Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast (The Fretboard Journal)

For episode 12 of Steel, we meet Laurel Premo, an incredible folk musician from Traverse City, Michigan.

Laurel’s 2021 album, 'Golden Loam,' is a collection of deep, dark folk tunes played on solo electric guitar and lap steel, and the sound is completely her own. The record is spare, brooding, rhythmically deep, and completely captivating. 

When I learned Laurel was coming to New York, I jumped at the chance to meet her and talk about her musical life. In this episode, we discuss Laurel’s musical roots in Northern Michigan, where she played fiddle in Finnish Barn dances; how she picked up the lap steel and adapted it to her style of music; her immersion in Scandinavian folk traditions; how chanting is at the heart of her musical practice; and lots more.

• laurelpremo.com
• laurelpremo.bandcamp.com
• Steel Ep 12 Spotify Playlist
• Steel Ep 12 Youtube Playlist

This podcast is mixed by Armen Bazarian and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine.

www.fretboardjournal.com

For Episode 10 of Steel, we meet Chris Parker, a deep guitarist living in Brooklyn who has found some incredible ways of copping classic pedal steel sounds on a plain old six-string guitar with just his fingers and a slide.

Chris is a fixture on the Brooklyn guitar scene. Most nights of the week you can catch him backing up songwriters, playing fully improvised music, or leading his own band, Guru Complex.

Chris and I discuss the evolution of his singular slide guitar sound, his approach to practice and improvisation, and the realities of being a professional musician in New York. We also get to hear Chris make his guitar sound like pedal steel and a few other wild instruments. 

Check out the following links to learn more about Chris and his music:

https://chrisparkermusic.com/

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucFAaaYvZ-TU7RsvxyWCp9C

https://www.instagram.com/chrisparker246/

This podcast is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine. https://www.fretboardjournal.com/

For Episode 7 of Steel, we catch up with legendary L.A. steel player Greg Leisz. Greg’s steel playing has graced recordings with iconic artists like Bill Frisell, Joni Mitchell, Beck, Mark Knopfler, Phoebe Bridgers, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and many more. He's renowned for his ability to bring depth and emotions to recordings with his touch, tone and occasionally minimalist musical sense. 

Greg and I discuss his musical journey, from high school garage bands and learning steel in honky tonk bars to becoming a first-call session player in Los Angeles. 

To learn more about Greg, check out Fretboard Journal #33 or check the following links:

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Leisz
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MG1pGbqGltH79LxIYjVyN?si=6ffd82c09253448d
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWufFmO9oJAnT9dgMh4rgJwA8
- https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fj-33

Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal. 

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: 

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar.

On Episode 3, we chat with Steve Fishell, a pedal steel player, a Grammy-winning record producer, and the author of the biography 'Buddy Emmons: Steel Guitar Icon.'

Steve held down the steel guitar chair in the '80s incarnation of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band and has recorded with the likes of Dolly Parton, John Prine, Sam Bush, and Linda Ronstadt. We discuss coming up in the 1970s California country rock scene, cutting his teeth in the recording studio, Buddy Emmons' impact on the pedal steel, and more.

You can find Steve's book and samples of his playing at the links below:

- https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p086786
- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWudoKf4GZ_E31rvU_CqQnKGp
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/16einqMwN2QkL5ZC7HutqF

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: 

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription 

For Episode 8 of Steel, we travel to Cork, Ireland to meet David Murphy and discuss his new album Cuimhne Ghlinn: Explorations in Irish Music for Pedal Steel Guitar.

The album is a collection of melancholic Irish “airs” and Sean-nós tunes that David plays beautifully on the pedal steel. 

In our chat, David breaks down how he became one of the few pedal steel players in Ireland, where this particular strain of traditional Irish music comes from, what these songs mean, and how he brought them to life on the steel guitar.

Check out these links to learn more about David and his music:

https://www.davidmurphymusic.com/

https://davidmurphymusic.bandcamp.com/album/cuimhne-ghlinn-explorations-in-irish-music-for-pedal-steel-guitar

https://www.instagram.com/steelydave83/

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IL0wdNVS59B9Eeydd0PNW?si=6fcaa4ea8cc24527

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucZ8rnjOBsWWRlO_IEqA2ul

This podcast is brought to you by the wonderful folks at the Fretboard Journal magazine. Check out the following links to subscribe to the magazine and dig into the rest of the FJ podcast network:

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription
 
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/category/podcasts/

On this episode, we speak with Kashiah Hunter, a wonderful sacred steel player based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Sacred steel is an incredible form of gospel music played in House of God Pentecostal churches across the United States and the center of this rich musical tradition is the steel guitar. Kashiah's deeply expressive, lyrical playing is a hallmark of the sacred steel style.

Kashiah plays steel in the New Mercy, New Beginnings, New Victory Ministries church in Georgia, but I was lucky enough to catch up with him when he was in town to play the Brooklyn Folk Fest. We dig into Kashiah's musical history, how he "borrowed" his first steel guitar from his cousin and learned by playing along to cassette recordings of church services, and how emotion is the center of his musical practice.

To learn more about Kashiah and his playing, check out the following links: https://www.instagram.com/kashiah_hunter/

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucU6XzOjASCeY3sXWso-NLk

Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal network of podcasts. 

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar.

For Episode 4, we speak with Jeff Snyder, a musician, composer and instrument designer about his fascinating new creation, the Electrosteel pedal steel synthesizer. The Electrosteel feels like a pedal steel, but has capabilities and a sonic palette that are a long way from your grandpa's Sho-Bud.

Jeff tells us about his life as a musician, a composer, and instrument designer; his work as Director of Electronic Music at Princeton University; and, of course, we take a deep dive into the genesis, design, and inner workings of this fascinating new instrument.

To learn more about Jeff, his instruments and his music, check out the following links:

https://www.scattershot.org/

https://snyderphonics.com/

https://music.princeton.edu/people/jeff-snyder/

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWudTXgKOeZZBgIlKcK2qtU4d

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0am8PdaT3pLwrHQvNIgNxs?si=8967cdca13ad457b

Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick for the Fretboard Journal network of podcasts.

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal here: 

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Welcome to the first episode of Steel, a Fretboard Journal podcast dedicated to the wonderful world of the steel guitar.

Joining us today is Rich Hinman, a pedal steel player who's shared stages with k.d. lang, Sara Bareilles, Rosanne Cash, Adam Levy and more. He details his early musical life in Sleepy Hollow, NY, his journey with the steel guitar, how he approaches recording and more.

If you want to dig deeper into Rich's music or educational materials, check out the following links:

https://www.richhinman.com/

https://www.patreon.com/richhinman

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4VdFTv8BWUNytTM3cB0v0k?si=0d6edd9a51e74089

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWudSTGQqgio8RUC0QphFdiJx

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Steel is a Fretboard Journal podcast that dives deep into the world of the steel guitar.

For our second episode, we speak with Raphael McGregor, one of New York's most interesting steel guitar players. Raphael has shared stages with the likes of The Brain Cloud, Nation Beat, Jason Loughlin, Grant Gordy, Noam Pikelny, and Matt Munisteri.

Raphael's musical sensibility and technical style give him a really unique lap steel sound. We dig into his musical beginnings, his steel guitar journey, and more. He is also an organizer of the Steel Guitar Unconvention in Brooklyn, NY.

Steel is hosted by Matt Perpick. To learn more about Raph and his music, check out the following links:

https://raphaelmcgregor.com

https://www.instagram.com/raphaelmcgregor/

https://steelguitarunconvention.com

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JmCz8r2sv1OdFHOvyr7am?si=fe4c254743464759

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWuccvVEvgJlHeKvSUgDsG838&si=zhVmBW4KAK2--pEP

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

For episode 6 of Steel, we travel to Toronto to meet Christine Bougie.

Christine is a guitarist and lap steel player who has shared the stage and studio with folks like Bahamas, Sarah Harmer, Amy Milan, the Queer Songbook Orchestra and Jeremy Dutcher. Christine just released 'Soft Start,' an album of gorgeous ambient music. 

In our chat, Christine breaks down her musical journey, from learning to record as a teenager with the two cassette records, to how a few choice words from Bill Frisell inspired her to record her own music, how the lap steel became part of her life and how she used the steel to create lush textures on her ambient album.

To learn more about Christine and find her music, check out the following links:

- https://www.christinebougie.ca/

- https://christinebougie.bandcamp.com/

- https://www.instagram.com/christinebougie/?hl=en

- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SZin6f4Z3SLnRWp7Bhv4r?si=ab46bc4dc9934f05

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWue8AScjx7r6kWBHED7GDDHL

Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here: 

https://shop.fretboardjournal.com/products/fretboard-journal-annual-subscription

Episode 11 of Steel features legendary dobro player Jerry Douglas, who joins to discuss his new album 'The Set.' 

Jerry Douglas is one of the most recorded, accomplished, and expressive players in the history of his instrument. His career is as deep as it is varied. He’s been a top-flight bluegrass player for five decades and has shared the stage with everybody from J.D. Crowe to Billy Strings. He is a Nashville session ace and has played on thousands of recordings. And when he can find the time, he makes his own records.

Today, Jerry and I discuss how this record came to be; how his band communicates, writes, and records; his stint playing pedal steel on the Grand Ole Opry; and lots more.

Check out the following links to learn more about Jerry and his music.

https://jerrydouglas.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jerrydouglas

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QKfmniXegfjB43geOK1ok?si=e8dd20bde5d1457b

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=KRpwZ9BkN4E&list=PLvvtMAAyfWueRPSioMXfNaeY83AoxM2Kn

The music for Episode 11 is “A Meadow in the Valley of Secrets,” by Sweet Gary from Austin, Texas. It’s on the album, 'Pink Pedal Steel.'

https://www.instagram.com/sweet.gary

https://sweetgary.bandcamp.com/album/pink-pedal-steel

This podcast is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine.

https://www.fretboardjournal.com

On Episode 9 of Steel, we travel to Portland, Oregon to interview Jeremy Wakefield, one of the finest swing and jazz lap steel players out there.

He has a beautiful touch, he’s a great improviser, and he breathes life into this style of American music.

Jeremy has played and recorded alongside ridiculously great players like Dave Biller, TK Smith, Jonathan Stout and Sage Guyton. His albums 'Hot Guitars of Biller and Wakefield' and 'Steel Guitar Caviar' are touchstone latterday swing steel guitar records. Jeremy’s playing is also heard all over the TV show 'Spongebob Squarepants.' 

Check out the following links to learn more about Jeremy and his music:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5M6dbAh0RRMC2AgKFWG2T6?si=8f425a7e0e2c4f05

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvvtMAAyfWucymmatfI5yj25bYEKHkzBl&si=LE39T6ldMKRcpS4S

https://www.instagram.com/titanicstinks

https://jeremywakefield.bandcamp.com/album/steel-guitar-caviar-2

https://spongebob.fandom.com/wiki/Jeremy_Wakefield

Deep thanks to Benson Amps for their support of this episode. 

https://www.bensonamps.com/

This podcast is brought to you by the wonderful folks at the Fretboard Journal magazine. Check out the following links to subscribe to the magazine and dig into the rest of the FJ podcast network:

https://www.fretboardjournal.com/