Nick Shoulders, Creekbed Carter Hogan

Refugia Blues, the fifth album from songwriter Nick Shoulders, is a record of big ideas and small, intimate moments. Rooted in the acoustic stylings of Southern traditional music, it finds the Arkansas native turning off his amp and stepping up to a ribbon microphone as a solo performer, singing in a voice that's equal parts country croon, Appalachian yodel, and high-lonesome field holler. Shoulders' interpretation of American roots music has always been more progressive and punky than the trucks-and-beers conservatism that passes for modern-day country, and Refugia Blues offers songs about climate collapse, radical anthropology, and generative disruption. It balances the macro with the micro, too, making room for love songs and personal topics, packaging humor alongside heavy insights. At once academic and accessible, Refugia Blues isn't just a deep dive into southernness, but also into Shoulders himself. This is a raw, resolute version of American country music, stacked high with songs that go down easy but linger in the minds of those willing to invest the time.

Armed with compassion, curiosity, and a rollicking sense of humor, Hogan has charmed audiences across the USA and the EU/UK, honing their performance and craft as they’ve shared stages with other fan favorites like labelmate Nick Shoulders, Emmylou Harris, Big Richard, Willi Carlisle, Mama’s Broke, and Olive Klug. Hogan’s songs have always achieved the rare feat of braiding the personal and the political as a means of bringing people together. Now, with their second studio album PEASANTS REVOLT (out with Gar Hole Records July 2026), Hogan hones their trademark poetics and traditional fingerstyle to present a medieval-Americana manuscript of apocalypse and everyday survival. There is always more to learn, and more work to do to get there; but whether it’s a 14th century riot of peasants, a 20th century miner’s strike, or our modern-day hell, PEASANTS REVOLT was made to help us sing for our supper so we can reclaim a better world for ourselves.