New Beginnings: Heather Scott Double Single Release Interviews Music Features by Brian Carroll - August 12, 20220 Longtime readers of Red Line Roots may recognize the name Heather Scott. They are half of the dreamy folk duo "Hawthorn", of which we have been fans of since the group's early years. You may recall articles about their release for "Salt" or the band's early, beautifully bare live "Aboretum Sessions". The point being, we've long been fawning over the duo's gorgeous harmonies and storied songs. On this new solo effort, Heather beautifully bridges the gap between old and new. They told us of the process of setting out on this new project, "Embarking on my own solo songwriting path has been over a decade in the making. It has been something that has been slowly and surely simmering alongside my
Chatham Rabbits: Old Souls (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - June 15, 20220 Sarah McCombie describes herself and her husband, Austin, as “old souls.” They like old things, old people, and old songs. It’s no surprise then, that many of the songs on their new album, If You See Me Riding By, feel timeless. This record has kept me good company this spring, and it’s exciting that as of June 3, it’s out in the world for everyone to hear. We had a wonderful chat a couple of months back as Sarah and Austin braved the New Jersey Turnpike on a spring tour. Take a listen and check out the new record!
Video Premiere: Valorie Miller, “Only The Killer” Interviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - May 3, 20220 From the first notes I heard Valorie Miller sing, I was hooked. She has a voice that you can’t ignore. Valorie’s album, Only the Killer Would Know, has been in heavy rotation for me. It’s an honor to host the video premiere for “Only The Killer” here on Red Line Roots. As readers of this site know, Brian and I care deeply about the musical communities that we call home. This record, exploring the environmental devastation of the land she used to live on, near Asheville, NC, is a powerful representation of what it means to take care of, or to abuse, our communities. In this case, a company called Chemtronics, put so much toxic waste into the ground that,
Joe Troop: Making Mistakes (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - December 2, 2021December 2, 20210 When Joe Troop talks about cancel culture, he isn’t just talking about the right wing folks who don’t want any books in school about gay people or racism. He’s also thinking about the people more committed to saying the right words about issues than they are about taking the right actions. It’s complicated--I know he’d be the first to say that what you say matters, and we should be accountable for what we say and do. And, at the same time, there can be this version of equity work that is much more about posturing than it is about changing things. I have seen other white people do this in spaces for racial equity--trying to prove that they’re the best white
Alisa Amador: Right Again (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - November 25, 20210 This has to be one of my favorite conversations that I have been lucky enough to have as part of this podcast. Alisa Amador is an amazing musician and shares so much insight into her work on this episode. Red Line Roots was founded as part of the Boston music community, and Alisa has quickly become one of the most important voices in the Boston roots/folk scene. She’s been in music her whole life, playing in her parents’ band, Sol y Canto, since she was a kid. Alisa released her latest EP, Narratives, in September, and it is one of my favorite records of this year. It has such a range, and I can listen to it all day long.
Adia Victoria: Deep Water Blues Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - October 28, 20210 Listening to Adia Victoria’s latest record, A Southern Gothic, is mesmerizing. It is my favorite album of the year. It is poetic and gritty, ethereal and earthy all at once. Of course, if one thinks deeply about the blues, as Adia does, you know that paradox is all around. Joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, life and death, are all cousins. It is the tension in these spaces where art, beauty, and freedom thrive. The first couple of times I got to chat with Adia (for her albums Baby Blues and Silences), I still lived in the north. But now I live in Durham, NC, and I hear the songs differently. I’m still sorting that out and one of the
Oliver Wood: Always Smilin’ (podcast) Interviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - October 14, 2021October 21, 20210 My first concert of 2021 was in June, seeing The Wood Brothers and Ryan Montbleau at an outdoor show at Shakori Hills. Right after that, I got to chat with Oliver Wood about his wonderful solo record, Always Smilin’. I love this record because it captures what I love most about Oliver’s musicianship: his generous, collaborative spirit. When you see Oliver in concert, he often comments on the role of the audience in creating a space for music to happen: the energy, the attentiveness, the response to musicians all contribute to the music itself. It was fun to talk with Oliver about how he opened up to more collaboration and connection during the pandemic, when many of us experienced isolation.
Carving New Paths: John Reischman’s New Track “The Coyote Trail” Interviews Music Features by Brian Carroll - July 12, 20210 For those who have their own musical histories or paths tamped down in the rich soil of bluegrass and roots music, the name John Reischman elicits responses of "perfect tone" and "flawless flow" when referencing his playing. His songs and melodies echo through our consciousness and the tone that he pulls from his instrument is unrivaled. His latest recording New Time & Old Acoustic (out August 9th) keenly focuses on the then and now, both in its sonic architecture and the ensemble that John has arranged around it. The entire record plays host to a "who's who" of the current bluegrass and roots landscape. From heavy hitting heroes to the new crop of pickers wowing folks on festival stages and post-show
Ben Cosgrove: Space by Design (podcast) Interviews Music Features by Ken Templeton - June 30, 20210 You ever hear that David Foster Wallace graduation speech, “This is Water?” It follows from that joke where two fish are swimming along and one says something like, “The water’s great today,” and the other swims a little further and then halts and says, “Wait. What the hell is water?” And then Foster Wallce implores the graduates to be attentive to the metaphorical water they swim in. This is water, he repeats to himself, reminding himself that standing in line at the grocery store is, in fact, life. We can all take for granted the things around us, but if there is anyone I have ever met who embodies this idea of attentiveness and curiosity, it is Ben Cosgrove. On
Allison Russell: Can’t Steal My Joy (podcast) Interviews Music Features Podcast by Ken Templeton - May 21, 20210 Allison Russell has written a beautiful album. “Outside Child,” was largely written while on tour with Native Daughters--Allison’s collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kiah--and it is a record at once about the abuse that Russell experienced at the hands of her adopted father and about the resilience and fortitude to name trauma, to face truth, and to reclaim oneself. In this podcast episode, Allison explores her role in stopping intergenerational trauma, both personally and as a musician. She reflects on the power of community and the importance of both accountability and empathy. We feel so lucky to have had this conversation and hope you will share it and listen to Allison’s record. It is out everywhere May 21. Photo Credit: