We had some great conversation and great laughs with Kashena Sampson, who started out how we did—singing with her sisters and putting on shows for her parents! She told us about her third studio record (released October 2025), “Ghost of Me,” and what went into making the album. We also talk about the elephant in the room—the hardest part about being a musician.

Already celebrated by Rolling Stone for “evoking the best of Seventies folk,” Kashena Sampson turns a new page with her third record, Ghost Of Me. It’s an album that pulls up herAmericana roots and digs deep beneath the surface, uncovering the darker indie sounds that once provided the soundtrack to Sampson’s childhood. Laced with electric guitar, reverb, and synthesizer, Ghost Of Me offers a new backdrop for the songwriting and otherworldly singing of an East Nashville luminary who’s never sounded more authentic.

Sampson grew up on the move, living abroad with her family before traveling the world by boat, a gig that found her paying her dues as a cruise ship singer as a young adult. Thatdiverse upbringing is mirrored on Ghost Of Me, an album that spans genres, emotional depths, and astrological tides. “This is an album about ignoring the bullshit and doing what’s authentic to me,” she explains. “Forget the rat race. Forget the bad relationships. Forget trying to please everybody. I’m tired of doing that. I wanted to do something for myself, and that’s what Ghost Of Me became," she continues. "It’s an album for me.”

Be sure to check Kashena outhere:

• Website: Kashenasampson.com
• Band camp: Kashena Sampson
• Instagram: Kashenasampson
• FB: Kashena Sampson
• YouTube: Kashena Sampson

What an amazing conversation we had with Cole Quest of Cole Quest and the City Pickers.

We talked about their latest album “Home Grown,” how Cole serves as the band leader and band member, and their performance on the famous Mountain Stage!

Rooted in tradition yet driven by a restless New York energy, Cole Quest and The City Pickers are carrying bluegrass forward with wit, warmth, and originality. Led by dobro player, songwriter, and vocalist Cole Quest — grandson of folk icon Woody Guthrie —the band has carved out a singular place in today’s roots music landscape.

Their latest album, Homegrown (Jalopy Records, 2025), produced by Grammy Award–winning engineer Steve Rosenthal, brings the band’s journey into full focus. The record weaves four new originals with reimagined takes on songs by John Hartford, Peter Rowan, and Woody Guthriehimself, linking Cole’s own creative voice with his grandfather’s enduring legacy. No Depression hailed it as “an album that deftly moves the legacy of Woody Guthrie along in all the right ways.” Critics like Songlines (UK), Glide Magazine, and the Berkshire Eagle have noted how the bandhonors its lineage while commanding its own path. Their broad recognition includes a Bluegrass Standard cover (August 2025) and a feature in Bluegrass Unlimited.

Formed by friends with a shared love of bluegrass, Quest first pulled the Pickers together in 2017 to record their debut self-titled project at the legendary Magic Shop studio. They went on to release their acclaimed EP Self [En]Titled on Omnivore Records in 2021. Over the years, they’ve won the Podunk Bluegrass Festival band competition, toured Germany multiple times, and shared stages with artists like Billy Strings, Sierra Hull, and Tony Trischka.

Be sure to check Cole and the city pickers out here:

• Website: colequest.com
• Band Camp: Cole Quest and the City Pickers
• FB: Cole Quest and the City Pickers
• IG: citypickers
• YouTube: Citypickers

We had a great time chatting with Hannah DeLynn about her album “Trust Fall” available everywhere! We learned how this record cam from learning from her own hardships andfacing the things that were keeping her stuck. Hannah also gave us great advice about learning guitar and slowing down.

Hannah Delynn, a Nashville-based vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, independently released her debut full-length album, Trust Fall, on September 5. Hannah’sability and openness to view life from many perspectives result in songs that are emotionally engaging and compelling. Finding freedom through vulnerability, this record is a testament to accepting self-responsibility and the myriad mixed emotions that entails.

Originally from Florida, Hannah found her way to Nashville in 2013 by way of New Zealand, British Columbia, and Australia, gathering stories (soon to be songs) along the way.

