Episode 12: Logan Ledger

Logan Ledger grew up on the west coast, went to school on the east coast, and currently makes his musical home in Nashville.  A few years after landing in Nashville, his music made its way to the ears of T Bone Burnett, who quickly recognized Logan’s incredible talents and signed on to produce his first full length album, which will be released early next year on Rounder Records.  Logan has released two singles from the record; and will be putting out an EP later this year.  We discuss the impact his study of the history of country music has had upon his craft, linguistic frameworks, and how he ended up playing and singing at a barbecue at Bono’s house.  Logan also performs a song live in the Tell You What! Studios, a first for the podcast.

     Native Californian Ledger came to music fairly early: he began singing as a young child and started playing old-time and bluegrass music on guitar at age 12. Enamored of early roots music recordings of Appalachian ballads and string bands from the 1930s, he soon discovered the music of Hank Williams and George Jones – he describes it as “a bomb going off in my mind” – and devoted himself wholeheartedly to learning all he could about country music. After college, he briefly returned to the Bay Area where he played with a bluegrass band, but Nashville’s pull on him was strong. As he explains, “This was a further expression of my archaeological impulse with regard to music-making – I’ve always believed that in order to create something new with purpose, one must be steeped in the past and work from within the tradition.” Upon his arrival in Nashville, he threw himself into writing and performing and was quickly embraced by the city’s thriving music community. He was signed by Burnett, who brought him to the attention of Rounder. Ledger’s as-yet untitled album will be released next year.