Though it’s not the first place when you think of country music, the state of California has plenty of country fans… and believe it or not, quite a few who call the Golden State home. Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Gary Allan, Jon Pardi, Jesse Daniel just to name a few. On the latest episode of the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast (which was actually a double episode), California native Sam Stoane spoke on the pressure she sometimes feels to defend the state she was born and raised in. The rising country singer also talked to us about how 2025 was quite possibly the biggest year of her life with a debut album, a wedding and a baby coming all at once, then covered how it feels being one of the only Greek artists in the genre, and the legendary influences that shape her sound. But back to the California part of Sam Stoane’s story. One of the first things we asked the “Pretty Poppies” singer about were her California roots. The talented singer and songwriter is from the Orange County area, and she recognizes that California and its country music scene often gets a bad wrap. Stoane explained the flack the state gets as “always” and “everywhere,” so we inquired to see if she feels like she’s constantly having to defend the state she grew up in. She alluded to the California Gold Rush with her answer: “Yes and no. I feel like it’s gotten better over the years. Which is funny, because back in the pioneer days, people were literally dying to be in California.” Fair point… now a whole lot of people hate on the far western state. And for quite some time, the relationship between California and country music has been rocky… or at the very least, it’s appeared to be that way. Stoane lived in the Golden State for nearly two decades (she’s since relocated to live in the Nashville area), and she says that the genre was more accepted than most people would think: “Now I wouldn’t know as much, but it was pretty prevalent growing up. I grew up listening to country music. Most people in high school did, and they wore camo and cowboy boots. It’s just hit or miss. California is so diverse. There’s all kinds of music, (but country’s presence) is pretty strong. We have Stagecoach and all that too.” And Stoane actively tries to capture that California feeling and Western sound with her music. Her debut album was even called Tales of the Dark West, and when you throw in the fact that she’s often talked about feeling homesick for California, there’s no doubt that she appreciates her roots. That being said, her roots are now planted in Nashville, so Sam Stoane will likely be defending the state of California from a distance as she continues her music career thousands of miles away from where she first dreamt up her country music dreams. You can hear Sam speak more on her love for the Golden State by downloading the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post “California Is So Diverse”: Sam Stoane Says The Golden State Gets A Bad Rap For Its Country Music Scene first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

As strange as this might sound… a space coyote was the perfect cameo for Johnny Cash. For 37 years (and 37 seasons), the adventures of Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie Simpson have graced TV screens and made people laugh all over the world. The Simpsons is the longest running animated series and sitcom in America, with over 800 episodes and counting. When you make that much content, you’re going to hit the nail right on the head more than a couple of times, and likely even predict the future, which The Simpsons is famously known for. And obviously, the show has had a multitude of celebrities, artists and other high-profile people featured in cameo roles over the years. Sometimes celebrities lend their voice to portray cartoon versions of themselves, while other times they have characters created for them to play. No matter how The Simpsons usually carry out the cameos, they almost always land in an entertaining fashion. None more than when country music legend Johnny Cash played a space coyote brought on by Homer’s hallucination (caused by the patriarch of the Simpsons family eating several spicy peppers). The cameo came in the ninth episode of Season 8 (originally airing on January 5, 1997) which was titled “El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer).” Because Johnny Cash had such a recognizable voice, you knew right away that he was behind the unique character. Homer’s mysterious, hallucinogenic voyage is capped off by a visit from the space coyote, which first reveals itself as the moon before shrinking down to Homer’s coyote-shaped spirit guide. Cash (as the coyote) then helps the famous cartoon dad through the crisis that he’s