MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
NPR Music's 2025 Tiny Desk Contest just wrapped up its nationwide tour with winner Ruby Ibarra, a rapper from the Bay Area. Meanwhile, our judges also discovered tons of great new musicians through the contest, so we're sharing some of the best this summer on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Robin Hilton is a contest judge, also host of Tiny Desk and All Songs Considered. And he's back to talk about the best folk and country entries from this year's contest. Robin, my fellow host, welcome.
ROBIN HILTON, BYLINE: Hey, Mary Louise.
KELLY: Hey. Where should we start?
HILTON: Oh, so many to choose from. But let's start with what was the most memorable performance I saw. It's from a Nashville artist named Ollie Gabriel, and the song he sent in is called "Ric Flair." And it's very much rooted in country, but it does something that we've been hearing a lot where artists blend classic country sounds with rap.
KELLY: OK. Needless to say, I haven't heard this song 'cause it's new. Let's listen to it, "Ric Flair."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIC FLAIR")
OLLIE GABRIEL: (Singing) I met this girl when I was driving through Kentucky. Stopped for a bite and she was walking out of Buc-ee's. I moseyed over, asked her, do you need a buddy? She say she with it. Got the digits. I was lucky. She turned around. I was locked in a stare. That kind of woman make a Nature Boy rise, Ric Flair, woo.
KELLY: (Laugher) It's already stuck in my head.
HILTON: (Laughter) Right?
KELLY: What caught you about this one, Robin?
HILTON: Well, I mean, I think it stands on its own. It's clearly very infectious. But I think to sort of really get the whole package, you got to watch the video. Ollie Gabriel is a star. He is so magnetic, totally captivating. It's kind of thrilling to watch.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIC FLAIR")
GABRIEL: (Singing) Woo.
KELLY: OK, who's next?
HILTON: Let's hear a song called "10,000 Feet." This is by an Arkansas singer and guitarist named Jeff Scott. He's got this classic country voice. He said that he was inspired by folk and country greats like John Prine or Merle Haggard, and I think you can really hear that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "10,000 FEET")
JEFF SCOTT: (Singing) I bought me a beer at the cafe in thoughts it might keep myself sane. And there was no looking behind me as I set foot on the plane. But the sky fell down like water. And the whole world, it came into view. And 10,000 feet over Tulsa (ph), I started missing you.
KELLY: Oh, I think you could not have brought us two more different songs. That's just him, his voice, his guitar and that's it, right?
HILTON: Yeah, I mean, some artists go really, really big. Some go really, really small. You can have just a big an impact regardless of the production. You know, we just want to connect with what they're trying to say.
KELLY: Yeah. OK, so you've got one last entry you want to share with us. And I'm curious what direction you're going to take us in.
HILTON: Yeah, it's actually one of those smaller performances. It's very spare, very intimate. Just a solo guitar and singer from San Diego who goes by the name Shua. And I'll just say that this is one of those entries that had me bawling my eyes out the moment I heard it. It is so beautiful, so moving. The song that Shua did is called "Broken." And I think that the lyrics can just wreck you in the best possible way.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BROKEN")
SHUA: (Singing) Can I call at 1 a.m.? Feeling like a wreck again. Tempted to cut myself in two. I need a doctor, don't know who. Somehow, I know it's my fault. I ain't prayed enough at all. That's what they said when I confessed. God, can you hear me? Can you tell me, did you make me like this? Did you put me together broken, broken, broken? Did you make me like this? Will I always be so broken, broken, broken?
KELLY: I can hear it.
HILTON: Right?
KELLY: I can hear what had you bawling your eyes out.
HILTON: Oh, and that voice, too, right?
KELLY: Well, Robin Hilton, thank you so much for coming to share some of the best folk and country entries from this year's Tiny Desk Contest.
HILTON: Thank you for having me.
KELLY: All right, it's Robin Hilton of NPR Music. And you can watch all these entries, and thousands more, at npr.org/tinydeskcontest.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BROKEN")
SHUA: (Singing) Come work your magic. Show it off. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
