Finding Lucinda

In the feed today, we wanted to share a podcast that we think you’re going to love. It’s called American Songcatcher, an educational documentary-style podcast that preserves and connects the cultural heritage of American roots music through stories and song. Hosted by folk musician and musicologist Nicholas Edwards Williams, American Songcatcher weaves stories across the spectrum of Traditional music, to artists who shaped and played integral roles in different forms of Blues, Country, Jazz, Bluegrass, Western, Gospel, Old-Time and the Folk music that is derived from it all.On this episode of American Songcatcher, we’re proud to present the story behind the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. One of the most influential and iconic bandleaders and musicians of the 1930’s-1950’s, Bob came from a humble life of a poor sharecropping family, and was deeply influenced by old time and breakdown fiddle through his Texas state champion family of fiddlers in his father and uncle. Bob also loved all the turn of the century and 1920’s black music, and this confluence of cultures would help him create the craze that became Western swing, and the details of his journey to get there will surprise you. Story by Brent Davis and Nicholas Edward Williams__Support Educational Programming:⁠Tax-Exempt Donations⁠Join the⁠ Patreon Community⁠One-time donations:⁠ Venmo⁠ or⁠ PayPal⁠Follow ⁠American Songcatcher⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠Story Credits:Brent Davis - Research, Writing Nicholas Edward Williams - Production, research, writing editing, recording and distributionHomecoming: Reflections on Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, 1915-1973, Charles R.Townsend.Country Music Hall of FameAuthentic TexasOW MayoThe Life and Times of Bob WillsCountry Music, an Illustrated History, Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns.Country Music, a PBS documentary by Florentine Films, Ken Burns, director; Dayton Duncan,writer.OK HistoryLife and Times of Bob Wills (TNN)Texas MonthlyBirthplace of Western SwingThe Country Music Pop-Up Book, by the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.The Hag: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard, Marc Elliot.

After the conclusion of their journey, Ismay tours the nation with screenings of 'Finding Lucinda,' inviting local artists to play Lucinda Williams songs in the round. Following a show at Chico Women's Club in California, Ismay interviews Chuck Prophet, a celebrated musician who co-produced the film. The pair discuss the origins of the project, what surprised them about making this documentary, and how Lucinda has influenced their songwriting and careers. They also discuss Chuck's time opening for Lucinda in the early 2000s. credits:Finding Lucinda is Distributed by The Bluegrass SituationProduced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLCMusic by ISMAYNashville Recording —Recorded at The Room & Board StudioSound Recordist: Rodrigo NinoProducer: Liz McBeeDirector: Joel FendelmanCo-Director & Cinematographer: Rose BushSpecial thanks to: Siobhan Maher Kennedy, Ray Kennedy, Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan McHugh, Sydney Lane, Don Fierro, Rebecca Jordan Williams, Jacqueline Sabec, Rosemary Carroll, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overbyreferences:https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69003/the-long-goodbyeMaking a Poem by Miller Williams

Ismay wakes up the day after interviewing Mary Gauthier, to attend a live performance by Lucinda Williams at the Ryman Auditorium. In order to finish out their journey, Ismay hopes to interview Lucinda right before her show, and find a conclusion to this road trip. However, it turns out that due to unforeseen circumstances, this interview is no longer possible. So Ismay goes to attend the show anyways, and has to make a decision about whether to continue following Lucinda, or to move forward. Plus, Ismay meets up with engineer and producer for Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Ray Kennedy.

Ismay drives to Nashville to share the incredible never-before-heard tape they found during their road trip journey with friend Buddy Miller. He has been known to have contributed essential parts to Lucinda's breakthrough, 'Car Wheels On A Gravel Road.' Ismay reviews the commonly told story about the making of this record, how fraught it was, and realizes that there actually is important history to uncover – history that reveals a more interesting and unexpected truth about why this record was so challenging to make. Ismay discusses Lucinda's history in L.A., where she met a critical collaborator Gurf Morlix and subsequently made her albums 'Sweet Old World' and 'Lucinda Williams.'Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/SponsorBGSPodsFinding Lucinda is Distributed by The Bluegrass SituationProduced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLCMusic by ISMAYArtwork by Avery HellmanNashville Recording —Recorded at Hummingbird Hill StudioSound Recordist: Rodrigo NinoProducer: Liz McBeeDirector: Joel FendelmanCo-Director & Cinematographer: Rose BushSpecial thanks to: Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan McHugh, Sydney Lane, Don Fierro, Jacqueline Sabec, Rosemary Carroll, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overbyreferences:Working with Lucinda Williams - Gurf Morlix from Otis Gibbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_x-fBaD2cwThe Working Songwriter podcast - Lucinda Williams from Joe Pug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ7ONKzCeFI&t=2372shttps://web.archive.org/web/20160603134220/http://nodepression.com/article/buddy-miller-disquisition-centrality-love-and-faith-music-buddy-miller-and-several-otherhttp://famouspalomino.com/https://historicplacesla.lacity.org/report/685475f1-055c-4096-bcdf-8ae69f32cb71https://trouserpress.com/reviews/lucinda-williams/Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams

Ismay travels from Texas to Mississippi, to visit the studio where Lucinda Williams made her first record. There, Ismay interviews Wolf Stephenson, who was the engineer that day in 1978, to learn about what happened during the session and whether Lucinda was confident through that initial challenge of recording. They discuss what results when artists get rejected and what keeps certain artists moving forward in spite of various roadblocks. Stephenson oversaw the development of Malaco Records, which produced R&B, soul, and gospel hits. Elsewhere in the episode, Ismay also takes time to visit the stretch of country between Austin, Texas and Jackson, Mississippi in order to understand the landscape that informed Lucinda's work.

Ismay uncovers a fascinating seldom heard recording of Lucinda from a radio show in 1981, leading them down a path to discover the musical influences in Lucinda's early Life. Meeting with members of the Grammy Award Winning band Los Texmaniacs, Ismay goes out on a limb and seeks to recreate that radio session in the famed Cactus Cafe.Credits:Distributed by The Bluegrass SituationProduced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLCMusic by ISMAYFinal song by Los Cenzontles Cultural Academy https://www.loscenzontles.com/“Libro Abierto (ft. Flaco Jimenez)”Artwork by Avery HellmanAustin Recording —Recorded at The Cactus CafeSound Recordist: Rodrigo NinoProducer: Liz McBeeDirector: Joel FendelmanCo-Director & Cinematographer: Rose BushSpecial thanks to: Eugene Rodriguez, Matt Bizer, Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Don Fierro, Jacqueline Sabec, Rosemary Carroll, Lucinda Williams & Tom OverbyInterested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpodsreferenceshttps://www.folkstreams.net/films/it-s-a-mean-old-worldhttps://jamescalemine.com/reverend-pearly-brown-youre-gonna-need-that-pure-religion/https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/music/2013-09-13/rough-trade-talk-with-lucinda-williams/https://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/lucinda-williams-on-the-music-that-made-her/Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams

Ismay arrives in Austin, Texas to dig through the Collections Deposit Library at the University of Texas in order to understand the life of Lucinda Williams' father, Miller. A poet and teacher, Miller Williams overcame setbacks to become a prominent writer. Ismay discovers his personal writings, letters, and photographs, highlighting his mentorship and the artistic community that shaped Lucinda's career. Credits: Distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Produced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLC Music by ISMAY Artwork by Avery Hellman Austin Recording -- Recorded at The Collections Deposit Library at UT Austin, with records from The Harry Ransom Center Sound recordist: Rodrigo Nino Producer: Liz McBee Director: Joel Fendelman Co-Director: Rose Bush The Caterpillar and Of History and Hope appear courtesy of Rebecca Jordan Williams Special thanks to: Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan McHugh, Jacqueline Sabec, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby references: Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams Living on the Surface, New and Selected Poems by Miller Williams The Ways We Touch, Poems by Miller Williams Making a Poem: Some Thoughts about Poetry and the People Who Write It https://oxfordamerican.org/web-only/the-kinship-is-real https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/miller-williams https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/southern-tenant-farmers-union-35/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/26671158 https://poets.org/poet/miller-williams https://muse.jhu.edu/article/740832 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPIgETlWaas https://poets.org/inaugural-poems-history https://news.uark.edu/articles/26213/miller-williams-remembered-as-poet-educator-co-founder-of-university-of-arkansas-press https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/news-articles/things-you-possibly-didnt-know-about-lucinda-williams https://www.swtimes.com/story/opinion/2016/11/16/a-poetically-proud-published-poet/24533470007/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods

Finding Lucinda follows a young singer-songwriter on a road trip of self discovery to trace the roots of their musical hero Lucinda Williams. Amidst self-doubt and uncertainty, ISMAY sets out from the family ranch in Northern California and travels to Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There ISMAY meets Lucinda’s early collaborators, digs through the archives to uncover hidden treasures, and visits the studios and venues where Lucinda got her start. Interviews include Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, and Mary Gauthier. Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about not knowing whether you have what it takes to be the artist you want to be, and looking for answers on how to move forward anyways. It’s about finding a small way to be more like your hero. Season 1 ‘Finding Lucinda’ is a deep dive into the life and work of Lucinda Williams. Using archival material and interviews from the making of the documentary ‘Finding Lucinda’ as well as analysis from other artists, this season seeks to understand how Lucinda Williams became the iconic songwriter she is today with a focus on her early years. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods