Smokestack is intended to be an informal, digital extension of Train Songz the zine. Our latest issue is about to print! Heck yeah, brothers and sisters!

We have not written since June 16. Whoops. Life. No time like the present to get back on the horse.

Dug into the Bryan, Billy, and Royal show up on nugs yet? Lots of this going on:

On the same day as the latest zine's release, Promontory Paul and I saw Mountain Grass Unit in God's country—New York City. MGU played a hot first set of originals and covers, followed by an all-train-song second set. What a treat.

A rec 4 u <3

Onto the meat of this dispatch: I think you should listen to The Gospel – The Local Honeys today: YouTube / Spotify / Apple Music / Vinyl. The Local Honeys are out of Kentucky, and I encourage you to read more about them.

Rin, the zine's latest cover artist, recommended this album when I told them the gosepl-ish theme of issue #7, which explore the number seven's mystical and religious place in song lyrics new and old. I've been enjoying it ever since, and I'd like to share it with you, too.

Have a great week, and wish us the best in staying a little more consistent around these parts. Maybe not every week, but as often as we can whip up something worthy of your time and attention.

—The Conductor