Singer Songwriter Series (hosted by Abigail Dowd) ft: Abigail Dowd, Sam Frazier, and Jon Shain
SAM FRAZIER – Sam Frazier is a guitarist (and pianist and bassist), singer and songwriter from Greensboro, NC. He has released two solo CDs (Half a Million Years and Sam Frazier). He was a member of the band Tornado with whom he released a long playing record album (First Alert) and a CD (When a Breeze Breaks Your Bones). He has also performed and recorded with Martha Bassett (The Goodbye Party, Magnificat, Mortal Flesh), The Piedmont Songbag (Try and Spread Some Cheer), Bruce Piephoff (Hamburger Square, The Chestnut Tree, Clockwork), Buddha Hat, Lisa Dames, The Numbers, The Prizzi’s House Band, The Sky Kings, Mary Lyon (Hopscotch) and The Hall Monitors. He has opened shows for Joan Armatrading, The Neville Brothers, America, The Funky Meters, The Duhks, The Del McCrory Band, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Eric Church, Craig Morgan, Root Boy Slim and others. JON SHAIN – Hailing from Durham, NC, Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who’s been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style – combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. Jon has released nine solo albums to date, along with two albums with duo partner FJ Ventre, a Jon Shain Trio live album, and one album of co-writes with Joe Newberry. Shain’s newest album, Restless Soul Syndrome, recorded at Good Luck Studio this past year, was released April 9, 2024. Shain is also the author of the music books Gettin’ Handy With the Blues – a Tribute to the Legacy of W.C. Handy and Jon Shain’s Fingerstyle Guitar Method, both published by Mel Bay Publications. In 2019, Shain won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in the solo/duo category. 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.”
Flamy Grant, Jennifer Knapp, and Crys Matthews
Award-winning and Billboard-charting artist Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from western North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Christian Charts, and she is a winner of the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition. A powerhouse vocalist, intrepid songwriter, and irreverent comedy queen, Flamy drags you into a therapeutic, theatrical mix of music and storytelling. Armed with a bold lip and a blistering voice, Flamy is proof positive that nothing is sacred (but everything is holy); shame belongs in the closet; and you are a brilliant, resilient badass ready to take on the world. Jennifer Knapp, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, author, speaker, and advocate, has spent over two decades leaving an indelible mark on the music industry. Selling over one million albums with her first three releases, including the Gold-certified “Kansas” (1998), she’s a four-time Dove Award winner and two-time Grammy nominee. Already being hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie,” Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality,” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift “a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.” She is made for these times and, with the release of her new album Reclamation and her 2021, hope-fueled, love-filled social justice album Changemakers, Matthews hopes to take her place alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near. 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.”
Abigail Dowd’s Songwriter Series featuring: Abigail Dowd, Jonathan Byrd, and Alexa Rose
JONATHAN BYRD: Jonathan Byrd is a preacher’s kid, Gulf War veteran, and award-winning songwriter with a near-cult following. With twenty plus years of touring and over a dozen albums, Byrd’s deceptively simple, working-class songs have become campfire standards and crowd favorites for artists like Sam Bush and Tim O’Brien. A Jonathan Byrd show will take audiences on a journey from hell-raising sing-alongs to heart-wrenching ballads and back across the backroads of his native North Carolina. A lifelong collaborator and innovator, Jonathan Byrd’s latest project is Song Miners, a project to not only write and release new songs, but also to teach others how it’s done. Leading powerful online songwriting workshops and creating free songwriting education for social media, Byrd seems on a mission to fill the world with great songs- not least, his own. Not to be missed. ALEXA ROSE: Alexa Rose was born in the Alleghany Highlands of western Virginia, raised in the tiny railroad town of Clifton Forge. Though no one in her immediate family played or sang, she inherited a deep musical legacy. That sense of place and storytelling spirit became woven into Rose’s voice and songwriting. In 2019, she released her debut album Medicine For Living, the title track of which won Merlefest’s revered Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Her 2021 follow up Headwaters garnered national attention from American Songwriter and Rolling Stone, among others. Rose wrote most of the album in the early stages of the pandemic, which she astutely characterizes as having “that weird lucid feeling of not-time.” Perhaps following in the steps of her great grandfather, Rose’s songs feel like oil paint landscapes of her own life in the mountains, often wringing out the beauty in mundanity and exploring timeless topics. Her earnest, well crafted stylings are a multi-layered merger of old country music and traditional folk songs, colored by rock and roll and mountain soul. ABIGAIL DOWD: singer/songwriter/guitarist AND host of the songwriter series, Abigail is 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.”