This collection of songs honors a potent sea of change in Delynn’s life as she reflects on a season of deep grief, loss, betrayal, and heartbreak, as well as beauty, love, generosity, and friendship.

Be sure to check Hannah out here:

• Website: Hannahdelynn.com
• Bandcamp: Hannah DeLynn
• Facebook: hannahdelynnmusic
• IG: Hannahdelynn

It was a great time talking with Jake about his transition from Political Science to music, how he puts a song together, and he had a really good take on when a song is truly finished.

He also told us about how doing improv comedy lends itselfto songwriting, and of course, his new album “Idling High” available everywhere!

Jake Cassman's music echoes the raw energy of indie rock, the artful melodicism of power pop, and the thoughtful and vulnerable songwriting of the best Americana. And since he began releasing music in 2013, Cassman has embarked on a musical odyssey that has taken him to intimate venues and major stages around the country, drawing in audiences with electric,eclectic performances, and songs that make the intimate seem epic and the political feel personal. This year will see the release of his debut LP, Idling High -- a staggeringly ambitious and disarmingly honest record that showcases Cassman's wry humor, acute observations, and deep compassion.

Jake began playing piano at age five, and started writing music soon after. He loved Elton John from an early age -- but when his teacher couldn't show him how to play Green Day songs, he began teaching himself; and when he realized he wanted music to be his career, he left an Ivy League school to pursue it. Since then he has worked as a dueling piano player, musicaltheater composer, improv and sketch comedian, and podcast producer (just to name a few gigs). He is also a published academic and a school music educator, while still finding time to play pickup basketball most weekends and try new beers based on the silliness of their names.

Cassman has contributed performances and songs to various political and social justice causes, and his inventive, award-winning music videos bring the stories and ideas from his songs to life in unforgettable ways. His previous project, Drunken Logic, contributed the song and video"What A Beautiful Morning!" to the 2016 anti-Trump compilation 30 Days, 30 Songs alongside R.E.M., Death Cab For Cutie, and more. Now using his own name, Cassman is poised to join acts like Counting Crows, Frank Turner, Sam Fender, and Lucy Dacus whose music is at once introspective and anthemic, and whose singing and writing voice is both timely and timeless.

Be sure to check Jake out here:

• Website: Jakecassman.com
• IG: Jakecassmanmusic
• Youtube: jakecassmanmusic

What a delight talking with Rosy Nolan! We discussed her new album “Main Attraction” AVAILABLE NOW! We also talked about how music hasalways been consistent in her life, her favortie song on the album, and we happened to catch her the night before her move to Nashville!

Los Angeles country artist Rosy Nolan’s upcoming LP Main Attraction (out Oct. 17) is steeped in Americana roots, Western swing, honky tonk, and old-time country, paying homage to the great American records of the 1920s–1940s. The album is drenched in heartache and longing—core themes that have defined Nolan’s songwriting throughout her career.

Nolan is a California girl through and through. Born and raised in the East Bay—first in San Francisco, then Berkeley and Oakland for middle and high school. “I’ve lived in California most of my life. It’s in me, and it comes through in my music,” she says.Her songs draw richly from the state’s varied landscapes, weaving metaphors ofhighways, desert, ocean, and redwoods. Raised by Bay Area activists, with a poet mother and a father who fought injustice, Nolan’s upbringing shaped her fierce commitment to advocacy. “Activism remains a constant for me,” she says. “I use my voice to fight for women’s rights, have lobbied bills with the ACLU, and recently, I’ve been protesting the I.C.E. raids in Los Angeles.”

In the early 2000s, New York pulsed with the techno-infused retro synth-pop and cool-kid fury of electroclash. Nolan found herself swept up in this vibrant club scene, but the nonstop partying and drinking eventually took their toll. Hitting rock bottom, she embraced sobriety through atwelve-step program and began focusing inward.Seeking something more organic, Nolan honed her craft as a singer-songwriter, forging a sound rooted in traditional folk. She immersed herself in the records of Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams, as a new wave of alt-country artists helped spark a fresh scene.

