As the last full month of summer begins and warm sunny days turn into cooler nights, the quaint town of Challis, Idaho, which sits snug near the Sawtooth Mountains, prepares for an influx of music aficionados from all over the globe for the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that unites artists and fans in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable, music-filled days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 8th-10th and will feature fifteen Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including singer-songwriter Bri Bagwell, who will be making her inaugural appearance at the event. In the midst of a busy touring schedule, Bagwell graciously took the time to answer some questions and talk all things BBR (and getting to add another state to her charm bracelet), her latest album In My Defense, what she's listening to, and more!

In a few weeks you will be headed to Idaho to play the BBR for the first time. What made you decide to accept the invite and come out? 
Honestly, this festival has been on my bucket list for awhile.  I was so excited to be invited to play this year! I’ve never played in Idaho, so that’s one more state to add to my charm bracelet (mom buys me a charm for every state I’ve played in, which is about 20!).  When they invited me to play BBR, I accepted immediately with all the happy emojis. 
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With such a fantastic line-up, is there anyone who you are looking forward to seeing again or for the first time?
I have seen Steve Earle acoustic, but only for a few songs and it was years and years ago.  When I heard that he was on the festival, I was willing to juggle all the logistics to make sure that I’m there when he plays.  The entire lineup is on fire though, so I just want to see everyone (that’s not a PC answer, it’s just VERY TRUE.)

​As the last full month of summer begins and warm sunny days turn into cooler nights, the quaint town of Challis, Idaho, which sits snug near the Sawtooth Mountains, prepares for an influx of music aficionados from all over the globe for the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that unites artists and fans in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable, music-filled days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 8th-10th and will feature fifteen Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including Charley Crockett who brings his signature, soulful, and engaging style - which has garnered accolades from outlets including Cowboys and Indians and Rolling Stone - to Challis for the first time. Crockett, who underwent open heart surgery earlier this year, kindly took some time to talk about the festival, share the story behind "River of Sorrow," and more.

Firstly, I hope this rest of the year finds you in continued good health.
Come August, you'll be making the trip to Challis for the BBR. Being that you have played other festivals, what made you want to come out?
​CC: Well, I really appreciate you giving me the well wishes for my health, I’m doing a lot better than I was before and I thank you for mentioning that. I think maybe the primary reason that I wanted to come up there and play Braun Brothers Reunion is because I just am so attracted to that area of Idaho and I know Cody Braun pretty well and was following him, and Turnpike Troubadours and would see pictures and stuff of the festival up there and those mountains and just a very romantic setting. You know being a Texas roots artist, that’s the type of event you want to be on, so I pestered them for a couple years before they got me on it - and I guess it worked, so can’t wait to be there.

Are you able to stay the entire festival? And is there anyone in particular who you are looking forward to see play again or for the first time?
CC: Yeah I’m not too sure how long I’ll end up being there for the festival, but I think we’re planning on making a trip out of it - we’re going to Europe a few days after, so I know we’re going to be in the area for a few days. I’m excited to hopefully get a chance to see Steve Earle and the Dukes. We saw them over in Europe last year and it made me wanna see him again. Big fan of his son Justin Townes Earle, too. And then the Reverend Horton Heat. I saw that y’all had him on the bill this year and I think that’s really, really cool and I would really like to see those guys play - no doubt. Lots of good bands are gonna be up there, but those are a couple of the ones I’m really excited about.

I'm looking forward to seeing them as well.
For you, does a live show adapt from say a smaller venue in NYC to a venue that is outdoors in Challis?
CC: Yeah, I mean, where you’re playing definitely affects the mood of any type of show and there’s a big difference between playing inside a dark club at night and then playing outdoors in the daytime. I prefer to play outside, I think a lot of people would. I think because, you know, up there in Idaho and stuff, roots music is so much a part of people’s lives, that’s something that I gravitate to and probably focus on even more - you know being up there for that show.

What about a set list? Do you prefer to follow one or play what strikes you?
I mean, the boys write set lists every day, I don’t particularly follow them though.

