What's The Reason For This Podcast

🎻🔥 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay sit down with New Mexico’s own Foggy Memory Boys for a conversation full of wildgrass chaos, festival lore, lamp camp philosophy, and the beautiful madness of building a band from the ground up. 🌵✨What started as a trio of friends jamming in Taos turned into one of the most unique sounds in the Southwest scene…🎶 Teaching themselves instruments and learning music completely by feel 🏆 Winning a mandolin competition after only knowing a few songs 🌌 Finding inspiration through Grisman, the Dead, bluegrass jams, and psychedelic festival culture 🔥 Building a sound that blends jamgrass, songwriting, improvisation, and pure New Mexico weirdnessBut this episode goes way deeper than just the music…🏕️ The legendary story behind “Lamp Camp” and how one Coleman lantern became a full-blown festival beacon for late-night jams 🚐 Grinding through bars, festivals, and DIY touring while building a loyal grassroots following 💔 Recording their first album right as the pandemic shut the world down 🎥 Learning how to survive in the social media era while staying authentic and unapologetically themselvesAnd honestly… this episode is exactly what independent music is supposed to feel like.⚡ Friends first, band second 🎶 Community over clout 🍻 Playing for 12 people like it’s 12,000 🔥 Creating music because they love it — not because it fits neatly into a genre boxAt its core, this episode is about chasing connection, embracing imperfections, and building something real with the people around you.🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. This one’s hilarious, heartfelt, slightly unhinged, and packed with the kind of stories that only happen deep in the festival trenches. 🌲💨✨#WhatsTheReasonForThis #FoggyMemoryBoys #JamGrass

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay welcome Liver Down the River into the dungeon for a conversation packed with psychedelic bluegrass chaos, festival stories, Colorado roots, and the beautiful weirdness that’s helped make them staples of the mountain music scene. 🪕🔥🐟 Fresh off a ripping dungeon session, the band dives into the story behind their self-created genre…🌈 “Funkadeligrass” — a wild blend of funk, bluegrass, jam, rock, and psychedelic energy that somehow makes perfect sense once you hear it live. 🎶✨The episode starts back in Durango…🏔️ Meeting in college after Patty spotted Emily biking home from orchestra practice with a viola on her back 🎻 Falling into bluegrass together as former orchestra kids chasing something less polished and way more free 🔥 Discovering Yonder Mountain, Jeff Austin, and jamgrass culture as the gateway into improvisation and community 🖤 The surprisingly real emo-kid-to-bluegrass pipelineBut things really evolve when the band moves to the Front Range during COVID…🚐 Rebuilding the lineup from the ground up during lockdowns and bubble-show era Colorado 🥁 Bringing in new members with backgrounds in jazz, funk, rock, and jam music 🎶 Learning how to communicate through improvisation and create space for each other inside the musicAnd then… the conversation shifts into something bigger than just the band.💸 The reality of trying to survive as independent musicians 🎟️ Learning how to value yourself, negotiate pay, and avoid getting taken advantage of 🤝 Why local scenes only survive when artists and fans support each otherWhich naturally leads to the story behind Tico Time Bluegrass Festival…🏕️ How a random river rafting takeout turned into one of Colorado’s most beloved grassroots festivals 📞 Patty cold-calling the property owners during COVID after they asked online if anyone knew bluegrass bands 🎪 Building a festival culture centered around undercard acts, late-night pickin’ circles, and actual community instead of giant corporate vibesThe crew also gets into:🐟 The legendary stuffed salmon “Sammy” that’s been signed exclusively by members of Leftover Salmon 😂 The first-ever dungeon confetti cannon incident 🎶 Why the best festival sets are usually the noon-time bands nobody’s heard of yet 🔥 And how campfire picks are still the heart of bluegrass cultureAt its core, this episode is about community — building something real with your friends, creating spaces where music matters, and remembering that the magic usually happens far away from the main stage. ✨🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and one giant love letter to Colorado music culture. 🏔️🪕#WhatsTheReasonForThis #LiverDownTheRiver #Funkadeligrass #TicoTime

