Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: Inside Music Stories: Grace Potter Chats with Buzz Knight About Family, Legacy, and the Joy of Live Performance
Published: December 11, 2025

Overview

In this episode of Takin' A Walk, host Buzz Knight sits down with renowned singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Grace Potter for a heartfelt and illuminating conversation. They explore themes of family legacy, the catharsis and joy of live performance, creative journeys, and untold stories behind Potter’s long-shelved but newly released album Medicine—produced by T Bone Burnett nearly two decades earlier. The episode also delves into Potter's Vermont upbringing, her views on genre, creative agency in the studio, and memorable moments on tour, including work with Chris Stapleton.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Walking with Legacy: Family and Ancestry

(05:14–06:42)

• Buzz Knight's signature opening: "If you could take a walk with anybody, living or dead, who would it be, and where?"
• Grace Potter responds: She would walk with her great-grandmother Charlotte, who died when Grace was an infant.
  • "I'm so curious about the wisdom and experiences that she could share... she was musical... all these things about my family and my ancestry that I'm really curious about." (05:31)
  • She reflects on family stories, secrets, and how walks can unlock meaningful conversations.

2. The Reciprocal Energy of Live Performance

(06:42–07:57)

• Buzz notes Potter's infectious joy on stage, asking how she experiences the audience’s response.
• Potter:
  • "It feels like love... There's such a reciprocal experience going on... I live for that, honestly. I think it's, like, my purpose on this planet." (06:59)
  • She likens it to "falling in love" and feeling truly seen and reflected back by the audience.

3. Approaching the World with Awe

(07:57–09:11)

• Potter shares her philosophy of openness and connection, describing how she seeks moments of awe and meaningful connection in everyday interactions—not just on stage.

  • "I'm constantly in search of my next experience of awe, and I find it in people all the time, especially the ones you don't expect." (08:16)

• She enjoys finding the human warmth even in unexpected places (e.g. a grumpy TSA agent).

4. Music as Catharsis: The Story of "Release"

(09:11–10:59)

• Listener Emily Kav asks whether Potter found catharsis in her song "Release."
• Potter:
  • Describes the song as an "invitation" to let go, but not a simple, complete release:
    • "It's a question as opposed to a statement or declaration... that song is for me, more of a you hit me back when you're ready... maybe you're not ready to answer that question. That's really what that song captures for me." (09:57)

5. Vermont Roots and a Timeless Worldview

(10:59–14:49)

• Buzz explores Potter's formative years in Vermont.
• Potter:
  • Describes growing up without strong boundaries of age, era, or genre—heavily influencing her musical inclusivity and creativity.
  • Vermont offered a mix of "intellectuals and farmers"—a dynamic she found "grounding" yet expansive.
    • "The more I found access to different points of view... Vermont is a place where... there's a lot of intellectuals and there's a lot of farmers. So that mixed bag, I think, created a lot of curiosity for me..." (11:13)
  • She reflects on Vermont’s powerful “brand” and her realization that the wider world didn’t operate the same way.

6. Medicine – The Lost Album and a Defining Studio Experience

(14:49–17:36)

• Buzz asks about recording Medicine with T Bone Burnett in 2008.
• Potter:
  • Recalls intimidation and feeling like an outsider in prior studio work, but Burnett transformed the process:
    • "He cared about my opinion. He actually genuinely wanted to know what was my natural reaction... There was none of this sort of incision into my instincts to insert himself. It was much more effortless and organic." (15:04)
  • Working with Burnett made her feel creatively valued and initiated her awareness of artistic agency.

7. Why Medicine Was Shelved

(23:05–25:21)

• Buzz: "Why was this not released?"
• Potter:
  • It was a combination of industry politics, risk aversion, and timing. There was concern that the record was too much of a "hard left" for her at a young point in her career, pushing her toward a "legacy sound."
    • "I think it was a concern that the investment that had been made in me was one thing and that this was a hard left too soon in my career..." (23:13)
  • She muses on how things might have differed had it been released.

8. Reimagining Songs and the Impact of Time

(27:10–29:40)

• Potter describes her excitement in having songs from those sessions finally heard—and how versions differ between the Burnett and subsequent Mark Batson productions.
  • "For people hearing it, it's going to seem like a reimagining of that song. But actually these songs were recorded before the song as they know it now..." (27:21)
  • Highlights: "Oasis", "Colors", and previously unheard tracks like "Losing You" and "Before the Sky Falls".

9. Trust, Fearlessness, and Creative Lessons

(29:40–31:13)

• Reflecting on the impact of Burnett, Potter says:
  • "I want to say the word trust... but in the moment, it was trust. He trusted me. I trusted him... and that faith in one another... I've never lost that fearlessness." (29:40)
  • She acknowledges the disappointment when the record was shelved, but feels its release now is a "treasure" enriched by the long wait.

10. Live With Legends: Touring with Chris Stapleton

(31:13–33:54)

• Buzz asks about Potter's experience sharing the stage with Chris Stapleton.
• Potter:
  • Praises Stapleton’s musicality and the communal "empire" he's built.
    • "I've never met anybody more musical in my life... It's just always there. And it's a stirring thing to be around." (31:37)
  • Compares touring with masterful artists to nature’s cycles and notes the respect Stapleton has cultivated in his camp.

11. Lifelong Curiosity: Future Creative Journeys

(33:54–36:24)

• Buzz: Are there unexplored genres or collaborations on Potter’s horizon?
• Potter:
  • Drawn to New Orleans jazz, blues, funk, soul, hip hop, gospel, and scoring films.
  • Inspired by big bands and orchestras; dreams of making a Hawaiian or Spanish-language album; learning flamenco guitar.
    • "I'm just really scratching the surface... It's not a genre. I don't believe in time and I don't believe in genres, honestly... If it speaks to me, I'm gonna chase it down and find a way to interpret it and find my own voice in it." (34:07, 36:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On performance and love:
  "What you're really seeing is your reflection coming out of their eyes and shining the experience of experiencing you..." — Grace Potter (06:59)

• On family curiosity:
  "All these things about my family and my ancestry that I'm really curious about. I think there's a lot of interesting skeletons in the closet that [my great-grandmother] probably wouldn't want to tell me right away. But that's what a walk is for, right?" — Grace Potter (05:31)

• On creative agency:
  "It was a living, breathing experience of watching four strangers, five strangers in a studio become an organism that operated as one. Up until then, the only experiences I'd had like that were with my band live." — Grace Potter (15:04)

• Industry obstacles:
  "I think timing is everything. And for whatever reason—I love the word gobbledygook, by the way—timing and gobbledygook may have gotten in the way a little bit." — Grace Potter (25:39)

• On the endless journey:
  "I'm just really scratching the surface, you know, of what is possible. And I'm never going to stop...but it's not a genre. I don't believe in time and I don't believe in genres, honestly." — Grace Potter (36:24)

Key Timestamps by Topic

• Family & Legacy: 05:14–06:42
• Joy of Live Performance: 06:42–07:57
• Approaching Life with Awe: 07:57–09:11
• Catharsis in “Release”: 09:11–10:59
• Vermont Roots & Timelessness: 10:59–14:49
• Recording Medicine with T Bone Burnett: 14:49–17:36
• Why the Album Was Shelved: 23:05–25:21
• Reimagining Songs: 27:10–29:40
• Trust, Fearlessness, Agency: 29:40–31:13
• Touring with Chris Stapleton: 31:13–33:54
• New Artistic Territories: 33:54–36:24

Tone and Personality

Grace Potter comes across as infectiously joyful, endlessly curious, and deeply thoughtful, with a genuine humility and a fierce creative spirit. The conversation between her and Buzz Knight is warm, candid, and uplifting—infused with humor, reflection, and a true love of music and the human stories behind it.

For fans and newcomers alike, this episode offers a window into the artistry and humanity of Grace Potter, as well as a fascinating exposé of the music industry’s inner workings and the persistent joys of following one’s creative path.