Americana Podcast: The 51st State is back for a new season with host and Americana Pioneer, Robert Earl Keen, digging into fellow musicians’ points of view, histories, creative processes, successes, failures, and everything in between. Only this season, the format of Americana Podcast has evolved to include a video component and some bonus performance footage, to boot—not to mention a venture outside of purely musician-based interviews. Be on the lookout for film directors, novelists, and more creative minds, ever expanding the idea of “Americana” as a whole.
This week’s season-opener is dubbed Steve Poltz: Santa Cruz, Saul Bellow, and Kidnapping John Prine. In this episode, singer-songwriter Steve Poltz is spotlighted for his unique blend of storytelling, humor, and unpredictability that challenges the boundaries of American roots music. Known for co-writing Jewel’s hit “You Were Meant for Me,” Poltz’s career spans decades and defies easy categorization, blending folk traditions with playful innovation. The episode also features a live performance and delves into how Poltz bridges DIY folk-punk with Americana’s narrative legacy. As a bonus, Poltz joined the REK band to perform a special version of “You Were Meant For Steve.” Check out that exclusive video right here.
Americana Podcast: The 51st State with Steve Poltz is now available to hear or watch, and new episodes will air throughout 2025 on the last Tuesday of each month. For more information, please visit americanapodcast.com.
All About Americana Podcast: The 51st State: Clara Rose plans and produces every episode. Host Robert Earl Keen, equipped with his 21 albums and 30 years in the music industry, knows a thing or two about Americana. REK's music was genre-bending making him a veritable singer/songwriter without definition until 1997 when radio trade magazine, The Gavin Report recognized "Americana" music. With REK on the cover, The Gavin Report, published the first known comprehensive list of Americana artists, placing him in the top 10. With a long-running, vested interest in the Americana music scene, Keen intends for this project to be a method in which musicians, music lovers, and artists come together over storytelling. Americana Podcast is not sponsored. We keep the vision of this project pure and without distraction or bias.
