Nashville Demystified: Recent Episodes
Alex Steed / Knack Factory / We Own This Town
Talking with Mary Mancini about about the legacy of Lucy’s Record Shop, the punk and “alternative” music venue of 90's Nashville.
We talk with artist Kevin Guthrie about his time in Nashville and his development as an artist even though he gets a little weird about accepting the term.
Talking with Caitlin Rose about music making, living with tricky brains, and being weird kids.
Journalist Steven Hale joins for a chat about the opioid epidemic, fentanyl poisoning and how it has impacted Nashville.
We talk with writer and journalist Craig Havighurst about the history of the Station Inn and its fate after the passing of owner JT Gray.
Rebroadcast: Alex Steed speaks with absolute force of nature Lauren Gilbert, aka LG, aka band center of gravity for Thelma and the Sleaze.
We talk with writer, editor, and filmmaker Steve Haruch about his new book Greetings from New Nashville, a series of essays on how Nashville became the It City it is today.
Christine "Teeny" Jarrett was Professional Wrestling’s grand dame. We get to know her rag to riches story by talking to her grandson and biographer Brennon Martin.
A cast of friends pay tribute to David Berman and Menthol Mountains; bringing his inspiring blog to life.
Before taking you down a fever dreamy rabbit hole of 1980s Nashville, Alex delves into the legend of the Nashville Flame—a friend of other-worldly humanoids and foe to murderous biker-gangs.
We talk Tony Alamo, the children of his cult, the horrible act befallen to his wife, Susan Alamo through a conversation with author Debby Schriver.
Tristen Gaspadarek talks with Alex Steed about the origins of Please Vote Nashville how being a DIY musician overlaps with civic engagement.
Marlene Twitty-Fargo is the drag persona of Tim White, leader of the band The Twat Biscuits and is a ton of fun.
As a teenager in 1920s Birmingham, Alabama, Nick Gulas left his job at a bakery to learn the ropes (pun intended) of working in the wrestling business. Once he knew a thing or two, he came to Nashville and made both the city and the sport his life for over 40 years. For a good […]
A Spanish Flu adjacent episode in which pieces from the Tennessean from that time are visited.
I took a break from heavy stuff this week to talk sex in the isolation age with Tessa Lowe of Primrose Path Boutique.
A piece about the day of the 1998 tornado itself. K-Ci & JoJo were huge and the winds were catastrophic.
How did Lower Broad manage to ascend into a tourist destination in the later half of the Reagan Era? Also, a few words about that fucking tornado.
A bit about sex work during the Civil War and some unbelievable tales about The Classic Cat II, Nashville’s longest running, and probably most storied, strip clubs.
How Lower Broad went from being the sort of place most folks didn’t engage with after dark to becoming a budding tourist destination.
Today we talk with the wonderful Carlene Carter. This is not an official installment of Music City Tales from the 1980s, though it’s strongly related. Let’s say that it’s a companion episode.
In March of 1983, WSM launched The Nashville Network, TNN for short. Today we look at how televisions show like Hee Haw, and a phenomenon called “The Rural Purge made all of this possible.
If you were a kid in Nashville in the 1980s, you will forever have THE ultimate insider Nashville conversation starter in your back pocket; Opryland USA.
Alex Steed introduces a new 10-part series about Nashville in the 1980s by having a look at the infamous Mayor Bill Boner and his Donahue appearance.
Nashville Demystified gets too stoned interviewing The Weird Sisters, so they turn their chat into a sound collage.
Sean Nelson is a writer / music journalist / haver-of-opinions / singer / musician best known for his published works in The Stranger and as member of the band Harvey Danger.
Anthony Simpkins runs the popular YouTube channel, GemsOnVHS. We talk genre, curation and the empathetic power of music.
Phoebe Hunt is a fiddler, singer/songwriter and yogi. She came to Nashville by way of Brooklyn by way of Austin and we talk about everything from music-as-a-healing-force to past lives.
