Interview With Wyatt Espalin

How would you describe your music to any person who may have never heard it before?

Wyatt: I grew up on old country music and traditional bluegrass. I play fiddle but my focus in on the song and songwriting. Many influences rise to the top. I'm definitely a quintessential Americana music listener and artist. I fit directly beneath that umbrella. What's the significance of your musical moniker? W: I just use my name, but I call my band The Riverstones. I'm a river rat and kayaker.

What are your musical influences? W: I love emotional songwriting in the vein of Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams, and Jason Isbell.

What are your musical inspirations? W: I'm inspired by live performance. I try and go to see a show at the Ryman every year and Red Rocks. Artists seem to step up their game when performing in those venues. I love to hear how the song evolves from the recording to the stage. Most of my songs live on stage long before I lay them down in a studio. 

If given the chance, what musician(s) would you like to collaborate with? Rather this is to either write a song or be featured on a track. W: I would love to collaborate with Jenny Lewis, Sierra Ferrell, or Band of Horses.

What's your brand new song about? W: My new single "Liar" is a straightforward confrontation to someone who was trusted and obviously, couldn't bear the weight of the trust. It's also a song I wrote for myself to keep my own honesty and integrity in check.

What's something you hope people take away from the new single and the songs of your forthcoming album? W: I hope they resonate with the emotion in the lyrics. That they may find themselves and be encouraged to take better care of themselves. We all beat ourselves up about the smallest things and we live with that trauma of our own guilt and shame. I hope these songs on the new album -which will be released later this year- will take listeners on a journey and see how to find their humanity and the humanity of others in the loneliness and isolation this world often provides.

Which songs on the album were the most fun to write and which were the most challenging to write? W: I work with a program called Warrior Week, which enlists songwriters to meet with veterans and discuss acclimating to civilian life and the struggles they have communicating with their families and friends who don't understand the culture the vets lived with for years. And it is a struggle once they are out of service. Finding a purpose in their life away from their rankings, brother and sisterhood, and the awful things they witnessed while deployed or in training seems so difficult for most of them. Therapeutic songwriting has transformed these wonderful people right before my eyes. I have a song I wrote while working with the program, "Wishes In a Well," that I recorded for the album. It was most challenging because of the deep emotion surrounding the context. Years lost. We all experience that. 

The most fun one to write was "I Done Told Y'uns," which was inspired by my Granddaddy who raised me and his fear that me and my brother might end up like our parents -wild, drunken sinners [Laughs]. I used to work in church in my early days as a youth leader. I turned this song, basically a list of warnings from my Grandad into a swampy, gospel-style hell-fire and brimstone epic! Amy Ray of Indigo Girls, one of my favorite voices and writers makes an appearance and channels the intensity of the fear of sin.

Do you have any favourite song or songs off the new album? W: Hmm... My favourite has changed as the songs evolved from stage to studio. I'm most proud of the closing song, "You Had It All." I think it's one of the best songs I've ever written. It came from a pure place and it feels that way. It's a crowd favourite too.

What's the new album about? W: Lies From the Lonesome Valley is the album title. I'm releasing it on September 5, 2025. Eleven songs or stories, maybe true, maybe not. Either way, the tales come from a weary traveller winding around to the end of a long trek. These songs are his observations along the way and the proof that he experienced, felt, cried, laughed, sang, hurt, hungered, walked, ran, rested and loved.

Do you have any favourite songs to perform live? Could be your own music or even a cover. Any reason why? W: The new single "Liar" is fun because it's so confrontational. And I'll look you in the eye from the stage when I sing it.

If you could perform a show this very second anywhere in the world, where would it be? W: Red Rocks. Is there any particular venue(s) or city/cities that comes to mind? W: Nashville, of course! The Ryman. I love Wolf Trap in Virginia. I'd like to perform at the Hollywood Bowl. I was born in Los Angeles and my Grandma is still there. She could come see me!

What do you currently have planned for the remainder of the year? W: Releasing seven singles and then the album. I have a lot of shows scattered all over but no real long tour. I promote my own concert series "Acoustic Sunsets" at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, GA -the town where I was raised. I'll host fifteen shows there this year in addition to four festivals. 

Thanks for the time, Wyatt. Is there anything else you may want to add before you go? W: Yeah. I call them lies, but it's all true.