Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms make their home in the San Juan Islands, in Washington State, and their latest spring tour saw them make a stop at the Albino Skunk Music Festival in May 2025. This was two weeks ahead of their own festival, the inaugural East Sound Music Ramble, and part of an eastern swing that preceded other engagements including Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The duo has been very much on the go lately, which is in keeping with their recent past: sojourns to Louisiana, to celebrate the music of Cajun and country legend Jimmy C Newman; to The Last Frontier state for the Alaska Folk Festival; and to Vermont, where Caleb connected with Noam Pikelny, which led to becoming a guest member of bluegrass supergroup Mighty Poplar, to name a few.
I spoke with Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms on a picture perfect spring afternoon in Greer, SC, in between their two sets at Skunk Fest, where we touched on all of these travels, both physical and musical; their own region’s musical “rogue-ness”; the raw simplicity and danceability of their take on country music; and the importance of slowing down and being present. That and more awaits you, including their music, both live and on record, in this episode.
(L to R) Caleb Klauder, Mike Bub and Reeb Willms perform at the Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25
Photo: John Gillespie Photography & Design
This is the second time Caleb Klauder has been on the series: the first was from 2019, when he spoke about producing feature guest Town Mountain’s album New Freedom Blues in the episode Town Mountain: There’s Never a Last Ride in the Van.
Songs heard in this episode:
“Gold In Your Pocket” by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, performed live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25
“You Gotta Roll the Dice To Win” by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, performed live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25, excerpt
“Sing Me A Sad Song To Make Me Happy” by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, performed live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25, excerpt
“Alligator Man“ by Joel Savoy, Kelli Jones, Reeb Willms and Caleb Klauder, from Farewell Alligator Man, excerpt
“Key To Life” by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, performed live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25, excerpt
“Church With No Walls” by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, performed live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25, excerpt
“He’s Gone” by Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms, performed live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 05/10/25
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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 on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This June, we welcomed WNCW intern Elena Dickson to this series as a producer as well, and she will be with us through July. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick