Durham's Charles Latham joins us to talk about how he came to embrace country and his experiences covering Alan Jackson at a two-step brunch and Dolly Parton as The White Stripes. We discuss Alan's authenticity and his early attempts to sound maybe a little too much like Merle Haggard and George Jones, along with ridiculous redneck Christmas songs and the appropriate amount of pedal steel for a neo-traditionalist. Finally, we talk about Charles' turn from his anti-folk beginnings towards country.  Charles' pick: “Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" by Alan Jackson, 1990 Check out Charles' music and tour dates at https://charleslatham.com/

After months of talking up singer/songwriter Kate Rhudy, she finally joins us for an episode that doesn’t disappoint. We discuss country music duets and how Kate romanticized the idea of having a lover to duet with. She also shares stories of her brushes with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Alison Krauss while living in Nashville. Finally, we talk approaches to songwriting and Kate’s upcoming single release. 

Kate's pick: “It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, 1997  

Check out Kate's music and tour dates at https://www.katerhudy.com/

Mipso’s Libby Rodenbough joins us this episode and admits that in the 90s, she was dazzled by the dance moves and sincerity of the Backstreet Boys (we all were -- it’s okay). Since then, she’s become a fan of Keith Whitley and songs in which the narrator fails at pretending to be fine. So obviously, we talk "I'm Over You" -- which Libby learned from 10 String Symphony and later covered with Hard Tuck. Between Spencer's country fan bonafides being called into question, we discuss bluegrass cheesiness, ridiculous Wikipedia descriptions, and the differing challenges between interpreting songs and writing them.

Libby’s pick: “I’m Over You” by Keith Whitley, 1990

Check out Mipso's music and tour dates at https://www.mipsomusic.com/ 

Delta Rae drummer Mike McKee enlightens us on the common ground between Weezer and The Dixie Chicks and shares his observation that songs in 6/8 teach us lessons. After we remember when 30 was old, Mike admits that he originally thought "Strawberry Wine" was written by a Triangle teenager who opened for his high school band. Rachel confesses her love for Boone's Farm (Blue Hawaiian or Melon Ball, please) while Spencer quotes from his Chicken Soup for the Soul book. Mike dishes on some of Nashville's inner workings and we all speculate on how much streaming and social media can combat the anti-woman bias of country radio. We also get an update on Delta Rae's plans after splitting from their label, including the two albums they'll release after their record-setting Kickstarter campaign. 

Mike's pick: “Strawberry Wine” by Deana Carter, 1996

Check out Delta Rae at https://www.deltarae.com/, Baldman Percussion at https://www.baldmanpercussion.com/, and Drum Team Collective at https://www.drumteamcollective.com/.

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Michaela Anne joins us to talk about her journey from rapper and jazz student to embracing country music despite the genre’s contentious definitions of authenticity. We all hop on a soapbox about the lack of “lady singers” on modern country radio (seriously, no Kacey?!?) and the trouble with music app algorithms. Michaela discusses the intersections between Shania Twain’s music and some of her own material while Spencer cites parts of Shania’s biography, which he still hasn’t finished.

Michaela’s pick: “No One Needs To Know” by Shania Twain, 1995

Check out Michaela Anne’s music and tour dates at https://www.michaelaanne.com/

Lee Bains III, who fronts politically-charged Alabama rockers Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, joins us while stopping through Durham for a barnburner of a show at our beloved Pinhook. We talk about the importance of place in songwriting, from Lee's own songs to his home state heroes Alabama and his pick for this episode, John Anderson's "Seminole Wind." We touch on some deep topics like capitalism, environmentalism, and representative voices in music then give Tim McGraw and J.D. Loudermilk absolute hell for the existence of "Indian Outlaw." And Rachel's dog Beau seems to know that Lee's an Auburn fan so she tries her best to make some noise and be as beloved as Bo Jackson.

Lee's pick: "Seminole Wind" by John Anderson, 1992

Check out Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires' music and tour dates at http://www.thegloryfires.com

Durham’s Rissi Palmer, who became the first African-American woman to reach the country charts in 20 years upon release of her self-titled debut, joins us to discuss her life as a closeted country fan. Although she grew up listening to Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood, Rissi opted instead to blast the Rush Hour soundtrack in the parking lot of her suburban St. Louis high school. She discusses her love for the Dixie Chicks, her experiences navigating Nashville as a woman of color, and how her new album melds soul and country influences.

Rissi's pick: "You Were Mine" by the Dixie Chicks, 1998

Check out Rissi's new album at http://www.rissipalmermusic.com

Scott Phillips, a singer-songwriter from Raleigh bands Goner, Gnoer and The Monologue Bombs, joins us for this episode. We learn that Lilly's in Raleigh is good for more than just pizza, it’s where Scott got a significant education in music. He explains how his road to country goes through John Denver and finds common ground between Richard Buckner and The Promise Ring. We plug the Indiegogo fundraiser for the next Monologue Bombs album and Scott plugs a future episode about Chris Gaines. 

Scott’s Pick - “Lil Wallet Picture” by Richard Buckner, 1997

Check out The Monologue Bombs at https://themonologuebombs.bandcamp.com

Bombadil drummer and Durham producer James Phillips challenges our qualifications to host this podcast since he has formal education in country music. We discuss potentially problematic phrases found in David Lee Murphy's breakthrough single, wonder why a Bible is needed on a date, and figure out who to blame for that snare sound. We also discover Rachel's rapper name, learn which 90s country star is big in Fiji, and plan our own awards show. 

James' pick: "Dust On The Bottle" by David Lee Murphy, 1994 

Preorder Bombadil's new album at http://www.bombadilmusic.com/ and see them on tour this fall!

Museum Mouth bassist Kory Urban plays in a punk band but he's learned a lot by listening to country music, from song structures to first realizing that he wanted a girlfriend. After Kory discusses how his wife measures up to the character from "Daddy's Money" (he's not a gold digger - she's got her own money!), we talk about tropes and misogyny in country music and some of our picks for this year's Hopscotch Music Festival, which features a bill curated by Museum Mouth.

Kory's pick: "Daddy's Money" by Ricochet, 1996

Keep up with Museum Mouth at http://www.museummouth.com/ and see them on tour with Max Bemis this fall!

Triangle musician and producer Saman Khoujinian fronts T. Gold, plays guitar and synth in No One Mind, and has helped make records or played with the likes of Dad & Dad, Virgins Family Band, The Dead Tongues, Humanize, Chris Frisina, and Matt Phillips. Between breaking down Sting's only country hit and the bizarre music video that accompanies it, Saman discusses discovering country music while touring with Mandolin Orange and the influence (or lack thereof) it has had on his own music. Rachel & Saman also make controversial statements about a few highly regarded singer-songwriters and Spencer makes embarrassing confessions about his mid-2000s listening habits.

Saman's pick: "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying" by Sting, 1996

Check out T. Gold at https://www.sleepycatrec.com/tgold