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A river runs through this swath of ranch land, snaking in serpentine contours through willows and winters, destined for the nearby fertile plain to the south. Just before she empties into the basin, she joins another moving band of water, on her own journey from headwaters in the same mountain range.

Their power and beauty is greater at the confluence.

I walk that river now, alone, almost there, lost in song.

Well, almost alone.

Are you haunted by your dreams/do you walk with ghosts/do they call out and you don’t know what it means/or do you make a stand/turn around and shake their hand/on 191st street.

I walk with ghosts, too, along this riverbank. Divorces, struggles with sobriety, crises of faith and confidence... we all walk with them, though we may call them by different names. And when we find the courage to shake those ghosts’ hands, brushing their fingers in mutual acknowledgment and respect, sometimes we can let them go.

For good.

And then, finally free, we can turn to the future, and run into the joyful arms of breezy melodies, joy, and hope.

Decline defeat politely/then we reassess/lift our heads up/on we press/don’t you know there ain’t no magic potion/life it ebbs and flows just like the ocean/ride the waves but don’t get carried away/turn those lemons into lemonade/ahhh-we’re back again.

Cary Pierce’s ‘Back Again’ is that joyous morning-after to Jack O’Neill’s ‘Cadillac Kings’ evening spent dancing with ghosts, the juxtaposition of dark and light reflected in their own deep pool journeys.

Jack and Cary started playing together at SMU in Dallas, TX, when music was shared via mix tape, not mp3. They’d spend the next 10 years recording albums and touring the world, sharing stages with the biggest names of the era.

Those names don’t matter here.

There’s does.

Jackopierce.

Their inaugural decade ended in a short-lived sabbatical, with Jack heading to New York to pursue acting and Cary embarking on a solo career. The duo reunited 5 years later, shook the dust off, and launched another twenty-year run of successful albums and tours, bookended by sold-out shows featuring an all-star backing band (Vertical Horizon, anyone?) and popular destination events.

Along the way, Jack and Cary’s personal journeys followed turns and drops unique to them, but familiar to us all. And now, as this river meets the next, both peace with the past and excitement for the forward-view is palpable.

And best heard through their songs.

Take a listen.

But not because they’ve been making music together for over 30 years, or because of their half-million albums sold, or late-night talk show appearances, or influence on an entire genre of acoustic-driven rock.

Listen because these two theater-major undergrads, with headwaters in the same late-80s collegiate mountain range, have stumbled over their own stones and through their own canyons over the last three decades.

And now, they meet again, where their power and beauty is the greatest.

Here, at the confluence.

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Family has always been at the center of things for Los Lonely Boys. Henry, Jojo, and  Ringo Garza have been playing and touring together since they were teenagers. Three  years ago, they decided to take a break to focus on their own growing families. But  Summer 2022 saw them back at it again, returning to life on the road alongside The  Who. The Boys have been making music together for seventeen years now, and they  show no signs of slowing down or losing inspiration. Today, you’ll find them in the  studio, working on their newest album. 
The story of how the Garza brothers rode their bluesy “Texican rock & roll” sound from  San Angelo, Texas, to worldwide fame is one of rock’s great Cinderella tales. The three  young brothers formed a band, got signed to a major label, and had a hit single that  propelled them to stardom. They sold 2.5 million records, won a Grammy, and received  five more Grammy nominations in the span of their career. 
The sons of Enrique “Ringo” Garza Sr. are a second-generation sibling band; their dad  and his brothers played conjunto as the Falcones before the elder Garza formed a band  with his sons. They were still teens when he moved them to Nashville, hoping to hit  career paydirt. But their big break came after they returned to Texas and began playing  Austin clubs in the early 2000s. One day, Willie Nelson’s nephew heard some demos.  Next thing they knew, Willie showed up at a gig. Then he showcased them at Farm Aid,  fronted recording time at his famed Pedernales Studio, and guested on their album. 
Released in 2003 on startup label Or Records, Los Lonely Boys got picked up by Epic  and re-released. Propelled by the No. 1 single, “Heaven,” it wound up selling over 2  million copies, spending 76 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and earning  them a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. 
Their dream-come-true rise was chronicled in the documentary Los Lonely Boys:  Cottonfields and Crossroads, directed by fellow San Angelo native Hector Galán.  Another dream came true for the Boys when Carlos Santana invited them to guest on  his 2005 album, All That I Am. They also released Live at the Fillmore that year. Their  father and Willie Nelson joined them on 2006’s Sacred, and in 2007, their cover of John  Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” became the second single from the  album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. 
Their rise to stardom was certainly something to behold. But the story of how they’ve  persevered in the face of subsequent challenges is just as compelling. In 2013, they  canceled 43 shows and paused work on their last album, Revelation, after Henry was  seriously hurt when he fell from a stage in Los Angeles. The scare caused all three  brothers to re-examine not only how they make music, but how they conduct their lives. 
“The whole experience was a wake-up call,” Jojo admits. “It reminded us of what’s really  important.” 
Once again, they affirmed that’s family. And music. For this trio, the two are  inseparable. 
The downtime of their hiatus served their hearts and their families well, but it also  served to plant new seeds of creativity. “We grew as husbands and fathers during our  time off. We wanted to be there for our families,” says Henry. Now in the studio working  on their newest record, they are finding that inspiration comes from time at home as  much as from time on the road. “Our new songs are about what is happening in  everyone’s lives; topics of separation, the need for more love, and relating to one  another.” 
Now, with plans to release a new record in 2023, the Boys are entering a new era of  their career. “Walking off the stage after our first performance this year, we cried  together, hugged, and knew we would continue,” says Henry. “After a three-year hiatus,  we are songwriting, recording, and touring together. It is a blessing to share the stage  with my brothers. We lift each other musically and spiritually. We consider this Los  Lonely Boys’ resurrection.”

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Shawnee Kilgore grew up in Bellingham, Washington, learning guitar and writing songs wholly on her own as a teenager, initially motivated only by the dream of meeting and marrying rock star Daniel Johns, frontman of the Australian (then also teenage) band silverchair. Songwriting proved to be an altruistic calling and eventually led her to Austin, Texas where her fourth album, A Long and Precious Road, was among Texas Music Magazine’s albums of the year and landed her alongside artists like Kacey Musgraves and Leon Bridges on their list of Songwriters of Distinction.

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Colin Gilmore grew up in Lubbock, Texas, spending many nights as a child in nightclubs like Stubbs, where he witnessed songwriters like Joe Ely, Terry Allen, and his own father, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, bring the stage to life. He developed a taste for Buddy Holly, Townes Van Zandt, and bands like The Clash and The Pogues. For 14 years, Colin has been informed by these observations, writing songs and playing under his own name. He recently performed in and wrote songs for the critically acclaimed feature film Barracuda, which premiered at SXSW Film Festival and has since had great success and distribution. He is currently working with West Texas Exiles - an Austin-based band from Lubbock, El Paso and Amarillo.

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Noëlle Hampton is a singer, songwriter, and composer. Her music ranges across the genres of pop, rock and Americana. She is a member of the Texas band the Belle Sounds, formed with longtime music partner and husband, André Moran.

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Johnny Goudie, singer/songwriter, based in Austin, Texas. Through his four-decade career, Johnny's musical experiences span the artistic gauntlet and include being the frontman of many bands including Goudie (Elektra Records), a songwriter working with the likes of Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey and Kathy Valentine (Go-Go's), a solo artist capable of revealing a previously unseen intimacy. 

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The spirit and sound of Altan comes from the deep and rich musical tradition of their native Co. Donegal.

On one of his many visits to the Donegal Gaeltacht of Gaoth Dobhair, Belfast born flute player Frankie Kennedy met fiddler and singer Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, sparking off a deep musical connection, marriage in 1981, and a journey that took them all over the world. Their vision was to bring the unique repertoire of Donegal music to the world and that mission is still as strong as ever.

In the mid 80s, Mairéad and Frankie recruited bouzouki player Ciaran Curran from Fermanagh, whose intricate counterpoint is at the centre of the Altan sound, and guitarist Mark Kelly from Dublin, whose mastery of a wide palette of guitar styles and harmonic vocabulary add a breadth and depth of colour. As a band, Altan played their first concert on June 1st 1985, in St. John’s Church in Listowel, Co. Kerry at the famous Listowel Writers Week.

Their first album, simply titled Altan was released in 1987 and quickly followed by Horse with A Heart, which saw the inclusion of Paul O’Saughnessy on fiddle. Paul had joined the band on its first US tours, lending his stunning virtuosity and in-depth knowledge of the Donegal style. He performed on the subsequent three albums. In 1992, the album Harvest Storm brought with it Dáithí Sproule on guitar, himself one of the pioneers of guitar in Irish traditional and folk music, having played with the wonderful Skara Brae with the O’Domhnaill family and Buncrana native Ciaran Tourish who excelled in fiery counterpoint fiddle.

One of the band’s finest hours came with the release of Island Angel in 1993, which was recognised by Billboard World Music Charts as the second biggest selling world music album globally in 1994 and in the same year, Altan performed for Bill Clinton at the White House. The band would play for US Presidents over the course of their career as well as accompanying Irish Presidents on their state visits. Shortly after the release of this album, the legendary accordionist Dermot Byrne joined the band. Sadly, on September 19th, 1994, the band and wider world of music was dealt a devastating blow with the death of founding member Frankie Kennedy. His vision, artistry and sense of fun is still at the heart of Altan and his legacy is carried and celebrated in every note.

A record deal with Virgin Records followed in 1996, which catapulted the band on an extensive touring schedule over the subsequent decade. This period saw them working with many of the great American performers such as Dolly Parton, recording on her album Heartsongs (1994) and its follow up, Little Sparrow 2001; she returned the favour on the band’s record The Blue Idol in 2002 by dueting with Mairéad on the song “The Pretty Young Girl”.

The band have traveled with President Mary MacAleese and President Michael D. Higgins on state visits abroad to Japan, North Korea and Italy. President Higgins invited them to join him in his residence, Áras an Uachtaráin in 2018 to celebrate their 30 years as a band. The Donegal County Council held a civic reception in their offices to mark the occasion in May 2018. In 2006 the Irish Government also honoured Altan by putting them on an official postal stamp to celebrate their contribution to the Irish culture one of the highest honours to be bestowed on an Irish citizen .

Martin Tourish, a past TG4 Young Musician of the Year, took the accordion seat in late 2013 and the band recorded their album The Widening Gyre in Nashville with many of the great Bluegrass and American performers, such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jerry Douglas and Alison Brown. This album explored the connections between Irish and Bluegrass music, a particularly special moment of which was performing at The Grand Ole Opry with Ricky Skaggs in 2016.

In 2017, the band released their first book, Altan: The Tunes, based on a collection of 222 melodies that they collected recorded over their 30 year history. Martin Tourish transcribed the dance music and meticulously interviewed all the band members for additional stories and back- ground information. Containing a detailed commentary on each of the tunes, it is the only collection of Donegal music currently in print.

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh was awarded Donegal Person of the Year in 2008 and the coveted TG4 Gradaim Ceoil (Music Award) 2017, for her musicianship and singing. The highest accolade which a traditional musician can receive in Ireland. In celebration of the band’s latest album, The Gap of Dreams, the band has brought their music all over Europe and Ireland, the US and Canada, Japan, Australia and North Africa.

The latest album celebrates the roots of their music in Donegal folklore. It was recorded in the Attica Studios in the mountains of Donegal which contributed to a wonderful atmosphere which permeated throughout the recording. The title refers to that ‘gap’ or ‘door’ between this and the ‘other world.’ The older fiddlers , whom they got their music from, always associated with the “other world” as the source for their music and inspiration. They would describe poetically about encountering the fairy folk or listening to tunes on the wind or on the shore listening to the sound of the waves. In creativity the “Gap of Dreams” is never shut.

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When Sunny War (a.k.a. Sydney Ward) moved into her late father’s house in Chattanooga, she thought the place was haunted. “I spent the winter seeing things and hearing things,” she says. “The house is 100 years old, and I was in there by myself. I could hear people walking around and talking, but when I jumped out of bed with my machete, there was nobody there. I assumed it was my dad, and I started writing about the ghosts that I was living with.” One of those songs, simply titled “Ghosts,” anchors her latest album, Armageddon in a Summer Dress. A kind of slithering blues, driven by her spidery guitarwork and haunted by disembodied voices dopplering in and out as the song fades, it’s a wise-yet-confused meditation on what it means to live with your
memories of the dead and the lost.

Sunny’s house wasn’t haunted, at least not the way she initially suspected. “Something broke and I had to fix it, so I called the gas company even though I didn’t have the money. The guy discovered major gas leaks all over the house. I thought I was losing my mind, but I was just hallucinating from the gas. After I got that fixed, I never saw or heard another ghost.” That’s not to say they weren’t there, just that she could no longer detect them and no longer had to sleep with a giant knife next to her bed. But Armageddon is rooted in the disorientation of those hallucinations. In songs that are deeply incisive and keenly imaginative, Sunny ponders the act of crossing boundaries—between worlds, between musical genres, summoning the ghosts of the people she lost, the people she once was, and the people she was not allowed to be. “Just how to hang on to the ones we let go,” she sings on “Ghosts.” “They’ll be down in the ground when you need them most and now somehow you believe in ghosts.” Following the release of her 2022 breakthrough, Anarchist Gospel, Sunny spent less and less time at her not-haunted house and more and more time on the road, opening for Bonnie Raitt, Mitski, Iron & Wine, and Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, among others. When she was back in Chattanooga, she did her best to stay busy, lest she lapse back into the drinking that almost killed her. “If I’m home and not touring, either I’m going to play music all day or I’m going to get drunk. It’s really one or the other. I’m just obsessively trying to work on something so that I’m making healthier decisions that day.”

Sunny spent long days recording elaborate demos, chasing ideas and assembling whole songs from the ground up. Some were odd experiments, a few turned into a long series of old-time guitar/banjo duets, and others became the songs on Armageddon in a Summer Dress. She wrote primarily instrumental tracks and played everything herself—guitar of course, but also bass, drum loops, keyboard, and anything else she thought the track needed—all with the notion that she’d add lyrics later. “I want to be a producer, so I try to make my own recordings as complete as possible, trying to get to the point where I feel confident enough to start recording other people. So I get obsessed with my demos. They have to be done just right so I can move on to something
new.”

The intense demo process allowed her to tinker with new textures, and she found herself gravitating away from her trusty acoustic guitar for an electric. “Touring behind Anarchist Gospel made me want to make a bigger-sounding record and have a whole band rather than just playing solo acoustic or with a three piece. I wanted to try stuff out of my comfort zone and try to have more fun playing. I definitely wanted to make this album for a badass five-piece band.”
 
Songs like the runaway “One Way Train” and the lowdown “No One Calls Me Baby” reveal an artist further refining Sunny’s vibrant mix of punk and roots. “To me it’s the same kind of music. If you’re into punk for the lyrics and the message, there’s definitely a lot of old-time music that has that spirit. Folk used to be very anti-establishment. Pete Seeger, union songs, Woody Guthrie—that’s punk rock shit. It’s all about being an outsider.” In fact, she may be the only artist who could host punk stalwarts John Doe from X and Steve Ignorant from Crass to sing alongside Valerie June and Tré Burt, but to her credit, Sunny disregards any genre boundaries that might separate them. “They’re all just beatniks. That’s what I’m calling people now. They’re all different, but they’re just artists, poets. They all have that aesthetic, in their own way.”

Recruiting Steve to sing on the anarcho-punk anthem “Walking Contradiction” was a full-circle moment for Sunny, who counts Crass among her all-time favorite bands. She wrote the song especially for him: with its snaking blues melody, ominous organ chords, and Sunny’s guitar tagging the walls of city hall, the song is a smart, scowling depiction of late-capitalist America, where even the best of us are compromised by a
fundamentally evil system. Their voices suggest a wild chemistry between them, possibly because Sunny’s been singing along with Steve for decades. “He’s my hero for life. When I started listening to Crass, it changed everything about how I thought about everything. I dropped out of school because of them, because I realized I needed to be playing gigs and writing songs.”

What kind of person would Sunny be had she had never heard Crass? Or Robert Johnson? Or any of her heroes? Those mirror-universe Sunnys are just some of the ghosts that haunts Armageddon in a Summer Dress: all of those different selves who would have led different lives. Would she have turned out like the woman in “Lay Your Body Down,” who misspends her life following rules and projecting her frustrations onto everyone around her? These songs tally up everything that’s lost as you grow up and grow old, all of those small occurrences that turn out to be pivotal, and then Sunny flips you the bird on closer “Debbie Downer” for thinking she’s being too dour—“a Negative Nancy, an infinite frowner.” As dire as these songs may be, they’re also righteous and therefore joyous in their exhortations to live on your own terms, to fight injustice wherever you see it, and to always reach for new ways to express yourself. “I’m still learning a lot about everything,” Sunny confesses. “I’m trying to learn how to be comfortable playing shows, and there’s still a lot I’m learning about guitar in general. I think I’ll be learning forever. Music is infinite. You can never stop having different combinations. You could never play everything that could be played on guitar, and you can never say everything you need to say, so you can just go on forever learning new things.”arkable talents, filtered through the lens of a more intimate expression of the blues.” 

SUE FOLEY is an acclaimed guitarist, singer/songwriter and writer who began her professional career in her teens. She’s released thirteen albums and has garnered several awards, including Traditional Female Artist of the Year at The Blues Music Awards in Memphis four consecutive times. (2020/22/23/24).

“A lush, brilliantly performed salute to women who helped forge the history of the guitar.”  

— Living Blues Magazine

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You can hear the high-lonesome of her birth-state Kentucky in the voice and fiddling of Beth Chrisman, but the warmth comes straight from the festive and tight-knit music community of Fairbanks, Alaska where she grew up.

She’s come a long way since showing up in Austin, Texas in 2006. While a member of retro country trio the Carper Family, Chrisman performed on Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion, US & international festivals, and was recognized for her songwriting by the Independent Music Awards (“Cold, Dark & Lonely" Best Americana Song, "Foolish Ramblin' Man" Best Country Song, IMA).

Both at home and on the road, she has joined a variety of artists on stage and in the studio - honky-tonking with Bobby Bare and Bill Kirchen, swinging with Big Sandy & the Fly Rite Boys, jamming with Shinyribs and the Heartless Bastards.   With her bands the Carper Family and High Plains Jamboree, Chrisman performed standout showcases at Folk Alliance International, SXSW, IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association), and as a featured songwriter with Project ATX6 brought old-time country influence to festivals & clubs in Toronto and Angers, France

Best known around Texas for her fiddle and harmony work with Brennen Leigh, James Hand, and the Carper Family, Chrisman is now fronting her own honkytonk band - Missy Beth and the Morning Afters, as well as Lost Patterns, an acoustic duo with songwriter Silas Lowe.     

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Kathryn Legendre, a native Texan, has become a fixture of the Austin music scene, playing her own brand of original honky tonk. Folks will tell you that she's never been one to follow trends – that encompasses Legendre's whole outlook on songwriting and, well, life. 

Along the way, she’s built a catalog consisting of her 2013 debut album Old Soul, 2016 EP Don't Give A Damn, 2019 EP Making It Up, 2020 singles, “One Long Sad Song” & “Waiting In Line,” and 2023 single, “Cigarettes.”

As a result, Legendre has earned 2020 & 2023 Honky Tonk Female Ameripolitan nominations, as well as a 2021 Austin Music Awards Best Country Artist nomination.

Most recently, she’s been featured on 2023 festival lineups, including Two Step Inn, Stagecoach, and ACL Music Festival. In 2024 she collaborated with Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel on her single, “The Day I Smoked A J With Ray.”

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Mama Said String Band

Delivering a refreshing reinvention of sounds once forgotten through their own brand of grassroots, Mama Said String Band has been making an impact on the Bluegrass Scene & beyond since their debut in 2016. Based out of Louisville Kentucky, Mama Said String Band is a four-piece collection of songwriters & players, David O’Neal, Katie “Didit” Caudill, Kaitlen Farmer, and Kris Potts. Each member brings a unique perspective with backgrounds spanning multiple cultures, genres, and styles. Together they draw influences from Bluegrass, Folk and Americana while focusing on vocal harmonies and contemporary instrumentation to build an eclectic, eurythmic melody and tactfully delivered message.

During their time together, Mama Said has become an instant classic, made a notable impact on the Bluegrass State, grown a large fan base & received numerous awards and nominations such as “Bluegrass artist of the Year”. They have made & continue to make their imprint nationwide as they tour and take part in prominent music festivals.

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The Hillsiders

From the shade of Austin’s live oak trees, bustling coffee shops and sloping backyards, four musicians paved their creative path playing the music they love. Every string played and note sang has prepared them for the four-piece band they are now. The Hillsiders have brought their respective talents to create a quartet able to heartily portion sweet melodies and hard-driving breakdowns. 

What started as four bluegrass pals putting a last-minute band together would soon turn into The Hillsiders. Merging old-time and bluegrass genres, they hold firm in their esteem for songs and musical styles that came long before them. With influences from Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson and Larry Sparks, The Hillsiders can’t help but put their own musical stamp on songs of both old and new. Forming the band is Andi Huff (fiddle), Devon Canady (guitar), Hunter Hollingsworth (mandolin) and Grammy Nominated, Dom Fisher (upright bass). 

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Join us for another amazing installment from our good friends The Pepperland Players (Ben Jones, Bruce Hughes, Darin Murphy, Heath Allyn & Ty Hurless)! This time around they're presenting The Traveling Wilburys & Beyond! Get your tickets now while you can, this will indeed sell out!

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Zac Wilkerson is a SOUL ROCKER from the COUNTRY.

Powerful, soulful vocals and a driving guitar style combine with poignant songwriting to deliver a new take on Americana, Soul, Country, and Rock.

Wilkerson stumbled into a career in music after being tricked into entering, and eventually winning, The Blue Light Live Singer Songwriter contest in 2011. The prize was a Solo Acoustic set at the 2012 Larry Joe Taylor's Texas Music Festival in Stephenville, TX. He has since etched out a strong following across the Texas the music scene and beyond, with his work appearing in Nationally Syndicated and Regional Radio, and Local and Prime-Time Network TV.

Wilkerson cut his musical teeth in a country church where he started singing at 4. At a young age, he discovered his parents' country, soul, Motown, rock, and folk records, creating a musical foundation with as much variety as passion.  By 12 he played several instruments, including piano and guitar, which led to songwriting that same year. The musical voice that has evolved since is a fresh take on Rock, Soul, Country and Americana evoking Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Bonnie Raitt, and Levon Helm.

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Claudia Gibson

Austin singer-songwriter Claudia Gibson’s musical style runs the gamut of her past musical experience - with folk at its base, but including elements of rock, classical, bluegrass, Celtic and soul. Her strong guitar playing and solid vocals help her weave a sound identifiable solely as her own - fully on display in her second full album, 2024’s The Fields of Chazy.

Claudia’s first album Step By Step and follow-up EP Louisiana Sky - both produced by Band of Heathens frontman Gordy Quist - contained songs that made folks sit up and take notice. Step By Step cracked the Americana radio charts and the Roots Music Report's 2017 Top Americana/Country Album Chart. After winning the Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest in 2018, Claudia went on to become a finalist in the 2019 Kerrville New Folk Competition. She’s been a finalist and participant in several other prestigious songwriting festivals and competitions, and has played stages in Texas and throughout the US.

A few opening slots and shared bills with Walt Wilkins in 2022 led to his producing Claudia’s album The Fields of Chazy in the summer of 2023. The album features a Who’s Who of some of Austin’s finest musicians, including Rich Brotherton, Warren Hood, Chris Beall and Pat Byrne, and presents songs that weave stories about real people whose lives and narratives have impacted Claudia in profound ways.

Of The Fields of Chazy, respected UK music reviewer Alan Cackett wrote, “Claudia Gibson’s second album is a travelogue through time and the vast expanse of America, a heady mixture that conjures the ghosts of John Steinbeck and Townes Van Zandt, and yet remains uniquely personal…"

Claudia is thrilled to return to The 04 Center stage!

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Helene Cronin

Texas artist Helene Cronin describes herself as a “story-singer.” She shares her life through songs that resonate with emotional truth, plus a dash of imagination - and then invites her listeners into the storybook. Helene’s combination of vulnerability and intricate detail in her songs create an indelible connection with her audiences.

A 2018 Kerrville New Folk winner, Helene's songwriting style combines the raw roots of Americana with the more polished song-craft of Nashville. Helene travels regularly from Texas to Nashville for co-writing sessions with top songwriters and artists, and has seen her songs recorded by Cody Johnson (“Over Missing You” in 2024), Bryan Martin, Heidi Newfield, Janelle Arthur and The Isaacs, and many more.

