Abigail Dowd w/ Barry Gray and Carrie Morgan
Barry Gray – Barry Gray’s family band, Graymatter, is a Triad and Triangle, NC favorite, performing 60s and 70s covers in four-part harmony. Barry is also a member of the Wes Collins band (among other distinctions, Wes is a winner of Kerrville’s prestigious Grassy Hills New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters). In 2018, Barry was awarded a North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship in Songwriting, which led him to record his debut album, Footsteps. https://barryandisabel.com Carrie Morgan – Carrie Morgan was born in northeastern North Carolina, where, with beauty and blues all around, a girl can’t help but write. And then she picked up a guitar. One thing led to another and, having studied songwriting in Nashville and then classical and jazz voice in Chicago before settling in Greensboro, she has been writing songs for over two decades about finding home, love and *herself* in a world full of wonder and loss, and using every genre at her disposal to express it. She’s settled mostly into a folksy singer-songwriter path, but you’ll easily find blues, jazz and country influences between the lines. https://www.carriemorganmusic.com 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.
Laurelyn Dossett + Caroline Cotter
Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett lives and writes in Stokes County, NC. Her songs have appeared in film and television (Hell on Wheels, Ain’t In it for My Health) and have been recorded by many artists including Grammy-winning Levon Helm (Anna Lee) and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Leaving Eden). She is currently finishing an album of new songs, with M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger producing. She has written the songs for seven plays, staged at Triad Stage and Playmaker’s Repertory. Her song cycle, The Gathering: A Winter’s Tale in Six Songs was commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony and premiered in Raleigh in 2011. She will be a featured artist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra December 2025, performing some of the songs from The Gathering and Beautiful Star. Laurelyn has written songs for various protest movements in North Carolina including My Beloved Enemy and Vote Against Amendment One. She remains a voice for social justice and environmental activism in North Carolina and beyond. The River’s Lament is her testament to the devastation of the Dan River coal ash spill. She founded the annual “Songs of Hope and Justice” at the North Carolina Folk Festival. Laurelyn teaches songwriting in the UNCG School of Music. Caroline’s sunlit, heartfelt songs explore themes of connection, nostalgia, and gratitude—rooted in a life of travel and deep listening. She’s played over 1,000 shows across 45 states and 16 countries, and her three albums reflect her unique voice and emotional depth.
Karla Davis w/ Rachel Gore
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 Fal- lon, 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 Flak, James Taylor, and Bonnie Rait. You can find Karla’s recently released unique cover of the Bruce Spring- steen classic “Dancing in the Dark” on all platforms now.
Nicholas Jamerson w/ Justin Clyde Williams
Nicholas Jamerson is a Kentucky-born singer-songwriter whose music blends Appalachian storytelling with spiritual grit. His new album, The Narrow Way , is the final installment of a trilogy exploring the winding path of faith, family and self-discovery. With a voice rooted in tradition and a pen sharpened by experience, Jamerson invites listeners to walk with him through the shadows towards something honest and eternal . Whether playing to a packed room or writing in the quiet , he carries the weight of memory, the fire of purpose and the humility of a man still learning.
An Evening With Ray Bonneville
Ray Bonneville has created and mastered a fusion of traditional American Roots and Blues music all his own and deeply influenced by his upbringing in French Canada and the years he spent writing and playing music in New Orleans. He is known as the master of the slow burn, the groove and acclaimed for his harmonica tone. With a greasy guitar style, horn-like harmonica, smoky vocals and pulsing foot percussion he captivates audiences by being his own backing band. Known for his sparce evocative storytelling, Ray’s songs often feature characters living on the fringe of society, set down lonely roads, on long stretches of highway or in the belly of teeming cities. In 1999 Bonneville won the Juno award (Canada’s Grammy) for his Album “Gust of Wind” and was nominated twice more. Ray’s song “I am the Big Easy” was the most played song by American folk DJs and won “Song ofthe Year” in 2009 and was recorded by Jennifer Warnes in 2018. Ray won the International Blues Challenge solo category in 2012 in Memphis. Ray Bonneville began writing songs when he was forty years old and has released ten albums in thirty-five years since then. He will release his eleventh album, with the working title “Nomads and Refugees” in January 2026. He has toured relentlessly across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Jim Withers (Montreal Gazette) describes his sound as “folk-roots gumbo… a languid Mississippi Delta groove, seasoned with smooth, weathered vocals and a propulsive harmonica wheeze. Whether performing solo or fronting a band, playing electric or acoustic guitar, Bonneville allows space between notes that adds potency to every chord, lick, and lyric.” Thom Jurek (Allmusic.com) remarks, “With darkness and light fighting for dominance… he’s stripped away every musical excess to let the songs speak for themselves.”
