BONUS TRACKS: Updates from the FreshGrass Foundation, Festival, and Friends

Yesterday was a big day for No Depression’s publisher, the nonprofit FreshGrass Foundation. After multiple delays, the Foundation announced that its inaugural FreshGrass Festival | Bentonville is scheduled to take place Oct. 1-2 at the brand-new contemporary arts museum, The Momentary in Bentonville, Arkansas.

As per the announcement:

With vaccines rolling out and live music events feeling closer than ever, we cannot wait for FreshGrass | Bentonville. … We’re also making sure all suggested safety protocols are followed (more info in our FAQ).

So far, the lineup includes Billy Strings, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Learn more and buy tickets here!

Additionally, No Depression has worked with the Foundation our distribution partners to create brand new back issue bundles and T-shirts just for you! These bundles, organized by geographic location, musicians, and more, are a great way to catch up on the No Depression print stories you may have missed, at a deeply discounted print. And if you like snarky sayings with your roots music, show off your No Depression pride with our new swag (designed by Mikaela Jane, whose art you might recognize from inside the Fall 2020 “Going Green” issue) and “remember your roots!”

Finally, No Depression and FreshGrass Festival friends Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz announced a name change for their beautiful folk duo: The North Carolina group formerly known as Mandolin Orange is now called Watchhouse. Read their full letter to fans below and be sure to look out for Watchhouse on all your favorite festival lineups as more and more events continue to return safely.

FRIENDS! Our band is now called Watchhouse 💖. Same music, same us. We’ll tell you more about it: pic.twitter.com/0Klwh0WtBS

— Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) (@watchhouseband) April 21, 2021

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO

Here’s a sampling of the songs, albums, bands, and sounds No Depression staffers have been into this week:

Marika Hackman – Covers
Caitlin Rose – Dead Flowers
Anika Pyle – Wild River
Bartees Strange – Live Forever
Malcolm Holcombe’s new single, “money train,” directed by Emma Swift

“Pride (In the Name of Love),” live from the Station Inn during the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, featuring Dierks Bentley, The War & Treaty, Larkin Poe, Ben Helson, and Hawktail