Americana Curious

What does it really take to build a career in music that lasts?

After more than two decades on the road, Drew Holcomb knows that making great music is only part of the job.

Just before taking the stage in Charleston with Ellie Holcomb to open for NEEDTOBREATHE, Drew joins Americana Curious to reveal the side of the music business fans rarely see.

He shares how becoming a professional musician forced him to become an entrepreneur—learning marketing, design, payroll and business management along the way. He also opens up about the ventures th...

Jonah Kagen has racked up over half a billion streams, scored a Billboard #1 hit with "God Needs the Devil," and sold out headline shows across the globe. But as he shares on Americana Curious, the commercial accolades didn't bring validation—they forced him to isolate, face his inner demons, and dig into his darkest songwriting yet.

In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Jonah joins host Ben Fanning (Zach Schultz couldn't join us for this one) to talk through:

Andrew Sa grew up obsessed with Patsy Cline. Today, he’s challenging one of country music’s oldest assumptions: who gets to belong.

The Chicago country artist’s debut album, American Rough, blends the sounds of classic country with deeply personal songs about love, masculinity, identity, and belonging. And Andrew isn’t asking permission to be part of the genre: “I’m not separate and I’m not different and I belong there.”

Andrew joins Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz to share the childhood story behind his connection to sad country songs, how Rufus Wainwright gave him “permis...

Chris Pierce was playing a corporate gig in a dark corner where nobody was listening when his phone rang. The caller represented Neil Young, and Neil wanted Chris to open his tour.

But Chris’s fight for music started decades earlier.

At 15, he suddenly lost his hearing. Surgery restored about 50% in one ear, and Chris made a choice that has defined his life and career: keep fighting for the thing he loves.

Chris joins Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz on Americana Curious to share that journey, along with the childhood experience that shaped th...

Newport Folk Festival is famous for the unexpected. You never quite know who might walk onstage.

This year, Dave Matthews made his first-ever Newport appearance, joining a long tradition of unforgettable surprises that has included James Taylor, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton and more.

In this episode of Americana Curious, Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz pull back the curtain on what really happens at Newport Folk Festival—the surprise guests, spontaneous collaborations, intimate aftershows, and the community of music lovers that makes Newport unlike any other festival.

You'll hear what it was li...

How does a band from Hawaii become one of Americana's fastest-rising groups?

In this episode of Americana Curious, Ben Fanning sits down backstage with Twin Fin just before their sold-out show at Charleston's Pour House for a candid conversation about the unlikely journey that brought them here.

From Coast Guard careers and backyard jam sessions to building a loyal fan base across the country, the band shares how the spirit of aloha, deep friendships, and a passion for great songwriting have fueled their remarkable rise.

You'll hear:

What happens after you've already achieved the dream?

Phillip Phillips captured America's heart by winning American Idol, releasing "Home"—the biggest-selling winner's single in the show's history—and touring alongside legends like John Mayer and Bruce Springsteen. But behind the success was a deeper journey: discovering that fame wasn't the finish line.

In this episode of Americana Curious, hosts Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz sit down with Phillip for one of his most candid conversations yet. He shares why Home didn't initially feel like his own song, how becoming an independent artist allowed him to recl...

Do bigger venues create bigger experiences—or do they take us further away from the music?

In this episode of Americana Curious, Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz debate whether arenas have changed the live music experience for the worse and share the intimate venues that have left the biggest impression on them.

From Charleston's beloved Pour House and Nashville's legendary Robert's Western World to First Avenue in Minneapolis, Red Rocks, the Ryman Auditorium, and hidden gems you've probably never heard of, they explore why some venues create unforgettable nights while others simply host concerts.

...

How does an artist find a voice that feels unmistakably their own—and write songs that hold both hope and heartbreak at the same time?

In this episode of Americana Curious, hosts Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz sit down with MC Taylor, singer, songwriter, producer, and bandleader of Hiss Golden Messenger.

Across more than a dozen studio albums and a Grammy-nominated career, MC has become one of the defining voices in modern Americana. But finding that voice took years of searching, experimenting, and learning to trust his own instincts.

MC shares the story be...

How does an independent band stay true to its roots, resist industry pressure, and survive for over three decades?

In this episode of Americana Curious, hosts Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz sit down with Willy Braun, frontman and lead singer of the legendary country-rock band Reckless Kelly.

Long before sold-out shows and a devoted following, the band survived by pooling "Band Bucks," sleeping on bar floors, and driving a banged-up $1,500 Suburban.

Willie opens up about their early days playing seven nights a week in Austin, getting a stamp of approval from icons like...

What happens when a musician completely rejects the corporate machine?

