Ramblin' Through The Blues - Up on the Ridge - Barrie Cadogan to Dierks Bentley

Discover the fascinating connection between Barrie Cadogan and Little Barrie, Dan Auerbach and The Black Keys, and Dierks Bentley, as we trace the collaborations and influences that unite these distinctive artists across blues-rock, garage rock, and country music. Additional music is 'Trails of Yesterday' and 'Far Away From Home' by Johann Glossner.  'Rod's Ramblings' theme music is 'Late Night Ramble' by River Run Dry'.  All music provided by Epidemic Sound. 

Transcript

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Hello there and welcome to episode 10 of my Rumbling Through the Blues series. I hope you're all well and have been able to enjoy the recent good weather. The last couple of weeks have been good for music lovers with the release of the latest Stones album, Foreign Tongues, Peter Gabriel's monthly release to tie in with the New Moon, I Belong to the Sky, and the new Deep Purple album Splat. I must say that I was very impressed with all three artists. Jagger's voice sounds as good as ever. Gabriel's use of artwork to support his music takes me back to the days when we had album covers to support our music, and the musicianship produced by the Purple Boys proves that age is no barrier to talent. As you know, I like using my rumbles as a way of finding new music to listen to and discovering interesting facts about the artists that make it. So, as much as I enjoyed listening to those established artists, time waits for no one and it quickly became time to decide which artists were going to be the subjects for this Rod's Ramblings episode. Regular listeners will know that I usually choose the first artist as a result of a discussion over a meal, a drink, or a conversation with friends, and this episode's choice is no exception. After listening to the recent From Bluegrass to Country episode, my good friend Tom got in touch and suggested a ramble about Barry Cadigan and his band Little Barry, who were Tom and his son Beck's favourite artists. Tom has never let me down when recommending music, so I gave Little Barry a listen. I started with the band's latest album, Gravity Freeze, which was released in May of this year and is the first album released under their original name since the death of drummer Virgil Howe in 2017. If you recognise the surname, it's because Spurgil was of course the son of Yes's Steve Howe. After finding Gravity Freeze refreshingly interesting, I gave the band's collaboration with Malcolm Cato, Electric War, which was released in 2025 a listen. I really liked both albums and could fully understand why Tom and Beck liked them so much. So, Barry Cadigan and Little Barry were in. Now, who else to include while still maintaining the theme of Bluegrass to Country? One of my favourite things about music is how connected it all is. You can start in one corner of the musical world and before you know it, you found yourself somewhere that seems completely unexpected. Musicians move between bands, studios, genres, and generations, creating a web of collaborations that stretches far beyond what we might expect. A guitarist in London can be connected to a bluegrass legend in Nashville, who is connected to a country superstar, or through a handful of shared recordings and friendships. For example, Barry Cadigan has spent years working with Dan Auerbeck of the Black Keys, whether that's through recording projects or touring. Dan, in turn, has been long immersed in American roots music and has collaborated with Ronnie McCauri, one of the finest mandolin players in Bluegrass. Ronnie is a cornerstone of the Del Macquarie band, a group that's become synonymous with traditional Bluegrass while building bridges to country, rock and Americana audiences. The Del Macquarie Band has worked and performed with DX Bentley, particularly during Bentley's acclaimed Up on the Ridge project, which brought together some of the biggest names in Bluegrass. It's a wonderful reminder that however different these musical worlds may seem, they're often only a handful of collaborations apart. So, in this episode we're going to be looking at Barry Cadigan and Little Barry, Dan Auerbach and the Black Keys, and finally Dick Spentley. And we're also going to listen to some great music. If you've ever found yourself wondering who some of your favourite musicians call when they need a truly exceptional guitarist, there's a good chance that the answer is Barry Cadigan. Born in January 1975, Barry has quietly built a reputation as one of Britain's most respected and versatile guitarists. Over the years he's played with an extraordinary range of artists, from Morrissey, Paul Weller and Edwin Collins to Primal Scream, The The, Liam Gallagher, John Squire, and the Black Keys. Even if his name isn't immediately familiar, there's every chance you've already heard his playing. Barry is the founder, guitarist and singer of Littleberry, and millions of television viewers know his work from the instantly recognisable opening theme to the popular TV series Better Call Saul. Little Barry came together in the year 2000 when Barry teamed up with drummer Wayne Forward and bassist Lewis Wharton, and they released the single Shrug Off Love backed with Reply Me, It Don't Deny Me that summer. After moving to London, the trio quickly earned a reputation on the Capitol's live circuit, following up with the singles Don't Call It the Truth and Memories Well. Their sound mixed classic soul, funk and rhythm and blues with garage rock influences, giving them a style that stood apart from many of the indie bands emerging at that time. Their debut album, We Are Little Barry, was released in 2005 after sessions with producer Edwin Collins, who also appeared on the record. The album opened the door to extensive touring across Europe, Japan, Australia, and the United States. Around this same period, Barry's reputation as a guitarist was growing rapidly. In 2004, he joined Morris's touring band after being recommended by fellow guitarist Boz Burra, stepping in for Alan White. Two years later, he became Primal Scream's live co-guitarist following the departure