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Our latest posts
  • [ February 12, 2026 ] Top Ten Americana Songs Of All Time: Keith Hargreaves Features
  • [ February 12, 2026 ] Toad the Wet Sprocket “RINGS: The Acoustic Sessions” Album Reviews
  • [ February 12, 2026 ] Interview: Jim White on Trey Blake and the backstory of “Precious Bane” Interviews
  • [ February 12, 2026 ] Lucy Mellenfield “Tell The Water, She Will Listen” Album Reviews
  • [ February 12, 2026 ] The Milk Carton Kids unveil their latest opus in April News
HomeAuthorsMartin Johnson

Articles by Martin Johnson

About Martin Johnson
I've been a music obsessive for more years than I care to admit to. Part of my enjoyment from music comes from discovering new sounds and artists while continuing to explore the roots of American 20th century music that has impacted the whole of world culture.
Album Reviews

Michael McDermott “St. Paul’s Boulevard”

June 29, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

Authentic heartland rock by a truly gifted songwriter. Michael McDermott is over thirty years into his career which started just as heartland rock was being overtaken by americana as the home for roots rockers. His music […]

Interviews

Interview: Rod Picott on his life’s mission to become the best songwriter he can

June 28, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

How a throwaway remark by Jason Isbell changed Rod Picott from a tenor to a baritone. Rod Picott grew up in South Berwick, Maine, and originally worked in the construction industry. However, he knew he wanted […]

Interviews

Interview: Hall of Fame Songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman on what makes a good song

June 21, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

Texas Born and Alabama bred but only because she was an Airforce brat. In the interminable debate about what is or isn’t americana one thing is beyond question, and that is that a defining characteristic of […]

Interviews

Interview: 49 Winchester’s Isaac Gibson on the journey to their first major-label release

June 14, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

The challenges of forming a band with your friends in a town so small there is no local music scene. Americana fans will probably have picked up that there is a bit of a buzz around […]

Interviews

Interview: Heidi Talbot on recording virtually in Lafayette, Louisiana, with Dirk Powell

June 6, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

Discussing getting songs from ghosts despite Boo Hewerdine’s doubts. Heidi Talbot may have spent over half her life as a working musician, including her apprenticeship with the Irish-American group Cherish the Ladies, and it is twenty […]

Posts pagination

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Recent Forum Posts

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    Dave Alvin’s Third Mind has a new album out, “Right Now...

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our latest posts

Top Ten Americana Songs Of All Time: Keith Hargreaves

Features
February 12, 2026 0

Toad the Wet Sprocket “RINGS: The Acoustic Sessions”

Album Reviews
February 12, 2026 0

Interview: Jim White on Trey Blake and the backstory of “Precious Bane”

Interviews
February 12, 2026 1
Artwork for Lucy Mellenfield album "Tell The Water, She Will Listen"

Lucy Mellenfield “Tell The Water, She Will Listen”

Album Reviews
February 12, 2026 0

The Milk Carton Kids unveil their latest opus in April

News
February 12, 2026 0

  • Top Ten Americana Songs Of All Time: Keith Hargreaves
  • Toad the Wet Sprocket “RINGS: The Acoustic Sessions”
  • Interview: Jim White on Trey Blake and the backstory of “Precious Bane”
  • Lucy Mellenfield “Tell The Water, She Will Listen”
  • The Milk Carton Kids unveil their latest opus in April
  • The Delines “The Meter Keeps Ticking” – trepidation, indecision
  • Video: Bird “The Boy And The Swan” – it’s like that when you hurt someone
  • The latest from Hiss Golden Messenger “I’m People” arrives on May Day
  • Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz “Circle & Square”
  • Live Review: Lucinda Williams + Ben De La Cour, The Barbican, London – 3rd February 2026
Billy Bragg Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen Chuck Prophet Courtney Marie Andrews Dean Owens Drive By Truckers Emmylou Harris Jason Isbell Johnny Cash John Prine Lucinda Williams Margo Price Neil Young Peter Bruntnell Robert Vincent Ryan Adams Steve Earle Sturgill Simpson The Band The Byrds The Delines Tom Petty Wilco Willie Nelson
  • Andrew Raw: That's very nice to hear. I thought that he probably was.
  • Lauren Gauthier: Great writing and very interesting article! What a story.
  • keith hargreaves: Hope not

Latest interviews

Interviews

Interview: Jim White on Trey Blake and the backstory of “Precious Bane”

February 12, 2026 1

If you’ve heard anything about Jim White, you’ve probably heard about the surfing, the modeling, the cab driving, and the unlikely way David Byrne changed his life with a record deal. You’ve heard about the junk […]

Behind the Songs

Interview: Tess Liautaud on the New Zealand roots scene and the songs from Blue Mind

February 10, 2026 0

From the first, rhythmically strummed notes of Blue Mind, Tess Liautaud, the Ōtautahi-based Franco-American singer-songwriter who has immersed herself among the characters on the New Zealand roots music scene, creates a lush, twangy, rock and country-soul […]

Interviews

Interview: Jonathan Bernstein on Justin Townes Earle, addiction, and the music that remains

February 9, 2026 0

Jonathan Bernstein did not set out to sanctify Justin Townes Earle, nor to reduce him to a cautionary tale. With What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome, Bernstein instead accomplishes something far more difficult: he restores dimensionality […]

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Columns

Sounds from beyond the Shed 184 “Everybody counts”

May 9, 2025 3

I have found myself increasingly depressed by the constant appearance of lifestyle choices and holiday adverts in the press and social media at the moment when that same press and social media seem to willingly ignore […]

News

The Twelve Days of the SXSW Lineup: Five rhinestone suits

December 16, 2022 0

The first and second waves of the 37th annual Texan showcase of new music SXSW lineup have been released, and once again, it looks to be the sound of tomorrow. The festival runs a full six […]

Features

The Top 10 Greatest Ever Americana Artists: Number 3 – Steve Earle

February 14, 2024 4

As we reach the podium places it is little surprise to see Steve Earle occupying one of them. He received 46 points from AUK writers to comfortably get him over the line into third place, helped […]

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