Best Red String Media Podcasts (2025)

1
Miss Tess 59:01

10d ago59:01

59:01

Episode 318: Over a 15-year career that began in Boston’s jazz and old-time scene, Nashville-based Miss Tess has distinguished herself with a hybrid blend of contemporary songwriting and vintage, swinging Americana. On her newest, the widely traveled artist taps a long love affair with Cajun country in Louisiana, yet it’s her own blend rather than …

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 7: A Question No One Wants Answered 9:23

11d ago9:23

9:23

The case is closed. But the story isn’t over. In the final episode of Sticky Maple Fingers, we follow the last clues—and the biggest questions. Who really funded the heist? Why did some barrels vanish before the crime was even discovered? And why are certain records still sealed? From anonymous tips and offshore payments to erased files and insider…

1
Olivia Wolf 59:01

13d ago59:01

59:01

Episode 317: As the new year dawned, the first emerging artist that started buzzing on our radar was a California native living in Nashville with an emotional country-noir debut album called Silver Rounds. She was Olivia Wolf, and now months later, her album has proven its staying power, with critical acclaim and a long run on the Americana chart. …

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 6 - The Vanishing 6:50

13d ago6:50

6:50

Most of the syrup was recovered. But not all of it. In the penultimate episode of Sticky Maple Fingers, the investigation takes a strange turn. Some barrels weren’t just stolen—they were erased. Gone before the heist was even discovered. No records. No trail. Just dust and questions. Was it an oversight? Or something far more deliberate? This episo…

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 5 - Who Helped the Thieves? 7:02

18d ago7:02

7:02

The thieves were caught. The syrup was mostly recovered. Case closed... right? Not quite. In Episode 5 of Sticky Maple Fingers, the cracks in the official story start to widen. The heist was too clean, the timing too perfect, and the syrup? It moved with military-grade precision. That kind of operation doesn’t happen without help. This episode foll…

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 4 - The Federation Strikes Back 8:10

20d ago8:10

8:10

The Federation has entered the chat. And they’re not happy. With millions in syrup missing and the black market buzzing, the FPAQ finally makes its move—unleashing raids, tracing barcodes, and hunting for barrels that vanished in plain sight. But by the time they act, the syrup is already gone, the money’s in motion, and the thieves have a head sta…

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 3 - The Slippery Barrels 6:45

25d ago6:45

6:45

It wasn’t a smash-and-grab. It was a slow drip. A barrel here, a barrel there—emptied, refilled, and stacked neatly back into place. In Episode 3 of Sticky Maple Fingers, we return to the warehouse, where the barrels were many, the oversight was minimal, and the thieves were… very patient. There were no cameras. No guards. And no reason to suspect …

1
Sean McConnell 59:01

26d ago59:01

59:01

Episode 316: Sean McConnell was born to do this. His parents were working songwriters who helped him get started as a teen in Atlanta. He landed a long-term song publishing deal while still in school at MTSU and earned cuts by Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Brett Young, and the TV show Nashville. Over 15 recordings - his latest is the lovely and agon…

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 2 - The Liquid Gold 5:05

27d ago5:05

5:05

The barrels were gone. But no one asked where the syrup ended up. In Episode 2, the case leaves the warehouse and spills into something stranger—a network of silent buyers, forged invoices, and stolen syrup flowing through legitimate markets. It moved quietly, vanishing into breakfast tables across the world. No break-ins. No alarms. Just barrels r…

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: Episode 1 - The Sweetest Heist 8:32

27d ago8:32

8:32

Every legend starts somewhere—even the sticky ones. Welcome to Sticky Maple Fingers, the first chapter in Crime & Nourishment, where the trail of a missing ingredient leads to something far messier than a spilled bottle at brunch. In our first episode, we head to rural Quebec, where a routine inspection uncovered one of the most bizarre and lucrati…

1
Sticky Maple Fingers: A True Crime Pancake Mystery (Season teaser) 1:23

28d ago1:23

1:23

Before the barrels went missing. Before the headlines. Before anyone realized the syrup was already gone. This season trailer cracks open the case that stunned the nation: the $18 million maple syrup heist that exposed the sticky underbelly of Canada’s most iconic industry. Was it just theft? Or something deeper—hidden in the slow drip of a cover-u…

1
Adam Wright 59:03

1M ago59:03

59:03

Episode 315: Adam Wright is one of the most thoughtful wordsmiths in the Nashville songwriting community, one who’s seen all sides of the Music Row machine. Working for a dozen years with Carnival Music, he’s carved a niche for himself, scoring a couple of Grammy Award nominations and landing cuts by Lee Ann Womack, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Bran…

1
Crime & Nourishment: The Official Trailer 1:29

1M ago1:29

1:29

Before the first bite, there’s always a story. Welcome to Crime & Nourishment, a podcast uncovering the hidden truths behind Canada’s most unexpected food crimes. From black-market dairy to stolen syrup, every case starts with missing ingredients—but ends in something far bigger. In this special teaser episode, get a glimpse of the mysteries waitin…

1
Pete Bernhard of The Devil Makes Three 58:01

2M ago58:01

58:01

Episode 314: The Devil Makes Three has been one of roots music’s outstanding if quiet success stories of the past twenty years. Formed in Santa Cruz, CA in 2001, they got out ahead of the O Brother phenomenon and built a unique, crowd-pleasing sound through a renegade admixture of early blues, hard country, gospel and punk rock. In this hour, found…

1
Sierra Hull 59:01

2M ago59:01

59:01

Episoded 313: Sierra Hull brings a measure of small-town delight and innocence to roots and bluegrass that perfectly compliments her innate gifts and her formal schooling in high level music-making. The mandolinist, songwriter, singer, and band leader has emerged, since her youthful debut in 2008, as a star of her field and an inspiring figure in A…

1
Bluegrass Singer Russell Moore 59:03

2M ago59:03

59:03

Episode 312: In one of the big surprise stories in roots music of the past six months, bluegrass star and IIIrd Tyme Out founder Russell Moore was named the newest member of Alison Krauss and Union Station, taking over the male vocal and guitar role held by Dan Tyminski for years. Moore is on the upcoming album Arcadia and set to go on extensive to…

1
Red Young 59:01

2M ago59:01

59:01

Epidode 311: When I met lifelong musician Red Young on board Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise, I knew I had to interview him. He’s had one of those journeyman’s careers that ties together all the threads of American music, from pop to R&B to jazz. He’s a pianist, Hammond organ specialist, singer, arranger and producer, and at 76 years old, …

1
Gary Nicholson 59:02

3M ago59:02

59:02

Episode 310: It would be hard to name any songwriter in Nashville’s long history whose work has been recorded by more stars across more genres of music than Gary Nicholson. The Texas native came to Nashville in 1980 after stints in Ft. Worth and Los Angeles, and not only did he amass an impressive string of country music hits with Vince Gill, Patty…

1
Sam Grisman 59:01

3M ago59:01

59:01

Episode 309: Sam Grisman, the 35-year-old son of mandolin icon David “Dawg” Grisman, grew up in a unique and supercharged musical environment, to put it mildly. Jerry Garcia was coming over all the time to the family home to pick and record old-time folk music with the elder Grisman. Bluegrass legends came and went, rehearsing and recording, and gi…

1
Kaitlin Butts 59:01

3M ago59:01

59:01

Episode 308: For country singer Kaitlin Butts, 2023 was very good and 2024 was even better, with an Americana Award nomination, praise in Rolling Stone magazine, and festival dates she’d been dreaming of. Her reputation and acclaim grew on the strength of her feisty stage temperament, her bold and cutting voice, and her fearless songs. Raised in Ok…

