Frequently asked questions
This Florida native drove to Nashville with only $600.00 in his pocket in a 1980'sMustang. The self-taught guitar player lived in his car for a week until he found a place to live. His determination and passion for music drove him to do all he could to put himself in the thick of the music business. Within two years, he was working in the mailroom at the Country Music Association and then at FAME Music Publishing as the "tape copy guy."
While at Rick Hall's FAME Music, Arlis learned his songwriting craft and made many key music industry contacts. After leaving FAME, he called up one of their former writers, Steven Dale Jones, to talk about a song idea Arlis had. Jones loved it, wrote it with Arlis, and the song "We All Fall Down" landed on Diamond Rio's platinum album Completely. With his first major cut under his belt, Arlis started writing full time, getting numerous cuts on acts like Julie Roberts, Keith Anderson, Jeff Bates, Halfway To Hazard, John Michael Montgomery, Parmalee, &Kurt Nilsen.
Arlis had the honor of writing and co-producing his solo written song "Good Morning Sunrise" on Jamey Johnson's Grammy and ACM nominated album, The Guitar Song. Luke Bryan recorded "Too Damn Young" on his quadruple-platinum album Tailgates and Tanlines. Rolling Stones and American Songwriter Magazine highly received Vandoliers "Cigarettes In The Rain" and "Waiting On A Train" that he co-wrote. More recently, he co-wrote three of the original Christmas songs on Straight No Chasers' new album "Social Christmasing." In addition, Home Free recorded "Dive Bar Saints, Remember This, & When You Walk In.”
He also saw some chart success with "Won't Be Lonely Long" by Josh Thompson, reaching number 25 on the Billboard charts. Arlis owns and operates St. Augustine Songwriters Festival, Tour Manages Kenny G, and continues to release Coastal Americana/Trop Rock music as an artist/songwriter.
Kristi Allen’s expressive warm resonant voice sings out from a lifetime of love, loss, acceptance, and redemption. Her unpretentious charm invites listeners to journey with her as she spins relatable tales of life’s ups and downs. A prolific songwriter with hundreds of songs and two decades of performing in coastal bars and intimate venues, she blends upbeat country/folk rhythms with honest lyrical wit and down to earth emotion.
maggie antone is an old soul. she is virginia grown and she loves big! performing national anthems in large venues at the age of seven, she wowed crowds with her vocal power and emotion. her sophomore year of high school, she competed in and won the voice of rva with an original song about addiction called pawn shop 12 string. shortly thereafter, she began performing at local venues to raise money for charities that were close to her heart. originally focused on musical theatre, maggie shifted her interests toward singing and songwriting.
as a y’all-ternative singer-songwriter, her powerful voice, relatable lyrics and authentic disposition, amassed a sizable online following in a short period of time. in fall 2021, sharing her talent from a dorm room floor wearing sweats and a red hoodie, antone captivated social media audiences around the world covering tyler childers’ lady may. a successful but reluctant student, antone’s inherent non-linear thinking and severe adhd drove her to drop out of college to pursue music full time, a choice, in her heart she always knew she was meant to make. overwhelmed by the out-pouring of support for her talent, it had become clear that antone was finally on a path suited for her loving and artistic heart.
post pandemic, while the world slowly appeared to be coming back to life, antone spent the next year performing as much as she could always trying to share her shows via live stream and connect with her audience as much as possible. by the fall of 2022, antone debuted her voice on streaming platforms releasing her rendition of tyler childers’ lady may. ciara bains of holler included antone on her list of new artists to watch in 2023 stating, “very few artists can cover tyler childers and do it justice. maggie antone is one of them.” country central’s, ryan lippe wrote, “…the real takeaway is the emergence of a bold new voice in indie country in her own right.”
in december 2022, antone followed with an ep, interpretations, covering a range of artists and genres including jolene by dolly parton, spanish pipe dream by john prine, feathered indians by tyler childers, daddy lessons by beyonce, this year’s love by david gray and adam’s song by blink-182.
on june 23, 2023 antone is dropping her first original release, if only you played football as well as you play girls, self-written, self-produced and under her own independent label – love big! summer 2023 plans include travels to festival of the red in slade, kentucky and peacemaker festival in fort smith, arkansas. a virginia girl at heart, antone also continues to perform in her hometown of richmond and the surrounding areas as much as possible.
she is excited for what the future holds as she finds her place in the world of music. live performance and songwriting have always been a source of healing for maggie, but relatable connections with fans, and the company of healing together has been magical.
After moving to Music City from his native state of North Carolina, where he spent many years as a touring artist, Autry wasted no time emerging himself within the city’s talent. Since then, Autry has been a part of over a dozen #1’s, for some of the city’s biggest singer/songwriters such as Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt, Chris Young and more. His work on the Spotify singles program has garnered over 5 billion streams and has featured Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett and many other artists. Further proving Nashville’s influence on other genres, Autry has worked with 1 billboard comedy album by Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots that features Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood. After signing a publishing deal with Mucho Love Music, the songwriter has helped co-write songs for Sony artist Willie Joes and gold Legend John Daly.
Bio
Madisun Bailey is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from Glen Burnie, MD. She taught herself how to play guitar and ukulele when she was 13 years old. When Madisun was 17 years old, she self produced and released an album and 3 singles in her bedroom on GarageBand. She's hoping to get some new music release soon! Now you can find Madisun playing in local restaurants and bars across MD, spreading her love and passion to everyone she entertains with every strum of her guitar.
Maggie Baugh’s viral single, "Think About Me" and “Drinking to the Broken Hearts” gained her entry into the Spotify Million + club. In addition to being added to multiple Spotify editorial playlists, including a #1 song in Spotifys “Fresh Finds:Country Best of 2021” end of year wrap, the Nashville music industry is showing its enthusiasm for her independent success. Her social media prowess is immense and her TIk Tok series, “Finish the Lick” that shows off her proficiency on multiple instruments, has garnered her more than 30 million views. Maggie is a well sought-after touring musician and recently toured the country with Country Accapella group Home Free as support on 3 od their Road Sweet Road 2022 and 2023 Tours, while also touring quite a bit herself as botha headlining and opening act. Maggie joined Home Free for their Nashville show at the famous Ryman Auditorium in the Spring as a special Guest. Releasing a substantial amount of music this year, Maggie is currently co-producing and recording a Debut Album which will be set to release sometime this year.
Blondie has been a musical trailblazer for over four decades and remains an enduring global icon, continuing to inform the worlds of music, fashion, and art. From their early days as an irreverent Lower East Side punk band to their later status as international ambassadors of New York cool, Debbie Harry's persona and the band's boundary-pushing pop have shaped the look and sound of many chart-topping female artists who followed in the last five decades.
Comprised of founding members, singer-songwriter Debbie Harry, guitarist and co-writer Chris Stein, and powerhouse drummer Clem Burke along with band members bassist Glen Matlock, guitarist Tommy Kessler and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen, Blondie's chart-topping success, fearless spirit and rare longevity have resulted in a wide array of accolades. Those achievements have included an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, a NME Godlike Genius Award in 2014, a Q Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2016, the 2017 Silver Clef Outstanding Achievement Award, and more than 45 million albums sold worldwide to date. In 2022, the Blondie Archival Box Set "Against The Odds" was nominated for a Best Historical Album Grammy Award.
The band's creative prowess is still going strong - they are currently working on their twelfth studio album and are in preparations for a new documentary film and a scripted feature in 2024. In April of this year, Blondie made a memorable appearance at the Coachella Festival and will soon take the Glastonbury Festival main stage in June. Blondie's ever-expanding legacy and enduring influence are a testament to their unique place in the history of music and popular culture.
Ronnie Bowman has earned a great deal of respect among Bluegrass, Country, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Gospel music professionals.
Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn as well as multiple Bluegrass artists have brought Ronnie’s originals to #1.
In addition to Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn, Ronnie has seen continued songwriting success with songs recorded by such artists as Wynona Judd, Jake Owen, Lee Ann Womack, Dan Seals, Don Williams and many others including 3 songs recorded on Chris Stapleton’s multi-platinum selling album “Traveller.” The single “Nobody To Blame” won him the ACM award for “Song of the Year.” The album received the ACM and CMA ward for “Album of the Year” as well as a Grammy award for “Country Album of the Year.”
As an artist, Ronnie has been awarded International Bluegrass Music Award’s Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Gospel Performance and Recorded Event of the Year multiple times for each.
As a vocalist, Ronnie has recorded with various artists including, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Lee Ann Womack, Del McCoury, Chris Stapleton, and John Fogerty to name a few.
When Ronnie’s not on the road, he resides in Nashville, TN where he’s still writing songs and living the life.
Grammy Award-winning and multi-Platinum selling singer-songwriter, Michelle Branch released her highly anticipated new album The Trouble with Fever, on September 16, 2022 on Audio Eagle/Nonesuch Records/Warner Records.
