Martin Johnson

Interview: Ian Noe on how Kentucky gave him a universal view of the world

April 19, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

Why John Prine and the concept album are key influences. Kentuckian Ian Noe has just released his second album, ‘River Fools & Mountain Saints’, which builds on the success of his 2019 debut, ‘Between The Country’. […]

Interview: Ray Wylie Hubbard on being an Old Cat and that song

April 12, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

How a group of friends have helped bring Ray Wylie Hubbard’s songs to their biggest audience. Most songwriters can only dream of writing anything approaching a classic song, but some of those who do are not […]

Discovering… The Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia

April 12, 2022 Martin Johnson 6

To the uninitiated, getting a handle on what the Grateful Dead are all about can seem quite daunting, and this sense of challenge is exacerbated by the fact that their fanbase, the Deadheads, are probably the […]

The Song Remains: Paul Siebel 1937 – 2022

April 8, 2022 Martin Johnson 2

A songwriting legend who recorded two exceptional studio albums. Singer-songwriter Paul Siebel died on 5th April and while he only released two studio albums and one live recording, he is one of the great what-if artists […]

Interview: Amy Speace on boredom and trauma as inspiration for “Tucson”

April 6, 2022 Martin Johnson 0

There is no such thing as writers’ block as even a 100-year-old parlor grand piano can inspire. Amy Speace is twenty years into a career that has seen her critical stock continue to rise. Her 2021 […]