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Erin Osmon

Waylon Payne Mines Nashville’s Contradictions, Yet Honors Outlaw Roots on New Album ‘Wayward’

Waylon Payne Mines Nashville’s Contradictions, Yet Honors Outlaw Roots on New Album ‘Wayward’

Waylon Payne who embodies both the “new” and “classic” versions of Music City, and of country music songwriting. He’s an openly gay man from Texas who’s never without his tiny chihuahua named Petey — the Demi Moore of Nashville.

Nanci Griffith and The Impossible Double Standards of 'Storms'

Nanci Griffith and The Impossible Double Standards of 'Storms'

Editor's Note: Erin Osmon has been awarded one of two No Depression Criticism Fellowships to write in-depth album reviews on roots music's most important albums. Read her previous review of Roger Miller's A Trip In The Country here, and stay tuned for more

JOURNAL EXCERPT: Arhoolie Records’ 60-year Legacy of Roots Record Collecting

JOURNAL EXCERPT: Arhoolie Records’ 60-year Legacy of Roots Record Collecting

EDITOR’S NOTE: The team at No Depression is saddened to hear about the passing of music collector and Arhoolie Records label founder Chris Strachwitz at the age of 92. In his honor, we're sharing this excerpt of a story about the 60th anniversary of his label from

John Prine, A Beacon of Middle America

John Prine, A Beacon of Middle America

When John Prine sang of “Paradise,” an Americana concept became a real and present truth. He wrote the song for his father, who was reared in the pastoral confines of Western Kentucky coal country. But he sang it for my great-grandparents, my second and third cousins, and great aunts