# WTRFT S2E32 - Tray Wellington

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-the-reason-for-this-podcast-6976114/wtrft-s2e32-tray-wellington
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-the-reason-for-this-podcast-6976114/wtrft-s2e32-tray-wellington.md
Podcast: [What's The Reason For This Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-the-reason-for-this-podcast-6976114)
Published: 2026-04-20T03:31:11+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/whatsthereasonforthis/2748425
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/281717/2748425/whatsthereasonforthis/2026_04_20_03_30_40_af2c7f69-ccac-4175-9844-2ce1a73de2e2.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-s-the-reason-for-this-podcast-6976114/episodes/wtrft-s2e32-tray-wellington
Duration seconds: 3340

## Resource

🎧 This week on What’s the Reason for This? , Kodi flies solo in the dungeon and sits down with one of the most exciting and boundary-pushing banjo players in the game right now — Tray Wellington . 🪕🔥 From a small town in North Carolina to carving out his own lane in Nashville, Tray’s story is all about finding your voice, trusting your instincts, and refusing to be put in a box . 🌄🎶 This one starts at the roots… 🎣 Fishing trips with his grandfather, listening to Johnny Cash, Doc Watson, and helping build the foundation of his sound 🎸 Starting on electric guitar (thanks to Guitar Hero era chaos) before falling in love with the banjo 🪕 That first moment hearing three-finger banjo and knowing instantly… this was it 💰 Saving up from McDonald’s to buy his first banjo and going all in But things really start to take shape when the path opens up… 🎶 Growing up surrounded by an insane North Carolina music scene (Shadowgrass, Billy Strings connections, and more) 🎤 First gigs with Cane Mill Road and realizing music could actually be a career 🎓 The college years and the moment he decided he didn’t want to sound like anyone else but himself And that’s where everything shifts. 🔥 Breaking away to find his own sound instead of copying legends 💿 Creating Black Banjo — an album rooted in authenticity, identity, and truth ⚖️ Navigating expectations, stereotypes, and the pressure to fit into other people’s narratives Now… he’s entering a whole new chapter. 🚀 A brand new project “Heart on the Table” — blending banjo with hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and electronic elements 🎛️ Originally built solo at home, then transformed through collaboration into something bigger 🤝 Bringing in an all-star lineup to create the community-driven sound the album was missing 💡 The power of crowdfunding, trusting…

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## Transcript

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