Still Life: A Podcast

Andy takes pride in the fact that the story of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery is about as good as any in the distilled spirits industry. If a better whiskey distillery story exists, however, it no doubt belongs to Uncle Nearest, whose founder and CEO Fawn Weaver joins Andy for this fascinating and far-reaching conversation about the business, the hard work of historical research (especially in a region that doesn’t always want its...

An expansive conversation with legendary Nashville restaurateur  Tom Morales, who has been at the forefront of this city’s cultural and culinary evolution for decades. He and Andy discuss the white bread/salt and pepper roots of the local palate, and the process that led to the abundance on offer today. They also take note of the less-salubrious side effects of that growth (looking at you, lower Broadway) . Plus, Morales parts the ...

If you’re wondering what stock car racing has to do with the craft spirits industry, you’re not alone. Fortunately, in this month’s episode, Andy gets down to cases with NASCAR Xfinity series driver Stefan Parsons—whose car and suit advertised Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey at the Nashville Superspeedway on Sat. June 24—and discover one or two surprising similarities. (Note: This episode was recorded three days before that ...

Andy sits down with the charismatic and inspiring founder of the celebrated mixer company Perfectly Cordial to discuss the many ways in which their stories of building a business in the spirits/hospitality industries overlap, despite radically different circumstances. Also: The link between nursing and hospitality, and what Nashville has to offer in the way of support to entrepreneurs (hint: not much). Find Rhonda’s incredibly deli...

Andy gets down to cases with the mighty Marianne Eaves, whose bona fides were cemented in 2015 when she became Kentucky’s first female bourbon master distiller. Her career since has followed a steady trajectory of conspicuous successes. Their conversation touches on many of them, and plenty of other subjects besides—including confidence,  sexism in the industry, and the unlikely route that led Eaves out of the world of art and scie...

Still Life returns from its holiday hiatus with a bang as Andy sits down with Ketch Secor, co-founder and leader of Old Crow Medicine Show. Their discussion ranges far and wide—from the humble beginnings of Secor’s music career, to the challenges of trying to keep traditions alive in a changing world (and more specifically a changing city!), to the relationship between punk rock and old time music, to the definition of the word “au...

Andy has a long chat with one of the most notorious—and fascinating—figures in the world of craft spirits, the inimitable Chip Tate. Of course they discuss you know what (and if you don't know what, aren't you curious to find out?), but the conversation takes many more surprising turns, covering themes from the nature of truth, epistemology, the future of craft spirits in general, and how to assess the metal you make your...

Episode 2: Ciona Rouse
(July 22, 2002)
Andy’s conversation with Nashville’s unofficial poet laureate goes deep into the mystery and power of poetry in fractious times, the importance of seeking out voices of people outside one’s own culture, and, perhaps more to the point for this show’s purposes, the historic relationship between writers and alcohol—specifically bourbon in Rouse’s case (and Andy’s, too, as luck would have ...

June 17, 2022

For his inaugural episode, Still Life host Andy Nelson turns to friend and podcast pro John Edwards for pointers, and the conversation takes some surprisingly personal turns. 

John Edwards is best known as one half of the award-winning podcast Dads Drinking Bourbon. After his prospects as an athlete were cut short by an injury in college, he turned his attention to radio, working as a sportscaster and reporter...