Hailing from Oregon, Neil Gregory Johnson is best known for his freewheeling finger-style guitar and soulful vocals which relay stories of love lost, life on the road, and life as an ex-barfly turned family man. Earlier this year, Johnson released his debut E.P."Extended Play Catalogue Vol. 1" and here he thoughtfully answered his Essential 8 where he spoke of musical mentors, songwriting  and inspiration, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and more!

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I grew up in a musical family, so my parents are both indirectly and directly my mentors, I've been watching them perform and have performed with them most of my life.

I learned and still learn a lot from my dads willingness to improv and jam and sing with heart. His taste in music is very Neil Youngesque, which I appreciate. He tends to be more reserved with an audience.

I learned how to entertain from my mother. Over the years I've gotten to watch all the different ways she can interact with an audience, her gravelly vocal style, and her catalogue of old rock n roll, country, and soul. She is brilliant songwriter as well. It never ceases to amaze me. She tends to be a lot more extrovert, she tells jokes and keeps people on their toes.

I like to think that I've tried to take the best of both performing styles from them. Also, thanks to them I feel like I have a well rounded taste in music.
 
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
A good conversation with an interesting person can get my wheels turning. Learning experiences tend to make for good fodder. Sometimes if I feel like a song is a little to surface or shallow, I like to go a little deeper and maybe a little more poetic.

I love puns, limericks, and spoonerisms. I like to add reference, I also love cultural slang and riddles.
There isn't good or bad way to write in my opinion, just habits.

One of my sub conscious habits is to write for the anti-hero. My favorite people are real, unabashadly flawed, and not afraid to admit it. So I try to represent those people and I aspire to be that as well.
“Three Days on The Wagon” and “Loving & Leaving” from my e.p. are good examples of anti-hero songs.
 
What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? 
 “You gotta put butts in seats.”
(That's your value in the music industry.)
 - Ramblin' Jack Elliot

“No music stand allowed on stage, it's cheating.”
(How you supposed to entertain people when you're staring at a sheet of music?)
 - Momma Dawn Day (my mother)

“Hang 10 when you're playing those leads.”
(Hang your feet off the stage, play for the audience, and enjoy your moment.)
 - Dino Denino of The Dino Denino Blues Band

Hailing from Oklahoma, alternative country four-piece (and siblings), VOTH - Caleb (guitar/vocals), Hannah (vocals), Cody (vocals), Jacob (drums) -recently released their latest single, "Sweetest Regret,” which showcases the foursome's finely-etched harmonies and detailed songwriting. Here, Caleb answers his Essential 8 where he speaks about songwriting and Rodeo Houston, shares the story behind "I Choose Us," and much more.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
- I remember sitting down one night and saying to myself, "I'm going to write a hit." I had the biggest writers block for days and couldn't get anything down worth sharing. I was super bummed about it. So I got on Facebook and was scrolling and stumbled upon an article that interviewed Brent Cobb and he said that when he stopped trying to write a "hit" and truly wrote from the heart, that's when the best songs came out. That night I waited until I was super tired and then thought about what my heart was feeling. A line came to me about love and I wrote it down. It was, "They say that love is a give and take so, take it out on me." I started to think about all of the songs that are written about Hollywood love stories or the songs that are written about horrible breakups. I thought, not many songs are written about the in between - you know the struggle. So "I Choose Us" came out from deciding to write from the heart instead of writing for a hit. So to answer your question, if I was to give one piece of advice, it would be to truly write from the heart.

Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
- The song, "I Choose Us", was written about a couple that is fighting for their marriage. I was writing what I thought would be a fictitious song and actually titled it, "Take It Out On Me." After I showed it to my siblings, we actually realized that it was very similar to my parents' story. It was kind of an epiphany that I wrote a song subconsciously about my parents' early marriage. They really fought to stay together and later on decided to tell each other - "I Choose Us" on a regular basis to signify their commitment to each other. So we decided to re-title the song, "I Choose Us". It has since been our most successful song.
 
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
- We mainly write from personal experiences or personal experiences from people close to us. I never understood how some people could just write complete fiction. There has to be some element of personal experience for us to really get into the song. I believe emotion drives so much of the feel and atmosphere of a song and in order to have emotion, you have to have some attachment. We try to really attach ourselves to our music. 

