Southern Songs and Stories

09/28/2026

One of the final chapters of a nearly 200-episode journey is linked below and available wherever you follow podcasts.

Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show is always "on". He is an entertainer with a capital "E". One of my favorite quotes from his interview: "One of our problems is that we always kind of dared you to like us. We sort of put up a, this filter that suggested we're just doing this for ourselves. Back off. There was something sort of disinviting about the music. Like we were supposed to play it so frenetically with such a clannish pack mentality that if our body odor didn't scare you, then the music would."

In this episode, you get a familiar voice to not only this podcast but to all of roots music: Ketch Secor, of Old Crow Medicine Show, with a conversation from MerleFest in late April 2026. Just days after this episode is published, get set for another alumnus of this podcast, Jon Stickley of the

09/17/2026

New episode on Jontavious Willis is linked below and is available for the low low cost of free wherever you follow podcasts!

Don’t let the straightforward, down-to-earth aesthetic of Jontavious Willis’ music lead you to think that there is little complexity or depth to his art. Indeed, Willis exemplifies making something that isn’t really easy at all seem like a stroll down a country road in his native Georgia hill ...

08/31/2026

Our new episode on Maggie Rose is ready for your ears! Listen and follow for free anywhere you follow podcasts, as well as at the link below.

Big weekend coming up! I'll be at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival emceeing various stages and generally catching up on my roots music fix. Hope to see you there!

Coming up in the series, we have Jontavious Willis and Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show.

Maggie Rose is a class act. Have you ever met someone who has incredible presence? Someone who can walk in a room and cause everyone to take a pause and notice them, even without a word spoken or any invitation to look their way? This is how people react to Maggie Rose. It is rare enough, even for p

08/24/2026

Our Scythian podcast features brand new songs from the band, and an engaging conversation with Dan, "Animal" and Ethan from their latest appearance at MerleFest.

Available wherever you follow podcasts!