Jason Scott & The High Heat
Caught halfway between amplified Americana and heartland roots-rock, Jason Scott & the High Heat create a sweeping, dynamic sound that reaches far beyond the traditions of their Oklahoma City home. Too loud for folk music and too textured for Red Dirt, this is the sound of a genuine band rooted in groove, grit, and its own singular spirit, led by a songwriter whose unique past — a Pentecostal upbringing, years logged as a preacher-in-training, and an eventual crisis of faith — has instilled both a storyteller’s delivery and an unique perspective about life, love, and listlessness in the modern world. Case in point, in 2018 Scott earned critical acclaim as a songwriter when the second track “She Good To Me” off his DIY EP Living Rooms (2017 landed on NPR World Cafe’s Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing alongside songs by MGMT, Moby, and Jade Bird. It was only the beginning of a new life on a new kind of stage. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, and session musician, Scott spent a year balancing life on the road and life in the studio, where he produced albums for Americana artists like Carter Sampson, Ken Pomeroy, and Nellie Clay. Things began to expand as he assembled the High Heat, a band of multi-faceted musicians and roots-rock Renaissance men who, like their frontman, juggled multiple artistic pursuits. Together, Jason Scott & the High Heat have since become a self-contained creative collective whose talents include songwriting, music production, photography, video direction, and more. In 2022 the band made a pronounced impact with their debut album Castle Rock, a melting pot of sounds from the heartland sweep of Tom Petty to the story-driven Americana of Jason Isbell, the nostalgic hooks of ’90s country music to the sharp songwriting of James Taylor mixed with John Prine’s lyrical blend of cutting insight and laugh-out-loud humor. The album also spent two months in the Top 50 of the Americana chart reaching all the way to #36 and outlets across the globe started taking notice of this groove oriented, rock-infused band with crazy brilliant songs. NPR, The Boot, Holler, BBC Radio Scotland, Wide Open Country, Bluegrass Situation, Farce The Music, Ditty TV, Americana Music Show and Gimme Country all applauded the band’s first full length effort with emphasis on the bright future to come. During this time their live show was catching equal recognition branding them as “the band to see” pretty much anywhere they played. In short order they were on the road performing at some of the most renowned music festivals includong the Stagecoach festival, Born and Raised Fest, Mile 0 Fest, Norman Music Festival and the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, and supported a variety of bands including Band of Heathens, Eli Young Band, Gin Blossoms, Josh Abbott, Vandoliers, The Damn Quails, MIPSO, Parker Millsap, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Kaitlin Butts.
Jess Klein + Doug Davis
Over a career that spans more than a decade and a half and has won her a devoted worldwide fan base, Jess Klein—who possesses what Mojo magazine calls “one of those voices you want to crawl up close to the speakers to listen to” has pursued a remarkable creative evolution that’s seen her dig ever deeper for resonant emotional insights, while continuing to refine her eloquently melodic, effortlessly accessible songcraft. Jon Pareles of The New York Times calls her “a songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity…who finds parables in the everyday and also finds humanity behind the archetypal.” After years of producing, arranging, and composing for artists from across the country, Doug Davis is going all in as a solo singer-songwriter. Drawing on decades of experience performing with musicians like Chris Stamey, Mitch Easter, Alejandro Escovedo, Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Kano, and so many others, Davis infuses his classic American roots style with a bit of everything from power pop to punk.
Emerging Artists Series: Sam Burchfield and The Scoundrels W/ Chris McGinnis
EMERGING ARTIST SERIES:Sam Burchfield and The Scoundrels w/ Local Emerging Artist: Chris McGinnisPresented by The Wyndham Championshipand MusicGreensboro Sam Burchfield was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, where he learned to play and learned to write. His youth was steeped in the mossy creeks and deep ravines of those ancient woods, and they imbued him with the gift of song. Now in his thirties, Burchfield raises a small family in the North Georgia mountains and continues to find inspiration in the rivers and ridges of Southern Appalachia. His latest album ‘Me & My Religion’ was produced with his touring band, The Scoundrels. It is the first collaboration for the group after years of paying dues to the highway. Colin Agnew (drums), Trygve Myers (bass), and Ryan Plumley (guitar) accompanied Burchfield to Muscle Shoals, Alabama along with Nashville producer, Rachael Moore, to record the album of 7 days. This 10 track album is almost equal parts Americana, psychedelia, indie folk, and Southern rock. All these flavors combine to support the album’s main theme. As seasoned listeners will expect, Burchfield’s lyrics are far from on the nose, as the declarative title would suggest. ‘Me & My Religion’ is an exploration of mankind’s toil for meaning in a world of vapid consumerism and commercialism – one in which we have become deaf to our own harmony with nature. Despite the weight of these ideas, the album feels like a lighthearted sojourn through the backwoods of our imagination. **FEATURING LOCAL EMERGING ARTIST: CHRIS MCGINNISNorth Carolina artist Chris McGinnis writes songs that exist somewhere between a hiccup and a heartache. His most recent EP, ‘Songs For You,’ touches on the peculiarity of your hometown morphing beyond recognition. It tells the story of two Baby Boomers falling in and out of love across time zones and decades. It’s about connection and disconnection alike. With the release of his debut full-length album ‘Mamaw’s Angel,’ Chris veers deeper into these familiar themes. Through tales of stolen Winnebagos and hip-shaking grandbabies, Chris’ music is Appalachian absurdity for the 21st Century.
