John Mailander: Letting the Music Lead

In this episode, I’m joined by John Mailander, a fearless and lyrical fiddler/violinist whose work bridges bluegrass, jazz, ambient improvisation, and songcraft. We trace his path from San Diego to Berklee (where he studied American Roots with mentor Darol Anger) to Nashville, where he found a close-knit community that’s as experimental as it is supportive. John discusses the city’s “weirdo music” scene, ambient nights, free improvisation, and oddball collaborations, and how that energy coexists alongside the touring calendar. We dig into his life-changing chair with Bruce Hornsby: the no-setlist ethos, learning the “top 80” deep-cut originals, living on the edge together, and the night Bruce rearranged the stage so John could stand next to John Scofield, then kept tossing them intertwined solos all evening. John shares recent runs with Sam Grisman (with hero Peter Rowan onboard), producing and recording more from Nashville, and the origin of his own band Forecast, a genre-porous collective inspired by Bill Frisell, Brian Blade Fellowship, Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau, and Joni Mitchell. We talk through the new record Let the World In: how residency nights at Dee’s in Madison shaped the tunes, why the drums sound so alive, and why he welcomes rotating lineups to hear the same music through new lenses. Teaching and mentorship thread through the conversation: passing on what was given to him (formally and backstage between songs), honoring influences like Matt Mundy (ARU/Bruce Hampton), and why the point isn’t “pushing boundaries” as a goal but playing honestly enough that the music pushes itself. It’s a generous, grounded conversation about trust, curiosity, and letting the music lead.To learn more about John, visit his website. Music from the Episode:Let the World In (John Mailander's Forecast)Road (John Mailander's Forecast)Gardener (John Mailander's Forecast)Reprise (John Mailander's Forecast)Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at [email protected].