Former AP journalist and college pitcher turned husband and father, veteran rocker Steve Hartsoe goes all in with The Big Fix-Deluxe Edition. The Raleigh, N.C., artist’s latest finds him singing about the experiences of daily life from its troubles to its joys and everything in-between. Here, Hartsoe answers his Essential 8 and talks about the album, songwriting, his favorite concerts, and more!
​
With “Said and Done,” what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
My best songs almost always come to me the quickest. “Said and Done,” the first single from my new album, happened this way. I was just sitting on my bed playing my acoustic guitar and the chords came, then the melody and most of the lyrics. I listened to my rough iPhone recording over and over for days. You just know when you’ve got a good song. Lyrically the tune helped me express something I was thinking about a lot at the time, and that’s how my words impact my kids, now and later in life, and how that awesome responsibility can’t be taken lightly. I’m fortunate that my son, Eli, who’s 17, plays drums with me, so I can bounce ideas off a very good drummer to work out arrangements.

What’s the story behind your album’s title, “The Big Fix-Deluxe Edition”?
I was talking to a coworker about some hardened criminal, and he said, “That guy needs the big fix.” I started thinking about that: Don’t we all need fixing to some degree? I had the music to the title track, “The Big Fix,” for a while, but that conversation sparked the theme for the lyrics. For me, the term “big fix” describes the completeness I’ve experienced through marrying my wife, Shannon. It also describes my Christian faith. Hopefully the song is open-ended enough for someone to see their own “fix.”

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I don’t think a song has ever come to me when I wasn’t playing the guitar. I almost always write a song, or at least start one, while strumming chords, sometimes to a drum loop, and something clicks -- a chord progression, a riff, melody, an idea for a lyric. On rare occasions, almost all of that  comes together immediately. That happened with a few songs on my new album -- “Said and Done,” “If I Had One Song” and “Seven Miles to Wilmington.” Usually this happens when I am in the midst of a difficult time, which has been the case more often than not during the past few years. I don’t know if the struggle is worth it, but what I think are my best songs typically come out of emotional and situational ash heaps. Then there are times when I think guitars already have songs in them and I just follow along as they flow out. 

​Canadian Ashlynne Vince has been visiting Nashville since she was 15 years old. Over the past five years she has been a guest on stage at Tootsies, Rippys, Honky Tonk Central, Legends, George Jones Museum, The Bluebird Cafe, Douglas Corner, Nudies, The Palace, The General Jackson, The Stage, Wiskey Bent, and other popular Honky Tonks. Recently the singer-songwriter took the leap and moved to Nashville where she can be found daily at the world famous Tootsies Lounge. With the release of her new single, "Take Cover," Vince took the time to answer her Essential 8 and talk about road life, her dream venue, and much more!

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Last year I was chosen by Brett Kissel (Canadian Country Male Vocalist 2016, 2017) to open for one of his shows on his Ice, Snow and 30 Below Tour….it was such a thrill….but more than that, HE was amazing! He had a handwritten card waiting for me in the changeroom, and his entire crew made me feel so welcomed. Brett is someone who works his butt off everyday, and deserves everything that has come his way. He’s dedicated to his family, team, fans, and of course his music. He’s humble, good, and kind….that’s the kind of artist I strive to be.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
When I write, it comes from the heart because I like to write about things I am going through, my real life – joys, pains, goals, love – I can’t sing something if I don’t believe it. My current single, "Take Cover," was written as a result of a tough break-up and me finding the courage to pick up and move on. Music has the ability to empower, encourage, inspire, and reveal. I hope the lyrics to my songs are ones that other people can relate to and I hope it has the power to meet them where they are at.

