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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings Lead 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees
Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings and the Alison Brown/Steve Martin/Tim O'Brien collaboration '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' lead the slate of nominees for the 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by Get It Played. The 2025 IBMA Awards will be held Sept. 18 at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tenn., during the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass, which runs Sept. 16-20. This marks the awards ceremony's first to be held at the venue in Chattanooga, following a long stint in Raleigh, N.C. The nominees and honorees announcement was made during a live event held at the SiriusXM Studios in Nashville. More from Billboard Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem,' Kendrick Lamar & SZA's 'Luther' Lead Luminate's 2025 Midyear Charts GWAR's Blöthar Urges Americans to 'Rise Up!' Against Trump Effort to Defund Public Media: 'This Could Very Well Silence the Music' Premios Juventud 2025 Will Take Place in Panama: Here's Everything We Know Alison Krauss & Union Station, Strings, Appalachian Road Show, East Nash Grass and The Del McCoury Band are competing for the entertainer of the year honor. Alison Krauss & Union Station, who released their first project in over a decade earlier this year, were previously named entertainer of the year in 1991 and 1995. Strings took home the entertainer of the year honors in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Del McCoury Band's 2024 win in the category marked their 10th overall entertainer of the year win. Meanwhile, the Appalachian Road Show celebrate their second nomination in the category, while East Nash Grass earn their first nomination in the category. (They earned the IBMA's new artist of the year accolade last year.) Also announced were this year's Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees, which are pioneering Black guitarist Arnold Shultz, who influenced musicians including Bill Monroe; bluegrass band Hot Rize (which included musicians such as Tim O'Brien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster, Charles Sawtelle and Bryan Sutton over the years) and group The Bluegrass Cardinals, who toured from 1974 to 1997. 'IBMA is excited to bring the biggest night in bluegrass to our new host city, Chattanooga,'Ken White, executive director of IBMA, said in a statement. 'Our mission is to inspire innovation by recognizing the great work done by artists this past year and to honor tradition by inducting new members into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The early influence of Arnold Shultz on Bill Monroe continues to shine through in the playing of even the youngest member of Kids on Bluegrass. You will undoubtedly see once in a lifetime performances. Don't miss it.' This year's IBMA distinguished achievement award goes to five recipients: Alan Arthur Knoth, Penny Parsons, Ron Thomason, Sidley Austin LLP and Missy Raines. Knoth, also known as 'Cuzin' Al,' a pioneering bluegrass radio host who influenced the bluegrass music community in Northern California. His career launched at KTAO in Los Gatos, Calif., in 1970 and continued at KFAT in Gilroy and at KPIG in Freedom. His show, 'Cuzin Al's Bluegrass Show,' highlighted traditional bluegrass music along with Hawaiian songs and comedic recordings. He also helped inspired the creation of the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society and served on the California Bluegrass Association board. Parsons spent more than 45 years advocating for bluegrass music as a writer, publicist, producer, manager and booking agent, launching her career in 1979. Her work has included time at Sugar Hill Records, Record Depot Distribution and MerleFest, as well as leading her publicity and promotions firm the Penny Parsons Company. Parsons has contributed to Bluegrass Unlimited since 1981 and worked with bluegrass artist Curly Seckler, working as his manager, producer and biographer from 2004 to 2017. Her accolades include the 2016 IBMA print media person of the year award and her biography, Foggy Mountain Troubadour earning the Association of Recorded Sound Collections certificate of merit. Thomason, leader of the Dry Branch Fire Squad, began hosting the Grey Fox Festival in 1984. He started with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys in 1969, then joined the Dry Branch Fire Squad and promoting traditional bluegrass music. The law firm Sidley Austin LLP has contributed to the IBMA through pro bono legal services since 2015, when Sidley Austin partner and co-head of the company's global corporate governance practice Holly Gregory initiated the partnership. The firm provided support in transitioning the IBMA to 501c3 nonprofit status, protecting the IBMA's intellectual property and assisting with travel visa processes for international bands, among other support. Trailblazing bassist Raines has won the IBMA's bass player of the year honor 10 times and is the first woman to achieve the honor. She is known for work as a duo with Jim Hurst, but also for leading Missy Raines & the New Hip, co-founding the Helen Highwater Stringband and issuing the Grammy-nominated project Royal Traveller. More nominations are set to be revealed, including nominees for the 2025 IBMA Momentum Awards, which highlight artist and industry professionals in the early stages of their bluegrass music careers, as well as the 2025 IBMA Industry Awards. The nominations will be announced the week of July 20. See the full list of this year's nominees below: Entertainer of the year: Alison Krauss & Union StationAppalachian Road ShowBilly StringsEast Nash GrassThe Del McCoury Band Song of the year: '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' – Alison Brown, Steve Martin, Featuring Tim O'BrienSongwriters: Steve Martin/Alison BrownProducers: Alison Brown/Garry WestLabel: Compass Records 'Big Wheels' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriter: Jerry ColeProducer: Authentic UnlimitedLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Coal Dust Kisses' – The GrascalsSongwriters: Susanne Mumpower/Jerry SalleyProducer: The GrascalsLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'My Favorite Picture of You' – Darin & Brooke AldridgeSongwriters: Darin Aldridge/Brooke Aldridge/Dennis DuffProducers: Darin Aldridge/Mark FainLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Outrun the Rain' – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandSongwriters: Terry Herd/Jimmy YearyProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records Album of the year: Arcadia – Alison Krauss & Union StationProducer: Alison Krauss & Union StationLabel: Down the Road RecordsCarter & Cleveland – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records Earl Jam – Tony TrischkaProducers: Tony Trischka/Lawson WhiteLabel: Down the Road RecordsHighway Prayers – Billy StringsProducers: Billy Strings/Jon BrionLabel: Reprise Records I Built a World – Bronwyn Keith-HynesProducers: Brent Truitt/Bronwyn Keith-HynesLabel: Sugar Petunia Records Vocal group of the year: Alison Krauss & Union StationAuthentic UnlimitedBlue HighwaySister SadieThe Del McCoury Band Instrumental Group of the year: Billy StringsEast Nash GrassMichael Cleveland & FlamekeeperMolly Tuttle & Golden HighwayThe Travelin' McCourys Gospel recording of the year: 'Blue Collar Gospel' – Jerry Salley Featuring The Oak Ridge BoysSongwriters: Rick Lang/Bill Whyte/Jerry SalleyProducer: Jerry SalleyLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Dear Lord' – Darin & Brooke AldridgeSongwriter: Daniel DavisProducers: Darin Aldridge/Mark FainLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Even Better When You Listen' – Joe Mullins & The Radio RamblersSongwriters: Rick Lang/Mark BonDurantProducer: Joe Mullins & The Radio RamblersLabel: Billy Blue Records 'He's Gone' – Jaelee RobertsSongwriter: Kelsi HarrigillProducer: Byron HouseLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'Wings of Love' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriters: Jesse Brock/Stephen Burwell/Jerry Cole/Eli Johnston/John MeadorProducer: Authentic UnlimitedLabel: Billy Blue Records Instrumental recording of the year: 'Bluegrass in the Backwoods' – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandSongwriter: Kenny BakerProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records 'The Drifter' – Danny RobertsSongwriter: Danny RobertsProducers: Danny Roberts/Andrea RobertsLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'A Drive at Dusk' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriter: Jesse BrockProducer: Authentic UnlimitedLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Kern County Breakdown' – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandSongwriter: Buck Owens/Don RichProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records 'Ralph's Banjo Special' – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt & Alison BrownSongwriter: Ralph StanleyProducer: Alison BrownLabel: Compass Records New artist of the year: AJ Lee & Blue SummitBronwyn Keith-HynesJason CarterRed Camel CollectiveWyatt Ellis Collaborative recording of the year: '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O'BrienSongwriters: Steve Martin/Alison BrownProducer: Alison Brown/Garry WestLabel: Compass Records 'A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)' – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince GillSongwriter: Vince GillProducers: Darin Aldridge/Mark FainLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Cora Is Gone' – Bobby Osborne & C.J. Lewandowski Featuring Rob McCoury & Billy StringsSongwriter: Mac OdellProducer: C.J. LewandowskiLabel: Turnberry Records 'Outrun the Rain' – Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland, Jaelee Roberts & Vince GillSongwriters: Terry Herd/Jimmy YearyProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records 'Ralph's Banjo Special' – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt & Alison BrownSongwriter: Ralph StanleyProducer: Alison BrownLabel: Compass Records Male vocalist of the year: Billy StringsDan TyminskiDel McCouryGreg BlakeRussell Moore Female vocalist of the year: AJ LeeAlison KraussBrooke AldridgeJaelee RobertsSierra Hull Banjo player of the year: Alison BrownGena BrittKristin Scott BensonRon BlockTony Trischka Bass player of the year: Barry BalesMike BubMissy RainesTodd PhillipsVickie Vaughn Fiddle player of the year: Bronwyn Keith-HynesJason CarterMaddie DentonMichael ClevelandStuart Duncan Resophonic guitar player of the year: Andy HallJerry DouglasJustin MosesMatt LeadbetterRob Ickes Guitar player of the year: Billy StringsBryan SuttonCody KilbyMolly TuttleTrey Hensley Mandolin player of the year: Alan BibeyJesse BrockRonnie McCourySam BushSierra Hull Music video of the year: '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O'BrienSongwriters: Steve Martin/Alison BrownProducer: Alison Brown/Garry WestVideographer: Joseph SpenceLabel: Compass Records 'A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)' – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince GillSongwriter: Vince GillProducer: Jenny GillVideographer: Travis FlynnLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Big Wheels' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriter: Jerry ColeProducers: Bryce Free/Kyle JohnsonVideographer: Bryce FreeLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Gallows Pole' – Appalachian Road ShowSongwriter: Traditional arr. Barry Abernathy/Jim VanCleve/Darrell WebbProducer: Steve KinneyVideographer: Steve KinneyLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Tennessee Hound Dog' – The GrascalsSongwriter: Felice Bryant/Boudleaux BryantProducer: Ty GilpinVideographer: Nate ShuppertLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'The Auctioneer' – The Kody Norris ShowSongwriters: Leroy Van Dyke/Buddy BlackProducer: James GilleyVideographer: Nate WilesLabel: Rebel RecordsBest of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘70s Rock Legend, 76, Is Releasing an Album With a Band, But It's Not the One Some Fans Want
