On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with Jake & Shelby, a Nashville-based songwriting duo whose music is built on a natural chemistry that you can hear immediately. Our conversation feels a lot like their songs—honest, relaxed, and rooted in the process of figuring things out together.

We start in the middle of a Nashville winter storm in early 2026, when power outages and unexpected downtime forced them to slow down—and unexpectedly reignited their songwriting spark. From there, we rewind to how the two of them first met through Jake’s dad’s music school, and the wide range of artists that shaped their musical instincts along the way, including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Lizzy McAlpine, John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Cars, and Madison Cunningham.

One of my favorite parts of the conversation is hearing how their duet sound developed naturally rather than by design. They didn’t study classic duos or try to replicate an established formula. Instead, their voices gradually found each other. Jake talks about how he essentially learned harmony from Shelby, and how their blend now feels like one shared musical voice—two distinct tones moving with the same phrasing and instinct.

We also talk about some of the surreal early moments in their career, including the sudden attention that came when Michael Bublé and Kim Kardashian shared their music, amplifying their audience almost overnight. That early exposure opened doors, but it also led them to the next stage of their work: moving beyond the stripped-down Just Us era and into a fully produced debut album recorded across Nashville and Los Angeles.

Along the way, they share how songs typically come together—often starting with a guitar idea, building melody, and shaping lyrics in shared phone notes. Collaboration, for them, means letting the song win when disagreements come up. By the end of the conversation, it’s clear they’ve already built a massive catalog—nearly 100 finished songs—and they’re still very much at the beginning of their story.

Key Takeaways

• How Jake & Shelby’s musical partnership began through Jake’s dad’s music school.
• The wide range of influences shaping their sound, from Taylor Swift and Lizzy McAlpine to Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Cars.
• Why their vocal harmony developed organically rather than by modeling classic duos.
• The surprising early boost when Michael Bublé and Kim Kardashian shared their music online.
• The shift from their stripped-down Just Us era into a full-band debut album.
• How songs often start with guitar ideas, shared phone notes, and collaborative lyric writing.
• Why their rule during disagreements is simple: let the song win.

Music from the Episode

• Loophole — Jake & Shelby
• You Don’t Know — Jake & Shelby
• Shut Up and Kiss Me — Jake & Shelby
• Falling Out of Love — Jake & Shelby
• Morning Light — Jake & Shelby

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a long-form conversation podcast where host Brad Williams sits down with some of the most thoughtful musicians, composers, and artists working today. The show explores the stories behind the music—creative process, collaboration, career paths, and the human experiences that shape the sounds we love.

Connect with the Show

Email: contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with guitarist, singer, and songwriter Trey Hensley, and it’s a conversation I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Trey has built a reputation as one of the most electrifying acoustic guitar players around, and we talk about the moment he finds himself in now—stepping back into a solo role after a decade performing as part of a duo. He’s candid about what that transition felt like at first and how embracing that shift has opened the door to new creative possibilities.

A big part of our conversation centers on feel and energy in recordings. Trey and I dig into why so many of the records we love breathe and move in ways that feel alive—often recorded without a click track—and why some of that electricity can disappear when studio perfection becomes the goal. It’s a thoughtful discussion about spontaneity, musical trust, and the value of leaving room for human feel.

We also talk about his upcoming album Can’t Outrun the Blues, releasing March 6. The record leans heavily into an acoustic-forward sound, with most of the performances captured live in the room and minimal overdubs. Trey shares how the project came together, the importance of strong songs at the center of it all, and the collaborators who helped bring the music to life.

Then we look ahead to another exciting chapter: a new electric, country-leaning project with guitarist Brian Sutton. Trey talks about what it feels like to plug in again after years of acoustic focus, the mix of intimidation and inspiration that comes from playing alongside someone like Brian, and how his time on electric guitar has quietly shaped the way he approaches the acoustic instrument.

Along the way, we also get into the realities of modern musicianship—social media and the pressure to produce “content,” stage sound challenges like wedges versus in-ears, bluegrass timing tendencies, and the ongoing challenge of simply hearing yourself onstage. It’s a conversation about music, but also about identity, growth, and trusting your instincts as an artist.

Key Takeaways

• What it’s like for Trey Hensley to return to a solo role after a decade performing in a duo.
• Why many of the most beloved recordings breathe without a click track.
• The philosophy behind recording Can’t Outrun the Blues mostly live in the room.
• How focusing on songs first shaped the direction of the new record.
• The creative spark—and challenge—of working with Brian Sutton on a more electric project.
• How playing electric guitar has influenced Trey’s acoustic phrasing and tone.
• Real-world musician topics: social media pressure, stage monitoring (wedges vs. in-ears), and bluegrass timing tendencies.

