The Local Honeys with Murphy Campbell

Though many artists are defined by place, only a handful of artists come to define the places they’re from. The Local Honeys are Kentucky and Kentucky runs through their veins like an unbridled racehorse. When a master songsmith like Tom T Hall calls an artist “a great credit to a wonderful Kentucky tradition” it’s time to pull up a chair and pay attention. As it pertains to The Local Honeys he was right on the money. For almost a decade the duo (Montana Hobbs and Linda Jean Stokley) have been an integral part of the Kentucky musicscape. They’ve paid their dues, garnering countless accolades and accomplishments (tours with Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, praise from the New York Times) and have become the defining sound of real deal, honest-to-god Kentucky music.

An Evening With Shadowgrass

When their instrumental prowess earned them a vast following on social media, childhood friends turned all-star act Shadowgrass found sudden success. But as a young band, the expectations that went along with a large audience proved daunting. “We felt a lot of pressure to make something uniquely us, because we had such a big following, and we felt that they deserved more than what we had given them as of yet.” explains the band. The group dug deep into their own musicality, and tried to block out the noise for their sophomore release All That Will (release date: Oct 4, 2024). “It turned out that dropping those self-imposed expectations and just writing/making music for our own enjoyment was the key to finding our collective voice and making a record we are all proud of.” Shadowgrass began in 2014 when Clay Russell (Banjo), Luke Morris (Mandolin), Kyser George (Guitar) were jamming at the Grayson County Fiddler’s Convention in Elk Creek, VA. Sometime before their first real show, the name Shadowgrass was suggested simply because they thought it sounded “cool”. Kyser, Clay, and Luke were 9, 13, and 14 years old at the time. Now in their early twenties, their influences and listening habits have changed drastically, but the group has always grown in the same direction musically. They have welcomed fiddle player Madison Morris, who also lends vocals and songwriting prowess, and bass player Evan Campfield. Luke and Madison trade off lead vocals, and harmonies seamlessly with one another. Their commitment to and keen interest in songwriting brings additional dimensions to the band, allowing the group to appeal to listeners outside of the expected jam-band community. As a very young band that has already been playing together for a decade, Shadowgrass has a unique bond. “We’ve grown up together and have watched each other evolve into the people we are today”, they say. “It sounds cliche but we definitely act more like siblings than bandmates”. On All That Will, the group explores themes of anxiety and uncertainty, and questioning the people they want to become. Luckily, they’ve had each other to share these experiences with, and it seems that their companionship has only pushed their artistic and musical abilities to new heights.

Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers

At the bottom of the Southwest Virginia foothills half-a-mile from the nearest neighbor, 21-year-old Colby T. Helms resides in an “underground house” built by his late father on land his family has owned for generations. Colby first dreamed of making music his life at age 12, when a group of Blue Ridge Mountain old-time and bluegrass players performed songs like The Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ “Standing On The Rock” and the gospel classic “A Beautiful Life” at his father’s funeral in Boones Mill, VA. To make this dream a reality, he taught himself guitar, banjo, and mandolin by watching local performers and YouTube videos.

Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars

Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars are a genre-bending powerhouse hailing from the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. This unique collaboration brings together a diverse ensemble of musicians, each drawing from distinct musical backgrounds, including rock, blues, classical, jazz, and jam band influences. United by a shared passion for Bluegrass, they’ve woven a tapestry of sound that defies traditional boundaries and expectations. Steven Davidson (Mandolin): Steven’s mandolin skills bring a mesmerizing energy to Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars. He seamlessly weaves intricate melodies that not only pay homage to the roots of Bluegrass but also push the boundaries of the genre. Chad Andrew Harris (Guitar): Chad’s mastery of the guitar creates a captivating sound that is both soulful and powerful. His inventive and melodic playing elevates the band’s music to new heights, adding a touch of magic to every performance. Jake Joines (Dobro): Jake’s nimble fingerpicking and soul-stirring solos on then dobro provide the backbone for Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars’ sound. His instinctual understanding of the genre shines through in his playing, and he brings an undeniable passion to every note. Dennis Contreras (Bass): Dennis holds down the low end with his skillful bass playing, providing the steady foundation that drives the band’s rhythm. His rich and resonant tones perfectly complement the band’s overall sound, lending depth and texture to their music.

