You can take Helms out of Virginia, but you can’t take Virginia out of Helms. His songwriting incorporates waltzes, ballads, and old-school rhythms that once formed the backbone of Appalachian dances but have become rare in modern roots music. Songs like “Fool’s Gold,” “Voices Shot,” and “Ballad of the Bondurant Boys” pay tribute to those traditions, while tracks like “Welcome to the Freak Show” serve as a mission statement, reminding us that regardless of background, geography, or circumstance, everyone deserves a seat at the table. “Backwoods or suburbs, you know we are all just the same,” he sings, “‘cause no matter where you come from, we all got red blood and it’s coursing through all of our veins.”
A Greensboro, North Carolina-based songwriter toting a guitar, banjo, and harmonicas, Colin Cutler’s music spans the breadth of Americana, from oldtime to blues to roots rock, with lyrics informed by the earthy storytelling traditions of the South, his Pentecostal upbringing, and literature.
His 3 albums and EP have landed plays on NC and Virginia public radio, the BBC, and community and college stations around the region, placement in a British zombie film, mentions in No Depression, Americana Highways, and the Alternate Root, and have taken him to gigs from the NC Folk Festival to the City of York Folk Festival and the Romanian National Museum of Literature.
“A seasoned performer, Colin combines his worldly and traveled view with the sound of southern roots.” ~Around Town Sessions