Be sure to check Rosy out here:

• Website: Rosynolan.com
• Bandcamp: Rosy Nolan
• Facebook: Rosy Nolan
• IG: Rosynolanmusic
• Youttube: rosynolan1202

We had such a great time catching up with Will Wesley! We talked about his busy tour life supporting Old Crow Medicine Show and Scotty McCreery, touring overseas, and his many nominations for the 2025 Josie awards!

Will Wesley is a Country Rock and Americana artist. A storyteller whose sound blends a soulful edge with country rock energy into heartfelt storytelling. Born in Baker, Louisiana, Wesley was raised with a rebellious spirit and a love for music inspired by his father’s guitar. By age 15, he was sneaking into bars to perform with a beat-up six-string and a fire that would soon define his music career.

He paved his path in the Baton Rouge blues scene, performing and touring alongside with legendary figures. He served as Grady Champion’s Music Director for five years. His talent earned him two International Blues Challenge regional victories and a reputation as one ofLouisiana’s fiercest young guitarists.

Today, Wesley tours across the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia, performing everywhere from intimate listening rooms to international stages, including the Switzerland International Country Music Hall of Fame and the Jackson, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.

He shared stages with many including Alabama, RVSHVD, Jason Boland & the Stragglers, Redd Volkaert, When In Rome, Old Crow Medicine Show, Scotty McCreery, Hailey Whitters, and shared international stages with Swiss Rockabilly Star - Florian Fox, collaborating on Will's singles, “Wasted Again” and “Time's Catching Up To Me.”

In recognition of his accomplishments, he received seven nominations for his song, “Ready To Ride” at the 2024 Josie Music Awards. In addition, he received five nominations for his songs “12 O'Clock in Texas” and “The Search” at the 2025 Josie Music Awards. Both within Nashville, Tennessee.

Be sure to check Will out here:

• Website: willwesleymusic.com
• Facebook: Will Wesley
• IG: willwesleymusic
• Tiktok: willwesleymusic

We talked with Jesse Daniel Edwards on this episode about his current 2 EP now combined LP project titled Requiem Mass / Catechism En Masse.

Jesse shared with us his song“How Do You Keep Your Hands So Clean” and its important message, why he makes albums, and a song right on the spot!

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jesse Daniel Edwards released Requiem Mass / Catechism En Masse, his boldest and most incendiary release yet, this past summer. Split into two digital EPs - Requiem Mass (June 27th) and Catechism En Masse (July 25th) - and combined as a physical LP to was released via Cavity Search Records. The project represents a searing, spiritual, and political reckoning. It is not an album meant to passively stream in the background. It is a work to be confronted - lived with, wrestled with, and ultimately answered.

Born in the mountain town of Cuyamaca, California, Edwards was raised in a strict religious household before busking his way through America and Europe. His early music, rooted inAmericana, evolved over time into something more theatrical and sonically adventurous.

For Edwards, music isn't about escape - it's about confrontation. "Was this made in freedom?" he asks. "Or was it just more noise?" In a media landscape dominated by trends and distractions, he dares to slow things down. To question. To mourn. To rage. To remember.

Be sure to check out Jesse here:

• YouTube: Jesse Daniel Edwards
• Band Camp: Jesse Daniel Edwards

We visited with Sean Griffin on this episode about his forthcoming album, how his process has changed over the years, his supportive wife, and his single “Rocks Off.”

Sean Griffin is a veteran singer-songwriter and the charismatic founding frontman of Celtic rock cult favorites The Ruffians. After years fronting rowdy pub stages and raising six kids while running a successful business, Griffin returns with his solo debut — a raucous, reflectivecollection of songs that blend punk energy, folk storytelling, and hook-filled rock melodies. Steeped in Irish tradition and punk rebellion, his music channels the spirit of The Pogues and Joe Strummer, with a voice full of grit, wit, and soul. His new single, “People Are Mad,” is a barroomanthem for chaotic times — rowdy, unfiltered, and ready to raise a glass.

Be sure to check Sean out here:

• Website: Seangriffinofficial.com
• IG: Griffin.sean
• Facebook: Sean Griffin

And watch the video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/NbBWhs7-Oi4