Based in Katoomba NSW, Linda Mizzi blends folk, jazz, and blues - along with life experience - into her own unique style which can be heard on her latest album, Real People (May 2018). Here, she answers her Essential 8 where she talks Patti Griffin and Rickie Lee Jones, shares the story behind her album's title, and much more.
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Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I have a few actually, but I would have to say Patty Griffin. Her writing is so very honest – it’s almost divine. I’m lyric driven and love listening to wordsmiths who can also write and sing melodies that are so unique – the ones that leave you pondering “where did that come from?” She just continues to do what she does. She has hits and then she just has great, great, songs.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
Absolutely. ‘Real People’ is my tribute to the people around me who are forthright in who they are, how they say it – the big hearted ones who are comfortable in their own skin – despite where they come from. Real struggles, real love, real life. I despise liars, false and bitter people who belittle others - pretending to be someone or something they are not. Particularly the holier than thou people – the ‘Sunday hypocrites’.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
As expressed - Real life experiences. Stories from others – and the emotion that goes along with it. There is a song on my album that I wrote in the back smokers den at a pub one evening – listening to a story of a friend over a drink - and jotting ideas on a coaster. I still have that coaster. It’s special to me.

Born and raised in South Texas Jim Wyly has spent the last 40 years living and playing in the Austin area. While the obvious label for his music is “Texas Songwriter”, Wyly’s sound and songs are influenced from a multitude of directions, ranging from folk to R&B and rock and roll. Having spent time as a member of several bands, Jim has been widely regarded by his peers as a master of the songwriting craft. At the young age of 72, Wyly is stepping away from the sound and life of being in a band and releasing his solo debut, The Artisan (available now). Here, Wyly answers his Essential 8 where he talks about writing and the road, offers insight into drinking at gigs, and more.
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Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
My Dad was a piano player and singer. He was a crooner back in the 30's. He would play piano and sing in the living room, where the piano was and I became interested in music as I used to sit and listen to him. He taught me simple chords on the piano and I took it from there.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I don't know if inspiration is the right word. I think it's more what interests me.  If I have an idea about some subject that interests me, I'll make an effort to right about it.

When/where do you do your best writing?
At home late at night.

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
I think I would fit into the combination category, a little bit of all those subjects.

The Dark Ride Brothers are a Finnish-German band founded in 2014 by Sven Langbein and Vesa Winberg. They started with two acoustic guitars, and since then their journey has been open-minded, determined and consciously disregarded all boundaries. In the beginning, DRB played a lot of cover songs. Quite soon, however, their repertoire also included their own productions. 


With their refreshingly different sound – the band stands for rousing fireworks of pop/rock music equipped with an extra load of country - the band is on a never-ending adventure trip with their fans. Their music creates a sense of togetherness that cannot be put into words, which is why their fans see themselves as part of a big Dark Ride Family. Here, member Vesa Winberg answers his Essential 8 where he talks musical mentors, inspiration, challenges, what he's listening to, and much more!

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
In songwriting everything starts and ends with the melody. Usually, the first part that pops into my head is the chorus, followed by the verse that grows around it. The lyrics come last and they support the melody. When it comes to melodies, the simple and mind-blowing ones are the most challenging but also the most rewarding ones to create.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
The songwriters that have inspired me the most are those who managed to successfully combine melodies and catchy, simple lyrics. Of course, Paul McCartney and John Lennon have defined the structure of the modern pop song. Out of the later songwriters, Per Gässle (Roxette), Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, and Desmond Child have all put a real simple core to their songs. And then again, Avicii totally redefined songwriting and managed to combine different genres to create something completely unique. Being technically talented is not enough if the songs themselves don't have that certain something.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? 
When "Jetplane" first popped into my head, it was a small, folk-inspired song that never made a big deal about itself. However, the song had me tightly in its grip and suddenly there was a chorus to it! Another "aha" moment occurred when we were working on "Safe and Sound". The song just appeared in front of us and was almost instantly ready. Also, it was a very easy song to rehearse. We cannot wait for it to be recorded in the studio.

When Brandon Fulson writes and sings about the country, he’s talking about the real country: a place where “hillbilly heroin and alcohol,” grifters, hookers and people just generally making bad decisions are more likely to be neighbors than those happy-go-lucky characters.

It’s the place where Fulson grew up and still lives and it permeates his new release, Forgotten Appalachia, the follow-up, and musical companion, to 2016's Dark Side of the Mountain. Here, Fulson answers his Essential 8 where he talks in depth about the album, his favorite "gift," Ray Wylie Hubbard, and more!

Is there a story behind you album's title?
I came up with the title "Forgotten Appalachia" while visiting my childhood home place. I lived in a holler called Beans Fork in Middlesboro, Kentucky and when I went back to see it, I was blown away at how different it looked. I caught myself saying the place looked "forgotten." Since most of my songs are about the area I grew up in I felt Forgotten Appalachia was a good fit.

