Steel: The Steel Guitar Podcast

On Episode 14 of Steel, we meet Travis Toy, one of Nashville's deepest pedal steel players. Travis has shared the stage and studio with some of modern country's biggest acts, including Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Luke Combs, Steve Wariner and Patty Loveless.

Travis is one of the deepest technical practitioners of pedal steel. He's just as comfortable playing a honky tonk gig as he is shredding jazz funk fusion on E9. We discuss his fascinating musical upbringing in Kentucky, his obsession with '90s country and GRP records, how he tries to play things that matter in the studio, and lots more.

Read more about Travis here:

On Episode 13 of Steel, we catch up with guitarist and steel player Dave Biller.

Based in Austin since the '90s, Dave's played with everyone from Johnny Bush and Ray Price to Jimmie Vaughan and Charley Crockett. There aren't many musicians who can play a classic country E9 gig in the afternoon, hit a jazz club on six-string that night, and then compose a piece for a chamber orchestra the next day...but Dave can.

We talk about his winding musical path through rock, metal, jazz, and country; his various musical obsessions including John Coltrane, Jimmy Day, and Django Reinhardt; and the hotel room conversation that led him to spend a decade immersing himself fully in pedal steel.

Read more about Dave and hear some of his music at the links below: Read more about Dave at the following links:

For episode 12 of Steel, we meet Laurel Premo, an incredible folk musician from Traverse City, Michigan.

Laurel's 2021 album, 'Golden Loam,' is a collection of deep, dark folk tunes played on solo electric guitar and lap steel, and the sound is completely her own. The record is spare, brooding, rhythmically deep, and completely captivating.

When I learned Laurel was coming to New York, I jumped at the chance to meet her and talk about her musical life. In this episode, we discuss Laurel's musical roots in Northern Michigan, where she played fiddle in Finnish Barn dances; how she picked up the lap steel and adapted it to her style of music; her immersion in Scandinavian folk traditions; how chanting is at the heart of her musical practice; and lots more.

Episode 11 of Steel features legendary dobro player Jerry Douglas, who joins to discuss his new album 'The Set.'

Jerry Douglas is one of the most recorded, accomplished, and expressive players in the history of his instrument. His career is as deep as it is varied. He's been a top-flight bluegrass player for five decades and has shared the stage with everybody from J.D. Crowe to Billy Strings. He is a Nashville session ace and has played on thousands of recordings. And when he can find the time, he makes his own records.

Today, Jerry and I discuss how this record came to be; how his band communicates, writes, and records; his stint playing pedal steel on the Grand Ole Opry; and lots more.

Check out the following links to learn more about Jerry and his music.

For Episode 10 of Steel, we meet Chris Parker, a deep guitarist living in Brooklyn who has found some incredible ways of copping classic pedal steel sounds on a plain old six-string guitar with just his fingers and a slide.

Chris is a fixture on the Brooklyn guitar scene. Most nights of the week you can catch him backing up songwriters, playing fully improvised music, or leading his own band, Guru Complex.

Chris and I discuss the evolution of his singular slide guitar sound, his approach to practice and improvisation, and the realities of being a professional musician in New York. We also get to hear Chris make his guitar sound like pedal steel and a few other wild instruments.

Check out the following links to learn more about Chris and his music: