L.A.-based (by way of NYC and the U.K.) singer-songwriter, composer and producer Wolfe Jackson is preparing to release his new project, Nobody Knows Me (Better Than You). Recorded and co-produced with GRAMMY & Oscar-Award winning producer Leo Sidran, the new album, which contains Jackson's soulful, piano-driven ballad "Photograph", is an intimate live recording that captures a beautifully raw and honest performance. Ahead of its release, Jackson took the time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the album, the importance of staying true to yourself, road tunes, and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I think that the title "Nobody Knows Me (Better Than You)" made a lot of sense to me on a few levels. The album itself is like an open love-letter to anyone who touched me and had an impact during my life in New York City. So the title speaks to them in the sense that nobody knows me better than they do. I'd also say that anyone who listens to this record will probably have a much better understanding of me and my story, so the title speaks to the listeners too. ​

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? 
I think around the time all the material was coming together I noticed this recurring theme of intimacy, honesty and raw expression. I was also playing a lot of live, acoustic and intimate shows at the time. That ended up shaping both the concept and the musical/ production style of the record too. It's all recorded live, real instruments, no edits, no auto-tune - as real and intimate as it gets.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Anything that I find difficult to deal with or to talk about in real life, I deal with and convey through my music. I look back and I realize I've never needed a therapist as my music and songwriting helps me process so much of what I have going on in my life. Musically, when I hear a killer song or see a dope live performance it makes me want to get in my studio and play some guitar. Lyrically, often one line or idea comes to me and the whole song builds from there. That's exactly how my next single "Comfort Love" came about. 

Originally from Texas, singer-songwriter Zach Stone hit Nashville ready to make his mark. While attending Belmont University, Stone’s talents were recognized as the winner of Belmont’s Best Of The Best. He then went on to sign a publishing deal and release a six-song EP, Ashes. On March 9th, he released a new single, "Four Letter Word," a lyric driven song about the heartbreak of unreciprocated love. Here, Stone
answers his Essential 8 and talks the move from Texas to Nashville, the surprising place he does his best songwriting, shares a quick-fix hotel room meal, and much more!

When/where do you do your best writing?
All of my best writing… let me say that again, ALL of my best writing… happens in the shower. I don’t know what it is about that steamy, closet-sized, cleansing station, but my mind just works overtime. I honestly think it’s a peaceful moment of my day and the hot water is therapeutic and relaxing. Seriously, I’ve had writing sessions where I’ve been working on a song for months with no inspiration, and then that morning, as I’m getting ready for the write, I’ll be in the shower and I come up with what I think is a cool hook or an entire melody…all to the rhythm of the falling water. The hardest part is running through the house, soaking wet, wrapped in a towel, to record it on my phone before I forget it all.

Do you write about personal experience, the experiences of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
I write about everything I encounter in life. It’s easiest to extract emotion from a personal experience, but I love creating; that’s my favorite part of the songwriting process. I usually take a personal experience or emotion and use that to imagine a story, almost like each song is a four-minute fairytale. Some “tales” have happy endings, and some don’t…but that’s how life is and that’s what makes for a good song.

What’s your favorite food on the road?
Man, when I’m on the road, where the menu consists of gas station hot dogs and fast food burgers, there’s nothing like a good, healthy meal. I really enjoy the times we stop at a local restaurant for a good steak with some grilled veggies, or making our own creations in the hotel microwave. One diet-hack road tip: buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and microwave rice at a grocery store; tear the chicken into small pieces and mix it into the cooked bag of rice.  Enjoy a good protein and carb-filled lunch which is great after a hard, morning workout. Bon appétit! 

What are your “must have” albums for the road?
I like a variety of albums to jam to while the road. My go-to albums are Nine Track Mind (Charlie Puth) and Close the Distance (Go Radio). If I’m chilling in the hotel room or the back of the van, I’ll listen to Dierks Bentley’s Riser or Gavin DeGraw’s Sweeter. My workout playlist is full of Eminem, Linkin Park, and my new favorite artist, NF. Of all of these, the most important tracks are the tunes that I listen to when it’s time to pump up for showtime. “That’s Damn Rock & Roll” (Eric Church) and “Green Lights” (NF) blare in my room before the show.  (If you’re ever on my hotel block, I apologize in advance.)