As a performing artist, Helene possesses a voice with as much a character as the ones that inhabit her songs. Her newest album, Maybe New Mexico is a March 2025 release, following up on 2023’s Landmarks and her critically acclaimed 2019 debut, Old Ghosts and Lost Causes. Helene’s most well known song "Lucky Me" led to appearances on national TV and countless military events, including some honoring our nation's Medal of Honor recipients.

Helene performs in a variety of settings from house concerts to festivals. Audiences say, "Your songs make me want to be a better person." Helene can't think of a better reason to keep writing and singing!

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Matt Harlan

A former Austinite now based in Houston, Matt Harlan’s name evokes immediate respect and appreciation in Texas songwriting circles. His memorable songs, guitar virtuosity and expressive voice have been on display through five fine albums worth of material, including 2019’s critically acclaimed Best Beasts. Matt’s songs draw listeners in with their timeless melodies; he keeps them there with insightful lyrics that recognize the sometimes difficult truths lying under the surface of our daily lives.

Matt has toured throughout the US and Europe (where he reached #1 on the Euro-Americana charts), and has received numerous songwriting accolades and awards during his career, including Singer-Songwriter of the Year from the Texas Music Awards and winner of the Telluride Troubadour competition. New Depression magazine said of him, “If there’s a performer today that embodies the oft-applied and rarely understood moniker of ‘songwriter’ it’s Houston favorite, Matt Harlan.”

Matt’s touching 2023 single, "Long Road" is a prescient song of fatherly advice to his young daughter. The past year has found Matt hosting the storied Thursday Songwriters Nights at Anderson Fair in Houston, and bravely debuting new songs there on a regular basis.

Matt Harlan has shared stages with Americana greats (Guy Clark, James McMurtry, Steve Earle) and modern luminaries alike (John Fullbright, Adam Carroll, Jamie Lin Wilson, Hayes Carll). Matt makes new fans every time he plays - we’re sure The 04 Center will be no exception.

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David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsis

Pick any song from Wilcox’s new acoustic album, My Good Friends, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you’ll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you’ll marvel at the four-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of ten songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.

Of special note on the new recording is “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today’s obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there’s a trio of story songs – “Dead Man’s Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”

In fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”

Such dedication to honoring personal and heartfelt music has been the backbone of David Wilcox’s entire career. The Ohio native with the warm baritone found his artistic muse in North Carolina during the mid-1980s. In 1987, he released his debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, which led to winning the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 1988. That translated to a four-album stint with A&M Records starting with 1989’s How Did You Find Me Here, which sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Thirty-plus years and twenty-plus albums later, Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2018 for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his last album release, The View From the Edge. Wilcox has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. He also has a dedicated and vocal core of fans who regularly write to thank him for his work and the impact his songs have had on their lives.

Today, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in. That kind of storytelling is certain to become a good friend.

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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All Ages

Melissa Carper and Theo Lawrence barely knew each other when they started singing songs together in the fall of 2023. Little introduction was needed to get down to action (get down to business or get into the action) because what these two were supposed (intended or meant?) to do together went without saying : songs needed to be written, harmonies had to be sung and an album must be made. 

In the last several years Carper and Lawrence have individually earned their spots as acclaimed recording artists on the Roots Music scene, seamlessly blending old-time Country, Jazz and Soul on their records. A country woman from Arkansas and a city man from Paris with two very different paths and voices, they were brought together by their love and devotion to traditional American music. 

They regularly gathered in the kitchen for long afternoon hangs in Austin, Texas where they both now live, and had an album worth of songs right in time for Spring. They hit the road together in June 2024, putting their newly-composed classic love songs to the test, in front of attentive crowds in listening rooms throughout Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. Riding on endless desert roads, they took time to get acquainted, humming songs to the sound of the Ford Transit radio, simply « Havin’ A Talk ».

These two take the Art of cutting records rather seriously, so they took their business to the Athens of the South, in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s there at the Bomb Shelter studio, that Melissa crafted her last few albums, with the help of Andrija Tokic’s capable hands. 

A few phone calls and good taste in musicians brought a few talented friends and some of the best session players to the room, to form Melissa and Theo’s A-team of their dreams. Chris Scruggs, who they brought in for rhythm guitar and steel, casually stepped up in the co-producer’s shoes, alongside Theo and Melissa.

The result is a debut duet-album like they just don’t make ‘em anymore…

Two remarkable and unique voices that have bewildered many who came to hear them in all kinds of rooms for about a decade, heard together for the first time, blending like glass in a timeless glint of blushing shadows

Doors @ 7:00pm
Show @ 8:00pm
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The Watters

With nearly twenty years of musical collaboration together, husband and wife duo Daniel and Jenna Watters embrace a sound they call “Americana Soul.” Seamlessly blending Soul, Rock and Jazz, they have been described as “Fleetwood Mac with a horn section” after developing their unique but accessible sound across seven different albums together under various monikers and releasing their debut record as their current band, The Watters, in 2016. Now an acclaimed mainstay of the Austin music scene, they have garnered a devoted fan base through their stirring vocals and road-weathered musicianship and have opened for artists like Michael McDonald, The Revivalists, Allen Stone, and Devon Gilfillian.

Before settling in Austin, The Watters developed their eclectic sound in part by living in several dramatically different cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, but their story began in Sedona, Arizona. They met on the pee wee football team in 6th grade, though it wasn’t until their high school graduation ceremony when they first sang together, performing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The spark of chemistry they felt as much as the audience did led the two to start writing together and performing at local coffee shops around northern Arizona and Los Angeles during their summer and winter school breaks. Four years of long distance writing and performing later, the two moved to Denver in 2009 to formally start their first band, “The Oak Creek Band.” Their romantic relationship was born soon after, and they married in 2011. After years of cutting their teeth in the mountain towns of the Colorado Rockies and then a stint in Nashville, the duo felt geographically aimless and uninspired, and on a fated drive back to Sedona in 2015, they took a long detour to Austin. They saw one show at The Continental Club Gallery and, falling instantly in love with the city’s music scene and vibe, decided that night to make it their new home.

Since then, they have released two full length LPs (The Watters, Intuition) one EP (Mellow), and played nearly every venue in Austin. They’ve been awarded several grants from local-non profits for their artistry including Sonic Gud Major Grant and the Long Center Live Music Grant and won four national John Lennon Songwriting Contest Awards for tracks from 2021’s Intuition. The Watters’s third full-length album, Duality, slated for release in late 2023, is a culmination of their nineteen years of creating and performing together and reflects all the challenges, learning, and growth they have evolved through as individuals and a duo. For The Watters, life and music are one, their journey together being their greatest muse.

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Gritty Sunset

It was a bitterly cold Tuesday night in January of 2019 in Manhattan – yes it’s a cheesy start, but this is completely true and the story must be told – when COURTNEY received a text from a fellow singer and close friend asking her to come downtown to see some live music. Since the weather was so unpleasant, Courtney was not too keen on making the trek on the subway to the venue.

Her friend sweetened the deal by inviting her to sit in with the band and sing a couple of songs so she figured there was “nothing better to do” that evening. After a little grumble to herself, she threw on her large winter puffer jacket and off she went.

When she finally arrived, the atmosphere was a typical dimly lit lounge vibe that made it difficult to clearly see the faces of the musicians on the stage. In addition, ELI was wearing his signature style of a fedora hat that cast an even darker shadow over his eyes, creating that mysterious persona fabricated by so many musicians.

While in a small conversation near the bar, Courtney was stopped mid-sentence as she was interrupted by a beautifully captivating guitar solo. With a stern inquisitive tone, she blurted out, “Who is THAT!?”

She was so blown away by his tastefully skilled musicianship that she knew she had to meet him. Without agenda or expectation of any kind, she immediately made her friend introduce her to Eli, where at that time, she didn’t hesitate to instantly connect with him through Instagram.

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Jennifer Foster, vocalist and bassist as well as songwriter, lyricist, and arranger of an all-original catalogue inspired by Motown, funk, R&B, blues and rock greats like Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, The Meters and Chaka Khan and Grand Funk. Featuring Robert Parker Jr., a sweet and spicy spoonful of the good stuff; guaranteed to hook you with the first note and keep you until the last.

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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Meet Max & Heather Stalling, the dynamic singer-songwriter duo from Dallas, TX, bringing a unique blend of lyrics, vocals, and fiddle playing to the heart of Texas and Americana music.

Max Stalling: Armed with a master's degree in Food Science from Texas A&M University, Max traded his lab coat for a guitar, leaving behind a career as a research scientist at Frito Lay to pursue his dreams as a singer-songwriter. Touring, gigging and hustling for 20+ years, Max has built a large and loyal fanbase; playing pretty much every venue you’ve ever heard of and many you haven’t. With 6 studio albums, three live projects, and a chart-topping history in Americana radio, Max is a staple in the Texas/Red Dirt scene. His star on the South Texas Music Walk of Fame in Corpus Christi stands as a testament to his enduring impact. Heather Stalling: An award-winning violinist and fiddle player, Heather's musical journey began at the tender age of 3. As a child and young teenager she competed in fiddle contests across Texas and neighboring states; traveling with her parents while winning trophies and fans along the way. At 18, she was recruited out of college to become a member of "The Texas Gold Minors" in Branson, MO. Upon moving back to Texas she was a highly sought after fiddle and worked with notable bands Bob Schneider, Cory Morrow, Johnny Lee and Mark David Manders among others. She later founded blactopGYPSY with friend Andie Kay Joyner, writing songs, touring extensively and putting out two full length studio albums.

Together They Soar: Max and Heather, married since 2007, are finally combining their musical talents to create a captivating project. Max handles rhythm guitar and lead vocals, while Heather brings her exceptional fiddle skills and harmony vocals to the stage. After years of individual success, their collaboration promises a fresh and exciting musical experience.

The Show: Their performances, a blend of Max's 20+ years of original songs, occasional joint compositions, and well-chosen covers, create a show filled with musical prowess, witty banter, and a touch of humor. First-time listeners can expect a fun balance between solid originals, masterful fiddle playing, and engaging storytelling.

New Beginnings: Max and Heather are thrilled to embark on this joint musical journey, sharing their love for music and each other with audiences old and new. Don't miss the chance to witness the magic as they take their show on the road. Check out their first single release: “Circle” on all streaming services and platforms!

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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All Ages

It might’ve even been last night, but Steve Poltz just played the greatest show of his life. Guess what?

The next show will be even greater, making that show the greatest show of his life. 
Are you starting to notice a trend? 
He isn’t shy about it either. 

Even after most likely thousands of shows (but who’s counting?), he hits the stage with the same amount of energy and always makes sure to declare, “This is the greatest show of my life.” 

It’s why he’s quietly emerged as the kind of live phenomenon celebrated passionately by a diehard fanbase worldwide and renowned as a festival favorite everywhere from Bluesfest in Byron Bay and High Sierra Music Festival in California and Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado to Cayamo Cruise (where he actually got married). It’s why his music has crept into pop culture via collaborations with everyone from Jewel and Billy Strings to Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood, and even the late Mojo Nixon. It’s why after over a dozen albums, he’s still creatively firing on all cylinders and critically acclaimed by the likes of Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Billboard, and many more. 

Nevertheless, the next gig will be the greatest show for him (and maybe for you too)…

“I started doing it years ago, because I feel grateful to still be alive,” he notes. ”Even today, I still do it, and I believe my own bullshit. I convinced myself that every show is the greatest show I’ve ever played. They’re all different, and it depends on my mood each day, but I know I’m there to entertain people. It always cracks me up when I stumble into some sort of weird thing that’s handed to me like a gift from the freaky deadly heavens above.”

Steve might as well be “a gift from the freaky deadly heavens above” himself. He was born in Nova Scotia—Halifax, to be exact. Somewhere along the way, he began his relationship with the guitar at six-years-old. “We’re joined at the hip and lip and it’s always near my grip,” he affirms. He grew up in Los Angeles and Palm Springs (where he “met Elvis and Liberace”) and settled in San Diego (where he cut his teeth “under the tutelage of The Beat Farmers”). 

He kicked off his musical journey in San Diego-bred underground favorites The Rugburns. However, the world got to know Steve when co-wrote two tracks from Jewel’s diamond-certified debut Pieces Of You, including the multi platinum Billboard Hot 100 #2 “You Were Meant For Me” (he’s also in the video). He delivered his own full-length debut One Left Shoe in 1998 and paved the way for an extensive solo catalog defined by what he calls “evocative lyrics mixed with positivity and traces of tragicomedy.” 

If you so choose, you can trace his evolution from “Everything About You” (which popped up in Notting Hill) to the staple “Can O’ Pop”— christened “a fizzy delight” by Rolling Stone. The latter graced his 2022 album, Stardust & Satellites. Co-produced and created with The Wood Brothers, it garnered widespread acclaim. HOLLER. hailed it as “a wonderfully energized, often joyful and wryly provocative release from the charismatic Steve Poltz,” while No Depression dubbed it “poignant and ultimately uplifting.” Glide Magazine applauded how, “He takes chances like few others and seems to be increasingly more unconventional as he embraces Americana.”

Simultaneously, a myriad of artists continue to seek him out as a collaborator in the studio. Whether it be “Leaders” with Billy Strings or “Million Miles” with Molly Tuttle, he’s got dozens of cuts with various friends under his belt. He contributed two tunes to Deer Tick’s Emotional Contracts with frontman John J. McCauley going on to profess to Brooklyn Vegan, “Steve Poltz may be the biggest, most direct inspiration for me on this record.”

Steve adds, “Usually when these folks and many others come over to my house in Nashville we end up with something I love. I try not to overthink it. There are no rules. It’s kind of like fishing. You don’t catch anything if you don’t throw your rod in the water. So I guess I just try to be available for inspiration, mixed with perspiration and exasperation.”

Speaking of perspiration, he regularly travels far and wide to audiences of all ages and all continents most every day. 

“I travel from town to town and fool people,” he grins. “I sing them songs and tell them stories and somehow they decide to pay money to obtain some merch and witness the spectacle. Then I return a year later and fool them again.”

In the end, Steve is probably gearing up for the greatest show of his life as you read this. 

Thankfully, that will never change.

He signs off, “I’m just a weirdo, a freak, a bon vivant, a rounder, a rabble rouser, a workaholic, a people pleaser, an idiot and a grateful kid who ran away and joined the circus.” 
Can we say it might just be The Greatest Show on Earth?! 

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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LADY LAMB celebrates 10 years of Ripely Pine with an intimate performance of songs from the record and the recently-released commemorative boxset ‘In The Mammoth Nothing of The Night.'

From her early days, staying late after-hours at her video rental store job in Maine to record songs, to co-producing and arranging her four studio records, Aly Spaltro has remained focused on music that connects, empowers and builds community. She built her fanship the old-fashioned way, getting in front of audiences and projecting her poetic confessionals, silencing rowdy crowds with an a cappella opening song in the center of a dark stage. Spaltro was quick to develop a reputation as a breakout star in New England, and then expanded slowly outwards, moving to New York at twenty to continue work on the songs that would become Ripely Pine. Her voice has never wavered, has grown more honest and open with time, and anyone witnessing the long lines of fans seeking signatures after her performances can see how her work has impacted fans. Her live shows are revelations, a further deep dive into what makes Ripely Pine such a mainstay.

Spaltro is celebrating ten years of Ripely Pine with the release of a 5xLP Box Set, IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT out August 18 on Ba Da Bing Records. With the original songs remastered, as well as reams of additional material produced and arranged by Spaltro and mixed by original co- producer Nadim Issa, IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT captures the time, mood, art and ambition of Aly Spaltro in her early twenties, who had already accumulated years of playing and self-recording experience before laying down tracks for this giant of a debut.

“I wrote some of these songs when I was 18, learning how to play the instruments and record with my digital 8-track along the way,” Spaltro says, reflecting on the time. She talks about IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT with a sense of a mission. “These tracks have haunted me, because they haven’t had a home for all these years. I found all these alternate track listings in my notebooks. Any of them could have ended up on the record,” Spaltro says. “This box set is a way to honor that whole time, the beginning of the path of my life. Releasing this project feels like just that; I’m able to look back on where I’ve come from, and then gently close that door behind me and keep moving, keep growing.”

Doors @ 7:00pm
Show @ 8:00pm
All Ages
Full Bar
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After his sold out International "Happy Hour!" tour, Luke Kidgell is returning with a brand new show.  Luke has amassed 4 Million fans online for his viral stand up videos showcasing his outrageous and quick witted crowd interactions. Luke continues to captivate audiences worldwide with his clever observational humour and relatable anecdotes.

Luke is also known for co-hosting the Luke and Meg Podcast, the BLT podcast and for his multiple comedy specials which feature on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

You've seen him on the internet, now it's time to see him in real life, this is not one to miss!

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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The Limeliters launched their career in 1959 at San Francisco’s famous Hungry i…

and before long, founding members Alex Hassilev, Lou Gottlieb and Glenn Yarbrough emerged as one of the dominant voices of the early 1960’s folk music scene.  For three years they were the musical representatives for Coca-Cola, and their rendition of the jingle “Things Go Better with Coke” became a national hit. A string of best selling albums for RCA Records and frequent appearances on every major TV show quickly made them a household name.

Time Magazine summed up their appeal with the following memorable quote: “If the button down scrubbed looking Kingston Trio are the undergraduates of big-time folk singing, The Limeliters are the faculty.”

In the ensuing years, the lineup of the group has featured several spectacularly talented new members, but The Limeliters have never deviated from the integrity of the fabulous sound that they pioneered. With their energy and enthusiasm undiminished, current members Andy Corwin, Daniel Boling and Steve Brooks remain as exciting an act as the genre has produced. Now more than ever, the surging vocals, thrilling harmony, and quirky sense of humor of this unique trio continue to earn them their title as…

“The Fabulous Limeliters”.

Doors @ 7:00pm
Show @ 8:00pm
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Ben Danaher

For singer/songwriter Ben Danaher, carrying on a family tradition of storytelling has often led him down darkened roads to haunting, painful reflection on his journey thus far. But Danaher is no longer standing in shadows. The Texas-native is back in a glorious new season of self-reflection with a brand-new, astute and sincere lease on life and love.

Danaher’s latest effort, “The Actor”, packs a powerful punch, rolling along with a tender and restrained edginess. The track deals with a rampant, yet rarely discussed issue in the artist community—the topic of imposter syndrome. The idea came to Danaher after a particularly impactful therapy session. After opening up to producer Sean McConnell on the subject, the two couldn’t stop working until the song was completely tracked.

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JD Graham

“I knew I would meet my demons in prison and that one of us would die. I just didn’t know which one of us would walk out of there alive.”

For most of us, these would be very sobering thoughts, the kind of thoughts that would scare a person straight and ready them for battle. But for JD Graham, well, his passion for long-lived self-destruction outweighed any fear he might have had right before the cell bars slammed shut. His 25-year long drug addiction was an ironclad “shelter” he could take with him anywhere…or so he thought. Those demons that he would, in fact, meet wore many different faces and he came to recognize each one as soon as it reared its ugly head. It didn’t take long for Graham to realize during that waged war that there was another force fighting alongside him, and that he was going to slay them all. “My faith is what got me sober and keeps me sober. I was raised in a Christian church and I was always a believer, I just never surrendered. I was disciplined in the dark, not the light. Now, I have reprogrammed my brain on how I see life. I have healthy boundaries and an accurate moral inventory I take each day. That’s what God and prison did for me.”

Graham grew up in Yukon, Oklahoma where he spent the first 30 years of his life developing his skills in hostility and perfected duplicity. An anxiety disorder at the age of 11 introduced him to the wonderful world of drugs when he was prescribed valium, and by age 15 he was raiding every medicine cabinet he could find. By 18 he was a bona fide seller skilled in the art of harvesting multiple doctor prescriptions, and in the scientific breakdown of exactly how much drugs his body could take each day. By young adulthood Graham was deep into his addiction as well as his angst, which he showcased through reckless living and slinging guitar in several death metal bands. In 2010 he morphed into a more southern rock sound with his band Sour Diesel Train Wreck and released an album in 2012 to some national success and shared stages with Reckless Kelly, Stoney Larue, Cody Canada and The Departed, Jason Boland, Turnpike Troubadours, Shooter Jennings and Molly Hatchet. In true coming of age fashion, Graham met some new people and started going to shows and open mics. His introduction to bands/artists like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Brandon Jenkins and Jason Isbell started to calm the waters a bit by the sheer impact of the truth in their writing. Their willingness to lyrically “bare the soul” hit Graham deep, and that influence mixed with a lifetime of much needed confession cast its spell, and his inner songwriter was born. In 2007 Graham relocated to Arizona, and 10 years later a catastrophic car accident dealt him a 5-year prison sentence and a last chance to salvage his soul. Still the loyal addict, he pursued the score for drugs in the pen purchasing $500 in pills on his second day there, pills that were never delivered.

Instead, Graham was delivered when some church folks visited him in his cell to ask about his music. He resolutely acknowledged that God was most definitely at work in his life, and at that point he made a decision to stop drugs forever. With only his refection staring back at him in a dark cell and his mind uncluttered for the first time in 25 years, Graham’s long burdened conscience began to speak, and by the time those confessions all had their say he had written 160 songs. His first ever sober writings, Graham made history at the Arizona State Prison when he was allowed to record his first album “Razor Wire Sunrise.” The title-track was the first song he wrote in prison inspired by the view from his cell each morning and all the decisions that got him there. By the time Graham walked out a free man 5 years later, he had left behind a deep impact on the community there in the form of a very successful music program he started that is still being taught today. With an actual curriculum and over $20,000 in donations, the program sparked a year and a half waiting list for classes.

“I saw all this prison programming and cognitive behavior programs, but it wasn’t working to change people’s lives. When I started teaching music, I saw many of those guys find a sense of purpose. I saw music get guys off drugs and change their entire approach to their daily lives. Guys who walked around with their heads down not talking to anyone were now walking around with a smile and expressing themselves through music. Music is power. It forces you to get in touch with yourself because it’s so damn honest. I made life-long friends with a few chords on a guitar.”

In 2023, JD Graham officially entered his name into the songwriting annals with the release of his new album “Pound Of Rust” on June 23rd. Recorded at the Skinny Elephant in East Nashville and produced by Neilson Hubbard (Glen Phillips, Mary Gauthier, Kim Richey, Ben Glover, Amy Speace) and acclaimed songwriter Ryan Culwell, this spacious group of songs are the uninhibited testimony of a man with nothing left to lose. No bells and whistles, just Graham and his guitar, the album’s atmosphere is as raw as its telling captured in a live performance setting. The title-track is the hard taskmaster to which all the other songs fall into line. It’s a beast of a story that stares you down until you come to terms with your own accountability. The songs that follow are echoes of a well-worn soul who fought to have the right to see possibilities and experience reverence. Song after song the listener is seized and silenced as the weight of Graham’s sincerity welcomes you into this hallowed chamber. JD is what you call a songwriter’s songwriter, a man who keeps a crowd hanging on his every word. “Pound Of Rust” is an actual lifetime in the making, and it encapsulates the full culmination of the man who stands before you today. JD continues to put his faith and trust in God and live life on life’s terms. He continues his path fueled by faith, redemption and sobriety, writing poignant songs about his journey both past and present.

His 2023 release “A Pound of Rust” propelled him to the national touring circuit, performing in intimate listening rooms, songwriter festivals and beyond, with appearances at Mile 0 Festival & Born and Raised Festival. In July 2024 Graham released his follow up album “Sergeant of Sorrow” and continues to tour heavily in the USA and beyond.

“My brother asked me what the goal was with my music and I told him connection, whether that was talking to someone struggling on a barstool after a show or telling my story through a song to a crowd of people and reaching a stranger’s heart. Human connection is all I want; I think it’s why we are all here"

Doors @ 7:00pm
Show @ 8:00pm
All Ages
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Martin Sexton puts his signature style on his rendition of this iconic Beatles album combining what Rolling Stone calls his “soul-marinated voice” with his inventive guitar prowess.

We are all invited to Come Together to experience these brilliant songs celebrated in such a compelling reimagined way.

Martin Sexton

America comes together in the music of Martin Sexton. Our hearts mend, our political and philosophical differences melt away, and the various strains of our roots music entangle. Of Sexton, The New York Times says: “His unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer’s goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart."

Sexton has remained true to his mission of sharing peace and harmony throughout his 10 albums, and in countless incendiary live performances. He has thus built a loyal following of fans, including critics and superstar artists. He is without a doubt what Billboard calls: “The real thing.”