1
Mickey Raphael 59:00

3M ago59:00

59:00

Episode 307: It was 50 years ago this month that a 23-year-old Mickey Raphael felt his way through his first recording session with his relatively new band boss Willie Nelson. And it was no small thing, producing the iconic Red Headed Stranger. It was one event in a charmed life that set this Dallas musician on a path to the ultimate steady gig for…

1
The Super Bowl Trafficking Myth I Helped Spread: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 5 26:02

4M ago26:02

26:02

Why does the Super Bowl sex trafficking myth persist, despite repeated debunking? In the miniseries finale, Cristen unravels this sex trafficking myth she helped spread. So, why did major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics become seen as sex trafficking playgrounds? These red strings criss-cross from Greece to the United Na…

1
Jessie Scott 59:01

4M ago59:01

59:01

Episode 306: This one’s personal. Eight years ago, when we launched the Roots Radio format on the historic signal WMOT 89.5 FM, a few of us knew we could have no better program director than Jessie Scott, and we were fortunate that she was in the right time and place to come on board. Her 50 years of on-air experience, her expertise in Americana mu…

1
Jerron Paxton 59:01

4M ago59:01

59:01

Episode 305: Traditional acoustic blues has seen one of its periodic revivals, with more younger African American artists involved than any time I can remember. No survey of the scene would be legit without sizing up the career of 35-year-old Jerron Paxton, sometimes known as “Blind Boy” for a severe myopia that’s affected his life since his teens.…

1
Satanic Daycare Panic: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 4 41:30

4M ago41:30

41:30

Why were daycare centers the prime targets of the 1980s Satanic Panic, and how did it blow up into America's longest and most expensive criminal trial? Cristen unravels the anti-cult anxieties, paranoid cowboys and "communist" childcare seeded wild conspiracy theories about devil-worshipping predators invading the suburbs. But when law enforcement …

1
Humbird 59:01

5M ago59:01

59:01

Episode 304: One of my highlights of 2024 was finally getting to see Minneapolis folk rocker Humbird, an artist whose three recordings display an unusual degree of sonic imagination and bandcraft, even beyond her serene and appealing voice. On her newest, Right On, songwriter Siri Undlin conjures ghosts, protests monoculture and environmental negle…

1
Anita Bryant, Bathrooms and Backlash: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 3 36:29

5M ago36:29

36:29

In the 1970s, America’s moral panic machine found its perfect scapegoat: gay and lesbian teachers. Also bathrooms. Historian Gillian Frank unravels the roots of child trafficking and "groomer" conspiracies back to Red Scare paranoia, civil rights backlash, a conservative women's movement against the Equal Rights Amendment and the pageant queen-turn…

1
The Groomer Rumor Mill: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 2 35:02

5M ago35:02

35:02

How did human trafficking conspiracy theories give rise to a politicized pedo panic targeting teachers, trans kids and drag queens? Researchers Daniela Peterka-Benton and Bond Benton connect the dots between QAnon's obsession with saving the children, the 2022 revival of anti-LGBTQ "groomer" rhetoric and Disney's recurring role in American culture …

1
Grayson Capps 59:02

5M ago59:02

59:02

Episode 303: “I like dark songs. I don't know why,” says Grayson Capps early on in our interview. “Cheerful songs don't do much for me.” The Lower Alabama bluesman and songwriter is talking about both his career in general and his seventh album in particular, with the un-cheerful title Heartbreak, Misery & Death. It’s a covers collection featuring …

1
Sex Traffickers in Parking Lots: LADIES, STAY SAFE pt. 1 43:49

5M ago43:49

43:49

Why are suburban white women so afraid of getting snatched out of parking lots and sex trafficked? Journalist Caitlin Dewey unravels the tangled threads of modern sex trafficking panic, the impact of QAnon, and the role of influencers and media in laundering misinformation as "safety" advice for women and moms. Caitlin and Cristen also highlight ho…