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay are back in the dungeon with Dylan Flynn of Magoo— and this one goes way deeper than just the music. 🪕🔥 What starts as tour talk and band momentum quickly turns into something real… a conversation about creativity, anxiety, identity, and the voice in your head we’re all trying to figure out. 🧠✨This one kicks off with the whirlwind…🚐 Life on the road, 16 shows in 18 days and the grind that actually brings a band closer 🎶 Locking in as a unit how constant touring is tightening Magoo’s sound in real time ⚡ Adding new covers on the fly and building a catalog one song at a timeBut then… it shifts.🧠 “The Warden” the voice in your head that second-guesses everything you do ✍️ Turning anxiety into art how Dylan wrote a new song straight out of that internal battle ⚖️ Creativity and mental state why feeling good is when the music flows (and what happens when it doesn’t)And from there… it gets real personal.🌿 The truth about substances performance enhancers, dependency, and learning to find flow without them 🎯 Chasing flow state sober and why that’s the next evolution as a musician 💭 Years of anxiety, overthinking, and learning how to observe your thoughts instead of being consumed by themThen comes one of the most powerful turns of the episode…🖐️ A career-threatening hand injury that almost ended everything 🪕 Discovering the dobro out of necessity and completely changing his path 🧠 The mind-body connection how chronic pain, anxiety, and the brain are more connected than we think 💥 Rewiring his mindset and coming back stronger than everAnd just when you think it can’t go deeper…💔 A story about his grandmother passing during WinterWonderGrass and the unexpected, beautiful moment he shared with his dad that same night 🤝 The importance of connection, community, and showing up for each otherThen it circles back to the moment everyone’s been talking about…🔥 The Aggie Theatre blowout nerves, energy, and stepping into a new level 🚨 The Bluebird show, pure chaos, next-level jamming, and a night that felt like a true turning point 🎶 That feeling when a band clicks… and there’s no going backAt its core, this episode is about the battle inside your own head and what happens when you stop running from it and start turning it into something real.🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. This one’s raw, vulnerable, and a reminder that sometimes your biggest obstacle… is also your greatest source of creativity. 🧠✨#WhatsTheReasonForThis #Magoo #DylanFlynn

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay sit down in the dungeon with the one and only Mark “Huggy Bear” Lavengood, a walking vibe, a musical Swiss Army knife, and quite possibly the only man out here lifting Billy Strings off the ground mid-hug. 🐻🎶🔥From kitchen shifts at Founders Brewing to festival stages, studio builds, and full-on freak show hosting… this episode is a deep dive into the energy, evolution, and authenticity that make Huggy Bear exactly who he is.This one gets into: 🐻 The origin of “Huggy Bear” and how one job interview hug turned into a full-blown identity 🥁 Starting on drums, teaching himself everything by ear, and unlocking music through pure intuition 🎸 The moment the switch flipped realizing he could play anything and chasing it across instruments 🎶 Building roots with Winter Sessions and finding his lane through experimentation and improvBut this episode really opens up when the journey expands…🚐 Life on the road with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys seven years of touring, growth, and tough decisions ⚖️ Choosing family, balance, and creative freedom over the “all-in” road life 🏡 Building his own lane from Bear Den Studio to festivals, collaborations, and entrepreneurial chaos 💿 What’s next: a brand new project “Wake Up Vol. 1 & 2” and continuing to carve out his own soundAnd then… things get weird (in the best way possible).🎭 Getting the call from Billy Strings’ camp and stepping into the role of Freak Fair host 🟡 Running wild through Asheville in full character, interacting with fans, and bringing the chaos to life 🤝 The deep Michigan roots and long-standing connection with Billy and the crewAt its core, this episode is about being unapologetically yourself trusting your instincts, following your curiosity, and knowing when to pivot without losing the passion that got you there in the first place.🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can be… is just a damn good hug. 🐻✨#WhatsTheReasonForThis #MarkLavengood #HuggyBear

🎶🔥 Banshee Tree: Evolution, Experimentation & the Road to a New Album 🔥🎶This week in the dungeon, the crew welcomes Colorado’s genre-bending powerhouse Banshee Tree for a wild and insightful conversation about the band’s evolution, their upcoming album, and the strange, beautiful road that got them here. 🌲✨From the early days playing weekly gigs under the Boulderado Hotel—with unlimited bar tabs and pheasant dinners—to touring the country and carving out a sound that refuses to sit inside any single genre, Banshee Tree shares the story behind more than a decade of musical experimentation.What started as a swing-inspired project slowly morphed into something entirely its own: a high-energy fusion of electro-swing, jam improvisation, Balkan rhythms, jazz, and psychedelic dance grooves. With each lineup change and musical influence, the band leaned further into the idea that their strength comes from giving every member space for their unique voice to shape the sound. 🎷🎹🥁In this episode we dive into:✨ The early Colorado scene that helped launch the band 🎶 How weekly gigs became the band’s experimentation laboratory 🚐 Life on the road—from Key West to the Pacific Northwest 🎷 The addition of sax, synth, and new sonic textures 💿 The long, meticulous process of crafting their upcoming album 🎤 Why their current sound finally captures the true spirit of the bandThe new record represents years of growth, lineup changes, studio experimentation, and relentless touring. After layering hundreds of tracks, refining arrangements, and reshaping songs along the way, the band is finally ready to share a project that reflects who Banshee Tree truly is today. 🌌And the celebration is just getting started.🎉 The official album release show is happening March 27th at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, where fans can get their hands on the physical vinyl before the digital release later in April.If you love discovering bands that push boundaries, blur genres, and build something completely their own… this is an episode you don’t want to miss.🎧 Tune in now and get ready to dive into the world of Banshee Tree.