Branch was seventeen years old when she signed to Madonna’s Maverick Records. In 2001, she released her highly acclaimed debut album, The Spirit Room, which featured the hit singles “Everywhere” (MTV Video Music Award Viewer's Choice winner), “All You Wanted” and “Goodbye to You”, and ushered in a new era of young women writing and performing their own songs. The album went on to sell three million copies worldwide, and was certified double-Platinum in the US, Platinum in Japan, Gold in Australia and Canada, and Silver in the UK, among others. Branch won a Grammy Award for her 2002 collaboration with Carlos Santana, “The Game of Love,” which peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100, No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and was a major international hit. Her second album, 2003’s Hotel Paper, debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard album chart and was a top 10 hit around world. Certified Platinum in the US, and Gold in Australia, Canada and Japan, it spawned the hit single “Are You Happy Now?,” which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Performance (she was also nominated for Best New Artist). In 2006, Branch found success with Jessica Harp as modern-country duo The Wreckers, whose debut Stand Still, Look Pretty was praised by critics for breaking down barriers between pop and country. The Gold-certified album spawned the hit single “Leave the Pieces,” which topped the Hot Country Songs chart for several weeks, and earned Branch her fourth Grammy nomination, as well as “My Oh My” and “Tennessee”. In 2017, Branch released her critically acclaimed fourth album, Hopeless Romantic (Verve), co-produced with her husband Patrick Carney (The Black Keys). Paste said of it, “Sprinkled with gorgeous, transparent and colorful synths, Hopeless Romantic casts Branch as a newly matured lover and songwriter and is indeed likely to succeed at satisfying diehards and welcoming in new devotees.”
Lewis’s debut self-titled EP, produced by himself and his brother Lee Brice, was released via Pump House Music on July 14th, 2017 to glowing reviews, landing at No. 11 on the US iTunes Country chart. Since then, Lewis has been named one of Rolling Stone Country’s “New Country Artists You Need to Know” and Billboard’s “Country Artists to Watch in 2018”. Tracks from the EP were featured on SiriusXM The Highway, CMT Music, and Spotify’s New Boots & Wild Country playlists, and its lead single ‘Best Ex Ever’ reached the Top 40 of MusicRow’s Country Breakout radio chart. The next chapter of Lewis’ music was unveiled with “Blessed” as the first single from his forthcoming second collection of songs and was introduced to the world by a special Thanksgiving acoustic performance premiere with his brother Lee Brice. The single was also recognized internationally when Brice received a British Country Music Award for International Song of the Year. Followed by “It’s You,” a huge streaming success, amassing more than 18 million streams since its release and placement on key playlists including Spotify’s Global Viral, Hot Country, US Viral, Breakout Country and New Boots, Apple Music’s Breaking Country, Pure Country Radio, Pandora’s New Country Radio playlists and many more. Brice’s streaming continues to flourish as his music garners nearly 33 million overall streams. With more new music on the horizon, 2022 promises to be the best year yet for Lewis Brice!
Laura Brino is a indie folk pop singer songwriter based in Annapolis, Maryland. Her music merges elements of folk, rock
and pop, often with touching lyrics and catchy refrains. She has been writing music since her teens in the late 1990s and her songs have been placed in a number of shows and movies. She has released four albums under her moniker, as well as another album under the band Lily and the Pearl, a project with her husband Sean “Dracula” Jackson. Laura has written hundreds of songs and is currently finishing up the first of two albums set to be released later this year. Her music has been described as having great pop sensibilities with quicky catch witted refrains, while telling stories in an authentic and reflective way. Laura helped found The Songbird Festival in 2022, a platform for other
women to share their stories and find resources. She has an extensive background in the arts and community work, and strives to connect with others through her music and art as a way to heal, inspire and empower.
Independent artists, The Brummies, made up of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists John Davidson and Jacob Bryant, and drummer Trevor Davis, have been playing together in various incarnations since high school, growing up together outside of Birmingham, AL. The members count the Beatles, Elton John, ELO, Blitzen Trapper and My Morning Jacket among their influences, but also have an affinity for sweeping film soundtracks. Their trademark sound evokes the psych-rock vibe of the Sixties and the soft indie-folk of the Nineties, yet possesses a timeless quality all its own.
Jillian Cardarelli is a singer/songwriter originally from a small town in Massachusetts who is forging her own path in country music with her stunning vocals, captivating songwriting and girl next door quality. Cardarelli recently released “If I Could Talk to Elvis” featuring Larry Strickland, Elvis Presley’s background vocalist of The Stamps Quartet. The single has been featured on WSM Coffee, Country & Cody, Elvis Radio on SiriusXM and is now the #1 music video in the 12-Pack Countdown onCMT Music.
In 2023, she also released successful singles “Could’ve Been Boy” and “Country Side.” She released her self-titled EP in the Spring of 2022 with the title track “What’s It Gonna Take.” Her singles "Dropped" and "If You Had a Heart" garnered support from Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora. Her inspirational single "Strong" featuring Charles Esten was named one of 2020's Most Powerful Songs by American Songwriter. "I Never Do This," was named Best New Country Songby Rolling Stone in October 2019. Rolling Stone ranked Jillian at the top of their list of 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know.
