About this episode

Erin Osmon discusses her book on heartland rock and its cultural significance with host Jason P. Woodbury.

Welcome back to Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions with Jason P. Woodbury. This week on the show, we welcome Nashville-based music journalist, critic and author Erin Osmon, to discuss her tremendous book, Won't Back Down: Heartland Rock and the Fight for America, which chronicles how heartland rock, typified by artists like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, and more, brought a populist, Americana-inspired sound to the airwaves of the radio and MTV. Along the way, Osmon shines a light on lesser heralded artists in the heartland canon, including Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, and Tracy Chapman, explores the impact of the shift from vinyl and tape to compact discs, the ubiquity of synthesizer technology, and the progressive undercurrent that propels this music.  Osmon’s writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times, and she’s the author of a 33 ⅓ book on John Prine and Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost. With Won’t Back Down, she traces the origins of heartland rock and its influence on artists like The War on Drugs and The Hold Steady, and best of all, offers deep insight into the complex characters of its most…

More episodes of Transmissions

• Transmissions :: The Bird Calls · September 9, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Transmissions :: Sun Ra: Door of the Cosmos Special · September 2, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Transmissions :: Jim James · August 26, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Transmissions :: Fred Thomas · August 19, 2026 · 1h 16m
• Transmissions :: Dust-to-Digital · August 12, 2026 · 1h 7m
• Transmissions :: Awake, My Soul · August 5, 2026 · 1h 6m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Transmissions podcast page.