'70s Rock Legend, 76, Is Releasing an Album With a Band, But It's Not the One Some Fans Want originally appeared on Parade. , 76, has gotten a band together for a new album, only it's not the one a lot of fans want. With apologies to those hoping for a Led Zeppelin reunion, Plant's latest combo is Saving Grace, and the band backs him on the new album of the same name, due Sept. 26. The new release was announced on Wednesday, July 16. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 The band consists of vocalist , drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley, cellist Barney Morse-Brown and have spent the last six years woodshedding material. "We laugh a lot, really. I think that suits me. I like laughing," Plant said in a statement. "You know, I can't find any reason to be too serious about anything. I'm not jaded. The sweetness of the whole thing…These are sweet people and they are playing out all the stuff that they could never get out before. They have become unique stylists and together they seem to have landed in a most interesting place."This is Plant's first release since 2021's Raise the Roof, his second acclaimed and Grammy-nominated effort with Alison Krauss. The new effort, produced by Plant and Saving Grace, was recorded between April 2019 and January 2025 in the Cotswolds, England near the Welsh border. The album features a wide variety of reinterpretations of songs from artists including Memphis Minnie, Bob Mosley (Moby Grape), Blind Willie Johnson, The Low Anthem, Martha Scanlan, Sarah Siskind, and Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk's Low. Plant and Saving Grace are previewing the album with the release of a cover of Low's 'Everybody's Song,' which is out now. Fans reacted favorably to the news on Instagram, which featured photos of the various configurations of the album as well as a full-band pic. 'Congratulations on the release of your first album, Saving Grace! Best wishes! I love you always and forever, Robert! 😘🤗,' wrote one. 'Makes me wish I kept up my accordion playing when I was a kid😘,' added another, referring to the band photo that shows Dian with an accordion strapped to her chest. 'Finally! Thank you Sir Robert!' added another. The band is set to make their U.S. debut this fall with a dozen North American dates after touring extensively in the U.K. and Europe. The North American dates kick off Oct. 30 at the Capitol Theatre in Wheeling, W.V. and run through Nov. 22 at the United Theater in Los Angeles. '70s Rock Legend, 76, Is Releasing an Album With a Band, But It's Not the One Some Fans Want first appeared on Parade on Jul 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Rock Star, 76, Says He ‘Loathed' One of His Band's Most Iconic Songs
Legendary Rock Star, 76, Says He 'Loathed' One of His Band's Most Iconic Songs originally appeared on Parade. While 'Stairway to Heaven' might be one of the most iconic rock songs of all time, at least one member of Led Zeppelin dreaded playing it – Robert Plant. 'I truly loathed it,' Plant told Far Out Magazine. 'When we used to rehearse, we'd perform 'Stairway' as a reggae tune because [Jimmy] Page could never get me to sing it otherwise.' This wasn't the first time the legendary rock vocalist had expressed his disdain for the song. It's been one of his least favorites for decades. 'I'd break out in hives if I had to sing it every show,' Plant told The Los Angeles Times in 1988. 'I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don't know. It's just not for me. No more 'Stairway to Heaven' for me." Plant avoided performing the song for years, but in 2023, while promoting his tour with Alison Krauss, he revisited it and later called the experience 'cathartic.' "People go, 'Oh, that's good. He never was going to do that,'' the veteran rocker said during an interview with Rolling Stone in 2024. "But I didn't really do it! I just blurted it out. 'Cause it's such an important song to me for where I was at the time and where I was with Jimmy and with John [Paul Jones] and Bonzo [John Bonham]. So on that night, it was what it was. It was a trial by fire, but I felt better at the end than at the beginning." Not everyone hated the tune, however. Jones said that he 'actually liked Stairway,' in an interview published in Classic Rock Stories. 'I know that's really corny, but it encompasses a lot of the elements of the band,' Jones explained. 'From the acoustic start to the slightly jazzier section, even, and then to the heavier stuff towards the end.' 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Legendary Rock Star, 76, Says He 'Loathed' One of His Band's Most Iconic Songs first appeared on Parade on Jul 15, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Concerts to see this week: A Prince celebration, Breakaway Music Fest, Alison Krauss
