Florida native, Amanda Cook has become one of the top female band leaders on the bluegrass scene today. The Amanda Cook Band has reached the 10 year mark under her leadership, and just recently released their fifth album, Restless Soul. Sparked by her dad’s influence, and the desire to lead a band of her own, Amanda now has an appearance ...

Rock Hearts is a bluegrass group based in the south—the southern part of New England, that is. Despite their physical distance from the southern Appalachian center of bluegrass, their dedication to the musical traditions of the genre places them squarely in its musical territory. According to the band’s lead singer and guitarist Alex MacLeod, “We are a New England-based bluegrass ...

Singer-songwriter, horse breeder/trainer and occasional chef Mike Schikora says “I always keep plates spinning; life’s much too short to have one focus.” His latest album, Outlaw from the South (his third solo effort, released July 2024) reflects this diversity of interests, in that, according to Mike, it has no single overall theme. “This is the first time I went without ...

Bluegrass fans will probably recognize Daryl Mosley from his work with New Tradition, The Osborne Brothers and The Farm Hands. Most recently he has also carved out a satisfying solo career, which has seen him release four solo albums over the last five years. Daryl’s fourth solo album, Long Days and Short Stories, which came out in October, turned out ...

The members of bluegrass outfit Appalachian Smoke literally embody the first part of their moniker, all residing in the southern portion of the great mountain chain. “…Where Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina all meet, there’s kind of a point there and we’re all roughly an hour away from that in different directions,” says Tim Williams, the group’s bass player, when ...

When Connecticut’s Rusty Gear got started in music, he was playing bass along with his older brother John, who was an accomplished guitarist. At a certain point however, Rusty decided that he too would like to play guitar. “I went to a friend’s house, a guy who was pretty handy. And we drilled a couple of extra holes in it, ...

Hailing originally from small town New Brunswick, Canada, singer-songwriter Robert Ross grew up in a music-loving household and started singing at a young age. “I was shy as a kid. I kind of just sang in the back room,” Robert remembers. His first public performance came at the tender age of twelve, at a community fundraiser. He laughs, “I was ...

With four decades in country music under his belt and a membership in the Ohio Country Music Hall of Fame, it’s safe to say Richard Lynch has become somewhat of an Ohio “institution” in the genre. He certainly maintains some real country street cred: “I’m a farmer. I’m a builder. I do a lot of things to make a living,” ...

Luanne Hunt recently celebrated her 30th year in the music business and released her 24th album, fittingly titled Miles and Memories. The current Floridian originally from Pennsylvania, has certainly logged countless miles and accumulated a treasure trove of memories along with many chart successes and accolades throughout her career as an independent singer-songwriter. About the new album’s title track, along ...

“It started for me when I was 17,” says San Antonio native Jeremy Parsons. “I was a junior in high school, and looking for a new hobby.” Sports had lost their luster for him (too much pressure from coaches). Luckily, he says, “there was a guitar lying around.” He was immediately hooked. Then, after six or eight months, he found ...