of founding member Robert Young, later contributing to both Beautiful Future and More Light before leaving the tourist lineup in 2015. Work on the Little Barry's second album, Stand Your Ground, wasn't entirely straightforward. Originally produced by Dan the Automator, the sessions were disrupted when drummer Wayne Forward left the band. Billy Skinner took over behind the kit, while producer Mike Prince Fatty Panancone helped complete the record, which finally arrived in 2007, expanding the band's sound with touches of rockabilly alongside their trademark blend of funk and RB. That same year, Little Barry also appeared with Paul Weller on the title track of his album 22 Dreams, and another important change followed when Virgil Howe, the son of yes guitarist Steve Howe, joined the band as a drummer. His first recordings with the group came in 2008 when they backed French Polynesian singer Mariva Galante on her album Happy Few, alongside keyboard player Martin Duffy. By the time King of the Waves arrived in 2010 and 2011, Little Barry had evolved into a heavier, more guitar-driven band. Surf rock and garage influences moved to the forefront, nowhere more obvious than on the opening track Surf Hell, which later found a whole new audience through the video game Rocksmith and numerous television placements. The album also featured guest backing vocals from Edwin Collins on Money in Paper. The band spent much of the following years on the road, touring throughout Europe, Japan and the United States, sharing stages with artists including Charles Bradley, Dinosaur Jr., the John Spencer Blues Explosion, and even the Stone Roses in Paris. Their fourth album, Shadow, arrived in 2014 and captured the power of their live performances while exploring darker, psychedelic and croit rock textures. It also featured Sean Lee on backing vocals for Fuzzbum and included a new version of Danny Cowan's Only You, originally recorded during his time with Fleetwood Mac. Then, in 2015 came the moment that introduced Little Barry to an entirely different audience. The band wrote and performed the now iconic main title theme for the television show Better Call Saul. A full-length version later appeared on the official soundtrack album, and while the series also featured their song, Why Don't You Do It? Barry wasn't slowing down elsewhere either. In 2016, he launched his solo project, Cobra Lamps, releasing its debut album that July. Two years later, he joined the legendary post-punk band The The as lead guitarist, taking over a role previously held by musicians including Johnny Maher, who personally recommended him to band leader Matt Johnson. Away from his own projects, Barry continued to be one of Britain's busiest session musicians, performing and recording with artists including The Chemical Brothers, Paolo Nattini, and Paul Weller. In 2022, he joined Liam Gallagher's touring band, Stepping In for Poor Bonehead Arthur's during his treatment for tonsil cancer. During that period, he also performed alongside former Stone Roses guitarist John Squire before joining Gallagher and Squire's collaboration project, this time playing bass alongside drummer Joey Waronka. Sadly, Little Barry suffered a devastating blow in September 2017 with the sudden death of Virgil Howe. His inventive drumming had become a defining part of the band's sound. The son of Steve Howe, Virgil is an accomplished musician in his own right and had worked extensively with his father, including on the album Nexus, released shortly after his passing. Rather than bringing the story to an end, Barry Cadigan and Lewis Wharton chose to continue making music. Working with acclaimed drummer Malcolm Cato, they released Quator Mass 7 in 2020, followed by Quator Mass Expansion in 2022 and Electric War in 2025. Interest in the band continued to grow. In June 2025, they appeared on guitarist Paul David's hugely popular YouTube channel in a video entitled The Best Rhythm Guitar I've Heard in Ages, introducing Little Barry's music to a whole new generation of guitar fans. Then, in February 2026 came some welcome news. Barry Cadigan and Lewis Wharton announced that they would once again record and perform under the Little Barry name for the first time since 2017. The announcement coincided with the release of the new song, More Bad Miles of Road, and news of a brand new album, Gravity Freeze. A second preview, It Isn't Soul, followed the next month before Gravity Freeze was released in May 2026, accompanied by UK record store appearances and a full UK and European tour. Today, Little Barry features Barry Cadigan on vocals and guitar, Lewis Wharton on bass and vocals, and Tony Coote on drums. Drawing on everything from freak beat, garage rock and British RB to surf music, funk, croit rock, and classic rock and roll. They remain one of Britain's most distinctive and consistently inventive rock bands. And as Barry's remarkable career demonstrates, whether he's leading his own band or helping bring someone else's music to life, he's become one of those rare musicians whose influence reaches far beyond the spotlight. Before we talk about Dan Auerbach and the Black Keys, I think this is a very good point for our first piece of music. I've chosen Swedish multi-instrumentalist and composer Johann Glossner as the featured artist. His music's catchy, organic, a sound completely unique to him. As guitar strum captivating melodies, the vibrant harmonies flow and rise in each dreamy record that he releases. In addition to writing and producing, Johann works as a multi-instrumentalist, having recorded hundreds of songs, and he is currently a touring musician. This is Trails of Yesterday by Johann Glossner. At their core, they're simply two childhood friends from Akron, Ohio, Dan Auerbeck on guitar and vocals, and Patrick Carney on drums, who started making music together in a basement and somehow ended up becoming one of the biggest rock bands of the 21st century. Born in 2001 after they both dropped out of college, the duo built their sound around the raw, hypnotic blues of artists like Junior Kimbrough, whose song All Night Long was covered by the boys on their 2021 Delta Cream album.