Singer Songwriter Series (hosted by Abigail Dowd) ft: Abigail Dowd, Tanner Bingaman, and Dustin Gaspard
Tanner Bingaman -Tanner Bingaman is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet, and producer from rural Pennsylvania. He spends his time foraging writhing folk art from the hills of Appalachia. Tanner’s songs are an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink gumbo, with explorations ranging from poignant punk melodies to rapturous and uncanny instrumental meditations, oftentimes finding himself perplexed by the task of coming down from yet another improvisational meandering. He prefers barefoot walking and once saved the family dog from a rattlesnake. Tanner has been happily featured on NPR stations throughout Pennsylvania, and he has shared stages with some of his favorite songwriters including Charlie Parr, Darrin Hacquard, and Sam Bailey. In 2021, Tanner was awarded Emerging Artist of the Year by the Susquehanna Folk Music Society, and in 2023, Tanner played his first international feature with his New Zealand family of musicians, raising funds for flood-relief efforts on the North Island. He is currently playing shows all over the Lower 48. Tanner is an active member of the duo Tanjo & Crow, as well as fronting his live performance and recording project Tanner Bingaman’s Pretty Big Garden. The debut record from Tanner Bingaman’s Pretty Big Garden, Everything & Nothing is slated for release this 2024. After 10 years of performing throughout the deep Southern Gulf Coast of the USA, Gaspard released his full length debut album “Hoping Heaven Got A Kitchen” in March 2022. His blend of Americana, Soul, Folk and Roots gained Grammy consideration for: Best American Roots Performance, Grammy American Roots Song and Best Americana Album. Written for his grandparents, the record is a “prayer to his home” and delivers an intimate insight into the Cajun native’s varying influences. Gaspard’s latest project “Avec Le Courrant” is a banjo driven bilingual story album detailing the journey of his Acadian ancestors and their exile. This all new original work will once again combine Americana with varying genres including traditional folk, blues and contemporary songwriter elements, while heavily utilizing the Cajun French language. It is his intent to tour up the coast of North America at the end of Summer 2024 and return the songs to their original place of origin Nova Scotia. singer/songwriter/guitarist AND host of the songwriter series, Abigail is 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.”
Abigail Dowd’s Songwriter Series featuring Joy Clark and Abigail Dowd
Joy Clark – Joy Clark is a New Orleans singer-songwriter, lyrical guitarist and composer who creates soulful original compositions that celebrate peace and the undeniable power of love. Her intricate rhythms and warm melodies reveal a sweet vulnerability that enchants her audiences around the world. Like so many other artists in New Orleans, Joy’s first stage was in church. Growing up the daughter of a minister, she learned to create an atmosphere ripe for an emotional experience. So it’s no wonder she believes music is her ministry and intimacy is her superpower. Abigail Dowd – singer/songwriter/guitarist AND host of the songwriter series, Abigail is 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.”
Abigail Dowd’s Singer Songwriter Series featuring Admiral Radio, Aslin, and Laura Jane Vincent
Admiral Radio – Admiral Radio, the award-winning husband-and-wife duo of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith, wants to leave audiences better than they found them. With a sonic tapestry that weaves traditional folk and modern roots, AR crafts a heartfelt performance through tight-knit harmonies and a palpable sincerity that makes you roll with laughter and shed a few tears. After opening up for acclaimed acts like Del McCoury and recording with members of Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, this SC-based act is taking leaps of faith to share their songs and stories with listeners across the country. With a recent first-place win at the Tucson Folk Festival’s Stefan George Songwriting Competition and being named finalists in the Kerrville New Folk Competition, International Songwriting Competition, and more, this duo is redefining what it means to gather ‘round the radio in modern times. More at: admiralradiomusic.com Aslin – Aslin has been writing since she first watched Lindsay Lohan on her VHS copy of Freaky Friday. She taught herself guitar through the discovery of UltimateGuitarTabs.com, covering songs from Ke$ha to Taylor Swift. She dreamed one day of playing songs she wrote to an adoring crowd and she saved money from her lemonade stands to purchase her first electric guitar and amp. Aslin has now grown up to gig New York City coffeehouses, move to Nashville to pursue songwriting, and this past spring opened for her idol Phoebe Bridgers at Middle Tennessee State University where she was chosen as the student opener. Laura Jane Vincen – Laura Jane Vincent is a performer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter. She writes ballads of strength loss and triumph featuring stories of those who should know better but just simply can’t help themselves.Her latest album “All These Machines” released February 2020, is available everywhere you stream music. She is also the creator and curator of the twice annual music festival Glendonfest in Moore County, NC. Established in 2016, the event features 25+ regional and national touring acts over two days in the spring and fall.
Josh Morningstar Album Release/Listening Party w/ Special Guest Michael C. Parris
Josh Morningstar Album Release/Listening Party w/ Michael C. ParrisJune 27, 2024Doors 6pmListening Party 7pmShow 8pmA curious and fresh combination of grit and humor, Josh Morningstar is knocking down stereotypes everywhere he goes with his worn boots and unforgettable raspy voice. Growing up outside of Baltimore, Maryland, he carries those roots in a suitcase with him everywhere he goes. His small-town charm is evident in the way he greets people, and in the conversational way that he weaves the stories of his life into his music. Named 2018 Texas Radio Songwriter of the Year, he and his Kristofferson signed guitar have knocked out melodies in dark clubs and dingy hotels all across the country. He’s written songs alongside Kendell Marvel, Channing Wilson, Autumn McEntire, and many more. Morningstar was also the writer of several Cody Jinks songs, including his #1 hits “Must Be The Whiskey” and “Ain’t A Train.” His lyrics force listeners to sit up and pay attention, and his songs are always full of truth-bearing stories. The familial connection Morningstar forges with people continues long after his shows are over. Josh Morningstar has shared the stage with some of today’s most sought after folk and country artists, including Shooter Jennings, Cody Jinks, Tyler Childers, Todd Snider, Colter Wall, and Ward Davis. Morningstar continues to lead the charge on the front lines of a new wave of country music – one full of soulful honesty, the familiar and true twang of an old guitar, and provoking melodies.Singer-songwriter Michael C. Parris is from Millboro, N.C., most famous, perhaps, for where Daner Johnson taught Charlie Poole to play banjo. One fine day in 2021, Michael got his big break when Todd Snider asked him to open for him in Charleston, S.C. Soon after Will Kayuk agreed to fund and produce Michael’s solo project, assembling an amazing group of Nashville musicians known as The 9 Finger Chicken String Band that included Will Kimbrough, Chris Donahue, Benjamin Bynum, Court Clement, Steve Brewster and Andy Leftwich. The album “HoneyBee” blends roots music styles, including country, bluegrass, roots-rock and folk with simple lyrics and beautiful imagery, harkening back to Michael’s Randolph County beginnings.
Abigail Dowd’s Singer Songwriter Series featuring Abigail Dowd and Tamisha Waden
For this month’s songwriter series with Abigail Dowd, she will be joined by acclaimed artist Tamisha Waden. Abigail and Tamisha will swap songs and dive into the craft of songwriting and the creative process. Tamisha Waden – Tamisha Waden is an acclaimed singer, songwriter, R&B and jazz artist who is a native of North Carolina. As a performing artist she has appeared on stage with musical icons such as Roy Ayers, Melba Moore, Mavis Staples, Bruce Hornsby and Tony Terry just to name a few. Waden is known for her dynamic and engaging stage performances with Grammy-nominated artists The Black Pumas and The Foreign Exchange.She has been seen on CBS This Morning and the Seth Myers Late Night Show performing with artist Hiss Golden Messenger.Waden has been featured as a vocalist on The Foreign Exchange’s “Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey” album and “Hide & Seek” compilation, Nicolay’s singles “The Brightest Star” and “Afterglow”, and “Sittin Alone” from the highly-anticipated Little Brother album “May the Lord Watch”.Waden continues to have sold-out appearances and fans are excited for new music from Wadenas a solo artist. https://www.tamishawaden.com/
Abigail Dowd’s Singer Songwriter Series featuring Abigail Dowd, Carlos Rising, and Alan Barnosky
Abigail Dowd – singer/songwriter/guitarist AND host of the songwriter series, Abigail is 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.” Alan Barnosky – Alan Barnosky is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter based in central North Carolina. He performs regularly with Counterclockwise String Band, The Eastside Ramblers, and as a solo songwriter, and has recorded and toured with The Barefoot Movement, Chatham Rabbits, and Farewell Friend. He writes for Acoustic Guitar Magazine and offers individual guitar instruction. Carlos Rising – Whether he’s solo or with his band, Carlos Rising creates an unforgettable experience for all listeners with his soothing tone and diverse repertoire of original music. For the past 10 years Carlos has been playing shows and releasing songs that reach a plethora of audiences, including fans of Soul, RnB and Pop. In 2023, Rising was a featured contestant on Season 23 of NBC’s the Voice, where he showcased his vocal ability, artistry and genre versatility on Team Blake. Not only does Rising have the ability to connect with large audiences on a national scale, but also can thrive in intimate small environments where he encapsulates audiences with his original songs. Now based out of Wilmington NC, Carlos continues to play shows and write music, all in an effort to make his songs make a difference the lives of his listeners.
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.