Minor Gold, Wes Collins, and Andrew Delaney
Blending sixth sense harmonies with sun-dappled folk-rock, Minor Gold are an award-winning duo led by vocalists and guitarists Dan Parsons (AUS) & Tracy McNeil (CAN). With heartfelt songs, free-spirited rhythms and an undeniable stage chemistry, their music floats you down desert highways and through coastal canyons. Living the life on international highways & backroads since they formed in 2022, the duo kicks off 2025 with a new single, Way to the Sun – the title track from their forthcoming sophomore album, produced by Dan Horne (Mapache, Cass McCombs) backed by a North American tour. Wes Collins’ songs dig deep and go to uncertain, sometimes scary places. On his new album “Jabberwockies” (available June 3) you meet a woman who fears her power over men, and eavesdrop on both a precious friendship destroyed by unrequited romantic feelings and an addict in full-fledged panic. A lyric suggesting you “look out for the people who love you” takes a nasty twist in the last verse: “You got a scar on your spirit? / Somebody who loved you was probably holding the knife.” “Wes Collins has a wonderful gift for telling stories from truly unique points of view. Every narrator in Jabberwockies reveals thoughts I’ve had, but would certainly be terrified to express. Wes is a courageous songwriter. Wes also has that magical musical sensibility that makes me hit “repeat” on his songs. He makes my favorite records and he’s one of my ultimate favorite musical artists.”Jaimee Harris “(Collins) is one of the best songwriters in the (North Carolina) Triangle’s vital Americana quadrant.Author and critic David Menconi “Wes Collins’ songs have a way of circling around my mood and elevating it. His music makes me feel better, no matter how my day is going. I congratulate him on his new record Jabberwockies, a stellar collection of new songs, beautiful vocals, and glorious harmonies by Jaimee Harris and Crystal Hariu-Damore. I can’t stop listening to it, I love it!”Mary Gauthier Andrew Delaney is an unorthodox singer/songwriter, storyteller, and producer from Arlington, TX. He has spent the last few years touring throughout the U.S. and winning numerous awards and accolades for his writing, as well as having his songs performed and recorded by other artists. Legendary folk DJ Rich Warren once called him “The Alfred Hitchcock of singer/songwriters”. His songs are informed as much by the lyrics-as-literature styles of Tom Waits and James McMurtry as they are by the camp and audacity of The Rocky Horror Picture Show; and are notable for their wit, candor, and often their dark humor. He sells them on the internet for about a dollar.
