Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast

On Episode 14 of Steel, we meet Travis Toy, one of Nashville's deepest pedal steel players. Travis has shared the stage and studio with some of modern country's biggest acts, including Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Luke Combs, Steve Wariner and Patty Loveless. Travis is one of the deepest technical practitioners of pedal steel. He's just as comfortable playing a honky tonk gig as he is shredding jazz funk fusion on E9. We discuss his fascinating musical upbringing in Kentucky, his obsession with '90s country and GRP records, how he tries to play things that matter in the studio, and lots more. Read more about Travis here: https://travistoy.com/ http://www.travistoytutorials.com/ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3WdOaE9fKZThXhFWU9dsfe?si=78e43673760841d4 Steel is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine and is mixed by Armen Bazarian. fretboardjournal.com

On Episode 13 of Steel, we catch up with guitarist and steel player Dave Biller. Based in Austin since the '90s, Dave's played with everyone from Johnny Bush and Ray Price to Jimmie Vaughan and Charley Crockett. There aren't many musicians who can play a classic country E9 gig in the afternoon, hit a jazz club on six-string that night, and then compose a piece for a chamber orchestra the next day...but Dave can. We talk about his winding musical path through rock, metal, jazz, and country; his various musical obsessions including John Coltrane, Jimmy Day, and Django Reinhardt; and the hotel room conversation that led him to spend a decade immersing himself fully in pedal steel. Read more about Dave and hear some of his music at the links below: Read more about Dave at the following links: Instagram Steel Ep 13 Spotify Playlist Steel Ep 13 Youtube Playlist Steel is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine and is mixed by Armen Bazarian. fretboardjournal.com

For episode 12 of Steel, we meet Laurel Premo, an incredible folk musician from Traverse City, Michigan. Laurel's 2021 album, 'Golden Loam,' is a collection of deep, dark folk tunes played on solo electric guitar and lap steel, and the sound is completely her own. The record is spare, brooding, rhythmically deep, and completely captivating.  When I learned Laurel was coming to New York, I jumped at the chance to meet her and talk about her musical life. In this episode, we discuss Laurel's musical roots in Northern Michigan, where she played fiddle in Finnish Barn dances; how she picked up the lap steel and adapted it to her style of music; her immersion in Scandinavian folk traditions; how chanting is at the heart of her musical practice; and lots more. laurelpremo.com laurelpremo.bandcamp.com Steel Ep 12 Spotify Playlist Steel Ep 12 Youtube Playlist This podcast is mixed by Armen Bazarian and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine. www.fretboardjournal.com

Episode 11 of Steel features legendary dobro player Jerry Douglas, who joins to discuss his new album 'The Set.'  Jerry Douglas is one of the most recorded, accomplished, and expressive players in the history of his instrument. His career is as deep as it is varied. He's been a top-flight bluegrass player for five decades and has shared the stage with everybody from J.D. Crowe to Billy Strings. He is a Nashville session ace and has played on thousands of recordings. And when he can find the time, he makes his own records. Today, Jerry and I discuss how this record came to be; how his band communicates, writes, and records; his stint playing pedal steel on the Grand Ole Opry; and lots more. Check out the following links to learn more about Jerry and his music. https://jerrydouglas.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jerrydouglas https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QKfmniXegfjB43geOK1ok?si=e8dd20bde5d1457b https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=KRpwZ9BkN4E&list=PLvvtMAAyfWueRPSioMXfNaeY83AoxM2Kn The music for Episode 11 is "A Meadow in the Valley of Secrets," by Sweet Gary from Austin, Texas. It's on the album, 'Pink Pedal Steel.' https://www.instagram.com/sweet.gary https://sweetgary.bandcamp.com/album/pink-pedal-steel This podcast is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine. https://www.fretboardjournal.com  

For Episode 10 of Steel, we meet Chris Parker, a deep guitarist living in Brooklyn who has found some incredible ways of copping classic pedal steel sounds on a plain old six-string guitar with just his fingers and a slide. Chris is a fixture on the Brooklyn guitar scene. Most nights of the week you can catch him backing up songwriters, playing fully improvised music, or leading his own band, Guru Complex. Chris and I discuss the evolution of his singular slide guitar sound, his approach to practice and improvisation, and the realities of being a professional musician in New York. We also get to hear Chris make his guitar sound like pedal steel and a few other wild instruments.  Check out the following links to learn more about Chris and his music: https://chrisparkermusic.com/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucFAaaYvZ-TU7RsvxyWCp9C https://www.instagram.com/chrisparker246/ This podcast is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine. https://www.fretboardjournal.com/  

