Ben is back with the first show of 2025, opening with Maren Morris’s “Circles Around This Town,” a tribute to Nashville and the musical heritage of Music City USA. This first show revisits selected interviews and performances from previous years and looks ahead to our 2025 programming. A 2023 conversation with Susie Boggers reflects on her forthcoming album, Praying for Sunshine, crafted with her husband, Doug, and shaped by her personal travel experiences across the American South. She discusses the album’s first single, “Down to the River,” and her pandemic-era livestreams, which helped shape several tracks. Jerry Vandiver, featured in a 2011 interview, shares insights into the songwriting profession and the changing sound of country music, noting his personal breakthrough with “Don’t Waste It On the Blues.” The programme also includes CMA Fest reflections from Canadian artist Lindsay Ell and Matt Stell, in conversation.