Wes Collins & Jamie Harris
Jaimee Harris’s sophomore effort Boomerang Town marks a bold step forward for this country-folk-leaning singer-songwriter. It is an arresting, ambitious song-cycle that explores the generational arc of family, the stranglehold of addiction, and the fragile ties that bind us together as Americans.Harris began cultivating Boomerang Town in 2016, a time of great loss for many in the Americana community, with the songwriter losing several musicians close to her. A shift in the nation’s political landscape had ushered in a new level of cultural polarization and for someone who grew up in a small town outside of Waco, Texas, Harris believed the values instilled by her parents were not entirely in line with how many were viewing, and vilifying, Christians. As a person in recovery, Harris has had to re-evaluate her own connection to faith and find strength in a higher power. It was from the intersection of these social, personal, and political currents that the album was born.While themes of addiction and grief permeate sections of the record, it echoes hope in the face of the darkness. Out February 17th, Boomerang Town understands that love and grief are two sides of the same coin. At age 44, Wes Collins and his wife Anita made a pact to become writers: she started writing fiction and Wes penned his first song. A few years later, they were both multi-award-winners in their fields. Collins more than makes up for lost time with songs that dig deep and go to uncertain, sometimes scary places. Come for a haunting melody and some intricate fingerpicking and stay for the wit and deep literary intelligence. There is always more to find in a Wes Collins song. Wes has played shows from coast to coast including: The Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville, TN; The Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX; the Cary Theater in Cary, NC (opening for Dave Olney); and many more. He is a winner of the prestigious Grassy Hills New Folk Competition and a North Carolina Arts Council Songwriting Fellowship, and has been featured as a finalist in The Telluride Troubadour Contest in Telluride, CO; The Songwriter’s Serenade Competition in Moravia, TX; and The Wildflower Performing Songwriter Contest in Dallas, TX.
Amy Martin And Bonnie & The Mere Mortals w/ Matt Elias
Originally from Harrisonburg, Virginia, Amy Martin spent the majority of her adult life in her beloved hometown. In 2021, Martin relocated to Denver, Colorado. On her latest album, “Travelin’ On”, Martin explores the breaking point between investing in a problematic, yet beloved hometown, and moving on to fully realize one’s self and one’s dreams. She was first inspired by female powerhouse singers like Martina McBride and Janis Joplin, but after finishing high school she found herself fronting a bluegrass band. For ten years the band toured regionally and built a loyal local following, and Martin’s own musical voice began merging the line between string band and soul. On her album, Martin displays compassionate confidence, born from years of developing not only a musical voice but a certain outlook on life. “I feel like every song is saying something”, she says, “And within that, there is a message that I’ve found my stride as an artist and as a person. I am sitting in the pocket of myself. I’m finding out what it is to love, and to be true to myself.” Amy Martin’s latest album is produced by Grammy Award Winning Artist, Chance McCoy.Bonnie & the Mere Mortals are a Southern Gothic outfit that sound like what would happen if Dolly Parton ever met the Cure. Their signature blend of Appalachian Americana with Synthwave and Shoegaze has brought them all around the surrounding regions with a fast growing audience of everyone from cowboys to goth rockers, from Nashville to New York. Matt Elias grew up in one of many small coal towns in southwestern Pennsylvania, helping out on his grandfather’s farm and making his own fun, which mostly meant playing the guitar and using whatever substances he could get his hands on. He has honed his craft starting at age 9: playing lead guitar and being a side man in bands ranging from rock n’ roll to death metal, from tribute bands to Americana. He currently plays guitar in both Feralcat and the Wild and Bonnie & the Mere Mortals, as well as several cover and tribute acts. He has played thousands of shows in over a dozen states, all the while preparing to step to center stage in his own way.Elias has never been a fan of celebrity, stardom, or big personalities, but the music is a different story. To Elias, the song is the hero, not the person who wrote it, and his songs have plenty to say. Elias writes songs as a conduit, stepping out of the way so the stories can take the limelight. “Soil,” Matt Elias’s upcoming first album, is the culmination of years of stories–stories of dedication, love and loss, personal battles with addiction, and life and growth in a crumbling Appalachian coal town. “Soil” drops on February 29, 2024, and we’re guaranteed more stories from a man worth listening to. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube, and keep an eye out for his debut tour in 2024.
The Dead Tongues (Solo) w/ Josh Moore
After five months of not picking up an instrument, The Dead Tongues’ Ryan Gustafsonwanted to get rid of everything that was tied to his identity as a musician. He eventhought about changing his name. He was getting ready to throw out old notebookspacked with years of material but, for some reason, he decided to stop and go throughthem, just to see if there was anything worth saving. And sure enough, he found someimages and lyrics, threads from former selves he didn’t want to lose. Thus was thecatalyst for Dust, his fifth and best album as The Dead Tongues.Gustafson recorded Dust in nine days, the fastest he’d ever recorded anything. It wasthe fastest he’d ever written anything, too – in the past, writing a song would takemonths, but this time he somehow felt freer, and wanted to have fun. The record wasrecorded at Sylvan Esso’s studio, Betty’s, in the woods of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.He built it out with help from a number of his musician friends – Joe Westerlund(Watchhouse, Megafaun, Califone) on drums, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) onmandolin, backing vocals from Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Molly Sarlé of MountainMan, among others.Dust is meant to be listened to while taking a night drive, farflung and roving andexistential. Somewhere between the expansiveness of American jamband and thebanjo-centric folk songwriting of Gustafson’s Appalachia home. Gustafson explains thethematic throughline succinctly: “It’s this idea of uprooting and rebirth and cycles, andthe past informing the future, and the future informing the past. There is no single story.Everything is connected.”
Holler Choir + Spencer Thomas (of Futurebirds) + Rose Hotel
Led by the lyrical craftsmanship of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Clint Roberts, the distinctly Appalachian, old-time sound of Asheville’s Holler Choir combines haunting harmonies, stirring string compositions, and heart-wrenching ballads, yet hardly conforms to a stereotypical genre. Call it a confluence of old-time, Americana, and bluegrass, but, by its own exceptional design, the sound and atmosphere of Holler Choir are singular. Robert’s wordcraft and explosive vocal range is met with the dulcet clawhammer banjo plucking of long-time collaborator Helena Rose and the sturdy timekeeping of upright bassist Norbert McGettigan. With a rotating cast of gifted musicians featured on Holler Choir’s recordings and electrifying live performances, it’s no wonder they are the band to watch in 2023. The band’s inception began when recording Robert’s 2022 solo release, entitled “Mountain Air”. That fortuitous collaboration of gifted roots musicians at Asheville’s Crossroads Studios proved to be the genesis of an unmistakable new sound built on that shared experience. Produced by Grammy award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Michael Ashworth, of The Steep Canyon Rangers, the five-song EP lit the fuse and Holler Choir was well on its way to delight audiences throughout the southeast and beyond.
Joe Kaplow
A person is made from their moments, like their music is made. I know this is a bio but I shouldn’t have to say much. Listen to the record. If I’ve done my job well, you will know me by the end. Posh, Poodle, Krystal and Toe is the third full length album from Santa Cruz based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Kaplow. Appropriately named after his bandmates’ nicknames, this record is a more cohesive ‘band’ statement than his previous self-recorded work. Most tracks were cut over a five day span, performed live at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with engineer Bart Budwig. They were learned and workshopped on the spot, thus capturing very honest, energetic, and ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ moments. The record was mixed underground at Vin Christopher’s studio, Heavy Meadow in Portland, Oregon. Posh, Poodle, Krystal and Toe takes Kaplow’s singularly unique, honest and raw songwriting style and propels it forward with spontaneous collaboration, undeniable rhythm, and sound imagery. The record will be released on 5.17.24 on Fluff and Gravy Records.
