It is funny how this musician, singer/songwriter life goes. Much of the time you are running down new roads but sometimes you find you have just circled back to a familiar road, one that you’ve traveled before. That circling back is what brought about this article. About 10 years ago, I wrote for a publication that Greg Tutwiler was involved ...

We all accept that a written sentence consists of a noun and a verb strung together in sequence. Choose this word sequence so it conveys a thought to a reader; begin that sequence with an uppercase letter; finish it with a period; and congrats; you are a writer—NOT! No, to be a writer, one must be able to modify those ...

Album of the Year American Band Drive-By Truckers, Produced by David Barbe Close Ties Rodney Crowell, Produced by Kim Buie and Jordan Lehning Freedom Highway Rhiannon Giddens, Produced David Bither, Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell The Navigator Hurray for the Riff Raff, Produced by Paul Butler A Sailor’s Guide to Earth Sturgill Simpson, Produced by Sturgill Simpson Artist of the ...

Canadians Matt Epp and Faouzia Ouihya are this year’s International Songwriting Contest grand prize winner(s). The winning duet, “The Sound” is the perfect synergy between the seasoned Canadian troubadour Matt Epp and the Morocco-born Manitoba-raised 16-year old phenom Faouzia. A great duet can be magical, and “The Sound” is just that. It showcases the talents of each songwriter and singer, ...

There’s a quaint, unassuming, little park and campground nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley (Mt. Solon, VA) surrounded by one of nature’s natural pheromones; Natural Chimneys. For three days in July, however, this tucked away space in Virginia comes alive with a gathering of some of the best Americana music in the country. Organizers of the fifth annual ...

“When you think of the Blue Ridge Mountains, your first thought is probably not of stringed musical instruments playing authentic and unique American roots music; however, this rural backdrop is the raw source of much of the sounds we hear today and consider our American musical legacy; including rock-and-roll and jazz,” writes Ross Moonie, spokesperson and head of media relations ...

Being part of the writing effort for a magazine that focuses upon Americana music means we are blessed with the chance to attend some exceptional music festivals throughout the year. Even when the official editorial call to attend is not there, my wife and I often find ourselves heading off for a whole weekend here or a single day there ...

Upon realizing that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Merlefest, and knowing that this fest provided significant inspiration for us here at Americana Rhythm, I felt it only fitting to give an extra shout out to this phenomenal music festival. Created as a tribute by Doc Watson and Wilkes Community College to his late son, Merle, Merlefest has become ...

In the May/June 2007 issue of Americana Rhythm, we profiled Mac Wiseman an artist whose musical life transcends time. Born locally in Crimora, VA, but known internationally, Mr. Wiseman, now 91 years old, is still recording and maintains a large following of fans. After our 2007 story, it had been a while since I heard anything new about Mac Wiseman, ...

Some 10 or 12 years ago, I accompanied my son to a music festival in North Carolina to help him staff a trade booth for a magazine for which he worked at the time. We joined 70,000 music fans for four days of string-music greatness of a type that is now known to many as Americana. That experience led to ...