Episode 56: AJ Lee, 'If you don't get nervous before a show, something's wrong.'

Episode 56 of Inside the Musician's Brain features one of the bright young stars of bluegrass/acoustic music - AJ Lee. AJ is a standout singer, mandolin player and songwriter, who just received a nomination for female vocalist of the year at the 2025 IBMA Awards. AJ Lee and Blue Summit have been making waves on the festival circuit in recent years for their stellar singing, playing and repertoire. In this conversation, AJ gives us the band backstory in addition to covering how she improves as a singer, how her relationship with performing has evolved, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Ormont is the excellent lead singer of psychedelic funk explorers Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Last summer I got to know Greg and the rest of the band/crew when the Stringdusters went out on tour with Pigeons for a run of dates. It was our first introduction and everyone hit it off - Pigeons put on an amazing show! Greg and I recap the tour as well as his musical journey, the band's backstory, the current New York Knicks state of affairs and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 54 of Inside the Musician’s Brain features one of the true legends of bluegrass music, the great Del McCoury! For over 60 years Del has been at the forefront of bluegrass music with his signature vocal style, his eclectic songbook and his standout band. His career started alongside the founder of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, in the mid 1960’s. After a short stint with Monroe, Del set out on his own, building his solo career and ultimately forming The Del McCoury Band, one of the most decorated, revered bands in bluegrass history. Del’s sons Ronnie and Robbie are a huge part of the band sound, adding chapters to the family lore. The McCourys are bluegrass royalty, and Del has truly become the patriarch of the genre. Chris and Del look back at his amazing career, what keeps him going at 86, how he brought his family into the music and much more. This talk is a small piece of bluegrass history, featuring one of the great musical figures of our time. Long live Del McCoury! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, Chris is joined by the incomparable Brittany Haas. Brittany jumped right into a career in music, joining acoustic pioneers Crooked Still right out of college. She quickly made a name for herself as one of the most powerful fiddle players on the scene, blending all the big fiddle influences into one cohesive sound that is always recognizable right away. As her career evolved, she has been a part of many projects and recordings, ultimately leading her to her current gig with Punch Brothers. Alongside Chris Thile and the rest of the Punch gang, Brittany is sure to build on the indelible mark she's leaving on acoustic music. She talks all about getting the gig, the challenges and more - there's a lot to unpack. Chris also looks back on the Dusters long history with the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association), including the glory days of the early 2000's at the Galt House in Louisville, KY. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 52 of Inside the Musician's Brain features a true original, G. Love. With his eclectic blend of folk, blues and hip-hop, G. Love has been blazing his own trail since the early 90's when he went from being a street performer in Boston to signing a major label deal with Epic Records. Hits like 'Baby's Got Sauce' put G. Love and Special Sauce on the map, launching a long and diverse career that is still unfolding. This episode covers that rise to fame and subsequent musical evolution, as well as the drastic changes in the music business over that time, G's drive to always have his own sound, and some amazing tips on must hear blues artists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside the Musician's Brain is back for season 6, and we are kicking things off with one of the great legends of the 5-string banjo, Mr. Tony Trischka! Tony is an innovator of the highest order, with a number of influential albums under his own name. He was also Chris' teacher from back in the day so there's lots to discuss. Tony talks about everything from the importance of finding joy in music, to the magic of Earl Scruggs and some practical pointers for how to be a better player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to another season of Inside the Musician's Brain! Premiering August 26, Chris will be in conversation with guests including Del McCoury, Dan Tyminski, Brittany Haas, G Love, Tony Trischka, and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is episode 50, and today Chris is joined by Taylor Goldsmith - standout singer, songwriter and guitarist for the amazing band Dawes. Their new album 'Oh Brother' just dropped, and Taylor breaks down the vision and songwriting process behind the project. He gets into the evolution of his process over the years, and how he's found his voice as a writer, leading to more personal, impactful songs. Taylor also talks about his approach to productivity, balancing the desire to have a wide knowledge base on writing and production with the ability to decide on a direction and go with it, ultimately allowing you to not get stuck, finish your work and get it out there. This is great experiential advice for any creator! Just like that, another season of the podcast is complete - thx so much for tuning in, and I'll see you bacon here in a few months, when we go back inside the musician's brain! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, Chris is joined by Grammy winning sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the dynamic duo behind roots rock powerhouse Larkin Poe. Early in their career, Rebecca and Megan were 2/3 of the Lovell Sisters, a progressive acoustic band that was making waves in the bluegrass world before changing their sound, rebranding and starting their journey as Larkin Poe. Now well established in the blues/rock world, they are building a loyal fanbase drawn to their incredible musicianship, vocal harmonies and songwriting. In this conversation, Megan and Rebeccs break down the vision behind their career shift to start Larkin Poe and their amazing forthcoming record, 'Bloom.' They also offer some excellent advice for performers and players of all levels, in addition to some great stories from their many years on the road, including collaborations with some of the biggest names in popular music.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris' guest on episode 48 is Israel Nebeker, lead singer and songwriter of Oregon indie folk gem Blind Pilot. After an 8 year break between albums, Blind Pilot is back with an excellent new record, 'In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain.' Israel talks about that long break, his challenges writing new songs, how he got through the writing dry spell and ultimately how the new album came together. In the intro, Chris talks about the power of the mind and our ability to overcome obstacles and achieve new heights when we start believing in what we are doing. Just like almost everything else, it's a practice! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices