Mickey Guyton & Samara Joy Explore America’s Musical Legacy in Songs of U.S. Series Around 250th Anniversary

The New Music and Conversation Series From Salt Lick Sessions Features Durand Bernarr, Brandy Clark, Swamp Dogg, MARIS, Joy Oladokun, Old Crow Medicine Show, Paula Prieto, Maggie Rose, Trousdale and More

Out Today, Samara Joy's New Performance Adds Original Lyrics to Duke Ellington's "Le Sucrier-Velours" - WATCH HERE

Mickey Guyton's Interview & John Denver Cover Arrives July 2

June 29, 2026 - This week, Mickey Guyton and Samara Joy are the featured artists for Salt Lick's Songs of U.S. , a new series that brings together musicians from across genres and generations to reinterpret songs that have shaped the country's cultural identity while exploring what belongs in the American songbook today. Through their striking performances and in-depth interviews, Guyton and Joy present music as a powerful truth that reflects America's past, present, and future.

Today, Salt Lick Sessions premiered Joy's performance of Duke Ellington's "Le Sucrier-Velours," which she selected as a song that deserves to be in the American songbook. Uniquely, she wrote original lyrics to Ellington's melodic composition, highlighting her vocalese sensibilities as she demonstrates how music evolves by being passed through the hands of generations.

Tomorrow (June 30), Joy's cover of Miles Davis Quintet's "Stablemates" will go live, followed on July 1 by her cover of Jerri Winters' "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most," the latter which she selected as belonging to the American songbook. In her interview that went live today, Joy noted how "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" became a standard after many different people performed it: "It went from virtual obscurity to being one of the most performed songs of the jazz songbook," Joy said. "['Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most'] and 'Stablemates' are both so incredible at taking you and drawing you into a certain story or a certain time, but at the same time feeling timeless."

Watch Samara Joy's cover of Duke Ellington's "Le Sucrier-Velours" HERE .

Watch Samara Joy's Songs of U.S. interview HERE .

Timelessness also emerged as a common theme in Mickey Guyton's Songs of U.S.interview and performances. Her cover of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" will debut on Thursday, July 2, which she picked as a song belonging to the American songbook, along with her in-depth interview reflecting on music as a form of both advocacy and freedom.

On Friday, July 3, Guyton's performance of her original song "All American" will go live. She wrote the track in the middle of the pandemic, during a time at which she "felt like it was my responsibility to put a song like that into the world." In her interview arriving Thursday, Guyton emphasizes how diversity is what makes America a great country: "There are so many different people, from all walks of life… [and] we have to remember [that] because we've lost sight of that. And that's why I wrote this song."

The Songs of U.S. series debuted earlier this month with Amy Grant's reimagination of James Taylor's beloved classic "Carolina in My Mind." Watch Grant's performance HERE and accompanying interview HERE . Additional artists with sessions out now include Grace Potter , who discusses the often-forgotten verse of "This Land Is Our Land";The Temptations' Otis Williams , who emphasizes the importance of music as a tool for education; and Brittney Spencer, who examines what home looks like in America.

Forthcoming sessions featuring Durand Bernarr, Brandy Clark, Swamp Dogg, MARIS, Joy Oladokun, Old Crow Medicine Show, Paula Prieto, Maggie Rose, Trousdale and more will roll out throughout the summer via Salt Lick Sessions' YouTube channel and social platforms. A session with Tiny Habitswill begin rolling out this week on June 25, following the announcement of their sophomore album Keepersarriving August 28.

Across the series, artists reinterpret works by writers including Woody Guthrie, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Beyoncé, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack and John Denver. Featured performances include Brittney Spencer revisiting "Killing Me Softly With His Song," Tiny Habits reimagining "Blowin' in the Wind," Joy Oladokun performing "Ain't No Sunshine," and Trousdale performing "Amazing Grace."

In announcing the series, Variety noted thatSongs of U.S. arrives amid renewed conversations about patriotism and American identity, describing the project as offering "a more thoughtful and perhaps meaningfully patriotic approach" to celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary. You can read more about the series in Variety's exclusive HERE .

About Salt Lick Sessions

Salt Lick Incubator's signature series, Salt Lick Sessions, is known for its artist-first approach to compensation, rights, and creative collaboration. The series takes viewers on a nationwide discovery tour, featuring more than 50 musicians each year through intimate video portraits that invite viewers directly into the artist's realm. Past performers include Jon Batiste, Big Freedia, Sheryl Crow, Lalah Hathaway, Mickey Guyton, Madison Cunningham, Tank and the Bangas, Dawes, and many more.

About Salt Lick Incubator

Salt Lick Incubator is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovative musicians at critical stages of their careers. Founded by Roger Brown, former president of Berklee College of Music and Liza Levy, the organization provides grants, mentorship, creative development and media platforms for artists building sustainable careers. Its signature series, Salt Lick Sessions, is known for its artist-first approach.

For more information, please contact [email protected] .