In this episode of Americana Curious, Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz sit down with singer-songwriter Mason Jennings to discuss his incredible 30-year independent career.

Mason opens up about why he walked away from major label record deals, what it was really like working with (and turning down) Rick Rubin, his fun connection to Prince, and his internal battle with crippling agoraphobia and panic attacks on tour.

Whether you are an independent musician navigating the modern landscape of Soundcloud and AI or a fan...

What can leaders learn from Bruce Springsteen?

A lot more than you might think.

In this special crossover episode from the Lead the Team podcast, Ben sits down with Andy Freed—CEO, author, and a devoted Springsteen fan who has attended nearly 100 Bruce Springsteen concerts.

Over the years, Andy noticed something remarkable: many of the leadership lessons taught in boardrooms are being demonstrated night after night on stage by Bruce and the E Street Band.

From how he acknowledges his band members to how he commands attention for three hours, Springsteen ha...

Some artists sound polished. Some artists sound real. The rare ones give you both.

I caught up with backstage at the Charleston Pour House right before she took the stage — you can hear the traffic outside, the crowd starting to buzz, and the energy building before the show.

At just 25 years old, Bella is writing songs with an emotional honesty and depth that feels timeless.

We talked about emotional restlessness, life between places, quietly commanding a room, and how heartbreak and searching have shaped her songwriting.

She also opened up about ev...

Winyah had 3 songs.

Then they got the call to play Bonnaroo.

No album.

Just a deadline.

So they did what most people won’t:

They locked in.

Slept on couches.

Finished an entire record in weeks.

Fast forward—

They’re opening High Water Festival in Charleston…

stepping on stage in front of 15,000..

And here’s what surprised me most:

They’re playing the long game.

→ Eating clean on tour

→ Running between shows

→ Th...

What does Taj Mahal understand about music… that most artists still miss today?

How did his approach to sound end up influencing Bob Marley?

What does it actually mean to feel music instead of just hearing it?

And what have we lost… now that music has become something we just consume?

In this episode, Taj Mahal—five-time Grammy winner and one of the architects of modern Americana—shares a radically different way of thinking about music, connection, and culture.

From growing up surrounded by gospel, jazz, and radio… to shaping a...

What happens when your dream falls apart… right in the middle of a pizza shift?

John-Robert was closing at work when he got the call…

he’d been dropped by his label.

Most artists don’t come back from that. He moved home to Virginia…

built a studio.

and started making music nonstop.

No label.

No plan B.

No guarantees.

Today, his music has millions of streams around the world.

But the real story isn’t just the success… it’s the life...

MORGXN, the Americana artist who just redefined what the Heartland means, joins Ben and Zach on Americana Curious for a conversation that you'll never forget.

Early in his career, he was told he’d never make it in Nashville as an openly gay artist. So he left.

But something pulled him back. Instead of abandoning the music… he decided to reclaim something bigger.

The Heartland.

Not as a place owned by a genre or a stereotype but as a place that BELONGS TO EVERYONE.

Along the way, he’s collab...

Some songs don’t just play; They mark seasons of your life.

And you don’t realize it until years later.

These are the Americana songs that shaped who we (Ben and Zach) have become.

As you'll hear it's not because they were chart-toppers or because everyone else loved them...

...it's because they found us at a very specific moment.

A long drive after a hard loss.

A tiny club when you felt invisible.

A lyric that said what you couldn’t say out loud.

T...

There are voices that impress you.

And then there are voices that feel like they’ve been EARNED.

Al Nicol’s voice carries the high lonesome ache of Bill Monroe, the raw vulnerability of early Bon Iver, and the spiritual sway of Neil Young’s Harvest era.

But what makes it unforgettable isn’t tone it’s the absolute TRUTH.

In this episode of Americana Curious, Al opens up about masculinity, mortality, anxiety, and the years he spent “on the sidelines of life.”

He shares how confronting severe athletic anorexia and t...

Emily Scott Robinson isn’t chasing hits....She’s writing for your funeral.

It's not dark...It's called powerful depth!

In our conversation, Emily shares with us that she wants to write songs that are singable 40 years from now.

Not viral...Not trending this weekend...Not forgotten next month.

FORTY YEARS

The industry rewards noise.

Speed.

Algorithms.

“Content.”

But Emily Scott Robinson is building something much harder:

...Songs people sing in churches.

...Songs people sing at funerals.

...

20 YEARS. 0 LABELS. 1 PLATINUM RECORD.

💿🔥 Most bands don’t make it past year five.

They call it the “Valley of Death” because 95% of indie artists don’t make it out alive.

But The Band of Heathens just crossed 20 years, went Platinum, and they never signed the lease to a major label.