Song & Supper: A Wheelhouse Fundraiser
Sponsor Drew Foust & The Wheelhouse’s New Album: “First Generation Free Thinker”We’re recording our new album, First Generation Free Thinker, and we’re inviting businesses topartner with us through exclusive sponsorship opportunities! Your sponsorship will supportindependent music while giving your brand valuable marketing exposure.Why Sponsor?●Tax-Deductible Marketing Expense – Your sponsorship qualifies as a businessadvertising expense. Invoice/receipts provided.●Brand Exposure – Get your logo featured on merchandise, at live events, and in ouralbum credits.●Exclusive Perks – Enjoy VIP access, special shoutouts, and even a private concert!Sponsorship Packages$250 – Silver Package●Your logo on our official Drew Foust & The Wheelhouse T-shirt (worn and sold at allevents).●Logo placement at our merch table at live shows.●Shoutout in our album credits as a valued sponsor.$500 – Gold Package●Everything in the Silver Package, plus:●A personalized video shoutout from us to share on your social media.●Free admission to all of our shows for a year (for one representative).$1000 – Platinum Package●Everything in the Gold Package, plus:●A private concert for your business, event, or team (within reasonable distance).How Your Sponsorship HelpsYour contribution helps cover recording, production, and distribution costs, allowing us to bringFirst Generation Free Thinker to life while giving your business exposure to our growing fanbase.*We are also offering the same packages for individuals who are interested in donating withoutthe tax deduction incentive.Get Involved Today!To become a sponsor, contact us at dfoustmusic@gmail.com or visit drewfoustmusic.com. Let’smake music and marketing magic together
Noah Guthrie w/ Bonnie Stewart
Americana singer-songwriter Noah Guthrie’s sound has been described aspossessing Chris Stapleton’s country/rock grit with the authenticity of JasonIsbell. The unique soulfulness in his richly textured voice and theunmistakable Southern influence in his music makes him capable ofconveying emotion as only a handful of artists can in today’s musicallandscape. Noah’s latest album, BLUE WALL, honors the Blue RidgeMountains where he grew up and still resides. Noah is passionate aboutmaking good, honest music – music that sounds like him – music that relates -music that makes the listener feel something.Noah has built a strong following through powerful live performances, socialmedia and television. He has released three critically-acclaimed albums. Hehas also performed on NBC’s Today Show and Tonight Show, HallmarkChannel’s Home & Family, and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. The producersat the hit FOX TV show, GLEE, discovered his YouTube channel and were soimpressed with Noah’s voice, that they recruited him as a cast member for thesixth season of the show. Noah was also a semi-finalist on the 13th season ofAmerica’s Got Talent.As a solo performer (as well as with his band, Good Trouble) Noah hasperformed at major festivals, fairs and clubs all over the United States andEurope. Noah has opened for an impressive group of artists including EdSheeran, Ben Rector, Corey Smith, Sister Hazel, Matt Nathanson, DwightYoakam and has had the rare privilege of opening 12 shows for the legendaryWillie Nelson.
Wim Tapley & The Cannons w/ Five Door Sedan and Andrew Montana
Based in Athens, Georgia, Wim Tapley came of age playing shows in Washington D.C. where he honed his voice with the passion of a born troubadour. Since 2021, Wim and his live band The Cannons have called Athens home. His first week in Georgia, he made his way onto a local bill, etching a name for himself as a fresh and favorite hometown voice. He is ardently received by his ever-growing following at legendary venues like the Georgia Theatre and the 9:30 Club, along with tours across the East Coast. Firmly rooted in Americana and dashed with catchy pop sensibilities, the swinging depths of neo-soul, and a sprinkling of riotous horns, Wim’s arresting sound is as fresh as it is ageless, as fevered as it is raucous fun. A sonic westward expansion of fuzzed-out guitars, defiant horns, and dusty vocals, his discography blazes a new take on folk and soul while honoring the songwriting giants that paved the way before him like Jason Isbell, Bill Withers, and Chris Stapleton. Five Door Sedan is a progressive indie rock group from Charleston, SC. Tight rhythms, deep lyrics, and passionate playing make this band a powerhouse of musicality. In their debut year they’ve relentlessly toured the southeast and Midwest playing for hundreds of music lovers in college towns like Athens, Gainesville, Boone, Savannah, Indianapolis, Nashville, Jacksonville, Columbia, and Charleston. Bio (if you need it to be shorter, just use the middle paragraph) Andrew Montana is an indie folk artist with roots that span from Mexico to Appalachia. As the only son of two teen parents, he was born in San Bernardino, CA in 1999. Montana attended college at UC Berkeley, majoring in Art. Montana has been making music since the age of 12, and found mainstream success in 2021 when his murder ballad, “Strawberry” went viral and precipitated the production of his debut album, Azalea, Holly, to much acclaim. Montana found further viral success with his songs “Waylon” and “Blood Orange Morning Light.” In 2024, he put out a 15-song record of stripped down folk ballads (American Pastoral) and toured the country. He is currently releasing singles in advance of his third album, Here by the Willows. Montana currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his girlfriend and their two critters, where he records albums in their bedroom and rides horses in his free time.
Paul McDonald and the Mourning Doves
Paul McDonald’s voice is immediately recognizable and impossible to ignore. Often compared to legends like Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan, the poetic story-driven narratives and deeply catchy hooks in his music are delivered by a raspy yet refined voice reminiscent of another era that demands to be heard right now. He pulls off the rare feat of being a poet, visual artist, songwriter, adamant performer, and a powerful vocalist. Paul’s hope is to spread peace, love, and unity through his music. Connection & community through song. He’s currently writing for his next album and planning to tour extensively in 2024.
