Steve Martin & Alison Brown's "Bluegrass Radio" getting bluegrass radio play!

Steve Martin & Alison Brown's "Bluegrass Radio" was designed for bluegrass radio program director appeal – and it worked!

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The new single from banjo pickers Alison Brown and Steve Martin, "Bluegrass Radio," debuted Friday at #1 on the Bluegrass Today weekly airplay chart. The pair's 2023 national bluegrass chart topping and Emmy-award winning collaboration "Foggy Morning Breaking," included in a cameo in the new documentary STEVE! (Martin), also re-entered the chart at #12. 

Terry Herd, CEO of Bluegrass Today, explains: "A number one single on the Bluegrass Today charts is a tremendous accomplishment in the industry, attained from actual spins reported at radio by a pool of more than 50 contributing DJ's. A #1 debut even more so, and a rare occurrence. Congratulations to Alison and Steve for their #1 debut of Bluegrass Radio, a song that is clearly resonating with bluegrass DJ's and their listeners!"

"Bluegrass Radio" ticks all the boxes for a bluegrass favorite, including a flashy twin banjo solo from Brown and Martin, lyrics that reflect Martin’s wry sense of humor and top-flight performances from some of the most iconic players in bluegrass music. 

Steve Martin was inspired to write the lyrics after hearing “Foggy Morning Breaking” in heavy rotation across the nation’s plentiful bluegrass channels. He comments: “I think of a hit on bluegrass radio with the same exhilaration as a hit movie. It’s uplifting to hear your song on the radio, and the thrill never goes away.” 

Alison Brown set the lyrics to music and brought in a powerhouse band of bluegrass A-listers to bring the track to life: Sam Bush (mandolin), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Trey Hensley (guitar), and Todd Phillips (bass). Says Brown: “We had an amazing time in the studio recording this track. Each of the musicians brought a lifetime’s worth of bluegrass experience to bear and, from the first note, it was almost like we were reading each other’s musical minds."

Watch Steve & Alison's video for "Bluegrass Radio" which not only namechecks popular stations, it flashes their logos and those of Bluegrass Today, Bluegrass Junction and the IBMA – hilarious!

Michael Doucet releases Lâcher Prise on February 14th

BeauSoleil's Michael Doucet is introducing his new band with his forthcoming Lâcher Prise album. Listen to "Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo" below.

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Cajun music great Michael Doucet – the Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, artist, founder of BeauSoleil crafts the quintessential Louisiana soundtrack to a good time on his new solo album, Lâcher Prise (out February 14th via Compass Records). Joined by Sarah Quintana [vocals, guitar], Chad Viator [guitar], Chris French [bass], and Jim Kolacek [drums], he stirs up a sweet and simmering brew of Acadian tradition, swamp soul, and infectious grooves.

In many ways, the moniker embodies the spirit of these five musicians.

“In French, 'Lâcher Prise' means ‘let go’,” Doucet explains. “It’s also a Buddhist term. When it came to making this music, it was just total freedom. The new songs were different from what I typically do, so we formed a group of great people and musicians. I’ve reached a point in my life and career where I can do whatever the hell I want to do. There’s freedom for everybody because of the mutual respect though.” Doucet describes the album’s music as “Les îles Français Zarico”, a description that takes into account an eclectic mix of styles including New Orleans rhythm & blues and Southwest Louisiana rock ‘n roll, as well as his own interpretations of zydeco and Cajun, infused with the intoxicating rhythms of the French Caribbean.

The new band, now known as Michael Doucet avec Lâcher Prise, recorded the ten songs comprising the debut in just three days at Dockside in Maurice, Louisiana, a hallowed studio that has hosted everyone from Dr. John to Allen Toussaint, and Rod Stewart to Arcade Fire. The triumvirate of Doucet, Viator, and Compass Records co-founder Garry West produced, and friends including Sarah Dugas (The Duhks), Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa), and Jim Hoke (NRBQ) lent their respective talents to the end result. Watch Michael Doucet perform the Boozoo Chavis classic "Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo" followed by an audio clip of "Water, Water" off the new album below. You can pre-order a digital or vinyl copy of Lâcher Prise right here.