Concerts to see this week: A Prince celebration, Breakaway Music Fest, Alison Krauss originally appeared on Bring Me The News. We've probably said this before, but June feels like the start of the summer concert season. There are hints of it that start in May, but it's clear that things are truly getting underway this week with the kickoff of outdoor shows at The Ledge Amphitheater, the arrival of the Twin Cities first big summer music festival, and a cities-wide celebration of Prince. Here are the concerts you shouldn't miss this week around the Twin Cities. Tuesday, June 3, at Turf Club Peelander-Z is an experience. They're the kind of band where some fans might not even listen to the albums, but never miss a live performance. Their shows are uncontrolled chaos that might feature costumed dancers, a giant squid, human-sized bowling, and ballistic energy from Peelander-Yellow. (Every member is named after a color that they almost exclusively wear.) There's really nothing quite like Peelander-Z and the group's high-energy, tongue-in-cheek punk songs. Over at Zhora Darling, the six-piece, L.A.-based Dutch Interior arrives just after the release of Moneyball, packed with modern Americana songs that feel somehow distant from the label. Despite having six members — who have all been lifelong friends — the music is sparse, almost low-fi, and has an undercurrent of quiet punk energy. Poor Image and Harlow open. Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 8, at various locations Paisley Park's annual celebration of Prince returns for four days of events that start on Thursday with a dance party featuring a Transmission tribute to Prince at First Avenue. The big attraction is a Friday night concert at Paisley Park that includes Morris Day and the Time, as well as The Family, a group that only released a single 1985 album co-produced by Prince. (That album features the original recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U.") However, they reformed in 2011 as fDeluxe. Many other events are taking place at Paisley Park and around Downtown Minneapolis. Though the tickets don't come cheap. General admission passes for the full weekend cost $752.75. Meanwhile, a single-event ticket for the Friday concert will run you $109.75. Friday, June 6, at First Avenue Cue debates about whether or not Samia Finnerty will count as a local artist. (Minnesotans love to adopt artists, so the answer will be "yes.") Finnerty, who performs as just Samia, moved relocated to the Twin Cities relative recently, partly recording her new album, Bloodless in the state. Samia hits her stride on Bloodless, with seamless indie-pop songwriting that has an appealingly dark streak. That's clear right from the outset on the song "Bovine Excision" (look that up if haven't just eaten), which includes lyrics like "picking leeches off white underwear" and "I just wanted to be your friend / cup of tea in your cold hand / and drained, drained bloodless." Friday, June 6–Saturday, June 7, at Allianz Field Festival Grounds For a second year, the Breakaway Music Fest, which is held in a bunch of cities around the country, is making a stop in St. Paul. The EDM fest's 2025 lineup includes some big names in electronic dance music like John Summit, Tiësto, and Alison Wonderland. It'll be a bass-heavy, two-day dance party around the parking lot of Allianz Field. However, this year, EDM fans are going to have to make a tough call. Breakaway is happening on the same two days as the inauguralFestival in Cadott, Wis. The alien-themed fest has a similarly deep lineup, headlined by Marshmello, Rezz, Liquid Stranger, and RL June 8, at The Ledge Amphitheater Alison Krauss and Union Station are touring together for the first time since 2015. That's cause for celebration among folk and bluegrass lovers, as is the release of their first new album since 2011's Paper Airplane. They're arrival is also the kickoff of an impressive summer season at The Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park. Alison Krauss and Union Station will follow Sunday's show with two more performances in Minnesota. They'll play Mankato's Vetter Stone Amphitheater on June 10 and Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park on June 11. Russell Moore opens. Sunday, June 8, at Surly Festival Field The pop-folk group just released their first new music since 2022, with the EP Somewhere. It's a gentle album that falls neatly in line with what has led the band to an arguably quiet popularity. The Ohio group has billions of streams and millions of monthly listeners. That might not offer any insight into their catchy, emotional songs, but if you haven't given their records a spin and are wondering how they're headlining a huge outdoor venue, well, there you go. Blind Pilot and Gardener on Monday, June 2: Leslie Vincent + Dylan Hicks & Small Screens at The Dakota Kitty Craft at 7th St. Entry Jared Justen with Nikki Lemire at The White Squirrel Bar (free) Dan Israel with Billy Johnson at Lake Harriet Bandshell (free) Soul Trouvére at 331 Club (free) Roe Family Singers at 331 Club (free) Concerts on Tuesday, June 3: Peelander-Z at Turf Club Dutch Interior with Poor Image and Harlow at Zhora Darling Drillbit with Defiled Sacrament and Mortura at Pilllar Forum Enemy of Fate at Underground Music Cafe Accordo, presented by the Schubert Club at Icehouse Johnny Lied and George McKelvey at Aster Cafe International Reggae Allstars at Bunker's John Magnuson Trio at 331 Club (free) Concerts on Wednesday, June 4: An Evening with Robyn Hitchcock at Turf Club Dr. Mambo's Combo: A Birthday Tribute to Prince at The Parkway Theater Alejandro Brittes at The Cedar Cultural Center Matteo Mancuso at The Dakota Fuchsia with Jake Baldwin Quartet and Green Line Quartet at Zhora Darling Psychostick with Texas Toast Chainsaw Massacre and Rad Enhancer at The Cabooze Ice Horse at Icehouse's Starlight Room Dan Tedesco and Eva Markham at Aster Cafe Martin Kember and The Unit - 'Purple Msicology' at Green Room West 22nd with Pretty Jane and Daphne Jane at 7th St. Entry Martin Kember and The Unit 'Purple Musicology' at Green Room Twine at Bunker's The Second Stringers at The White Squirrel Bar (free) Hunny Bear residency at The White Squirrel Bar (free)Concerts on Thursday, June 5: Prince Celebration Kick-Off DJ Dance Party feat. Let's Go Crazy, DJ Jake Rudh, and Lenka Paris at First Avenue Three Sacred Souls with Tré Burt at Palace Theatre Cantus at the Historic Memorial Chapel at Lakewood Cemetery Geordie Kieffer at Fine Line Kavyesh Kaviraj & Omar Abdulkarim at The Dakota Burning Blue Rain with Pierre Lewis at The Cabooze Matthew Mallinger and IE at Berlin Rotundos, Quail, and Serpents of Serenity at Underground Music Cafe Molly:II:Molly and The Scarlet Goodbye at Icehouse TC Gumbo Jam feat. Eddie Christmas, Demitrious Fallis, Nicholas David, and more at Hook and Ladder John Magnuson Trio with Billy Dankert at Aster Cafe Spiderlily, Skeleton Crew, Pity Party, and Weeklong Weekend at Amsterdam Bar & Hall The Dregs with Fanaka Nation, King Swank, Yuh-Huh Go, and more at 7th St. Entry Emmy Woods with Cottonwood Shivers at The White Squirrel Bar (free) Concerts on Friday, June 6: Prince Celebration 2025 feat. Morris Day and the Time, Jesse Johnson, The Family, and Johnny Venus at Paisley Park Breakaway Music Festival with Tiësto, John Summit, Alison Wonderland, and more at Allianz Field Force Fields Music Festival w/ Marshmello, Rezz, and others in Cadott, Wis. Samia with Raffaella at First Avenue Pierce the Veil with Sleeping with Sirens at The Armory Vial with Rat Bath and Virginia's Basement at Hook and Ladder Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials at The Dakota Ally Venable at 7th St. Entry Ghost Dragon at The Loft at Skyway Theatre Drouth with Nothingness, Sacrificial Vein, and Cavernous Maw at Zhora Darling Honey Revenge at Fine Line Little Lebowski Urban Achievers, Dingus, and Atomic Lights at Cloudland Theater Heed the Warning at Day Block Brewing Atlas Tango Project at Berlin Lakeside Effects, Ghostlands, and M.A.Y. at Underground Music Cafe Bermuda Squares, The Slow Death, Sparrowhawk, American Muscle, and Neo Neos at Palmer's Bar McNasty Brass Band with Rhythm Nation at Icehouse Hell Yeah 3!!! - The Dirtbag Prom feat. DJ Mary Lucia at Turf Club Twins Perform the Music of Thelonious Monk at Berlin (no cover) JB Reilly at Utepils Brewing (free) Kaatwalk with Nina Luna at The White Squirrel Bar (free) Concerts on Saturday, June 7: Breakaway Music Festival with Tiësto, John Summit, Alison Wonderland, and more at Allianz Field Force Fields Music Festival w/ Marshmello, Rezz, and others in Cadott, Wis. One Ok Rock with Stand Atlantic at The Armory Surly Brewing 19th Anniversary Party feat. The Suburbs, Solid Gold, Gramma's Boyfriend, and more at Surly Brewing Lake Street Roots, Rock & Deep Blues Music Festival 12 at Hook and Ladder Panchiko with Alison's Halo at First Avenue Annie DiRusso at Fine Line Runner and Bobby with Silverwar House and Call Me Fritz at Zhora Darling The Rolling Stoners at The Dakota TaikoArts Midwest presents Taikogroover, a concert dance party at The Cedar Cultural Center Joust, Heavy Lag, Bad Crime, and TV Cop at Cloudland Theater Chris Rawlins with Wren & Wilde at Aster Cafe Momentum at Green Room Gasolina Reggaetón Party at Varsity Theater Petty Treason's Big Queer Burlesque Bonanza at Turf Club Dog Gamn record release with Din-Din, Full Catholic, Girdle of Judith, Ghosting Merit, and Watches at Palmer's Bar Johnny Manchild and The Poor Bastards and Fake Shark at Underground Music Cafe Rootstock feat. Poetic Roots, BakkwoodDrift, SoulFlower, and more at Icehouse Naethan Apollo at 7th St. Entry Kev Fest feat. Cole Diamond, Crush Scene, Molly Maher, Quietchild, and more at The White Squirrel Bar (free) New Primitives at Graze Food Hall (free) Concerts on Sunday, June 8: Alison Krauss & Union Station at The Ledge Amphitheater Caamp with Blind Pilot and Gardener at Surly Brewing Festival Field Nona Invie residency feat. Molly Raben and Nat Harvie at Berlin One World: The Best of Sting & The Police at The Dakota Dylan Salfer at The Hewing Hotel's rooftop Nobro, Bad Waitress, and Gen and the Degenerates at 7th St. Entry Jesus Son EP release with Toilet Rats, GARF, and Despondent at Zhora Darling Dead on the Block at Icehouse The Church of Cornbread with Cornbread Harris at Palmer's Bar (free) Chickaboom & Troglodyte with Dan Israel & Mike Lane and Keith Johnson at The White Squirrel Bar (free) Emmy Woods and Adam Bohanan at 331 Club (free) Record Prophets with Aftergreens and Pencilneck at The White Squirrel Bar (free)Just announced concerts: June 20: Talkin' All That Jazz hosted by Drunken Monkee with Sole2Dotz, Miss Mari, Se'Anna on Da Mic, and more at Icehouse July 11: Bainbridge and High Zombie at The Loft at Skyway Theatre July 13: Mid-Summer Sound Bath at The Cedar Cultural Center July 17: Real Numbers, Tom Henry, and Quinn A. Robinson at Cloudland Theater July 18: Tsimba and Thred at The Loft at Skyway Theatre July 31: David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven at Fine Line Aug. 14: Keith Wallen with Level at Turf Club Aug. 15: Monica LaPlante, Monsoon, and Oyster World at Cloudland Theater Aug. 27: The Cedar presents The Global Get Together with Alma Andina at the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 28: The Cedar presents The Global Get Together with Brass Solidarity at the Minnesota State Fair Sept. 11: Ni/Co at 7th St. Entry Sept. 16: Daisy the Great at Amsterdam Bar & Hall Sept. 17: Max McNown at First Avenue Oct. 6: Hazlett at First Avenue Oct. 11: Laufey with Suki Waterhouse at Target Center Oct. 18: Vader, Kataklysm, and more at Studio B at Skyway Theater Oct. 19: Aminé at The Fillmore Oct. 22: Cuco at First Avenue Nov. 7: Mon Rovia at First Avenue Nov. 13: Chase Rice with Charlie Worsham at The Fillmore Nov. 17: Avatar with Alien Weaponry and Spirit World at The Fillmore Dec. 11: Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles with Nona Invie at The Fitzgerald Theater Feb. 2: Lord of the Lost and The Birthday Massacre with Wednesday 13 at First AvenueThis story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Grace Potter On Cinematic Feel Behind T Bone Burnett Produced Medicine