The Tan And Sober Gentlemen + Driftwood
Born and raised in North Carolina, the T an and SoberGentlemen began taking the songs, stories, and tunes thatmake up their beloved state’s musical tradition before theycould talk. The music of the Carolinas, (and Appalachia ingeneral) stems from the marriage of the Irish fiddle and theAfrican banjo, which first met in the American South beforethe Revolution. The T an and Sober Gentlemen aim to bringthese traditions full circle. They play Irish tunes, ballads, andpub songs right next to the Appalachian fiddle tunes of theiryouth, melding the two into what they call “Irish-Americanhillbilly music. ” Meanwhile, they have earned a reputation asone of the South’s hardest-hitting live acts, playing at blazingtempos, and putting every last bit of energy they possessinto the show. The result is a raucous celebration of theCarolinas’ Irish heritage, with drinking, dancing, andmerriment galore. Music has guided Driftwood to hallowed ground many times since its founding members, JoeKollar and Dan Forsyth, started making music as high schoolers in Joe’s parents’ basement.Whether the Upstate New York folk rock group—which today also includes violinist Claire Byrne,bassist Joey Arcuri, and drummer Sam Fishman—are converting new fans on a hardscrabbletour across the country or playing to a devoted crowd at hero Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn,the band’s shapeshifting approach to folk music continues to break new ground. And yet inmany ways Driftwood’s latest work, the transformative December Last Call, finds the groupcoming home.Recorded in that very same basement where the Driftwood dream began, December Last Calllyrically reflects on the recent past, musing on the ways the group grew up, together and apart,through curveballs like new parenthood or pandemic shutdowns. But sonically, the band’s sixthalbum looks confidently to the future, experimenting with new sounds while staying true to thebluegrass roots that built them. Across the album’s nine tracks, the band often leans intohard-rocking electric guitars and driving percussion: On “Every Which Way But Loose,” we get afoot-tapping beat and a sweeping chorus, and on “Up All Night Blues,” the band shines with anambling, sing-along-able reflection on the challenges of new motherhood. But other tracks, likestandout closer “Stardust,” take a simpler route, allowing bare-bones vocals and acousticinstrumentals to underpin a deeper emotional message.
BJ Barham (American Aquarium Solo)
For nearly two decades, American Aquarium have pushed toward that rare form of rock-and-roll that’s revelatory in every sense. “For us the sweet spot is when you’ve got a rock band that makes you scream along to every word, and it’s not until you’re coming down at three a.m. that you realize those words are saying something real about your life,” says frontman BJ Barham. “That’s what made us fall in love with music in the first place, and that’s the goal in everything we do.”On their new album The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina-bred bandem body that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, endlessly matching their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. As he reflects on matters both personal and sociocultural—e.g., the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights—American Aquarium instill every moment of The Fear of Standing Still with equal parts unbridled spirit and illuminating empathy. Recorded live at the legendary Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, The Fear of Standing Still marks American Aquarium’s second outing with producer Shooter Jennings—a three-time Grammy winner who also helmed production on 2020’s critically lauded Lamentations, as well as albums from the likes of Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker. In a departure from the stripped-down subtlety of 2022’sChicamacomico(a largely acoustic rumination on grief), the band’s tenth studio LP piles on plenty of explosive riffs and hard-charging rhythms, bringing a visceral energy to the most nuanced and poetic of lyrics. “In our live show the band’s like a freight train that never lets up, and for this record I really wanted to showcase how big and anthemic we can be,” notes Barham, whose bandmates include guitarist Shane Boeker, pedal-steel guitarist Neil Jones, keyboardist Rhett Huffman, drummer Ryan Van Fleet, and bassist Alden Hedges. Mixed by four-time Grammy winner Trina Shoemaker (Queens of the Stone Age,Emmylou Harris),The Fear of Standing Still shares its title with one of the first songs Barham wrote for the album—a soul-baring look at how raising a family has radically altered his priorities and perspective. In the process of creating what he refers to as “a record about growing up and growing older,” Barham also found his songwriting closely informed by his ten years of sobriety, as well as his ever-deepening connection with American Aquarium’s community of fans. “Whenever someone tells me that one of our songs helped them in some way, it encourages me to be more and more open—almost like peeling a layer off an onion,” he says.“This album is a writer 18 years into his career, peeling away the next layer and seeing just how human we can make this thing.”
