Were I a gambling man, my money would be on everybody (in the world of instrumental acoustic guitar, which is, admittedly, a limited world of people) knowing the name William DeLee by the end of 2026. He is finger-picking wizard playing solo acoustic guitar, charango and ronroco in a style that has extended beyond the trappings of the increasingly popular American Primitive style, and embraced flamenco and classical techniques to land on something truly unique and transcendental (bear in mind, I'm saying this as someone who absolutely loves AP). He has a full length record coming out in June on Carbon and Feeding Tube Records, and a tour with (king of AP) Liam Grant lined up for July, so the momentum is just starting to build.

Our conversation covers Will's history with guitar (and a range of other instruments too), how he developed his technique and landed on his distinctive style of playing. But a prevalent thread throughout the discussion is the importance of community and connection with other people in getting Will to where he is today. Within the first three minutes of us talking he says "I can't emphasise enough how much of a mentor Rob [Vaughn] has been", while he shares numerous accounts of friends introducing him to music, his meeting with Skyler Pia at university (who now, years later, has recorded part of Will's forthcoming LP), and subsequently meeting Emmett Martin of Bud Tapes, who ultimately recorded and released Will's first EP, amongst other friendships that have nudged his musical journey along the way.

It's a pertinent reminder of the importance of community and connection in this world of underground music, and frankly, in life generally.

Also, as a fellow South African, I've got to shout out Derek Gripper, because after we stopped recording Will suddenly realised he hadn't mentioned how encountering Derek's Tiny Desk Concert on YouTube was a critical formative moment in helping him recognise the possibilities of acoustic guitar.

This time we have a great conversation with one of my favourite artists flying under the radar, Merit Fisher-Medrano. Merit performs under the moniker Sound and Voice, and released what is one of the finest albums of 2026, entitled "All My Dreams Are Absent From Me" on beautiful, hexagonally cut double lathe vinyl. If you have an interest in psychedelic acoustic music and great songwriting, I strongly suggest you check it out. In addition to his work as a musician, Merit also runs the wonderfully homespun label Tepid Toad, which releases lathe cut releases exclusively, cut by Merit himself at home. Every release is unique, limited, and an incredible work of art in itself. From his home studio, Merit has constructed an incredible world of sound and art, which we are fortunate to glimpse into.

This episode constitutes a remarkably wide-ranging and thoroughly enjoyable conversation with Joe Tunis of Carbon Records; a creator and artistic conceptualiser of note. To the outside observer, Joe is an insanely busy musician, artist, and curator of musical releases and shows. He generally disagrees with being called "busy" (which is wild), but some of his ongoing projects include: putting out a steady slew of diverse releases on Carbon Records (for over 30 years now!), doing his annual Joe+N Day Tour, organising what's become the annual (week long!) Carbon Fest, playing blizzard shows with the outlandishly performative project, Tumul, participating in at least 5 different musical projects, and endless other boundary pushing musical and performative exploits.

Our discussion covers a broad range of topics, from Joe's musical history, to his artistic exploits, the trials and tribulations of running a label, organising shows, the interplay between personal and community expression, and a whole load of other stuff. We also briefly chat a bit about guitar and Joe's history with the instrument. For me, this is a conversation not to be missed!