Hailing from a rural western Kentucky town, rocker S.G. Goodman is here to subvert your expectations about Southern songwriters. A progressive queer woman who grew up on a farm in a church-going household, Goodman offers her take on country-twinged folk rock on Teeth Marks. The result is a hard-rocking and heart-tugging 11-track effort that preserves tradition while breaking boundaries.
Her twangy debut album Old Time Feeling quietly arrived in 2020, but with her self-produced sophomore LP Teeth Marks, Goodman takes her pastoral and anthemic songwriting to the next level. Infused with country spirit, Goodman sings of crop fires and choirs of cicadas in the summer. But Teeth Marks also touches on existential quandaries like the harm of lifelong labor and coping with the aftermath of losing a loved one to addiction and suicide.
To celebrate the release of Teeth Marks, Goodman sat down with Uproxx to talk about music, her love of old pugs, and adopting a deaf cat for our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Available to stream now.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Well, hopefully I won’t be dead in 2050 and I can encourage them to check out my newest record entitled, I’m Still here!
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
My favorite city to perform in would be Murray, KY because I can sleep in my own bed.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Alan Jackson, because of music videos.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
At my Nana’s kitchen table.
What album do you know every word to?
Absolutely none. I have a hard time remembering my own lyrics.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
I saw Mavis Staples in New York a while back. She’s my hero.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
This is a tricky question. I have a couple of suits. It seemed like a great idea because I always know what I’m wearing, and they allow me to pack light. However, you can’t clean them easily, and you have to be creative not to smell like ass. Don’t come near me, thanks.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
I like to follow senior pug accounts. One day when I’m retired, I will adopt a couple of old pugs and name them Mawmaw and Pawpaw.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“Roll-On Eighteen Wheeler” by Alabama. Go ahead and feel sorry for my band.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
How to know if the capacitor is out on an air conditioning unit.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
My label would like me to answer, Teeth Marks by S.G. Goodman. Thanks!
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
I think this question would be easier to answer if it was asking about the dirtiest place instead of weirdest.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I have three little red birds drawn in a childlike manner on my wrist. It’s a southern belief that when redbirds appear, it’s someone you have lost bringing you comfort.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Waylon Jennings.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
People do nice things for me every day. This question is impossible to answer. #blessed
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Don’t adopt a deaf cat. You will love him, but he will ruin all of your furniture and you won’t be able to afford more.
What’s the last show you went to?
I saw The Chats play in Brooklyn, NY at Warsaw. It was everything I needed.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
I don’t own a TV.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
I never hide my talents.
Teeth Marks is out now via Verve Forecast. Get it here.