Music from the Episode

• Can’t Outrun the Blues — Trey Hensley
• One White Line at a Time — Trey Hensley
• Tucson — Trey Hensley

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a long-form conversation podcast where host Brad Williams sits down with some of the most thoughtful musicians, composers, and artists working today. The show explores the stories behind the music—creative process, collaboration, career paths, and the human experiences that shape the sounds we love.

Connect with the Show

Email: contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with pianist, composer, improviser, label founder, and educator Kris Davis—one of the most forward-thinking voices in creative music today. Our conversation left me feeling genuinely energized. Kris approaches music with a rare combination of curiosity, discipline, and fearless experimentation, and it was a joy to dig into how all of that shows up in her work.

We start with what’s immediately ahead for her: a trip to Hamburg to premiere a newly expanded big band version of a trio piece with the NDR Big Band. Kris shares the very real “composer panic” that comes with catching an engraving mistake right before rehearsal—one of those behind-the-scenes realities of composing that every musician can relate to.

From there, we talk about festivals—especially Big Ears, which feels like its own musical universe—and dive into two major pillars of her work: prepared piano and large-form composition. Kris reflects on studying with pianist Benoît Delbecq, whose approach to prepared piano emphasized rhythm, individuality, and finding a personal sonic vocabulary.

One of the highlights of our conversation is a deep look at her remarkable Solastalgia Suite, written for the Lutosławski Quartet after a commission through Poland’s Jazz to Pad Festival. Kris talks about learning how to write for strings in real time and how the concept of **solastalgia—the grief you feel for your home while you’re still living in it—**became the emotional core of the piece.

We also zoom out into the bigger picture of her work: her leadership role alongside Terri Lyne Carrington at Berklee’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, and her decade-long journey building Pyroclastic Records, a label dedicated to supporting adventurous music and the artists creating it. At its heart, this conversation is about craft, community, curiosity, and the importance of taking creative risks on purpose.

Key Takeaways

• The behind-the-scenes realities of composing for large ensembles—including last-minute engraving panic before a premiere.
• Why festivals like Big Ears create a unique ecosystem for creative music.
• How studying with Benoît Delbecq shaped Kris Davis’s approach to prepared piano.
• The creative challenge of writing for string quartet for the first time.
• The emotional meaning of solastalgia and how it shaped the Solastalgia Suite.
• Kris’s work at Berklee’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice alongside Terri Lyne Carrington.
• How Pyroclastic Records has grown into an important platform for adventurous and forward-thinking music.

Music from the Episode

• Diatom Ribbons — Kris Davis
• Interlude (from the Solastalgia Suite) — Kris Davis
• Life on Venus (from the Solastalgia Suite) — Kris Davis
• Run the Gauntlet — Kris Davis

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a long-form conversation podcast where host Brad Williams sits down with some of the most thoughtful musicians, composers, and artists working today. The show explores the stories behind the music—creative process, collaboration, career paths, and the human experiences that shape the sounds we love.

Connect with the Show

Email: contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz at a remarkable moment in her career, fresh off multiple Grammy wins, including recent recognition with I’m With Her. We talk about what it actually feels like to experience that kind of validation after years of nominations, and why the support she receives from her hometown of Wimberley, Texas, still means so much, especially with music that reflects on family, time, and staying connected to where you come from.

Sarah shares how I’m With Her, her trio with Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins, became a creative counterbalance to the pressures of solo work. What stands out is how naturally the collaboration works: three distinct musical voices, no ego battles, and an instinctive approach to arranging harmonies and deciding who carries each musical moment. It’s a reminder of how powerful true musical trust can be.

We also explore how her perspective on collaboration has evolved over the years. Early in her career, Sarah felt a strong need to protect her artistic voice. But as she gained experience, she realized that once you truly understand what you bring to the table, collaboration becomes less risky and far more rewarding.

One of my favorite parts of the conversation is a deep dive into the next generation of acoustic musicians, artists with deep bluegrass roots who aren’t confined by genre boundaries. Sarah traces that lineage through musicians like Chris Thile, Punch Brothers, David Grisman, Mike Marshall, Béla Fleck, and Edgar Meyer, framing today’s scene not as a sudden movement but as a continuation of a long and evolving acoustic tradition.

We also nerd out about her time at the New England Conservatory, why she chose it over Berklee, and how her early Kodály training gave her a powerful foundation in ear training and musical intuition. We wrap by talking about what’s next: an upcoming I’m With Her live album, summer touring, and a rare pause in her solo career as she finds herself between record contracts for the first time. In a music industry constantly shifting, from streaming economics to AI, the grounded takeaway is simple: the real thing still matters, and people continue to show up for honest music played by real humans.

Key Takeaways

• What it actually feels like to win Grammys after years of nominations.
• Why Sarah Jarosz still feels deeply connected to her hometown of Wimberley, Texas.
• How I’m With Her works creatively—three voices collaborating without ego.
• Why collaboration becomes easier once artists understand their own musical identity.
• The lineage of modern acoustic music through artists like Chris Thile, David Grisman, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Mike Marshall.
• How Kodály training and ear development shaped Sarah’s musicianship early on.
• Why the “real thing”—human voices and acoustic instruments—still resonates in a rapidly changing music industry.

Music from the Episode

• Jealous Moon — Sarah Jarosz
• When the Lights Go Out — Sarah Jarosz
• Runaway Train — Sarah Jarosz

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes is a long-form conversation podcast where host Brad Williams sits down with some of the most thoughtful musicians, composers, and artists working today. The show explores the stories behind the music—creative process, collaboration, career paths, and the human experiences that shape the sounds we love.

Connect with the Show

Email: contact@thebandwichtapes.com

On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with drummer and composer Beth Goodfellow, a musician whose touch, curiosity, and musical sensitivity have made her a sought-after collaborator across genres.

We begin with her long musical relationship with Iron & Wine, and how working with Sam Beam has shaped the way she thinks about rhythm and ensemble playing. Beth shares how Sam’s drummer-minded approach to guitar creates a uniquely interactive musical space, and why that dynamic has been such a natural fit for her instincts as a drummer.

We also talk about Beth’s recent move from Los Angeles to Tucson, Arizona, a shift that has reinvigorated her creative life. After spending nearly 350 of 500 days on the road, she made the intentional decision to lower her overhead, slow down, and build space for new creative work. Tucson’s vibrant music community—connected to artists like Calexico and Giant Sand—has quickly become a new source of inspiration.

One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation is Beth’s marimba looping project. What began as a pandemic experiment—exploring Steve Reich–inspired patterns she could sing over—has grown into a fully realized live performance concept. She explains her intentionally simple setup (two SM57s and a Boss looper) and how she’s now expanding the music into a band context.

Along the way, we explore her journey through trad jazz gigs in Northern California, classical percussion studies at San Jose State, touring with the Air Force National Guard Band, restaurant gigs that taught her the art of playing softly, and recording live with pianist Matt Rollings at Valentine Studios. It’s a conversation about nuance, groove, mentorship, loss, and the importance of carving out time and space to build something of your own.

Key Takeaways

• Why Beth Goodfellow’s musical chemistry with Iron & Wine works so naturally
• How moving from Los Angeles to Tucson reshaped her creative life
• The story behind her marimba looping project and minimalist gear setup
• Lessons learned from early trad jazz gigs and restaurant performances
• Recording live in the room with Matt Rollings at Valentine Studios
• What it means to step fully into your own artistic lane after years as a collaborator

People Mentioned

• Beth Goodfellow
• Sam Beam (Iron & Wine)
• Matt Rollings
• Steve Reich
• Artists connected to Calexico
• Artists connected to Giant Sand

Music from the Episode:

• Reconnecting the Disconnect (Beth Goodfellow)
• Shut Up Moon (Part 2) (Beth Goodfellow)
• Travellers Prayer (Beth Goodfellow)
• San Joaquin (Beth Goodfellow)
• Groove with a View (Matt Rollings)

About the Podcast

The Bandwich Tapes explores the craft of music through thoughtful conversations with the artists who make it. Each episode dives into creative process, collaboration, touring life, and the stories behind the music.

Connect with the Show

If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for future guests, feel free to reach out:

📧 brad@thebandwichtapes.com

In this episode, I sit down with Taylor Eigsti, and this conversation goes everywhere I hoped it would. We talk about preparation versus spontaneity, writing music that leaves room for the present moment, and why the best ensembles feel more like carefully cast films than perfectly rehearsed machines.