These days, people are coming together to revel in Sexton’s musicality for his Martin Sexton Abbey Road Show. This is a live show extravaganza in which he performs the iconic Beatles’ album in its entirety followed by a set of mainly original music. Currently, Sexton is also working on his 11th album, which will be his first full-length album in 10 years.

Sexton is a songwriter’s songwriter, with a multi-octave voice that knows no bounds. Acoustic Guitar Magazine calls him a: "Master of dynamics, reducing a room to silence with his blustering baritone, then teasing that silence with a fluttering falsetto."

Sexton’s career in music has unfolded like the stories in one of his sweetly redemptive songs. He got his start busking on streets and performing at open mics. Since then, he has gone on to be praised by modern legends such as John Mayer and Dave Matthews, who calls him one of his favorite singersongwriters. Sexton’s songs of grappling and gratitude were the soundtrack to John Mayer’s early gigging years, and made an indelible impact on the budding songwriter. Mayer says: “This is the music of my LIFE.”

Sexton has headlined venues from The Fillmore to Carnegie Hall, and his songs have appeared in television series such as Scrubs, Parenthood, Masters of Sex, and in numerous films. His dynamically emotive live show has earned him critical raves and an engaged and loyal following. The Wall Street Journal says: “Mr. Sexton as an impassioned performer can bring women and men to tears when they see him live.”

Doors @ 7:00pm
Show @ 8:00pm
All Ages
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Jonatha Brooke is a singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire who brings a rich musical history of evocative folk, melodic pop, and an edgier roots rock sensibility.

Starting in the early '90s as part of the duo The Story and later flourishing as a solo artist, Jonatha has released an impressive collection of music. She's not only a gifted artist but has co-written and produced songs with the likes of Katy Perry, The Courtyard Hounds, and Jessica Simpson. Beyond her solo career, Jonatha is a powerhouse in songwriting and recording, offering Master Classes both online and in person. Her extensive resume includes writing for Disney films, TV shows, and composing the theme song for Joss Whedon's, “Dollhouse,” to name a few. In 2014, she wrote, produced, and starred in her own one-woman show, “My Mother Has 4 Noses,” which ran off-Broadway to rave reviews and was critics’
pick in all the New York and Theater press, including NY Times and Time Out. She was also the recipient of a McKnight Artist Fellowship Grant in 2018, won the 2019 International Acoustic Music Award for Best Female Artist for “Put the Gun Down,” and was the competition’s overall grand prize winner. In 2020, she was awarded an Independent Music Award (IMA) for her EP, “Imposter.” Brooke is currently writing songs for her own next album, as well as gearing up for live concert dates with her band.

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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All Ages

Born in West Texas, Julie Nolen has forged her own path without forgetting where she's from. An Americana-roots rock-country troubadour, she is known for her energetic and passionate performances.​

Now in Austin, Texas Nolen plays both solo and with the full band at the Saxon Pub, Lambert’s, Hole in the Wall and One2One Bar. She has also been regularly touring around Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. 

She is also the Founder and Producer of the OUTlaw Pride Festival, the first queer country festival in Texas. Last year’s inaugural fest raised over $4,000 for local queer youth group, Out Youth. The next OUTlaw Pride Fest will be on September 24, 2022!​

Nolen’s highly anticipated album, “Songs of Dignity & Grit” was released on January 12, 2016. The singles “Trouble Junkie”, “Texas” and “Piss and Vinegar” have been in regular rotation at community radio stations in Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and Florida.​

Nolen is currently in the studio working on recording her second album and more!

Doors @ 7pm
Show @ 8pm
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Lee Roy Parnell is part of a long line of Texas roots-music eclectics and is among the elite few who can be identified as a triple threat. An ace guitarist, as well as a distinctive singer, and hit songwriter, his music runs the gamut of diversity. Combining the influences of Blue-Eyed Soul, Delta Blues, Road House Rock, Southern Boogie, Texas Swing, and Gospel, Parnell’s sound defies conventional classification. He draws from a broad range of musical sources and combines them with seamless dexterity and, unlike many other hard-to-pigeonhole artists, Parnell has enjoyed a run of success on the country and blues charts. He reflects, “I am a writer, guitarist, vocalist & a performer. Every skill set feeds the next. I’ve never been able to separate one from the other. It all starts with the song and when writing I’ve found that nothing is stronger than the truth. It is from that wellspring that my singing and playing are born…performing, too. My goal is to keep it honest and let the listener feel what I’m feeling. No matter our different walks in life I believe that most of us experience similar emotions. I’m tapping into you as much as you are tapping into me.”

From the start of his career through today, Parnell has approached all aspects of his life with a keen sense of protecting his integrity. He offers, “The people I most respect and relate to musically or in life have been people who stood up for what they believe in and stuck to their guns, no matter what.”

Midnight Believer, Parnell’s new album encompasses a realized vision that reflects the cumulative essence of who Lee Roy Parnell is today. He states, “One of the best things about gaining some maturity is you finally find out ‘Who You Is and Who You Ain’t.’ That said, I’d have to say that the song ‘Too Far Gone’ best describes me as an artist, now. It’s clearly a Blue-Eyed Soul ‘Beat Ballad’ as Barry Beckett (of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and my first producer) would call it. Barry really taught me how to make records. He taught me about groove, soul, vocal delivery and how to make every note count! The message here is in life and love we ebb and flow. We have good days and tough days. What counts is going the distance (or at least as far as you can.) I would be remiss not to give credit to ‘Sunny Days.’ That song is a real gift. The message is one of survival. ‘At least I lived long enough to know, that the rainy days, they make the flowers grow.’ It took me a long time to get that vocal…not because it was too ‘range-ey’ but because the lyric really hit home for me, and I’m not alone. I have countless people come to me after we’ve done a show with tears in their eyes saying, ‘Man…that song slayed me!’ I reply, ‘I know…me, too.’”

Musically, Parnell presents some of the best performances of his career on Midnight Believer. He approached this release with the intention of letting the music and performances speak. There is a level of organically-delivered emotion through his playing that took the path of not over-producing every track. He reflects, “Well, it’s funny…most folks think of me primarily as a slide guitarist, and to some degree that is true, but I played ‘regular lead guitar’ long before I played slide. On the song ‘Hours In Between’ what you’re hearing is one continuous lead guitar track from me…one pass going down with my band and no fixes. Not to say I didn’t want to, but they all threatened to walk out on me if I did! Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t get the chance to fix anything.”

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Vanessa Lively is an eclectic, bilingual songwriter and nonprofit founder who brings passion and fire to her heart-centric writing style and way of living. Margaret Moser of The Austin Chronicle describes Vanessa’s music as “folk music on fire with worldly rhythms and a Latin pulse.” Her latest album Truth Is has been listed as a #1 New Release by Kansas Public Radio, #13 on the FAI Folk Radio charts, a #1 New Release by Crossroads Radio in the Netherlands, and named one of the Top Albums of 2022 by Tom Coxworth - Folk Routes (Alberta, Canada).

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Ben Bedford is a singer-songwriter, composer, and visual artist.

In July of 2010, Bedford was named one of the “50 most significant Folk singer-songwriters of the past 50 years” by Rich Warren of WFMT-Chicago. The list also included Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Anais Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and Danny Schmidt. In May of 2018, Bedford was named one of the six Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. He has toured extensively over the past 15 years in North America and western Europe. In January of 2023, he released his sixth studio album, Valley Of Stars, engineered and mixed by David Sinko (Yo-Yo Ma, Punch Brothers, Edgar Meyer) and featuring Ethan Jodziewicz (Aoife O’Donovan, Maya de Vitry, Milk Carton Kids) on bass, Chas Williams (Nanci Griffith) on second guitar, and Kari Floyd on harmony vocals. With his visual art, Ben works in pen and ink and watercolor. Bedford is a member of Perspectives Art Gallery in Petersburg, Illinois.

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As the second daughter of a country music historian and a Jewish poet, Americana musician and songwriter Raina Rose revels in sharing with you her beautifully twisted, yet refreshingly optimistic perspective on the world. Her unique voice and exceptional guitar playing transcend age, gender, generation, and even catch the ears of those who aren't typically into acoustic guitar-driven songwriting.  With a naturalist's eye, an artist's pen, and a lion's attack, Raina lays everything she has on the line; she makes you feel as if she's your best friend whispering a honeysuckle-sweet secret in your ear, warmly inviting you into a joyfully intimate and darkly candid conversation. It's that ability to forge her own path in the world of music that sets Raina apart from her contemporaries, and her “no holds barred, lay it on the line” brand of Americana that secures Raina’s place in music history as more than a mere footnote or a passing trend.

 Born in Reagan-era Los Angeles, Raina moved to Portland, OR with her family in 1988. Growing up in a house alive with ‘60s pop and good ole' fashioned country music, Raina was given a guitar at age eleven and sent around the corner for lessons. By the time she hit high school—attending the same school as Elliott Smith and Matt Groening—Raina more often than not shined classes to write heart-wrenching teenage love songs in Portland's lush, green public parks. Upon graduating, Raina moved to the Oregon coast and taught environmental science to youngsters while basking in the majestic silence of 500 acres of ancient forest and foggy beachfront. It was the blissful solitude of this Thoreau-ian lifestyle that made Raina realize she wanted to make music for people, to sing for a living.

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Singer-songwriter Bob Livingston is a folk-rock raconteur who doesn't mind being called an "entertainer."

"The hand of fate plays a big part in all of this," Livingston says. Through serendipity and the art leaping and the net appearing more often than not, Livingston landed in Austin in 1971.  He came to Austin with Michael Martin Murphey after playing bass on Murphey's Geronimo's Cadillac album. In Austin, Livingston, reinvented himself as the Lost Gonzo Band bass-player/singer who toured and recorded with visionary misfits like Jerry Jeff Walker, Murphey, the Lost Gonzo Band and Ray Wylie Hubbard. They called it the 'progressive country scare!'"  

Livingston has seen a lot of the world since growing up in musically fertile West Texas. Hailing originally from San Antonio, Bob moved to Lubbock as a boy where his interests turned more 'Cosmic' than 'Cowboy' and prompted him to delve into the music and mysteries of many cultures. Traveling since the 80’s as a Music Ambassador for the US State Department, Livingston has taken Texas music as far afield as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Africa, Vietnam and the Middle East demonstrating again and again the unique power that music has to build bridges between peoples of the world. As Livingston says, 'When all else fails, music prevails'. These tours earned him the honor of being appointed, “Ambassador of Goodwill,” by the State of Texas and “Austin’s International Music Ambassador,” by the City of Austin. Bob was inducted into the "West Texas Walk of Fame" in 2018 and the "Texas Music Legends Hall Of Fame" in 2016.

This world-traveled view was reflected in Livingston's 2004 release, Mahatma Gandhi & Sitting Bull (AKA Original Spirit), a romp through the music and lore of both east and west.   Next up was Gypsy Alibi which was named Album of the Year by the Texas Music Awards in 2011.  2018's Up The Flatland Stairs drew a great review from COWBOYS & INDIANS MAGAZINE. "Each facet of Up the Flatland Stairs glimmers as an authentic dimension of Livingston’s singular aesthetic. He’s cerebral and a little bit feral, evoking the kind of characters you’d spot shuffling through the Louvre in snakeskin boots or reciting lines from Kafka to a redbone coonhound.” Ha!

Livingston plays over 100 shows a year: house concerts,  private parties, folk clubs and festivals.  He is the Artistic Director for a multi-cultural group from Texas and India called Cowboys & Indians. Cosmic Bob is also playing with new rockin' the Lost Gonzo Band and the Gonzo Compadres and is touring non-stop in support of, Up The Flatland Stairs. 

Livingston is singer-songwriter and a master raconteur who captures his audience from the first notes played. It's an irresistible invitation to travel down the musical roads where his rambles have taken him over the years.  What country? That is the question.”

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People ask Warren Hood a lot of questions at the end of a show – what was the name of that song you played – it sounded like Stephane Grappelli maybe, right after the Doug Sahm cover? How did you learn to play fiddle like that? Are you playing anywhere else this week? How old are you? Warren always obliges to answer all of the questions, that’s just his character (the answers are usually something like, “Black Cat”, hard work and listening to the right records, yes, definitely, and older than you think). He cares deeply about the experiences of the people who come to his shows and buy his records and works hard to create memorable live performances and albums.