Artist, songwriter and producer Shy Carter has reached all corners of the industry with his early success. With credits that span Kane Brown's "Heaven" to Charlie Puth's "One Call Away," Carter is one of the most formidable up-and-coming talents in Nashville and beyond. He is among the writers behind Billy Currington's "It Don't Hurt Like it Used To," Sugarland's smash hit "Stuck Like Glue" and Rob Thomas' single "Someday." In addition to his feature on Tim McGraw's "Way Down," Carter has collaborated with Keith Urban on both "Never Comin' Down" and "My Wave." Named to Variety's 2018 Hitmakers list, he has also worked with Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Nelly and more. His roots in gospel, jazz, R&B and soul developed into an early career in hip-hop, but his gift for storytelling and love of organic instrumentation led to a natural transition into country music. Now, with a transcendent style perfectly suited to the times, he's ready to stand on his own as a country artist. With its earthy groove, laid-back beat and unflagging spirit, Carter's debut radio single "Good Love" is a fitting introduction to the man behind the music. Described as "a breezy, inspirational anthem with skittering high-hats and crisp piano… [that] underscores Carter's grand ambitions" (Rolling Stone), "Good Love" and his second Warner Music Nashville release "All Night" are available now. The born entertainer closed out the year visiting radio stations and media partners across the nation on his first-of-its-kind, socially distanced radio tour and has been named a 2021 Artist to Watch by Amazon Music, MusicRow magazine, Pandora, Sounds Like Nashville and more.
Catterina is an indie pop/folk singer-songwriter who makes music about love, life and all the emotions that weave in and out of a sensitive heart. Her angelic full-bodied vocals convey a mesmerizing intensity to her poetic lyrics. Catterina’s vocal ability was hard-earned, ironically, as for the first three months of her life, she was intubated after being born prematurely, with her doctors suggesting that she may not have even been able to speak, let alone sing. She certainly proved them wrong.
Gravitating towards artists that fuse a variety of genres in their music, as well as fearlessly explore a broad range of subject matter, such as Amy Winehouse, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, and Adele, the tender warmth flowing through Catterina’s music emerged once she began to settle into her own artistic identity.
Nashville recording artist and television host, Julia Cole, encourages empowering self-worth and good vibes to her growing #ColeTeam community. Julia has amassed well over 200,000,000 streams, is a CMT Next Women of Country, made her GRAND OLE OPRY DEBUT, and has been featured on CMT, SIRIUS XM, CIRCLE TV, CBS, Audience Network, The CW, and more. Julia is hosting festival lifestyle series “Circle’s Ultimate Fanfest” on Circle TV as well as appearing on Circle’s 2023 “My Opry Debut” series and CMT’s 2023 “Viral to Verified” season.
Influenced by the genre-crossed locker room playlists she and her Texas volleyball teammates blasted, Julia’s musical style blends authentic country storytelling with a little Houston rhythm and attitude. Julia got her start performing the Star-Spangled Banner before her own high-school volleyball games, and was soon performing for NFL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, and ESPN events before crowds of 75,000. She’s since toured globally in over 10 countries opening for acts like Dan + Shay, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Kane Brown, The Chainsmokers, Dierks Bentley, Chase Rice, Lee Brice, Eli Young Band, Chris Lane, Michael Ray, Jake Owen and more. Julia brings her love for music and sports full-circle by advocating for women's athletics and empowerment and collaborating with the Boys and Girls Club and Mizuno athleticwear.
Independent country vocal powerhouse Abbey Cone is known for her emotionally resonant songwriting that connects with the next generation (and beyond) of country listeners. With an induction into CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2020 and named one of Pandora’s 10 Country Artists To Watch in 2022, she has already made her mark, co-writing with some of Nashville's best-known songwriters. Cone recently made her debut on main stages at Stagecoach and CMA Fest, and has toured with Tanya Tucker, Brittney Spencer, Abby Anderson, and the CMT Next Women Of Country Tour with Maddie & Tae and Sacha. This spring, she shared "If You Were A Song," her first single as an independent artist, and is expected to release more new music in 2023.
Elizabeth Cook is a Nashville-based Singer Songwriter from Wildwood, Florida. As a critically acclaimed live act and recording artist, the New York Times lauds her "a sharp and surprising country singer." A veteran SiriusXM Outlaw Country Radio DJ, hosting her own show, Apron Strings, nationwide for the last 10 years, she is also a favorite of David Letterman, a regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry, and a frequent guest star on Adult Swim's long-running hit cartoon series "Squidbillies" on Cartoon Network.
