Caropop

Many of us first heard Wesley Stace on the 1990 album Here Comes the Groom that he recorded as John Wesley Harding, the name taken from Bob Dylan’s stripped-down late-1967 album that itself misspelled a Texas outlaw’s name. The English singer-songwriter has enjoyed a robust folk-rock career as Harding but also has written four acclaimed novels under his own name and began recording albums without the pseudonym in 2013. Still, he recently performed as John Wesley Harding at a Wild Honey Foundation tribute concert to Warren Zevon and on his own tour. Here he discusses where Harding ends and Stace begins (or vice versa), how he evolved as an artist, why he mined Frank Capra projects for early album titles, what Zevon once told him, how he reacted to not-so-nice comments from Elvis Costello and why he decided to become a U.S. citizen in 2025. Stace, no surprise, is as thoughtful and witty in conversation as in song. (Photo by Ebet Roberts)

Dave Specter didn’t pick up a guitar till his late teens, yet in his 20s he was Son Seals’ rhythm guitarist for two years, and soon he was a bandleader himself. Specter grew up amid Chicago’s blues scene and became one of its great players and ambassadors. Here he recalls the glory days of Chicago’s blues clubs and the varying vibes. He recounts the evolution of his sound and his progression of guitars. He explains how he creates a solo and why, after years of playing mostly instrumentals with the occasional guest vocalist, he began singing. He tells how his recently released “The Times They Are Deranging (The Buck Stops Where?)” fits in with the songs of conscience he always has admired. And he offers the origin story of Space, the excellent, musician-friendly Evanston, Ill. club where he’s a partner. (Photo by Mike Hoffman)

Running a boutique audiophile label is not easy, as Shane Buettner has learned in the 10 years since he founded Intervention Records. There are licensing agreements to be negotiated, artists to please, mastering engineers and pressing plants to be engaged, vinyl formulation and cover design to be arranged, plus marketplace changes and ever-increasing competition to be navigated. The label’s first release was Stealer’s Wheel’s debut, with standout pressings featuring Joe Jackson, Judee Sill, Matthew Sweet, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Peter Frampton, Everclear and others to follow. With so many labels jumping into the audiophile pool, has licensing recordings become harder? What dictates pricing? Do Buettner’s customers care more about 180-gram vinyl or tip-on jackets? And how did he land Intervention’s new Sun Records deal, with Kevin Gray-mastered 45 RPM releases from Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash on the way?

It's our Thanksgiving message for 2025!

Louie Pérez has written many great songs for Los Lobos, but “Saint Behind the Glass” is especially close to his heart. It was inspired by a saint statue from his family’s home and now is part of the exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion and Culture at the American Writers Museum in Chicago. Perez offers that song’s origin story, digs into his songwriting dynamic with singer-guitarist David Hidalgo, discusses their trippy side project the Latin Playboys, reflects on the impact of Los Lobos’ smash cover of Richie Valens’ “La Bamba” and says whether, 10 years after their last album of original material, Los Lobos is preparing new music. He also reveals a recent health issue and whether it affected his return to the stage, he addresses how artists can respond to the current administration’s toxicity toward immigrants, and he offers inspiring words for anyone involved in the act of creation.