The A-Sides music series with Jon Chattman ran for over six years on Huffington Post. It’s an informal chat with celebs (mostly musicians) and often includes a musical performance (mostly by musicians). I’m proud to bring it to Medium.

We’re in the midst of the worst year ever (in case you didn’t know), and it’s far from over. But, there have been some bright spots in this otherwise abysmal please-end-now 2020 — in the arts anyway. For starters, Palm Springs on Hulu is pretty amazing. Schitt’s Creek ended sublimely. There’s been other great film and television moments but this is a music column (today anyway). As bad as this year has been is how good the music has been. Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a masterpiece. Waxahatchee’s Saint Cloud is Katie Crutchfield’s best album ever, which is saying a lot. Run the Jewel’s RTJ4 is brilliant. Lady Gaga’s Chromatica is pure dancefloor pop fun. I could go on and on and on. So, um, I will. Another bright spot during this dark time has been finding music from new artists that are resonating especially now.

Lauren Calve is one artist that I’ve been digging and I’m not alone. Her single “Better Angels” is getting considerable airplay, and it was actually inspired by a radio interview the singer/songwriter heard from Jon Meacham who cited Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address as inspiration for his book, The Soul of America: The Battle For Our Better Angels. The song is off her third release — an EP entitled Wildfire, which dropped late last month.

A few days after the release, I chatted with the DC native and blues-inspired artist (she’s drawn comparisons to Bonnie Raitt) on Zoom (where else, right?) about the EP, “Better Angels,” which she performed exclusively for A-Sides, and what it’s like releasing music during these uncertain times. Watch and listen.