Our guest this week on The Working Songwriter hails from The Woodlands, Texas. Hayes Carll is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller whose sharp wit and plainspoken poetry first broke through with his 2002 debut, 'Flowers & Liquor.' That was followed by 2008’s 'Trouble in Mind,' which delivered the hit “She Left Me for Jesus” and cemented his place among the genre’s most distinctive voices. Carll has toured with artists like Old Crow Medicine Show, Todd Snider, and Alison Krauss and his songs have been covered by Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, and Kenny Chesney. He’s recorded for Lost Highway, Dualtone, and Thirty Tigers and he’s performed on stages from Newport Folk Festival to Austin City Limits and the Grand Ole Opry.

'Rolling Stone' praises his work for its “razor-sharp wit and lived-in warmth,” while NPR notes his “keen eye for the human condition wrapped in disarming charm.” 'American Songwriter' calls him “one of Americana’s most reliable truth-tellers.”

Our show's most frequent guest pops by to discuss his latest album "We're Only Human" and finding a creative voice that's more true to himself.

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This episode originally aired on September 27, 2019.

The Nashville via New Jersey vocalist and songwriter discusses the turn of the century anti-folk scene in NYC, her major label debut being derailed by legendary producer Rick Rubin, and sobriety.

Our guest this week hails from Tobias, Nebraska, a town of about 100 people. Evan Bartels is a singer-songwriter who with his 2017 debut, 'The Devil, God & Me,' burst onto the national scene. More recently, Bartels has expanded his audience with the release of his EP, 'To Make You Cry,' recorded after relocating to Nashville and reflecting on a period of personal upheaval and renewal. 

Bartels has toured with American Aquarium, The White Buffalo, and John Moreland; he records for MCA/Universal; and he’s performed at Mile of Music, AmericanaFest, and the C2C Festival. 'No Depression' calls him “a haunting new presence in Americana,” while Americana Highways praises his “unvarnished, soul-bearing songwriting.” 'Glide Magazine' notes his “ability to turn bruised experience into stark, resonant beauty.” 

I caught up with Evan Bartels a few months ago for The Working Songwriter to hear about his musical journey so far.

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