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
Forgotten Appalachia is a sequel to my 2016 release Dark Side of The Mountain. I felt like the album had to pick up where Dark Side left off and work it's way to the conclusion, so the album pretty much wrote itself. To fully understand the story I'm telling I recommend folks  listen to the two albums back to back. Dark Side opens with the preacher preaching and works it's way through the drug epidemic, growing up in a dry county, coal mining, cut throat bars, ghost stories, snake handling preachers and a drunken car chase. Forgotten Appalachia focuses more on my struggles and is more character based with stories about my own family and ends with the song "Lonely Place To Be" which is me coming to my own conclusion about life in Appalachia. That song is me washing my hands.

With any particular song, was there an "a-ha" moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
For me, every song I write has an "a-ha" moment and that moment comes when I make my own self laugh. It's as though someone whispers something in my ear and I laugh out loud as the pen hits the paper. If I say "oh no, you can't say that" then I immediately know that's what I must say.

Singer-songwriter Kari Arnett's new album, When The Dust Settles, showcases her affinity for lonesome melodies, a vulnerable grit, and an authentic lyricism, that articulates the love, pain, and the struggle of the American Life. Together with her full band they created a raw sound, from warm, vintage acoustics to a retro, cinematic feel making When The Dust Settles a collection of deeply personal songs with universal appeal. Here, Arnett answers her Essential 8 and talks about the album, songwriting, Netflix, The Ryman, and much more!

Is there a story behind your album's title?
Yes.  When The Dust Settles became a reoccurring theme throughout the album due to the many chaotic situations I was dealing with at the time.  I wanted to write and tell the story of what would happen AFTER the storm of your life rolls through and know that you may come out a different, changed person after those things occured, but the knowing that you could become stronger for it.  

Do you write about personal experiences, the experience of others, observations, made up stories, something else or a combination? 
I tend to write more from my perspective, but it's through observation and long reflection that I tend to come to the finished song.  Usually, having a melody in mind makes it easy... but the content has to move me in a deep, honest way... and it always has to be real.  Most of my songs are as if I am writing a letter, either to myself or someone else, something tangible that you can understand.  Keeping it simple works best. 

What's the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? 
One of my friends once told me to talk to myself as if I were a friend.  That has been on my heart ever since.  I think as musicians or artists we can be our own worst critics... I think that was a piece of beautiful and solid advice.  As hard as it is to remember sometimes, it is valuable to be kind to yourself.

Trey Ackerman has country music in his blood.  His singer-songwriter grandmother, Patti White, toured with artists like Bill Monroe and Faron Young while his father, Willie Ackerman, was a first-call session player and the staff drummer on the Grand Ole Opry and Hee Haw. 

As Trey grew up, his early forays into music included learning to sing, play guitar, drums and piano beginning at age 8, co-writing his first published song – recorded by Webb Pierce – at age 12, and as a rhythm guitarist in the Nashville Davidson County Sheriff’s Department band during his teenage years. 
In high school Trey moved from Nashville to Laredo, Texas where he paid his dues touring with regional acts as a guitarist, drummer and backup singer. 

After returning to Nashville and continuing his work as a drummer and sound engineer, Trey enthusiastically stepped into the role of husband and father, complete with a shift to more “legitimate” work in the IT industry. Even as he and his wife, Karen raised their children, Trey never lost his love for making music.  After losing both his parents, and upon a chance meeting with Hall of Fame guitarist Wayne Moss, Trey decided that the best way to simultaneously honor his musical legacy and talent was to re-enter the music business, this time with a singular purpose: to record an album along with his father’s musical peers.

Trey’s debut record is unique to his particular style of writing and performing, while also paying homage to his childhood memories and the music of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Here he answers his Essential 8 and talks musical mentors, his new album, Lonely On The Road, songwriting, and more!
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Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I’ve had so many influences over the years and they’re really quite varied in genre (Country, Folk, Americana, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop, Latin).  As for straight up mentoring, Nashville session guitarist Wayne Moss has been my most recent influence. He gives me a lot of rope creatively but will help reign me in as well. I listen to everything he has to say.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? 
95% of the time that “a-ha” moment is very elusive. However, the title track of my first EP, Lonely On the Road, was a rare exception. That song came very quickly and I knew the moment it was finished with the exception of one line. When I took it into the studio, I had 3 or 4 alternate lines written down and actually mixed up my words and sang something completely new. It was totally spontaneous and, as luck (or the Universe) would have it, the mistake was the best line of all of them so we ended up keeping it.  The rest of the time, a song is done when I’ve either started performing it at writer’s nights around Nashville or I’ve taken it into the studio & recorded a demo version, which kind of locks it in. I still have songs from 30+ years ago I consider to be unfinished.

Jordan Rager spent his teens self-recording videos and performing classic cover songs, which he shared on YouTube. These videos caught the attention of Justin Moore, and before the age of 19, Jordan was opening an arena tour with the country-radio star. Soon after, he began recording songs with some of the biggest names in country music and releasing singles to radio. 

Now 23, the Georgia native is currently in the studio wrapping up his eagerly awaited project. Jordan is excited for fans, both old and new, to hear these songs, which he feels will show the country music world exactly who he is. "What I'm working on now, both lyrically and sonically, is what I've always wanted to do. I'm getting to make the music I've always dreamed about. It'll be honest. It’ll be transparent. And, it will all be me." Here, Rager answers his Essential 8 where he talks about inspiration, Chick-fil-A, Ed Sheeran, and more!


With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
I felt that way once “One of The Good Ones” was finished. It had everything I was looking for musically and lyrically - the kind of song I’ve always wanted to release.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
My inspiration comes from my life and the experiences I’ve been through. I think the best thing a songwriter can be is honest.

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Spend time with your artistry and really hone in on who you are and what you are. Once you’ve found your “thing” and believe in it, everything else will come much easier.

Hailing from Vancouver, Cousin Arby, the self-described "hottest faux-family country band," recently released their new project, You And Me And Rodrigo. Here, Scott Postulo AKA Redge Arby answers his Essential 8 where he talks about the album, weighs in on drinking at gigs, writing an opera, and much more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
My partner and I had just recently seen the Shakespeare play Othello, and for a while after that we started calling our dog "Iago" for fun.  Anyways, we were driving around one night and were talking about how it seemed like almost everybody that we knew was kind of fucked up or shady at that time, and we were the only sane ones around.  Then we corrected ourselves and joked that our dog is pretty cool too.  The idea kicked around in my head for a while, so I wrote the title song about that, except that "Iago" didn’t have the right syllables, so I chose another character name from Othello, and it became “You And Me And Rodrigo”.  I felt that it worked as a title for the EP as well, for no particular reason.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I used write a lot more from personal experience when my life was more of a mess than it is now, so these days I tend to make up characters or situations and try to develop that.  From song to song, I might try to emulate a certain songwriter to some degree as well.  Tom T. Hall, Paul Simon and Lee Hazelwood are a few examples where I’ve tried to tap into their style in the past.  Sometimes I smoke weed too.

What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road?
Chicken Bacon Swiss combo from Arby’s with curly fries and a Dr Pepper.  In Canada, Dr Pepper is owned by PepsiCo, and Arby’s just recently switched from Pepsi to Coca-Cola, so I’ve had to switch over to a Cherry Coke instead now.  Sometimes life isn’t fair, but all we can really try to do is move forward.

Through their sophomore record, Weary Traveler, The Deep Hollow's Micah Walk, Liz Eckert and Dave Littrell dig into topics such as getting older, longing for a stable home, and the weight of the open road.  Cello, violins, and guitar intensify the stories, which are cut from both their personal lives and those of strangers. For example, “Freedom Street" depicts the reality of homelessness while “Real Life” imparts sage advice gained from the life they have experienced. Ahead of the album's November 9th release, Walk answers his Essential 8 where he talks songwriting and inspiration, Jason Isbell, what he's currently listening to, and more.

​With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?  
I honestly have a hard time ever feeling like a song is complete. And I almost never feel like they're perfect! Probably to a fault, I pretty much always have the feeling that something could be improved upon, whether it's a lyric or overall production. I don't think I ever feel totally satisfied, to be completely honest. With that said, Freedom Street is my favorite track from our new record. I feel like our producer really helped create the tonal landscape that I had in mind. And I think the production helps underline the song's story. So there really may have been a couple of "a-ha" moments for this one. One was when I wrote it. It was just one of those tunes that came out of nowhere and I knew I wanted to give it some attention. But another was when the production started to come together in the studio. It was really rewarding to hear it all come together.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
"Weary Traveler" is a lyric from the song Now I See. Dave actually wrote the song a long time ago - before we were a band - but it was brought to life with the 3-part harmony in The Deep Hollow. The lyric kind of sums up a lot of what the album touches on. I think we all feel a little weary after spending so many years away from home.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Since we all write songs they obviously come from slightly different perspectives. We definitely have our share of songs inspired by love. I used to write a lot of songs about the lack of love haha... I got married in 2016, though, and have been writing some happier songs. I wrote Wide Open Road for my wife and Hangin' On was inspired by our story. (We lived in the same small town and had mutual friends but somehow took years to find each other).

The life we chase down is also the inspiration behind songs like Real Life and Liz's Carry Me Home. Dave's somber song Anna's Gone deals with suicide.

I was raised in church and those lessons run deep, even though I question many of them. And, oh boy...politics. I honestly don't know how any artist could keep the current political climate from impacting their work. Religious and political overtones are thick in songs like Freedom Street and Misplaced Love.