Live from Santa’s Pub in Nashville, it’s our 2012 Holiday Gear Guide. The Ettes’ Coco Haines and Amanda Shires dropped by to help test out these must-have instruments. Photos by Mackenzie Moore and Will Vastine.

It’s always Christmas at Santa’s Pub, a Nashville dive that serves cheap beer, karaoke and yuletide cheer twelve months a year. American Songwriter – along with singer-songwriter Amanda Shires and Coco Hames of The Ettes – dropped in on Santa to see what he’s been cooking up. We found an embarrassment of riches for both [...]

Brandi Carlile performed at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville on Friday as part of the 2012 Americana Music Festival. Meanwhile, at the adjoining Mercy Lounge, a Levon Helm all-star tribute concert was raging, highlighted by a performance of “The Weight” by Hayes Carll, Paterson Hood and Jason Isbell.

Amanda Shires, “Swimmer … Dreams Don’t Keep” After spending much of 2011 on the road as Justin Townes Earle’s violinist, Amanda Shires reminds us she’s more than a hired gun with “Swimmer … ” which mixes earthbound folk with atmospheric Americana. Come for the whistling; stay for Shires’ unassuming vocals, which flutter at the end [...]

In conjunction with our new country music issue, American Songwriter proudly presents The Country Way Digital Volume 3, featuring 12 must-hear tracks from some of our favorite artists. And the best thing about it? It’s free! You can download the sampler by going to this URL: http://thecountrywaydigitalsamplervol3.bandcamp.com/ Rodney Crowell, “I’m A Mess” Later this summer, [...]

Listen to all of the songs on our Top 50 list on Spotify (with a few exceptions) by clicking the button below. View our Albums Of The Year list here. 50. Smith Westerns: “All Die Young” These Chicago art-rockers smirk at the intensity of young love, but only out of fear and maybe even awe. [...]

Nashville musician and photographer Joshua Black Wilkins has filmed a new video for his song “Northern Lights,” featuring singer-songwriter Amanda Shires on guest vocals. The song comes from 2010′s While You Wait by Joshua Black Wilkins & The Forty Volts. In the video, Shires plays Wilkins’ counterpart during the portions shot on location in Nashville. [...]

Amanda Shires finally bought a Kindle. It’s not her first choice for reading, but it’s a must for touring. “I usually have about twelve books going at one time,” says the Texas-born, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter, “and I had to have separate luggage just for books. I got tired of hauling that shit around.” If that sounds [...]