How did they do it?

1️⃣ Surviving the Crossroads: At year six, the band almost folded. They had to ask: “Is the soul of the band intact enough to keep going?”. They chose the music over the exit ramp.

2️⃣ The "Lifer" Ment...

Ben and Zach pull back the curtain on the albums that defined the last year and the artists poised to explode in 2026.

From hard-working storytellers out of North Carolina to "super groups" creating interplanetary harmonies, this conversation isn't about a random "best of" list...

...it’s about the JEWELS and POWERHOUSE ALBUMS records that stayed on repeat.

Why You Need to Listen:

- The "Sonic Bloom": Discover why one artist’s live show was nicknamed a "sonic boom" and which sister-duo is currently "melting faces" with electric slide guitar.

- Br...

The industry wanted virality. She wanted honesty.

Guess who won?

She walked away from the band, the marriage, the map — and somehow walked straight into her true voice.

Nikki Bluhm didn’t plan the reinvention.

She didn’t chase the algorithm.

She didn’t engineer a “moment.”

She just told the truth.

This is a woman whose band once went viral… in a van.

Millions and millions of people watched something recorded on an iPhone, mixed by flipping mics and shuffling bandmates between seats.

B...

Jake Owen iis a platinum-selling artist with ten #1 hits, a Breakthrough Artist of the Year winner, and one of the most recognizable voices in modern country.

You know him from “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Beachin’,” and “American Country Love Song.”

But after two decades at the top, Jake Owen did something most artists never dare to do - he reinvented everything.

He stepped away from what was comfortable, bet on himself, and made the most honest music of his life.

In this powerful conversation, Jake opens up about taking risks, trusting his gut, and c...

At just 21 years old, Stella Prince has already done what most artists spend a lifetime chasing.

She’s been called “the artist bringing folk music to Gen Z” by Forbes, sang at a John Prine tribute in Nashville, and will record her debut album under the Northern Lights in Iceland.

But what struck me most wasn’t her voice (which has shades of Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile)…

It was her work ethic and gratitude.

For seven years, she handled everything — booking, performing, social, promotion — completely solo.

Then, in the last nine...

There’s a kind of wisdom that only comes from the road.

Soren Staff from Them Coolee Boys summed it up in six words:

“Change breaks you before it makes you.”

He wasn’t being dramatic — just honest.

Because for them, it’s not theory.

They’ve lived it.

From playing 10 a.m. festival slots while people were still setting up tents —

“The first time we played there… it was like 10 a.m. on a Friday… the next year they were like, ‘How would you like to headline Friday...

Briscoe has an incredible story, and you need to hear it now!

Two redheaded kids in the same pair of Chaco sandals at summer camp. A back-porch pact to start a band if they ever wound up at the same college.

And now—sharing the stage with Dave Matthews and lighting up the Newport Folk Festival.

You’ll want to say you discovered this band first.

🔥 From campfire harmonies of John Prine’s “Paradise”…

🔥 …to self-producing their earliest tracks, experimenting with banjos, saxophones, and mandolins…

🔥 …to commanding 20,000 strangers who didn’t know t...

He’s the man behind “Wagon Wheel” — the song that went from a Bob Dylan fragment to a global anthem, covered by Darius Rucker, sung at campfires, weddings, and stadiums everywhere. But few know the real story of how it was written.

In this exclusive interview, Ketch Secor, founder of Old Crow Medicine Show, shares:

-How “Wagon Wheel” was finished when he was just 17

-What it was like taking old-time string band music from the streets to the Grand Ole Opry

-The wild early days of busking, sleeping on couches, and chasing the...

Mainstream country radio has no room for voices like Luke Tyler Shelton—and that’s exactly why his music matters.

In this episode of Americana Curious, Ben and Zach sit down with rising Americana artist Luke Tyler Shelton, whose debut album Blue Sky (produced by Shooter Jennings) is already winning over true music lovers.

From writing songs in parking lots to sharing the stage at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, Luke’s story is proof that the future of country music isn’t on the radio—it’s in the raw, soulful spaces where authenticity lives.

🎶...

Sammy Rae and The Friends didn’t just start a band—they sparked a movement. 🎤✨

In this unforgettable interview, Sammy Rae and The Friends reveal the wild story behind a tour bus breakdown that turned into something legendary…and the moment a single letter changed everything.

From sold-out shows at Red Rocks to creating a global community of belonging, Sammy Rae and The Friends share how their high-octane, genre-defying energy is inspiring fans around the world.

Watch now to discover why this band is something you have to see to believe.

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From Dive Bars to John Mayer: The Last Revel’s Journey is Unbelievable!

