Americana Music Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time

After a long introduction to music via classical piano lessons, David Arn found himself, around age 12, being drawn instead to rock music. His ear lead him further down that path. “I had enough of a background that I could easily make the transition. I remember, even in high school, I would have classmates come up…they would hear a song ...

Rock music and biomedical science are strange bedfellows, but it is the bed that John Blangero, has made for himself. One listen to Delta Tales, the soulful debut album he released in 2020 under his aflter-ego, Sun King Rising, will make the oddness of that pairing seem almost normal. The intermingling of his music and his work as a genetic ...

K.K. Hammond is a singer-songwriter and slide guitarist who channels the dark and gritty vibe of the swamp and old Appalachia into her personal take on the blues, which has been sometimes labeled “horror blues.’ “I’ve always loved the blues…I’ve always loved horror films and murder ballads, the darker folk music,” the artist explains. “The old blues has a lot ...

Veteran Nashville songwriter Trent Summar calls the music he creates these days “farm rock,” his own unique blend of traditional and contemporary country with heartland rock & roll and honky tonk. Trent sums up his initiation into music succinctly: “My third grade music teacher put me on-stage for a ‘Hee Haw’ show and it got in my blood…Any time anybody ...

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Darren Beachley has made a name for himself in the straight-up bluegrass world, but his latest effort reveals a different approach as he takes a stroll down a new bluegrass/Americana road his latest solo album, The Road Not Taken. He set his musical direction pretty early, learning to play when he was just a lad. His dad ...

Raised on a small farm in southern Saskatchewan, JJ Voss began his journey in music at age eight, and has been following in the footsteps of legendary troubadours like Steve Earle, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen ever since. The Americana artist draws from the well of his farm upbringing to craft songs about real life. JJ recalls the challenges and ...

Born in Manitoba and raised mostly in the Vancouver area, Canadian, Kevin Arizona (a.k.a Kaz) was bitten by the performance bug at age 13. After an early childhood in a home immersed in music, including a mom who was into drums (“She set me up with spoons and upside-down Tupperware”) and dedicated to singing, Kaz, remembers a particular moment when ...

It’s the world premier release of “River N’ Me,” the latest single from Arkansas Americana group Ten Penny Gypsy. The song is an infectious, acoustic skiffle that enthusiastically pays homage to the classic American Roots music of the early 20th century. Recorded as a studio outtake from the group’s “Fugitive Heart” sessions, the song has become a fan favorite, and ...

Guest article by Sherry Nelson The moment he walks out on stage in his black leather vest, black cowboy hat, and signature Jennings swagger, a palpable energy builds in the air. It is that iconic sound of plangent tones that for generations has cut deep into the soul and hearts of music fans all across the world. He is Whey ...

Winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It’s on December 21st, and celebrated all around the world by many different people in many different ways. One of the celebrations is called Make Music Winter, spearheaded by Make Music Alliance and presented by the NAMM Foundation. In nearly 35 cities across the nation, communities will ...