Max Gomez
Singer and songwriter Max Gomez grew up in Taos, New Mexico, the son of a Portuguese-Spanish father and an Irish-Scottish mother. He fell under the influence of country blues early on, and then moved to classic modern singer/songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and John Prine, as well as folk-based rockers like Tom Petty and Neil Young, honing his songwriting skills and developing a style that melded all of his influences but was still uniquely his. Gomez released a debut album, the Jeff Trott-produced Rule the World, on New West Records in 2013. After touring steadily following the release of his debut, Gomez paired with producer Jim Scott for the 2017 EP Me & Joe. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi
Totally Slow (EP release show) with Shehehe, Instant Regrets, and Wolvesx4
Totally Slow Shehehe (Athens, GA) Instant Regrets (Greensboro) Wolvesx4 (Winston Salem)
Deaf Andrews + Jack The Radio
Conceived in the daydreams of adolescence, Deaf Andrews has blossomed from their roots, into a unique sonic flower of indie pop rock. It is the product of five best friends from Charlotte, NC making music that means something to them. Consisting of Nick Hayes (Vocals), Mike Sherrard (guitar), Ross Schumann (bass), Andrew Kingsley (guitar) and Braedon Nelson (drums). Deaf Andrews has continued to push their personal limits of creativity and emotional tuneness. Making it a priority to capture some of the magic energy that fuels their live shows, the sound is organic, direct, and channels the essence of true rock and roll while also exploring the experimental freedom of modern indie pop. Their latest release in 2023: “Phone Line” harkens back to the youthful bliss experienced during the formative years of life. Catchy guitar layers and smooth tones are complemented with rousing lyrics that underscore feelings of love, recklessness, and comfort.North Carolina roots-rockers Jack the Radio blend rock and blues sensibility with Americana, folk, and country to create a tapestry of swampy southern-tinged sounds. The band has shared the stage with The Avett Brothers, Hall & Oates, George Thorogood, Cold War Kids, Rayland Baxter, and American Aquarium to name a few. Their music has been featured in commercial, film, and TV projects including Modern Family, Boardwalk Empire, as well as in sports programming for NASCAR, NFL, PGA, and AEW.
Abigail Dowd’s Singer Songwriter Series Featuring Martha Bassett, Jess Klein, and Jane Kramer
Martha Bassett Martha Bassett has fronted multiple NC bands, playing swing, bossa nova, and Americana music. She hosts The Martha Bassett Show, which is a bi-monthly live musical variety show at the Reeves Theater in Elkin that features national, regional, and local musicians. TMBS is currently broadcast on radio throughout central and western NC, TN, KY, and VA. www.marthabassett.com Jess Klein Singer-songwriter Jess Klein – whom the New York Times calls “a songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity” – has always used music to dream her way forward. Over multiple decades and 11 albums, Klein has pursued a creative evolution that has seen her delve into her own empowerment for emotional insights, while continuing to refine her eloquently melodic, effortlessly accessible song–craft. www.jessklein.com Jane Kramer Lauded by UK music reviewer Three Chords and the Truth as sounding like she was “…born to gypsy poets and raised in the mountains by Emmylou Harris,” Asheville, North Carolina songstress Jane Kramer has garnered international recognition for the sultry, heartrending originality of her vocals and for the heavy-hitting lyrical eloquence of her songwriting. With deep roots in the musical traditions, culture and lore of her beloved Appalachia, Kramer’s songs are introspective, gracefully gritty and fiercely memorable. www.janekramermusic.com
Hustle Souls
Hustle Souls is an Asheville, NC based soul/rock band who fuse nostalgic soul aesthetics with modern sensibilities; recently named one of “Music Connections” Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands. With relentless touring, sold out shows and major festival appearances the band has earned a reputation as one of the East Coast’s most promising acts.