Spencer Thomas + Tom Troyer
The songs on Spencer Thomas’ new LP, The Joke of Life, (out now), much like a good joke, are many-layered. His talent is immediately obvious, with sleek composition and production throughout. There’s a nostalgic, everyman flair to his music that doesn’t hang on the influences of the past, but uses them as a guiding light to elevate his voice. Songwriting reminiscent of Warren Zevon’s later work takes the helm as Thomas examines the gap that can be left between the expectations of life and the sometimes tenuous reality. Songs like “Misty Eyes”, “Fake Rain” and the album’s title track “The Joke of Life” present light-hearted, even laughable, acceptance of the often undesirable cards we’re dealt. The album chronicles a period of change and rebirth for Spencer, who is no stranger to the open road. Beneath the album’s more obvious virtues is a wit and longing borne from the experiences and struggles of a working-class musician. “The sadly beautiful, unassumingly wonderful The Joke of Life has all the creative twists, timeless melodies and emotional resonance of one of those ageless 70s singer/songwriter LPs you keep returning to: Warren Zevon, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney’s Ram.” – Magnet Magazine “Throughout the ten-track collection, Thomas examines the space between expectations of life and the reality that sometimes clashes horribly with those expectations. At the same time, it sees the multi-talented artist working through a period of change and rebirth.” – American Songwriter Tom Troyer is a producer, audio engineer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the band Farewell Friend. With a penchant for stream-of-consciousness song craft and lyrical poetry, his compositions delve into the realms love, loss, and the complex tapestry of familial bonds. Tom’s acoustic and stripped-down style resonates with a profound emotional depth and clarity.
Robbie Fulks w/ The Carolina Cutups
Robbie Fulks has always been more than a conventional country singer and songwriter. After growing up in North Carolina and spending time in New York City, Fulks began his professional music career playing bluegrass in the band Special Consensus before emerging as a solo artist in Chicago during the mid-1990s. His early albums received nationwide praise for blending a modern sensibility with honky-tonk country. His creative partnership with the late Steve Albini resulted in a string of highly regarded albums, showcasing his sharp lyrical wit, sophisticated instrumentation, and inventive storytelling.
Heather Mae and Crys Matthews
A troubadour of truth, Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. An award-winning, prolific lyricist and composer, Matthews blends Americana, folk, blues, and bluegrass into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics. She is made for these times. Of Matthews, ASCAP VP & Creative Director Eric Philbrook says, “By wrapping honest emotions around her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart and a strong voice, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times.” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation adds, her gift is a “reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.” Her hope-fueled, love-filled, social-justice album called Changemakers was released March 26, 2021, and the title track was named the International Folk Music Association’s “Song of the Year” in May of 2022. HEATHER MAE ISN’T JUST WRITING SONGS—SHE’S WRITING REVOLUTIONS. A GENRE-DEFYING ARTIST-ACTIVIST, SHE FUSES THE GRIT OF ALTERNATIVE ROCK, THE INFECTIOUS HOOKS OF INDIE POP, AND THE STORYTELLING DEPTH OF FOLK TO CRAFT ANTHEMS FOR THE OUTSIDERS, THE SURVIVORS, AND THE SEEKERS OF RADICAL JOY. HER MUSIC IS AN UNFLINCHING MIRROR REFLECTING THE RAW REALITIES OF MENTAL HEALTH, QUEER LIBERATION, SURVIVOR EMPOWERMENT, AND THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE.
Abigail Dowd’s Songwriter Series w/ Ruth Wyand + The Rough & Tumble
Ruth Wyand – Ruth Wyand has achieved a level of diversity that has exceeded the expectations of audiences around the world. Her guitar virtuosity is demonstrated by dynamic fingerpicking, bottleneck slide and a warm alto voice. Her songwriting is timeless, relatable, emotionally resonant, sometimes witty, sometimes serious but always human and genuine. Her lyrics and stories along with her sense of humor will bring a smile to your face or a tear to your eye and her skillful command of the fretboard never ceases to amaze audiences of all ages. Rough & Tumble – The Rough & Tumble aren’t casual road dogs, but they aren’t letting on, either. From their upbeat, commanding stage presence and sharp banter to their earworm-inducing melodies and heartstring lyrics, this thriftstore-Americana duo refuses to bring the haggard road-worn stereotype to their audience– even though they’ve earned it. The Rough & Tumble, a duo composed of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, have been captivating audiences with their unique blend of folk music for over a decade. Graham and Tyler have a knack for weaving together elements of joy, sorrow, comedy, and drama in their music, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.Forming in 2011, they spent 8 years full time in a 16ft camper with two big dogs, playing roughly 150 shows a year, before moving to the foothills of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. They still spend at least half the year touring and are at home at festivals, listening rooms, and house concerts across the country. In 2023 they received recognition for their work in New England as recipients of Club Passim’s Iguana Music Fund. Only This Far, the band’s most notable work, was released in 2023 and has been described as “quality songs, well written, well played, well sung and arranged, and a pleasure from start to end.” In November 2024, The Rough & Tumble released Hymns For My Atheist Sister and Her Friends To Sing Along To, a collection of deeply personal, unifying and uplifting, humanist gospel songs. 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.
Abigail Dowd’s Singer-Songwriter Series: ft Wes Collins + Ordinary Elephant
Wes Collins – 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. Wes writes 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. A former librarian and avowed record nerd, Wes can imitate the sound of outmoded computer voice simulations. He hasn’t found a way to make that pay yet. Ordinary Elephant – Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go, and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.” The band’s new stripped-down, self-titled collection is the purest distillation of their sound yet, showcasing the arresting power of the couple’s gorgeous harmonies and intricate fretwork. The songs are timeless, rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and the performances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though the songs were born out of a period of deep uncertainty, the record itself is a work of profound self-assurance, one delivered by a duo whose personal and professional lives embody the limitless possibility of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife; you’ll hear the sound of sincerity and commitment, of patience and gratitude, of learning to let go of expectation and revel in the simple beauty of the moment. 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.