Rock history is littered with the fabulous tales driving the lore behind legendarily unreleased 'lost' records like The Beach Boys' SMiLE or Prince's Black Album. In 2008, Grace Potter entered the studio to begin work with producer T Bone Burnett, himself riding high on the success of 2000's Oscar/Grammy-nominated, Coen Brothers-directed, satirical musical O Brother, Where Art Thou?, on which he oversaw the music, as well as the 2007 album Raising Sand, the Grammy-winning collaborative debut from Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass artist Alison Krauss, which he produced. By that point, Potter had released a pair of solo albums since arriving in 2002 as well as two more alongside then backing band the Nocturnals. But working with Burnett would prove to be a different experience, one which found her comfortable in the studio for the first time, joined by vaunted session musicians like drummer Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan), keyboard player Keefus Ciancia (Jeff Bridges, Everlast), guitarist Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and bassist Dennis Crouch (Gregg Allman, Elton John) on what would become the album Medicine. Known for her more raucous studio efforts, Medicine shook up the formula, delivering a more introspective affair - a batch of 12 songs which celebrate storytelling by placing Potter's powerhouse vocal front and center. Highlighted by the magical improvisational efforts of Burnett and company which accompany her on the album, Medicine utilizes Potter's background as a film major and director, driving narrative while displaying her full range as an artist. But come 2010, the decision was made to shelve Medicine in favor of riding the rollicking momentum Potter had built alongside the Nocturnals. While splinters were already forming, a trio of Grammy nominations nevertheless followed - with Potter left to ponder what could've/should've been. Storytelling inspired by a series of road trips which found her traversing the country via Route 66 (a similarly-minded, Potter-directed documentary film also remains in the works), informs her 2023 album Mother Road with the artist further embracing the artform on stage. During a recent pair of sold out, intimate performances at Chicago's hottest new venue Garcia's, Potter bared her soul over the course of two radically different sets, hitting upon covers ranging anywhere from Whitney Houston to Jimmy Cliff, while creating and developing characters on stage with her audience between solo numbers delivered sparsely but passionately on either guitar or organ. 'The Garcia's experience was… I think you caught my true form,' explained Potter during a recent phone conversation following the Chicago appearances. 'That is who I really am. And I really loved and appreciated the audience and how willing they were to partake in the experience of going into the wormholes of my mind. And creating something new - on the spot, together! Because it'll never happen that way again,' she explained of her one of a kind performances. 'And, in that same way, I think that this record is just such an interesting moment in my life,' said Potter, addressing Medicine. 'Up until that point, I was under the impression that a song is a song is a song. 'Here it is on my guitar. But now I'll play it on the keyboard.' That shouldn't change much for people - but it does. It really does! And I think allowing in the artistry of people who've done this a lot - who have the history and the trust with a producer like T Bone - I think it revealed truths within the lyrics of the song, and even within the vocal performances, that I didn't even know existed. Until I listened back with fresh ears.' While several of the album's tracks eventually found placement elsewhere, albeit in a vastly different form, today's release of Medicine, now available on CD or vinyl and for online streaming via Hollywood Records, marks the first time fans can hear the origins of that music, as written and worked up in the studio under the guidance of T Bone Burnett 17 years ago. Fresh off an appearance delivering 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the Kentucky Derby, ahead of a summer run in support of Chris Stapleton, I spoke with Grace Potter about the relationship between Mother Road and Medicine, working with Burnett and how the embrace of both film and music inform the often cinematic feel that drives the terrific new album. A transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below. Jim Ryan: You kind of spoke on stage at Garcia's about the road trip and the introspective process that led to Mother Road. Did that experience of kind of taking stock a bit, looking back in a way, help clear a path toward or lead you back to Medicine? Grace Potter: It did. Because I met back with all my ghosts - not to quote myself. But that's really what it was. I had long conversations with my former self. And the versions of me that felt guarded - or like I wasn't safe to explore my own agency and advocate for what I believe in as an artist. And the process of working with T Bone really opened that door for me - but then it was promptly shut. Again. So, I think it was an interesting revelation to have, years and years later, that there was this treasure just waiting - and how unfair it really was to not share that with the world. Because I have had so many opportunities to share music that the world has never heard. Medicine is not the only unheard music that I've been sitting on. And I really wondered why? I've been asking myself that question, especially with the release of Medicine. There are entire other albums worth of music, that maybe weren't recorded quite so masterfully as the T Bone record but that are songs that need to be reconsidered. So, as I've been preparing to embark on the next chapter of the Mother Road journey, Medicine felt like a really important sort of lost piece of luggage finally returned on the conveyor belt of my brain. Ryan: I was listening to Mother Road again this morning and storytelling really impacts and informs that record. But it's there on Medicine too. There were definitely themes emerging. Does it feel like sort of an appropriate follow up, in a weird way, despite everything in between? Potter: Absolutely. Because Mother Road is about digging into my history. And this is the history. It's like, 'Remember that thing that I was talking about? Here it is.' I was burdened by this record not coming out. And it was one of the many pieces of baggage that I didn't quite understand what had happened - and I didn't really want