Interviews

Joe Brent – Adhyâropa Records : Reimagining What a Record Label Is

My guest this week is Joe Brent, founder of Adhyâropa Records. So many of the guests I've had on the podcast have released their albums through Adhyâropa and I was fascinated to find out more about the label. We talk about why Joe set up the label in the first place, the reasons why it's…

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Bitesize – Caitlin Canty on Songwriting and Slow Processing

This week's Bitesize episode comes from one of my favourite interviews, the conversation I had with Caitlin Canty about her record Quiet Flame. The album was produced by Chris Eldridge (of Punch Brothers and Mighty Poplar) and features a fantastic band, including Paul Kowert, Brittany Haas, Sarah Jarosz, Noam Pikelny and Andrew Marlin. In this…

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Sara Watkins – Connection and Collaboration on I’m With Her’s ‘Wild and Clear and Blue’

My guest this week is Sara Watkins, with a deep dive into I'm With Her's latest record, 'Wild and Clear and Blue', which has already become one of my favourite records of recent years. We talk about the album’s first writing sessions in 2021, just as the world was starting to reconnect post-pandemic and how…

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Shelby Means on her new solo record and 4 years with Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway

My guest this week is Shelby Means.  Lots of you will know Shelby from her time with Della Mae and, more recently, from her time as the bass player in Molly Tuttle's band Golden Highway, who she won a Grammy with. She now has a new solo record out called Shelby Means. We talk about…

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Joe K Walsh – Less is More, Conversation and Space in Music

My guest this week is Joe K Walsh. Joe plays mandolin with several projects, including Mr Sun (featuring Darol Anger, Grant Gordy and Aidan O’Donnell); the Mike Block Trio; a duo with Matt Flinner and a trio with Ella Jordan and Jed Wilson.  He joins me this week to chat about his most recent solo…

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Celebrating IBMA World of Bluegrass as it Prepares to Move to Chattanooga in 2025

This week we're celebrating IBMA World of Bluegrass as it prepares to make the move to Chattanooga after a successful decade in Raleigh. First I'll be talking to former IBMA Executive Director, and current board member, Paul Schiminger about the history of World of Bluegrass, how it started, the various cities it's been hosted in…

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Celebrating 50 years of the David Grisman Quintet – part 3 David Grisman

We're celebrating 50 years of the David Grisman Quintet with a special set of 3 episodes. This week is part 3, featuring the man himself, David Grisman. I chat to David about how the Quintet came together and developed over those early years, how it built on the work he'd already done with The Great…

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Celebrating 50 years of the David Grisman Quintet – part 2 Todd Phillips

We're celebrating 50 years of the David Grisman Quintet with a special set of 3 episodes. This week is part 2, featuring Todd Phillips, who was in the band before it was even a band! We chat about how he got to know David Grisman and how, through taking mandolin lessons from him, they started…

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Celebrating 50 years of the David Grisman Quintet – part 1 Darol Anger & Mike Marshall

2025 marks 50 years since The David Grisman Quintet first got together, an event that changed string band music forever.  The DGQ played a huge part in the careers of some incredible musicians, including Tony Rice, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger and Todd Phillips, as well as including collaborations with Stéphane Grappelli. Their first record, The David…

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Celebrating Norman Blake’s ‘Whiskey Before Breakfast’ with Bob Minner

My guest this week is Bob Minner and we're celebrating one of the most iconic flatpicking records of all time – Norman Blake's 'Whiskey Before Breakfast'. We chat about Bob first hearing this record and why he loves it so much; its place in the flatpicking repertoire; the gear Norman used (including guitars, picks and…

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