Produced in partnership with The Bluegrass Situation, Finding Lucinda the podcast is a companion series to the forthcoming documentary film. The 14-part series takes listeners on a journey into the making of an icon, using archival materials, exclusive interviews, and fresh commentary from artists and collaborators who knew Lucinda — long before the world did. The story begins with ISMAY—an emerging artist navigating their own doubts and dreams—setting off from a family ranch in Northern California to trace Lucinda’s path through Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
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Recorded during the making of the documentary, the podcast features in-depth conversations with Americana legends, including Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, Mary Gauthier, and Lucinda Williams herself. These episodes unpack the pivotal people, places, and creative moments that shaped Lucinda’s groundbreaking voice and vision.
​Episode 1 out May 5th 2025
FINDING LUCINDA PODCAST
"Hellman and producer/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Marlin create rich colors and hazy atmospherics in a sweet and savory mix... this record is an inviting pathway to ISMAY.”
- The Associated Press
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"With Desert Pavement, ISMAY points to a folk music that can last hundreds more years, a tradition that is essential because it helps us understand us."
- No Depression
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"They tread the fertile ground of nostalgia yet never make anything sound old, dated, or retro. They’re as important an artist as when Jewel, Paula Cole & Joan Osborne first arrived."
- Americana Highways
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ISMAY is an alternative folk music project driven by California-based singer/songwriter Avery Hellman. Their debut album 'Songs of Sonoma Mountain' was released in 2020 and named one of the 10 best Albums in the Bay Area by KQED. In 2024 ISMAY released their sophomore LP ‘Desert Pavement’ garnering enthusiastic reviews from No Depression, The Associated Press and Americana Highways. They teamed up with prolific Folk/Americana multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse.
Growing up backstage at their grandfather’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Avery was inspired early on by artists such as Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch and Hazel Dickens. For a decade Avery worked on the family ranch in Petaluma while developing their songwriting craft and storytelling repertoire. ISMAY has appeared throughout the country and overseas at music festivals such as Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and Americanafest UK. ISMAY has opened for acclaimed artists including Steve Earle, Watchhouse, Robert Earl Keen, John Doe, Chuck Prophet and Sunny War. In March of 2023, ISMAY was featured as one of a select group of artists from around the world participating in the Apple TV+ Show My Kind of Country, produced by Kacey Musgraves and Reese Witherspoon.
On April 27th 2025, ISMAY began releasing the podcast Finding Lucinda in partnership with The Bluegrass Situation. This podcast retells the story of ISMAY's on a road trip of self discovery to trace the roots of their musical hero Lucinda Williams. Amidst self-doubt and uncertainty, ISMAY sets out from the family ranch in Northern California and travels to Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There ISMAY meets Lucinda’s early collaborators, digs through the archives to uncover hidden treasures, and visits the studios and venues where Lucinda got her start. Interviews include Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, and Mary Gauthier. Finding Lucinda is ultimately a story about not knowing whether you have what it takes to be the artist you want to be, and looking for answers on how to move forward anyways. It’s about finding a small way to be more like your hero. This podcast is a lead up to the documentary film of the same name which will be released in fall 2025.
Currently, Avery is based in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. ISMAY also curates a music festival called Woollystar and is continuing to work on new music.
In search of a creative path, singer-songwriter ISMAY (Avery Hellman) sets off on a road trip of discovery, tracing the roots of music icon Lucinda Williams in this captivating documentary.
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In Finding Lucinda, Avery Hellman embarks on a road trip across the southern United States, delving into the people and places that shaped Lucinda Williams' early career. The film showcases interviews with Charlie Sexton, Buddy Miller, Mary Gauthier, Josh Baca and Max Baca (Los Texmaniacs), John Grimaudo, and Wolf Stephenson. Through these conversations, the documentary sheds light on the profound impact Lucinda Williams had on music and how her artistry continues to resonate today.
