Mike Farris "Tennessee Girl"

So many hot days this year! As I talk to folks all over the country, everyone seems to be steaming this summer. Hope you are getting to the beach or the lake or the pool, somewhere with sparking water dancing in the sun. Summertime is like taking a vacation; it takes time to unwind to meet it, and then you have to wind back up to the usual speed of life well before it ends. As we are in the middle, now’s the time to stretch out.

Today we have a languorous song that will do the trick. What is it about a guy with a guitar that mesmerizes me? Especially if that guy is Mike Farris! Music Fog has had the honor of filming Mike over these past 10 years, in lots of different places and configurations. You know he put out a new album, right? Silver & Stone is a powerful piece of work, where Mike soars and shines and the band simply cooks. Music Fog captured Mike solo in February (thus the hat). He charms on this self-penned tale of love, “Tennessee Girl,” one of the songs on the new album. Here ‘tis the Music Fog recording.

- Jessie Scott

Adam Wakefield "Breaking Strings"

Nashville’s creative community continues to grow and morph into a many splendored landscape, with lots of scenes wrapping around the musical flavors. And then there is a smoke-signal-like communication when something special is happening. It was last summer that I started hearing about Adam Wakefield. Word on the street was that he had made a stellar album, and I caught him playing tunes from it first at The Basement. The album was produced by Scotty Murray from Anderson East’s band, and since then, I have had multiple Adam Wakefield sightings, and hearings, too. He is in the vein of the school of sultry Southern Rock - the one Chris Stapleton comes from, and yes, Adam was on The Voice, where he wowed folks.

That Adam Wakefield album is Gods & Ghosts, and it has a tune that I am crazy about called “Breaking Strings.” I edited the swear world out of the album track to be able to play it on the radio on WMOT, but as it is Adam’s latest single, there is now a more professional clip on the word in question. What can I say, radio still has those old school profanity rules, even though the amount of swearing you hear on live TV is pretty amped up lately. Music Fog filmed this version of “Breaking Strings” in February, during a private recording session in Nashville.

- Jessie Scott

Lilly Hiatt "Sucker"

Happy 5th! Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July! I celebrated at Nashville’s Hot Chicken Festival, where the lines were crazy long for each hot chicken purveyor. Folks were inching along under threatening skies, with the occasional raindrop hinting of the possibility of a gulley washer at any moment. Such is the magnetic capability of Hot Chicken. Next time you are in Nashville you have to try some, and beware, some of it is massively hot. My friend Rich Mahan just put out a song about it on his new album Hot Chicken Wisdom called “Hot Chicken and an Ice Cold 40.”

Today marks another sort of milestone, it is Music Fog’s 1,000th video! We are celebrating too, as Music Fog is in its 10th year of bringing you intimate performances with beautiful pictures and awesome audio. Today’s artist is Lilly Hiatt. Yes, her Dad is indeed John Hiatt. Lilly’s most recent album is Trinity Lane, which is another East Nashville reference. The album bravely puts it out there, and Lilly rocks hard. You need to see her play, as well as getcha some hot chicken, dinner and a show! Here is the Music Fog video of “Sucker,” from that album. We filmed it in Nashville back in February.

- Jessie Scott