Songwriter Series w/ Abigail Dowd: ft. Karla Davis + George Hage
Karla Davis is a soulful singer/songwriter originally from Monroe, North Carolina. Having performed on the stages of NBC’s The Voice, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Grand Ole Opry, and the Ryman, Karla has certainly found her voice. Often described as having a “country blue-eyed soul” sound, it’s no surprise that Davis’ inspiration is rooted in artists like Roberta Flack, James Taylor, and Bonnie Rait. You can find Karla’s recently released unique cover of the Bruce Springsteen classic “Dancing in the Dark” on all platforms now. www.karladavismusic.com George Hage – George Hage is a self-taught, published artist and songwriter based in North Carolina. He’s the frontman and songwriter for Jack The Radio who has shared the stage with The Avett Brothers, Hall & Oates, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, George Thorogood, and American Aquarium to name a few. Their music has been featured in commercial, film, and TV projects including Modern Family and NASCAR, NFL programming. http://www.george-hage.com/ Our fearless host, Abigail enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire, singing harmonies around an old family piano, or every third Tuesday night at the Flat Iron. Abigail invites musician friends to fall into space in her adopted living room. They share new songs, play old favorites, make things up, make you cry, make you laugh and most of all make you glad you came.
An Evening With: Scott Miller
“Long before co-founding that dapper twangpop outfit [The V-Roys], Miller logged many miles on the singer-songwriter trail as kind of a cross between John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III.” (No Depression) “Scott Miller’s songwriting has always balanced wit with woe.” (Relix) Recently inducted to the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame, fiery roots-rock singer/songwriter SCOTT MILLER returned to his native Virginia to tend the family farm while continuing to release and perform new music informed by that rural area, history, and Appalachia. The Staunton native first made a name for himself in the 90s as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter with the superb pop/rock band the V-Roys before establishing himself as a gifted and eclectic solo artist, first with his ad hoc group the Commonwealth and later on his own. “[Miller combines] the emotional honesty and intelligence of a singer/songwriter with the swagger and enthusiasm of a rock & roller… a gifted and eclectic solo artist.” (AllMusic.com). As seen on tour with Patty Griffin, Robbie Fulks, Paul Thorn and American Aquarium.
Songwriter Series hosted by Abigail Dowd ft: A Different Thread, and Chris Moyse
Chris Moyse – Winner of the Kerrville New Folk songwriting competition, Chris Moyse is a Nashville-based folk songwriter. He has shared the stage with troubadours like Joe Ely, Mary Gauthier, and members of Old Crow Medicine Show. In 2020, Chris released his debut album Bitter Ballads & Cynical Prayers, garnering critical acclaim with American Songwriter calling it “roots-thick and shadowy.. guided by velvety vocals. A delicate ebb and flow.” He continues to tour in support of this album. A Different Thread – British-Americana troubadours A Different Thread create a richly emotive tapestry of transatlantic folk. Lead singers Robert Jackson (Midlands, UK) and Alicia Best (North Carolina) first met busking in Ireland. Backed by Mike Seal on double bass, their original songs weave Celtic balladry and Appalachian blues, featuring fiddle, harmonica, and an abundance of honeyed harmonies. Following in the footsteps of Johnny Cash and June Carter, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, and Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, A Different Threadʼs unique sound has earned them acclaim for their powerful storytelling and moving live performances. They have garnered support slots with the likes of The Milk Carton Kids, Native Harrow, and Jody Stephens (Big Star), as well as features with NPR and the BBC. Catch them part of this year’s Merlefest lineup. Abigail Dowd – Our fearless host enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire, singing harmonies around an old family piano, 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.
Songwriter Series hosted by Abigail Dowd, featuring: Mark Kano, and John Gillespie
Abigail Dowd, our fearless host, enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire, singing harmonies around an old family piano, 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. Mark Kano’s introspective storytelling is driven by soaring melodies and thoughtful production. As the former frontman of Athenaeum, he made waves in the late ‘90s with his evocative songwriting and unmistakable voice, crafting songs that resonated deeply with listeners. His solo work builds on that foundation, blending openhearted emotion with polished musicianship to create soundscapes that feel both intimately familiar and refreshingly new. Whether weaving nostalgic anthems or quiet reflections, Kano’s music invites you in—to a space where memory and melody intertwine. John Gillespie is a singer-songwriter raised in Chapel Hill, NC. Best known as half of the folk duo Nikki Meets The Hibachi, John is also a member of several Triangle area bands: Nantahala, The Drowning Lovers, The Marigold Collective, and Pillow Foot.
An Evening w/ Eliot Bronson (Early Show)
Over the course of six albums, indie folksinger Eliot Bronson has created his own brand of atmospheric American roots music. He’s an award winner. A road warrior with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. An internationally-renowned songwriter with a voice that swoons and sweeps, making fans out of everyone from his hometown newspaper, The Baltimore Sun —who championed Bronson from the very start, hailing him as “a folk singing wunderkind” back when he was still playing local coffeeshops — to Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, whose work on 2014’s Eliot Bronson and 2017’s James placed Bronson on the same client roster as heartfelt songwriters like Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton. Talking To Myself marks the most meditative, melodic album of his career, with sparse soundscapes that are laced with acoustic guitar, light touches of keyboard, and clouds of reverb. When Eliot’s voice enters each song, it’s like sunlight piercing its way through the fog. “There’s a little bit of pedal steel, a little bit of bass, and a little bit of electric guitar,” he explains. “Other than that, it’s just me and Damon.” He’s talking about Damon Moon, the Atlanta-area producer best known for his work with regional indie rock bands. “Damon usually makes records with louder bands,” Eliot says, “and that was interesting to me. I wanted to work with someone who had a different sensibility than I did. He brought a new atmosphere to the album. Instead of playing bass on a song, we’d use a Moog. Instead of playing a shaker, we’d use a brush on the side of a tambourine. We wanted to get outside the box of what an Americana folk singer is supposed to sound like.” The result is a 10-song showcase of spacey dream-folk, with Eliot Bronson pulling triple-duty as a singer, songwriter, and co-producer. On his previous record, Empty Spaces, he wrote about the messy end of a decade-long romance and the start of something new. Portions of Talking To Myself serve as an epilogue to that story, with songs like “From Rabun Gap” and “Are You Still Mean” measuring the distance between past heartbreak and present resilience. Elsewhere, Talking To Myself finds Eliot taking stock of the world around him, turning his personal experience into universal songs about the feelings we all share. Talking To Myself is an album that balances mood and melody, intimacy and atmosphere, grounded songwriting and astral, ambient arrangements. For a songwriter who’s always dealt with the grey area between genres — or, he puts it, “the in-between colors that we don’t really have words for” — it’s the next chapter in a story that continues to unfold.
Singer Songwriter Series hosted by Abigail Dowd ft: Maia Kamil and Drew Foust
Maia Kamil – Singer-songwriter Maia Kamil is at home in the world. Maia has spent years refining a musical style that weaves eclectic influences, vocal dexterity, and complex lyrics to create tiny worlds in which the listener can get lost. Much like her writing, Maia’s performances are an invitation to form community and create deep human connection. Her simple melodies act as launch pads for her graceful vocal runs, creating a new sound with a global soul. Her music offers transport to worlds away—the trees of the blue ridge, the salt of the seas she’s floated in, the lullabies of her ancestors—while simultaneously giving the listener a sense of sitting around a campfire with friends, singing melodies they feel they’ve always known. Drew Foust – Drew returns to the beloved Flat Iron for an In-The-Round songwriter showcase with friends Abigail Dowd & Maia Kamil A natural soul singer and blues musician, Drew Foust’s music sounds like it’s made between the bleary hours of a rock bar’s last call and a southern preacher’s early morning prayer. Hand made, self-made and arranged in dramatic structure, the music is lyrical and rhythm driven, always pushing a feeling forward. The Wheelhouse is an amalgamation of some of the best musicians in the piedmont region of North Carolina. Together, Drew and the band lend themselves to heartfelt songwriting with high test grooves, purveying their signature southern soul n’ roll sound. Current members are Jimmy Washington on rhythm guitar, Jared Church on bass, Chuck Pinckney on drums and Cole Covington on keys. The band is known for expanding beyond its core members, having collaborated in studio and on stage with DaShawn & Wendy Hickman, Sam & Eli Fribush, Maia Kamil and Jive Mother Mary. With notable performances at Shakori Hills Festival, Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, and FloydFest 24 in addition to opening for The Wallflowers in Winston-Salem, NC. Drew’s second full-length album, “Good Thing,” released on Charlie Hunter’s SideHustle record label in September of 2022, offers 8 tracks inspired by Memphis soul music from the 60s and 70s.
Singer Songwriter Series hosted by Abigail Dowd, featuring: Nicholas Edward Williams and Jack McKeon
Jack McKeon – A Nashville-based singer-songwriter with an honest, plainspoken vocal, an eclectic-roots sound and a knack for bringing crystalline characters to life, Jack McKeon harbors a deep love for the written word. First inspired by literary musical icons from Hank Williams and Guy Clark to Tom T. Hall and John Hartford, McKeon arrived in Nashville in 2021 and has since established a reputation for his own message-driven lyricism – a value which shows up in its full sonic serenity on his 2024 album debut, Talking to Strangers. Nicholas Edward Williams – Honoring and blending the American roots music spectrum in his own flair, Nicholas Edward Williams is a multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and preservationist who has spent the last 15+ years touring three continents. He’s opened for Taj Mahal, The Wood Brothers, CAAMP, Dom Flemons, Ballroom Thieves, John Craigie, John Paul White and Town Mountain, and his 2019 debut record, As I Go Ramblin’ Around, hit the Top 10 Folk DJ charts for album and song. His critically acclaimed sophomore release Folk Songs For Old Times’ Sake has been heralded by well-regarded figures such as David Holt, Oliver Wood and JP Harris, and his newest traditional record, titled Rags, Folk and Blues, Oh My! releases in the Spring of 2025. Abigail Dowd Our fearless host who still enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire, singing harmonies around an old family piano, 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.
