No Depression is one of the longest-running independent, nonprofit music publications in the country. Since 1995, our editorial voice has been shaped by the people who know this music best — both as observers and participants.
Who Writes for No Depression
Our contributors include professional journalists and critics with decades of experience covering folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and Americana. Many are working musicians themselves, bringing firsthand knowledge of the creative process to their reviews and features. Others are researchers, historians, and scholars with deep expertise in American roots music traditions.
What unites them is a genuine connection to this music and a commitment to writing about it with care and specificity. We don't publish algorithmic content or AI-generated stories or reviews. Every piece on No Depression is written and edited by humans.
Editorial Standards
All content published on No Depression is reviewed by our editorial staff before publication. We hold our contributors to standards of accuracy, depth, and independence. Album reviews reflect the honest assessment of the assigned writer. Stories and interviews are reported and fact-checked. Columns represent the informed perspective of their authors.
No Depression does not accept payment for coverage. Our editorial decisions are independent of advertising relationships and are not influenced by labels, publicists, artists, or even our publisher.
A Community Built Over 30 Years
No Depression was founded in 1995 as a print magazine dedicated to the alt-country movement and the broader world of American roots music. Over three decades, we have published thousands of contributors including critics, musicians, photographers, and essayists who share our belief that this music deserves serious, sustained attention.
Today, No Depression is published by the nonprofit FreshGrass Foundation, whose mission is to support artists by cultivating their creativity and sharing their creations with the world. That nonprofit structure means our editorial priorities are driven by our staff of independent editors and writers, not the market.
Write for No Depression
We welcome pitches from writers with relevant expertise and a passion for roots music. To learn more about contributing, visit our Contact page.