In the words of the Drivin' and Cryin's legendary Kevn Kinney, "Elizabeth is so far ahead and under the radar you better have a supercharger for that fastback if you're going to catch up! Enjoy the ride..."
Davis Corley is a Singer-songwriter originally from Knoxville, TN. He has penned multiple Texas #1s and over 40 independent cuts ranging from Country and Americana to Pop and Rock. After signing a worldwide publishing agreement with Sony Music Publishing and KP Entertainment in 2022, things are only looking up for one of Nashville’s most promising young talents.
Danah Denice is a 26 year-old singer-songwriter and multi-media artist. With a classical background in piano and a folk background in guitar, she’s been compared to artists such as Carole King, Fiona Apple, and Joni Mitchell. Her raw and powerful performances — coupled with her pensive, confessional-style lyricism — have built her a loyal following in the greater Annapolis, Eastern Shore, and Baltimore areas.
Her first album “Unaddressed” (2019) with former band “The Dead Pens”, was played on 127 radio stations across the US — remaining on the “CDX-Nashville Americana Charts” for 16 weeks and the “College Radio Charts” for 5 — thusly landing them in Relix Magazine’s Top 30 releases for 3 consecutive months.
Her first solo EP, “Light From a Dark Room” will be released later this year (2023) — featuring a lot of local talent from across Maryland.
Tony Denikos is an award-winning singer-songwritin’, Mid-Atlantic region treasure! He can bring you to tears via humor or heartbreak and leave you yearning for more. His Tunes are a unique blend of Piedmont finger picking blues, breathtakingly beautiful ballads and upbeat rockin’ americana that’s authentic and defies categorization. He released his 5th album, “Gravity Wins”, in 2020 to critical acclaim and is working on his 6th!
The list of breakthrough innovations in Thomas Dolby's 35 year career is continuous. As an early MTV icon he blazed a trail for electronic music with his imaginative videos. The same year as his own record reached the top of the pop/dance charts, he co-wrote and produced the first ever platinum-selling rap 12” single Magic’s Wand by Whodini. His synth playing and production have graced the recordings of Foreigner, Def Lepperd, George Clinton and Joni Mitchell, earning five Grammy™ nominations. He appeared live with Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, with David Bowie at Live Aid, and with Roger Waters at The Wall in Berlin. And his self-penned She Blinded Me With Science became a Top 5 Billboard hit, going on to become an evergreen geek anthem of the 1980s that still pops up in Grand Theft Auto, The Big Bang Theory and Breaking Bad.
Thomas has created original music for features films produced by George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Ken Russell; he has appeared with The Muppets, and on numerous TV shows from Soul Train to The Late Show.
Sought after as a consultant for tech startups and research companies, Dolby seemed to have a hand in every emerging entertainment platform, from laser disks and computer games to interactive TV, virtual reality installations and location-based entertainment. His name is on multiple US patents, and he has worked as an investment advisor for top venture capital firms. During the early Silicon Valley internet explosion, Thomas founded high tech startup Beatnik Inc and co-created the code that drove interactive audio in Java. When mobile phones began to play polyphonic ringtones, it was via his BAE technology, which Beatnik licensed to phone manufacturers to be embedded in over two billion cellular phones and devices.
Between adding music to the mix as in-house Music Director of every TED Conference from 2001-12, Thomas taught himself to be a digital filmmaker; and in 2013 he won multiple awards for his groundbreaking film The Invisible Lighthouse, which chronicles the closure of a 250 year old lighthouse visible from his coastal home in Suffolk, UK.
Since Fall 2014 Thomas has held the post Professor of the Arts at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He has recently released his first book The Speed Of Sound (Macmillan/Flatiron.)
Singer/songwriter Daphne Eckman could make you happy, but she’d rather make you cry. Based in Annapolis, MD, she’s been touring locally and around the east coast since 2022 with her five-piece band, bringing an indie rock flavor to her acoustic folk songs. Her songwriting is honest and raw, writing about intense interpersonal experiences and finding autonomy in your early twenties. Inspirations include Phoebe Bridgers, Joni Mitchell, Pinegrove and more. She is set to release her debut record in 2023 titled “Where You Left Me”, with songs ‘Iris’, ‘Ghost”, and ‘Jackson Pollock’ being the leading singles.
PRS “Eightlock” is a band of high-level musicians who are friends and have “locked” together recording and performing a new kind of groove with its roots in Baltimore funk, DC go-go and New Orleans swing. The excitement around this “3 drummer groove” is infectious. The band’s first CD will be released in March of 2022. The line-up is three drummers, a bass player, female singer and three guitar players.
As the 22-year-old rising star unveils their debut masterpiece "Terror", Tianna is geared to create a movement fueled by honest and authentic music that will stand the test of time. With their soulful edge and a Punk attitude, the project is full of personality and self-actualization, from an artist who knows exactly who they are, while still evolving into whom they will become. It's Through their masterful wordplay, their range of vocals, and carefully selected production, that their introduction is geared to be strong and impactful.