Nefesh Mountain Album Release w/ Thunder and Rain and Maia Kamil

The latest album from Nefesh Mountain, Beacons emerged from a bold and wholehearted attemptto transform the world around them. Soon after wrapping up a whirlwind tour booked with themission of spreading their newfound message of radical love, co-founders Doni Zasloff and EricLindberg immersed themselves in the feverish writing of songs that turned their frustrations andfears into irrepressible hope, all while reaching far beyond their bluegrass roots and forging a fiercelyjoyful sound unbound by genre convention. By the time they’d completed that process of musicalalchemy, the New York-based husband-and-wife duo had profoundly refined the band’s vision andvoice and arrived at the unfettered radiance of Beacons: an epic double album affirming NefeshMountain as a singular musical force—one whose deeply impassioned songwriting awakens us tonew ways of navigating an endlessly troubled world.Self-produced and mainly recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Beacons expands onthe soulful intentionality Nefesh Mountain has brought to their music since forming a decade ago.“We live in such strange and divided times, and while we wanted this album to be a full-oncelebration of American music, one of our main goals was to bring love, hope, and positivity into aworld that sorely needs it,” says Lindberg. “In the end we made a choice: instead of getting angry,we just made music.” Although much of the album stemmed from their rumination on the political landscape (political polarization and division throughout the U.S., the Israel–Hamas War, and Russo-Ukrainian Wars), its spirit of purposeful optimism is made all the more potent by Nefesh Mountain’s willingness to speak about their most intimate struggles and triumphs, including the birth of theirnow-three-year-old “miracle baby” Willow, and Zasloff ’s journey with sobriety. “This is definitelythe most revealing and personal album we’ve ever made, which was a big leap for us,” says Zasloff.“At some point it became obvious that if we’re going to really open our hearts, we need to talkabout things we’ve never shared before, with the hope that it will end up helping others.” The result:a selection of lived-in and truly revelatory songs, each providing a beacon-like transmission of upliftand light.The follow-up to Songs for the Sparrows—a 2021 LP praised by Rolling Stone as a “master class in string music”—Nefesh Mountain’s fourth full-lengtheffort, encompasses two distinct discs, the first of which blurs the lines between Americana, blues, country, and psych-folk, offering up an electrified sound created with the help of their longtime live band and guest musicians like pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz (Beck, Joni Mitchell, Ray LaMontagne,Willie Nelson). Meanwhile, the second disc to Beacons finds the duo working again with legendary roots musicians Jerry Douglas (on Dobro), SamBush (mandolin), Rob McCoury (banjo), Cody Kilby (guitar), Mark Schatz (bass), and Stuart Duncan (fiddle), and serving up an all-acoustic lineup ofsongs spotlighting their boundary-pushing form of bluegrass. “Bluegrass has an energy that’s so intense and invigorating, and for this album we wanted to take that even further,” says Zasloff.

An Evening With Arkansauce

Arkansauce calls forth melodies of the Ozark Mountains’rolling hills and raging rivers with theirdistinct blend of newgrass. This progressive string quartet features Tom Andersen on bass, guitarist ZacArchuleta, Ethan Bush on mandolin, and Adams Collins on banjo. Their music features improvisationalstring leads matched with complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and deep thumping bass grooves. Eachmember sings lead and harmony parts as well as contributes to the lyrics, which oﬀer authentic,intelligent songwriting with hard-hitting hooks.Music Mecca’s Spencer Nachman calls them a“fiery, finger-picking string band… What is apparent at anyArkansauce show is their positivity and desire to upli the audience’s spirit, no matter the circumstance.”They are a band inspired not only from their home state of Arkansas, but also throughout their travels.“We are a band that spends most of our time in the back of a van hurtling toward long nights, good times,and a destiny unknown,”says Ethan.“Our inspiration is gathered by events unfolding in our ownadventures in real time. These days, the desire to create, inspire, and redefine within our scene seems tobe the main driving force behind our music. From a young age we were huge fans of live music and wereintroduced to a lot of great music by our families.”

Damn The Banjos

The Kind Thieves w/ Lucid Evolution

Hailing from the heart of Appalachia, The Kind Thieves are a musical tour de force that is far greater than simply the sum of its parts. With members originating from all over the Southern West Virginia region, the Thieves pull influences from musical genres spanning from classic rock to funk to bluegrass, wrapped up in a jam-band bow that promises a 100% original and mind-blowing live experience every time they perform. But jam-band isn’t even a box you can put the Thieves into, with heart-wrenching melodies, jaw-dropping harmonies, and songwriting capability far beyond their years, there is no way of knowing which direction they’ll go next, and no musical stone they’ll leave unturned. The Kind Thieves debut record ‘Many A Thief’ was released in 2017 and continues to win new fans with it’s unforgettable hooks and sweet storytelling sensibilities. Lucid Evolution is an embodiment of the unearthly synergy within the band: the commanding vocals, lyrical prowess, theremin and keyboard sorcery of frontwoman Lynne Holloman, the psychedelic wizardry of guitarist Cam Harrahy, the funk-infused rock rhythms of bassist Sammy Stiles, and the soulful percussion artistry of Brian Holloman. Lucid Evolution’s compositions resonate deeply, stirring profound emotional chords. Their lyrics, melodies, and spontaneous improvisations serve as a soothing elixir for the soul, endeavoring to fill the cosmic void with sonic psychedelic healing.