Switching gears, recently Rolling Stone premiered two new tracks that you did for The Next Waltz: "How Low Can You Go” and “River of Sorrow.” Would you kindly pick one and share the story behind it?
CC: Yeah, that Rolling Stone piece on that 45 we cut with Bruce and The Next Waltz - that was really a lot of fun cutting those two songs. I wrote both of them with friends. “River of Sorrow” kinda has a particular appeal to me. You know, it’s like - it’s the grind of life. You know life is a steady - it’s a lot of work. I think a lot of sorrow and sadness comes with struggle, but a way to purify yourself is to change it up and for me, is to keep moving. And there’s a line in the song - “I would stay here to keep working, but there’s no more water in the well.” I think anybody can understand that, but I have had some trials in my life that, maybe when I wrote the song I didn’t even quite realize the trials I was writing about. I can take a river of sorrow and turn it to something worth singing about.

I've always said that sad songs make me happy, there's something about them.
Now, you’ve lived and played in various parts of the world from NY to Paris to TX which I imagined have provided you an interesting perspective on life and music. You can hear various influences in your music, yet you’re seemingly grounded in the blues, what draws you to that sound?
CC: Yeah, when it comes to the blues, it’s not as much that I was drawn to the blues as I realized over time that the blues is what I was expressing. It took me a long time to learn that I was playing the blues. The blues to me is bad feelings coming out and the way that you put them out make you feel good, and generally speaking you’re playing, you know, one four five chords, which is why I have a hard time necessarily differentiating between what you might call country versus blues, or folk music versus blues, or country. For me I never really thought of them as separately, but I just think of - especially coming from the street - and coming from the naive way that I learned music, I think blues is the natural, is kinda the universal thread of any type of genre that you want to label it. Hank Williams was a blues singer.

As the last full month of summer begins and warm sunny days turn into cooler nights, the quaint town of Challis, Idaho, which sits snug near the Sawtooth Mountains, prepares for an influx of music aficionados from all over the globe for the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that unites artists and fans in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable, music-filled days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 8th-10th and will feature fifteen Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including festival regular, Jeff Crosby. The Idaho native graciously took the time to share his thoughts on the festival, provide you with a list of some of his favorite state spots, and more!

You now live in Nashville, but were born and raised in Idaho; can you share some of your favorite places or things to do in your home state? 
I grew up in Valley County so I tend to head that way whenever I get back to Idaho. My brother and I grew up super close to a bunch of hot springs so we always make a point to go hit a few when we come home. One of my favorite drives is heading up to Yellowpine towards Warm Lake and hittin' all the hot springs along the way. Pack a couple road sodas and just take our sweet time. Second favorite would have to be the Stanley area. There's nowhere like it and it's just a great town and community. I love it up north in Sandpoint and Moscow too...Idaho's got so much to offer as far as the outdoors go. I'd recommend just hoppin in the car and gettin lost!

As the last full month of summer begins and warm sunny days turn into cooler nights, the quaint town of Challis, Idaho, which sits snug near the Sawtooth Mountains, prepares for an influx of music aficionados from all over the globe for the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that unites artists and fans in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable, music-filled days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 8th-10th and will feature fifteen Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including festival vets, and fan favorites, the Randy Rogers Band. Fresh off the release of their new album, Hellbent, band member Johnny Chops, who last year released his latest well-received self-titled album with his band The Razors, graciously took the time to share his thoughts on the festival and provide you with a sweet playlist of some of his favorite tunes to get you amped for August.

     I never thought much about Idaho beyond potatoes. It’s so ignorant and sad, but that’s all I really knew about it. I probably couldn’t even have told you exactly where it was on a map. We had a tour stop there once in the winter and it was so damn cold I never even went outside. I probably ate my potatoes and moved on to the next city.

    I did know about these guys who had a couple of bands, Reckless Kelly and Micky and the Motorcars. They were from Idaho and were (and still are) pretty cool. Over time we became friends and they invited us up to play their festival, the Braun Brothers Reunion. It blew my mind that first year. When I woke up on the bus that morning heading up to Challis, I looked out the window and it looked like another planet. The natural beauty of Idaho is difficult to put into words. You just have to see it for yourself. It’s rugged, colorful and extreme. It goes from burning hot to freezing cold, dry sun to hail and wind in a matter of minutes. Your phone might not work, which will force you to hang out and talk to people, face to face. It’s one of my favorite events of the year and I can’t wait to go back.

