Hush Kids: Beauty All Around

Hush Kids’ self-titled record (available everywhere now) feels a lot like the day we interviewed them: early fall warmed by lingering summer rays and a wrap-around porch with a swing. Chatting with Jill Andrews and Peter Groenwald was just as soothing as their debut - they both exude a quiet, steady demeanor; they are curious and kind. Their creative bond is apparent, it’s almost like these two are long lost siblings from the ways in which they are so in step together: finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences. Listening to the record, all of this is apparent through their spacious and effortless melodies, synchronized harmonies, and heartfelt lyrics.

After a “songwriting blind date”, two songs, and a year and change, the two decided to form a band by Andrews’ suggestion. “...After the [second] song a year went by, and tons of life changes happened. I’m mixing this song and she’s got her guitar and she’s nursing [her baby] and she’s like “I think we should start a band”. I’m cool with being in the background; I prefer that usually but I had to say yes because she had obviously a lot going on. There was a lot of life everywhere, but I was like ‘Fuck yeah let’s start a band,’” says Groenwald. Andrews laughs and adds, “You didn’t want to feel like a slacker.” The two explained that initially their respective publishers set them up to write with the intention for writing for film and TV. In music publishing, writers are often instructed to keep music ambiguous so the chances of it fitting into a movie, television show, or ad are greater.

Andrews: “The first song we wrote - it’s called “Wake Up” and it’s on our album - it just felt really personal and really special. A lot of times when you’re writing for film and tv it’s like ‘Don’t be too specific, be super general, don’t mention any cities, don’t mention any times or whatever’. That kind of stuff just washed away when we were writing it and it just kind of felt like ‘Oh, this song feels special, like something that I would want to listen to.’”

Groenwald: “I kind of wish that we could peer into that; not knowing each other at all - it had to be a really interesting conversation that led us to feel comfortable enough to write that. That’s the other thing in a co-write situation; it’s not just writing a song...There’s a lot of normal [co-writes], and you get through it, and you clock out and then there’s some that stick with you. And this was one that stuck with us.”

Andrews: “I feel like I remember what the context was [for “Wake Up”]. It’s all about being present; about shutting your phone off and being present in the moment. I think that morning I was saying that I was feeling stressed - he has a child and one on the way and I have two kids - it’s not easy to be in the moment with them when there’s so many things going on. It was a conversation like that that sparked the song.”

The theme of connection and being present weaves its way through each of the songs on the record. Songs like “What’s Your Hurry”, “Wake Up”, “Beauty All Around”, and “Talking to Myself” all touch on the fragility of this life spent engrossed in screens and the longing to break free from the chatter.

After the decision was made to write with the “Hush Kids” project in mind, the songs continued to flow. Both Andrews and Groenwald attest the synthesis of the final product to their producer, Ian Fitchuk. “We just kept writing. We wrote with our producer, who is a better-than-good friend, Ian Fitchuk. When anything would slow down with our intention of [writing] he was a nice catalyzing force…I think that’s the best way to say it: he catalyzed something that was already there,” says Groenwald.

And there’s no doubt about that “something”. Hush Kids the album has already received critical acclaim in the few short weeks since it’s debut. The 10-song album is like a warm embrace and a breath of tranquility in a chaotic age. Listen to the album below and catch them live here.

Cedric Burnside: Hard to Stay Cool

Cedric Burnside is telling a joke. Seated in the living room stage of the Luck Mansion in Nashville, the Mississippi Hill Country Blues artist seems almost to be in character as he tells the tawdry tale– perhaps drawing on the persona of his late grandfather, the iconic blues artist R.L. Burnside, who told the joke often throughout Cedric's young life.

“My music, my everything...all started with Big Daddy (R.L),” Cedric shares with a grin. “I was definitely born into this.” Indeed, Cedric was around music from the start; picking up his first pair of drumsticks at seven years old. “As a kid, watching [my family] play...it was just so amazing. And so I kind of just really looked and learned for myself – I'd mimic what I'd see them do.”

Before long Cedric, who'd already been hanging around the clubs, found himself on the stage for the first time. “At just six or seven, when Big Daddy took a break at the juke joint to go drink moonshine or smoke a little doobie, I finally got the courage one night to just jump up on the drums.” At age ten, he and his uncle Gary, then 12, became unofficial regulars at the club. “They would have to hide us behind the beer coolers when the police came. We for sure weren't supposed to be in there.”

He went on tour at age 13, backing R.L. on the drums. “I didn't have the slightest idea. I'd say 'Big Daddy, what if they don't like it?'. And he'd say, 'don't worry about it, just do it. Do what you do at the juke joints and we'll be alright.' Sure enough, that's what I did – with all these butterflies – and after the first song people were clapping their hands; they liked what they were hearing. And so those butterflies went away.”

While the butterflies were fleeting, what remains at the core of Cedric's career are tokens of his family's memory; the most apparent being not only innate talent, but also a true sense of humor. “My brother, he passed in 2012, so he was one of my biggest fans. So I always think about him when I write music. And it doesn't necessarily make me sad anymore. These days it more encourages me. It inspires me.

While flattered by similarities drawn, Cedric doesn't want to rest on comparisons – which is evident in his latest album. Benton County Relic, a soulful, slowed down collection of blues-tinged tunes with a contemporary twist, shows that Burnside has come a long way, stretching his legs and showcasing his guitar skills – a new spin for those who know him as a blues drummer. But what remains at the core of his musicality, a nod to his hill country blues roots, is his dedication to staying true to his family's musical heritage.

“Not that I'm trying to fill my family shoes, because I think that's impossible, but I felt that very special music they created. That's all I was around my whole life. That's just who and what I am. I want to make my own mark, of course, but I also want to let people know – and show people – where I got it from. I'm proud to do that, and I'm just really looking forward to the future of writing new music.”

Check out Burnside's live performance of Hard To Stay Cool from the Luck Mansion.

Sources: The Americana Narrative

The Luck Journal and the Mountain Valley Spring Water are proud to bring you “Sources”: an informative look into the origins of inspiration, performative platforms, and cultures from the perspective of creatives across the country.

Our collection of editorial content will track the routes in which American music historically traveled and transformed, and the land and unique stories that play an important role in the continuation of our country's artistic heritage. Read our first Sources article on the Americana Narrative below.

The 19th year of AmericanaFest ushered in more than 500 performances, spilling across 62 Nashville venues to showcase artists who have been at the core of the Americana movement. The weeklong event celebrates the spirited mission to lift up the authentic voices in American roots music: the back porch pickers and juke joint players seeking telling a real story through their craft. From John Prine to Jack White, artists of all walks of life have long gathered in the Americana homeland of Nashville to honor influence, inspiration and, most of all, community.

The term “Americana” has lent itself to various interpretations, sparking an ongoing conversation around genre distinction in the music world. A mixture of the soul, rock, blues sounds that have paved the way for the evolution of American roots culture; Americana has become a platform for celebrating the traditions at the heart of our country and, ultimately, a place for musicians to tell their stories without inhibition.

all photos by Brooke Hamilton

The 2018 AmericanaFest played host to Luck Reunion's “Luck Mansion” residency, a physical embodiment of the ethos at the center of the Americana movement. Throughout the week the Mansion welcomed artists to perform intimate pop-up sets and break bread together outside of the bustling festival. The dialogue was saturated with the topic of Americana with the conversation leaning heavily toward the designation of an iconic, if hard to pin down, genre.

From the perspective of Americana Music Association’s Executive Director Jed Hilly, the foundation of Americana was an answer to opening gaps in the music industry. “[Before Americana] the Steve Earles and EmmyLous (Harris)...even Dwight Yoakam...they were rejected by the country music business,” Hilly said. “The music business was defining everything with vertical lines; everything ws pigeonholed. And what i had in my mind was that [Americana] wasn’t a vertical genre, it was a horizontal genre. It was everything the music business-business wasn’t. It couldn’t be put in a box.”

Drew Holcomb

“There were so many musicians and songwriters who, before Americana existed, sort of felt homeless”, said Drew Holcomb. There is, indeed, a catch-all feel of the genre that is allowing both legendary and up-and-coming musicians an organic source of creative freedom allowing them to weave their own narrative.

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne Cash, who had delivered a groundbreaking and empowering speech the night before at the Americana Music Awards, waxed poetic on the power of the Americana platform in the lives and careers of genuine artists. As the progeny of one of the world's most beloved outliers, Johnny Cash, she has embraced the familial source of her creativity while also cherishing the world that the Americana genre opened up to her: “It's an inclusive community. In the beginning I was just glad that a community had been created,” Cash said. “I was so glad that Jed Hilly had a vision to create this place where artists who weren't in the Top 40, but were still legitimate, had a community and a place to be with other people of like minds”.

Paul Cauthen

Paul Cauthen echoed Cash’s sentiments: “I believe Americana was a good resting spots for some of us outcasts who weren't really put into a box or genre. I think we have a home now, a place where we can push our music and it’s heard. It's about the purest form of music you can listen to. It has a mystique of its own. I don't really know exactly what Americana is, but I love all the artists in it...so I guess I really dig Americana.”

The Watson Twins

Amongst the newest of AmericanaFest participants, the Watson Twins spoke poignantly to the bliss of dodging the typical genre affiliation. Having collaborated with iconic indie acts such Jenny Lewis after a Gospel-heavy upbringing, the buzzed about pair shared their own fitting definition of the Americana platform. “It really gives people the opportunity to explore and really find their sound. You don't feel trapped into having to say, 'I do country, I do folk',” they said. The duo also delved into influence and the source of their creativity: “Someone said about our new record [Hustle and Shake], that it's 'country-soul'. Sure, if that's what you feel, that's awesome. We grew up in the church singing Gospel and that really was part of our fabric. But alongside that we were listening to Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and all those people and genres helped form how we sing and write today. Is Americana a catch-all? Maybe, and that's kick-ass.”

As the platform continues to develop its mission alongside artists looking to share their own tales through art, there is a common thread that stands out: Americana is an ode to the roots of our American culture, and the continuation of the narrative of our histories...straight from the source.