What's The Reason For This Podcast Season 2 Episode 3 - Brenna MacMillan - Singer-Songwriter
This week, Kodi and Shay welcome banjo powerhouse and IBMA Songwriter of the Year nominee, Brenna MacMillan. From her Kentucky roots to her Nashville grind, Brenna’s journey blends tradition, resilience, and artistry in unexpected ways.She opens up about:✈️ Touring the world (including an international festival in Tunisia) and why musicians really get a “bathroom tour” more than sightseeing.🎶 Picking up the banjo at age nine thanks to her “Pappy,” growing up in a harmony-filled family of singers, and rediscovering music in college after pursuing dentistry and chemistry.🌿 Working as a chemist in a cannabis lab while secretly writing songs that would later fuel her acclaimed debut album.💡 Her creative process—why 60% of her songs come from vivid dreams—and how vulnerability, despair, and healing turn into powerful lyrics that connect deeply with listeners.🤝 Collaborating with heroes like Sarah Jarosz, Ronnie McCoury, and Peter Rowan, and how the Nashville community helps dreams become reality.Brenna also shares her excitement for what’s next—touring her new album, songwriting inspired by both waking life and dreams, and balancing her solo career with tour-managing East Nash Grass.🔗 Find her music, tour dates, and official links at BrennaMcMillan.com
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What's The Reason For This Season 2 Episode 2 - Jeremy Garrett - The Infamous Stringdusters
This week, Kodi & Shay sit down with Jeremy Garrett of The Infamous Stringdusters for a deep dive into 🎶 bluegrass roots, jamgrass evolution, and the art of pushing boundaries.👴 The guys kick things off with some “this is 40” aches & pains before Jeremy reminds them he just turned 50 and is still raging harder than ever.🎼 From teaching at RockyGrass Camp with his daughter to sharing the story of his one-of-a-kind 1914 Hagberg fiddle (that once survived being tossed down an airport ramp 😱), Jeremy takes us through his journey of family legacy, instrument history, and life on the road.🌍 He shares the pivotal moments that shaped The Stringdusters — from freelancing in Nashville, to their wild European festival breakthrough, to becoming jamgrass pioneers who helped bridge traditional bluegrass with the jam-scene crowd.🎧 Jeremy also opens up about:✍️ Writing thousands of songs & balancing band life with a passionate solo career.🏔️ Recording his latest solo album from a cabin on Storm Mountain — blending isolation, grit, and heart into every track.🎶 Why covers (from Avicii to Ozzy) aren’t just fun, but an entry point for new fans into bluegrass.🪕 Collaborating with world-class players like Ryan Cavanaugh and harmonizing with Lindsay Lou.💿 Plus, Jeremy drops details on his new vinyl release and upcoming Colorado shows, reminding fans to grab an extra-special bonus track when they order directly from his site.If you love bluegrass, jamgrass, or just stories of chasing your art at full throttle, this episode hits all the right notes. 🎵🔥👉 Tune in, share with a friend, and don’t miss your chance to see Jeremy live — this one’s for the music lovers and the lifers.
