S.G. Goodman – Pepper
Today, S.G. Goodman is proud to present her own refreshing cover of “Pepper,” the beloved track from Butthole Surfers’ 1996 album Electriclarryland. Goodman’s swinging rendition filters the song’s deadpan surrealism and hypnotic groove through her own Western Kentucky lens, a testament to her fearless range as an artist and vocalist.
Goodman had this to say about taking on the track: “‘Being I was a young child when I first heard Pepper, I am certain that I loved the excuse to request a band where I could say “Butthole” without consequence. To be honest, it still brings me joy. The adult me understands that the lasting appeal of the Butthole Surfers would melt into my own work, simply because of their distinctive approach to making music that felt right to them. The only covers that excite me are ones where the outcome is evident of the original’s influence on the artist as a whole. My cover of “Pepper” feels like me and it feels like the same intrigue I experienced when hearing the original: to be left wondering what is actually going on here?
Planting by the Signs has continued to garner accolades, appearing on best-of 2025 lists at Rolling Stone, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, No Depression, FLOOD, PopMatters, Aquarium Drunkard, and more. “Snapping Turtle” was named one of NPR’s Best Songs of 2025. Goodman has a steady slate of touring on the books for 2026, including a 24-show run supporting Jesse Welles, as well as stops at Big Ears, Stagecoach, Kerrville Folk Fest, Wilco’s Solid Sound, and more.
ALL TOUR DATES
4/25 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach
5/7 – Paducah, KY – Lowertown Arts Fest w/ Wheelhouse Rousters and Paducah Symphony
5/15 Lexington, KY – The Burl^
5/21 – Little Rock, AR – Whitewater Tavern
5/22 – Fort Worth, TX – Showroom Sounds @ Printed Threads
5/23 – Kerrville, TX – Kerrville Folk Festival
6/13 – Pineville, KY – Laurel Cove Music Festival
6/19 – Nelsonville, OH – NMF
6/20 – Mt. Solon, VA – Red Wing Roots
6/21 – Baltimore – Metro Gallery $
6/23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird $
6/24 – Lancaster, PA – West Arts $
6/26 – Woodstock, NY – Levon’s
6/27 – North Adams, MA – Solid Sound
6/28 – Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace
7/24 – White Sulphur Springs, MT – Red Ants Pants Fest
7/25 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Folk Fest
9/3 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Folk Fest
9/4 – Dorset, UK – End of the Road Fest
9/24 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon and Beyond
^ w/ Abby Hamilton and Andi Marie Tillman
$ w/ Case Oats
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