An Evening with Rick Price
Audiences all over the globe are moved by Rick Price’s amazing voice and soulful songs. A multi-instrumentalist, he is the consummate performer and master storyteller. From his humble beginnings as a child performer with his family band in country Queensland dance halls this fan favourite is known for his classic hits “Not a day Goes By,” “Heaven Knows,” “Walk Away Renee” and “River of Love.” As a self-taught Australian singer/songwriter he has multiple gold and platinum selling albums and won numerous music industry awards. Including the prestigious APRA Song Of The year award for his song “Heaven Knows” and both the APRA, Global APRA Music Awards 2020 and Export Music Australia awards for his outstanding achievements abroad. In 2009 a move to the United States sparked not only new influences and a broader style for Price but also a return to his childhood musical roots in country, rhythm and blues, though the ever-present pop influence of Price’s songwriting still rings through his albums and EP such as ‘The Water’s Edge’, ‘Tennessee Sky’, ‘Soulville’, ‘Wayfairing Stranger’ and his latest album, ‘Hometown’. Price has worked with numerous artists as a vocalist, songwriter and record producer including Tina Arena, Tommy Emmanuel, Mitch Grainger, Regine Velasque, Jack Jones and Dami Im. Currently Price resides in Nashville, Tennessee where he continues to write and record his music. His 12th studio album “Hometown” is due for release in 2024.
Robert Ellis w/ Spencer Thomas
Recorded live to tape in just two days, Robert Ellis’s exquisite new album, Yesterday’s News, is as stripped-down as it gets, with the celebrated songwriter and producer’s delicate, reedy tenor accompanied only by nylon string guitar, upright bass, and the occasional piece of handheld percussion. The arrangements are harmonically sophisticated here, drawing on the open tunings and intricate fingerpicking of English songwriters like Nick Drake or Richard Thompson, and Ellis’s performances are similarly subtle and nuanced, tapping into the bittersweet longing of Chet Baker and the playful poignancy of Bill Evans and Jim Hall. While that might seem surprising coming off 2019’s raucous Texas Piano Man, subverting expectations is nothing new for Ellis. Born and raised outside Houston, he gained early acclaim for his piercing introspection and absorbing narratives, but over the course of five solo albums, he flirted with everything from Paul Simon and John Prine to Elton John and Joni Mitchell in a series of sonic and visual transformations that ran the gamut from Redneck Steely Dan to Lone Star Liberace. NPR hailed his “musical daring and impeccable songcraft,” while Rolling Stone praised his “sharp eye for storytelling,” and the New York Times lauded his writing as an emotional “gut punch.” Yesterday’s News marks Ellis’s debut LP for Niles City Records, an outgrowth of the famed Niles City Sound studio he and longtime collaborator Josh Block run in Fort Worth, TX.
Singer Songwriter Series (hosted by Abigail Dowd) ft: Abigail Dowd, Ben Gage, and Sam Tayloe
BEN GAGE – Ben Gage is a songwriter from Akron, OH. Ben Gage grew up in the rust belt of Northeast Ohio, spread out in the countryside along the great Lake Erie. His roots run deep beside the hard working blue collars that Ohio has to boast. That tenacity, love of family, and respect for a long day can be seen in his music. He doesn’t shy away from life’s ups and downs and sews human experience within all his songs, artfully, without the need to bash you over the head with ideas. In Fall of 2021 Ben quit his job in the tech-sector to pursue music full time. Now he travels the US sharing stories and songs and always collecting more. SAM TAYLOE: Through his full band vehicle, Time Sawyer, Sam Tayloe is interested in “real people and real songs” and that’s just what the listener finds in his music – a sense of realness. Blending a grassroots feel with heart-felt lyrics, Tayloe pulls the listener in with introspective ballads that land in that rootsy sweet spot where folk, alt-country, and rock gather for a good time. ABIGAIL DOWD – singer/songwriter/guitarist AND host of the songwriter series, Abigail grew up under the longleaf pines of North Carolina and comes from a long line of musicians. Known for her storytelling and command of an audience, she has been called “a writer of the highest caliber” (All Scene Eye). Her soulful voice and unique classical guitar style have been described by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as “The guitar-driven introspective folk of the 1970s is a touchstone, but so are blues and roots rock ’n’ roll.”