"I’ve never had a record that’s as honest or connected to me on a personal level than this one."

Singer-songwriter Josh Grider blends the personal with the universal on his eighth album, Good People. The twelve-track collection, led by Grider's warm vocals, is brimming with lessons learned and thoughtful insights that connect with the listener, reminding them that while life may be difficult, things most often get better. Recently, Grider took the time to talk in depth about the record including its personal nature, balancing its lighter moments with its heavier ones, his touring plans, and much more.

Congratulations on the release of Good People, it’s such an enjoyable listen! The project was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Was this something you had done previously or something that you did for the first time?
All of my releases since 2010 were through labels, so this was the first time I ever even considered a Kickstarter.  This whole licking stamps and mailing stuff out was a lot of work and I had no idea how much my wrist was going to hurt from writing lyrics (laughing), but overall, my experience was a very positive one. 

So, other than a sore hand it, seems that it went well! Did you approach anything else differently?
Doing the Kickstarter really gave me the freedom to create the kind of record I wanted without the strings that inevitably come when someone else is financially invested. This time, there wasn’t anyone else telling me there were too many ballads or there wasn’t a hit or the songs sounded too much alike, so I could pick the songs free of outside influence. Bobby [Hamrick] produced and gave me input if I asked for it, but I picked songs that moved me and that I saw working in crowds. That freedom was a new thing, but it’s not like the label forced songs down my throat. I made those decisions consciously, but when you’re working with guys who have a huge history of success their opinion carries weight and when they weigh in it makes you think like differently about your choices.
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This time around, I also didn’t feel any time constraints. There was a relative timeline, although I missed it by six months, but I felt like I had the luxury of taking my time to get the record the way I wanted it, and I believe the Kickstarter people had the patience to wait for me. The jury’s still out on whether going back to it so many times was a good thing (laughing), but I’m really pleased with the end product.

I totally understand that, it’s important to have the finished product of something that you poured your heart and soul into be perfect. Were the songs you chose for the record pulled from your arsenal or written for this project?
Over the last few years, I have had different publishing deals which raised my output as a writer, so I had more songs to choose from. When I write, I just want to write the best song that day no matter who I am writing with, the topic, or the perspective. If at the end of it, that song is for me then that’s great. So when I got to the point where I knew I wanted to make a record, I looked back and found some anchor songs that stood out and performed them live to find what resonated or worked for me and built a record around those. “Good People,” “Sex and Alcohol,” and “Bad Times Roll” were all born out of coffee and conversation with Bobby [Hamrick] and James [Slater]. All of those really stood out to me to the point where I cut them as a test run before I went and asked people for money with the Kickstarter. Those three are really the bedrock of the record and then I was able to fill in “My First Band” and “Less and Less” and others which I felt fit thematically.

A last-minute addition was “Local Honey.” We actually had a ten-song record done and then I wrote that song, started playing it out and loved how fun, flirty and tongue in cheek it was. “Top of the Bottle” was another one Bobby and I had written a long time ago, but I never considered it for the record. I heard it as a country shuffle, but the demo Bobby did had that groove that just blew my mind. Once I heard that, I knew we needed that feel on the record. Both of those are lighter moments which balance the more serious ones, something I like the listener to have.

With this record, I wanted to put something out with a universality, that a person living their everyday normal life can listen and go ‘Yeah, that’s about how it is’….but with catchy melodies and riffs so you want to listen to it over and over again (laughing). I always try to sing a song that the audience would believe is something I would say if they knew me, but I’ve never had a record that’s as honest or connected to me on a personal level than this one. Good People marries Josh the wanna-be country start with Josh the nerdy dad and husband better than any album I’ve ever put out.

Hailing from Michigan, singer-songwriter Brandon Grafius will release his new album, Highways and Backroads, in May. The all original collection projects the sense of movement and finding the right place for oneself, a sentiment which can be found on the recently released track, "Things Get Right," a tune about hard-won joy and what it means to feel things falling into place. Ahead of the album's release, Grafius kindly took the time to answer his Essential 8 and discuss the album in depth as well as exploring personal experience in songwriting, what he's listening to, and more .

With any particular song, was there “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
This album’s first single, “Things Get Right,” was one of those rare songs that popped into my head almost fully formed. I had to massage some of the lyrics a bit; I went through a few drafts to make sure I had the right balance of concrete images and emotional resonance. The song’s all about finding reaching a place of personal resolution, but describes that experience through places and images, so it was important to keep sticking close to the concrete.
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I was writing the song alone, with just a guitar, but I heard the instrumentation really clearly in my head. I heard the banjo part that I’d end up overdubbing, I heard the second guitar, I heard the drums playing a locomotive shuffle beat, and most importantly I heard the fiddle. In the studio, we’d laid down most of the tracks piecemeal, and I was trying to work around Erin Zindle’s busy touring schedule to get her into the studio. So the real “a-ha” moment was when I heard her lay down that awesome fiddle track, and everything locked into place.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
​The album title happened about mid-way through the process of putting the album together. As I was sorting through the recent songs I’d written, I began to notice that a handful of them were centered on a place, and often had travelling to or from that place as a main motif. The song “Things Get Right” is about a weekend in Traverse City, but also about the journey from a difficult time in life to a more settled place. “Roll Away” uses the image of a river (in my mind, the Manistee in northern Michigan) as a way to think through what it means to leave behind the parts of ourselves that are causing us pain. And “Two Hundred Miles” is about a late night drive from Chicago back home to Lansing, but also about the journey towards coming to terms with the parts of ourselves that we need to work on, and finding strength in the desire to become a better person. There are lots of journeys in this album.
So I started thinking more intentionally about what it means to travel, and the kinds of destinations we seek out. I really like “Highways and Backroads” because it encapsulates two kinds of travel. The Highway is usually more direct, more focused, and gets us to where we want to go more quickly. Sometimes, it means we lose out on the scenery along the way. But there are some places where the highways don’t reach, journeys for which we have to take the less-travelled backroads. And sometimes, we’re more concerned with the travel with the destination, and we’d rather take our time on a backroad than move in a straight line along the highway. For me, this album is about both types of travel.

When/where do you do your best writing?
A lot of these songs are about the road, likely because that’s where the idea started out. I’m an academic by trade; I finished my PhD at Chicago Theological Seminary a few years ago, which meant lots of driving back and forth from Lansing to Chicago. And now I teach two days a week in Detroit, which is about 90 miles from where I live. So I’m still on the road. I find that the time on the freeway is when my mind starts to turn in on itself, when I start working through all of the hopes and anxieties that have been tugging at me quietly. Sometimes it’s an image – “Midwestern Sky,” for example, started from looking at the rich, rolling clouds along I-96 on a late spring morning. I’m always listening to music in the car, so sometimes a word or an image in a song will also spark something. “My Father’s Boat” started, oddly enough, from a Fort Frances song called “Ghosts of California.” There’s a line in that song: “Build us a home made for heroes/build us a boat to find the stars.” I started thinking about the craft of boat building, and how rich of a metaphor it could be – my first thought was to look up whether there’s a specific term for a boat-builder, and I was very disappointed to find that there isn’t! But then I started tracking back to a story my dad told, about being in a young man (high school or college, I think?) and building a boat with his father. It was the boat we used to go fishing on when I was young. All of those connections started pouring out from that simple line about “build us a boat” – all that was left was for me to shape it into something like a song!

An all-American, blue collar country man, Richard Lynch has poured his heart and soul into the countless chart-topping hits he and his band have produced.  Lynch has written, sung, and performed his songs with passion and dedication, building himself up into an independent country music sensation. While his musical roots are grounded in pure country, his songs also showcase elements of western swing, honky-tonk and outlaw country. Based in Ohio, Lynch released his first full-length album, The Last of A Dying Breed, in 2013. His most recent album, Mending Fences, is an outstanding example of what country music was meant to be. Recently, Lynch answered his Essential 8+ where he touched on everything from songwriting to the Waffle House, The Opry, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?  Oh my Dad for sure. He was a terrific musician and singer and huge supporter of traditionally country music

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?  I would say my song "We’re American Proud," it turned out just as I heard it

What’s the story behind your album’s title? It comes from one of the tracks on the album. The lyrics are just perfect for life in general.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing and where do you do your best writing? Mostly, living the country life. I would say relaxing or working on my farm

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? I’m sure it a bit of all those things

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? Do your own thing, don’t try to be someone you are not.
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What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? The same advice as above. Be yourself, the will only ever be one Hag, Strait, Jones and you ain’t it.

