LA-based songwriter Sir Canyon (Noah Lamberth), who previously played pedal steel with Katy Perry and shared stages with Willie, Dierks, Brad Paisley, and more, is preparing  for the release of his new project, Ventura Skies, on March 2nd.

A cinematic album, Ventura Skies, transports the listener to the spacious landscapes of Southern California and is inspired both by the location where the album was recorded as well as artists such as Glen Campbell, The Beach Boys, Gram Parsons, and Buck Owens. Ahead of its release, Lamberth kindly answered his Essential 8 and talked the story behind the album's title, finding your voice, meeting Merle Haggard, and more.


What’s the story behind your album’s title, Ventura Skies?
I used live above Ventura Boulevard in the valley and I had a back yard with a killer view. When we wrote the title track I had the view in mind, but it was also an idea of looking West and starting over. Since Ventura about as west as you can get before you fall into the ocean it seemed to fit--”none more west” if you will.

With “Cindy Come Over” what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
When I wrote “Cindy Come Over” with Ryan Jackson, I knew we had a good song. The lyrics were interesting, we had a good melody with a great chorus that was reminiscent of a classic 70s song, but it wasn’t until we started on this record and the producer (Andy Davis) suggested we add mariachi trumpets--that’s when I knew we had some magic with this song. We searched for a horn player and finally found a guy who was the real deal, and he nailed it. I really love that song.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Books, Movies, personal experience, other musicians?
It always changes. When inspiration hits, I want to be able to capture the moment. On this record I had a song idea after reading an article about Lauren Bacall which helped me finish “Shine Bright Diamond.” “Grace Grace” came from a dream I had; I woke up one morning with the melody and words “Grace, Grace” rolling in my head for whatever reason. I ran with it and was able to capture it in song.

Have you met any of your heroes? How did it go?
I met Merle Haggard about 12 years ago and it was a great experience. I was backstage at a show in San Bernardino and he was exactly how I thought he’d be; friendly, down-to-earth, honest and super chill. Really sad that he passed away, but I’m thankful for his music and the opportunity to meet him. I’ll never forget that moment.

Once a fiddler with Apache Relay, multi-instrumentalist Kellen Wenrich begins his solo career as Kellen of Troy with his debut LP, Posthumous Release (February 16th). The upcoming release finds the singer-songwriter mellow, focused, and rich with realization in songs where blissful folk melodies are juxtaposed with reflective, vulnerable, and somber lyrics that pull from the personal and professional. Ahead of the project's release, Wenrich took some time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the album's title, meeting and working with Jimmie Haskell, fan art, and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title? 
I was on tour with Apache Relay and The Weeks in the UK, walking out of the Columbia Hotel to catch the bus. Our frontman said he'd been listening to Milk and Honey, John Lennon's eighth record and first posthumous release. That term stuck in my head and as soon as I got on, I went to the back of the bus and started writing the tune. I finished it, walking around the streets of Bristol, and by the time I got back to the states I decided it'd make a fine record title.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? 
The best way to make a million dollars in music is to start with two million. Also, perseverance.​

What has been your biggest struggle so far? 
Finding the median between a well-tempered major third and a diatonic major third.

Who would you love to collaborate with? 
Bach.I’m not writing this to impress you. I won’t tell you stories of my conquests and adventures - 

Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative? 
Both; a negative before the show, a positive afterwards.

Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? 
YES! I met and got to work with Jimmie Haskell on the last Apache record. In case you don't know who Jimmie Haskell is, according to Wikipedia, "Jimmie Haskell (born Sheridan Pearlman, November 7, 1936 - February 4, 2016) was an American composer and arranger for a variety of popular singers and motion pictures". He arranged, conducted, and recorded music for the likes of Elvis Presley, Simon and Garfunkel (Bridge Over Troubled Water...​holy shit!!!), The Everly Brothers, and many more. He arranged and conducted strings on a few tunes on the last Apache record and somehow some of my parts made it into his charts. At the end of the session he even thanked me for my help, and I thought I was gonna throw up.

Do you have a favorite gift from a fan? 
I love seeing fan art. A couple times I've seen portraits concert-goers have made of me and bands I've played with. That's always insanely humbling.
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What are your “must have” albums for the road? 
'Wait Wait Don't Tell Me' [podcast]; albums need not apply.

