"Everybody is here to see you succeed." From accidental run-ins with Michael Stipe at the pool to watching a powder-blue-suited Jason Isbell join the Drive-By Truckers on Washington Street, this is the raw, unpolished truth about the Athens, Georgia music scene. Stream the full interview with singer-songwriter MK Barnes right now.

Why does a tiny town in Georgia consistently produce some of the most influential music on earth? In this kickoff episode of our special AthFest series, musician MK Barnes dives into the anatomy of severe stage fright and the exact exposure therapy required to survive it; the lost, tactile art of making a 90s mixtape; and why the entire creative community is experiencing a massive behavioral shift back toward hand-drawn gig flyers and physical media as a direct rebellion against generative AI.

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