Ismay travels from Texas to Mississippi, to visit the studio where Lucinda Williams made her first record. There, Ismay interviews Wolf Stephenson, who was the engineer that day in 1978, to learn about what happened during the session and whether Lucinda was confident through that initial challenge of recording. They discuss what results when artists get rejected and what keeps certain artists moving forward in spite of various roadblocks. Stephenson oversaw the development of Malaco Records, which produced R&B, soul, and gospel hits. Elsewhere in the episode, Ismay also takes time to visit the stretch of country between Austin, Texas and Jackson, Mississippi in order to understand the landscape that informed Lucinda's work.

Ismay visits cornerstone music venue The Hole in the Wall in Austin to interview Charlie Sexton, producer and songwriter who's best known as a guitarist for Bob Dylan. They discuss Charlie and Lucinda's first gig together in 1979 when he was just a kid. Charlie shares insights into Lucinda's remarkable songwriting, as well as the emotional struggles musicians face with self doubt. Credits: Distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Produced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLC Music by ISMAY Sundays written by Lucinda Williams Greenville courtesy of Universal, Warner Chappell Artwork by Avery Hellman Music Supervisor Jonathan McHugh Austin Recording -- Recorded at The Hole in the Wall Sound recordist: Rodrigo Nino Producer: Liz McBee Director: Joel Fendelman Co-Director: Rose Bush Special thanks to: Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Don Fierro, Jacqueline Sabec, Rosemary Carroll, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby references: Charlie Sexton: Too Many Ways to Fall By Jason Crouch https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://docs.gato.txst.edu/56065/19_4_Sexton_Jason-Crouch.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiMsv2Uu7eMAxWRMlkFHVERNCMQFnoECEAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw02BTIq00dCCo9hgxH7IGi6 Ink in the Grooves by Flores Doore Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams https://delawareliberal.net/2021/10/27/song-of-the-day-10-27-lucinda-williams-2-kool-2-be-4-gotten/ https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/J/Juke-Joint https://michaelcorcoran.substack.com/p/clubland-paradise-rome-inn

Ismay arrives in Austin, Texas to dig through the Collections Deposit Library at the University of Texas in order to understand the life of Lucinda Williams' father, Miller. A poet and teacher, Miller Williams overcame setbacks to become a prominent writer. Ismay discovers his personal writings, letters, and photographs, highlighting his mentorship and the artistic community that shaped Lucinda's career. Credits: Distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Produced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLC Music by ISMAY Artwork by Avery Hellman Austin Recording -- Recorded at The Collections Deposit Library at UT Austin, with records from The Harry Ransom Center Sound recordist: Rodrigo Nino Producer: Liz McBee Director: Joel Fendelman Co-Director: Rose Bush The Caterpillar and Of History and Hope appear courtesy of Rebecca Jordan Williams Special thanks to: Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan McHugh, Jacqueline Sabec, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby references: Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams Living on the Surface, New and Selected Poems by Miller Williams The Ways We Touch, Poems by Miller Williams Making a Poem: Some Thoughts about Poetry and the People Who Write It https://oxfordamerican.org/web-only/the-kinship-is-real https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/miller-williams https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/southern-tenant-farmers-union-35/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/26671158 https://poets.org/poet/miller-williams https://muse.jhu.edu/article/740832 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPIgETlWaas https://poets.org/inaugural-poems-history https://news.uark.edu/articles/26213/miller-williams-remembered-as-poet-educator-co-founder-of-university-of-arkansas-press https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/news-articles/things-you-possibly-didnt-know-about-lucinda-williams https://www.swtimes.com/story/opinion/2016/11/16/a-poetically-proud-published-poet/24533470007/ Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods

After living and working on the family ranch for almost a decade, Ismay is looking for change. For several years Ismay has been playing in a Lucinda Williams tribute band, and writing their own music. An opportunity to record an album sparks a new and different idea -- to instead embark on a road trip to uncover the early days of Lucinda's music career to find a way forward. However Ismay is plagued by self doubt about whether pursuing music would be worthwhile for them. But in spite of his uncertainty, Ismay dives into research to see where a journey across the country could lead. Credits: Distributed by The Bluegrass Situation Produced and mixed by Avery Hellman for Neanderthal Records LLC Music by ISMAY and The Lake Charlatans Artwork by Avery Hellman Guests: Mary Gauthier, Wolf Stephenson, John Grimaudo, Charlie Sexton Special thanks to: Joel Fendelman, Liz McBee, Rose Bush, Mick Hellman, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan McHugh, Jacqueline Sabec, Lucinda Williams & Tom Overby Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods

Finding Lucinda follows a young singer-songwriter on a road trip of self discovery to trace the roots of their musical hero Lucinda Williams. Amidst self-doubt and uncertainty, ISMAY sets out from the family ranch in Northern California and travels to Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There ISMAY meets Lucinda’s early collaborators, digs through the archives to uncover hidden treasures, and visits the studios and venues where Lucinda got her start. Interviews include Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, and Mary Gauthier. Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about not knowing whether you have what it takes to be the artist you want to be, and looking for answers on how to move forward anyways. It’s about finding a small way to be more like your hero. Season 1 ‘Finding Lucinda’ is a deep dive into the life and work of Lucinda Williams. Using archival material and interviews from the making of the documentary ‘Finding Lucinda’ as well as analysis from other artists, this season seeks to understand how Lucinda Williams became the iconic songwriter she is today with a focus on her early years. Interested in sponsoring us? Contact BGS: https://bit.ly/sponsorBGSpods