PRINT EXCERPT: Hidden Truths: Unearthing the Stories of the Black Musicians in Bluegrass and Old-Time Music
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is an excerpt from a story in our Appalachia-themed journal from Spring 2018. You can read the whole story — and much more — in that issue, available here. And please consider supporting No Depression with a subscription for more roots music journalism, in print and
SPOTLIGHT: Adia Victoria Blends Poetry and Melody for a Sound All Her Own
Singer, guitarist, and lyricist Adia Victoria’s words and music transcend genre classification and remind us of the variety of artists and mediums in Nashville, a city that’s a limiting label unto its swiftly gentrifying self.
Becoming her own artist began when Victoria was a studious bookworm raised in
Mavis Staples Delivers a Live Album That's Right in Time
Mavis Staples takes the live album seriously. In a nearly 70-year recording career, she’s only released a few, and each one has meaning to it.
Freedom Highway, the 1965 Staple Singers live release, is a vital documentation of the civil rights movement and the Staples family’s role
Sean McConnell Views Life’s Poignant Questions Through ‘Secondhand Smoke’
There’s a purity that pours through in Sean McConnell’s latest album, Secondhand Smoke, as he calls upon 13 sincere and inspiring songs to explore his definition of the meaning of life and connect it to the world around him.
One of the facets that makes Secondhand Smoke so
The Dip Delivers a Tasty Serving of Soul
They call themselves The Dip, but their sound is more like an immersion, a baptism of soul.
The seven-piece Seattle group got their name from the barbecue sauce they concocted for their backyard cookouts and sell at shows. But when they crank up, it’s a soul throwdown in
Roland White: Then and Now, A Mandolin Mentor
Since he began performing more than six decades ago, Roland White has left his mark on bluegrass music with his singing, guitar playing, and particularly his mandolin playing, which has been inspiring to multiple generations of musicians. His discography reveals both his consistent musicality as well as his development from