The Young Fables (TYF) create music with classic storytelling weaved into Americana roots music with pop sensibilities. East Tennessee (Maryville) natives, Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford’s unique sound has resonated with audiences around the globe as live performances have become stages from which The Young Fables discuss themes and topics typically saved for the therapy couch. Strong advocates for mental health awareness, The Young Fables were honored with The Troy Gentry Compassion Award in 2021.
The couple received an invitation from multi-platinum songstress Shania Twain to take part in the CBS showcase celebration Real County. “Wes is a perfect partner for Laurel’s voice. I fell in love with these guys as a genuine, authentic talent and sound,” mused Twain, and Travis Tritt added, “Our industry needs (TYF) right now!”
2023 will see Wright and Lunsford releasing Short Stories, the band’s 4th studio effort, and their feature documentary ‘The Fable of a Song’, winner of the 2021 Nashville Film Festival Audience Choice Award. “Every album that we have released has become a sort of fixed journal entry for us and Short Stories is the next chapter.” Wright reveals. “We feel fortunate to have a space to share our music and are so grateful that our story seems to be helping others with their healing. That’s a reward unlike any other.”
Pacifico Rik Ferrell got his musical start in historic Annapolis, MD with the infamous Dead String Quartet, a staple of the city's "Crabcore" underground Punk/Alternative scene, along with The Hated and Spastic Rats. When DSQ disbanded, Rik became a founding member of Stagger Stagger Crawl, and then went on to front outlaw country fan favorite the Roadhouse Clams, performing up and down the East Coast, and producing several classic albums that continue to receive radio airplay. But his musical tastes were constantly involving. "I never met a genre I didn't like", he jokes. "Growing up, I was a huge fan of the older pre-1980 Stones, plus The Clash, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Allmans, Pretenders, but I also was listening to great groove stuff like P-Funk, Peter Tosh, and Prince, and my Cuban-born dad's vinyl like Santana, Mancini, Harry Belafonte, and John Coltrane. And then my father-in-law showed me the world of old-school country and I was floored by the great storytellers like Waylon & Wille, Tom T Hall, Johnny, Roger Miller, Marty Robbins, John Prine, Jerry Jeff... and there's a ton of great newer artists that I love, like Alabama Shakes, St Paul & the Broken Bones, the Heavy Heavy, and Sturgill Simpson. And all of that mishmash seems to surface in my writing, most of the time all on its own. Lyrically, I love Paul McCartney's phrasing, and the ability of the aforementioned troubadours, plus folks like Townes Van Zandt, to cut thru the BS to get to the meat of the point." In Spring 2017, Rik & his wife sold their Eastern Shore home and headed south to Ft Myers Beach, FL, to get away from Mid-Atlantic winters and focus on his solo career with his new band Rik Ferrell & the Borrowed Stars. "I grew up on and around the Chesapeake Bay and I'll always love it. But when I realized I could perform open air all year round, with palm trees and clear blue water as the backdrop, it was an easy sell for my Caribbean bloodline." These days, Rik does the festival and tiki bar circuit from Tampa Bay to Key West.
While he is only 17 years old, he has been playing and entertaining for more than half his life. Nate has always wanted to perform and got his first guitar at the ripe age of 7. He enrolled with a guitar teacher where he learned guitar from a book. Within a year he wanted to switch to a more hands-on learning approach. From there he found an open jam session at a local store, Victor Litz, and would go on to join a rock ensemble group program where he learned how to actually play songs. His passion for music grew and he wrote a song called “Something Big” at age 8. Nate has never had any fear of performing or large crowds and took every opportunity to perform any chance he got.. whether it was county fair, with other bands in restaurants or bars while on vacation, or simply busking in crowded areas at 11 years old.
Today Nate is 17 years old and his passion for music has only grown. He has expanded his involvement with music participation. He is well versed in vocal/harmony/guitar, bass, drums, and learning the keys. He currently plays around Maryland mostly in the Annapolis/Baltimore area and Ocean City. In addition to singing and playing multiple instruments, Nate had been getting into the production side of music. He creates his own music and collaborates with other musicians creating music for shared projects or separate artists’ projects.
