Roots Reinterpreted: The Folk Revival of Jake Xerxes Fussell

In this series, we often spend time with artists and styles of music that are not celebrated in the mainstream, and our guest here is no exception. With a focus on music that is from artists living in the South and on music that has roots from the region, we are constantly talking with bluegrass, blues, country, rock and Americana artists in this endeavor. These forms of music are immensely important to the history and legacy of original music in this country, but they seldom are associated with today’s biggest stars, and even they are not the only game in town when one treks to the musical land of Niche. One reason why we love those genres is simply because they became so popular, fueling one of America’s great exports to the world. But it is easy to get wrapped up in that history and culture and lose sight of other traditions that also are not celebrated in the mainstream, nor are part of the narrative where roots music born in the South becomes foundational to a preponderance of popular music in the twentieth century. In this conversation with Jake Xerxes Fussell, I was reminded of that.

That reminder is just one part of our conversation, which took place in mid May 2023 at the Albino Skunk Music Festival in Greer, SC. Jake played a solo set on guitar, and afterwards we spoke about his deep roots in folklore, about his fourth album Good and Green Again, being a DJ on WHUP in Hillsborough NC and more in this episode which also features excerpts of music from his live set.

Jake Xerxes Fussell performs at the Albino Skunk Music Festival, 05/13/23

Songs heard in this episode:

“Raggy Levy” by Jake Xerxes Fussell, live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/13/23“Rock Steady” by Aretha Franklin, excerpt

“Morning Train” by Precious Bryant, from The Truth, excerpt

“Frolic” by Jake Xerxes Fussell, from Good and Green Again, excerpt

WHUP’s Fall Line Radio show excerpt from 07-12-23

“The River St. Johns” by Jake Xerxes Fussell, live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05-13-23

We are so grateful when you tell someone about this series, and it is easy to follow us on your podcast platform of choice, where it will only take a minute to give us a good rating, and where it is an option, a review. When you do that, it makes this series go up in the rankings, which means that more people just like you will find it, and more people will get turned on to the artists and endeavors we profile. This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes of this podcast on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Corrie Askew for producing the radio adaptations of this series on public radio WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng who wrote and performed our theme songs.

This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. — Joe Kendrick

Where Soil and Song Work In Harmony: S.G. Goodman

As a lifelong Southerner, and a mostly small-town Southerner all these years, I can understand when people want to get out of their small, Southern town in favor of a city with more people of like minds. And as that mostly happy small-town Southerner, I can understand why people want to get out of the city and put themselves in that countryside. Both scenarios play out on the regular here in red dirt country, with results that mirror our current national tendency towards polarization between city and country. Very seldom do you find someone with the depth and talent level of an S.G. Goodman choosing to stay in a small town in a rural setting, with all of its tragedies and shortcomings firmly in mind, over practically any other place of their choosing in the whole U.S. As S.G. Goodman said in another interview, what you find commonly is people in rural places tending not to listen to outsiders, and progressively minded people leaving and taking their ideas with them. She, however, is taking a road few have traveled: she embraces her homeplace as part of her resolve to see change by living it out in front of people.

S.G. Goodman (photo: Meredith Truax)

S.G. Goodman spoke with me following her live performance on public radio WNCW on September 20th, 2022, and we present two songs from that live set here, as well as album tracks from her second collection titled Teeth Marks. Our conversation touches on her love of her Kentucky homeland, where she does not shy away from the manual labor that she first knew growing up on her family farm. She also takes note of the region’s tragedies which, at times, have served as a catalyst to pave the way for the greater good, plus we go in depth about two songs at the center of her new album: “Work Until I Die” and “If You Were Someone I Loved”.

Songs heard in this episode:

“Work Until I Die” by S.G. Goodman, from Teeth Marks, excerpt

“Space and Time” by S.G. Goodman, performed live on WNCW 09-20-22, excerpt

“If You Were Someone I Loved” by S.G. Goodman, live on WNCW 09-20-22

“All My Love Is Coming Back To Me” by S.G. Goodman, from Teeth Marks

Thanks for listening, and we would be even more grateful were you to share this episode with someone. It is super easy to follow us on your podcast platform of choice, and then it will only take a minute to give it a good rating, and on platforms with the option, a review. Great ratings and reviews will make Southern Songs and Stories and the artists it profiles more likely to be found by more people just like you.

Southern Songs and Stories is a part of the podcast lineup of Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes of this podcast on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Corrie Askew for producing the radio adaptations of this series on public radio WNCW, and to Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it.   - Joe Kendrick

Defining A Sound As Elusive As Their Namesake: The Deer

The Deer are a band that does not fit into any one box, any single term you might use to describe them. The term “folk” comes up a lot when you hear about this Austin, Texas quintet. Descriptors like “indie folk”, “transcendental Texas folk” and “psychotropic folk” are all floating around out there, but like so many handles we try to put on music, they are often slippery and ill suited to pick up what artists are laying down.

The Deer perform in Greer, SC at the Albino Skunk Music Festival 4-13-19

The Deer features Grace Rowland on lead vocals, keyboards, and guitar, Alan Eckert on drums, Noah Jeffries on fiddle and mandolin (an instrument for which he won the Idaho flat picking championship), Michael McLeod on guitar, (he also serves as the band’s engineer), and Jesse Dalton on bass. This episode tackles the definition of folk music, Deer-style, and features many live songs from the band, ranging from their 2018 performance on WNCW to last spring’s Albino Skunk Music Festival, as well as the new single from their forthcoming album Do No Harm. You will also hear conversations with them about how they define their sound, their love/hate relationship with South By Southwest, and their take on how Southern Gothic influences inhabit the music of their largely adopted hometown.

Noah Jeffries (L) looks on as Alan Eckert (R) of The Deer talks about how artists can best use SXSW to their advantage.

Songs heard in this episode:

"And Like Through The Eye Go I" live from studio B June 7, 2018 

“Winter To Pry” live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 4-13-19

“Swoon” live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 4-13-19

“Army Ants” live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 4-13-19

“Move To Girls” from Do No Harm

Southern Songs and Stories is produced in partnership with grassroots radio WNCW and the Osiris podcast network, and is available on platforms everywhere. New episodes air biweekly on Bluegrass Planet Radio as well. A great way to help spread awareness of the artists featured here on Southern Songs and Stories, their music, and this series is to subscribe to the podcast and to give it a good rating and a comment where you get your podcasts. You can find us on Apple/iTunes here, on Stitcher here, and Spotify here, for example. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick