Don Pedigo is a singer-songwriter based in Nashville and is known for his old-soul rock and roll vibe paired with country overtones to yield an impressive Roots-Rock sound. His songs are filled with thoughtful lyrics that are engaging and leave you wanting to know more about his music. Pedigo describes his songwriting as, “Real life. Everything is directly or indirectly a personal experience. I may embellish it, but everything is connected to me.” Pedigo grew up in the Midwest in a rural farmhouse with walls that echoed the sounds of his mother playing piano and his Father’s turntable spinning a vinyl collection of Country and Folk albums. Upon moving to Nashville, Pedigo met Larry Crane, former guitarist for John Mellencamp, and the two recorded a demo together. As luck would have it, the demo found its way into the hands of the legendary Earl Bud Lee (“Friends in Low Places”), and the two began a rich journey with Lee in the role of mentor, publisher, and producer. The year 2006 saw the release of his first production record, What Was I Running From (featuring Buddy Miller on guitar), and the single, ‘Mama’s Wedding Gown’ (produced by Larry Crane), was released the following year. Pedigo later joined forces with Nashville backing band, The Coyotes, which marked a new phase in Pedigo’s career as a writer, performer, and recording artist. Don Pedigo + The Coyotes are now releasing a twelve-song live album called Live From the 5 (Live).
Live From the 5 (Live) was recorded live at The 5 Spot in Nashville, Tennessee. Pedigo sings and plays guitar, with The Coyotes being Travis Collinsworth on bass, Kasey Todd on drums, and Micah Hulscher on keyboards. Pedigo also has multiple friends sit in on various tunes, giving the album different sounds and sonic colors. The album starts with a fun roots-rock shuffle-styled song called “Bar & R.” Pedigo has this to say about the song’s creation, “It was hot as a mother that day. We had written a fun tune already and, during the course of that song, accidentally over-served ourselves. At the time, I was the only one who might be in trouble, as I was the only one with a “Mrs.” at home… who also happened to be a Florist. Over the course of the next hour, we laughed until it hurt, and it brought up this title I had tucked away. It didn’t take long to write the song. Maybe an hour like the first one. Rusty and Brad are COOUUNTRY, which is how the song structure was formed. We all had our fair share of lines that day. My wife, Kimmy, went ahead and picked me up that evening. And there went MY’ Bar and R.'” Joining the band on “What I Was Running From” is Dayna Bee on fiddle and vocals and Dan Cohen on electric guitar. Pedigo’s lyrics are engaging and storytelling; the song unfolds with lovely male/female vocal harmonies, catchy band hits, and a solid fiddle solo. “Lost In You” is the core quartet creating an impactful setting for Pedigo’s characterful vocals to deliver the melody and well-written lyrics. Overall, Live From the 5 (Live) is the perfect vehicle for a significant artistic step forward for Pedigo + The Coyotes. The live recording was given proper autonomy and attention, for example, the different guest and the various instruments and sounds they added. There is something here for everyone with a flow of Roots Rock feels and clever lyrics with catchy melodies. Check out Live From the 5; you’ll get it too. That’s the short of it!