Whether scrawled in a handwritten diary, committed to the pages of a book, or posted online, an authentic story will resonate. From a stark and stripped-down perspective, Elliot Greer delivers unfiltered truth with grizzled, yet warm intonation accompanied by acoustic guitar. For as much as he harks back to an old school troubadour tradition, his appeal transcends eras. As such, he asserts himself as the rare singer-songwriter who can cut through the noise on social media with tens of millions of views or pack a residency gig on a weekly basis. Growing up in Scotland, he attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York city and later landed a part in Glen Hansard’s Once in upstate New York —only for COVID to shut down the production before it got off the ground. Armed with a basic $100 microphone purchased by his girlfriend, he wrote, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered his independent debut, Handcrafted, in the bathroom of his apartment. Simultaneously, he gigged nonstop, busking in Central Park, performing anywhere around town, and joining Ashley McBryde and John Osborne for a performance on The Tonight Show at Jimmy Fallon. In 2022, he launched a TikTok account and broke through with the single “Bleed.” A video of Elliot with an acoustic guitar singing his soul out caught fire, reeling in 8 million views on Instagram and 5 million on TikTok. Now, Greer forges a lasting connection on a series of 2023 singles for Arista Records and much more to come.
Patty Griffin is among the most consequential singer-songwriters of her generation, a quintessentially American artist whose wide-ranging canon incisively explores the intimate moments and universal emotions that bind us together.
Over the course of two decades, the 2x GRAMMY® Award winner – and 7x nominee – has crafted a remarkable body of work in progress that prompted the New York Times to hail her for “[writing] cameo-carved songs that create complete emotional portraits of specific people…[her] songs have independent lives that continue in your head when the music ends.” 2019 saw the acclaimed release of the renowned artist’s GRAMMY® Award-winning 10th studio recording, PATTY GRIFFIN, available now via her own PGM Recordings label via Thirty Tigers HERE. One of the most deeply personal recordings of Griffin’s remarkable two-decade career and first-ever eponymous LP, PATTY GRIFFIN made a top 5 debut on Billboard’s “Independent Albums” chart amidst unprecedented worldwide acclaim, and later, a prestigious GRAMMY® Award for “Best Folk Album.”
In addition to her creative career, Griffin has also devoted considerable energy and focus towards the wellbeing of the planet as well as showing compassion for the less fortunate among us via personal and public acts of charity. Having crafted a rich catalog that chronicles love and death, heartache and joy, connection and detachment, Patty Griffin continues to push her art forward, as always imbuing every effort with compassion and craft, uncanny perception, and ever increasing ingenuity.
Paul Guzzone is a performing songwriter and producer whose work ranges across pop, folk, rock and theater. He is best known as the long-time bass player and vocalist in The Bacon Brothers band (featuring actor Kevin Bacon and composer Michael Bacon). Paul has performed with them around the world and broadcasts including multiple appearances on the Tonight Show, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The View and the BBC.
Enthralled with the music of Crowded House, Paul Simon, The Beatles and dozens of other similar musicians and bands, Dan’s songwriting continued to evolve throughout his post-college years. Those productive years resulted in a few hundred songs of longing and love, cars and girls. Soon he formed two bands, Ben’s Bones and The Dan Haas Band. For several years, Dan & the Bones held a Monday night residency show where Dan would unleash a new song or two a week for his band to perform live, for the first time, right there on the spot. Spontaneous, with results that were always surprising. Over the years, Dan has been lucky enough to work with talents like Jim Creegan (Barenaked Ladies), Joe Pisapia (Guster, kd Lang, Joe, Marc’s Brother, Ben Folds, The Silver Seas), Josh Rouse, and David Mead.
Since starting a family, Dan has continued writing and performing songs, with topics ranging from pandemic yearnings, to raising kids, sorties of fact and fiction, and of course, fantasy and his love of birds. Dan’s style falls nicely into the “Melodic Pop’ catefory, with tinges of Americana, Brill Building Pop, Rock and even Alternative. He wrties primarily on guitar with the occasional song emanating from is ukulele, bass, and mandolin. Much like his musical heroes and inspirers, he is clearly a fan of lush harmonies, rich string arrangements, & thick synths and soothing Wurlitzer & Rhodes.
Jimi is the lead singer/guitarist/songwriter for the band Jimmie’s Chicken Shack who has released 7 records in 30 years and toured the U.S. and Europe. J.C.S’s 8threcord, “2econds’, will be released later this year. J.C.S. had 2 top 10 hits in 2 different radio formats for their 2 world wide major label releases. Jimi also plays in the local bands Jarflys and Mend The Hollow. Jimi is a visual artist who works in paint and mixed media. Jimi is the owner, creative director and publisher of Upstart Annapolis Magazine, which is a high-quality quarterly arts and culture magazine named The Official Magazine of the Arts and Entertainment District of Annapolis. Up.St.Art Annapolis was given a special recognition award by Folio Ozzie and Eddie Awards: for Best Design Team of the Year is 2019. Jimi was appointed to the board of the Annapolis Arts District in the summer of 2020.
