Iris DeMent on recording In Spite of Ourselves: ‘I’d open my mouth and nothing would come out’
The singer’s Pentecostal upbringing made the lyrics a struggle. But she rode it out – just as she’s confident the US can ride out its current ‘dark days’
John Prine
Lucinda Williams: ‘I feared that I didn’t belong. It’s a feeling I’ve been trying to shake my entire life’
In her new memoir, the celebrated singer-songwriter writes about playing for tips and the record companies that did not understand her
Live music on TV more precious than ever in time of broken audience connections
Funding scheme for music broadcasting should be repeated as restrictions return
Nanci Griffith’s Irish hit, cancer history and ‘really dysfunctional’ family
Teacher turned Grammy winner was shrewd song picker with substantial body of work
Carsie Blanton: Love and Rage – singer and activist’s sparkling seventh album
The Virginia native is a class act who has preferred to hone her craft under the radar
John Prine: Crooked Piece of Time review – Enlightening glimpses into ‘the Mark Twain of songwriting’
The first seven albums of the songwriter’s career are given a new lease of life
Fintan O’Toole: Trump has failed to restore blue-collar America’s lost paradise
President who promised to bring back coal oversaw its steepest ever decline
Peter Broderick: Blackberry review – Richly honest folk
The former Efterklang man’s captivating latest solo album is unabashedly emotional
Bob Dylan: ‘It sickened me to see George Floyd tortured to death like that’
In a rare interview, the Nobel Prize winner discusses life and death, his inspiration and new album
President Michael D Higgins pays tribute to Grammy-winning singer John Prine
‘He always used local musicians as support acts for his concerts in Ireland’
John Prine obituary: Songwriter with gift for tender, witty, wise lyrics
A singular talent of country music whose ‘Proustian existentialism’ Bob Dylan admired
John Prine: His truths crossed borders and cultures with ease, especially in Ireland
The singer’s music was guaranteed to put a smile on your face while making you think
Coronavirus: New Yorkers cheer arrival of hospital ship as cases soar
US Wrap: ‘Wartime atmosphere’ in city with almost half of the country’s Covid-19 cases
From Shawn Mendes to Keaton Henson: The best pop and rock gigs this week
This week’s events also include a party on a boat and a chance to mosh on Good Friday
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2019 nominees revealed
The Cure, Radiohead, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks and LL Cool J among the 2019 cohort
‘There are very few songs about the famine. It was skipped over’
Singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke mines the darkest corners of Irish history on his latest album
John Prine: ‘The country music they play now is just bad pop’
The great American musician on his love of Ireland and the Trump song he can’t write
Pills ’n’ thrills and rock and roots: What’s on this week
Happy Mondays, Glen Hansard, Dublin Quays Festival and Culture Vultures
Music heaven in megapolis on shores of Lake Michigan
From jazz to electric blues to house and indy rock, Windy City is a real capital of sounds
Guy Clark: Singer-songwriter linked to Texas troubadour movement
Obituary: ‘Desperados Waiting for a Train was one of a handful of originals now regarded as standards from his 1975 debut album, Old No 1’
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