Folk Roots Radio Episode 375: The LYNNeS & New Releases

Lynn Miles and Lynne Hanson, join us on Episode 375 of Folk Roots Radio to chat about their new project, The LYNNeS, and first album as a duo, “Heartbreak Song For The Radio”. After a very successful European visit, The LYNNeS are now heading out on their Canadian tour. We also check out new music from The Wailin’ Jennys, Kenneth Paul Cooper, Cousin Harley, Steve Sainas, Banjo Mechanics, Innes Wilson, Sue Foley and The Achromatics. It’s a great episode. I hope you’ll take a listen. Check out the full playlist below.

Interview

The two Lynn(e)s have written and toured together off and on for over 10 years now and Lynn Miles has produced two Lynne Hanson albums, 2014’s “River of Sand” and the 2015 Halloween release “7 Deadly Spins”. Their first fully collaborative album “Heartbreak Song For The Radio” features 10 new co-writes and a guest appearance from the fabulous Juno Award winning guitarist Kevin Breit. Just back from a very successful European tour The LYNNeS are now setting out on some Canadian dates and summer festival appearances. We caught up with The LYNNeS – Lynn Miles and Lynne Hanson – in Sudbury as they set up for the first night of their Canadian tour.

For more information on their upcoming tour dates, including April 18 – Moonshine Cafe (Oakville), April 19 – Silence (Guelph), April 20 – The Burdock (Toronto) and two album release shows in Ottawa, May 26-27 – National Arts Centre, visit thelynnes.com.

Show Notes

Notes about some of the new music on our radar that made it into Episode 375 of Folk Roots Radio.

Kenneth Paul Cooper  is a thoughtful singer-songwriter who writes songs that engage your mind and relax your soul. His gentle and contemplative new album “Place & Time” was recorded live off the floor by Canadian roots master David Essig, without the use overdubs, to retain that warm live feel. On this episode we play the laid back and reflective “A Matter Of Time”.

Vancouver’s Cousin Harley is the rockabilly performing vehicle for Paul Pigat with support from Jesse Cahill and Keith Picot. On their sixth album “Blue Smoke – The Music of Merle Travis” they pay page homage to the beloved American country music icon. According to Paul Pigat: “Merle’s swinging fingerstyle playing, driving backbeat, and wry sense of humor are cornerstones of the Cousin Harley sound. Always have been; always will. And, although we’ve taken some liberties and added a bit of the trademark Cousin Harley fair to Merle’s original recordings, we didn’t veer too far off track. Our goal was to pay homage and respect to this inspirational American music icon. Why mess with the best??” On this episode we play their version of “Sixteen Tons”, Merle’s 1946 song about a Kentucky coal miner, based on life in the coal mines of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. It was first released in July 1947 by Capitol on Travis’ album Folk Songs of the Hills.

After nearly twenty years leading his award-winning blues band, Mud Dog, Steve Sainas is stepping out on a solo career as a country roots singer-songwriter on songs that stretch beyond the traditional boundaries of the blues. Steve Sainas also enjoys a rewarding career as a contemporary music teacher and music education innovator. In 2015, Sainas won the Juno Award for MusiCounts Teacher of the Year for his ground-breaking Rock School and Recording Arts programme that he founded in 2000/2001 at Terry Fox Secondary School in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Sainas’ state-of-the-art music program has inspired many young musicians to pursue professional music careers.

Guelph’s Innes Wilson has just released his second album “Northumberland Slums” features a collection of songs collected over the last six years and given a stripped down feel by Andy Magoffin at the House of Miracles in Cambridge ON. On this episode we play the Joel Placket like “Have A Drag”.

Acclaimed Canadian blues and roots singer-songwriter and guitarist Sue Foley has a new release, “The Ice Queen” her first on Stony Plain Records Produced by Mike Flanigin, who also plays organ on the new disc, The Ice Queen was recorded at Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, Texas and features guest appearances by Jimmie Vaughan, Z.Z.Top’s Billy F Gibbons and Charlie Sexton as well as members of the Tedeschi Trucks and Gary Clark Jr. bands.

“I’m extremely excited to be working with Holger Petersen and Stony Plain Records,” Sue Foley says about the new CD. “Holger is one of the most knowledgeable ‘real music’ people in the business. Stony Plain is known to put out great music and I know The Ice Queen has found her home.”

“When I was a teenager I idolized Jimmie Vaughan and Billy F Gibbons,” Sue Foley says. “They’re both legends now so this feels like an historical event (at least it does for me). And I grew up sitting at the feet of players like George ‘Big Beat’ Rains, Derek O’Brien and The Texas Horns. I spent many nights watching Charlie Sexton and the Arc Angels with Chris Layton. I learned and grew more musically in my years in Austin than at any point in my life. The fact that all these mega talented musicians have graced my album is beyond anything I hoped for. I am still pinching myself.”

The Achromatics are a Toronto based latino leaning supergroup with Motown vocal stylings that comes complete with an all female horn section. They describe themselves as Earth Wind and Fire meets Enrique Iglesias, Carlos Santana and The Supremes which works. On this episode we play “Lover’s Prayer” from their new album “Give Me That Beat” (2017, Self). Catch them live if you get a chance – they have a great stage show.

And that’s all we have time for, this time around. Thanks to all the artists who share their music with us, and thank you for listening. We have a lot of great music and interviews to bring you on future shows. I hope you’ll join us!

Listen

You can listen to this episode again on Soundcloud by following the link below. You can also listen to episodes of Folk Roots Radio, on demand, via iTunes, Stitcher and Tune-in Radio. (Click on the highlighted link to reach your chosen platform.)

Playlist

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises (Demo)
Roll Right (Pre-release, self)

The Wailin’ Jennys
Wildflowers
Fifteen (2017, Red House Records) CDN

Kenneth Paul Cooper
A Matter Of Time
Place & Time (2017, Self) CDN

Cousin Harley
Sixteen Tons
Blue Smoke – The Music of Merle Travis (2017, Little Pig Records) CDN

Steve Sainas
Simple As This
Simple as This (2017, Self) CDN

Banjo Mechanics
Lucky Ending
Luck Of The Beanrow (2018, Self) CDN

The LYNNeS
Recipe For Disaster
Heartbreak Song For The Radio (2018, Self) CDN

Interview: Lynn Miles and Lynne Hanson discussing “Heartbreak Song For The Radio”, their debut album as The LYNNeS.

The LYNNeS
Don’t Look Down
Heartbreak Song For The Radio (2018, Self) CDN

The LYNNeS
Heartbreak Song For The Radio
Heartbreak Song For The Radio (2018, Self) CDN

Innes Wilson
Have A Drag
Northumberland Slums (2018, Self) CDN

Sue Foley
Death Of A Dream
The Ice Queen (2018, Stony Plain Records) CDN

The Achromatics
Lover’s Prayer
Give Me That Beat (2017, Self) CDN