to go back. I'm such a forward-minded person. As an artist, we are impulsive. And we're always excited about the newest, hottest idea that we've just had. But, oftentimes, the newest idea is not the best idea. I have this pair of glasses that I love more than any other pair. And I remember when I got them, just feeling them on my face, it was like, 'These are the glasses I have always worn.' Maybe even from another lifetime. Every bit of the pressure point of where the glasses sat on my face, the weight of the lenses and plastic, the way the sun feels when it goes through the frame and kind of refracts off my eyeball? It is the pair I always go back to. And, of course, the lenses are scratched to s–t. I gotta replace the lenses. But it doesn't matter. There's just a feeling to it of being true to yourself and being as vigilant as possible when it comes to things that feel and are good. It's one thing just to chase the next good feeling. But, when you sit with the uncomfortable feeling, sometimes, I think there's a glow and it works: there can be an important lesson to be learned from going back through the uncomfortable moments and arriving at the most comfortable that you could possibly be. And I have that memory from making Medicine: I was incredibly comfortable. For the first time ever in the studio, I was comfortable. Ryan: I didn't realize you were a film major and a director. Obviously, T Bone has worked a bit in that world as well. At Garcia's, you were very much engaging in character development on stage. And suddenly it all made sense - because this album takes on a cinematic feel. Whether it's a songwriter, a screenwriter, a poet or anyone else, who are some favorite storytellers of yours? Potter: Certainly the Coen Brothers jump right out - right off the page. But I think it's really anybody who explores the absurd. Oliver Stone is another huge inspiration. David Lynch. I absolutely adore Catherine Hardwicke (and I think that she did an amazing job with the Twilight series - wandering into somebody else's story, which I always think is a really hard thing to do). Reed Morano is another amazing female director who also is a cinematographer. Those journeys that you go on with a Scorsese or a Tarantino - where their aesthetic, very much like T Bone, is the thing you are signing up for. Before you watch the movie - before you even consider the story or the premise or the log line - you're already in their world. Wes Anderson certainly has created his own world so beautifully, so many times over. But it's a feeling that you're chasing. And it's so close to music. When I put on Linda Ronstadt or I put on The Band or Billie Holiday or Les Baxter, I know that what I'm really hunting down is the memory of the last time I heard it. And I think that this record - because it sat in time and was not heard - there are so many missing memories that people are going to get to experience. And I think there will be a bit of déjà vu. Because there's a lot of familiarity with the songs. But the approach and the treatment of these songs has so shifted from what people know - and yet it's so familiar. Because we have the aesthetic of T Bone. You have the comfort of already knowing what my voice sounds like. But pretty much everything else has been reimagined. It's almost like a completely different movie plot. Even though the songs are the same. Ryan: Well, with T Bone comes players like Jim Keltner and Keefus Ciancia. Nothing against any of the musicians you've worked with but what was it like working with that particular group? Potter: Keefus. He's an imagineer. There's people that create these worlds. Like when you're at Disneyland and you're at the Animal Kingdom and suddenly you go from Morocco to Tibet. And somebody has sat down and thought about everything - right down to how many rows of palm trees need to be planted behind the set piece. And what genomes of palm trees need to shift from one to another to make you feel like you're moving from Northern Africa through all of these other wild worlds before ultimately ending up in the Himalayas. That's what Keefus does. And I think that with Jim, he just knew. It's like he had read the script of Medicine and got the movie - got the plot and was working with a director like T Bone, whose aesthetic was so reliable and so profoundly connected to his style of playing that there was just so little push and pull. It was just very organic. It was like being in an ocean that had always been there. Ryan: How much improv was there on this record? I feel like that's such an underrated life and music concept these days. But I felt like I was hearing it… Potter: A lot. Absolutely. Notice how all of the songs don't ever really want to end. There are very few songs that actually had an ending. That's because we didn't want to stop playing. And the improvisation was always there. Especially because I had come from the jam band scene. And T Bone was curious about that. There was a lot of, 'Well, OK - let's just keep playing...' Or, 'At the beginning of the song, let's not play right away. Let's not all start playing together. Let's let Keefus or Jim start this song. Don't come in right away, just wait. And you'll know. You'll know when it's time.' He wasn't standing in the window pointing going, 'And, scene!' And you could really feel that organic nature. Because, if you listen to it - and you have this understanding of how the song formula is typically approached - that was all thrown the f–k out the window. Ryan: It was interesting too hearing the horns and backing vocals. There were times Medicine sounded to me like an old Stax soul recording. How did you go about incorporating those elements? Potter: That was really fun. It was like in post - when you're on a film set and suddenly you're in this position of like, 'Imagine: this is a green screen today - but tomorrow it's going to be an entire, beautifully decorated hotel. Or a back alleyway of a film noir.' With the horn sections, T Bone had an arranger that would come into the studio just to pop in and check in on things - but wasn't present. So, it's not like the horns were in the room with us. And I was almost like an actor, coming to the premiere of the movie not knowing. 