Abigail Dowd’s Songwriter Series w/ Evan Blackerby + Angel Snow
Evan Blackerby is a North Carolina singer-songwriter whose songs blend the spirit of Americana, folk, blues, and roots-rock with a disarming honesty all his own. Winner of the North Carolina Folk Festival’s 2025 “Not Your Average Folk Contest” and a Greensboro Sound Emerging Artist, Evan has spent the last several years building a reputation as one of the state’s hardest-working independent artists. His songs are thoughtful, heartfelt, and rooted in a genuine desire to connect with people through music. We’re excited to welcome Evan to the Flat Iron Songwriter Series. Angel Snow is an acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her haunting melodies, poetic lyricism, and fearless artistic evolution. A Nashville-based artist whose songs have been recorded by artists including Alison Krauss & Union Station, Snow has built a career that moves effortlessly between folk, Americana, and atmospheric indie music. Her latest single, Midnight Sun, showcases the introspective storytelling and emotional depth that have become her hallmark. Currently recording new material and preparing for upcoming U.S. and U.K. tours, Angel continues to captivate audiences with songs that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. 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
A Writers Round with Ashton Eller, Billy Dutch and Josh Varnes
Eller’s originality is exemplified through the diversity in each of his songs. From his intimate acoustic melodies to his more driven, upbeat, get up off your feet jams, listeners will be intrigued by the unanticipated change of mood between songs. Eller takes influence from John Mayer & Marcus King, and with an innovative heart, he creates his own concoction of pop, rock, and blues. Eller’s down-to-earth personality depicts his Carolina roots when he performs, making his audience feel less like spectators and more like honorary band members. Stars are abundant, but Ashton Eller is quite the constellation, connecting his spirit to an atmosphere of incessant possibilities.*From growing up in Texas as Army Brat – to nursing through a pandemic – to moving to Nashville with his new wife to pursue his love for country music and songwriting more seriously, the stories told are all a reflection of the life lived-in by Josh Varnes. Less than a year after arriving in Nashville, he landed his first ever record deal and has officially released his debut album – “For Sale By Owner” – as of December 14th, 2025. *Talk to anybody who has a passion for music and you’ll hear things like, “Country music is dead” or “the radios don’t play authentic music anymore.” But 25-year-old BILLY DUTCH is reviving old country and americana tunes in the name of traditionalists like John Denver, Tom Petty, and Steve Earle with classic vibes that excite the honky tonks, get the crowds dancin and put the listeners in a home roots feel with ballads written behind true stories.
Abigail Dowd + Jessie Williams
“Singer/songwriter and guitarist Jesse Williams delivers a rich blend of Blues, Soul, and mountain-born storytelling. Raised in North Georgia, her music simmers with smoky vocals, earthy lyricism, and deep emotional honesty. Backed by groove-driven guitar work and rhythms that lean into feeling over flash, Jesse creates performances that are both grounding and soulful. Her songs wander through life’s twists and turns with warmth, grit, and spirit. Offering listeners an intimate experience that lingers long after the final note.” 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.
Karla Davis
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 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.
Abigail Dowd, Sam Tayloe, and Kray Kirk
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. Kray Van Kirk is a gifted songwriter whose allegorical weave of contemporary and mythological themes is both remarkable and tremendously relevant. He backs that up with deft guitar work and a voice that embodies power and genuine tenderness. A steller and meticulous musician, equally rooted in the mind and the heart.” 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
The ‘Boro Sessions presents: Martha Bassett
Martha Bassett is a Piedmont Triad–based singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for her expressive, warm alto and genre-spanning style that blends Americana, jazz, folk, and Bossa Nova. With more than two decades of performing experience, she has built a reputation for emotionally honest, intimate performances that connect deeply with audiences. A West Virginia native now rooted in North Carolina, Bassett is also the creator and host of The Martha Bassett Show, a collaborative live music series broadcast on NPR stations throughout the Mid-South and Pacific Northwest, highlighting national and regional artists.
Colin Cutler, Huey, Jacob Kynard, and Billie Feather
Wes Collins + Jaimee Harris
Texas-born Jaimee Harris and North Carolina’s Wes Collins are joining forces for the Folk’N Friends Tour. Their sounds—Harris’s emotionally raw small-town narratives and Collins’s surreal, deep, and uniquely catchy songwriting– combined make for a moving night of heartfelt storytelling. You won’t want to miss this collaborative song swap-style show infused with a decade of friendship and mutual musical admiration. Wes Collins 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. 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.
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.
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