Stay ConnectedWhether you write music, record music, play music…….or just LOVE music, this podcast is for you!
Note: Mix equal parts Top Hill Recording Podcast and bourbon.
Visit “One Shot One Mic One Song” on YouTube to hear artists from this podcast recorded live with a minimalist one mic approach from the past.
Copyright: © Brad Weston/Neil Johnstone
The melodic songs of experimental folk artist Jack Keyes capture his contentment with being himself in the present moment while holding a somber reverence for the past. The resulting music is soothing and intimate with an undercurrent of raw darkness. Keyes’ newly released album Dissolving in Dusk is a 10-track exploration of the impermanence of natural beauty and its reflection in the small moments of the day.
Keyes’ fingerpicked guitar and whispered vocals recall Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, and Sufjan Stevens. In his sophomore album, Keyes has further found his confidence and voice, and has branched out in his instrumental experimentation. The penultimate track, The Moon is Too High (The Song), captures these production choices, with low-pitched electric guitars and a vocal sampler adding a unique twist to the folk genre.
After releasing his first full-length album, “The Moon is Too High” in March 2021, Keyes has carved out a niche in the online DIY scene and in his hometown in Louisville, Kentucky. He has contributed songs to compilation albums for the influential bedroom label Z Tapes, and has been featured in a benefit album for Ukraine by Bughead Records. In Louisville, he has had songs featured on local NPR affiliate WFPK, and performs frequently at classic venues in town such as Kaiju and the Flamingo Lounge.
trapkingkai is a LoFi/experimental hip-hop artist based out of Louisville, KY. The KnR signee is quickly becoming a fan favorite in his region as he combines a laid-back flow with honest wordplay and lyricism that gives his listeners a nostalgic 90's feel. His live performances are described as "energetic, powerful and fun to watch". Joining kai is Blase Groody, a Louisville based saxophone player and music producer.
Having been involved in recording projects and performing for a variety of regional and national artists including Still Holler, Nicholas Jamerson (Sundy Best), Tiffany Williams, Britton Patrick Morgan, Hillhouse, and Mama Said String Band, Taylor is no stranger to the regional music scene. Taylor Shuck is a Nashville based banjoist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist that has been performing on stages far and wide since 2006. Steeped in bluegrass tradition, as well as having pursued a degree in classical guitar and composition, he had the realization that his passion for music comes from the communication created by blending genres and getting to find the most impactful way to say something through his music.
Taylor’s influences in bluegrass, classical, folk, and jazz music meld together into a unique style that continues to grow and be influenced by music from all walks of life and parts of the world. Some of the artists that Taylor is most heavily inspired by include Bela Fleck, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Emily King, Maurice Ravel, Matt Menefee (Cadillac Sky), Edgar Meyer, John Prine, Joni Mitchell, Allison Brown, and Crooked Still. He is very excited for his debut album release which will be slated for January of 2023! When not performing, Taylor loves to share the culture of Kentucky’s folk music by teaching at the Louisville Folk School, drinking tea, and cooking for his friends.
Zeno Jones takes the old-style blues – delta, river, hill country- and sets them on fire with Kentucky moonshine. After recording and showcasing a more traditional, self-titled country blues album in 2011, Jones returns to the roots revivalist scene with a suitcase drum and an overflow of voltage in his guitar strings. Zeno is the winner of Louisville’s 2021 KBS Blues Challenge and semi-finalist for the 2022 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
After a last minute cancellation, Neil and Brad invite friends, Brent West and Lee Donohue, to the studio. Conversation touches on learning music, goals, songwriting, bonfire jams, recognizing and respecting progress in playing, Marcus King, The Ryman Auditorium, studio plugins, cataloging songs, memorizing lyrics, friendship, making an album, and more. Plus, two previously unheard original songs. All this in one hour.
Brandon Baumann is a singer, song writer, and voice actor who hasn’t let up on the throttle for nearly two decades. Brandon has toured the country with his band Diamond Lane, selling out clubs all over Los Angeles, releasing half a dozen albums, and rocking festival stages. His musical journey started in Seattle, cutting his teeth on Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Soundgarden. After a lifetime in a band, it was a natural evolution for Baumann to take the risk of pursuing his own endeavors. His debut solo album “Manifestation” arrived 1/31/20 and is easily his most personal and introspective collection of songs to date. 2021 found Baumann releasing a series of more-experimental-leaning singles, such as "Lightning". 2022 finds Baumann returning to his true rock roots, releasing his first cover song ever -- an ambitious imagining of Audioslave's "Like a Stone".
George Stearman grew up in the hills of South Louisville, Kentucky. He loves 80's rock, but his natural country music voice led him down the country music path. George started singing around the house at the same time he learned to talk and considers himself, in his words, "a singer and wanna be songwriter". Like a lot of musicians, George balances a 9 to 5 and a family with kids, with a love of playing live music. You can find him on a barroom stage in Louisville several nights a month.
Quite Literally is a swing inspired folk band that captures a “speakeasy” feel. Upbeat music that gathers influences from 40’s Jazz, early blues and roots music, they bring forth a fun and fresh outlook on modern songwriting. A picturesque ensemble, driven by powerful lyrics and decorated with quick-witted instrumentation.
Full Disclosure is an alternative, psychedelic, progressive rock band, from Louisville, KY. August Kingsley (keys), Lance Oliphant (guitar), and Matthew Oney (bass), Mason Beard (vocals), and Luke Stanton (drums) started out playing cover shows in 2018. The band quickly began writing original content and playing shows in the thriving Louisville music scene. They released their first singles Entropy and The Tide in 2019, and began carefully crafting their first full album, and took the the lockdown of 2020 as a chance to finally record the record. Following two years of anticipation, the band released their debut LP, Elucidity in July 2021. The album touches on a wide range of stylistic approaches, making it hard to define, but fully embodies the uniquely accessible psychedelic sound of the band.
Scott T. Smith is a folk/soul singer/songwriter originally from Hurricane, West Virginia, but currently calls Louisville, Kentucky home. Being from West Virginia, he has a deep love for traditional folk music and bluegrass, but in a household where he grew up listening to the soul and R&B greats from past generations, the two worlds collide in his music and in his personality.
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