Laura Hugo! Originally from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, which is located in the Navajo Nation, she talks about how her music has grown and shifted with her experiences moving around the country and eventually settling here in Minnesota. Laura just makes you smile; her spirit, resilience, and genuine warmth are so infectious. Laura reflects on her creative process and how she navigates life from a unique perspective that is clearly reflected in her music. Laura has a novel’s worth of stories and experiences that should be heard, one song at a time.