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Our latest posts
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums Essentials
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves” Book Reviews
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire” Album Reviews
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music Interviews
  • [ June 11, 2026 ] Alex Amen “Sun Of Amen” Album Reviews
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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our latest posts

Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer at Cadogan Hall - 30th January2018

Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums

Essentials
June 11, 2026 6
Cover art Paul Slade Book "Blood On The Leaves"

Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves”

Book Reviews
June 11, 2026 0

Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire”

Album Reviews
June 11, 2026 0

Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music

Interviews
June 11, 2026 0
artwork for Alex Amen album "Sun of Amen" -

Alex Amen “Sun Of Amen”

Album Reviews
June 11, 2026 0
Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer at Cadogan Hall - 30th January2018
Essentials

Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums

June 11, 2026 6
The tribute album seems to have leapt in popularity in recent times. The tribute element can take numerous forms: celebrating, honouring an influential artist, raising the profile of an artist, raising money for good causes (including […]
Cover art Paul Slade Book "Blood On The Leaves"
Book Reviews

Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves”

June 11, 2026 0
A few years ago, at a local gig to see the Pennsylvania band The Stray Birds, the crowd was overall polite and receptive to the music; however, let us just say they needed to warm up. […]
Album Reviews

Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire”

June 11, 2026 0
Country rock and soul combine to fine effect on Ben Chapman’s latest release. In 2019, David Hepworth published the latest in his excellent sequence of books about rock music, and the stars and rascals who purveyed, […]

  • Essentials: The Top 10 Americana Tribute Albums
  • Book Review: Paul Slade “Blood On The Leaves”
  • Ben Chapman “Feet On Fire”
  • Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music
  • Alex Amen “Sun Of Amen”
  • Daniel Isaiah “Old Ram’s Horn” – mix of ginseng, deer horn, and other secret herbs
  • Video: Marc Ridge “I’m So Tired” – comparison is the thief of joy
  • Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It: Jackson Browne
  • Various Artists “Where The Willow And The Dogwood Grow – Words And Music Tom Waits And Kathleen Brennan”
  • Other Brother Darryl “Hey Yeah Hey”
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
  • Ramcey: I go all the way back with Jackson and own all his albums. For me, while Hold Out is not…
  • Mike Ritchie: Very good idea for a list. Enjoyed reading the thinking behind the choices. Numbers 10, 6, 5 and 4 certainly…
  • Steve Goldsmith: Highway Prayer Adam Carroll. Particularly Hayes Carll and James McMurtry"s contributions.

Latest interviews

Interviews

Interview: Dirk Powell on “Wake” and bridging modern and age-old roots music

June 11, 2026 0
Dirk Powell is a special kind of musician, someone who, through family connections, knows and understands both Appalachia and Cajun music, and is at the same time comfortable with modern music technology. He has won four […]
Interviews

Interview: Ma Polaine’s Great Decline is thriving

June 10, 2026 0
With influences in blues, jazz and country, Ma Polaine’s Great Decline is actually thriving on their fifth album, Monster Swan (2025). Based in Somerset, England, Beth Packer’s distinctive, emotive vocals, coupled with her evocative lyrics, create […]
Interviews

Interview: Greg Loftus – As both musician and carpenter, he would like to knock on wood

June 5, 2026 1
Greg Loftus comes from the town of Bourne, not far from the bridge that connects Massachusetts to Cape Cod. It is there that he practices woodworking, operates a club in nearby Falmouth and makes rock music […]

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Videos

Video Premiere: Keegan McInroe “Man in the Ground”

October 30, 2024 0
The latest single from Texan singer-songwriter Keegan McInroe is a hauntingly atmospheric song, ready just in time for Halloween.  Over bluesy guitar, McInroe delivers a gruff, gravelly vocal performance; his deep, low notes, often almost-spoken, take […]
Album Reviews

Dusty Stray “Estranged” (Great Waters, 2018)

August 23, 2018 0
Dusty Stray is the adopted moniker of Jonathan Brown, a man raised in Texas who now lives in the Netherlands. ‘Estranged’ is his fifth album of low key (not lo-fi) songs which hover around the more […]
Interviews

Interview: Daniel Meade

March 1, 2017 0
Glasgow’s Daniel Meade has an old soul, an ear for a tune that you’d swear was already an old friend and a guitar that right now is screaming “I Love You”.  With a new album; playing […]

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