What's The Reason For This Podcast

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi and co-host Shay welcome North Fork Crossing into the dungeon for a hilarious, high-energy conversation about Montana bluegrass, life on the road, finding your sound, and what it really takes to build a band from the ground up. 🪕🏔️🔥
The Bozeman crew takes us back to the beginning — from meeting as teenagers at Montana Fiddle Camp to reconnecting years later at a house party and realizing, “Dude…we should start a band.” What followed was a steady grind of pizza joints, house parties, bar gigs, festivals, DIY recordings, and plenty of miles in the van. 🚐🎶
North Fork Crossing opens up about:
🎻 Their wildly different musical backgrounds and how they came together
🎸 Starting out with plenty of Billy Strings covers before developing their own sound 🏔️ Learning from Montana bands like Kitchen Dwellers, The Lil Smokies, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, and The Last Revel
💿 Recording their first album DIY before leveling up for their new record, Portland Rose 🌹 🎤 Working with Travis McNamara to strengthen their arrangements and three-part harmonies
🏆 The pressure of the Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition — and why not winning ultimately made them a better band
📱 Using social media, personality, and plenty of ridiculousness to grow beyond Montana
🤝 Why relationships with other bands and the larger bluegrass community have been such a huge part of their journey
And because it’s the dungeon, things obviously go off the rails. 😂 We get into ultimate frisbee 🥏, birding 🐦, questionable tour decisions, shaving heads, “North Fork Crotchley,” and the unforgettable story of a naked 1 A.M. sprint that ended with a busted toe. 🦶😂
Now the guys are starting to see the grind pay off — touring harder, releasing live recordings, building relationships with bands like Magoo, Armchair Boogie, and Clay Street Unit, and hosting Creekside Revival Festival at Pine Creek Lodge. 🎪🔥
At its core, this episode is about friendship, progression, community, and putting in the miles — respecting bluegrass tradition while figuring out exactly what North Fork Crossing sounds like. 🪕💛
🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, check out their Dungeon Session, and go see these boys live!
Buy the merch. Support the bands. Tell your friends. And LET’S FORKING GO! 🍴🪕🔥

🎧 This What’s the Reason for This Session brings a little Montana bluegrass straight from Bozeman into the dungeon as North Fork Crossing takes over the cave for a rowdy, intimate set packed with originals, stories, mountain-town energy, and plenty of banter. 🪕🏔️🔥
The session kicks off with “Portland Rose,” an original off the band’s new record featuring Silas Ray on vocals. 🚂🌹🎶 It’s a hard-driving tune about heartbreak, leaving town, and realizing sometimes there’s just no turning back. 💔🛤️
Next up, the band dives into another original, “DLL,” before sharing some of the history behind North Fork Crossing. 🎻✨ They talk about meeting as kids at Montana Fiddle Camp, reconnecting later in Bozeman, and eventually writing music together. And apparently, they knew from the beginning that this particular tune was destined for a cave... they just didn’t know yet that the cave would be THE DUNGEON. 😂🦇🎉 Naturally, that means one thing: CONFETTI CANONS! 🎊💥
The boys then switch things up with a cover from the Turnpike Troubadours, bringing some Red Dirt flavor into their Montana bluegrass world. 🤠🔥🪕 Afterward, we finally get the official-ish introductions — complete with nicknames, jokes, and classic dungeon chaos — as the band introduces Kid Sladen, Silas Ray, Matt Hickey, Ryan Lewis Kelly, and the rest of the crew. 😂🎸🎻
They close things out with “Lonesome,” another song from their new album, written while sitting alone in a lift shack at Bridger Bowl before leaving the job behind to pursue bluegrass. 🎿🏔️➡️🪕 What came out of that lonely mountain shift is a fitting final tune about heartbreak, solitude, and chasing something bigger. 💙🌲🎶
At its core, this session is Montana mountain bluegrass in its natural habitat — great picking, original songs, questionable nicknames, lots of laughs, and a bunch of mountain wooks hanging out in a basement cave making music. 😂🏔️🪕🔥
🎧 Turn it up, crack a cold one, and welcome North Fork Crossing to the dungeon! 🍻⚡🎶

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi welcomes Mason Via to the dungeon for a conversation that spans everything from growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains to touring the world with Old Crow Medicine Show—and ultimately betting on himself to forge his own path. 🏔️🪕✨ Mason shares the winding road that's made him one of the most exciting voices in modern bluegrass.
What starts as a conversation about childhood quickly becomes a masterclass on following your instincts, embracing your roots, and learning that the best career move isn't always the safest one. ❤️🎶
Mason opens up about: 🎸 Growing up in a musical family in the Blue Ridge Mountains with an award-winning songwriter dad and a Deadhead mom
🎵🌄 🎭 His teenage "emo phase" (yes... My Chemical Romance and Green Day 🤘😂) before finding his way back to bluegrass
✍️ Writing songs as early as 11 years old and the life-changing advice from his dad: "Why play someone else's songs when you can write your own?" 💡🎼
🎤 Winning talent shows, playing coffee shops, experimenting with indie folk, funk bands, and discovering that every musical detour shaped the songwriter he is today 🎸⚡🪕
🎬 His unexpected journey through American Idol, making the Top 25, and why that experience became the perfect preparation for everything that followed 🌟📺
🐦 Landing the audition that changed his life with Old Crow Medicine Show, writing songs with the band, earning a Grammy nomination, and playing iconic stages like the Grand Ole Opry, Red Rocks, and the Ryman Auditorium 🎻🏆🌎
🚐 Why he chose to leave one of bluegrass's biggest bands to build something that was truly his own—and why he wanted to experience the grind of climbing the mountain himself 💪❤️‍🔥
🌲 The inspiration behind "See It While You Can," his heartfelt song advocating for America's public lands, and how it unexpectedly became a partnership with the National Parks Conservation Association 🏞️💚
🎶 His current touring band, songwriting philosophy, upcoming festivals, and why staying authentic is still the best career advice he's ever received 🎤🤝🚐
At its heart, this episode is about finding your own voice. It's about taking risks, honoring where you came from, resisting the pressure to become someone else, and trusting that authenticity will always outlast trends. 🌈🫶
🎧 Tune in now wherever you get your podcasts!
It's an inspiring conversation full of incredible stories, behind-the-scenes moments, plenty of laughs, and a reminder that sometimes the biggest leap forward starts with betting on yourself. 💙✨

🎧 This week on What's the Reason for This?, Kodi sits down with High Country Hustle for a conversation about building one of Colorado's fastest-rising bluegrass bands, surviving life on the road, making records the right way, and why community will always matter more than algorithms. 🪕🏔️✨
Coming straight out of Durango, High Country Hustle has spent nearly a decade carving out their own sound. What started as a group of college friends jamming together has grown into a nationally touring band with three albums, a brand-new record, and more momentum than ever before.
This one starts with the beginning...
🎶 How three friends from Fort Lewis College accidentally started a band that never stopped growing 🚐 David Delaney's journey from Connecticut to Colorado and how a road trip changed everything 💍 Why weddings, private events, and local gigs are still some of the most important ways independent bands survive 📧 The surprising reason mailing lists are still more valuable than social media for musicians today
But then the conversation shifts to making records...
🎙️ The story behind recording New Old Roads with producer Scooter Smith 🎛️ Why having a producer with a "light touch" helped the band make their album instead of someone else's 🎻 David almost throwing away one of the album's best fiddle solos before the rest of the band stopped him 📝 Whiteboards, Google Sheets, endless revisions, and what really goes into making an independent bluegrass record
Then things get into the songwriting process...
🏕️ How two unplugged writing retreats helped shape the entire album 🎵 Why every member brings songs to the table before the band collectively finishes them 🎻 The evolution of "Madeline the Quaker," a tune written over a decade ago that finally found its perfect home 💡 How collaboration continues to shape the High Country Hustle sound without losing each songwriter's identity
And then the conversation gets hilarious...
😂 The running joke about Berklee College of Music and David's classical background 🎓 Classical violin, upright bass, jam bands, and bluegrass somehow all colliding into one band 🎻 Learning over 70 songs after joining the group and earning his place almost overnight 🌭 Why David somehow became the band's "golden goose"... and a hot dog.
The crew also dives into...
🪕 Growing up around Telluride Bluegrass Festival and how those early experiences shaped their love for music 🎸 Why Durango has quietly become one of Colorado's strongest music communities 🎟️ How buying tickets early helps independent bands more than most fans realize 👕 Why merch isn't just merchandise... it's fuel for the next album and the next tour 🌎 Expanding into new states, finding new audiences, and what comes next after releasing New Old Roads
Of course, no What's the Reason for This? episode would be complete without plenty of laughs along the way. Between confetti cannons, Capri Suns mixed with LaCroix, arm wrestling challenges, Berklee jokes, and an ongoing campaign to convince everyone to join the mailing list, this episode perfectly captures why hanging out with musicians is just as entertaining as hearing them play.
At its core, this episode is about building something that lasts. It's about trusting your friends, learning from every record, embracing every opportunity, and remembering that behind every independent band are countless hours of work that most fans never get to see. Most importantly, it's a reminder that bluegrass has always been about community first.
🎧 Tap in now wherever you listen to podcasts.
#HighCountryHustle #Bluegrass #ColoradoBluegrass #Durango #NewOldRoads #IndependentMusic #LiveMusic #JamGrass #BluegrassPodcast

🎶🔥 This week in the dungeon, High Country Hustle brings the heart of Durango to the basement with a session full of timeless bluegrass, fresh originals, and the kind of musicianship that makes you want to pull up a chair and stay awhile. 🪕🏔️✨
Fresh off the release of their new album New Old Roads, the band delivers a three-song set that perfectly blends traditional roots with modern Colorado bluegrass. From classic covers to brand-new originals, every tune feels right at home in the dungeon.
The session opens with:
🎹 "Long Valley Road" — a beautiful take on the Bruce Hornsby classic that showcases the band's rich harmonies and tasteful picking while putting their own bluegrass spin on a beloved song. It's the perfect way to kick off a session that feels both familiar and fresh.
Next up:
🎻 "Madeline the Quaker" — an instrumental written by fiddler David Delaney, this tune has been years in the making and highlights the band's incredible chemistry. Driven by soaring fiddle melodies, tight rhythms, and lightning-fast picking, it's a reminder that sometimes bluegrass doesn't need words to tell a story.
And to close things out:
🌧️ "Stand Strong in the Rain" — an original by Andy Gowen from the band's new album New Old Roads. Filled with themes of perseverance, resilience, and finding strength through life's storms, the song builds from quiet reflection into an uplifting anthem that leaves the room hanging on every note. 🌦️❤️
Between songs, the band shares stories from life on the road, jokes about surviving the dungeon's signature confetti cannon, and reflects on the joy of making music together, proving that sometimes the best moments happen between the songs just as much as during them.
At its core, this session is everything we love about Colorado bluegrass — incredible musicianship, authentic songwriting, and a group of friends simply having a blast making music together.
🎧 Watch the full dungeon session now on YouTube and wherever you follow What's the Reason for This?
#WhatsTheReasonForThis #HighCountryHustle #DungeonSessions #Bluegrass #ColoradoMusic #Durango #NewOldRoads #LiveMusic #BluegrassSession #RootsMusic