Hunter Perrin digs into his Texas roots with his latest recording, Wild Card, due December 7th. Recorded at The Station House in the Echo Park neighborhood of L.A., Perrin utilized 1950’s equipment to help reinforce his unique take on Americana music resulting in an album with strains of Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, and Duane Eddy, all while sounding at home to modern audiences who are dialed in to the worlds of JD McPherson and Wilco. Ahead of the album's release, Perrin kindly took the time to answer his Essential 8 where he spoke about songwriting, Billy Gibbons, John Fogerty, eating regional on the road, and much more.
​
​Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
My guitar teacher Reid Farrell.  He is a legend in Houston, TX.  For years, he toured with Archie Bell and the Drells spreading the H-town love with the “Tighten Up.”  He took me and my cousin to meet ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons when we were 12 and that really changed everything.  Bring your own unique spin on things to all that you do.  Play with soul.  Play down low.  Focus on your rhythm and your sound.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? 
A lot of the writing for this album happened while on the road.  I’d be out playing guitar and singing backup for someone and come back after the gig and have an idea.  Backstage at a venue.  Hotel room.  The Train Museum at Travel Town.  From my life.  Who I am.  Who I was.  Who I want to be.  The news.

When/where do you do your best writing?
I can’t force it, but it usually happens when I’m busy.  My brain is active and I’m in a good place to experiment with emotions, mood, storytelling, humor.  It seems to help when it’s quiet after a lot of activity.  I’ve written a lot at my wife’s family’s place in Wyoming.  You can walk all day there and not see another person.  I like to go there after touring and let all of the things that have been jammed up in my head just slowly trickle out.

Growing up in the small river town of Holladay, TN Dustin Hensley never felt like he fit in. “I love where I’m from, but I always knew there was more. And I was determined to go there. Wherever there was.” After years of playing the likes of Pentecostal revivals, the occasional funeral service and every other place he could, Hensley journeyed to Nashville. 
​
After years spent navigating the troubled waters of Music City, Hensley has a new excitement for his music and his future. Teaming up with artist/producer Tripp Weir. Hensley believes he’s finally found his sound, and his team.

His current single, “If I’m Being Honest” is the perfect blend of pure country storytelling complete with 90’s era guitar riffs, arena-filling drum fills, infectious pop melodies and 808 drum beats. Here, Hensley answers his Essential 8 and talks songwriting, the road, his guilty pleasure artists, and much more.
 
When/where do you do your best writing?
The shower, mainly. At least that’s where I get a lot of my ideas to take in to a session. For me,  it’s the one place in the world now that there are no distractions. No phones, no screens. Just me and my thoughts. Which can be a scary place at times haha.

What do you love most about being on the road?
Exactly that. Being on the road. I have a strong love for weird truck stops. They’re my favorite thing. Also, you get really close to the people you’re traveling with. Trauma bonding I suppose haha. You learn things about each other that normally you probably wouldn’t. SO many great inside jokes and stories come from being 8 deep in a van for hours on end. It’s the worst at times, but truly the best.
 
What has been your biggest struggle so far?
This business is tough, no matter what happens to you good or bad. I’ve had a lot of “almosts,” more than I can count. And I’m still not where I want to be. However, I feel that the artists who made the biggest impact had struggles along the way and things didn’t go smoothly for them. So in that theory, with all of the bad record deals and situations I’ve been in, I’m gonna be alright haha. Eventually.
 
What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Get another job haha. Kidding. Sort of. I’d say just to believe in yourself. Without a shadow of a doubt, you have to believe that it’s going to work out. Almost to a fault. But also, and I can’t stress this enough - be good to people and appreciate wherever it is that you are. Now, that’s easier said than done, but I truly believe that there is beauty in heartache and struggle. Some of the best pieces of art have come from pain. So feel everything, be good to those around you/ respectful of their time, and trust that you deserve a place at the table.

Northern California's Collisionville - Cory Snavely, Stephen Pride, Conor Thompson, and Matt Campana - meld punk with Americana on their latest outing, Stones, Keys, Flat Ninths, & Salvage released on October 19th. Here band member Stephen Pride answers his Essential 8 where he talks about songwriting, Chuck Berry and Paul Westerberg, shares the story behind the album's title, and more!

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
 Indeed there is. We were a ways in to working out new songs, and at some point the idea started creeping into my head that we might end up with enough material for a double album. Many of my favorite records are double LPs (Electric Ladyland, Exile on Main St., Songs in the Key of Life, Double Nickels on the Dime), so it got to the point where I couldn’t resist, and I started dragging my bandmates into it with me.
 
Then the plan got more complicated as we decided to start sneaking out the album on our Bandcamp site, one side at a time, calling each side an EP. I figured the full album title should have four parts to it, one for each side. A list of things. And so I started thinking about the songs and looking for things that were recurring in them. We ended up with Stones, Keys, Flat Ninths, & Salvage. You’ll hear about these things more than once as you make your way through the record.
 
 
Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
 It was a fun challenge to decide on sequencing for a four-sided record. You want to think in particular about what should be the first song on each side, and what should be the last. There is a thread that runs through the first song of each side. Additionally, each side has a song that features the plectrum banjo, and a song that has bottleneck guitar.
 
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
 I have to start with some idea that fell into my lap unbidden at some point. Some subconscious part of the brain does the initial work. I’m not sure where the subconscious is drawing inspiration from. Sometimes I think I’m drawing from things I’ve heard but didn’t even like!

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Jeremy Dion has been playing music since he was seven, and writing songs since he first picked up a guitar at the age of 18. Tinged with bluegrass, folk, and rock’n’roll, the songs Dion composes have the sound of hope and heartbreak, a loving distillation of the experiences we’ve all known at one time or another. On November 9th, Dion released his latest album, More Lately, and here answers his Essential 8 where he talks about the album, his favorite venues, and much more!

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I took the name from one of the songs on the album, the song that best represents the album as a whole. It’s a song that was written in the midst of a major transition, ending a marriage, coming out of the closet, and continuing to parent a daughter.  And now, I find myself at the age of 44, in a committed partnership and continuing to parent my now 12-year old daughter, feeling much More myself Lately.

With Evangeline, what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? 
During the writing of the song, that moment came when the word “gasoline” fell into place in the chorus. That word wasn’t in the phrase I was first using, but after working with it a bit and “gasoline” presented itself as an option, it couldn’t have been more perfect. I love the rhythm of  the word and the way it sings, let alone the meaning. And the meaning, juxtaposed with the “water,” said precisely what I was trying to convey in this song. 

During the studio recording of the song, I knew we had it right once I heard the Eric Moon on the accordion. His touch is perfect, and the reedy voice of the accordion adds a perfectly plaintive and soulful quality to the song. It’s my favorite song on the album.

What’s your favorite venue and why?
I love playing the Soiled Dove in Denver, and The Triple Door in Seattle for similar reasons. Both are venues that offer dinner and drinks as concert-goers sit at candle-lit tables. And despite the inherent bustle that comes with that type of place, the audiences are always quiet, engaged, attentive, and appreciative. Plus in Denver, the front of the stage at the Soiled Dove is semi-circular, and the experience of performing while feeling more enveloped by the audience makes it more intimate. Both have excellent sound systems as well.

Featuring the talents of Cliff Howard, Jonathan Smith, Paul Fox, Gwyndaf Williams and Ian Connor, Rivertown are an Americana band with a North Wales twist. Creating an interactive fan experience unlike any other, Rivertown performs original songs, and selected harmonies that include ear pleasing harmonies, the haunting sound of the steel guitar, mandolins, twin lead guitars, a super tight and melodic rhythm section, chiming twelve string guitar sound, and much more! Here, members Howard and Smith answer their Essential 8 where they share the story behind "Words Not Said," talk inspiration and album artwork, and much more!

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
(CH) I have been known to get inspiration for a song from newspaper or magazine columns. Sometimes it’s just a headline or a few words that spark an idea for a song. I used to travel frequently on the London Underground and often found myself reading the advertising posters and working up a song lyric.
One of my songs came about while I was watching the TV news with the sound turned down. The screen was filled with powerful images which I wrote about.
There is inspiration everywhere!
 
Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
(JS) The song 'Words Not Said' took a long time to write, even though it's quite short! It's a story song that documents a relationship looking back over years to when it started. It's quite a positive song! I wrote a lot of extra verses that didn't end up being used. There were certain images that jumped into my head as I was writing...that picture of a sailor kissing a girl in Times Square, that idea of people being out celebrating together and the huge emotional feel in the air when that happens. Also, I liked that it has a little intro that is different to the rest of the song, that was something that was quite common in the 1930's and 40's, but less so now; and of course, there are parts that definitely came from inside me...the line, 'I'm a grumpy soul from time to time'...just ask my partner! 

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made – up stories, something else or a combination?
(CH) I rarely set out to write about a specific experience or event. My songs usually begin with a few chords that have been going around in my head and once I have a basic chord structure the rest seems to flow. I go where the music takes me and the words just seem to follow.

Hailing from Chapel Hill, N.C., Mad Crush brings together five talented players whose previous credits are widely varied. Drummer Chuck Garrison started as indie-legend Superchunk’s drummer. Violinist Laura Thomas has worked with a bevy of heavyweights, from Ray Charles, Jay Z, and Judy Collins to acclaimed R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter, and Hilary Hahn. Singer John Elderkin’s songwriting has been praised by SPIN, Billboard, Jon Pareles of The New York Times, R.E.M. producer Don Dixon, and Cashbox. Ingenious electric guitarist Mark Whelan is a stalwart of the local music scene, having played in The Popes and The Veldt, among many other bands. And newcomer Joanna Sattin brings the hot, remarkable vocal delivery that gives the band it's “certain something.”

Mad Crush, the album (November 16th), is replete with lyrics inspired by Elderkin’s desire “to get to the heart of what matters—how we deal with getting what we want in life, and also how we deal with losing it.” In this way, songs that first appear to be about romance are also roadmaps to much grander stories, stories that are saucy, heartwarming, and tragically poetic. Here, Elderkin, answers his Essential 8 and talks inspiration, collaboration, success, and more.

​
​Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?

My teenage friend and first bandmate Steve Ruppenthal was my mentor. Before I met Steve, I liked to play loud and fast with a lot of shouting—I had no sense of subtlety. Steve listened sympathetically, then suggested that less can be more. He showed me how dynamics worked—that the wild moments I craved had to be crafted and earned. He also showed me what it meant to be cool. He was modest despite his brilliance, he loved celebrating the talent in others, and he didn’t seek outside approval. He died young, but he wrote a lifetime worth of great songs, and you can find them by searching for The Popes and The Lovely Lads.

With “My Pre-Existing Conditions,” what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?

“My Pre-Existing Conditions” didn’t come easily. I’ll give you the whole scoop. Yes, I got the phrase from political news, but I wanted to avoid that angle and instead write a confession from the point of view of someone recognizing his flaws—his “conditions”—and wondering if that would keep him from being loved. 

I liked the conceit a lot, but I couldn’t figure out how to deliver a list of issues without it becoming dreary and self-pitying. When I started filling in holes with funny and preposterous flaws, the song really came together. “Leaving up the toilet seat,” “relying on teeth whitening,” etc., turned out to be more than just placeholders. I realized those lines might make listeners wonder how self-aware this singer actually was, and I liked that wrinkle. 

A nice fix, but it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t leave the song as an obscure joke, I wanted something crushing to justify such a long, detailed confession. So I kept wrestling and wondering if I’d bitten off more than I could chew. It happens sometimes. I’d written the song on guitar, and I was stuck, so I switched to working on the piano and right away I hit on the notion of the singer totally exposing his true wish, beyond both the jokes and legitimate issues, by offering to love someone “exactly as you are,” pre-existing conditions and all, and in return hoping he’d get that from someone in return. Totally exposed. And ta-da, the rest was details.

Hailing from Virginia, Woody Woodworth and his band, The Piners, embody the heart of Americana with haunting melodies of love, loss, and the American spirit.  Woodworth writes tales of the blue-collar working class that are easy on the ears and heavy on the heart with a blend of alt-country, rock and roll, and Southern Americana.

On July 20th, Woodworth released his debut album, Virginia, and here he answers his Essential 8+ where he talks about the album and songwriting, shares the story behind "The Day Ronnie Died" and much more.


​Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? 
I never really had a musical mentor. My grandmother and grandfather, who I called Nanny and Papa, loved old-time, bluegrass, and traditional country music. I remember sitting on their living room floor as a child watching the Grand Ole Opry or Hee Haw. Country music was always playing somewhere around their house. I also had some family members, two great uncles and a great aunt, who played music in a traditional country band. And as far back as I can remember I wanted to do what they did. My mother was also into really great music. She turned me on to Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young, The Band, and Fleetwood Mac.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? 
The title track "Virginia," I wrote it in about 20 minutes. It was like the words and melody came out of the sky. I knew it was down when I put the pen down. That’s rare but damn it feels good when it happens. 