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Born into a blue-collar military family, M Callahan grew up to respect common values and a deep work ethic. His acclaimed debut album Trailer Park Paradise and following release Chicken on a Chain touched on these values, producing two #1 charting songs on Europe’s Hot Disc Country Charts and garnering him Indie Music Channels Country Artist of the Year in 2015. Due February 16, his new album, Working Man delves further into the heart of this singer-songwriter with songs that weave between issues like class distinction (“Johnny Cash and Jesus Christ,” “Chicken Feed and Barbed Wire”) and personal narratives speaking to life, love and lessons learned (“A Smile Won’t Hide The Pain,” “Real Love Isn’t Blind”). In advance of it's release, Callahan took the time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the significance of his album's title, songwriting, and more.
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What’s the story behind your album’s title?
The album title is really a tribute to my Dad. He was always doing whatever he could to make money for the family when I grew up. Whether it was working the night shift, working two jobs, fixing CB radios or climbing towers. He’s always been a down to earth get your hands dirty type of guy. Most of the time if we went anywhere people would ask what he did for a living and he would just simply say I’m a “Working Man.” 

With “A Smile Wont Hide The Pain”, what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
My “a-ha” moment was when I finished writing “A Smile Won’t Hide The Pain” with my co-writer/producers Matt Rollings and Michael Ochs. I had this song for a while, but it didn’t really have that magical touch on it so I brought it out on a co-write one day. The whole tune took on a new life and energy with the words falling into the right place. I think what really sold me on it was the simplicity of the arrangement and it still captured what I was feeling when I originally wrote it. It gave me that “a-ha” moment along with some goose bumps.
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Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I usually write a few songs and then release them on a project. I don’t go through and listen to hundreds of songs from a publisher and pick what I think will be a “hit”. I record songs that I have written and I like the most at that time. I do try to mix it up between up-tempo and slow songs so people can listen through the whole album and enjoy it.

Simon Linsteadt is a singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from California who has recorded six studio albums and toured extensively performing at venues including The Fillmore and the Great American Music Hall, as well as many festivals including Outside Lands, High Sierra Music Festival, Sisters Folk Festival, and more. His latest album, February, a delicately crafted, passionate nine-track collection, was released in early 2018.​ Here, Linsteadt answers his Essential 8 and talks songwriting, the story behind February, his favorite spots to eat on the road, and much more.


With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
The song “Vulture” comes to mind. It actually went through many versions, maybe five. There was a version with electric guitar and drums, there was a weird version with a synthesizer, and a few steel string guitar versions. Finally I landed on just nylon string guitar and vocal. This process took months. Once I recorded one, and I had a gut feeling it wasn’t quite right, I had to wait a long while before I felt ready to take another stab at it-- at least a few weeks. Each time I recorded it again the song got a little more simplified and the lyrics changed slightly. When I finally got the right take in September, I knew immediately it was the one. It wasn’t perfect, but it was complete. It was actually recorded on the last day of mixing at Tiny Telephone Studios. I waited until the very last minute and we set up some mics. It was the hardest song to get right on the album. 

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
I rented a space for a month in February 2017 to make this album. I felt that there was going to be some sort of musical upwelling inside me during February. During that month I was a bit disheartened because I wasn’t able to finish the project or get any recordings that I was happy with. I packed up at the end of my stay and felt defeated. During that time I wrote the song “February” which was somewhat of a prayer, or an attempt to summon my creative energy that felt trapped or possibly lost. I ended up recording the album over the following half year at my house. Slowly but surely, and with a lot more patience than I initially had, I made the album and it ended up totally different than I could have expected. What didn’t happen during that month of February was significant, and I wanted to honor what the whole experience showed me.

Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I tried to arrange the songs to have the album move between two main chapters, so to speak. The first half is more gentle and based around words. A couple of them were like prayers. These were followed by a long instrumental called “The Alien”, which is a bit alienating itself just in how long and open ended it is.  This then transitions into a slightly more lighthearted second half of the album with more of a backbeat.

When/where do you do your best writing?
Sometimes in the quiet of my room, or sometimes I’ll go on a walk and find a place to sit. Sometimes it’s the green room before a performance. When things are moving fast in my life or I’m feeling changes happening, finding solitude amidst the turmoil helps me process and write.

For over 30 years Alice DiMicele has been a grassroots trailblazer in independent music. Bucking the advances of record labels, the Southern Oregon-based singer-songwriter has self-released 14 albums on her Alice Otter Music label including 2018's One With the Tide, a beautiful blend of genres anchored by powerful storytelling and DiMicele's distinctive vocals. Recently, DiMicele very kindly took the time to answer her Essential 8 and talk about meeting two of her heroes, her current musical obsession, songwriting, and much more! 

