The queen’s new album nails the sweet spot between nostalgia and new wave, paying tribute to past trendsetters while blazing a new path forward for pop music.
By Brady Brickner-Wood
Bob Freeman is a craftsman who carves, plays, and sings the praises of the traditional Native American instrument.
By Texas Country Reporter
The 23-year-old from Georgetown emerges as Texas’s answer to Olivia Rodrigo and—dare we say it?—T-Swift with his sophomore album, ‘Superache.’
By Cat Cardenas
Willie’s longtime producer and writing partner talks about how “Something You Get Through” came together and the way Willie changed country songwriting.
By John Spong
While we wait for ‘Renaissance’ to drop on July 24, the Beyhive is frantically trying to decode clues about the album to come. The speculation is the point.
By Emily McCullar
Squeezebox Bandits front man Abel Casillas grew up singing Hank Williams and playing tejano music.
By Jonny Auping
Pianist James Dick has spent half a century crafting the Round Top Festival Institute into a world-class destination for classical musicians, where architecture, fine arts, green space, and history meet.
By Molly Glentzer
The four-time Oscar nominee talks “Too Sick to Pray” and the way Willie’s music has helped him build his family.
By John Spong
San Antonio–born Christopher Cross defined a generation of yacht rock and made Grammys history with “Sailing.” But the song’s origins couldn’t be much further from its beatific sound.
By Rob Tannenbaum
The nine-time Grammy winner talks “Permanently Lonely,” jazzy Django chords, and Willie’s beautifully harsh poetry.
By John Spong
Texas Monthly writer Michael Hall, who profiled Seals in 2020, reflects on some of the musician’s best stories.
By Michael Hall
Though they are a generation apart and of different backgrounds, the two share musical influences, a certain artistic restlessness, and a fastidious devotion to their craft.
By Jason Cohen
Muscle Shoals bass player David Hood on ‘Phases and Stages,’ producer Jerry Wexler, and “(How Will I Know) I’m Falling in Love Again.”
By John Spong
Lance Scott Walker's ‘DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution’ is a worthwhile biography and oral history, even for those who already know the story of Screw's short, impactful life.
By Chris Vognar
The 99-year-old North Texas musician stumped for LBJ, toured with the USO, and still recalls hundreds of tunes.
By Gene Fowler
Pianist James Dick has turned a rolling pasture outside of Round Top into a haven for classical musicians from around the world.
By Texas Country Reporter
The Americana singer-songwriter discusses one of Willie’s first iconic cover songs.
By John Spong
The piano teacher turned touring musician from Lockney has been inducted into several halls of fame across the U.S.
By Bob Phillips
Bob Wills fans flock each spring to the tiny Panhandle town to “dance all night, dance a little longer.”
By Christian Wallace
Willie’s longtime harmonica player discusses joining the band, stowaways on the bus, and “The Words Don’t Fit the Picture.”
By John Spong
In ‘12th of June,’ the Klein singer-songwriter shares the love and joys of home life.
By Josh Alvarez
One of America’s greatest songwriters talks Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson . . . and the surprising debt they owe “My Sharona.”
By John Spong
Our favorite Texas Monthly pieces featuring the country music star, who died on Saturday at 86, and the cultural phenomenon he helped inspire.
By Leah Prinzivalli
On the 50th anniversary of his eponymous 1972 record, five renowned singer-songwriters—including Jimmy Buffett and Lyle Lovett—celebrate Willis Alan Ramsey.
By John Spong
The Toronto rapper has an everywhere-and-nowhere relationship with place, but no city has influenced him as much as H-Town.
By Brady Brickner-Wood
The 22-time Grammy winner talks faith, Ray Price, and the power of an irresistible first line in a lyric.
By John Spong
‘A Beautiful Time’ picks up where his "mortality trilogy" of albums left off, with an especially off-the-wall cover and new songs reflecting on life and death.
By John Spong
On this special birthday episode of ‘One by Willie,’ Paula Nelson talks about “Devil in a Sleepin’ Bag,” a song her dad wrote about his longtime drummer, Paul English—who happens to be her namesake.
By John Spong
The singer-songwriter talks about “Are You Sure,” getting her granddad into Willie’s poker game, and a gift Willie gave her that she’ll never smoke.
By John Spong
The Houstonian pulled double duty on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as host and musical guest. How’d she do?
By Dan Solomon
Our latest season of interviews with notable Willie Nelson fans debuts April 20.
By John Spong
Bobbie Nelson, pianist and older sister to Texas music icon Willie Nelson, died Thursday morning at 91.
By John Spong and Michael Hall
Plus: swing by an Austin jazz festival, then listen to a record dedicated to a SpongeBob SquarePants character on your way home.
By Texas Monthly
We can’t let California win, y’all. Here’s everything you need to know about how to vote for Texas in the pop song competition.
By Emily McCullar
In an upcoming record, the singer’s voice will be digitally aged. The Quintanilla family continues to misunderstand why Selena’s fans adored her.
By Cat Cardenas
Photos from this year's Luck Reunion, which welcomed back attendees for the first time since 2019.
By Cat Cardenas
The festival was smaller and less overwhelming than in times past, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing—or a sign of things to come.
By Dan Solomon
The country legend dropped NFTs, an album, and a book before putting on a dazzling performance at the Moody Theater.
By Cat Cardenas
Kazka’s male members took up arms to repel Putin’s invasion. But the band’s singer, Oleksandra Zaritska, was still determined to appear at the festival.
By Dan Solomon
No country music fan will be disappointed by ‘The Return of Tanya Tucker,’ which puts the focus on artistry and that one-in-a-million voice.
By Emily McCullar
Trail of Dead was “the band that trashes everything.” But on its eleventh album, ‘XI: Bleed Here Now,’ it’s finally grown into the classic rock group it always wanted to be.
By Sean O'Neal
Four sibling punk rockers, Houston’s greatest soul band, and three more acts you need to catch at SXSW 2022.
By Doyin Oyeniyi
Bastards of Soul front man Chadwick Murray died last September. His bandmates now reckon with the release of his final album.
By Chris Vognar
The Alamo City legend broke up Girl in a Coma and decamped to L.A. She’s back with a new solo album, a recording studio, and some hard-earned wisdom.
By Katy Vine
Music
|
February 28, 2022
For the first time in four years, the Chicks are back on the road—but one big state (and a bigger part of the band's history) is notably absent from the list of stops.
By Chris Vognar
Music
|
February 25, 2022
Streaming services don’t exist inside Classical Music of Spring, one of the few remaining classical-focused shops in the country.
By Brian Reinhart
Music
|
February 18, 2022
Plus: a Motown dance party and an existential visit to West Texas.
By Texas Monthly
Music
|
February 11, 2022
With covers from Leon Bridges, Fat Tony, and more, the 1992 country single continues to find new life across genres.
By Dan Solomon
Music
|
February 10, 2022
The Texas native talks about her debut album, finding herself, and how she’s changing the country scene just by being herself.
By Cat Cardenas