"Ready for the Times to Get Better"

 Last month one of our heroes — guitarist Tommy Emmanuel — released a special rendition of this song in honor of another of our heroes — Doc Watson — and hearing Tommy’s playing of it has impacted our take on the tune. Here’s our latest version of “Ready for the Times to Get Better.”

Lovin' You Would Be So Good for Me"

 The Flood started playing around with hokum music — those good old jug band tunes from the 1920s — about a half century ago, but it took another 20 years for us to feel confident enough to try to write one of those kind of songs ourselves. Charlie started putting this tune together back in the early 1990s, but then it took another 30 years for us to feel like we could play it. The song didn’t really start coming together until Jack Nuckols joined the band. Who knew that the spark we were waiting for was Jack’s spectacular spoon playing to finally reach that jug band junction? See what you think.

"The Answer is You"

 Most love songs are about young love, and that’s special, but it’s nothing compared to love that has aged like fine wine. Here’s a song to all those champion life-long lovers out there.

"July, You're a Woman"

 This old John Stewart composition came to us in the very first hours of The Flood’s origin story. And now, a half century later, darned if it hasn’t rolled back into our lives.

"Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor"

 We do a version of this song that most people don’t sing. We got our inspiration from an old Folkways album that Rolf Cahn and Eric von Schmidt recorded back in 1961.

"Alberta, Let Your Hair Hang Low"

 Here’s a song that we likely wouldn’t even know about were it not for the diligence and the curiosity of a researcher who was far from an ordinary young woman of her time. Born in 1892 to a prominent family in Paducah, Ky, Mary Guthrie Wheeler was destined from the start for adventure. Rather than settling into a quiet, conventional life, she embraced the extraordinary. And her most enduring adventure took place right at home, collecting the songs and stories in the hardscrabble life of the men and women who worked along the Ohio River. Here’s one she found for her 1944 book, “Steamboatin’ Days.”

"Can You Run?"

 It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 10 years now since Randy Hamilton brought us this tune. It resonated with us then and even more so today. Written by Eastern Kentucky’s own Chris Stapleton, this is an anthem to the power of resistance and redemption.