On Episode 9 of Steel, we travel to Portland, Oregon to interview Jeremy Wakefield, one of the finest swing and jazz lap steel players out there. He has a beautiful touch, he's a great improviser, and he breathes life into this style of American music. Jeremy has played and recorded alongside ridiculously great players like Dave Biller, TK Smith, Jonathan Stout and Sage Guyton. His albums 'Hot Guitars of Biller and Wakefield' and 'Steel Guitar Caviar' are touchstone latterday swing steel guitar records. Jeremy's playing is also heard all over the TV show 'Spongebob Squarepants.'  Check out the following links to learn more about Jeremy and his music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5M6dbAh0RRMC2AgKFWG2T6?si=8f425a7e0e2c4f05 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucymmatfI5yj25bYEKHkzBl&si=LE39T6ldMKRcpS4S https://www.instagram.com/titanicstinks https://jeremywakefield.bandcamp.com/album/steel-guitar-caviar-2 https://spongebob.fandom.com/wiki/Jeremy_Wakefield Deep thanks to Benson Amps for their support of this episode.  https://www.bensonamps.com/ This podcast is brought to you by the wonderful folks at the Fretboard Journal magazine. Check out the following links to subscribe to the magazine and dig into the rest of the FJ podcast network: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/

For Episode 8 of Steel, we travel to Cork, Ireland to meet David Murphy and discuss his new album Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar. The album is a collection of melancholic Irish "airs" and Sean-nós tunes that David plays beautifully on the pedal steel.  In our chat, David breaks down how he became one of the few pedal steel players in Ireland, where this particular strain of traditional Irish music comes from, what these songs mean, and how he brought them to life on the steel guitar. Check out these links to learn more about David and his music: https://www.davidmurphymusic.com/ https://davidmurphymusic.bandcamp.com/album/cuimhne-ghlinn-explorations-in-irish-music-for-pedal-steel-guitar https://www.instagram.com/steelydave83/ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IL0wdNVS59B9Eeydd0PNW?si=6fcaa4ea8cc24527 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucZ8rnjOBsWWRlO_IEqA2ul This podcast is brought to you by the wonderful folks at the Fretboard Journal magazine. Check out the following links to subscribe to the magazine and dig into the rest of the FJ podcast network: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription   https://www.fretboardjournal.com/category/podcasts/

For Episode 7 of Steel, we catch up with legendary L.A. steel player Greg Leisz. Greg's steel playing has graced recordings with iconic artists like Bill Frisell, Joni Mitchell, Beck, Mark Knopfler, Phoebe Bridgers, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and many more. He's renowned for his ability to bring depth and emotions to recordings with his touch, tone and occasionally minimalist musical sense.  Greg and I discuss his musical journey, from high school garage bands and learning steel in honky tonk bars to becoming a first-call session player in Los Angeles.  To learn more about Greg, check out Fretboard Journal #33 or check the following links: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Leisz - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MG1pGbqGltH79LxIYjVyN?si=6ffd82c09253448d - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWufFmO9oJAnT9dgMh4rgJwA8 - https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fj-33 Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal.  Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription    

For episode 6 of Steel, we travel to Toronto to meet Christine Bougie. Christine is a guitarist and lap steel player who has shared the stage and studio with folks like Bahamas, Sarah Harmer, Amy Milan, the Queer Songbook Orchestra and Jeremy Dutcher. Christine just released 'Soft Start,' an album of gorgeous ambient music.  In our chat, Christine breaks down her musical journey, from learning to record as a teenager with the two cassette records, to how a few choice words from Bill Frisell inspired her to record her own music, how the lap steel became part of her life and how she used the steel to create lush textures on her ambient album. To learn more about Christine and find her music, check out the following links: - https://www.christinebougie.ca/ - https://christinebougie.bandcamp.com/ - https://www.instagram.com/christinebougie/?hl=en - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SZin6f4Z3SLnRWp7Bhv4r?si=ab46bc4dc9934f05 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWue8AScjx7r6kWBHED7GDDHL Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here:  https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

On this episode, we speak with Kashiah Hunter, a wonderful sacred steel player based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Sacred steel is an incredible form of gospel music played in House of God Pentecostal churches across the United States and the center of this rich musical tradition is the steel guitar. Kashiah's deeply expressive, lyrical playing is a hallmark of the sacred steel style. Kashiah plays steel in the New Mercy, New Beginnings, New Victory Ministries church in Georgia, but I was lucky enough to catch up with him when he was in town to play the Brooklyn Folk Fest. We dig into Kashiah's musical history, how he "borrowed" his first steel guitar from his cousin and learned by playing along to cassette recordings of church services, and how emotion is the center of his musical practice. To learn more about Kashiah and his playing, check out the following links: https://www.instagram.com/kashiah_hunter/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucU6XzOjASCeY3sXWso-NLk Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal network of podcasts.  Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription