Come ashore, love, come ashore
Do not chase the bitter sea
I will be waiting at our doorstep
Come ashore, love, come ashore
~ Come Ashore, Love by Anna Coogan

Anna Coogan's new album, The Wasted Ocean, is a fresh collection of olde time flavored sea songs, but more the type to row a small wooden boat, wearing a hand-knit woolen sweater misted with salt spray, than the type that stomp around in an eye-patch on a peg leg, sloshing mugs of beer.  The songs are deeply atmospheric, layered, and evocative, all while allowing Anna's rich, sweet and honest voice to hold center stage.

She will be performing at Cafe Paradiso on Thursday, Jan 19th with Lauryn Shapter & Dennis James of Truckstop Souvenir, who will be debuting their new side project - The Nameless Sorrows.

Wandering troubadour in need of rest
Lay your weary head upon my chest
If you need shelter from the road
I’ll take you in. I’ll take you home
~ Wandering Troubadour, Leslie Krafka

Texas songwriter Leslie Krafka was bitten by the songwriting bug after being gifted a songwriting workshop with Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines as an anniversary present, simply for the opportunity to hang out with folks she admired.  Quickly hooked, Leslie went from from never playing or singing out at all to the world of lessons and putting out an album to winning songwriter contests in five short years!

Tune in Tuesday from 9-10am Central for your weekly concentrated dose of music by female singer-songwriters! Interview with Leslie at 9:30.

Lucky Us!  Today on Gravel Road Radio we are honored to have Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers live in the studio.  Zoe and the band have just released their sophomore CD, Starlight Hotel and are currently touring the country to promote it.  I've managed to snag them on their way up to The Mill in Iowa City for a little sampling of their live show right here at KRUU.  Garnering wide praise on both sides of the Atlantic, with comparisons to Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, and Iris Dement, Zoe has that sweet ache in her voice that defines real country music.  Add to the mix some darn fine song writing and a stellar backing band, and it's hard to top this combination.  Since I first heard her, Zoe has been a regular on the show.

Hey folks.  Today on Gravel Road Radio, I have the honor and privilege to interview singer-songwriter and traveling troubador, Johnsmith, winner of the New Folk Competition at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival.  John will be performing at a house concert in Fairfield on Saturday, June 26.  We'll talk about his sixth release, Gravity of Grace, life on the road, and the art and craft of songwriting.  Join me, your host Lauryn Shapter for Gravel Road Radio Tuesday, from 2-4 for some great roots & Americana, country, bluegrass, and beyond ... and a conversation with Johnsmith.

Hey y'all.

I've been away these past few weeks and am happily back in the saddle again, welcoming to Crooked Sisters Radio Hour the lovely and talented Carter Sampson out of Oklahoma City. "Good for the Meantime,"

Carter's fourth album, has been getting regular airplay on both Crooked Sisters and Gravel Road Radio and she will be passing through Fairfield, this Friday, August 14 for a show at Cafe Paradiso.

With a powerful voice that is at once passionate and vulnerable, lyrical and edgy -- and song writing to match -- it promises to be one heck of a show.

So tune into Crooked Sisters, this Thursday, August 13 from 10-noon for a conversation with Carter Sampson, and, of course, great roots and Americana music!

I cannot say my daddy farmed these fields
and I cannot say my mama roamed these hills
I've been high in the mountains, in the desert and by the sea
and now this rolling land is calling me.
~ Song For Iowa, Lauryn Shapter

I've been eagerly awaiting the new CD by husband and wife Americana duo Truckstop Souvenir for a while now, and the release party is this weekend!  Under A Big Blue Sky was recorded in Lauryn and Dennis' home studio here in Fairfield, which is no easy trick with all the frequent trains passing by.  

And you just may hear a train whistle during their interview on Lyrical Venus this Tuesday, what with the station being right by the tracks!  Luckily it's a nostalgic sound that fits with their themes - dusty roads, wide rivers, tiny mining towns, old time rodeos and lonely motels. 

If you need an escape to the good ole days, tune in at 9am for some Lyrical Venus-y tunes, and the Truckstop Souvenir interview at 9:30.