No Depression is thrilled to announce two incredible writing opportunities funded by our nonprofit publisher, the FreshGrass Foundation, in honor of our 30th year of publishing. Two established writers, authors, and previous No Depression contributors, Erin Osmon and Annie Zaleski, have been awarded the inaugural No Depression Criticism Fellowships. They will each receive $5,000 over the course of the next 12 months to write six in-depth album reviews on classic and contemporary roots music records.
Additionally, the application portal for the new No Depression Reporting Fellowships is now open. Two more writers will each win $20,000 each to investigate and write 40,000 words on an under-reported topic in roots music. This fellowship is modeled after the 2017 edition, in which Sarah Smarsh wrote four pieces that went on to comprise her bestselling book, She Come By It Natural (Scribner, 2020).
In total, the FreshGrass Foundation is granting No Depression $50,000 to kickstart these fellowships. Read the full press release here and apply for the No Depression Reporting Fellowship here.
The son of legendary folksinger and collector Utah Phillips launched a crowdfunding campaign to save his dad's 120-year-old caboose. As Brendan Phillips wrote in the GoFundMe:
With funds secured to complete the restoration, the caboose will become the site of the Utah Phillips Library and Study. The library will contain books, artifacts and materials collected by Utah over his decades long career. It will be a place that artists, poets, train riders and activists can come to access the materials as artists in residence and use the materials to inspire, study and create new works to add to the long memory.
Read more about it, as well as the personal connection, from English folk-protest singer Billy Bragg here:
This week was rich in new music announcements again. Shakey Graves' new home-recorded album, Fondness, Etc., is due out May 15 via Secret Identity / Dualtone Records.
Representing the last piece of a trilogy written in the midst of his battle against cancer, Joshua Ray Walker announced Ain’t Dead Yet, due out May 29th via East Dallas Records/Thirty Tigers. Read more about that journey in this brilliant feature from November.
Bella White’s third LP, A Sign In The Weather, is due out June 5 via Rounder Records.
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Aoife O'Donovan announced that she'll be participating with Wild Atlantic Music Tours for a music-themed group trip around Western Ireland in May 2027. The tour is capped at 50 participants and will include food and drink, explorations in nature, and of course, traditional and contemporary music. For more information and pricing and schedules, visit Wild Atlantic Music Tours.
Today is Bandcamp Friday again, during which all fees are waved and all money goes to the artist. Today I'm supporting Australian indie-alternative songwriter Ruby Fields and the German-based record label Habibi Funk, which aims to release, "an eclectic selection of music from the Arab world." What about you?
In terms of required reading this week, check out this story from NPR about the state of the current Live Nation trial and this story from The Guardian about the history of a forgotten scene — Welsh reggae sound systems.
Finally, RIP to violinist Jim Buchanan, who passed away this week. Read his bandmate David Grisman's tribute, as well as one from the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, below.
WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO
State Radio - Us Against The Crown
Andrew Wasylyk - Irreparable Parables
Chet Faker - A Love For Strangers
Taylor Vidic - "Trash Birds" (from her forthcoming debut, Cat & Mouse due out April 24)
NEW RELEASES - 3/6/26
Travis Bolt - Burning Bridges
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - We Are Together Again
Chicago Farmer - Homaid
William Clark Green - Watterson Hall
Hunter Hayes - Evergreen
Trey Hensley - Can’t Outrun The Blues
Jillette Johnson - The Pain, My Friend [EP]
Reese McHenry - Reese McHenry Forever
Sons of Town Hall - Of Ghosts and Gods
Brit Taylor - Land of the Forgotten
COMING SOON - 3/13/26
Johnny Blueskies - Mutany After Midnight
Cat Clyde - Mud Blood Bone
Morgan Nagler - I've Got Nothing to Lose and I'm Losing it
Sweet Petunia - Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown
Tinariwen - Hoggar
Tony Trischka - Earl Jam 2
Jason P. Woodbury - Jason P. Woodbury & The Night Bird Singing Quartet
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