Songwriters & Tour Riders

Clay Street Unit

While Clay Street Unit was formed in Denver, most of their members are transplants, with lead singer Sam Walker originally hailing from Alabama. There, he was in a jam band that covered Phish and Grateful Dead songs.Clay Street Unit’s first album, titled Sin & Squalor, was scheduled for release last year through a Sony label. But, when the label folded and the release of the bluegrass band's album was uncertain, it was just another thing for Sam Walker and the group to weather.In this episode, Sam Walker talks about finally being able to release the album and the mix of influences that make up the sextet's sound.

Haffway

Sam Westhoff almost quit music and started working at Lowe's.Now, under the moniker Haffway, he's starting his first headlining tour in Tulsa after releasing his album, Wither, last fall.The album purposefully is a roller coaster of highs and lows, reflecting Westhoff's mental health journey, one that took him from a psych ward in September 2024 to the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville just six months later.In this episode, he talks about moving from Tulsa to Nashville, and the difficulty of releasing his album Wither.

Horton Records President Brian Horton

Horton Records has been a home for what president Brian Horton estimated to be more than 150 different artist releases. But he has always thought the label's goal was not just to release music, but have music connect the community.That's the plan for this weekend's Horton Fest, celebrating 20 years since the label began. Over the weekend, Horton Fest will bring together Tulsa musicians and others Horton considers friends of the scene.In this episode, he talks about how they've made it 20 years as an independent label that only releases Oklahoma music, the evolution of the Tulsa music scene and what he hopes the future looks like.

Cheyenne

​It’s been 20 years since Oklahoma band Cheyenne’s first album “I Am Haunted, I Am Alive” was released and singer Beau Jennings is bringing the band back together to play through it.At the time, Jennings was graduating college and unsure of where his life would take him. On this episode, he reflected on the album and reconnecting to songs written by a younger him and the decades since.

Lance Roark

Lance Roark was singing at an open mic at a bar in Tahlequah one night, where RC Edwards — bassist for the then-on hiatus Turnpike Troubadours — was in the audience.With Turnpike on hiatus at the time, Edwards asked Roark to join his Americana rock band, RC & the Ambers. When Turnpike returned to the studio in 2022, Roark joined Edwards to co-write the song "Chipping Mill."Now as a solo artist, the Gore-native and Tahlequah resident has toured with Turnpike, as well as Shane Smith and the Castellows. His solo debut album, Bad Reputation, is about evolving and earning a reputation that maybe others perceive as bad.