Chicagoan Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) founded Roots Music Rambler as a music and travel blog in a pre-pandemic world. COVID killed events and travel plus her desire to play her banjo. Falls texted her in 2023 and said, 'Let's bring it back as a podcast!' He was raised on John Prine, babysat on Waylon Jennings and taught to drink and cuss the proper, mountain way. He hails from Pikeville, Ky., the birthplace of Dwight Yoakum, whose annual festival is Hillbilly Days.

Country & bluegrass legend Shawn Camp on modern “country” music

Singer-songwriter Shawn Camp is our guest on Roots Music Rambler this week. He’s written No. 1 hits for Garth Brooks, Brooks & Dunn and others. He plays in a Flatt & Scruggs-driven super group of pickers (The Earls of Leicester). So we asked him what he thought about today’s top-40 country music.

His answer did not disappoint.

Hear the full episode at rootsmusicrambler.com, see the full episode on YouTube or download wherever you get your podcasts.

#shawncamp #bluegrassmusic #countrymusic #americanamusic

Shawn Camp wanted to play guitar at a very early age

On the latest episode of Roots Music Rambler, Shawn Camp talks about his latest album, co-written with the late Guy Clark, called The Ghost of Sis Draper. We had a fun chat with Shawn spanning his No. 1 hit song credits as a songwriter, his involvement with The Earls of Leicester and more.

He told us how he became a child prodigy of sorts and that the guitar was his first obsession.

Hear the full episode at rootsmusicrambler.com, see the full episode on YouTube or download wherever you get your podcasts.

#shawncamp #bluegrassmusic #countrymusic #americanamusic

Shawn Camp’s new Sis Draper concept album didn’t become a concept until Guy Clark got involved

The new episode of Roots Music Rambler dropped this morning. We talk to Shawn Camp about his brand new record (also dropped today) which is co-written by the late, great Guy Clark. It’s a concept album about a traveling fiddle player he knew as a child, but he didn’t think of her as a concept subject until Clark got involved.

Hear the full episode at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts! Download and subscribe now!

#shawncamp #guyclark #ghostofsisdraper #sisdraper #bluegrassmusic #countrymusic #songwriters #musicpodcast

FULL EPISODE – Shawn Camp drops Sis Draper project, co-written by the late Guy Clark

Singer-songwriter ⁠Shawn Camp⁠ has a number of No.1 and Top-10 hits to his name as a songwriter. He’s also had solo success as an artist through the years and is one of the members of bluegrass power group The Earls of Leicester. But perhaps the most fulfilling role he’s had through the years was being a collaborator and protege of sorts of the legendary Guy Clark. 

Clark died in 2016 but for over 20 years, he and Camp co-wrote a catalog of songs that tied in with the character of Sis Draper, a traveling fiddle player Camp met when he was a child in Arkansas. Those songs were released today as a full album called ⁠The Ghost of Sis Draper⁠. All but one song on the LP was co-written by Camp and Clark. The other is a Guy Clark solo composition performed by Clark.

Shawn Camp joined us on Roots Music Rambler to talk about his longtime collaboration and relationship with Clark, the new album and how it was built with love over time, plus give his take on the current state of both country and bluegrass music, The Earls of Leicester and more. We had a super-interesting conversation that spanned from his childhood days as a pickin’ prodigy, to 2023’s Grammy Award as a co-writer on Willie Nelsons’ “A Beautiful Time.”

Frank and Falls talk about the amazing fall music festivals they’ve attended and both share their pics for new music recommendations in the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. 

Download the episode and subscribe at rootsmusicrambler.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Also be sure to help spread the love of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at https://rootsmusicrambler.com/store⁠. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links can be found at https://rootsmusic.link/shawncamp

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on⁠ Spotify⁠,⁠ Apple Podcasts⁠,⁠ ⁠⁠GoodPods⁠ or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by ⁠Genticorum⁠; Copyright 2025 – Falls+Partners. All music on the program is licensed by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Roots Music Rambler is a member of the Americana Music Association.