Please choose one song and tell the story behind it. 
"The Day Ronnie Died" is written from the first person perspective of my mother, who lost her brother in a horrible car accident in the summer of 1971. While visiting my grandmother in the hospital one night she began telling me about the events leading up to her sons death. I wanted to incapsulate the moment, so I penned the song. I decided to make my mother, who was only 12 years old at the time, the main character of the story. I was told that Ronnie’s favorite song was “Ohio” by CSNY. 

Is there a story behind your album’s title? 
I had a collection of songs and stories over the course of 10 years and I wanted a titled that tied them all together. When I wrote the song "Virginia" it just all made sense, I knew at that moment that that would be the title of the record. It just felt right. 

If appropriate, please share the story behind your album’s artwork. 
It’s a print of Richmond, VA burning during the Civil War. I’ve always loved this image. 

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? 
This album was special because it was my debut. I made it with some of my best friends, and a majority of it was cut live. In preparing for this record I really just pulled together the best songs I had at the time. I spent a lot of time on the order of the songs. I wanted it to feel like a full record, in the traditional sense, in that I wanted folks to listen from start to finish. I spent a lot of time deciding on the order by getting in my car and driving around- feeling out which songs felt best where. I actually had two many songs and one or two that recorded may have to go on the next album. 

On November 5th, UK-based Americana band the Jaywalkers released their fourth album, Time to Save the World. Recorded during the peak of the 2018 summer heatwave with Josh Clark as producer, the album features 10 original songs (and a Johnny Cash cover for good measure) which play on the strengths of each member. From tales of (almost) getting stuck up a mountain in Colorado (Rescue Me), to the ups and downs of life on the road (How Many Whiskeys?) and the feeling that a songwriter is always delicately balanced on the tightrope between creativity and despair (This Is The One), the songs provide a real snapshot of where Jaywalkers are at on their musical journey.

Here, member Mike Giverin answers the band's Essential 8 and talks songwriting, musical mentors, and Toto, shares the story behind "Rescue Me," and much more.
​
​​Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
The three of us owe a great deal to the teaching and general mentorship of Stuart Williams. He’s the guy that taught Jay fiddle and Mike mandolin and rather handily he is also Lucy’s brother! His teaching on all things strings is second to none but it’s the extra miles that he’s gone for us over the years that have got us to where we are today. Stu’s whole approach to learning music is to get up and play in front of people, so as soon as we could pick a tune, he’d have us playing it in front of an audience. Although daunting at the time, it has meant that we are always comfortable in front of an audience. The way he’s supported us has changed over the years but he’s consistently done so freely; from accompanying us in our school music exams to playing on our brand new album!
 
With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
Yes, with track 8 – ‘Set Me Free’ – it proved to me that a song is never fully written until it’s been arranged by the band. I wrote the riff first and then moulded the rest of the song around that. I originally wrote it at half of the speed we play it now, sort of a slow blues feel, but when we showed it to Lucy she couldn’t see how the bass would fit in with it. Even though it was fully written and it was one of my favourites I had written, we put it to onto the ‘maybe’ pile. As recording day came closer and closer, we had one last look at it as a band and someone had the idea of doubling the speed … 2 bars in we all looked at each other and just knew this is how the song should be played. It was a real ‘a-ha’ moment and proof that no matter how good a song you think you’ve written, the real magic is in the presentation.
 
Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
‘Rescue Me’ is our take on a bluegrass tale of woe and disaster. We (Jay and Mike) went over to the States back in 2016 to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in the mountains of Colorado. Making a bit of a road trip around the event, we decided to take a jeep tour from Ouray up to the top of Yankee Boy Basin which sits at just over 12,000 feet. The song tells the story of a great day turning sour as the jeep gets a puncture, the guide had no tools, spare tyre or radio and we were stuck miles high as the sky turned black and lightning broke the clouds! There’s a touch of poetic license towards the end, we weren’t quite surrounded by wolves, but the day could have been much worse had we not been rescued by two kind gentlemen in a pick-up truck.