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What's The Reason For This Podcast Season 2 Episode 1 - Owen Murphy - One Drop Design Studio
🎙️ Season 2 Kicks Off with a Bang! 💥🚀🎨✍️No more excuses, b*tches — Season 2 of What’s the Reason for This? is officially here! 🎉 After cranking out 60+ episodes last year, we’re back, rearranged, upgraded 🔧🎛️, and ready to cause even more podcast chaos.To kick things off, we brought back fan-favorite artist Owen Murphy (One Drop Design) 👨🎨. From poster walls to live painting at Red Rocks 🎶🎨, Owen’s been full throttle since his last visit — and this convo proves it.Inside this season opener you’ll get:🖌️ Stories of painting in front of a wild crowd (while everyone else is three beers deep 🍺).👨👦 The scoop on Owen’s new “Me & Dad” art show debuting during Billy Strings’ Halloween throwdown 🎻.🛹 How a Sector 9 skateboard dream became real — and why Owen’s afraid to ride his own deck 😂.🧠 A raw chat on mental health, sobriety, and telling critics: “you’re mid.” 😎And of course, it wouldn’t be What’s the Reason for This? without side tangents about spelling “amphitheater,” rage-baiting on socials 📱🔥, and even toe trauma (don’t ask 🦶🤢).Season 2 starts NOW, and we’re coming in hot. Buckle up, weirdos. 🤘🎧👨🎨 Connect with Owen Murphy:🔗 Instagram: @onedropdesign📘 Facebook: One Drop Design Studio👥 Facebook Group: The Oddballs👴 Don't forget to follow his Dad: @krmurphyart#WhatsTheReasonForThis #BillyStrings #OwenMurphy #OneDropDesign #Podcast #PodcastLife #Season2Podcast #FunnyPodcast #ArtistInterview #CreativePodcast #ConcertPosters #GigPosters #PosterArt #RockPosterArt #PsychedelicArt #SkateboardArt #LivePainting #BillyStringsHalloween #RedRocks #JamBand #Bluegrass #Jamgrass #FestivalLife #RockPosterSociety #TRPS #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealth #Creativity #IndependentArtist #ArtCommunity #SocialMediaTrolls #RageBait
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Episode 60 - Bela Fleck - Always Becoming: Béla Fleck’s Journey of Curiosity
In this banjo-fueled episode of What’s the Reason for This?, Kodi chats with the one-and-only Béla Fleck 🪕✨ — a living legend who has reinvented bluegrass, jazz, classical, and everything in between.Here’s what you’ll hear:🎶 New Grass Revival origins → the misunderstood meaning of “newgrass” and how it shaped a generation 🌱🎵🪕 Béla’s musical curiosity → blending bluegrass with jazz 🎷, Celtic 🎻, classical 🎼, and even Shakira’s rhythms 💃🔄 Constant reinvention → from traditional roots to the adventurous Béla Fleck Beat Trio 🥁🎸🌍 Collaborations across cultures → finding freshness by stepping into new musical worlds 🌏✨💡 Wisdom for musicians → stay humble 🙏, embrace mistakes 🤷, keep experimenting 🔥, and always find your own voice 🎤Béla reminds us that music is a living conversation — passed around, reinterpreted, and made new every time 🎶➡️🎶. Even as a Mount Rushmore figure of the banjo ⛰🪕, he’s still chasing curiosity, inspiration, and the joy of discovery. 🌟
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Episode 59 - Steve Szymanski - From Telluride to Lyons: How Planet Bluegrass Built a Legacy
In this special RockyGrass episode, we sit down with Steve Szymanski, co-founder of Planet Bluegrass, the visionary behind Telluride Bluegrass, Folks Fest, and RockyGrass. Steve shares how a chance encounter in the late ’80s led him into the bluegrass world and eventually to shaping the thriving festival culture we know today.We dive into:🌱 The Origin Story – How a struggling festival and a meeting on the streets of Boulder sparked the creation of Planet Bluegrass.🏔️ Building RockyGrass – From dusty fairgrounds and zoning battles to establishing Lyons, CO as a year-round home for music.🎶 Balancing Tradition & Evolution – The delicate art of honoring bluegrass purists while embracing adventurous sounds and adjacent genres.👥 Community & Family – Why these festivals are more than music—they’re spaces where friendships, collaborations, and lifelong memories are made.🎸 Legends & Innovation – Stories of artists like Tim O’Brien, Peter Rowan, and new-generation bands carrying the torch forward.Steve also reflects on the importance of volunteers, fans, and keeping the culture alive for future generations. From “tarp runs” to family jams, this episode captures the heart of what makes Planet Bluegrass a cornerstone of the Americana music scene.Whether you’re a festival veteran or a first-time listener, this conversation is a reminder of why these gatherings are sacred spaces for artists and fans alike.
🎙️ What’s the Reason for This? is the unfiltered, unexpected, and sometimes unhinged podcast where music meets mayhem. Hosted by Kodi and Shay, two jamgrass junkies with a knack for storytelling, this show dives into the heart of the bluegrass and jam band scene—with a few nitrous-fueled detours along the way. 🤠🎻From parking lot legends and VIP miracles to deeply personal redemption arcs, each episode brings you wild tales, offbeat interviews, and honest conversations that explore the why behind the chaos. It’s about the music, the misadventures, and the magic that ties it all together.
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