Nashville based songwriter-singer Bob Rea will release his new project, SOUTHBOUND, on April 20, 2018. Produced by Steve Daly, the thirteen-track collection of all original material moves with adventurous wanderlust and incisive lyrical grit. Etched with universal truths and tinges of humor, there's a strength and familiarity in Southbound's tracks that comes from the kind of craftsmanship that's honed through years of doing what you love. In advance of the release, Rea took the time to answer his Essential 8 and talk about the album, inspiration, favorite albums, and more.

​Is there a particular story behind your album’s title? 
When I started going back through several years of songs I discovered that I had a number of them that had the word southbound or going south and many train references. Maybe because m house in Nashville is near the tracks and it's subliminal. Had just finished Southbound with Erik Stucky  and was sure I wanted to put it on the Album. Up the that point I had thought Say Goodnight would be the title and theme for the story I was telling with the album but then I realized that Southbound was the theme and should be the title whereas Say goodnight was the synopsis

Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did
Getting the songs into a sequence to tell the story I wanted to tell with the album turned out to be more of a challenge than I had expected. I wanted them to be like chapters in a book leading to an inevitable conclusion. Starting the order with Southbound was had to be. then Say Goodnight at the three spot because it sums up everything else. The rest fell in place leading up to Fish Can't Fly in the number twelve spot because it's the flip side of the Southbound side. Then ending it with A Place in Your Heart because it has the melancholy yet open to hope quality that a last chapter should have

With (please choose a song), what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
When writing Say Goodnight with my friend Jody Mulgrew we had a the chorus and a start of a verse and were getting pretty hungry so I recorded it on my phone and just sang verse lyrics as they came to me. Then we had some BBQ and went our separate ways. I didn't listen to the recording until several weeks later and I couldn't believe how profoundly the lyrics I had rattled off affected me. I didn't remember singing them but realized they were a painting of life in reverse. Old to young.

Hailing from Canada, singer-songwriter Josh Taerk released his most recent album, Stages, in late 2017.  The country-rock styled album garnered airplay on Triple A radio and Spotify playlists, earning Taerk the title of "the new Boss" by the UK press. Here, Taerk answers his Essential 8+ and discusses the album, Max Weinberg, struggle and success, and much more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Max Weinberg (drummer for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band) has been an amazing mentor and friend. Max taught me a lot when I opened up for him in New Jersey in 2011, one thing in particular was how to appreciate your audience. Max took time after the show to meet with people, talk to them, and made sure everyone left feeling like they got to spend as much time as they wanted with Max. That definitely stuck with me.

With any particular song, was their an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
When I was writing “Learning To Let Go” with my friend and producer Teddy Morgan, I knew we were on to something special when we found the title of the song. I started talking about living in the moment, the possibilities of right now and letting go of needing to know and control how things play out. Teddy then said, “it seems like that’s something we never stop learning how to do.” That’s when I knew we had something awesome, when we came up with the title “Learning To Let Go” the rest of the song fell into place.  

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
I chose the name Stages because the different stages of my writing, the different stages of my career, the stages I get to play on night after night, and the many stages of my life so far have all shaped the artist I am now, and the stories I tell through my music.

Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I chose the 5 songs that make up Stages because each of those songs represents a different stage of life and figuring out who I was when I wrote it. Everyone experiences Love and loss, everyone has goals and values that shape the things they do, and all 5 of these songs are like snapshots of those moments in my life leading up to this release. 

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I’m inspired by living life. I find the more I live, hang out with my friends and family, and spend time doing the things I love to do with the people I love, the more songs I write.

When/where do you do your best writing?
Believe it or not, in the shower. I don’t know why but it seems like every time I’m about to rinse and repeat I find myself scrambling for a towel and my phone so I can quickly get an idea down.   