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L. Burnside of Bad Luck and Trouble Fame, Hurling Wolf and Robert Johnson. Rather than chasing polished production, they embraced something much rougher and more immediate, recording themselves on basic equipment and letting the imperfections become part of their identity. The story actually began a few years earlier. Dan and Patrick had known each other since they were about nine years old, growing up just a few houses apart. They weren't especially close at first, but by the time they reached Firestone High School, they'd reconnected, despite moving in completely different social circles. Dan was captain of the soccer team, while Patrick was more of an outsider, but music eventually brought them together. Both came from musical families. Dan's related to influential guitarist Robert Quine, who played with Lou Reed, while Patrick's uncle was the late Ralph Carney, the saxophonist best known for his long association with Tom Waits. Quine played with Reed on his 1982 album The Blue Mask and then famously fell out with Reed when the former Velvet Underground man mixed down or entirely removed Quine's guitar parts on his 1993 Legendary Hearts album. Quine claimed that when he received his advanced copy of the album, he was so disgusted by this that he smashed the cassette into smithereens with a hammer. The theme tune for the Netflix series Bojack Horseman was composed and performed by Patrick and his uncle Ralph. Encouraged by their older brothers, the pair began playing together around 1996. Patrick already had a drum kit and a four-track recorder, while Dan was just discovering the guitar and before long they were spending hours experimenting with sounds. After a brief spell at the University of Akron, both decided college wasn't for them. Dan initially tried making a living playing in local bars, but soon realized that he needed a demo if he wanted to get gigs outside Akron. He asked Patrick if he could use his basement studio on the condition that he brought the rest of his band along. The day arrived and none of the other musicians turned up. Rather than calling it off, Dan and Patrick simply started jamming together. That spontaneous recording session turned out to be the moment that the Black Keys were born. Using whatever equipment they had lying around, they recorded a rough six-song demo which Patrick later described as old blues ripoffs and words made up on the spot. They mailed copies to around a dozen record labels and eventually received one offer from the small Los Angeles independent label Alive Records. The fact that Alive was willing to sign them without even seeing them perform was enough to seal the deal. Even the band's unusual name has an equally unusual origin. It came from an acquaintance named Alfred McMoore, who suffered from schizophrenia and would leave long, rambling messages on their answering machines. Whenever he became frustrated, he'd refer to their fathers as Black Keys, sometimes even calling them things like D-Flat. And after that, the phrase stuck. Their first live show took place on the 20th of March 2002 at Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom with just eight people coming to watch. A couple of months later, they released their debut album, The Big Come Up, recorded entirely in Patrick's basement on an eight-track tape machine. Mixing original songs with covers of blues artists including Muddy Waters, Junior Kimbrough and R. L. Burnside. The album didn't sell huge numbers, but it earned enthusiastic reviews and gradually built a loyal underground following. One song, I'll Be Your Man, later found a much wider audience after becoming the theme music for HBO's Hung. Money was tight in those early days, and to help with touring, Dan and Patrick mowed lawns for a local landlord. When Fat Possum Records came crawling, the pair had already spent most of their advance before recording their second album, Thick Freakness, forcing them to complete it during a single 14-hour marathon session back in Patrick's basement. Earlier studio sessions with producer Jeff Saltzman had been abandoned because the result sounded, in the band's words, far too polished. Around this time, they were constantly on the road. They drove nearly 24 hours non-stop from Akron to Austin to play South by Southwest. Toured America in a battered 1994 Cries the Van they affectionately nicknamed The Grey Ghost and gradually built a reputation through relentless live performances. Released in 2003, Thick Freakness became a major critical success. It featured songs including Set You Free, Hard Row, and a rememorable cover of Richard Berry's Have Love Will Travel. Time magazine even named it in the third best album of the year. The band famously turned down a £200,000 offer to license one of their songs for a mayonnaise commercial because they worried it would damage their credibility. A good decision, I think. By now they were touring internationally, opening for artists such as Sleeter Kinney, Beck, and Dashboard Confessional, making their television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and appearing at the Reading and Leeds festivals. Inevitably, comparisons with fellow Garage Rock duo The White Stripes became unavoidable. Both bands were