What are your “must have” albums for the road? 
I get obsessed with albums. When I was a kid my first obsession was Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In the Key of Life” and that is still a go-to album for me. My current obsessions are Jason Isbell’s albums “Southeastern" and his latest “The Nashville Sound.” I was on tour in Colorado a few years ago and the son of one of the promoters gave me a burnt copy of “Southeastern” because he thought I would dig it. I pretty much drove my band and my husband bonkers playing that album over and over. Luckily I have the new one now too. John Hiatt’s “Walk On” album has been in heavy rotation since it came out (a LONG time ago) and Trombone Shorty gets a fair amount of play as well as Mavis Staples in the van CD player.
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Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? 
My song "Wise Old Woman” from my first album “Make A Change” still seems to be the most requested song. It’s fun to get the audience to sing along on the chorus and crowds have always seemed to enjoy that at my shows.

Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? 
I got to play a show with Bonnie Raitt & Joan Baez. The road that we had to take to get there had a landslide so we had to take a 4 hour detour and got to the show while Bonnie was on stage, figuring we wouldn’t get to play. As I walked in she said “Hey Alice is here!!” and after her set she helped me get my gear on stage and had me use her mic and made sure I was taken care of. As I played my set I saw her and Joan on the side of the stage dancing! Then they invited me up to sing with them at the end of Joan’s set. That was pretty fabulous!

Who would you love to collaborate with? 
​This is a good question. I wish I could have answered this for every stage in my life because my musical taste is so broad there are so many answers to this. But at this moment in time, I would say Jason Isbell. There is a sincerity in his music that encompasses my own philosophy in songwriting. If his wife Amanda Shires were there too it would make it even better. I love her playing and she harmonizes so well with him.

Hailing from North Carolina, the Maggie Valley band came together in the town they now identify themselves with - Maggie Valley, NC. Sisters Whitney (vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, banjitar) & Caroline Miller (vocals, bass, percussion) grew up in a home where playing the piano was a daily requirement, a requirement that soon turned to passion. TMVB recently released their debut album, The Hardest Thing, under the direction of Grammy nominated producer, David Mayfield. Here, the duo kindly answer their Essential 8 and talk musical mentors, challenges, road life, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Whitney: David Mayfield haha, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Sturgill Simpson.
Caroline: Cadillac Sky & Mayfield for sure. We always knew Bluegrass but when we saw Cadillac we knew that Bluegrass could evolve into more-something that anything could go.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Whitney: Our personal pain, but also our personal hope.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
Caroline: We’ve gotten to open for Reverend Peyton and His Big Damn band and he said “just remember, it’s a tough business kid. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Caroline: If you honestly want it-keep going. Don’t look back and don’t think the world needs you. They don’t, but will you prove them otherwise? That you’re different?

What’s your favorite food on the road?
Caroline: Whatever’s free haha. One time we ate pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for five days straight but it was free.

Do you have any touring tips?
Caroline: Plan it out and don’t spend money and don’t allow for free time. Free time means spending money.

Missouri-based singer-songwriter Andrew Ryan recently released his debut album Across Currents. Recorded in St. Louis, the project features Ryan on numerous instruments including acoustic and electric guitar, drums, vocals, glockenspiel, and piano evoking an alt-county sound that hits the sweet spot between The Old 97's and Wilco. Here, Ryan answers his Essential 8 and talks about writing for the record in Taiwan and Michigan, "a-ha" moments, and more.

​When/where do you do your best writing?
The first half of the this album I wrote at my brother's home in the small town of Dapi, Taiwan. I was in another country for a few weeks and isolated myself for most of it. I had my sister in law's childhood classical acoustic guitar and I stayed on the third floor of the school building they own and operate. Just taking it all in.

The second half of the album I wrote in the attic of a home that was built in the 50's in a town in Wisconsin called Sheboygan. I was working in construction at a power plant right on the coast of Lake Michigan in between Green Bay and Milwaukee. Again, I was held up in isolation when I had a moment for it on an acoustic guitar with a folding chair, an air mattress, and alcohol. 
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What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Across Currents is sort of derived from a line from my song “Gwyneth” - “As I cross these currents to your heart”.​

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? 
I draw inspiration from my life and my experiences.

Raised and living in Ottawa, singer-songwriter Norm Brunet's artistic ability was evident at an early age. He started playing guitar at the age of nine and over the years, the two became inseparable. With a diverse appreciation for music, Norm counts the Eagles, Poco, Loggins and Messina, and the Birds, among his many influences.  With two previous critically acclaimed albums, Me & My Guitar and  Life Goes On, Norm’s latest project, It Don’t Get Better Than This, remains true to his signature style of writing, balanced with the melodies of traditional country, rock, and American roots music. Here, Brunet answers his Essential 8 and talks the story behind his album's title, songwriting, his dream venue, golf, and much more!

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
 “It Don’t Get Better Than This,” the title track and lead off single, was the first song that I wrote off this album last year at this time. It was inspired by a young mid-west family that I met in my travels. He was a trucker and she a stay-at-home mom with two very young children. They were barely making ends meet and had none of the modern trappings that we are all accustomed to. I was taken aback when I saw how they had found true happiness in the simple things in life – their faith, their family and their friends. We are so busy chasing the almighty dollar that we sometimes forget about what’s important. The song just wrote itself after meeting them, and it was that song that got my creative juices flowing. I wrote the rest of the album in a couple of months.
 
Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
From everyday situations. I’m a very good listener and observer of life, people and what
surrounds me. I take everyday situations and manage to create a story from it.
 
When/where do you do your best writing?
 I’m an early riser. I can’t sleep past 5:00 a.m. and I find that’s when my mind and thoughts are
fresh and my creativity is at its best. If I do get an idea, no matter what the time is I am disciplined to save that thought on my cell in files that I keep and later transfer to my computer. I’ve amassed a lot of one liners and ideas, and I keep those for a rainy day.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Countryside Ride are prepping to release their forthcoming sophomore album, I Hope He Breaks Your Heart. The fourteen-track collection of tunes finds the band doing what they do best: playing ole' fashioned country, honky-tonk, hillbilly, and western swing. The quintet - Ervin Lien (lead vocals, rhythm guitar),  Josh Kunze (lead Telecaster guitar, vocals), Jessica Kunze (stand-up bass, vocals), Johnny Payola (drums, vocals), and Ian Miller (pedal-steel) - mix seven classic country songs (by the likes of Johnny Horton, Willie Nelson, Hank Cochran, and Billie Shaver) with seven originals to create a record that sounds like it is straight out of the golden era of honky-tonk and western swing. In advance of the album's release, front man Lien took the time to answer his Essential 8 and talk songwriting, tacos, tunes and the road, and much more!

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? 
Having played so many honytonk, all-night-long-type shows, we cover a ton of material, and different material, depending on what we feel like doing.  For this record we wanted to not only showcase much of our original material, but get some of the standards you might see us pull out on any given night: Songs we love.  We also wanted to round the record out as much as possible playing songs with different feels, as opposed to a record where everything just sounds the same.  There are definitely some styles that we didn’t get to cover, but maybe on the next record.

When/where do you do your best writing? 
I do my best writing at home usually.  When I get an idea: like when I have my antenna up, and instead of being work it all just falls into place. Melody, lyrics, etc.  Sometimes that can be hard to capture, because I really can’t pick when it happens. I end up recording ideas into my phone or writing them down if I’m preoccupied with something else, but I really struggle going back, putting in the work, and finishing that stuff up.  I have some songs I’ve been messing with for years.

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
I mainly write a combination of personal experiences, feelings, observations. Sometimes I will write half a song that is completely true, but end up stretching or bending the truth to come out with a better song.  I’m really just learning how to do this, so hopefully I will keep getting better and be able to write songs every which way some day.

David Thomas Jacobson is a singer-songwriter whose raw sound reflects the city where he was born and raised:  Austin, Texas. His upcoming alt-country debut, On My Own, is a concept album based on the themes of heartbreak and redemption. In advance of the project's release, Jacobson took some time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the new album, inspiration and songwriting, and much more.
 
What’s the story behind your album’s title?
I've always been a fan of naming albums after songs. A lot of my favorite albums of all time are actually named after songs; Shotgun Willie, Highway 61 Revisited, etc. So when I wrote the song "On My Own" I always thought it would make sense as an album title because it's going to be my first release as a solo artist.

When/where do you do your best writing?
I usually do my best writing at night for some reason. I've always been that way. But when I have an idea I am trying to figure out I will usually stay up working until it's finished. I also refine my songs a lot live before I ever attempt recording them. An audience is the best trial judge for a new song.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I draw inspiration from other musicians, obviously. I love studying great songwriters and trying to get some sort of insight or understanding about the craft. Every song is different but there are always those influences. People say imitation in the sincerest form of flattery, but I like to think I have my own distinct voice and sound. Any creative writing is going to be primarily inspired by factors like taste, environment, etc. It's just life.

Which song of yours gets the best crowd response?
Probably "Stay For A While" because I've been playing it for so long. It's the first song on the new album but I wrote it years ago. So either that or maybe "Love (After All)" just because it's fast and fun.