Bee Million, Burlap Circus, and Panes
Durham, NC, songwriter Ben Newgard formed Bee Million with his brother, drummer Anders Newgard, and best friend and lead guitar player David Smith, before adding bass extraordinaire Lucas Tax to round out the roster. With sonic influences spanning the likes of everything from Angel Olsen to the Rolling Stones to Guided by Voices (after whom they’re named), Bee Million weaves together a rough-and-ragged yet melodic and infectious strand of rock n roll that will linger with you long after the music’s ended.
Lennon KC w/ Melodramatic
Lennon KC is a DIY alternative rock artist from Durham, North Carolina, currently playing as a duo. His sound flows between soft introspective moments and punk-inspired intensity, drawing comparisons to artists like Dominic Fike, The White Stripes, and Twenty One Pilots. His stage presence amplifies these contrasts, creating an experience that is both energized and intimate. Releasing his debut album in 2025, Lennon KC’s ‘Manic Pixie Dream Boy’ navigates selfhood with a soundscape featuring 90’s grunge, indie rock, hip-hop, and bedroom pop.
NC Unplugged featuring Blankstate., Alexa Jenson, and Seneca Burns
Tommy Prine w/ Brad Goodall
Tommy Prine is a Nashville-bred songwriter carving out his own identity with unflinching honesty, dynamic guitar work, and a voice that bridges Americana, indie folk, and Southern storytelling. Following the breakout of his acclaimed debut album This Far South and the momentum around his new EP Love Circle (out now), Prine has emerged as one of the most compelling young artists in the scene — known for emotionally charged live shows, sharp songwriting, and a rapidly growing fanbase across the U.S. and Europe. West Virginia songwriter and piano bard Brad Goodall established himself as a vivid storyteller with his 2022 debut Made In America, which boasted uproariously satirical character studies of sad, desperate men in the vein of Randy Newman and Warren Zevon. Where that album unfolded like a collection of biting short stories, his latest Hometown plays out like an autobiography..
Fancy Gap w/ Josh Moore
Fancy Gap–singer/songwriter Stuart McLamb (The Love Language) and songwriter/producer Charles Crossingham–today shared their stirring new single “Gold Coast.” Capturing both the closeness of love and the ache that distance brings, the emotionally resonant track was originally envisioned as a driving rock song, yet took a new direction when McLamb recorded a one-take performance—just guitar and voice, captured live on a single microphone. “It was just supposed to be a test to see if the song would work stripped down,” he recalls. “But when Charles heard it, he said, ‘There’s something magic here. Don’t lose this feeling.’” The duo built a lush but understated soundscape around the unfiltered performance to create a recording–mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Craig Alvin (Kacey Musgraves, Real Estate) at Nobel Steed Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL–that feels like a memory unfolding in real time. “The song is about what happens when you keep chasing a new horizon but can’t shake what you left behind,” says Crossingham. “You can hear that tension in the way it breathes—it never tries to be perfect; it just feels honest.” “Gold Coast” is out now alongside a videocrafted by acclaimed editor Jessica Ledoux (Netflix’s All the Light We Cannot See, HBO’s Vinyl), who wove together years of McLamb and Crossingham’s own camera footage into a deeply personal visual collage. “This video isn’t about us as a band; it’s about everything that makes life worth writing songs about,” says McLamb. Crossingham adds, “The song and video feel like your life flashing before your eyes. It’s powerful to see all those years of footage woven together into one big memory. I’ve known Jessica since I was 15, so collaborating on this with her felt full-circle. Stu had a great vision for what this could be, and it all just clicked.” Fancy Gap’s self-titled debut album was released last year to praise and support from FLOOD Magazine, Indy Week, Big Takeover, Twangville, and Analogue, among others, as well as performed on PBS North Carolina’s Shaped By Sound. The album, also mixed by Alvin, featured additional contributions from Sharon Van Etten, Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara (vocals on “Filthy Habits”), Will McFarlane (Bonnie Raitt, The Mountain Goats, Etta James), Rami Jaffee (The Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers), and Jon Graboff (Willie Nelson, Noel Gallagher, M. Ward, Norah Jones). The band has also performed with artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, The Nude Party, American Aquarium, Futurebirds, Susto, and more.
JVK, Scoby, and Willingdon
Sugar Meat, Knockout Artist, and The Other Men
Bedrumor, briZB and Grace Lucia
BriZB: Solo indie-rock artist briZB captures fans and tears with her electrifying songwriting and heartbreaking guitar. She pulls from alt-rock, bedroom-pop, and pop-punk influences to write of love and loss and the repercussions of growing. Based in Charlotte, NC, she finds ways to shock the scene alongside her growing online fan base. bedrumor: bedrumor is a Greensboro based band led by Lazuli Ortiz and Ryan Mole. Their music could be described broadly as indie rock with inspirations from jazz. They take inspiration from artists like Herbie Hancock, King Krule, Big Thief, Ichiko Aoba and many others. Grace Lucia: Grace Lucia is a genre-blending rock and roll artist based in Wake Forest, NC, known for high-energy and heartfelt performances that light up bars, restaurants, and stages across the Research Triangle. Her original music fuses elements of dreampop, goth, pop punk, and classic rock, striking a balance between grit and vulnerability in songs that explore resilience, love, and loss. With a voice that cuts through and a stage presence that pulls you in, Graceand her backup band create an atmosphere where every show feels personal. She doesn’t just play for a crowd—she plays with them. Grace Lucia delivers whether you’re ready to dance, laugh, cry, or connect.
McKinney, MAMA, and Grace Cambell
McKinney is a bass player and singer-songwriter. She spent her formative years in southern West Virginia where she literally LIVED inside a music school. Deeply incapable of leaving the Appalachian mountains, but needing an escape from her 6,000 person hometown, she landed right around the bend in Asheville, NC. When McKinney isn’t on stage you might find her teaching music lessons at LEAF Global Arts, working shows at The Orange Peel, or at lock on the rugby pitch. McKinney’s music genre is about as fluid as the average Asheville resident’s sexuality. Her Indie Pop sound is blended with influence from her blues singer mother, a BFA in Jazz, and the 8 year old version of herself that just wants to play classic rock. Although pinning down her genre may be hard, you can consistently expect sad lyrics. You will probably enjoy her lyricism if you are emotionally suppressed and enjoy listening to sad songs to make yourself feel better. MAMA is a Soul Shakin’ Blues project from Asheville, NC. Fronted by Melissa McKinney, a vocalist known for her raw power, emotional delivery, and genuine connection with her audience, the band is quickly making a name for themselves in the blues world. MAMA earned Second Place at the International Blues Challenge this year in Memphis, TN. They also won the Merlefest Band Competition in 2025. Beyond their accolades, Melissa is a leader in the Asheville arts community. She serves as Programming Director for LEAF Global Arts, is the co-founder of the WTF (Women to the Front) Music Festival, and a board member of AVL Fest.
Blue Cactus with Molly & Kate
Rooted in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Blue Cactus got their start among the active honky-tonk circuit, developing an electrified twang that now branches out effortlessly into folk, alt-country, and psychedelic-tinged rock. Having released three records to critical acclaim, they have grown a cult following in the South and beyond, their introspective lyricism and blistering guitar techniques making the band potent in the studio and on stage. Their 2025 album Believer was hailed in Bandcamp’s Best New Country list and earned them slots on SXSW, Hopscotch Fest’s main stage opening for Geese and My Morning Jacket, and PBS’ new original series, Shaped By Sound. Blue Cactus have toured throughout the US, developing a dedicated cult following. From intimate clubs to major festival stages, Blue Cactus is known for connecting deeply with audiences wherever they go.