Warren started playing classical violin at age 11 in the school orchestra, later studying privately with Bill Dick. He won classical music competitions, including the Pearl Amster Youth Concerto Competition and the Austin Youth Award, which gave him the opportunity to perform as a soloist on “Lalo Symphonie Espagnole” with the Austin Symphony, conducted by Peter Bay. Warren later balanced studying at Austin High with touring with Charlie Robison and the South Austin Jug Band. After high school, Warren earned a rare scholarship to Berklee College of Music where he majored in Violin Performance, played with Steven Tyler and formed an acoustic string band, Blue Light Special. At Berklee, Warren earned the coveted String Achievement Award, an award chosen by faculty to honor talent and as a vote of confidence on future success.

Leaving Berklee, Warren returned to Austin and was in demand as a sideman, playing with Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely, and joining The Waybacks, a band he would play with for the next ten years. Through all of this, Warren played with the South Austin Jug Band when he could, especially as a part of their Sunday night residency at Momo’s on W 6th St in Austin. When the residency ended for SAJB, Warren gathered a group of friends and took over Sunday nights under his own name, starting his first solo venture and releasing his first studio record, “Warren Hood”, an eclectic mix of both songs and legendary Austin players including Marcia Ball, Cindy Cashdollar, and Ephraim Owens.

The Momo’s Sunday residency lasted seven years and was a testing ground for Warren where he found his sound, learned how to lead a band, and gave the artists he shared the stage with space to shine - something he had plenty of experience with from the other point of view, having been a sideman for 10+ years. The way Warren ran Sunday nights had a lot in common with the residencies he grew up around in Austin – his father, Champ’s, ‘Singin for your Supper’ at Threadgill’s (Marcia Ball, Butch Hancock, Ruthie Foster, Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, Jimmie Dale Gilmore) and Toni Price’s ’Hippie Hour’ at The Continental Club.

The band Warren plays with now (Marshall Hood and Willie Pipkin on guitar, Nate Rowe on bass, and Jordan Cook on drums) is the current version of the band he started back in 2004 at Momo’s. This band plays every week at ABGB, drawing a mix of “old Austin” and newcomers, musicians and music lovers, and dancers who stay on the floor from the first to last song. The Warren Hood Band plays a mix of their own songs, classic country, and blues, with a nod towards their Texas roots with a few Uncle Walt’s

Band songs mixed in. Warren recorded “Warren Hood Band” in 2013, an album produced by Charlie Sexton and released by Red Parlor Records. A multi-instrumentalist (violin, guitar, mandolin) and accomplished singer-songwriter, Warren is described in the press a lot of different ways: “virtuoso” ”seven time Austin Music Award winner - Best Strings” ”Texas fiddler” ”Chet Baker crooner” “bluegrass picker” – but for him it all kind of blends together into everything he does (and what he does doesn’t always have fiddle). Warren says slyly that “playing different styles of music is like speaking different languages - the difference between violin and fiddle is how you roll your Rs. The more languages you speak the more people you can talk to.”

Warren's greatest influence is certainly his father, Champ Hood. Champ was a member of Uncle Walt’s Band, an acoustic folk trio from Spartanburg, South Carolina that also included Walter Hyatt and David Ball. They moved to Austin in 1975, prime time for the zeitgeist of the Austin heyday, playing at Waterloo and the Armadillo and building a cadre of lifelong fans. Their intricate harmonies and creative songwriting inspired their contemporaries, many of whom are today’s best loved and most respected songwriters and artists, and continue to touch those who discover their records today. Warren spends as much time with his band as he does playing and recording alongside other artists: David Ball, The Bodeans, Hayes Carll, Joe Ely, Alejandro Escovedo, Robert Earl Keen, Ben Kweller, Little Feat, Lyle Lovett, Joan Osborne, Toni Price, Bob Schneider, South Austin Jug Band, Redd Volkaert, Jerry Jeff Walker The Waybacks, Bob Weir, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis and more.

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It’s hard to describe Patrice Pike’s music as one particular genre. It’s part rock, part R&B, some soul and jazz appear in the mix, and that’s not to mention all the world influences.  Though, for listeners of Pike’s music, they would describe it not as a genre, but as an experience. Music is meant to inspire, to evoke emotion, to create a shared experience of the human condition.

Pike’s music and well-crafted lyrics create their own melodic solution to how we can navigate a world full of heartbreak with hope. Even in her songs that don’t shy away from hard topics such as poverty, gun control, and different forms of tragedy, Pike’s music is always about hope and finding the strength to continue.

Whether she’s singing, playing the guitar, or rocking out on percussion, Pike’s music reminds us to be compassionate with ourselves and others, and to celebrate all that this life has to offer.

Patrice has toured with Blues Traveler, Sarah MacLachlan, Allman Brothers, Dave Matthews, John Fogerty, Sinead O’Connor and many others.

Originally from Dallas, Pike moved to Austin in 1992 and was the front woman of the seminal Austin jam band, Little Sister aka Sister Seven. They released a number of well-received studio albums, including This the Trip, which gained Billboard Chart recognition for its track “Know What You Mean.”

After Sister Seven disbanded, Pike continued to play with Sister Seven’s lead guitarist Wayne Sutton and has released several studio and live albums.

In 2017, Pike and Sutton founded a new musical project, aptly called Pike and Sutton, and released the album Heart Is a Compass in April 2020. They were scheduled to tour internationally after playing Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2019.

After the complete implosion of the live music business due to the pandemic, Patrice has re-grouped and is currently working with Hunter Hendrickson and John Bush, both formerly of Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, among other projects. They are developing a new collection of music together with their band for release in 2024.

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Van Jackson is a band formed by siblings, Vanessa and Jack Barbee. Their music is a reflection of their collective influences ranging from classic rock, country, to pop.

Their self titled EP, VAN JACKSON, is a soulful blend of modern and nostalgic tones.

The band is currently writing and performing music in Austin, Texas.

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Shawn Colvin

"…extraordinary songs, mesmerizing guitar playing, and a voice that goes effortlessly from bruise-tender to scar-hard in a matter of minutes… her lyrics are crafted and clever, full of subtlety and polished phrases…With delicious sarcasm and acerbic stories, she held the audience spellbound… her songs are so personal to her that they speak to everyone who listens." – The Guardian

Shawn Colvin stopped the industry in its tracks with her arresting 1989 debut, Steady On. The following spring, Colvin took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, establishing herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. In the ensuing 30 years, Colvin has won three GRAMMY Awards, released thirteen superlative albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work.

Colvin triumphed at the 1998 GRAMMY Awards, winning both Record and Song of the Year for the Top 10 hit "Sunny Came Home," from the platinum-selling album A Few Small Repairs.

Her inspiring and candid memoir, Diamond In The Rough, was published in by Harper Collins in 2012. Diamond In The Rough looks back over Colvin's rich lifetime of highs and lows with stunning insight and candor. Through its pages we witness the story of a woman honing her artistry, finding her voice, and making herself whole.

Shawn Colvin was recognized for her career accomplishments when she was honored with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association. Presenting her with this prestigious award was Bonnie Raitt. Said Raitt, "She's simply one of the best singers I've ever heard — and a truly gifted and deep songwriter and guitarist… She was groundbreaking when she emerged and continues to inspire me and the legions of fans and other singer/songwriters coming up in her wake."

In September 2019, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Steady On, Colvin released a newly-recorded version of her landmark debut. Colvin crafts a truly mesmerizing reinvention, performing the album with just her voice and guitar. The Steady On 30th Anniversary Acoustic Edition strips each song to the core, placing Colvin's songwriting masterclass on full display. "I've played these songs countless times, primarily as a solo acoustic artist," she says. "all in all, this is the incarnation that feels most genuine. This represents who I am as an artist and all I ever wanted to be, and I believe it does its predecessor proud."

Colvin was recently honored with an induction into the 2019 Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, alongside legendary artists Lyle Lovett and Buddy Guy. In a moving induction speech, Jackson Browne praised her as "ineffable" — 'that which is impossible to express in words' — and extolled, "Not many writers are able to do what Shawn does. It's a very special way of relating what really matters. It takes an original to get our attention. Shawn is utterly original in her singing, and original in what she speaks about in her songs."

Over the course of three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as a captivating performer and a revered storyteller, well-deserving of the commendation of her peers and the devoted audiences who have been inspired by her artistry. And as she enters her third decade as a songwriter and performer, she continues to reaffirm her status as a vital voice in music.

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“This album is the purest distillation of our sound that we’ve ever captured,” says Crystal Damore, one half of the husband/wife folk duo Ordinary Elephant. “It’s just the two of us singing and performing live, losing ourselves in each other and the songs.”

Given how raw and vulnerable the results are, it’s easy to see why the band chose to self-title their stunning new collection. Recorded in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, with producer/multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell (Joan Baez, Levon Helm), Ordinary Elephant showcases the arresting chemistry shared by Crystal and her husband, Pete, whose gorgeous harmonies and mesmerizing fretwork call to mind everything from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. The songs are timeless here, rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and the performances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin parts that wrap like vines around the duo’s captivating vocal delivery. Though the songs were born out of a period of change and 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 couple singing together; 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.

“I think a big part of our growth on this album came from finally having a permanent place to call home,” Crystal reflects. “After years of living on the road, we settled down in Opelousas, Louisiana, about thirty minutes from where I grew up, and it really helped us slow down and feel more grounded and appreciative of the things that were right in front of us.”

When Crystal and Pete talk about living on the road, they mean it quite literally. After walking away from established careers in veterinary cardiology and computer programming, the pair moved into an RV in 2014 and began touring relentlessly, earning widespread acclaim with the kind of riveting performances that soon made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the duo took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go. 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” and PopMatters called “one of the best folk duo records in recent memory.” 

Five years of perpetual touring took its toll, though, and after the release of Honest, the couple began looking to plant more solid roots.

“At first we thought Opelousas would just be a place we could slow down and catch our breath between tours,” Pete explains. “When the pandemic hit, though, everything changed.”

The band was on tour in Australia at the time, and, after rushing to get home before border closures and lockdowns froze the world in place, they found themselves sitting still for the first time in recent memory. The change of pace was challenging at first, both emotionally and creatively, but thanks in part to several remote songwriting groups, the inspiration began flowing more freely and intensely than ever before.

“We realized how much we turn to stories for comfort in times of uncertainty,” Crystal reflects, “and this was the most uncertainty a lot of us had ever experienced. The songs became something we could hang onto, something to anchor us.”

In addition to songs, Crystal found herself writing poems, as well, penning dozens of pieces that were inextricably linked to the music. (A book of poetry will accompany the album’s release, and the fourth side of the double LP will feature Crystal reading poems paired with each of the record’s fourteen tracks.) 

“Poetry feels like the place that a lot of our songs grow from,” she explains. “The two forms have always been closely related for me, and they end up feeding each other.”

When it came time to record, Crystal and Pete headed roughly forty minutes south to Breaux Bridge, where Powell (who’d introduced himself after catching the band at Nashville’s Station Inn during AmericanaFest) welcomed them into his Cypress House studio on the banks of Bayou Teche.

“We went into the sessions with an open mind because Dirk’s so versatile on so many instruments that we figured he’d end up contributing in that way to many of the songs,” Pete recalls. “But after he captured the two of us playing everything live over the course of five or six days, he played it all back for us and said, ‘I really don’t think it needs anything else.’ It was kind of a scary thought at first, to put ourselves out there in such a raw way, but pretty quickly we realized he was right.”

The power of those stripped-down, intimate recordings is obvious from the outset on Ordinary Elephant, which begins with the bittersweet “Once Upon A Time.” Like much of the album, it’s a subtle, engrossing tune, building steadily with a gentle but relentless insistence. “Truth is not something we can choose,” Crystal and Pete sing, repeating the phrase like a mantra as they set the stage for a record built around unguarded reflections on loss and death, romance and discovery, purpose and nature. The slow-burning “Say It Loud” offers a candid look at depression and the power of human connection, while “The Prophet” explores the importance of self-love through the pages of a book, and the pensive “Hardwood” finds peace in accepting our place in the natural world.

“With all that time off the road, we got used to having the space to think, to reconnect with the Earth,” Crystal reflects. “When things started picking up again in 2021, we had to remind ourselves to intentionally slow down, to remember who we are and where we belong.” 

Though several of the songs here are delivered from the perspective of outside characters, it isn’t hard to find Crystal and Pete in the lyrics: the intoxicating “Walk With You” overflows with gratitude for a lover’s companionship; the jaunty “Midlife” reckons with aging and mortality in the wake of turning forty during the first year of the pandemic; and the lilting “I See You” charts a journey of self-discovery through newfound sobriety as the singer addresses her future self. It’s perhaps the airy “Joy Has Not Forgotten Me,” though, that best encapsulates the record (and the couple), finding solace in even the most difficult of times.

“Joy is always there if you’re willing to work for it,” Crystal explains, “and it feels like that notion is at the heart of who we are as a band. We always tell people we named ourselves Ordinary Elephant because there’s no such thing as an ordinary elephant. Every single one is just this amazing, magnificent creature. And all of the everyday things we take for granted in life have a whole lot more to them, too, if you take the time to look.” 

In the end, that’s what Ordinary Elephant is all about. By stripping away everything but themselves and their songs, Crystal and Pete zero in on the kind of tiny details that might otherwise go unnoticed, on the magic and the beauty hiding in plain sight. They turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. 

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John Baumann has established himself as equal parts brilliant songwriter and captivating entertainer. He’s released several solo releases, while honing his songwriting skills and landing cuts with other artists - from Kenny Chesney to the Randy Rogers Band he is not short on innate talent and storytelling. He is also a member of the acclaimed group, The Panhandlers, along with Josh Abbott, William Clark Green and Cleto Cordero( of Flatland Cavalry). He is always writing, working on songs, and in the words of Cormac McCarthy - trying to “be one of the good guys; carrying the fire.”

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Raised on 2000’s country music, Keller Cox would not discover “Texas Country” music until he enrolled for school at Texas A&M University. After becoming a regular at “Hurricane Harry’s,” the famous Brazos Valley dancehall, Keller knew that he wanted to pursue a career in writing and singing Texas Country music.

During the global pandemic, Keller connected with producer, Corby Schaub , who would produce Keller’s “Introduction” E.P., his “Makin’ It By” L.P., and two surprise singles Keller released in 2021, “Movin’ On” and “On My Way”. In May of 2022, Keller graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Construction Science and hasn’t looked back since.

Keller has always made it his goal to write his songs about how life was, is, and ought to be. In 2022, Keller teamed up with producer, Scott Faris, of The Amusement Park Studio in Lubbock, Texas, to record his second full length record, “Good Again, Amen,” which was released on March 22nd of this year.

All that to say, in the words of Keller himself, “Here goes something.”

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Malford Milligan is an American, Austin, Texas-based soul, blues and gospel singer who has been compared to Otis Redding, Al Green and James Carr. He is an eight-time award-winner as “Best Vocalist” at the annual Austin Music Awards (last awarded in 2015).

In 1994, he helped form and fronted the Texas supergroup, Storyville, with guitarists David Holt, David Grissom, and the rhythm section from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, which included bassist Tommy Shannon, and drummer Chris Layton. The band released three albums: Bluest Eyes (1994), A Piece Of Your Soul (1996) and Dog Years (1998). As a session singer, Milligan was in great demand. He toured and worked on albums together with other outstanding musicians, including Doyle Bramhall II, Marcia Ball, Alejandro Escovedo, Sue Foley, Eric Johnson, Stephen Bruton, Chris Smither and Hal Ketchum. During this period he also expanded his horizons from strictly secular music, releasing the two Gospel albums The Gospel According to Austin (2000) and The Gospel According to Austin, Vol. 2 (2001).
For several decades, Malford has been the lead-singer at the weekly Blue Monday nights at the legendary Antone’s Nightclub, in the house-band that was (and still is) lead by Derek O’Brien, one of the most respected blues-guitarists all through Austin’s musical history.

Malford appeared on Live And Beyond, by Alien Love Child featuring fellow Austin guitarist Eric Johnson, in 2000. He can be heard on “Once a Part of Me” and “Don’t Cha Know”. That same year he also contributed vocals to Throw Me A Bone, by local band Neighbor’s Dog, on “Sister Sister”, “Bridge To The Other Side” and “Today”. In 2001 a remake of the Joe Tex classic “I Want To Do Everything For You” was recorded as a duet with Toni Price, and was released on her Midnight Pumpkin album. That same year Malford was also featured on two songs on the Double Trouble album Been A Long Time (“Cry Sky” and “Skyscraper”) plus the nationwide tour that followed the release of that album.
Milligan also fronted ex-Was Not Was guitarist Randy Jacobs’ band The Boneshakers in 2001-2003, releasing the albums Pouring Gasoline in 2001 and Put Some Booty On It in 2002. He left The Boneshakers to form his own group in Austin, confusingly called The Malford Milligan Band (like its Dutch predecessor), which self-released Rides Again in 2004 [3] and No Good Deed Goes Unpunished in 2006.

In 2002 Milligan recorded and released the critically acclaimed Sweet Cherry Soul album, backed by a band from The Netherlands that was put together by Milligan’s friend and Dutch musician/producer Jack Hustinx. The album contains original material written by Milligan & Hustinx as well as a blend of known and obscure Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Gospel classics. Also two songs written by Milligan’s close friend Stephen Bruton were included. This band, The Malford Milligan Band, played three very successful tours in The Netherlands in 2002-2003, as well as a tour in and around Milligan’s hometown Austin, Texas in 2003.
In 2007 Milligan performed, alongside a stellar cast of musical friends of Stephen Bruton such as Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Ely and Ruthie Foster at the big “Road To Austin” concert in Austin, which was later released as a concert-movie and DVD in 2015. Also in 2007, Malford embarked on the M-P-TU project, together with guitarist Phil Brown, bass-player Mark Andres and drummer Pat Mastelotto. The band released an album entitled M-P-TU in 2008. During that time (2007/2009) Milligan was touring with Greg Koch, a multifaceted electric guitarist capable of fluently playing a gamut of musical styles, as well. Together they formed a band called Nation Sack — drawing their name from the lyrics of a Robert Johnson song entitled “Come On in My Kitchen” — who released an album under the same name in 2009 which includes a blending of electric blues and rock styles. When performing live, Nation Sack is known to cover songs from Jeff Beck and Led Zeppelin, such as “Hi-Ho Silver Lining,” “Rock and Roll,” and excerpts from such classic tracks as “Dazed and Confused” and “Heartbreaker.” With Greg Koch, Malford released two albums: Live On The Radio (2007) and Nation Sack (2009).

In 2009 Malford moved back to Austin and started getting back into the music scene there. After his longtime friend Stephen Bruton passed away on May 9th, Malford fronted the band at a special memorial show at the Saxon Pub. Recordings of this show were released on CD as An Avening With The Music Of Stephen Bruton in 2010. Another highlight of his return to Austin was his appearance (along with ex-Storyville’s David Grissom) at Antone’s for Blue Tuesday on 20 October 2009. The last two songs performed at this were “Change is Gonna Come” which appeared on Storyville’s first album and “What Passes for Love” from Storyville’s second album.

In 2011 Milligan joined forces with former Dutch band member Jack Hustinx on his ‘Shiner Twins’ album ‘Four Souls – One Heart’ (2011). On this album Milligan was featured as guest-vocalist on two tracks “Never Take No For An Answer” and “Hold On”.
In 2013 Malford joined the weekly residency of The Apostles Of Manchaca at Austin’s Strange Brew listening-room, until the venue was forced to close in January 2017. This band also featured well known and highly respected Austin-musicians Jeff Plankenhorn (guitar-vocals), Michael O’Connor (guitar-vocals), Dave Scher (guitar-vocals), Yoggie Musgrove (bass), Brannen Temple (drums) and Phil Redmond (keyboards). Unfortunately the band never released any albums.

In 2014 Malford contributed vocals to Open Mic At The Knick by The Knickerbocker All Stars from Rhode Island. He can be heard on Bobby Blue Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light” and on “Love Disease”.
At the 33rd annual Austin Music Awards in March 2015, Malford Milligan received his 8th award for being Austin’s best vocalist, as voted by the general public. Also in 2015 Malford started playing with a new band in Austin, Big Cat, along with guitarist Dave Sebree, bass-player Roscoe Beck and drummer Tom Brechtlein. An album entitled Big Cat was released at the end of 2015.

At the same time, Malford and his Dutch friend Jack Hustinx were working together again, co-writing four songs for Hustinx’ solo-album Over Yonder, with Malford also performing on those tracks as guest vocalist. On two of those tracks (“Life Will Humble You” and “I Won’t Surrender”) Malford and Jack got assistance from John Magnie and Steve Amedée of The Subdudes from New Orleans. Right after the release in November 2015, both Milligan and Hustinx fronted their band The Southern Aces on a tour in the Netherlands to promote the album, that was critically hailed as one of the very best Dutch Americana albums ever made. In 2015-2016 Malford and Jack also played together regularly in the Austin music-clubs, whenever Jack was in town, with an Austin line-up of The Southern Aces.

In 2016 Malford recorded a stunning duet with Jeff Plankenhorn, reviving the Sam & Dave classic “You Got Me Hummin'”, which was featured on Plankenhorn’s Soulslide album later that same year. After Big Cat folded in 2016, Malford started a new band with guitarist Tyrone Vaughan called MVP, the Milligan Vaughan Project. With this band an album with the same name was recorded and released in 2017. That same year Malford recorded a remake of the O.V. Wright classic “Nickel And A Nail”, featured on Brad Stivers’ album Took You Long Enough.

In 2017, Malford and longtime friend Jack Hustinx teamed up again. In May 2018, the two officially announced a new album they had been collaborating on for the last year, co-writing songs and exchanging ideas for an all new Malford Milligan album that was released later that year. After a succesfull tour in the Netherlands the two friends released their latest album in 2021: I Was A Witness.

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Since their 2010 self-titled debut, The Secret Sisters have brought their spellbinding harmonies to songs that untangle the thorniest aspects of life and love and womanhood. In the making of their new album, Mind, Man, Medicine, Alabama-bred siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle found their songwriting transformed by a newfound sense of self-reliance and equanimity, threading their lyrics with hard-won insight into the complexities of motherhood, commitment, compassion, and self-preservation in an endlessly chaotic world. Centered on a kaleidoscopic sound that boldly blurs the edges of country-folk, the duo’s fifth full-length ultimately confronts many of modern life’s harshest challenges while leading the listener toward a more open-hearted state of mind.

“In our previous records there was a feeling that we had something to prove, but now we’re leaning toward a place of peaceful acceptance and trying to stay immersed in the present,” says Slagle, noting that their shared experience in parenting young children greatly informed that shift in perspective. “There are definitely still moments of frustration and anger on this album, but there’s also a little more light,” Rogers adds. “I think a lot of that came from getting older, and from letting go of the pressure we put on ourselves in the past. We finally reached the point of saying, ‘Let’s just write the songs honestly as we can, and trust that they’ll reach whoever they’re meant to reach.’”

The follow-up to Saturn Return—their 2020 Grammy-nominated LP co-produced by Brandi Carlile and lavishly praised by the likes of Rolling Stone—Mind, Man, Medicine finds The Secret Sisters co-producing alongside Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul & the Broken Bones) and John Paul White (formerly of Grammy-winning duo the Civil Wars). “On Saturn Return we’d gotten much more confident as far as directing the sound of the record and knowing how to capture our voices in the most honest way, so it felt like the right time for our first foray into production,” says Rogers. The latest in a series of critically lauded releases, the album came to life at FAME Studios (the historic spot in their hometown of Muscle Shoals) and at Sun Drop Sound in nearby Florence, with contributions from such esteemed musicians as Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell and legendary multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Levon Helm).

Referring to The Secret Sisters’ latest chapter as “one where we seek, savor, and settle,” the duo lifted the title to Mind, Man, Medicine from a lyric in “Same Water”: a gorgeously bluesy meditation on the search for healing in a profoundly troubled world, channeling both weariness and empathy with soulful conviction. “There’s a line in ‘Same Water’ that says ‘Mind or man or medicine/I have tried them all,’ which feels like it encompasses everything we were trying to say on this record,” Slagle explains. “In a lot of these songs we’re struggling with our own minds and emotions, with our relationships, and with whatever we’re using to try to cope and find relief.”

In a lovely introduction to the album’s expansive sound, Mind, Man, Medicine opens on a hypnotic number called “Space.” With its stark yet sprawling arrangement of luminous piano, otherworldly synth, and moody guitar tones—achieved in part through Slagle’s performance on rubber bridge guitar—“Space” infuses an element of dreamy psychedelia into The Secret Sisters’ contemplation of human connection and all its intricacies. “It’s about recognizing that loving someone isn’t always going to be easy, especially when they have a belief or a political leaning that you disagree with,” says Rogers. “It’s so simple to project your desires onto someone else, but in the end you have to hold onto what you love and value about them, even when it gets tough.”

In its lived-in exploration of what holds us together and tears us apart, Mind, Man, Medicine delves further into nuanced social commentary on “If the World Was a House.” “We’ve all heard about moments in history where people collectively experienced something very challenging, but ended up coming out of it stronger,” says Rogers. “When I look at the world around us, it seems like the pandemic didn’t have that effect—if anything, it feels like we’re even more divided now. That song is wrestling with a longing for everyone to take better care of each other, and to recognize that every person you share the planet with matters just as much as you do.”

Astute observers of the heart’s most intimate dimensions, The Secret Sisters also offer up such wildly effusive love songs as “Paperweight”—a prime showcase for their deep-rooted country sensibilities, graced with galloping rhythms and a bit of exquisitely nimble fiddle work from Campbell. “I tend to go with the flow in a way that can be unhealthy, where I sometimes hold back from speaking up for myself because I don’t want to ruffle any feathers,” says Slagle. “But one thing that’s always made everything feel solid and stable is my relationship with my husband, so I wrote ‘Paperweight’ about having that person who keeps you grounded when you feel like you might just float away.” Meanwhile, on “All The Ways,” singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne lends his raspy vocals to a slow-burning track touched with all the sublime simplicity and low-slung grooves of classic R&B. “I love those moments in a live show when everyone sings together and there’s a feeling of the artist and audience sharing in the song’s performance,” says Rogers. “I wanted to create a chorus like that—something everyone can sing at the top of their lungs—and eventually it evolved into a song about feeling strong and powerful in your own femininity.”

Elsewhere on Mind, Man, Medicine, The Secret Sisters bring their layered introspection and boundless sensitivity to such complicated subjects as fractured friendships (“Never Walk Away”), the interconnectedness of love and advocacy (“I’ve Got Your Back”), the loss of identity often experienced in the early stages of motherhood (“Bear With Me”), and the singular joy of truly conditional love (“I Can Never Be Without You Anymore”). “Through our experience in raising children, Lydia and I have both had the realization that there’s nowhere we could go on this entire planet where our hearts won’t be with our kids,” says Rogers in discussing the inspiration behind “I Can Never Be Without You Anymore.” “That can be a difficult reality at times, but it’s glorious as well. I’m really proud of that one, and of the fact that we were able to write a love song that comes from a less painful place than many of our love songs in the past.”

Looking back on the creation of Mind, Man, Medicine, The Secret Sisters reveal that the immense support of their fans played a major role in their willingness to tread previously uncharted emotional terrain. “I remember playing a show last fall and expressing my gratitude to the crowd that they’d come out to see us, because as mothers of young children we now understand how challenging that can be,” says Rogers. “Later on that night a woman came up to us with her daughter and husband and said something like, ‘I know it’s so hard to leave your babies—but you leaving your babies at home for a little while is what makes moments like this happen for other families.’ It was so gratifying to hear that, and reminded me of the whole purpose behind the music that we make: it’s to benefit the hearts of other people, anyone who needs that healing or validation or connection, or even just the space to cry. That’s why we keep doing this.” 

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Carsie Blanton is a songwriter with hooks, chutzpah, and revolutionary optimism. Inspired by artist-activists including Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie, her catalog careens through American popular song from folk and swing to pop-punk protest anthems. 

With her unique mix of humor, soul, and political wit, and fifteen-plus years on the road, Blanton has amassed a dedicated fan base and a small menagerie of viral hits (Rich People, Shit List, Fishin’ With You). Her latest album After the Revolution, produced by Grammy-winner Tyler Chester, was released in March of 2024.

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Sean McConnell has just one tattoo — his wife’s name. It represents a commitment, a sign that’s more than skin-deep. But on the cover of the Nashville singer-songwriter’s new album, SKIN, art and symbolism bloom like tattoo ink itself. An open palm beacons listeners, itself a symbol of his faith, while emblems of Earth and nature, faith and love serve as tangible and metaphorical guideposts along McConnell’s renewed musical journey.

“SKIN, to me, is kind of where I'm at on my journey with being comfortable in your skin, in your physical body. Divinity is in flesh and bone, not just in heaven somewhere, someday,” McConnell says. “Lyrically, the humanness of skin is obviously apparent, but I'm always attracted to this meeting of body and spirit, flesh and spirit.”

As McConnell crossed the threshold of 40 years old, he began to mine the depths of his identify as an artist, father, husband, and human. As such, many of the songs on the 11-track LP seek to find a sense of grounding in the chaos and change. The beauty of SKIN, however, is that McConnell manages to explore life’s paradoxes without needing to find answers. In fact, he hopes that the lyrics leave topics open ended for listeners to discover their own meanings. 

The songs themselves, grounded in steady folk-rock practices and uplifted through purposeful piano lines and swelling strings, leave plenty of room for such external observation and internal introspection to shine. “Demolition Day,” which chugs at a steady, rocking pace, is a reckoning song that stands out from the rest of the record — “a ‘come to Jesus’ moment, as some say here in the South,” he says — that is as much about his understated sobriety as it is about other routines that need to be reassessed after 20 years in the music industry. Other songs, however, are as much for his loved ones, as himself. The sparse “Never Enough,” is an ode to his wife and soulmate Dr. Mary Susan McConnell. “The West Was Never Won,” the shortest, yet most affecting track on SKIN, encourages their daughter with disabilities, Abiella, to let her heart and her soul guide her through this life. It’s a flickering faith that also guides songs like “Divinity” and “New Sons and Daughters.” 

After 10 solo records — as well as countless works as a sought-after collaborator with country stars like Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, and Martina McBride, indie rock acts like Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast) and Michigander, pop-rock groups like Plain White T’s, and on hit television shows like Nashville — McConnell has reached another of life’s plateaus. Such steadiness and consistency can be unnerving, though, especially as an artist still grasping for growth and greater truths. This contradiction, of seeing how far 

one’s come, while recognizing that it’s only part of the journey, is exemplified on “Older Now,” as he sings, “But I’ve got a ways to go / And in 20 years or so / Oh, this man I’ve come to know / He will seem to me a child.” 

Another element of SKIN, at once seemingly obvious and revelatory, is the process of collaboration and the development of community. McConnell recruited longtime friend, bassist, producer, and engineer Justin Tocket, as well as members of his live touring band — keyboardist and producer Ben Alleman, drummer Logan Todd, and guitarist/singer-songwriter Taylor McCall — to his own Silent Desert Studio four times over the course of a year to make the record. 

“When I listen to it now, I just hear all of these musicians — and now best friends — who I've been playing with for 10 years,” McConnell says. It sounds like it's more of a band record, more the story of a collective than just me.”

Ultimately, SKIN serves as a reintroduction of McConnell, in and out of his music. It’s about, “discovering that the journey inward, underneath the skin, is truly more expansive, perilous, and enlightening than any journey outward.”

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Imagine Ben Harper and Ray Lamontagne heading over to Abbey Road in a cadillac convertible to pick up John Lennon and Paul McCartney so they can catch the tail end of The Reverend Al Green's sermon....that's Ray Prim

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Soul-folk singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist, raised in East TX on Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder & Merle Haggard. Dan Dyer’s voice and live show intensity are raw and hot, yet soulful and sensitive, drawing from a wealth of classic soul, blues, folk, and R&B legends. His songs are dynamic, melodic, and intelligently seductive, and range from gospel-tinged ballads to classic strummed folk tales.

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As the frontman and songwriter for the band Mingo Fishtrap, Roger Blevins Jr. has shared his songs with music lovers across the globe. Championing the cause for soulful Americana, he has soaked up the flavors, stories and landscapes of the group’s travels. A Mississippi native who has settled in Texas, Blevins comes by music honestly, following in the footsteps of his Louisiana bassist father and a grandmother who taught him hymns sitting side by side on the organ bench. After attending the University of North Texas’ prestigious College of Music and forming Mingo Fishtrap in a cramped campus dorm room, it wasn’t long before Austin became home base and the band was out on the road. Mingo’s critically-acclaimed release, On Time, landed them on the Americana charts as one of the 100 most played albums of the year.  “[Blevins] evokes all the great soul shouters but replicates none of them and, like the old masters, knows how to lift a good melody, not overtake it.” (Something Else)

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Award winning songwriter Tom Meny currently calls Buda, TX home. Stationed near the live music mecca of Austin, it can be difficult to stand out in a vast sea of great musicians. But Tom Meny is a voice apart from the rest. With influences ranging from Glen Hansard to John Mayer, Tom uses non-standard guitar tuning, a soulful voice, memorable melodies and direct lyrics that set himself apart and connect with his audiences. Among his accolades are numerous songwriting awards including winning efforts at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Competition (2015), the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival's Performing Songwriter Competition (2017), The Recording Conservatory of Austin's Singer Songwriter Competition (2013), and many others. Meny has performed for audiences around the country including recent tours through Texas, North Carolina and New England, and has played legendary venues such as Austin's Cactus Cafe, The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Lincoln Center in New York City. Tom Meny has appeared on albums by Billy Crockett, Ray Prim, and Laura Marie.

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"Like Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, Steve Forbert has left his unmistakable imprint on the landscape of American music," says American Songwriter. As with other esteemed creative souls, his work is marked by his own distinctive qualities, and he speaks genuinely to his listeners.

As Forbert approaches the milestone of his 70th birthday, Daylight Savings Time contemplates and celebrates the proverbial 'extra hour of daylight' that comes with the time change. "Yeah, to chirping crickets and to daylight savings time!" he sings on the album's first single, "Sound Existence," "The best ain't yet to come, but you could still get by just fine."

Daylight Savings Time is Forbert's third album helmed by producer/engineer Steve Greenwell. Its core components were cut old-school style at Greenwell's studio in Asbury, NJ, with drummer Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and keyboard player Rob Clores (Jesse Malin, The Black Crowes, Tom Jones.) Supple bass lines were contributed by Byron House (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Al Green, and more.) Gurf Morlix, whose guitar and production gifts were elemental in launching Lucinda Williams into the spotlight, tracked his note-perfect six-string contributions at his home studio just outside Austin, Texas.

When Steve arrived in New York City from his Meridian, Mississippi hometown in 1976, his aim was establishing a lifetime of creating, performing, and recording the songs he'd started writing at age 17 after cutting his teeth as a teen in local rock bands. He slotted seamlessly into the "new folk" revival in such Manhattan clubs as Folk City, The Bitter End, and Kenny's Castaways, yet at the same time took the stage at CBGB, ground zero of the burgeoning punk/new wave movement. He also busked on the streets of Greenwich Village and in the elegant confines of Grand Central Station.

Forbert chose his solo approach of voice, acoustic guitar, and harmonica, accented by foot stomps, to best approximate the melodic fullness and drive of a band. It inevitably caused him to be tagged as one of the numerous "new Dylans" that emerged in the 1970s. "Evoking the young Dylan has become a cliché for artists of this sort," observed The New York Times, "but, in this case, Mr. Forbert deserves the evocation." However, Steve focused on refining his singular musical voice and personality.

He quickly won a major label deal with Nemperor/CBS Records and released his heralded debut, Alive on Arrival, in 1978. His next album, Jackrabbit Slim, won similar acclaim and brought wider renown to Forbert with its #11 pop chart hit "Romeo's Tune." It provided the stature for his troubadour existence, which has kept him active ever since as "a striking performer, very much worth seeing and hearing," according to The New York Times.

Steve has released 20 studio albums featuring his songwriting gifts. His live show is markedly different and genuinely of the moment. It has yielded four live album releases on record labels, plus 14 more concert recordings available exclusively on his website. His oeuvre is further rounded out by a tribute album to his fellow Meridian native, country music founding father Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time (nominated for a Best Folk Album Grammy award), Steve's 2020 LP of interpretations of favorite songs by other talents that have inspired him, Early Morning Rain, and collections of outtakes and early recordings.

Venerable Milwaukee concert promoter Peter Jest perhaps best encapsulated Forbert's creative presence. "His ability to craft songs that capture the essence of the human spirit is nothing short of remarkable. His voice is a beacon of authenticity in a world saturated with noise."