Country soul hold-out Jeb Loy Nichols keeps it simple on new album

Jeb Loy Nichols forthcoming album June Is Short, July Is Long is due October 4 from Compass Records. Listen to "You Got It Wrong" below.

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Jeb Loy Nichols, the UK-based, Wyoming-born graphic artist and songsmith, has been putting out his own singular brand of smoky retro soul for over two decades, gathering a fervent cult following along the way. Nichols, backed by his touring band, the Westwood All-Stars, will release his latest album June Is Short, July Is Long in Canada on October 4th via Compass Records distributed by Outside Music.

Having spent brief periods in Missouri, Texas, New York and London, Nichols found his home in a remote smallholding in the Welsh hills in the ‘80s. This back-to-basics, rural lifestyle is mirrored in his approach to music and the art that graces his album covers and informs his videos. His eleventh solo release, June Is Short, July Is Long is a cross-genre collection that documents his journey from being born and raised in the American Midwest through to his current life in the rolling hills of rural Wales.

“It’s full circle,” he says.  “I started off in the Ozark hills and now here I am, in the hills again.”
His new music is a record of that journey. Raised on bluegrass and country & western music, Nichols discovered southern soul when he was a teenager. From there it was off to New York City and hip-hop, then over to London and reggae and dancehall.  It was this potent mix of genres – his love of classic American roots music and Jamaican reggae, dub and dancehall – that’s since been his signature. He’s spent the past 25 years making music, of which he smiles and says, “It’s all roots music. Three chords and a good story.  Don’t overthink it ... just get in the groove and let it happen.”

June Is Short, July Is Long was recorded in Wales with The Westwood All-Stars for an organic, capturing-a-moment feel. “It was all done in five days," he says of the sessions. "One day setting up, one day learning the songs, three days recording… it was great. The best music is a conversation, and this was a conversation between old friends.”

The resulting “musical conversation” has the lived-in, comfortable feel of a classic. It could sit comfortably alongside vintage albums by Ry Cooder or Van Morrison with its stripped-down, real-deal mix of joy and pain.  “If you keep it simple,” he says, “there’s less to go wrong.” The resulting collection of songs proves his point. “You take a little country, some soul, some old friends and few good stories, and what can go wrong?” Listen to the album's lead off track "You Got It Wrong" following the album release trailer below. Pre-order a copy of Jeb Loy Nichols' forthcoming album right here.

Erin Costelo previews new Sweet Marie album with "All In Your Head"

Erin Costelo's much anticipated Sweet Marie album is out October 19. Check out "All In Your Head" below.

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Award-winning Canadian soul singer Erin Costelo will release her new album, Sweet Marie, via Compass Records on October 19th.

Recorded in 10 days in a timber-frame home on the ocean in Little Harbour, Nova Scotia, Costelo is backed by an ace group of players on this album, including Glenn Milchem on drums (Blue Rodeo), Anna Ruddick on bass (Randy Bachman, Ben Caplan), Leith Fleming-Smith on organ (Matt Mays) and her long-time partner, Clive MacNutt, on guitar.

Taking inspiration from sources as varied as Ryan Adams and Randy Newman, Sweet Marie is a genre-defying album that sounds at once timeless, timely and completely fresh. The album finds Costelo looking at a world and an industry that pushed her to the edge of ending her musical career – and pushing back. Pulsing with a confident and cathartic energy, her incredible voice, drawing comparisons to such icons as Nina Simone and Carole King, soars even as her songs dive deep.

This project is complete with a “making of” documentary directed by Juno-winning songwriter-turned-filmmaker, Amelia Curran. Her 2016 release, Down Below The Status Quo, was nominated for 12 awards in her home on the East Coast of Canada including a win for Solo Recording of the Year and Producer of the Year, making her the first woman to receive the prestigious award.

You can pre-order Erin's forthcoming Sweet Marie album from Compass right here and for the moment, you can stream the album for free over here. Watch Amelia Curran's nicely shot clip for "All In Your Head" below.