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi sits down with Christopher Henry (Ol’ Clunky) and bluegrass phenom Wyatt Ellis to celebrate something truly special, the release of Wyatt’s brand-new recording of “West Dakota Rose”… and the official music video dropping on YouTube the very same day this episode airs. 🌹🎻🔥 Huge shout out to Joseph Cash (Yes, that’s Johnny’s grandson) of Weeping Willow Productions in producing this amazing video. 🎥🐎🧭🥀Check it out here: ⁠https://youtu.be/mUHbBEedWag⁠For years, West Dakota Rose has taken on a life of its own, from Billy Strings performing it in Asheville three years running, to festival fields and jam circles across the country. But now, the song comes full circle: teacher and student, mentor and protégé, Jedi master and Padawan, stepping into the studio together to create a definitive new rendition. 🎶✨This episode dives into: 🌹 The origin story behind West Dakota Rose love, loss, horses, and harmonic shifts between dark and light 🎻 Wyatt’s evolution from tab-reading beginner to ear-trained improviser steeped in Monroe’s vocabulary 🔥 Recording the track live as a band twin fiddles, Kyle Tuttle on banjo, and capturing the energy in the room 🏡 Filming the official music video at Bill Monroe’s old home place blasting the tune through the same walls where bluegrass history was born 🧭 The layered artwork and symbolism, horseshoes, compass roses, and community tributes woven into the visualizer and merchThe conversation also honors the late Jack Demurjian of Red Daisy Sporting Club ☄️ whose vision and spirit helped inspire new West Dakota Rose artwork that ties together horse medicine, compass imagery, and the deeper mythology behind the tune. 🤍At its core, this episode is about legacy how songs grow beyond their writers, how mentorship becomes collaboration, and how bluegrass remains a living language passed down by ear, by heart, and by community.🎥 The official “West Dakota Rose” music video is live now on Wyatt Ellis’ YouTube channel.Special shoutout to Hayden Karnes of @DefinitelyNotLosAngeles 🎨✨ for creating the stunning album artwork, a piece that visually captures the spirit of the song with western mythology, movement, and meaning woven into every detail. Check out his artwork in a new line of WDR merch available at ⁠WyattEllis.com⁠ 🌹🎧 The single and visualizer are streaming everywhere. This isn’t just a song release. It’s a full-circle moment.

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi sits down in the dungeon with Torrin Daniels of The Kitchen Dwellers for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation that blends music, identity, politics, mental health, and what it really means to not “shut up and sing” when the moment demands more. 🪕🔥🗣️ The episode centers around Torrin’s now-viral onstage speech at the Mission Ballroom during the Kitchen Dwellers’ Colorado run. Delivering the cherry on top moment at their biggest indoor headlining show to date. What began as a gut-level response to real-time events in Minnesota quickly became a defining moment, not just for the band, but for a scene grappling with fear, division, and silence. ⚠️🎤Torrin opens up about: 🧠 Deciding earlier that day he needed to say something and being more nervous about speaking than performing 🔥 Why using the stage felt unavoidable given the political climate and recent shootings 📍 Being in Minnesota while chaos unfolded nearby and trying to create art under an “impending sense of doom” 🛑 Why “just shut up and sing” stops making sense when people around you are scared to exist ⚖️ Coming from a ranching, gun-owning background and rejecting the false binary of values vs empathy 🗣️ The responsibility artists carry when they’ve seen the country up close, coast to coast 🧩 Why this isn’t about partisanship it’s about recognizing danger when history starts repeating itselfFrom there, the conversation widens into who Torrin is beyond the speech. He talks candidly about growing up in Wyoming and Montana, his early love of drums before banjo, discovering punk, metal, reggae, and jam music, and how those influences shaped Kitchen Dwellers into the genre-blurring, “non-bluegrass bluegrass” band they are today. 🥁➡️🪕⚡ They dive deep into: 🎸 How metal, punk, and grunge techniques inform Torrin’s banjo style 🎶 Why the band records live together to preserve feel and honesty 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Evolving as bandmates choosing unity over blame through hard seasons 🧠 Advocacy for mental health and normalizing therapy in music culture 🌱 Reaching a place where the band no longer plays “first-date shows,” but fully trusts who they are.The episode closes with a reminder that community is the antidote go to shows, buy tickets early, meet people, dance, sweat, argue, heal, and exist together. Because art only works when it’s honest, and silence only helps the wrong things grow. 🌈🤝🔥 🎧 Listen now wherever you get podcasts. This one is raw, thoughtful, challenging and a reminder that authenticity isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always necessary.