'OK, how did that green screen end up?' With the horns and the backing vocals, I wasn't there when they tracked those. But, again, I think that the thing that truly solidified the collaboration between T Bone and I was trust. That was what we had with one another. There was a lot of trust. And a lot of free falling toward a goal that I 100% understood, Jim 100% understood, Marc understood, Dennis understood and Keefus understood. And, when the horn players and the arranger finally presented what had come of it, it was actually what I had pictured and heard in my brain even while I was in the studio tracking it raw. Ryan: How did dreaming kind of impact the title track or manifest itself during 'Medicine?' Potter: I like telling stories about characters that are not me - and, yet, by the end of the song, it turns out it is me. 'Ah Mary,' all of the songs from my early career. 'Big White Gate.' 'Apologies,' which is sort of told from the perspective of the man - but is also certainly my narrative. 'Release,' which is this sort of pushing and pulling and letting go - while also holding on tightly (which is portrayed beautifully in the music video where I am two people who have split apart from one another: one who is not ready to let go and one who is 100% taking that leap and ripping all of the ties that bind away). All through my song catalog, you can hear that journey. But I believe that 'Medicine' was one of the very first explorations into that for me - where I was meeting someone who was seemingly defiantly against me and at odds with me - but was also me. It was an important piece of songwriting. And that's why I've performed it almost every night I've been on stage. I was just at doing a podcast thing and they showed me my stats. Which, by the way, I apparently am the #1 stat holder of 'only played once' songs. It was pages and pages and pages of one time only songs. And, I have to say, a bunch of them were from Garcia's! We covered a lot of ground in those two nights! But, to answer your question, the song 'Medicine' means so much to me because it was, I think, a defining - it was sort of the cannon from which a huge amount of my songwriting inspiration has come from since - all the way through Mother Road and into the future for sure. Ryan: 'That Phone' and 'Make You Cry' both kind of carry this triumphant spirit. At least that's what I heard. And there's a real sense of optimism that kind of shines through the album generally. In strange times like these, I kind of appreciate that sentiment - even if the songs were written 15 years ago. But was it important to strike an optimistic chord? Potter: I think it was actually a subconscious presence within me. With my band at the time, I was pretty frustrated with the desire to break away and find my own independent voice - but the resistance that was meeting me at every turn. And this sense of feeling trapped but not wanting to be a victim. And it's similar with the song 'Keepsake' from The Lion the Beast the Beat. Or 'Runaway.' There's all of these songs where I'm defiantly positive, you know? Or what my therapist might refer to as 'toxic positivity.' Because there's a part of me that always wants to see the good in not just myself - but in every character of the plot. It's like what's the point of placing blame when it could very well be that I am the product of my own doing? But, also, these actions that we take are directly connected to our hearts. Maybe not our brains - but certainly our hearts. And that those actions - and the consequences - are something that I'm ready to face and willing to face. Because not facing them just basically means you're living in this fantasy. So, I think there's something, like you said, that's sort of ecstatic about the freedom that I forged for myself in songs like those. And, I think, sometimes, just looking back to that record - and thinking about what my life was like and what the dynamic was in my personal life with the band at that point - it really rings true. I was just trying to write sort of a breakup song - like a projection of somebody else's life. But it was certainly not that. It was obviously coming straight from the source and from my own experience. Ryan: So, an album like this that is a bit introspective… Taking the time in between and revisiting it like this all of these years later, what do you learn during that process? Potter: I learned so much about how different songs can become from one treatment to another. How incredibly effective it can be to bring new membership into a band and into a recording space - how everybody brings something to the table. And that everyone's life experiences - and the way that a song and the lyrics of that song hit them - is gonna change the way that the world perceives it. Because, up until that point, I was under the impression that a song is a song is a song. 'Here it is on my guitar. But now I'll play it on the keyboard.' That shouldn't change much for people - but it does. It really does! And I think allowing in the artistry of people who've done this a lot - who have the history and the trust with a producer like T Bone - I think it revealed truths within the lyrics of the song, and even within the vocal performances, that I didn't even know existed. Until I listened back with fresh ears. I hadn't listened to the record in over 15 years when we first got on the phone with Disney and said, 'Hey! What do you think?' They were almost like, 'Well… what do you think?' And then T Bone listened to it like, 'Oh my god, yeah. Wow. This is still exactly the thing.' But it feels different somehow because of the time that has lapsed. And I think that's a really valuable thing. And something very rare to find in the music industry today.
