Have you ever gone somewhere and wound up with time on your hands, which led to a longer stay? In a way, that’s what I am doing with this episode. In our last podcast, on Mac Arnold, the takeaway was that there was much more about the artists and history of Upstate South Carolina than I had figured on, so I gave it another go. I sought out artists who were born across a span of forty years — Marshall Chapman, and Niel Brooks and Lisa Stubbs, who make up the duo Mourning Dove — and uncovered more rich history, and a vibrant current scene.

Niel Brooks and Lisa Stubbs are Mourning Dove

“Hickory Wind” is a song that Gram Parsons wrote about the time when he lived in South Carolina, and both Marshall Chapman and Niel Brooks talk about it in their interviews. The music of Marshall Chapman and Mourning Dove would not have been the same, maybe not even possible, without the backdrop of pine trees that Gram sang about in that song. For Lisa, Nick Drake was more influential, and we sample one of his songs as well.

I encourage you to spread the word about this independent project and consider helping by subscribing, rating and commenting on the show where you get your podcasts, and by becoming a patron. You can find out more about Mourning Dove on their website here and you can find out more about Marshall Chapman at her site here. Also, you can check out Peter Cooper’s music on his website. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick

Artist stereotypes do not apply

How many times have parents cringed when their children fell in love with a musician? Let's be honest, the world has looked askance at artists of all stripes (with notable exceptions) for most of our history. Musicians tend to be thought of as people who may be great at their art but who are nonetheless pretty bad at life skills like paying bills, getting to work on time, and sticking with the missus.

Aaron turns all those stereotypes on their head; he is not only a fantastic songwriter and musician, but he also runs his own construction business and is a devoted family man living a stone's throw from where he grew up in the western NC mountains. He is as meticulous and intense about his guitar and ballads as he is about his green built homes and raising his two girls.

As you'll see in our pilot episode, Aaron does both life and art exceptionally well. The folks around him are a big part of that.