Memphis-born and Mississippi-bred, Matt Hectorne understands the musical pedigree of his home states. And while he is clearly indebted to the blues, country, and rock n' roll the Mid South has created, he isn’t beholden to any one genre. With a healthy dose of the Heartland rock of the 1970’s and 80’s, Hectorne has developed an amalgam of sound both familiar and distinct. With that foundation, mixed with the 90’s and 2000’s indie-rock that shaped his youth, Hectorne has found a space in the slice of life storytelling and well-worn heart-on-the sleeve ethos that gave way to cultivating his craft - confident, vulnerable, and undeniably human.  In advance of his album Work (due 1/19), Hectorne took the time to answer his Essential 8 and discuss the album's title, road life, and much more.

​What’s the story behind your album’s title?
The title has a tri-fold meaning for me:
First, I’m acknowledging the sheer amount of work that goes into making a life in the arts. Especially as a one-man operation, I want people to be aware of the amount of time and dedication it actually takes to make it happen, even on a small scale. I’m proud of all my hard work and want people to know this is at once a labor of love and a necessity for healthy living.

Which leads to the second layer:
As hard as this job is, I’ve come to accept my fate as it were that this is what I’m doing with my time given in this life. This is what I’m leaving behind. Growing older has made me begin to revere what was once something I did without much purpose (other than feeling compelled to). I’ve been able to separate my identity from making music which has given me the chance to see it more as my art. I see it all now as a concerted focus and craft that I want to continually be growing and learning in.

Which then leads to the third and final meaning for me:
I have spent the past 2 or 3 years really working on myself as an artist but also on a much deeper, spiritual, and personal level. My perspective as well as my awareness of myself and the world around me has grown exponentially. I’ve slowly been dismantling the trivialities that we let plague our everyday lives. Not only has that gotten rid of a lot of unnecessary anxiety and fear, but it has freed up so much space to see and focus on what really matters. Maybe it is just me “growing up”, but I really think it has been one if not the most significant periods of my life. And I think the lyrics and tone of the album really reflect that discovery as well as the continuing journey to keep expanding and becoming.

Two years ago, singer-songwriter Kate Grom was torn between practicality and being her true self. She had graduated college and was pursuing her dreams in New York, but in her soul there was a restlessness she couldn’t ignore. So the young artist went to France and embraced her musical gifts. Kate now comes forth with the aptly titled, Heroine, a poetic collection that is bold and vulnerable. Here, Grom answers her Essential 8 and talks songwriting, touring tips and more.

With "Lose My Mind," what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
“Lose My Mind” I knew the song was approaching the point of completion in the studio but that we were not 100% there. I remember we were working on the instrumental bridge (at 1:51) and Brian (drummer) had been trying out different things with the percussion. I remember we needed more of an emotional connection from the chorus into the bridge. When he played the way (on the record) that he leads us into that bridge, and keeps the momentum going strong throughout, while building, then taking us out of that bridge…he played that one time and I knew that was the missing piece. And that we had to get it recorded immediately.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Heroine is inspired by a Nora Ephron quote, “Above all be the heroine of your life and not the victim.”

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?  
Many things. Stories of others, my own stories, imaginations, poetry, literature, experience, nature and landscape…
​
When/where do you do your best writing?
I am super introverted with my creative process and the development of songs. So being out in our old farmhouse in the country, tucked away by the fire or at my writing desk, is my favorite place to create. Because I have traveled so much and lived so many multi-city-lives, nothing is better than coming back to yourself and the comfort of home when creating authentic music from the heart. It has always allowed me to look at experiences and stories from a distance, thus writing them more clearly.

Co-founder and current president of the Denton Songwriters Guild, Matt Grigsby's goal is to write songs as intricate and introspective as his songwriting heroes Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, all while singing his songs as honestly and soulfully as his vocal heroes, Ray Charles and Otis Redding. Quickly becoming one of the rising artists in the DFW  scene, Grigsby released a new album, Worthy of Love, on October 5th. Here, he answers his Essential 8 and talks songwriting, his dream venue, the artist he'd love to collaborate with, and more!