Singer-Songwriter Maya de Vitry speaks on her experiences finding herself as a solo artist, the benefits of working at Starbucks and breaking out of the bubble of Nashville.
Alex Steed speaks with Jacob Jones; one of the DJ's behind internationally acclaimed dance party Motown Monday.
Host Alex Steed takes us through the time Roy Acuff ran for governor and then speaks with pop-folk, or folk-pop, or pop-alt-country artist, Mercy Bell.
Erin Rae is a musician based here in Nashville. She is a delight. Here she shares her history in the town, insights on establishing boundaries as a working musician, and tips on where to get the best antiques in town.
Alex Steed speaks with absolute force of nature Lauren Gilbert, aka LG, aka band center of gravity for Thelma and the Sleaze.
Steven Hale, journalist for the Nashville Scene, talks with Alex Steed about Tennessee’s death penalty and his coverage of it.
Third Man Records co-owner Ben Swank moved to Nashville literally days before the label launched. His history is intrinsically tied with the city.
Before taking you down a fever dreamy rabbit hole of 1980s Nashville, Alex delves into the legend of the Nashville Flame—a friend of other-worldly humanoids and foe to murderous biker-gangs.
Today we’ll talk with Robyn Henderson-Espinoza. Robyn lives here in Nashville and is a queer, non-binary, Latinx poet and holds a PhD in theology. I also talk with Tristan Scroggins - a mandolinist and all around bluegrass wizard who writes about how strange it is to live life on the road as a traveling musician.
Alex spends time with David Berman's blog, Menthol Mountains, to try to get a sense of his relationship with the city and his relationship with the world at large.
Alex Steed talks about Nashville’s history of white supremacist violence with author and historian Betsy Phillips.
Mini-episode with Jim Varney nephew and documentarian, Justin Lloyd.
Jenni Lyn Gardner, of Grammy nominated Della Mae, and Daniel Butler, a man with a rich Nashville history and experience working with Jim Varney, aka Ernest P. Worrell.
A bachelorette fever dream that leads into a explanation of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Teachers ongoing plight.
Jack Evan Johnson and Cybelle Elena discuss their zine Honkytonk Badonkadonk and we catch up with Carolyn Kendrick on her move to Nashville.
Eleanor discusses why professional musicians’ concepts of “home can be especially unique. Evan and James discuss Bluegrass Wednesday's at the American Legion Post 82.
Typically Nashville Demystified is conversation and interview heavy, but again I am just off vacation and so I am without an interview. And, and this is the focus of what follows, on my way back from BNW airport my Uber driver used the n-word twice. I discuss what unfolded, how my Northern friends shouldn’t believe […]
Alex talks with writer Veronica Kavass and how you can be both a New Nashvillian and from here.
Host Alex Steed sits down with We Own This Town curator Michael Eades to talk about podcast networks and the local music scene.
Alex Steed sits down film critic Jason Shawhan to discuss the Belcourt and Robert Altman's Nashville (and nine other films you should know).
Host Alex Steed checks in with his previous guests on their thoughts about the changes and developments typically referred to as New Nashville.
The thing I think we forget is you and I have one life to live on this earth. If you believe in reincarnation, it’s awesome, but right now we only have one. What are we gonna do with out life, open our hands or clench fists and cling to own security? — Lindsey Krinks We []
Alex speaks with Brittany Haas, one of the most talented fiddle players in the world who is New to Nashville and Anthony Davis, Nashville councilman and beer empresario.
Pt. 2 on John Hartford. This week Alex sits down with Katie Harford Hogue — Hartford’s daughter — who talks about the musician from a much different perspective.
Alex sits down with New Nashvillian Carolyn Kendrick to discuss the influence of Newgrass pioneer John Hartford. He then speaks with Grand Ole Opry fiddler Matt Combs about the history of Hartford and the split between Bluegrass and Newgrass.
“New Nashvillian Alex Steed uses being a total outsider as an excuse to unearth the city’s rich history.