In her new LP, Daughter Of Abraham, Massachusetts-based artist Sandy Bailey weaves an intricate tapestry of introspection, resilience, and the profound connections that bind us. Through poignant storytelling, thoughtful songwriting, and soulful melodies, she delves into the depths of love, loss, identity, and the complexities of modern existence. As a biracial, working-class, single mother who left a Pentecostal upbringing behind for the freedom to create her art, Bailey had no shortage of experiences from which to mine. In album opener “I Ain’t Your Honey,” Bailey’s soulful voice takes cente ..read more

Through the ages, folk music has been a way to share cultural traditions, convey parables, and share stories. From telling tales of chivalry and love to combating fascism and championing civil rights, folk artists have played an integral role in history. With their recent album, Safe In Sound, out now via Two-Dale Records/Tone Tree Music, indie-folk duo Frances Luke Accord weaves the threads of folk past and present into a dreamy tapestry of harmony and poetry.  The journey begins with soft, yet urgent finger-picking and ethereal vocals in “Window.” “Nowhere to run ..read more

Comfort zones are generally lovely places to be. They’re warm, predictable, and, well, comfortable, But sometimes, you just know there is something more for you out there. When the longing for that change surpasses the fear of making that change – that’s where the magic happens. Photo of lund by Sandlin Gaither Right This Time, the debut LP from Asheville-based outfit lund, captured that magic in each of its 10 sparkling gems. After a decade on the management and booking sides of the music industry, classically-trained singer and songwriter Nicole Lund knew the stage was where she was me ..read more

There’s beauty in simplicity, a sentiment perfectly illustrated in Prettiest Blue, the new EP from Appalachian folk duo The Early Mays. However, don’t misunderstand—simplicity doesn’t mean “simple.” In the first notes of opener “The Ballad Of Johnny Fall,” Emily Pinkerton’s banjo finger-picking constructs an intricate foundation, supported by the deep resonance of guest collaborator Nicole Myers’s cello. Together, their driving, minor-key intensity creates an ominous quality, juxtaposed with the delicate vibrato of Ellen Gozion’s gentle voice. Three elements to build a song – simplicity ..read more

Get Ticket Information For The 2022 Byrd’s Creek Music Festival Here With summer weather taking hold, there can be no doubt that music festival season is on its way.  With it, comes the 2022 edition of the Byrd’s Creek Music Festival in Crossville, Tennessee.  While many festivals conjure images of being stuck in big crowds, standing in long lines, and putting in miles rushing from stage to stage, Byrd’s Creek serves as a relaxing alternative for lovers of Americana, folk, bluegrass, and traditional country music.  Hosted by Jason Kemmer, and run by his family and a few friends ..read more

Photos of Mary Simich by FABIAN FiOTO Some of the most memorable movie soundtracks are the ones where the music sets the mood.  It’s our human nature to try to link new experiences with the familiar.  Perhaps that’s why listening to How Does One Begin, the recently released debut album from Mary Simich, makes the mind envision hearing the record paired with a dark western, a surreal thriller, or even artsy noir. Produced by King Khan and released through Ernest Jenning Record Co., the twelve-track record takes classic country-western and gives it a haunting edge. Simich’s dusty vocal ..read more

These days, there’s a whole lot of noise out there, so when you hear something special, it’s a refreshing feeling and you know it immediately. That’s exactly what happens as soon as you hit “play” on “A Thousand Miles,” the opening track on A Walk Around The Sun, the new LP from Asheville, NC-based chanteuse Erika Lewis.  Photo of Erika Lewis by Sarrah Danziger Lewis dances between the lines of genre—from classic country laced with yearning pedal steel in songs like “If You Were Mine,” “Love Song,” and the twinkling “Thief And A Liar,” to hip-shaking sass and swagger in mid-century ..read more

Over the last couple of years, movement slowed, and when we slow down, it makes sense that our observations and perspectives change. It becomes easier to notice even the smallest things. Who else out there noticed birds singing louder than ever without the constant assault of noise from industry? Photo of Susan Cattaneo by Jon Cohan And, when things are quiet, it’s easier to hear the truth. Boston-based, award-winning artist (and professor at Berklee College of Music!) Susan Cattaneo’s All Is Quiet was written in this reflection and stillness.  Each of the album’s nine tracks i ..read more

The Accidentals will be celebrating the release of their new EP Time Out Session #2 on March 13, 2022 at Nashville’s City Winery with special guests Kim Richey, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Maia Sharp. With their Time Out EP series, folk-pop outfit The Accidentals take a literal “time out” from their full-length record releases. Enlisting the wisdom of some of the world’s most celebrated tunesmiths—like Kim Richey, Tom Paxton, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Maia Sharp, Dar Williams, Peter Mulvey, and more—The Accidentals seek to build a musical and relational bridge between generatio ..read more

Photo of Ali Sperry by Fairlight Hubbard Beloved Nashville songwriter and yogi Ali Sperry released her fantastic new LP, In Front Of Us, today; brimming with lush textures and poignant, thought-provoking lyrics, this 10-track Laurel Canyon-esque effort is not to be missed. We’re thrilled to premiere a video for one of the album’s tracks, “Hope,” featuring guest vocals from Jill Andrews and inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem that begins, “hope is the thing with feathers.”  “I am an eternal optimist,” Sperry told us. “Sometimes that is one of my shining qualities and there ar ..read more