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay welcome Alabama-born bluegrass firestarters Mountain Grass Unit (MGU) into the dungeon for a long-overdue hang that dives deep into friendship, hustle, growing pains, and what it really looks like when a band is mid–rocket ship. 🚀🪕🔥 What starts with laughs about canceled Colorado shows, tooth pain from hell 🦷😖, and internet rumors quickly turns into a full origin story — from childhood friendships and rival middle-school friend groups 😅 to rock bands, borrowed upright basses, and getting voluntold to play bluegrass before fully knowing what bluegrass even was. 🎸➡️🪕MGU opens up about: 👬 Growing up together in Alabama and building trust long before the band existed 🎶 Learning instruments the hard way through YouTube tutorials, borrowed gear, and first gigs days after touching an upright bass 🏫 Juggling college life across Berklee, ETSU, and Alabama while trying to keep a band alive from different states 📧 Cold-emailing venues, losing money on early tours, and why investing in yourself matters more than profit early on 🤝 Landing an agent and management and how that changed everything (without magically fixing everything) 🧠 The mental shift from “students who tour sometimes” to “this is the job now” 💿 Signing with Dualtone Records and heading into the studio with Vance Powell to record a new full-length album 🌍 What’s next: WinterWonderGrass, recording all of February, Australia dates, and a stacked 2026 touring calendarThe conversation also digs into MGU’s identity — how they balance traditional bluegrass roots with high-octane energy ⚡, crowd-moving covers, and a jam-friendly mindset that works just as well for seated traditionalists as it does for dancing Colorado crowds. 🕺🪑Kodi presses on merch stories (yes, the infamous khaki shirts 😬👕), slap-koozies, DIY marketing, and the band’s hilarious social media videos — showing how personality, humor, and authenticity can pull new fans in just as fast as blistering musicianship. 🎥😂At its core, this episode is about putting in the time and earning it on a long road from backyard jams to festival stages, the willingness to lose money to gain momentum, and the power of sticking together when things get uncomfortable, uncertain, or downright painful. 🌱🤝🎧 Tap in wherever you listen to podcasts. This is a must-listen if you love bluegrass, band origin stories, or catching artists right as things start to really take off. 🪕🔥

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay sit down with guitarist and songwriter Tom Hamilton Jr. to dive deep into his first-ever solo album under his own name, I’m Your Vampire 🩸🖤 — out January 23. This episode is all about the songs, the process, and the moment that pushed Tom to finally make this record. 🎸✨After decades of collaboration across genre-defining projects, Tom opens up about why this album had to happen now. Written during a period of massive personal change — the end of Ghost Light, his father’s illness, and choosing not to outrun grief by staying on the road — I’m Your Vampire was created by sitting still, turning inward, and letting honesty lead the way. 🖤🧠Tom breaks down: 📝 Writing songs as a way to process uncertainty, loss, and identity 🎧 Why this record needed to exist outside of any band name — no safety net, just truth 🎛️ Building the album with longtime collaborator Pete Tremont and locking in perspective with producer Alex Farrar (Asheville sessions = magic ✨) 💿 How 40+ songs became a tightly intentional tracklist 🎸 Balancing raw emotion with restraint, tone, and texture 🩸 Letting listeners bring their own meaning to the songs — without overexplaining the artThey also talk about how the album’s sound pulls from multiple worlds — hints of grunge, Americana, indie rock, and the melodic sensibility Tom is known for — while still standing firmly on songwriting first. Every choice, from sequencing to production, is rooted in intention and authenticity. 🔥🎶This episode is a rare look at what it means to start over creatively, even after years of success — and why making the record you need to make matters more than comfort or momentum. 🌱⚡🎧 Listen now wherever you get podcasts 📲 Pre-save I’m Your Vampire 🎟️ Catch Tom Hamilton Jr. on tour in 2026#WhatsTheReasonForThis #TomHamiltonJr #ImYourVampire

