Tyler Millard Presents Eight Track: A Songwriter Showcase with a Twist
Four of your favorite songwriters or songwriter teams will be writing eight songs over eight weeks. At the end of the writing period , they will be performing at least half of the songs they just wrote as part of their sets.
Nolan Durham, Prince Of Eden, and TBD
Nolen Durham is a Nashville-based indie artist already known by some for his introspective lyricism, captivating vocals, and energetic live performance. Nolen has been compared to legendary rock artists like Bruce Springstein, War on Drugs, and Sam Fender. He’s already amassed millions of streams and played shows all over the east coast sharing stages with artists like Vacation Manor, Rhineland, & more. He’s kicking off 2026 with a new EP and an east coast tour, while writing for his debut album.
Abigail hosts Colin Cutler and Carlos Rising
Colin Cutler Colin Cutler is a Greensboro, North Carolina-based singer-songwriter, folk musician, poet, and storyteller toting a banjo and guitar. Whether solo or with his band, Hot Pepper Jam, he is a wide-ranging performer whose musical roots draw from the breadth of American folk music—from Appalachian oldtime to blues to gospel to country to rock’n’roll—to form what No Depression has described as “one magnificent tapestry of roots music.” The last couple years have seen Cutler playing across the Southeast, with appearances at Merlefest, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, the North Carolina Folk Festival, Antlers and Acorns Songwriters Festival, and the Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival. Carlos Rising Carlos Rising is a singer-songwriter and frontman based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Growing up as a multi-instrumentalist, he started writing original songs at 13 years old. His work covers a multitude of styles, ranging from indie rock to R&B and soul. In 2023, Carlos competed on Season 23 of NBC’s The Voice, where both Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson turned their chairs during his blind audition. Following the show, he released his first EP, it’s just a phase—a collection of bedroom-produced songs showcasing his vocal ability and songwriting. Carlos has toured the country playing solo shows and band gigs from coast to coast. He’s currently working on his debut album, Amsterdam, rooted in the Wilmington community that’s supported him from the start. Abigail Dowd Our fearless host who still enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire or every third Tuesday night at the Flat Iron. Each month Abigail invites musician friends to fall into space with her and the audience for what she describes as an evening in her adopted living room. They collaborate, share new songs, play old favorites, make things up, make you cry, make you laugh and most of all make you glad you came
Abigail Dowd will host Joey Recchio & Willie Shane Johnston
Matteo Joey Recchio was born in Sparta, NC and started playing the guitar at age 12, playing his first live show at 15. He started in the rock cover scene through college, shifting to blues in the mid 2000’s. As a member of Contagious Blues Band he was a winner of the Charlotte and Triangle Blues society’s IBC competitions. In his second trip to Memphis for the IBC, his band won the Kings of Beale Street contest. In 2009 he joined forces with some of his High School friends in Big Daddy Love and transitioned to the jam band scene. They immediately won the Floyd Fest “On The Rise” competition and followed it up with 4 albums. He has opened for, or shared the stage with, Willie Nelson, Bob Seger, Los Lobos, BlackBerry Smoke, Lukas Nelson, Jimmy Vaughn, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, among others. Clocking in over 2,000 live performances in nearly 40 states, his devotion to writing and performing music has never wavered. Keep an ear out for new recordings and live shows with Big Daddy Love and The Deluge, as well as a solo EP being recorded with the help of his musical comrades Jeremy Merritt and Willie Shane Johnston. Willie Shane Johnston is from Grenada, Mississippi. Between Grenada and his father’s hometown of Clarksdale, there was ample influence of Delta Blues. As a child his grandmother gave him his first harmonica, and lessons, but asked him to keep it a secret since some family members viewed blues as “the devil’s music”. Willie has played blues from Florida to International festivals in Canada; New York to Colorado. He has recorded 4 albums. He has opened for Delbert McClinton, Buddy Guy, ZZ Top, George Jones, Shamekia Copeland, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Hubert Sumlin, R.L. Burnside, John Hammond and many other artists. Over the years, his bands WSNB, and The Red Dirt Revelators have won every single blues society competition in North Carolina, and Cape Fear, SC. WSNB placed third in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, with a performance at the historical Orpheum Theatre. Willie continues his pursuit of writing, recording, and performing blues music at every opportunity. Abigail Dowd Our fearless host who still enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire or every third Tuesday night at the Flat Iron. Each month Abigail invites musician friends to fall into space with her and the audience for what she describes as an evening in her adopted living room. They collaborate, share new songs, play old favorites, make things up, make you cry, make you laugh and most of all make you glad you came
Diali Cissokho Trio w/ Demeanor
The Diali Cissokho Trio brings together three internationally acclaimed musicians whose work blends deep cultural roots with emotional resonance. United by their devotion to the transformative power of music, each member of the trio brings a unique perspective, celebrating and crossing cultural boundaries with their mastery of West African rhythms and instruments. Diali Cissokho, a virtuoso kora player and percussionist from Senegal, hails from a long line of Manding griots, whose role as historians and storytellers has been passed down through generations. Diali’s music, steeped in his ancestral heritage, merges explosive rhythms with hypnotic grooves, sharing the history, wisdom, and spirit of his culture through song. After years of performing in Senegal and Europe, Diali moved to the U.S. to continue spreading the beauty of traditional West African music. Will Ridenour, a kora player and percussionist from Greensboro, NC was drawn to West African music after a life-changing encounter with traditional dance. Studying in Mali and Senegal, Will’s music blends both traditional and modern global influences with his original melodies. He has performed in 40 states and 28 countries and works with a variety of artistic ventures across North Carolina, including the West African dance band Kaira Ba and Paperhand Puppet Intervention. Atiba Rorie, a skilled percussionist and founder of the multi-genre band Africa Unplugged, has studied with masters such as Bradley, Simmons, Babatunde Olatunji, and Chief Bey. His performances span prestigious venues worldwide, from Dance Africa in New York to Presidential Inauguration Celebrations. Atiba teaches at Guilford College and continues to inspire with his mastery of percussion, using music as a tool for connection and healing. Together, the Diali Cissokho Trio creates a powerful collective force, merging their individual expertise to uplift and inspire. Through their performances and teachings, they offer a profound, cross-cultural experience, using the universal language of music to heal, connect, and inspire.
The Keith Allen Circus + Solar Circuit w/ The Wright Ave.
Tom Hamilton w/ The Wright Ave Duo
Tom Hamilton’s guiding creative principle is very simple: he doesn’t like to repeat himself artistically.For the Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter andguitarist, this mindset stems from a deep-seated motivation to keep pushing himself as an artist —to delve into different lyrical themes and musical detours, to explore potentially uncomfortable and unfamiliar emotional places.”That’s a thrilling prospect,” says Hamilton. “To find the deeper things inside and to open up those doors that I didn’t even know were there.”As founding member of Brothers Past, American Babies, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Ghost Light and Billy and The Kids, Hamiltonhas written/recorded roughlya dozen albums and EPs and shared the stage with everyone from John Mayer to Bob Weir to Billy Strings.Hamilton’s debut record as a solo artist will be released in late 2025.
BMFS AFTER PARTY! W/ NORTH STATE GRASS & YELLER GRASS STRING BAND
North State Grass 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.
Florencia & The Feeling w/ Lua Flora
Johnson City, Tennessee-based pop-funk band Florencia & the Feeling independently released their crowd-funded debut album Birthday in March 2023, which Vents Magazine hailed as “pure, unadulterated fun.” Since forming in April 2021, the quintet has been lighting up stages across the eastern U.S. with electrifying live shows bursting with joy, groove, and connection. Their infectious energy and genre-bending sound have earned them top honors as winners of both the 2025 FloydFest On-The-Rise Competition and the 2024 MerleFest Band Competition, along with coveted spots at festivals including Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (TN/VA), Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival (NC), and Rooster Walk (VA). Blending upbeat funky rhythms, heartfelt songwriting, soaring four-part harmonies, and a touch of jazz and Latin flair, Florencia & the Feeling create a sound uniquely their own. Fronted by Florencia Rusinol (lead vocals) alongside Andrew Kramer (guitar), Isaac Ratliff (keys), Nick Castro (bass), and Austin Herron (drums), the band draws from funk, jazz, Nu Soul, jam, pop, indie rock, and roots influences. Radio Bristol praised their “tight rhythmic jams and groovy guitar riffs,” while Glide Magazine called them “deeply infectious & brimming with energy.” Creating in a state of constant adventure, Asheville, NC-based Lua Flora has successfully unified sounds that typically don’t go together. Led by the expressive and intentional pen of songwriter Evan Button, the “roots pop” act seamlessly blends Americana, pop, and indie folk with the rhythmic undercurrents of Caribbean and West African traditions, crafting songs that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant. Taking the show from backyard parties to national stages, Lua Flora has supported artists like Satsang, Franc Moody, Arts Fishing Club, and more, while appearing at festivals such as FloydFest, Rooster Walk, and Shakori Hills. Further cementing their reputation as a rising force in contemporary songwriting, Lua Flora has recently collaborated with singer-songwriters Brett Dennen and Mihali, marking milestone moments that underscore the project’s heart-first approach and growing influence in the modern songwriting landscape.
Time Sawyer w/ Drew Foust
Time Sawyer’s name reflects the pull between the past and the future. The character Tom Sawyer evokes the rural background and love of home that the band shares. Time is a muse for songwriting; it’s the thread that runs through life, bringing new experiences and giving us a sense of urgency, while still connecting us with our past. The folk-rock band has performed on the stages of some of the Southeast’s most iconic festivals, including Merlefest, Floydfest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Albino Skunk Music Festival, and Carolina in the Fall. They’ve shared bills with American Aquarium, John Craigie, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, John Moreland, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Wood Brothers, Susto, and many more. In March 2020 the band started a variety livestream called “Sam on Sunday.” The show originated out of necessity, as the pause button was hit for live shows, but quickly, connecting with friends, family, and fans each week became just as important. As live music returned, the project transformed into “Sam on Someday,” bringing together guest artists of widely varying genres to create memorable, one-time-only collaborative experiences. Time Sawyer’s songs call out the attitudes and behaviors that lead to our divisions – the way that we show understanding to our friends and family, without thinking about how folks outside our social circle are experiencing their own problems, and are, at heart, just like us. The music does what might seem impossible. It holds listeners accountable, but at the same time, draws them in and makes them feel good about what we all have in common. One of Time Sawyer’s goals has always been for listeners to feel a sense of community and connection during the show, and then to keep it with them, long after the music ends. Written by Jody Mace