Hailing from Pennsylvania with deep southern roots, if there's one thing about Zandi Holup that is certain -- she is different. Her edgy, deeply emotional lyrics and unique voice set her a part. She sings about he good, the bad, and the ugly. Her music is a voice for the unheard. Zandi is no frills, relatable, and raw. Her music is described as "delicate and earthy," "gritty," and "visceral." Listening to her raw but relatable storytelling style, it is no surprise that she ahs been able to grow her grassroots following seemingly overnight, amassing over 300,000 followers on TikTok with videos garnering millions of views. Her first release, "Wait for You," was streamed over a million times and featured as the number one song on Spotifys Fresh Fids All-Genre playlist as well as Fresh Finds Country. In 2022, Zandi signed to Arthouse Entertainment (Kara Dioguardi/Universal Music) and TurnTable Music (Ben Johnson) and is currently recording her much anticipated follow up record to be release in 2023.
Elisha got a very early start in music playing drums in plays and production by the age of 10. At 18 he moved to Nashville to drum tech for legendary drummer Artimus Pyle of LYNYRD SKYNYRD.
Elisha attended Belmont University for a few years while immersing himself into the early 90’s Nashville music scene, becoming a sought after multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and programmer.
Hoffman got his first production break co-producing the remix of Shania Twain’s “It’s Alright” and the show opening music for The Dixie Chicks FLY tour.
From 2006 to 2016, Elisha was a staff songwriter at MURRAH/COLTON MUSIC writing songs for artists and bands like New Medicine to Faith Hill and most recently the new country-pop female sensation RUNAWAY JUNE with their debut smash hit LIPSTICK (co-written with his wife Two-time Grammy award winning Rebecca Lynn Howard). Elisha also co-wrote the pivotal song “Give In To Me,” for the major motion picture COUNTRY STRONG. His songs can also be heard on TV shows such as The Shield and Dark Angel.
Elisha is a founding member of THE LOVING MARY BAND, Steven Tyler’s country band touring the US, Europe and Japan. In 2018, a documentary was made about Steven and the banded called “Out On A Limb.” In 2019, Elisha formed Pumphouse Records with friends country star Lee Brice and hit songwriter Rob Hatch. Additionally, he has produced the new Lee Brice and Blanco Brown “Soul” remix and is currently producing the new Rebecca Lynn Howard record.
Crossover country-pop singer, and two-time Grammy Award Winner, Rebecca Lynn Howard is best known for her hit song “Forgive”. Quickly following was a #1 hit single, “Simple Things”, where she collaborated with pianist Jim Brickman. Her songs have been recorded by singers like Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood and Runaway June to name a few. Also, a founding member of Loving Mary Band, who are currently backing up Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Rebecca is the bassist and one of three vocalists.
Claudia Hoyser is an American country music singer, songwriter and social influencer who is capturing hearts around the globe with her fingerprint voice. Her songs have been featured in international movies, national advertising campaigns and charted on the Music Row Country Breakout Charts. Garnering over 120 million video streams on Facebook alone, her wildly popular series “Hoyser Country Monday” has led to shows with Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Brantley Gilbert, Ryan Bingham, Whiskey Myers and Mitchell Tenpenny, Chris Young, Justin Moore, LOCASH, Jessie James Decker, Chase Rice and many more. Claudia’s single “Small Town Motels” just celebrated a 9-week streak at Number 1 on CMT’s 12 Pack Countdown.
She first gained recognition in 2017 when an unmixed demo of her song “No Matter What it Costs” found its way to local country radio and was added to the playlist after listener response. Being from Rochester, NY, that single string of events built Hoyser’s confidence in being accepted in country music circles.
Along with penning over 250+ songs in the last few years, Claudia launched her Coffee and Whiskey Brand “Hoyser Country!” Check it out at hoysercountry.com
With a heavy emphasis on lyric and melody Brad Hutsell lends his style to the Rock music he grew up on paired with the earnest Country lyrics the genre is known for. He’s had several songs recorded by various Nashville recording artists including Tim McGraw and has had the opportunity to play and open for some of the genre’s biggest acts like Cole Swindell, Travis Denning, Chris Lane and The Cadillac Three.
Dracula Jackson is the solo project of Sean Jackson, who has been writing, arranging and recording original pop/rock music since 1985. A true multi-instrumentalist, Jackson plays every instrument in his recorded work, and has written hundreds of songs inspired by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Coldplay, and the entire early half of the 1980s. Having played in numerous bands for 30+ years, Dracula Jackson began releasing new solo music in 2021.
Jackson has recently released 2 singles from the forthcoming album “Shadows of a Ghost” (due in 9/2023,) which combines rock, pop and cinematic score, is married to singer/songwriter Laura Brino, and plays in her live & recorded band.