I have known the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs — aka Sue Hots — for round about 23 years. I can honestly say that she is as lovely inside and out as you would hope her to be, moving through the world with humility and kindness as her guides. She's sort of the anti-rock star rock star, if that makes sense.

Recently, I was given a second go at Brandi Carlile... Wait. Let me rephrase that. I was offered a second opportunity to interview her regarding her latest album, Bear Creek.

It was 26 years ago when most of the world caught their first ear full — and eye full — of Susanna Hoffs as the doe-eyed singer from the Bangles. For some, “Manic Monday” had them hooked; for others, it would be “If She Knew What She Wants,” “Walk Like an Egyptian,” or, later on, “Eternal Flame” that would do the trick.

Any attempts to qualify or quantify Brandi Carlile's effect on listeners are destined to fall short, if not fail altogether. Sure, given the right tools, you could dissect her technical ability; but even the sharpest critical scalpel will never get to the heart of the matter ... and that's where she hits you. Right smack in the heart

Matthew Sweet has evolved over the past 20 years from being the Girlfriend guy to... well, something else entirely. To some, he's the Neil Young of his generation. But, really, he's so much more than that.

Trent Dabbs may well be the hardest working man in Nashville. As a consummate collaborator, Dabbs has co-written tunes with Ashley Monroe, Mat Kearney, Gabe Dixon, Katie Herzig, Matt Wertz, Dave Barnes, Matthew Perryman Jones, and others.

In 2004, Katie Herzig set out on her own after fronting her college band Newcomers Home for more than a few years. With Watch Them Fall, she began the journey toward finding her own voice as a solo artist. Each subsequent musical step she's taken has actually been an artistic leap.

The diversity of Josh Garrels' music represents the textured patchwork of both the nature and nurture of his upbringing. The roads that draw the map of his life trace through various stops.

The simple story of Brooke Waggoner's life belies the complexity that is her artistry. She grew up studying classical music in Louisiana – though plump with music, it's not exactly a state known as a classical hotbed.

Since debuting in 1998 with Dressed Up Like Nebraska, singer/songwriter Josh Rouse has tread one of the least straightforward musical paths you can imagine. His early records were full of impressively solid and accessible tunes representative of his Midwestern roots.