As the last full month of summer begins and warm sunny days turn into cooler nights, the quaint town of Challis, Idaho, which sits snug near the Sawtooth Mountains, prepares for an influx of music aficionados from all over the globe for the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that unites artists and fans in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 8th-10th and will feature fifteen Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including Idaho's own Tylor & the Train Robbers. In anticipation of their debut appearance at the BBR and their new album, Best of the Worst Kind, which drops August 26th, front man Tylor Ketchum took the time to talk Idaho, the BBR, and much more!

In Aug you'll be playing the BBR for the first time, prior to being a performer, have you ever attended as a festival-goer?
Yes! The BBR is actually kind of a big part of what made me want to move Idaho. When I was 19 I was still living in Oregon and some friend suggested that I go and they ended up bringing me with them that summer to check it out. I had never been to a festival with so many of my favorite bands all in one place. It was a very inspiring and educational experience for me as a young musician. After that my friends and I made it a tradition to take the time off work and drive the seven hours from Pendleton, Oregon to Challis, Idaho every summer to go.

So it must have been a no-brainer to say yes to the invite to play?
It was definitely a no-brainer to say yes! When I moved to Idaho I made it my goal to get on the BBR stage and everything I did to advance my band was with this goal in mind.
Over the years, my relationship with the Brauns has evolved a lot. In the beginning I was just a huge fan of their music - both Micky & the Motorcars and Reckless Kelly. After my first year at BBR I wrote a song on my way home about my experience at the festival and called it "Challis." A few months later my little brother’s and I shot a homemade music video for the song and I sent it to Gary & Willy via Facebook messenger lol! To my surprise they both wrote me back and gave me words of encouragement to keep doing what we were doing and working hard. That really stuck with me and helped me to continue pushing forward. A couple years later I had the chance to meet George Devore (who has been a BBR regular for years) at a festival we were both playing at in my hometown of Helix, Oregon. He gave some strong worded advice to get the hell out of the small town and find a bigger music scene to grow in. I moved to Boise a few months later to do just that and the rest is history. Shortly after my move to Idaho I got the opportunity to open up as a solo act for Micky & the Motorcars up in Ketchum at Whiskey Jacques and that was really the start of building a relationship with the Braun’s. Over the next fews years I worked to get the right people in my band and form a solid line up. Once my band was locked in, I tried to get on the bill with them every time they came through Idaho and over time we developed a friendship.  

That's an amazing story! Are you still Idaho based?
Yes, we are still based in Boise, Idaho. We love living here and for now it’s a great place to call home, but who knows what the future will hold. If the right opportunity arises we are open to whatever may come. No matter where we land though, Idaho will always be home. 

​How does living in Idaho shape your music? 
I grew up in Helix Oregon, a small town near Pendleton Oregon. Helix has a population of about 200 people so I think it’s safe to say that there was no music scene there whatsoever. We were fortunate that our Mom brought music into our lives at an early age. She played guitar and sang to us as kids and when we showed interest in playing, she was very supportive and continues to be our biggest fan. My two younger brothers, Jason and Thomas, and I formed a family band at a really young age and started playing “gigs” around town in any place that would have us. Tommy was about 9 years old when he started playing live shows with us. This year Tommy finally made the move out to Idaho to join back up with us on drums and we are so happy to have all three brothers back together making music again. When I first moved to Idaho the music scene was so welcoming and I felt really lucky to find such a great community to be a part of. Boise felt HUGE to me at the time and so did the music scene. Obviously as we’ve grown and started to tour around the country we’ve found much larger music scene’s, but Boise will always be our home. The people in Idaho have been so incredibly supportive and have treated us like family from the very beginning. I know that no matter where we are in the country one of our Idaho fans is going to reach out and say that they know someone who they told to come out and see us there. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate all those people who have been with us since the beginning. 

Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including the Grammy-winning band Asleep At The Wheel whose unparalleled musicianship (and an alumni roster of 80+ members) has seen them through almost five decades touring with artists such as Bob Dylan, George Strait, Van Morrison, Lyle Lovett, and many more bringing their singular style to fans across the country and beyond. 
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One such stop will be Challis, Idaho when they play the BBR August 10th. On making the return trip, front man Ray Benson notes jokingly,“ I told them [the Brauns] they couldn’t pick a more inconvenient or picturesque place for us to get to,” before adding, “They’re good pals of ours and we are so happy to be able to make it out again. The setting is so beautiful, it’s the perfect place to play to a crowd who are true music fans who just get it – they’ll really listen to you, then they’ll boogie with you. We can’t wait to get out there.”

Formed in 1970, Asleep At The Wheel has gone through many transitions during its 48 years, but it has always remained true to playing and championing American roots music. Having released more than 25 studio albums, this September the eight-piece will release a new project with a line-up that Benson says, “knocks it out of the park.”

“We worked on the new album for over a year. There are some old tunes and some original tunes, including one I co-wrote with Katie [Shore, fiddle and vocals], as well as a collaboration with the Avett Brothers who are kindred musical souls...appreciating roots music and approaching modern music with a glance to the past. They sang on our Bob Wills’ record [Still the King] and did an ACL show with us, so when they brought us a song, we decided to put it on the record.”

​Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including returning favorite, singer-songwriter Jason Eady, who will be releasing his vibrant new album, I Travel On, on August 10th - the day of his performance at the BBR. Ahead of the festival, Eady spoke about what makes the reunion special to him, the forthcoming album, and more.

Once again you’re headed out to Challis for the BBR, what keeps you returning?
The BBR is just an unbelievable festival, with such an attentive crowd. When we first made the trip, we played acoustic and it was like we were in an outdoor listening room. There were about 1500 people there and they were incredibly attentive, and that doesn’t happen very often.
There are so many additional things that make it great as well. The setting is one of a kind, the artists they bring in are incredible, and it’s organized and run so well. I tell people if they’re thinking of starting a festival, they should go hang out at Braun Brothers and watch how it’s done.
And the other thing I absolutely love about it, one of my favorite things, is that after all these years, they have kept it to one stage. I love that whatever act is on stage is what the show is and that is who everybody is watching; there’s no deciding between two or three different things going on, so you don’t have to worry about splitting your time. And as an artist that’s great because you’re playing to everyone who is there at the time.

You mentioned that you played acoustic when you first made the trip. Will you be bringing your band this year?
Yes. Originally, we were not going to bring the band, but once we set the album release date and planned the tour, we were already going to be on the road anyway. We are beginning our CD release tour July 5th in the middle of the country and we’ll make our way to Challis before we head to Montana, Seattle, and California.
What will be great is that the people at the BBR will get two band shows out of it. Courtney [Patton, Eady’s wife] and I will split our set time, not in a song swap style, but in the sense that she’ll do half and I’ll do the other half because we want to have the time to play the songs from the new album. We always perform together when we’re in the same room though, she’s never just watched my shows and I’ve never just watched hers. So, when I’m up there, she’ll sing and then we’ll switch places. We can’t help it, it’s what we do (laughing).

​Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including Turnpike Troubadours who regularly close out the Friday night. Ahead of the Festival, R.C. Edwards kindly spoke about their years playing the BBR and more.

Turnpike has been a permanent fixture at the BBR for quite a few years now. What keeps you returning?
We’ve been coming out to play somewhere in the neighborhood of five or six years. We heard about the Reunion for forever and were so excited the first time we got to play it. I’d never been to Idaho before we played there the first time, it’s a little-hidden gem and we love the town, the festival, and the Brauns so much; they treat us like family.

The town, people, and festival are definitely special. Besides growing in size, do you think it has changed over the years?
I don’t think it's changed. The crowds have gotten bigger, but the spirit is the same – people are there to have a good time and experience the music. I love that they call it a Reunion because it does feel like a big family gathering. We try to stay as many days as we can so we’re able to hang out with our friends and enjoy Idaho. It’s going to be a great time.

Over the years, Turnpike Troubadours have found incredible success in Texas and the surrounding states, but the last couple of years has seen their fanbase grow exponentially throughout the US. Edwards notes, “All of that didn’t happen overnight. There were lots of miles and nights singing in bars, but all of that is definitely paying off. Our motto has always been that ‘success is a product of hard work’ and we surely believe that.”