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Not really, honestly, no one particular person. I've never taken lessons. I started playing guitar in college and learned by copying whatever my friends were playing and then started frequenting open mics when I got to Denton. I think just being in a town with a vibrant music scene helped me gain my chops. I'm continually surrounded by high caliber musicians. I get humbled regularly. I've always sang but if I had to pick a vocal mentor it would be my high school choir director Rex McCullough. Not only was he supportive of a young, shy, angst-filled Matt, but he was the first person to teach me how to push down my falsetto and continually widen my range on my own. I still use ideas he put in my head.


As for songwriting, Townes Van Zandt would definitely be my biggest influence. I didn't even really listen to folk or country before him, at least not in earnest. He was honest, poetic, clever, and just cool as hell. His music really set me on the path to learning finger style guitar too, him and John Prine. I think “Pancho and Lefty” was the first Townes song I learned, I still cover it, but I've been a part of several tribute shows in his honor over the years. He's a god here in North Texas.


What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Well, in the song “Inspiring Love” the narrator asks “Am I unworthy of your inspiring love?”, so I kind of pulled the title from that. I wanted a positive, uplifting title for what I hope is an uplifting album, despite all the depressing songs. And it's easy for someone to feel as if they're not worthy of love. And not just in romance. It's hard to get up everyday, go to a job you hate just to still be broke at the end of the day and not question your worthiness. Or you start drinking and waking up with a new hangover everyday, cursing yourself for having spent money you don't really have because you don't feel worthy of love. It's a vicious cycle but I think it's something most people can identify with. We all need to be reminded we're worthy of love sometimes.   


When/where do you do your best writing?
Lately I do my best writing at home in my pajamas, sitting in my bedroom sipping a cup of hot tea, generally late at night. I've developed a method that works for me. I'll open up a blank document on my laptop and keep a spiral handy too. I'll just free write whatever comes to me on paper, doesn't need to rhyme or anything. And then edit down and type out the final version. I'll pick up the guitar each time I finish a stanza and stumble through it, just to make sure it fits the meter. When I'm in the right frame of mind I'll bang out a song in less than 10 minutes that way. Some come easier than others. But I've written songs in all kinds of ways. Many of my songs I wrote just walking around town singing to myself. Most are written in a single sitting these days but a couple of older songs on the album took me months.

Christopher K. Doyle graduated with a MFA from the University of Baltimore and has since written about the origins of country music in Purchase, a novel set in the 1930's and based around the Carter family. In addition to the novel, Doyle recently released the companion cd, Harlequin Road. Today, on what would be A.P. Carter's birthday, Doyle answers his Essential 8 and discusses his inspiration for the album, relates the story behind the album's title, and much more!

With "In Your Hallway Again," what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
For the song “In Your Hallway Again” I knew it needed something, a higher more lyrical sound to round out the almost revival-like religious feel of the tune. When the talented Mimi Cukier agreed to play viola fiddle on the track—and then when I heard what she came up with—the complementary lines to my vocal, I was blown away. It helped the song retain that rough, live, playing-in-a-prayer-tent feel, but also catapulted the melody into the stratosphere, and I knew it was done. We’d gotten it.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Harlequin Road is a name I came up as a stand-in for Music Row in Nashville. A novel I just published titled Purchase is based on the Carter Family of country music fame. Without giving too much away, the main characters finally make it to Nashville, but have to compete with a host of other musicians/characters for their own shot at stardom. Hence all the characters in the song “Harlequin Road” as well as the song’s theme of stardom but at what cost.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Currently, with writing my novel Purchase, based on the Carter Family, I’ve drawn my inspiration from the Appalachian Mountains and from the Potomac River and all the natural beauty I grew up with in western Maryland. I’m also inspired by the lives that the Carter Family found tucked away in all the little towns and hollows strung throughout the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia and parts of Tennessee. All the songs they tracked down and remade as their own had their own stories to tell way back when. I like to think of the singers/artists who wrote those old songs and sang them just for their own daily sanity. They weren’t trying to sell records or perform on any stage or make it in any music business or anything. Music was and is essential for living and surviving and that’s the path I’m following.