Due March 23, Leslie Tom’s Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams is not your typical tribute record. It’s a 10-track reflection of Leslie’s own journey in life, intertwined with Hank Williams-inspired tales of addiction, love, heartache, and loss which spotlight the legend’s enduring emotional and musical impact. Ahead of the release, Tom graciously took the time to answer her Essential 8 and speak about the story behind Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams, B.A.H.G.'s, songwriting mentor Linda Koehl, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?  
I have a songwriting mentor that means the world to me when it comes to every aspect of music but especially songwriting. Linda Koehl is my go-to songwriting partner when I'm working on a new album, stricken with a new song idea, or need someone to help finish something up I've started.  I was introduced to Linda in 2006 after I finished my first album when I was green to songwriting and the ways of  the songwriting world but had no fear and was full of ideas.  The second we hugged each other I knew we were soul mates.  We are the same person in every aspect of life... family-focused, ambitious, driven, hungry and never take "no" for an answer.  We get together and can write songs until the cows come home.  She means the world to me and I rely on her wisdom to help guide me through many aspects of my life and musical journey.

Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did?  
This album started as a filler EP and turned into a full length record after we started putting it together.  We chose the cover songs we did because they are songs we've been playing in our live shows for two years so they were comfortable and polished.  As I began writing for the record, I wanted to include songs about Hank, his life and family to make the record less a collection of cover tunes and more an album of songs inspired by Hank Williams and his music.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?  
Ain't It Something, Hank Williams was the very last song we cut for the record and it almost wasn't included.  We were looking for one more song and I found it from a song plugger out of Florida (she also sent me Sean Gasaway's "Mr. Williams" so I already loved the songs she had in her catalog). John Macy (producer) said, "I heard the best Hank Williams song I've ever heard about 40 years ago while I was in band on the east coast."  The guy that sang the song is a guitar player named Harry Orlove and we mistakenly thought Harry wrote the song.  After I contacted Harry about the song, he put a guitar vocal together and sent it to me to listen to and set me straight on who the songwriter was, Michael Chotiner.  Michael now resides outside of D.C. and is in the technology business.  Making the phone call to let him know I just cut his song from forty years ago was an awesome experience!  He had no idea who I was or that I'd heard the song but was excited and complimentary of our version.  We chose to use the song as the album title because it's the only one that accurately describes what the album is about without having to say, "This is a Hank Williams tribute album".  

What has been your biggest struggle so far?  
There is absolutely nothing easy about being an artist, songwriter and trying to keep a band busy.  It's a 24/7 job full of thankless nights singing and playing our hearts out to empty rooms but when a song connects with someone and they feel it and tell us they feel it, all of the struggle and strife goes away.  In my opinion, when a song resonates with a fan, we've done our job right.

-Tara

​Recently named one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 10 New Country Artists You Need To Know, Kasey Tyndall's musical journey began in 2014 when she won a contest to sing with Keith Urban - an experience that propelled the young singer-songwriter on an exciting trajectory. In 2017 Kasey released her debut album, Between Salvation and Survival, a ten-track collection that highlights her ability to expose both her raw and rockin' and boldly tender sides. Having recently wrapped a tour with Corey Smith, Tyndall graciously took the time to chat about the album and touring, share the stories behind the songs, and more.

In 2014, you won a contest to sing with Keith Urban. What spurred your entering the contest? Was it on a whim or was music something that you were always interested in pursuing?
Music was definitely something that was always there for me, but I didn’t know anyone in the business or how to get started. I was very realistic about anything ever happening for me, so I figured I would become a nurse [Tyndall was studying at East Carolina University] and music would just be a dream...but then it became a reality when I got to sing “We Were Us” with Keith Urban, which is really what started me on this journey I am on now.
 
That must have been an incredible experience. And from singing with Keith, things seem to have moved in a very accelerated fashion for you.
That’s what everyone has been telling me, but I’m just here for the ride, which has been an amazing one so far. I have an incredible team who kick butt for me every day and I give them all the credit for what's been happening.

Last year, your debut full-length album, Between Salvation and Survival, came out. It’s a well-crafted blend of rock and country that really gives a sense of female strength and empowerment.
Thank you. I grew up with divorced parents and my Dad was always listening to Bluegrass and country, while my Mom liked rock. My influences included women like Rhonda Vincent and Shania Twain to Joan Jett and Pat Benatar. They’re strong females who, along with my Mom, have shaped me and my music.

In addition to being an artist, you have a publishing deal with SonyATV. When did you begin writing?
When I was growing up, I used to write little songs in my room and before I moved to Nashville, I was co-writing with people in Raleigh. But my writing really started when I moved to Nashville and got the publishing deal. Now, I get to co-write for a living when I’m not on the road, which is pretty incredible.