Sometimes lurking in the shadows can be a good thing. They'll never see us coming! 😅

I've got some doozies! When I was a young teen I wrote a song about only needing "an old guitar and a half-drunken bottle of whiskey". I remember my grandmother graciously humouring me. 😅

Parsons and Emmylou were a killer combo! Parsons doesn't get enough credit for writing some pure country classics. I tend to believe all of our influences emerge in some way or another, whether subconsciously or more overtly.

Ah - thanks, man! Television is one of my favourites of that era. 😀🎸

Absolutely! That's the perfect way to describe it. It's lots of fun to look back at your first attempts as a fledgling songwriter! 😅

Incidentally, here's the (surprisingly short) line from Phoebe Bridgers to Townes Van Zandt: - Phoebe Bridgers covered John Prine's "Summer's End." - John Prine covered Blaze Foley's "Clay Pigeons." - Blaze Foley recorded with Townes Van Zandt, and the two were friends in Austin for a time. 5/5

My niece curated the playlist for our road trip to Cape Breton, and it made for a far more interesting listening experience than anything I could have put together. The kids really are all right. At least this kid (ok - not actually a kid anymore, I know). Here's another of her favourites: 4/5...

She likes the Smashing Pumpkins; I appreciate them. We have a shared admiration for Adrianne Lenker. 3/5...

We traced a direct through-line from her favourite singer-songwriter, Phoebe Bridgers, to mine, Townes Van Zandt. We both love the Pixies, and critiqued their discog. She reintroduced me to Jeff Buckley (somehow, a blind spot for me), and I introduced her to Wilco and the Weakerthans. 2/5...

My 21 year-old niece has been visiting us from Toronto for the past week. Here are just a few of the musical exchanges we've had that have renewed my faith in the younger generation: She asked me some thoughtful questions about Steely Dan. We listened to Aja. 1/5...

I caught him in Moncton in 2010 after he'd rebounded from some health issues - same, a bit frail but he gave his all and it was terrific.

Ah, that's such a great album! It's one of those ones that I've kind of just internalized. Listening to it feels like going home. 😄

Thanks, Michael - that's much appreciated! 😀🎸

Yup - Three is a gem of an album. One of my favourite musical memories was seeing Plaskett and Ron Sexsmith perform Gordon Lightfoot songs at the Stan Rogers Fest a while back. It felt like peak Canadiana to me! 👋😀

Thank you for that, Peter. I was pretty sure there's more going on than I could pick out. I'm going to listen again now that I have the inside scoop! You're right - the rhythms flow so naturally into each other. Nothing feels jarring or contrived when you modulate. I appreciate you taking the time!

Thanks, Frank - that makes me feel much better about the guitars on my track. This was one of my first attempts at programming digital drums, but they still continue to be the bane of my music production! 😅🥁

Thanks very much, David - that's very kind! I love the Burrito Bros and their strange mix of country and psychedelia. I dig just about anything associated with Gram Parsons, who I consider the godfather of americana. Cheers, man - I really appreciate the encouragement! 👋😄🎸

I'll do that! 😀

Thank you kindly, Stevie. I'll take that early Fleetwood Mac comparison and run! 😄🎸

Thank you, Owl Berg! That is a terrific reference to get my thinking back on track. Neil Young's guitar playing is some of my favourite, especially with Crazy Horse. And it wouldn't be the same without the rough edges and wonderful quirks. Have a good week, man! 👋😀🎸