PHOTOGRAPHER NORMAN SEEFF CHOSE “A FUNKY little hotel” in downtown L.A. to shoot this session for Merle Haggard’s 1981 album Big City. “With wry humor, Merle said, ‘This is what you learn in jail’ as he peeled the apple in one cut,” recalls Seeff. “He didn’t try to hide his past.” As the session progressed, a different facet of the country legend emerged. “He had a kind of duality,” explains Seeff. “One part was rough and... 

TIME TO SHINE Life’s hard knocks stoke the creative fire for Sarah McLachlan By Russell Hall For Sarah McLachlan, life in recent years has been punctuated by loss and change. Her 2010 album, Laws of Illusion, mourned the dissolution of her near decade-long marriage. Since then she’s endured the death of her father, and—less traumatically—ended a 24-year partnership with her management team and record label. “Losing my dad, separating from... 

KORBY LENKER HOMETOWN: Twin Falls, Idaho INFLUENCES: Neil Young, Paul Simon, Doc Watson ALBUM:Korby Lenker, out now WEBSITE: korbylenker.com The son of a mortician and an educator, Americana singer-songwriter Korby Lenker began taking piano lessons at age 8. He spent his teen years as the leader of alt-rock band Clockwork Orange, singing cover tunes in coffee shops around his hometown. “We covered ‘Under the Bridge’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers,”... 

KAYLEE RUTLAND HOMETOWN: Dallas, Texas INFLUENCES: Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans ALBUM: Kaylee Rutland EP, out now WEBSITE: kayleerutland.com Singer-songwriter Kaylee Rutland’s first gig in front of a live audience happened in an unlikely place—the Dallas Zoo. “Aside from my family, I think there were more animals watching than people,” she says, “but it was a great first experience.” Later appearances at the Hard Rock... 

THE BRIGHT SMOKE HOMETOWN: Chicago, Ill. INFLUENCES: Junior Kimbrough, the National, Patti Smith ALBUM: Virginia Et Al. EP, out now WEBSITE: thebrightsmoke.bandcamp.com A former classical ballet dancer, the Bright Smoke (née Mia Wilson) abandoned her career plans following a serious injury in training.  So she shifted her interest to music, and credits her parents with encouraging her to explore artistic avenues beyond the barre. “Growing up,... 

TOKYO POLICE CLUB    A new creative focus raises the bar for the seasoned indie rockers  You can tell a lot about an indie rock band by how they spend the Monday following South by Southwest (SXSW). The young and crazy ones nurse hangovers and search “removing burrito stains” on Google. The annual Austin festival is about excess—lots of showcases fueled by lots of beer and Mexican food—and it’s easy for “buzz groups” to get burned... 

KARMIN After online fame and chart hits, the quirky duo finally releases an album Covers of songs by Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown found Karmin an Internet following and a record deal, and songs like “Brokenhearted” brought chart success, but it has taken the duo three years to produce an album. For the couple behind Karmin—Nick Noonan and Amy Heidemann, both 28—that time was spent developing a personality outside social media. “Everything... 

BOY GEORGE The colorful ’80s icon returns with a new perspective “When you’ve lived a dramatic life, you’ve got a lot to draw from,” Boy George says with a laugh. As the lead singer of Grammy-winning band Culture Club, he’s sold more than 20 million albums powered by megahits like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” But after dominating radio in the mid-’80s, the band’s red-hot streak cooled as the decade... 

SUZANNE VEGA The eclectic folkie samples hip-hop and explores her spiritual side In the seven years since Suzanne Vega released Beauty and Crime—her last studio album of original material—she released four collections of her songs in reworked forms as the Close-Up series. For her latest album, Tales From the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles, she changed her tack. “The focus of the new album is wider than the Close-Up series,” says Vega. “We... 

KEB’ MO’ Life’s challenges inspire the multi-instrumentalist’s latest set “I’m a control freak,” Grammy-winning blues artist Keb’ Mo’ declares flatly. Indeed, the Nashville-based musician had a hand in every aspect of making his latest album, BLUESAmericana, including playing many of the instruments. But, he confesses, “When I couldn’t make something sound as good as I wanted it to sound—sometimes my touch wasn’t strong... 

NICKEL CREEK The bluegrass trio reunites with a new album that defies categories   Grammy-winning Nickel Creek took an indefinite hiatus in 2007 to pursue solo projects. Now the trio—mandolinist Chris Thile, fiddler Sara Watkins and her brother, guitarist Sean Watkins—has returned with a new album, A Dotted Line, which coincides with their 25th anniversary. Featuring eight originals and two covers—Sam Phillips’ “Where Is Love Now” and... 

JAKE E. LEE The ace guitarist gets back in the hard rock game with a melodic new set  Veteran guitarist Jake E. Lee hadn’t recorded an album of original music since his acclaimed solo A Fine Pink Mist in 1996. Like a proverbial metal Moses, the ex-Ozzy Osbourne axeman wandered in a self-imposed musical exile. “I outlived my shelf life as far as being cool,” says Lee, 56. “The only calls I got were from bands that loved Ozzy and wanted his... 

RALPH STANLEY The bluegrass legend’s latest album is a family affair  Ralph Stanley comes right to the point when asked about his legacy. “I’m proud of it,” he says of his iconic near seven-decade career. “I’m really thankful the good Lord has kept me around and shown me what to do and all. I’m real proud of that.” Renowned for his distinctive vocals and banjo technique, Stanley, 87, formed his first band, the Clinch Mountain Boys,... 

KAISER CHIEFS                         With a new lineup, the British rockers set out to get an Education     It would have been easy for Kaiser Chiefs to simply call it quits. Following the departure of drummer and primary songwriter Nick Hodgson in late 2012, the remaining four members had doubts about carrying on—before deciding to prove to their fans, and to themselves, that they were capable of continuing. The result is Education,... 

DOLLY PARTON A country treasure showcases her many colors on her latest album Dolly Parton wears many impressive hats: singer, actress, producer, musician, author, entrepreneur, philanthropist. But first and foremost, the Tennessee native is a songwriter, penning more than 3,000 compositions, including smash hits “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” and “9 to 5.” “I love writing songs—I always have,” she says. “Telling stories... 

JONNY LANG A former guitar prodigy shows he’s all grown up with a sharp new set By Jeff Tamarkin At 33, Jonny Lang has been recognized as a master guitarist and vocalist for nearly two decades. A teen prodigy with a 40-year-old voice when he cut his debut album Smokin’ in 1995, he’s grown up in the public eye—and so has his music. In his early years Lang made his mark playing and singing blues-rock. He was so gifted he was taken under the... 

GLEN BALLARD The acclaimed producer favors artistic relationships over one-hit flings By Michael Gallant Glen Ballard’s resume is stuffed with big names. He’s collaborated with everyone from Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and Alanis Morissette to Dave Matthews, Annie Lennox and Christina Aguilera. His production and songwriting chops have earned him six Grammy Awards, worldwide sales of more than 150 million records, and a reputation as one of... 

“Jive Talkin’” BEE GEES Thank the public works department of Biscayne Bay, Fla. One of their bridges—the Julia Tuttle Causeway—inspired the song that redefined the Bee Gees’ career and became the first of their disco-era No. 1 hits. Barry Gibb recalled that he and brothers Robin and Maurice were working on the Main Course album. “We were trying to make a comeback. It was 1975—and we were sort of out of vogue at that time,” said...