Sep 13 The country song that’s stuck in Ken Burns’ head By Joshua Barajas "It's haiku. It's distilled poetry, the essence of what human communication can be."… Continue reading
Jun 27 In Erika Ryann’s voice, the moody sounds of the West By Elizabeth Flock Country-blues musician Erika Ryann talked about the experience of playing in honky tonks out West, writing songs on a tractor or on the road, and how necessary it is to be alone when writing. Continue reading
Jun 14 In an age of extremes, country music star Scotty McCreery finds his place ‘in between’ By Jason Kane The country music star told the PBS NewsHour that one of the things he learned while making new music is that people are a lot more alike than different. “I feel like a lot of folks are just cruising on… Continue reading
Apr 12 Watch 8:44 Inside country legend Loretta Lynn’s ‘first birthday party’ (at age 87) By Jeffrey Brown, Jason Kane Loretta Lynn's six decades of boundary-breaking country music and a 1980 film adaptation of her life, "Coal Miner's Daughter," took her from Kentucky poverty to American legend. But in all those years, she says she never had a birthday party... Continue watching
Apr 12 WATCH: The standout moment at Loretta Lynn’s 87th birthday bash By Joshua Barajas "Let me have that damn mic."… Continue reading
Mar 22 How female musicians amplify each other when the industry won’t By Laura Santhanam While the exclusion of female artists, songwriters and producers has always been a reality in Nashville and beyond, some see it as having gotten worse in recent decades. Continue reading
Mar 18 Watch 8:29 Shunned by country radio, female artists in Nashville are looking to break through By Jeffrey Brown, Frank Carlson The proportion of female voices on country radio has been dropping in recent years, amid “long-held beliefs” that male singers drive larger audiences and greater ad revenue. But not everyone in Nashville buys into that theory. Jeffrey Brown reports on… Continue watching
Feb 08 Watch 7:25 Singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves on using music as an escape By Jeffrey Brown, Frank Carlson Country music singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves is nominated for four awards at this weekend's 61st annual Grammy Awards. Just 30 years old, the Texas-born musician is enjoying her journey in the music industry -- and doing it on her… Continue watching
Feb 08 What country star Kacey Musgraves listened to growing up By Dan Cooney Musgraves, nominated for four Grammys, said her version of country music is inspired by its roots. But she also loves a huge range of other artists. Continue reading