The Rugged Revival
Every episode of The Rugged Revival featuring The Rugged Revival — conversations with independent country, Americana, and roots artists.
Dan Patlansky
Bruce Springsteen Handpicked This Guitarist to Open for 85,000 Fans | Dan Patlansky
Bruce Springsteen handpicked Dan Patlansky to open for 85,000 fans in Johannesburg. We sat down with one of the world's top blues guitarists to find out what that moment felt like, what it's really like playing blues in South Africa, and why his latest album Movin' On is the most honest music he's ever made. Dan opens up about the nerves of playing to a sea of 85,000 people, then glancing over to see Springsteen and Tom Morello watching from the wings. He talks about touring with Joe Satriani across Europe, growing up in apartheid-era South Africa with Hendrix blasting through his dad's stereo, mental health on the road, and the one piece of advice every aspiring guitarist needs to hear. Dan's UK tour kicks off November 2026. Tickets and info at danpatlansky.com Follow The Rugged Revival on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at @theruggedrevival
Pug Johnson
Pug Johnson – El Cabron Album | Texas Roots, Americana, and Louisiana Influences | Rugged Revival
Pug Johnson grew up on the outskirts of Beaumont, Texas, listening to the multicultural soundtrack of a city flanked by Louisiana, the Big Thicket, and the Gulf Coast. Those influences would resurface on his solo records, coloring Johnson's eclectic version of American roots music, turning him into a country artist whose songs reach far beyond the genre's borders. Praised by Lonesome Highway for "exploring life's darker side in places… with high spirits and wicked humor," he hits a new peak with El Cabron, an album that finds the songwriter saluting his Texas roots while also delivering universal songs about the American everyman. The album's central character — El Cabron himself — reappears in multiple songs, running up bar tabs on both sides of the Mexican border, evoking personalities from Lonesome Dove's Gus McCrae to Hunter S. Thompson to the flawed protagonists in John Prine's catalog. Rooted in equal parts fiction and autobiography, that character becomes the unlikely hero of El Cabron, an album that follows its predecessor (2022's critically-acclaimed Throwed Off and Glad) in highlighting the wry, witty songwriting of a road warrior who has shared shows with Steve Earle, Eli Young Band, Midland, and Hayes Carll.
Conrad Moore
Conrad Moore – Folk Stories of the Southern Working Man
Conrad Moore is a North Georgia native singer-songwriter who captures the soul of the working southern man. His songs have roots in folk storytelling which nod to the ups and downs of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. All washed in hints of booze, half-truths, and motel rooms. His lyrics personify Mother Nature and her dance with Appalachia. The human condition and blue-collar woes are often his muses. Although his songs have no shortage of heartbreak and day to day strife. Conrad produces a relatable angst of a generation growing up within the confines of a flawed American dream. Not without hope, his music shares with us what's left to save about the southland.
Leon Majcen
Leon Majcen – Florida Folk-Country from Bosnian Roots
Leon Majcen is a musician whose story is one of resilience and determination. He grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the son of Bosnian war refugees who had fled the country in search of a better life for their children. From a young age, Leon was drawn to the power of storytelling through music, particularly the work of artists like Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Guy Clark. Leon began playing in local bars while still in high school, honing his craft and building a loyal following. After high school, he decided to pursue his passion for music in New York City, while attending college at New York University and playing shows around town. After a while, Leon came to the realisation that the hustle and bustle of the city wasn't where his heart was at and returned home to take a job at a commercial fishing dock while planning his next move to Nashville. Since arriving in music city, Leon has continued to develop his unique blend of Folk, Country and Americana, drawing on his experiences and love of the outdoors to craft songs that are honest and powerful.