Folk-Americana group The Wandering Hearts, who recently won the Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award at The UK Americana Awards 2018, have taken the UK music scene by storm and are set to continue the momentum with their debut EP Burning Bridges.

Reminiscent of First Aid Kit and Of Monsters and Men, whilst channeling Fleetwood Mac’s pop sensibility and the storytelling of Chris Stapleton, the EP showcases the group's seamless harmonies on the mesmerizing title track as well as two live favorites, ‘Nobody’s Fool’ and ‘Never Expected This’, alongside a stunning cover of ‘No One’s Gonna Love You’ by Band Of Horses. Here, the band - AJ, Chess, Tim, and Tara - who are releasing a full-length in 2018, answer their Essential 8 and talk songwriting, touring, and more!
​
What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Wild Silence is a song on the album but the words seemed fitting for the record as a whole as they portray our lives over the past few years: a whirlwind plus a lot of behind the scenes work. We are so excited to show everyone what we have been working so hard on! 
 
Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
A combination – real life and fiction. We like writing about real, personal experiences which we each interpret in different ways and know lots of people will be able to relate in their own way too. Sometimes however, we tell made-up stories or myths, it depends on our mood. There are lots of factors when the four of us are in a room!
 
Which song of yours gets the best crowd response?
At our recent headline show at The Borderline, the crowd was singing Wish I Could back to us. Pretty cool feeling. It was our first single and it’s amazing to have such a great response from our fans. Loved it.
 
What do you love most about being on the road?
Being on the road makes you super close. We have really gotten to know each another being on the road. Also, getting to travel – we love exploring! 

Inspired by the classic sounds of Laurel Canyon, Great Willow - Ed Barguiarena (percussion), James Combs (guitar and vocals), Erin Hawkins (vocals, cello, mandolin, accordion), and Rich McCulley (guitar) - blends close harmonies, mandolins, mariachis, and psychedelic guitar with lyrics that are thoughtful and personal. Their debut album Find Yourself In Los Angeles, produced by John Would (Fiona Apple) and Nik Freitas (Maria Taylor), is a song cycle detailing snapshots of a broken relationship that sets off a move to Los Angeles and starting over. Here, Rich and James answer their Essential 8 and let you in on their musical mentors, their favorite food on the road, and much more! 

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? 
 
RICH: James Combs, no explanation required.
 
JAMES:  Ha. Thanks, Rich, and back atcha, brother. For myself, I feel like I was sort of collectively mentored by the music scenes that I grew up in. Lots of help along the way.
 
But a big one in the past few years has been the ghost of Gene Clark. Discovering his post-Byrds solo records - “White Light” in particular - sort of ignited Great Willow. I heard that album and had an explosion of song ideas. The way Gene put his country feel, his sense of melody, and his emotional, kinda abstract lyrics together really got me.  His music was identifiably country on the one hand but very much its own animal on the other. I wanted to try my hand at something like that.
 
With songwriting, what’s the “a-ha” moment when you know the song is completed and perfect? 

RICH: When it’s 3 minutes long its done, 4 minutes is really 2 songs.
 
JAMES: I think Rich and I both have a thing for brevity. We were writing recently and I was trying to get fancy and go off on a bridge tangent and Rich said “save some chords for the next song.”  And of course he was right. 
 
I think a good art motto is “create freely, edit ruthlessly.”  So I generally try to just chase every thought I can when the idea is fresh then go back to the lyric blob later and start chiseling.  I know a song is done when I stopped being irritated by it. 
 
I love it when the gods gift you with one of those songs that arrives entirely intact, which sometimes happens.  “The New Normal” was written pretty much in real time as it was coming out of my mouth singing into the mac. I had to listen back and write it all down. “What did I just say?”