20 YEARS. 0 LABELS. 1 PLATINUM RECORD.

💿🔥 Most bands don’t make it past year five.

They call it the “Valley of Death” because 95% of indie artists don’t make it out alive.

But The Band of Heathens just crossed 20 years, went Platinum, and they never signed the lease to a major label.

How did they do it?

1️⃣ Surviving the Crossroads: At year six, the band almost folded. They had to ask: “Is the soul of the band intact enough to keep going?”. They chose the music over the exit ramp.

2️⃣ The "Lifer" Mentality: Success wasn't a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow—it was the ability to make one record, tour it, and pay for the next one.

3️⃣ Organic Growth: Their platinum hit didn't come from a million-dollar marketing budget. It took 14 years of organic, slow-burn growth where the music took on a life of its own in bars and cover sets across the world.

They aren’t chasing fame. They’re chasing the TRUTH!

🎧 Listen to the full story of how Ed and Gordy built their own ecosystem and why they’re still “high on their own supply.”

Ben and Zach pull back the curtain on the albums that defined the last year and the artists poised to explode in 2026.

From hard-working storytellers out of North Carolina to "super groups" creating interplanetary harmonies, this conversation isn't about a random "best of" list...

...it’s about the JEWELS and POWERHOUSE ALBUMS records that stayed on repeat.

Why You Need to Listen:

- The "Sonic Bloom": Discover why one artist’s live show was nicknamed a "sonic boom" and which sister-duo is currently "melting faces" with electric slide guitar.

- Breaking New Ground: Ben and Zach dive into the "chaotic and erratic" sounds of a band pushing the genre's boundaries, proving that Americana is far from stuck in the past.

- The Legacy & The Future: Hear the moving tribute to a legend who recently passed, and get the first look at a debut album from a former child soldier whose story and voice are described as "interplanetary."

- The "Bite List": Find out which icon is pushing balances further than ever after a life-changing trip to India.

Americana music is grounded in storytelling, and as the hosts remind us, "thoughts become things."

Whether it's the strategic touring of rising stars or the prolific writing of veteran road warriors, these are the voices keeping the genre's heart beating.

"We are here to spread the wealth, spread the word, and make Americana really sing high... and make it your favorite genre."

Listen now to find your next favorite artist and LEAD YOUR COMMUNITY BY SHARING THESE ARTISTS WITH THEM!

The industry wanted virality. She wanted honesty.

Guess who won?

She walked away from the band, the marriage, the map — and somehow walked straight into her true voice.

Nikki Bluhm didn’t plan the reinvention.

She didn’t chase the algorithm.

She didn’t engineer a “moment.”

She just told the truth.

This is a woman whose band once went viral… in a van.

Millions and millions of people watched something recorded on an iPhone, mixed by flipping mics and shuffling bandmates between seats.

But her rebirth didn’t happen in front of millions.

It happened in a quiet little studio called Rancho Deluxe, built on a piece of land where artists walk in, breathe out, and finally relax enough to create something real.

Nikki left everything familiar behind — the band, the tour life, the relationship, the identity she’d built for a decade.

She moved 2,000 miles for a fresh start.

Recorded with people who didn’t know her pain.

And rebuilt her artistic compass from the inside out.

Because here’s the truth she discovered:

👉 You don’t need chaos to make great art.

👉 You don’t need drama to write something that matters.

👉 You don’t need to go viral to be real.

You need presence.

You need honesty.

You need soul.

And Rancho Deluxe became the ground where she reclaimed all three.

If you’ve ever felt crushed by the pressure to “perform” online…

If the noise, the speed, the expectations have ever made you forget why you started…

If you’re longing for something more grounded, more human, more you…

Nikki’s story will feel like fresh air.

🎙️ Subscribe now to Americana Curious.

Real art. Real stories. Real soul.

Let’s get Americana Curious.

Jake Owen iis a platinum-selling artist with ten #1 hits, a Breakthrough Artist of the Year winner, and one of the most recognizable voices in modern country.

You know him from “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Beachin’,” and “American Country Love Song.”

But after two decades at the top, Jake Owen did something most artists never dare to do - he reinvented everything.

He stepped away from what was comfortable, bet on himself, and made the most honest music of his life.

In this powerful conversation, Jake opens up about taking risks, trusting his gut, and creating from a place of truth instead of expectation.

We talk about breaking free from Nashville’s major-label system, teaming up with Shooter Jennings, and rediscovering the joy of making music that feels good again.

This might be one of the most vulnerable and revealing conversations we’ve ever had on Americana Curious.

It’s a reminder that music can still move people — and sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is choose authenticity over approval.

🎧 You’ll Hear Jake Share:

🎵 Why he needed to trust himself again after 20 years of success

🔥 How he found the courage to take creative risks

🤝 The unexpected story behind his partnership with Shooter Jennings

💔 What a moment with his daughter taught him about pride, identity, and purpose

🎸 Why letting the music lead — not the business — changed everything

This isn’t a comeback story.

It’s a coming-home story.

A reminder that reinvention isn’t starting over — it’s stepping into who you really are.

And if you’ve ever felt torn between success and your soul…

Jake’s words will hit you right in the heart.

🎧 From Ben & Zach

We started Americana Curious because we believe real music still matters.

Too many overlook the artists carrying the torch for truth, connection, and heart — so every week, we bring you their stories.

Thanks for being here, for caring about the songs that still mean something.

If this episode moves you, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that it’s never too late to start over.

🎙 Subscribe for more stories that prove Americana is alive and well.

At just 21 years old, Stella Prince has already done what most artists spend a lifetime chasing.

She’s been called “the artist bringing folk music to Gen Z” by Forbes, sang at a John Prine tribute in Nashville, and will record her debut album under the Northern Lights in Iceland.

But what struck me most wasn’t her voice (which has shades of Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile)…

It was her work ethic and gratitude.

For seven years, she handled everything — booking, performing, social, promotion — completely solo.

Then, in the last nine months, her dream team came together.

And her reflection is powerful:

“It’s really life-changing to finally have support from other people. It’s the biggest shift I’ve ever felt.”

💡 It’s a reminder for every creator, leader, and dreamer:

You can carry your dream far on your own — but it grows wings assemble your team of supporters!

✨ Don’t miss this moving Americana Curious episode featuring Stella Prince, the rising voice of modern folk.

There’s a kind of wisdom that only comes from the road.

Soren Staff from Them Coolee Boys summed it up in six words:

“Change breaks you before it makes you.”

He wasn’t being dramatic — just honest.

Because for them, it’s not theory.

They’ve lived it.

From playing 10 a.m. festival slots while people were still setting up tents —

“The first time we played there… it was like 10 a.m. on a Friday… the next year they were like, ‘How would you like to headline Friday night?’”

—to those late nights when it’s equal parts joy and exhaustion.

“We like to say it’s simultaneously the best job in the world, but also one of the hardest.”

And then he said the line that’s still echoing in my head:

“Change is hard… but you have to go through it if you want to grow.”

That’s not just about music.

That’s about life.

Because the breaking is part of the making.

🎧 Hear the full story on of Them Coulee Boys now on Americana Curious

Briscoe has an incredible story, and you need to hear it now!

Two redheaded kids in the same pair of Chaco sandals at summer camp. A back-porch pact to start a band if they ever wound up at the same college.

And now—sharing the stage with Dave Matthews and lighting up the Newport Folk Festival.

You’ll want to say you discovered this band first.

🔥 From campfire harmonies of John Prine’s “Paradise”…

🔥 …to self-producing their earliest tracks, experimenting with banjos, saxophones, and mandolins…

🔥 …to commanding 20,000 strangers who didn’t know their name—until they earned every ounce of attention.

But here’s what makes them unforgettable:

“I don’t think there’s any greater gift than people that sing our songs back to us… people that care about the songs that we’re writing.” – Philip Lupton

🔔 Don’t miss new episodes: Subscribe to Americana Curious now!

He’s the man behind “Wagon Wheel” — the song that went from a Bob Dylan fragment to a global anthem, covered by Darius Rucker, sung at campfires, weddings, and stadiums everywhere. But few know the real story of how it was written.

In this exclusive interview, Ketch Secor, founder of Old Crow Medicine Show, shares:

-How “Wagon Wheel” was finished when he was just 17

-What it was like taking old-time string band music from the streets to the Grand Ole Opry

-The wild early days of busking, sleeping on couches, and chasing the dream

-His vision for the future of Americana music

-Why he thinks “Americana” might not even be the right label for the genre

👉 If you believe music still has the power to inspire, heal, and change the world — this episode will give you chills.

🔔 Don’t miss new episodes: Subscribe to Americana Curious now!