two-piece acts from the American Midwest with coloured themed names and a love of blues-inspired rock, but the Black Keys quietly ignored the comparisons and continued carving out their own identity. That identity really crystallised on 2004's Rubber Factory. Recorded inside an abandoned tyre factory in Akron, the album captured exactly the gritty, echoing atmosphere suggested by its surroundings. Widely regarded as the record that elevated them from court favourites to one of America's most exciting rock bands, it also led to a major label deal with Nonsuch Records. Their first release for Nonsuch, Magic Potion, arrived in 2006. Recorded without a producer, it was a deliberately stripped back affair that reminded listeners just how much power two musicians could generate on their own. Then everything changed. For 2008's Attack and Release, Dan and Patrick stepped into a professional recording studio for the first time and teamed up with producer Brian Joseph Burton, known professionally as Danger Mouse. His influence broadened their sound considerably, adding richer textures and More adventurous arrangements while still preserving the band's bluesy core. It marked the beginning of one of Modern Rock's most successful creative partnerships. The real breakthrough came two years later with Brothers. The album transformed the Black Keys from respected indie favourites into genuine mainstream stars. Tighten Up became a worldwide hit. The album won three Grammy Awards, and suddenly the duo were playing to audiences far larger than they could ever have imagined. They somehow managed to top that success with El Camino in 2011. Packed with infectious hooks and irresistible riffs, he climbed to number two on the Billboard 200, produced the smash hit Lonely Boy, earned another three Grammy Awards and launched the band's first arena tour. In 2014, they showed another side of their songwriting with Turn Blue, a slower, more psychedelic record that became their first number one album in the United States, Canada and Australia. After the accompanying world tour finished in 2015, however, the band decided to take a break. It wasn't really a holiday. Dan immersed himself in songwriting and production, releasing his solo album Waiting on a Sung, forming the arcs and producing records for artists including Lana Del Rey, Dr. John, The Pretenders, and Shannon and the Clams. His Easy Eye Sound Studio became one of Nashville's busiest creative spaces. Patrick was equally productive, producing and co-writing with artists including Michelle Branch, Tobias Gesso Jr., Tennis, and Jesse Wilson. When the pair reunited in 2019 for Let's Rock, those years apart clearly broadened their musical horizon. The album marked a confident return to the guitar-driven rock before they paid tribute to their earliest influences with Delta Cream in 2021, a heartfelt collection of Mississippi Hill Country Blues covers. Original material returned with Dropout Boogie in 2022, followed by the Groovefield Ohio Players in 2024, and the more soulful, No Rain, No Flowers, in 2025. Their 14th studio album, Peaches, arrived in 2026, sounding like two musicians completely comfortable in their own skin. More than twenty-five years after they first started recording in a basement, Dan Howerbeck and Patrick Carney continue to evolve while never losing sight of the raw blue spirit that inspired them in the first place. It's quite a journey when you think about it, from eight people watching their first gig in Cleveland to becoming one of the defining rock bands of their generation. This is a good point for our second piece of music. This is another track by Johann Glossner. This is Far Away from Home. Born Frederick D. Expentley on the 20th of November 1975 in Phoenix, Arizona, he grew up a long way from the bright lights of Nashville. But from an early age, country music had a firm grip on him, and by the late 1990s, he had made the move to Tennessee with one goal in mind, building a career as a country singer and songwriter. Like so many aspiring musicians before him, success didn't arrive overnight. Instead of waiting for a record deal, Dirk's backed himself, recording and releasing an independent album called Don't Leave Me in Love in 2001. It was a modest beginning, but it gave him a foothold in Nashville and eventually caught the attention of Capitol Nashville, who signed him two years later. And that proved to be his career's turning point. His self-titled album arrived in 2003 and immediately announced him as one of country music's brightest new talents. Its lead single, What Was I Thinking? raced all the way to number one, becoming the first of what would eventually be an extraordinary run of chart-topping hits. The momentum continued with modern day drifter in 2005. Certified platinum in the United States, it produced more number one singles, including Come a Little Closer and Settle for a Slowdown, firmly establishing Bentley as one of the genre's rising stars. A year later came Long Trip Alone. The album earned gold certification and added yet another chart topper with Every Mile of Memory, followed by the fan favourite Free and Easy Down the Road I Go. By this point, Bentley wasn't simply enjoying a successful start to his career, he was becoming one of the most reliable hitmakers in modern country music. After releasing a greatest hits collection in 2008, he continued his remarkable consistency with Feel That Fire in 2009 before surprising fans the following year with Up on the Ridge. Rather than sticking to mainstream country, Bentley embraced his love of bluegrass, proving that he was more interested in making music that inspired him than simply repeating a winning formula. That willingness to explore different musical directions has remained one of the defining features of his career. In 2012, he released Home, another critically acclaimed album that produced the number one hits Home, Am I the Only One and 5150. Two years later came Riser, featuring songs such as I Hold On and Drunk on a Plane, both of which became some of the biggest hits of his career. I must say that Drunk on a Plane is one of my favourites. I always smile when I hear it. Bentley continued that run of success with Black in 2016, followed by The Mountain in 2018, before releasing Gravel and Gold in 2023. His latest studio album, Broken Branches, arrived in 2026, continuing a career that has now stretched across more than two decades. Over the years, Dick Spentley has become one of Country Music's most dependable chart performers. His studio albums have produced 27 singles on the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, with an impressive 18 reaching number one. Along the way, he's also added another chart topper as part of the all-star recording, Forever Country, as well as a Canadian country number one through his collaboration, New Old Trucks. Of course, none of that success happened by accident. Dierks was born into a family with deep American roots. His father, Leon Fife Bentley, served as a first lieutenant during the Second World War before building a career as a bank vice president. Interestingly, the name Dierks wasn't originally his first name at all. It was his middle name, taken from his maternal great-grandmother's surname, and it's the name that he later chose to use professionally. His education took him across the country. After attending Culver Summer Schools and Camps in Indiana and graduating from the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey in 1993, he spent a year studying at the University of Vermont before transferring to Vanderblit University in Nashville, where he graduated in 1997. That move to Nashville would ultimately shape the rest of his life. What began as a university education soon became the starting point for a career that has seen Dick Spendley grow from an unknown songwriter with a self-funded album into one of the defining vices of modern country music. More than twenty years after his first record deal, he continues to balance traditional country storytelling with a willingness to experiment. Whether that's leaning into bluegrass, arena country, or acoustic songwriting, it's that combination of authenticity, versatility and consistency that has earned Dick Spentley his place among country music's biggest stars. And that just about brings us to the end of this week's musical journey. At first glance, Barry Cadigan, the Black Keys and Dick Spendley might not seem to have much in common. One is an acclaimed British guitarist who has become the musician other musicians call. Another is a blues rock duo that grew from basement recordings in Akron, Ohio to selling out arenas around the world. And the third is a country artist who left Arizona for Nashville with nothing more than determination and a dream. But look a little closer and a common thread begins to emerge. None of them took the easy route. There are no overnight success stories here. Barry Cadigan spent years building a reputation as one of Britain's most respected guitarists before millions unknowingly heard his playing on Better Call Saul. Dan Oeback and Patrick Carney recorded their earliest albums in a basement, drove thousands of miles in an aging van and played to tiny audiences before the Black Keys became one of the biggest rock bands of their generation. And Dirk Bentley backed himself with a self-funded album before earning his place among country music's biggest stars. What also connects them is a deep respect for the music that inspired them. Whether it's Barry's love of British RB, Garage Rock and Soul, the Black Keys' passion for Mississippi Hill country blues, or Dirk Bentley's commitment to traditional country music while continuing to push the genre forward. Each has stayed rooted in their influences while creating a sound that's unmistakably their own. Perhaps that's the real lesson from all three stories. Talent may open the first door, but longevity comes from curiosity, hard work, and the willingness to keep evolving. Decades into their careers, all three continue to write, record and perform, proving that great music isn't about chasing trends, it's about staying true to who you are while never standing still. As we come to the end of this ramble, I'd like to say thanks, Tom, for your Barry Cadigan suggestion and thank you all for listening. I hope you've enjoyed taking a closer look at the careers of Barry Cadigan, the Black Keys, and DX Bentley as much as I've enjoyed sharing their stories with you. So, until the next time on Rod's Ramblings, cheers and take care.