Having already penned much-heralded books on both John Prine and Jason Molina, author Erin Osman is now tackling the wide genre of heartland rock — which she defines more by a spiritual and ideological geography, rather than a literal one. And while Bob Seger, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp round out the Mount Rushmore of sorts for this soundtrack of working class 80’s middle-America, Osmon casts a needed spotlight on the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman, Lucinda Williams and Bruce Hornsby within the pages of 'Won’t Back Down,' available now wherever you get literature. On this week’s show, Osman expands upon the relationship between art and province, and why the subject matter of 'Won’t Back Down' stretches across generations. Plus, details on her current role on the editorial staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, and how her two decades as a music journalist have led her there. Visit erinosmon.com for more info, past works and a killer playlist of tunes featured in 'Won't Back Down.' Music on this episode is from The Pretty Flowers, available digitally or on vinyl at theprettyflowers.bandcamp.com or forgeagainrecords.bandcamp.com.

This is an encore presentation of a previous episode.

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Global superstar Hozier ("Take Me To Church," "Too Sweet") discusses his appreciation for analog experiences, and some personal anecdotes on how records by Howlin' Wolf, D'Angelo and more -- specifically on vinyl -- have influenced his own creative output. Plus, singer/songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews and Dawes lead vocalist/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith share their thoughts about the importance of wax in a digital world. These conversations were recorded backstage at the 2018 edition of the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, TN. 

Thanks to vinyl's nearly two decades of steady growth and new pressing plants popping up almost annually, the physical act of getting LP's pressed as an independent artist is easier than ever. But, that's not to say that it's easy. Canadian singer/songwriter Tenille Townes, for instance, recently found herself taking the leap out of the Nashville country music machine and funding, recording and pressing her new album The Acrobat completely on her own. This included a modest vinyl pre-order goal of 300 copies, still more than she'd ever sold via pre-order while with a proper label. Luckily, the fan base she's been slowly building through Billboard Canada Country chart number ones and (as NPR says) “passionate and empathetic songs that capture the complexities of the heartland" more than tripled that original estimate. On this week's show, Tenille details the nuts and bolts of bringing The Acrobat from a laptop in her bedroom to turntables around the globe, and all the dollars and doubt that came with it. The Acrobat is available now via all digital platforms, and on vinyl from tenilletownes.com.

Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O'Donovan talk this week about their recent Grammy wins, family mixtapes over the years, favorite live albums and more. Sing Me Alive, the trio's own new live 2LP set, drops digitally later this month, with vinyl arriving May 8th. Pre-order it and get tour dates, social media and more via imwithherband.com. 

Through a sprawling instrumental approach that blends post-rock, jazz, minimalism, electronic elements and more, British trio Mammal Hands still have a knack for ensuring rapturous melody is always part of the equation. On their new album Circadia -- topping the Billboard UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart this week -- the band sounds at once both freeing and well-structured, finding arcs and chapters within tracks that blend the mysterious tones of Mogwai with the hushed escapism of Eno/Budd collaborations. On today's episode, saxophonist Jordan Smart, brother Nick Smart on piano, and new drummer Rob Turner give their backstory, and delve into how a wide range of influences (from Gétatchèw Mèkurya to John Frusciante to Wayne Shorter) have contributed to their artistic DNA. Circadia is available digitally, and on black or clear vinyl, from MammalHands.com. Follow @mammalhands on Instagram for news and updates.

Copping its title from a magic mail-order catalog from the 1920's, The Mysterious Production of Eggs sounds so confident in both its whimsical grandeuer and its pensive, quiet moments, one would have no idea that it took renowned violinist and songwriter Andrew Bird many top-to-bottom rewrites, over nearly half a decade, to complete. Today, he walks us through overcoming those initial struggles, when exactly his trademark whistle became part of his musical DNA, and how the current symphonic tour he's on is strategically sequenced much like a vinyl record. A whopping 3LP anniversary edition of Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs -- with live cuts, alternate takes, a 50+ page book and more -- is available now from your local record store or AndrewBird.net. 

Vocalist/guitarist Bob Nanna, bassist Todd Bell, guitarist Mike Shumaker and drummer Damon Atkinson discuss their original start as a band in the early 00's and their upcoming vinyl reissues, dropping this March. Pre-orders and tour dates are available at polyvinylrecords.com. 

On his third visit to the podcast, everyone’s favorite musician-for-hire Jason Narducy (Superchunk, Bob Mould Band, Split Single, Verböten) discusses his new book — Mostly The Van, Volume 1 — and a recent full-circle moment in the childhood bedroom of R.E.M.'s Bill Berry. Jason will be hitting the road again next month alongside Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon, playing that group's legendary fourth LP, Life’s Rich Pageant. Follow @jasonnarducy on Instagram for tour dates, copies of the book and much more. 

(To hear Jason's previous interviews, revisit Episodes 121 and 212)

As NPR tells it, Drive-By Truckers' "examination of the Southern psyche is a microcosm of how Americans respond to triumph and tragedy," but their early career incline couldn’t have looked more shattered behind the scenes. The band was close to imploding while crafting 2001’s Southern Rock Opera, through a heatwave in a warehouse, for a paltry $7,000. But when the time came to make their follow-up, Decoration Day — in vocalist/guitarist Patterson Hood’s words, “the most openly beloved thing we’ve ever done” — there was new fuel in the band's tank, with the addition of Jason Isbell, and a real studio and budget to help dial in their vision. Hood recalls it being his funnest recording experience to date, and the final product ended up catapulting the group to cult-like status. Today, on his second visit to Vinyl Emergency, Hood discusses the recently released 4LP Definitive Decoration Day box set, and why he feels the more his band is pushed, the better they become. Follow @dbtph on Instagram and hit up drivebytruckers.com for upcoming solo tour dates.

(To hear Patterson Hood’s previous interview, revisit Episode 144 from February 2021)