Awesome interview! I’ve always said that if I had to listen to only one artist the rest of my life, it would be Gregory Alan Isakov. His music takes me to another world. I hope he never stops putting out new music!
Great interview. Gregory's music and voice I discovered quite by accident during the height of the pandemic, unemployed, missing my job and unable to see friends, hate talking on the phone, appreciating my husband but spending WAY too much time together, wondering if I would ever find work I love, I lost myself in his music while taking my dog on very very long walks around our city. Gregory's music not only calmed my spirit and dialed down my anxiety, it became the soundtrack of my pandemic life, like having an old friend walking beside me every day. I am definitely someone who listens to entire albums in order because it is an experience meant to be listened to that way. Finally saw him in concert last week and, well, now I can die happy!
I began teaching myself guitar when I was 12. In high school, I took a music class, a guitar class. It shut me down so fast; I stopped playing altogether. I quit the class. Later, I resumed playing. I came out of the womb doing Art. People used to say to me; "Are you gonna go to Art school?" and I would think "Why? Why would I go to school TO BE TOLD what/how to do what I already do?" It is THE MOST FREE part of my life and I don't want ANYONE telling me HOW or WHAT to do, nor what is wrong with WHAT I AM DOING at present. NEVER listen to others when it comes to YOUR OWN CREATIVITY! Listen FIRST to your insides. Gregory Alan Isakov is SO NATURALLY INTELLIGENT. Somewhere inside of us, we just KNOW! But he LISTENED to the inner voice. Good man!
I’m going to his concert in Atlanta Oct 2023. I don’t go to concerts. GAI and his musicians are the only ones who could pull me into a venue. After listening to this interesting interview, I almost feel intrusive to his life by going. But I’m going.
I loved how he described dandelion wine. Like just had a verse and he waited on it till it was ready to be finished. Thats prolly my second favorite song of isakov’s. Im so glad he finished it. I see it like a story of a summer and a love that changed like the seasons. Cutting grass for gasoline so i can see you soon. Drunk in a field dandelion wine for a year. I rode out the day that the apples fell. Theres something about it. The song is so short but it feels like i’ve lived it.
Gregory Alan Isakov is such a great artist... I met him once after a show and he was such giving and generous soul. Can’t wait to see him again and hear his new upcoming album!
Another thing I want to mention is that his explanations on his process in creating lyrics & music remind me so much about painting. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the best parts of a painting in order for the whole thing to work and some paintings need to sit for years before they are either painted over or finished. Some start out so well and fall into pieces while others frustrate you until finally one brushstroke brings perfect harmony and finishes it instantly.
This is an amazing interview. GAI is my favorite musician and such a real person. I am praying that he will come back to SaltSpring someday so that I can see him play. His music has graced our whole family~ my two young children love him and his band as much as my husband and I. He is a jewel~ be it a little dusty. Many blessings to you GAI & yours on tour.
This is a great conversation. There are songs that are friends but there are albums that, when you listen to the songs in order especially, its like a very profound, almost religious, experience. And you go back to those albums again and again. This empty northern hemisphere is one of those for me. Lifted or the story is in the soil by bright eyes is another one
![eTown Radio Podcast: Gregory Alan Isakov and Rayland Baxter [AUDIO ONLY]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VvNDq590Z_o/mqdefault.jpg)
Awesome interview! I’ve always said that if I had to listen to only one artist the rest of my life, it would be Gregory Alan Isakov. His music takes me to another world. I hope he never stops putting out new music!
Great interview. Gregory's music and voice I discovered quite by accident during the height of the pandemic, unemployed, missing my job and unable to see friends, hate talking on the phone, appreciating my husband but spending WAY too much time together, wondering if I would ever find work I love, I lost myself in his music while taking my dog on very very long walks around our city. Gregory's music not only calmed my spirit and dialed down my anxiety, it became the soundtrack of my pandemic life, like having an old friend walking beside me every day. I am definitely someone who listens to entire albums in order because it is an experience meant to be listened to that way. Finally saw him in concert last week and, well, now I can die happy!
I began teaching myself guitar when I was 12. In high school, I took a music class, a guitar class. It shut me down so fast; I stopped playing altogether. I quit the class. Later, I resumed playing.
I came out of the womb doing Art. People used to say to me; "Are you gonna go to Art school?" and I would think "Why? Why would I go to school TO BE TOLD what/how to do what I already do?"
It is THE MOST FREE part of my life and I don't want ANYONE telling me HOW or WHAT to do, nor what is wrong with WHAT I AM DOING at present.
NEVER listen to others when it comes to YOUR OWN CREATIVITY! Listen FIRST to your insides.
Gregory Alan Isakov is SO NATURALLY INTELLIGENT. Somewhere inside of us, we just KNOW!
But he LISTENED to the inner voice.
Good man!
I’m going to his concert in Atlanta Oct 2023. I don’t go to concerts. GAI and his musicians are the only ones who could pull me into a venue. After listening to this interesting interview, I almost feel intrusive to his life by going. But I’m going.
I loved how he described dandelion wine. Like just had a verse and he waited on it till it was ready to be finished. Thats prolly my second favorite song of isakov’s. Im so glad he finished it. I see it like a story of a summer and a love that changed like the seasons. Cutting grass for gasoline so i can see you soon. Drunk in a field dandelion wine for a year. I rode out the day that the apples fell. Theres something about it. The song is so short but it feels like i’ve lived it.
Gregory Alan Isakov is such a great artist... I met him once after a show and he was such giving and generous soul. Can’t wait to see him again and hear his new upcoming album!
Man. Humble people are hard to find.
Joe Pug and Gregory Alan Isakov... My two favorite artists. This is amazing. Thank you, Joe.
Another thing I want to mention is that his explanations on his process in creating lyrics & music remind me so much about painting. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the best parts of a painting in order for the whole thing to work and some paintings need to sit for years before they are either painted over or finished. Some start out so well and fall into pieces while others frustrate you until finally one brushstroke brings perfect harmony and finishes it instantly.
This is an amazing interview. GAI is my favorite musician and such a real person. I am praying that he will come back to SaltSpring someday so that I can see him play. His music has graced our whole family~ my two young children love him and his band as much as my husband and I. He is a jewel~ be it a little dusty. Many blessings to you GAI & yours on tour.
This needs more views…
4:57 is when it actually starts
This is a great conversation. There are songs that are friends but there are albums that, when you listen to the songs in order especially, its like a very profound, almost religious, experience. And you go back to those albums again and again. This empty northern hemisphere is one of those for me. Lifted or the story is in the soil by bright eyes is another one
About time I got to hear a good long in depth Isakov interview :)
Thank you. Wonderful interview 💕
Thank you Joe for a wonderful interview.
We need more Gregory Alan Isakov Music!!!!!!Where are you? I invite you to came to Portugal
Who is the musician he’s recommending that opened for him in Europe at time stamp 46:40? Lee fullbeck? I can’t find his music. Sos
Leif vollebekk :)
Thank you kindly!