1
Producer/Musicologist Joe Boyd 58:03

5M ago58:03

58:03

Episode 302: Joe Boyd is one of the most accomplished and eclectic record producers in the story of popular music. As an American living in London, he helped break psychedelic folk rock pioneers The Incredible String Band and worked with Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, and Fairport Convention. He founded Hannibal Records, giving a home to the solo career o…

1
Emotional literacy for misinformation? 12:21

5M ago12:21

12:21

Ever heard of emotional literacy? In this mini episode (a breadcrumb? red thread?), climate misinformation expert and content creator Abbie Richards explains what it is, why it pairs so well with conspiracy theories, and how we all stand to benefit from more of it. Because if debunking won’t stop the misinformation crisis, maybe it's time to start …

1
Uncle Lucius and Yarn 59:02

6M ago59:02

59:02

Episode 301: Americana music has been most conspicuously represented in the last few years by songwriting, band-leading artists, including Jason Isbell, Sierra Ferrell, and Billy Strings. Flash back to the origins of the alt-country and Americana movement, and the conversation was more often about bands, such as Son Volt, Whiskeytown, and the Old 9…

1
Gaby Moreno 59:02

6M ago59:02

59:02

Episode 300: When Gaby Moreno was announced as an official showcasing artist at this Fall’s Americanafest, it stirred a tingle of recognition in me, but I had to do some digging to realize what a big deal it was. The Guatemala-born, Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter became part of the Watkins Family Hour at Largo in LA and a regular on Chris …

1
Danny Paisley and John Reischman 59:01

6M ago59:01

59:01

Episode #299: While the public has become hyper aware of Billy Strings on his rocket ride to the top of bluegrass, only a small retinue of the music’s traditional veteran artists have achieved popular name recognition. I think especially of Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs. But there’s a deeper world there, and we should work a little harder to shine t…

1
Escaped Nuns from Evil Convents 20:01

6M ago20:01

20:01

In the late summer of 1834, a torch-wielding mob burned down a Boston convent for reasons that sound a lot like . . . Pizzagate. Fueled by rumors of kidnappings, papal paranoia and phony exposés, conspiracy theories about nuns in their convents spiraled out of control in 19th-century America. Cristen unravels why that happened and how it set the st…

1
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes and AJ Lee 59:02

6M ago59:02

59:02

Episode 298: Molly Tuttle is the link in common between two exceptional breakout artists during an exciting era of bluegrass music. Bronwyn Keith-Hynes is the electrifying fiddle player in Tuttle’s band Golden Highway and a two time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year. We get into her journey from Charlottesville, VA to school at Berklee to Nashville an…

1
The Feminine Draw of Contemporary Conspiracy (Culture Study with Anne Helen Petersen) 1:10:26

6M ago1:10:26

1:10:26

What’s the difference between a conspiracy theory and gossip? When does joking around about Kate Middleton’s abduction turn into something much darker? Are women actually more susceptible to contemporary conspiracy theories — or are we just finally paying attention to it? Cristen joined Anne Helen Petersen on Culture Study Podcast to unpack all of …

1
The Kamala Harris Disinfo Dossier 31:51

6M ago31:51

31:51

From cuckoo claims she’s secretly a man to attacks questioning her Blackness, Kamala Harris conspiracy theories are one of the most predictable features of the 2024 election, it turns out. Disinformation researcher Nina Jankowicz unravels the three main disinfo narratives that have targeted Kamala for years and what they sound like today, and Crist…

1
The Transvestigation of Michelle Obama 43:33

7M ago43:33

43:33

What can an obscure conspiracy theory involving Michelle Obama, Joan Rivers and the deep state tell us about the gender panicked rise of reactionary politics? Enter “transvestigation”—a brain-rot conspiracy genre trafficking in wonky eyes, bad photoshops and a gender-inclusive Illuminati. Digital researcher Lexi Webster unravels the nonsense and wh…

1
JesseLee Jones and Robert's Western World 59:02

7M ago59:02

59:02

Episode 297: It’s an immigrant story like no other. JesseLee Jones pined for something bigger growing up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He got glimpses of American music and a guitar, and with that a long journey began. After landing in the states, and getting robbed by the way, he found his way to a family in the midwest who took him in and helped him buil…

1
Did #FreeBritney Really Free Britney? 41:17

7M ago41:17

41:17

Free Britney started as fan sleuthing, which ultimately helped end Britney Spears’ conservatorship, sparked a pop cultural reckoning and galvanized a disability rights movement. Podcaster and comic Tess Barker (Pop Mystery Pod) unravels that journey of pursuing the truth about Britney–and its thornier consequences–while digital sociologist Naomi Sm…

1
Greta Thunberg: Climate Conspiracy's Forever Scapegoat 38:18

7M ago38:18

38:18

At just 16, Greta Thunberg led the largest climate protest in history—and became a target for right-wing conspiracy theories. Scholar Emily Ryalls dissects how Greta was recast as a hysterical pawn of globalist billionaires and why the “Greta Effect” continues to provoke such powerful backlash. Then, TikTok misinformation researcher Abbie Richards …

1
Sophie Gault plus Wyatt Ellis 59:01

7M ago59:01

59:01

Episode 296: With Americanafest landing in Nashville, Craig Havighurst looked over the many artists breaking out of Music City and got especially excited about Baltic Street Hotel by rocking songwriter Sophie Gault. It’ll be released on Friday, but Craig’s been listening for a few weeks and finds it rich with personal details, sharp melodies, and a…

1
Avril Lavigne's Clone Hoax That Won't Die 37:54

7M ago37:54

37:54

Who sparked the bizarre conspiracy theory that Avril Lavigne was replaced by a clone named Melissa, and why does it still persist? Snopes reporter Nur Ibrahim unravels the allure of celebrity death hoaxes, political body double rumors and how to sort the fakes from the facts. Cristen also connects the dots between Avril Lavigne, the Beatles’ Paul M…

1
Stephanie Lambring 58:31

7M ago58:31

58:31

Episode 295: Stephanie Lambring’s new album - her second - is called Hypocrisy, and it blew me away on first listen because of the way its crafty, understated production set up some mind-jarring and elegantly sculpted lyrics. She’s a rural Indiana native whose writing talents in her early Nashville days led to a major publishing deal at 23. The Mus…

1
Rhett Miller of Old 97's 58:02

8M ago58:02

58:02

Episode 294: Formed in Dallas in 1992, Old 97’s became one of the seminal bands of the alternative country movement, alongside Whiskeytown, Son Volt, the Bottle Rockets and BR549. At its heart was the longtime friendship of bass player Murry Hammond and guitarist/songwriter Rhett Miller. Remarkably, across 13 albums and millions of miles, Old 97’s …

1
Meghan Markle's Royal Pregnancy Truthers 36:44

8M ago36:44

36:44

Why did Meghan Markle's pregnancies unleash tabloid rumors and unprecedented speculation? Royal reporter Ellie Hall unravels the community committed to exposing their “Duchess of Deception,” from claims that Meghan faked her pregnancies to masterminding the #WhereIsKate PR crisis. Scholar Moya Bailey also connects the dots between Meghan skeptics, …

1
Megan Thee Stallion vs. Misogynoir 48:25

8M ago48:25

48:25

When Megan Thee Stallion revealed the truth about being shot by Tory Lanez, why was she met with disbelief, Bigfoot jokes, and Illuminati rumors? NPR Music reporter and longtime hottie Sidney Madden (Louder Than a Riot) unravels how hip-hop culture put Megan on trial, while Tory Lanez’ team claimed the slut-shame defense in court. Scholar Moya Bail…

1
Alice Randall's My Black Country 58:57

8M ago58:57

58:57

Episode 293: The conversation about Black influence on and presence in country music has been intense and restorative over the past decade, and nobody has a more authoritative or informed take on the subject than writer and scholar Alice Randall. She became the first Black woman to launch a career as a professional Music Row songwriter and publishe…

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