🎧 This episode of What’s the Reason for This? is a little different — and a whole lot festive. Kodi and Shay coming to you from the dungeon to discuss a recent session from the newly christened Dungeon West to break down everything you need to know about the 4th Annual Jingle Jam, one of Colorado’s most beloved end-of-year bluegrass traditions. 🎄🪕✨After some legendary technical difficulties (including a lost-but-not-forgotten all-time-great interview), the hosts regroup to make sure the mission stays front and center: raising money, celebrating community, and getting everyone to this show before it sells out. 🎟️🔥The episode dives into what makes Jingle Jam so special — a scene-wide Christmas party packed with 40–50 musicians, zero repeat sets, deep-cut holiday songs, and nonstop collaborations. Taking place Saturday, December 20th at Roots Music Project in Boulder, the event brings together members of bands like Stillhouse Junkies, Deer Creek Sharpshooters, Mighty Holler, Jake Legg, Tonewood, Liver Down the River, and many more, with special guest appearances from Pete Wernick (Hot Rize) and other scene favorites. 🎶🤝Most importantly, 100% of ticket sales benefit Sister Carmen, a Boulder County nonprofit providing food, resources, and dignity to families and individuals in need. Last year alone, Jingle Jam raised over $8,000, and this year aims to do even more. 💛💪Kodi and Shay also highlight the fun chaos that defines the night — from audience-thrown “snowballs” (yes, pom-poms) ❄️😂 to outrageous holiday outfits, surprise sit-ins, and the reminder to support the venue by buying drinks and tipping bartenders. The episode closes by encouraging listeners to not only attend this year, but to get involved next year through volunteering, donating, or helping expand the event’s impact. 🌈🙌🎧 Stick around to the end of the episode for a Jingle Jam Session featuring three holiday songs that will absolutely put you in the spirit. This one is about music, generosity, and showing up for your community — exactly what the season is supposed to be about. 🎄💛

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and co-host Shay hang in the dungeon with the absolute rip-roaring bluegrass crew Deer Creek Sharpshooters — fresh off their basement session and rolling deep into Colorado’s picking scene. 🪕🔥What starts as classic dungeon chaos quickly turns into a real-deal origin story: how a group of lifelong friends from the Mid-Atlantic turned a post-high-school bluegrass obsession into a no-guitar, all-gas band that’s now carving out a name in the Front Range circuit. 🏔️🎶The Sharpshooters open up about: 🏡 Growing up together back East (Maryland/Virginia/Philly energy) and catching the bluegrass bug AFTER high school — proof it’s never too late to start pickin’ 🎧 Their gateway bands: Trampled by Turtles, Old Crow, Yonder, Jeff Austin vibes — the stuff that lit the fuse 🌴 The Charleston era where it clicked: “we can actually be a band that plays venues” 🪕 Instrument origin chaos: mandolin “dibs,” banjo arm-wrestle decisions, dobro awakenings, and upright bass leap-of-faith madness 🎻 How Kay joined after an Irish-music background + moving to CO — and jumped into bluegrass headfirst 🎼 Their writing process: someone brings 80% of a song, the band builds the rest, arranging parts + solos together 📲 The grind of being artists and content creators — splitting up band “business roles” (booking, merch, marketing, accounting) so they can keep making music 💿 What’s next: building funding for a new album, plus a plan to start dropping live recordings that capture who they really are 🎪 Upcoming moves: Dec 19, 2025 at Globe Hall with Mighty Holler + Foggy Memory Boys, opening for Magoo at Bluebird in April, and festival runs like WinterWonderGrass, Palisade Bluegrass Bash, and moreAt its core, this episode is about community + commitment — the late-night festival picks, the fans who show up early for the “small names,” the merch tables that keep bands alive, and the kind of friendship that lets a group keep evolving without losing the spark. 🌈🤝🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s loud, hilarious, heartfelt, and a reminder that bluegrass is a family sport. 🪕💛#WhatsTheReasonForThis #DeerCreekSharpshooters #Bluegrass

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi drops back into the dungeon with Colorado’s roots-rock homies Drunken Hearts — fresh off a live basement session and riding a big wave into their next chapter. 🎶🍻From mountain-town beginnings in Vail 🏔️ to surviving lineup shifts, loss, and the post-COVID rebuild 💥, this convo gets real about how a band keeps becoming itself over and over again. There are laughs, some heavy heart, and a whole lot of love for the road and the songs that carry it. 🙌❤️Drunken Hearts opens up about: 🎸 How the band started 15 years ago as a ski-town trio — and why the early days felt like a “powder keg” of southern rock energy 🕊️ Honoring founding drummer Ted Wells, whose passing in 2014 changed everything — and how his spirit still threads through the music 🎹 The wild, last-minute story of Tyler joining on keys in 2020 and instantly becoming essential to their sound 🎶 Writing songs in phone notes while driving, letting inspiration hit when it hits 🚗📱 🤝 Collaborating with Nashville hit-maker Dave Pahanish — including the surprise gift of a new unrecorded song, “Sacred Ground” 🔥 Their brand-new single “The Other Side” (feat. Bonnie Sims of Big Richard), recorded on the 10-year anniversary of Ted’s passing — a full-circle moment that still gives chills 🎪 What’s next: a stacked Denver show Dec 6 at Cervantes’ Other Side with Tyler Grant’s Electric Farm + Jake Legg, plus more CO winter dates 💿 The 2026 mission: record a new album, go bigger, go deeper, and keep building this thing the right wayThis episode is all about growth without forgetting the roots — the grief, the grit, the road miles, and the kind of brotherhood that keeps a band swinging through every season. 🌾⚡🎧 Stream it now wherever you listen to podcasts! Real talk, road stories, new music, and a reminder that sometimes the reason is just… don’t stop playing. 💛#WhatsTheReasonForThis #DrunkenHearts #ColoradoMusic #RootsRock #Americana #JamScene #NewSingle #TheOtherSide #Cervantes #DenverMusic #IndependentMusic #Songwriting #BandLife #HomiesHelpingHomies #MusicPodcast #BasementSessions #GoodVibesOnly

🎙️ This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and Shay sit down with one of the most beloved pickers in the jamgrass world — Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon! 🎶You might know him as the banjo-slinging wizard who went viral for serenading a fox 🦊 outside his home in the Colorado hills… but there’s so much more to Andy’s story than that one magical moment.From his bluegrass roots in North Carolina 🎻 to earning a degree in jazz guitar 🎸 (because, yep — there wasn’t a banjo program back then), Andy’s path to becoming one of the most respected players in modern bluegrass is a story of grit, heart, and pure love of the music.He talks about: 🌄 What drew him out west to Colorado — and how the mountain scene and community completely changed his life. 🎸 The wild journey from playing small college jams to joining Leftover Salmon, one of the most iconic jamgrass bands ever. 🥁 What it’s like to go from bluegrass purity to plugged-in, full-band chaos with drums, keys, and amps turned to 11. 🦊 The day a curious fox wandered up mid-banjo session — and how that viral video became a global feel-good story during COVID. 👶 Being a full-time dad AND full-time touring musician (spoiler: no naps, lots of caffeine ☕). 🎧 Recording his latest solo album at home, surrounded by instruments, baby toys, and sunrise views — featuring friends like Tyler Grant, Greg Garrison, and Eric Deutsch of The Black Crowes. 🎶 Why “music should be fun” — and how bluegrass still feels like a tight-knit family of friends who just want to jam and lift each other up.The guys also dig into the evolution of Leftover Salmon, the Colorado bluegrass scene, and how the next generation — bands like The Fretliners, Arkansauce, and Tonewood String Band — are keeping the fire alive 🔥.Andy reflects on teaching at RockyGrass Academy, passing along his skills to the next wave of pickers, and what it means to see bluegrass finally becoming “cool” again with younger fans. 🙌It’s one of the most genuine, funny, and inspiring convos we’ve had yet — packed with stories from the road, dad-life humor, and a reminder that no matter how big the stage gets, it’s all about the music, the people, and the pick. 💙🎧 Stream “The Andy Thorn Episode” now on What’s the Reason for This? — available wherever you get your podcasts.👉 Hit play, laugh a little, and maybe even go pick up that old instrument again. Because as Andy says: “Music should be fun — that’s the whole point.” 🎵✨#WhatsTheReasonForThis #Podcast #AndyThorn #LeftoverSalmon #JamGrass #Bluegrass #ColoradoMusic #BillyStrings #Banjo #MusicPodcast #MusicianLife #PodcastCommunity #MusicLovers #FoxGuy #BanjoLife #BluegrassFamily #WTRFT