Taylor shares what it’s been like working recently with Michael League, Ben Wendel, Kendrick Scott, Antonio Sánchez, and others, and we get deep into his compositional mindset—why quantity matters, why “bad ideas” are necessary, and how composition is a muscle that has to be exercised. We also talk about his Grammy-winning albums Tree Falls and Plot Armor, the long studio hours behind them, and why recognition doesn’t always translate the way people expect.

Along the way, we hit on collaboration, identity, touring life, teaching, football fandom, and what it really means to show up prepared and fully present for the moment that actually matters—the short window onstage when everything finally comes alive.

Music from the Episode:
Let You Bee (Taylor Eigsti)
Bucket of F's (Taylor Eigsti)
Look Around You (Taylor Eigsti)

Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

I sat down with Janie Barnett, a singer, songwriter, arranger, and educator whose career reflects a steady commitment to saying yes to what fits and no to what does not.

We begin with her roots in the Greater Washington area, where summers at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and early exposure to roots music shaped her ear. Moving to New York was a shock. The city carried a gritty, post-Patti Smith energy and felt like a long search for a new urban Americana sound. Janie found her footing through community, especially friendships with Robin Batteau and Kenny White. Session work, including jingles, gave her financial stability and the freedom to keep her songwriting honest rather than chasing a paycheck through her own music.

We talk about life behind the scenes and what it taught her about leadership. Janie shares stories from sessions with Linda Ronstadt and a career highlight singing background vocals on Saturday Night Live with Rickie Lee Jones, one of her musical heroes. Being on the team shaped how she leads her own bands, creating rooms where musicians feel respected and invited to contribute.

She also reflects on how becoming a parent changed her artistry. Her songs deepened, her priorities clarified, and the work stopped feeling precious in the face of real life.

We spend time on her project Under My Skin, a reimagining of Cole Porter through an acoustic Americana lens. What began as a guitar idea for I’ve Got You Under My Skin grew into a pandemic-era collaboration with an extraordinary group of musicians, including Carmela Ramsey and Jerry Douglas, many of whom recorded from home studios. The album proves Porter’s writing is timeless, and Janie’s voice brings it all together.

We close with her work at Berklee, where she mentors singer-songwriters and leads ensembles. She speaks candidly about the pressures of constant content and social media, and the importance of building real community and a live musical life. Looking ahead, she is planning a vinyl release of the Cole Porter project, aiming for a show around Porter’s birthday in June, and working toward a new record of original songs with a clearer strategy for getting it into the world.

Music from the Episode:
LIfe Is Long and Then It's Not (Janie Barnett)
Delaware Bridge (Janie Barnett)
If You Were Here (Janie Barnett)
I've Got You Under My Skin (Janie Barnett)
Night and Day (Janie Barnett with Keith Sewell)
You're the Top (Janie Barnett with Catherine Russell)

Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

This episode is a special one for me: Steve Gadd.

Steve is not just a great drummer. He is one of those rare musicians whose feel and sound are instantly recognizable. A few seconds in, and you know it's him. He has been a first-call presence on recordings and tours for decades, and somehow, he makes the most complex things feel relaxed and human. Spending time with him for this conversation was a real honor.

We begin in the present. In 2026, Steve is still moving forward with curiosity and purpose. He talks about starting the year with the Love Rocks benefit in New York, touring Europe with Michael Blicher and Dan Hemmer, rehearsing and touring with Paul Simon, and heading out again with James Taylor. Later in the year, he is back with Simon Oslender and Will Lee, a project that clearly brings him joy. You can hear how much he values character, maturity, and the spirit of the bandstand.

We trace the roots of his musicianship through his time in the Army Field Band during the Vietnam era. Daily chart reading sharpened his time, discipline, and mindset. It was not always fun, but it was formative. He also reflects on mentorship, from Stanley Street to John Beck, and how those teachers shaped not just his hands but his confidence and identity.

Steve speaks candidly about insecurity and imposter syndrome, about how reading is a skill that fades without use, and how repetition is the real secret. No shortcuts. We also dive into sound, volume, and dynamics. He shares his thoughts on live versus studio playing, the challenges of modern stage volume, and why the best shows begin at a real level and let the music breathe.

What stays with me most is his philosophy. It is not about ego. It is about service, supporting the song, making the artist comfortable, and being a good teammate. This conversation captures a legend who is still learning, still listening, and still chasing feel and sound in the purest way.

Music from the Episode:
I Gotta Try (Michael McDonald)
On a Roll (Live) (Simon Oslender)
September Grass (James Taylor)
My Rival (Steely Dan)

Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.