Three musicians.

One relentless vision.

And a record that feels like the point of no return.

From Midwest dive bars to sharing stages with John Mayer, The Last Revel has always played like there’s something at stake.

But this time…it’s different.

They locked themselves away in a legendary studio.

They called in heroes to push them past their limits.

They bet everything on one album — the fastest, rawest, mo...

He didn’t chase the spotlight. He built a bonfire of truth—and let the crowd find him.

Ryan Necci never set out to be a full-time musician and songwriter.

He was a graphic designer. A weekend warrior.

Then life cracked wide open.

A brain tumor.

A rescue dog fighting cancer.

A marriage ending.

And through it all—songs poured out.

🎶 Songs that bruised like Springsteen.

🖤 Lyrics that cut like Isbell.

🔥 A growl that hits you in the gut like Stapleton...

700 Million Streams. No Label - Sons of the East

🎶 They tracked a stolen tour bus with AirTags.

🎤 They played their hearts out in front of Bill Murray.

🩲 And yes… they lost a full cube of fresh undies on tour.

Sons of the East didn’t blow up overnight.

They built their global cult following the hard way:

No major label.

No viral gimmick.

Just killer harmonies, soulful songs, and relentless touring.

Nic Johnston dropped in on Americana Curious to share the wild ride fro...

From Monkey’s Eyebrow to the Country Music Hall of Fame

She learned to write songs before she learned to drive.

Raised in the swampy river bottoms of rural Kentucky—riding a John boat to her dad’s hunting lodge—Kelsey Waldon found her way from front porches and thumb-picked guitars to sharing stages with Willie Nelson and Tanya Tucker.

🎙 Signed to John Prine’s legendary Oh Boy Records

🎧 Played the Grand Ole Opry

✍️ Her handwritten lyrics now live in the Country Music Hall of Fame

But the climb wasn’t all...

TRAUMA TO TRIUMPH: THE BIRTH OF THE LONE BELLOW 🎙️

What if heartbreak could spark healing?

This episode of Americana Curious is one for the soul. 🎧 We sit down with Zach Williams—frontman of The Lone Bellow—to uncover the raw story of how a life-altering accident became the catalyst for a musical movement.

💔 A broken neck.

🎸 A journal turned song.

🔥 A voice discovered in a Starbucks open mic.

🌆 A Brooklyn bond that became a band.

From writing his first songs while his wife recovered from paralysis, to packing ou...

Drew Holcomb is more than just a musician—he’s a cultural force who has spent nearly two decades writing the soundtrack to our lives.

You need to know Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors now!

In this powerful episode of Americana Curious, Drew opens up about his journey from independent artist to community builder, while staying true to his voice.

Discover the man behind the music that has touched millions, from his early music to his latest album Memory Bank.

But what makes Drew Holcomb’s story most unique?

Well it’s n...

Dirt Road Rising!

JD Clayton didn’t wait for permission. He wrote the songs, built the band, produced the album—and now he’s building a movement one dirt road and bass drop at a time.

Instead, he's ripping stages across America, self-producing records that slap you in the soul, and proving that roots music doesn’t have to play by the rules.

In this episode, we dive into the unpredictable rise of a Southern preacher’s grandson turned genre-blending Americana artist with a voice built for vinyl and a mindset built for the grind...

Soulful Reckoning

Ever wondered how a band can bridge the gap between rock and roll energy and old-time Appalachian soul?

Justin Osborne, the driving force behind Susto, is doing just that. But there's a twist – a journey of self-discovery, a departure from the familiar, and a dive into the heart of Americana.

His story is one of transformation and a constant search for meaning.

From a background steeped in religion to finding a new spiritual connection through music, his path is both compelling and deeply human.

It's about navigating th...

Americana Rawness Rules

Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers, a cornerstone of modern Americana for two decades, reveals the surprising shift in their songwriting that keeps their sound soulful and timeless.

The acclaimed band, beloved by critics and fans alike, has carved a unique path.

But how did they maintain their signature sound while navigating the pressures of bigger venues and broader appeal?

Discover the power of "less is more" and the magic of brotherly telepathy that fuels their captivating performances.

Learn how they balance intimacy and impact, on...

She Returns From War

Singer-songwriter Hunter Park, known for her moniker She Returns From War, embodies the spirit of the modern South.

With a voice that carries both tenderness and raw power, she's captivating audiences and challenging the status quo. 🎤 But what does it mean to return from war as a musician? 🤔

Hunter's journey is one of resilience, self-discovery, and embracing her true identity in a conservative environment.

Her music explores themes of overcoming adversity, finding strength within, and creating a community of acceptance.

But what was it like for he...