experiencing, and it’s all through the prism of a psychedelic trip. And you’ve got to hand it to the writers and the animators of the show… they did a great job portraying inner hallucinations. Heck, they may have been hallucinating themselves when they thought about asking a country music legend to cameo as a cosmic canine. There’s actually some great advice provided by Johnny Cash’s space coyote cameo: “The problem, Homer, is that the mind is always chattering away with a thousand thoughts at once. Clarity is the path to inner peace.” Guess it’s not all that surprising that Johnny Cash was one heck of a voice actor too (those noises he made as the space coyote gnawed on Homer’s leg were quite impressive). Johnny Cash is just one of many country music cameos that The Simpsons has featured over the years. Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Hank Williams Jr. have also been featured in the long-running cartoon across the decades. And country music has even taken center stage during some episodes, like the iconic “Colonel Homer” episode that introduced a character in the Simpsons world named Lurleen Lumpkin. Funny enough, Lumpkin was voiced by Beverly D’Angelo, who actually played Patsy Cline in the 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter. That’s a cool tidbit that only a show like The Simpsons can create. But I mean… Johnny Cash as a talking, existential-advice-giving space coyote? That’s hard to beat when it comes to country music cameos.The post Throwback To The Time Johnny Cash Made A Cameo In ‘The Simpsons’ As A Psychedelic Space Coyote first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The collaboration we didn’t know we needed. From the outside looking in, there isn’t much in common between Taylor Hunnicutt and John Moreland. Hunnicutt is the female lead singer of a blistering hot southern rock-leaning honky tonk outfit. Though they’ve been honing their sound and touring relentlessly for quite a while now to build their brand, she and her band are one of the latest up-and-coming bands out of Alabama to catch fire, and it feels like they are on the verge of a major breakthrough. Moreland, on the other hand, surfaced as one of the more prominent figures of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s burgeoning folk/Americana scene in the 2010s, gaining notoriety for his painstakingly honest lyricism and beautifully tragic song content. Now a veteran in the industry with a dedicated following, Moreland’s deep catalog of originals is mostly stripped-back and acoustic, placing a heavy emphasis on his deft lyricism. Both artists, though, approach their craft with an unfettered level of dedication and attention to detail. And it shows in their near-perfect duet of “Did We Forget About Love.” Bolstering Moreland’s killer lyrics with a bigger, harder-driving sound that is right in Hunnicutt’s wheelhouse, both artists let their vocals shine as they go back and forth with one another. In an exclusive quote for Whiskey Riff, Hunnicutt expounded upon how this collaboration came to be and how special it was working alongside Moreland on it. “We were on tour and a friend of ours had some old demos from 2018 of John Moreland songs that haven’t been recorded. When we heard ‘Did We Forget About Love,’ we knew that we had to record this song. We reached out to John and he said he had not thought about those songs in years and that he wrote them for his old roots rock band. With John’s blessing to record it, we were off to the races. Well, one thing led to another, and next thing you know we’re in Tulsa at Closet Studios with John cutting a duet. I had my band, John Moreland, and Andrew Bair as the producer recording at a fantastic studio. We had a vision for the song and when we got down to it, it turned into something completely different. Let me tell you, it turned out better than I could have imagined.” I second that. I don’t know what the original vision for the song was, but I don’t know how it can get much better than this. Check out the new duet between Taylor Hunnicutt and John Moreland here: I’ve already given a little bit of background on each of these spectacular artists, but in case you haven’t actually heard any of their other music, here are a couple of my favorites from each: “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars” – John Moreland “Trail of a Broken Heart” – Taylor Hunnicutt “A Thought is Just a Passing Train” – John Moreland “Alabama Sound” – Taylor Hunnicutt If you like what you’ve heard from these artists, make sure to get out there and catch them live. Both Hunnicutt and Moreland have quite a few shows on the calendar for this spring, so there’s a solid chance they’re bringing these tunes to a city near you soon. Taylor Hunnicutt Tour Dates: 2/27 – Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC+ 2/28 – The Burl – Lexington, KY+ 3/20 – Bird’s Nest Listening Room – Dunn, NC 3/21 – The Shed Smokehouse & Juke Joint – Maryville, TN 3/27 – Cook’s Garage – Lubbock, TX 3/28 – Troubadour Festival – Bryan, TX* 4/18 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN 6/27 – Jackalope Jamboree – Pendleton, OR* 9/6 – Stone Pier Summer Concert Series – Lake View, IA* *festival date ^supporting 49 Winchester +supporting Kelsey Waldon John Moreland Tour: 3/10 – The Pyrle – Greensboro, NC^ 3/11 – Beacon Theatre – Hopewell, VA^ 3/12 – The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA^ 3/13 – Elkton Music Hall – Elkton, MD^ 3/15 – Rams Head on Stage – Annapolis, MD^ 3/16 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA^ 3/17 – White Eagle Hall – Jersey City, NY^ 3/18 – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA^ 3/20 – Sacred Heart Community Theatre – Fairfield, CT^ 3/21 – Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, NY^ 3/22 – Appell Center for the Performing Arts – York, PA^ 3/24 – Stuart’s Opera House – Nelsonville, OH^ 3/26-3/27 – SPACE – Evanston, IL^ 3/28 – City Winery – St. Louis, MO^ 3/29 – Ludlow Garage – Cincinnati, OH^ ^co-headline w/ Patterson HoodThe post Taylor Hunnicutt & John Moreland Team Up For Powerful Duet, “Did We Forget About Love” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Imagine a rock star finding inspiration in country music. Brent Smith from Shinedown just discovered Ella Langley, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Continue reading…

Boy, oh boy… is this the perfect song for Jake Worthington or what? Worthington is one of the few modern country artists that take pride in bringing the classic country sound to the table. The saying “out with the old and in with the new” typically applies in most areas, but not with modern country music. It’s in with the old right now, and artists like Worthington (and Zach Top) are at the forefront of that movement. So it makes sense that, on Gavin Adcock’s forthcoming cover album, Jake Worthington was asked to take care of one of the greatest and saddest country music songs of all time. Everyone is familiar with “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones. It’s the track that solidified the Possum as a country music great, and was a No. 1 hit for Jones back when it was released in 1980. The country music star didn’t write the song himself (the writers were actually Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman), but the lyrics definitely linked up with the somber feelings George Jones was feeling at that point in his career. His marriage with Tammy Wynette had fallen apart years earlier because of his drug and alcohol abuse, and he was falling out of love with music right around the time he put out “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Now, it’s one of the most instantly recognizable country songs that exists, and the sorrow in George’s voice certainly came through in his recording. The track very well could go down as the saddest country song ever penned, and the Possums sound was the perfect match for the song’s message. All these years later, it’s a sound that a sad country savant like Worthington can certainly handle as well. Worthington shared a snippet of his George Jones cover this morning with this message saying he’s grateful to be able to record it, and he’s looking forward to people getting to hear the full cover when Country Never Dies releases in a couple of weeks: “Honored to get to sing a song by one of my heroes on Gavin Adcock’s ‘Country Never Dies’ album, out March 13.” View this post on Instagram Wow… that song is in Jake Worthington’s wheel house, without a doubt. It’s the classic cover we didn’t know we needed, and it looks like we’re in store for plenty of other covers when Adcock drops his Country Never Dies album – which features plenty of other artists like Hudson Westbrook, Ashley Cooke, Braxton Keith, Vincent Mason and The Creekers, among others. Gavin Adcock himself will be taking the first and last songs on the album (Gavin Adcock album bookends, if you will), which will be Waylon Jennings’ “Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line” and Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.” It looks like it’ll be quite the interesting project altogether… and I can’t wait to play Jake Worthington’s contribution over and over (and over) again. “Brought together some of my friends and favorite artists to cover these classics by some legendary artists. ‘Country Never Dies.’ Out Friday, March 13.” View this post on Instagram The post Jake Worthington Is Set To Cover George Jones’ 1980 Hit “He Stopped Loving Her Today” On Forthcoming Gavin Adcock Project first appeared on Whiskey Riff.