News/Thoughts

Tag Archives: Americana Music Profiles

Here Comes Jig Jam

To paraphrase the Irish band’s PR material, JigJam is a bluegrass/Americana outfit that is here in America to “take back” the music styles that can be traced, in part, back “across the pond” to their musically prolific home isle. The band’s appropriately titled fifth album, Across The Pond, was released on March 1. Jamie McKeogh says “The theme throughout is ...

Read More »

Sierra Hull; “I Love This Career So Much”

Sierra Hull, now in here early thirties, has already accomplished more as a musician than most artists dream about. Considered by many to be a master musician as a mandolin player, she was the first female to win IBMA’s mandolin player of the year – and has since won it six times, as well as being nominated twice for a ...

Read More »

Sugarcane Jane

Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee, collectively known as Sugarcane Jane, have been lauded as “one of the best duos since Johnny and June” (Nancy Dunham, The Washington Times). So, how did this pair, now hailing from Loxley, Alabama, come together and attain such a level of acclaim? Savana recalls meeting Anthony while she was living the aspiring artist’s life in ...

Read More »

Scrapin’ Plates

As banjo player Derek Kretzer of The Plate Scrapers speaks about the band’s beginning, it becomes clear that his own journey into folk music, the assembling of the band, and their evocative name are all intertwined. After spending his high school years playing guitar in a variety of band settings and genres (along with his younger brother, a drummer at ...

Read More »

Cliff & Susan

With a schedule encompassing more than 200 shows per year, running a music production and artist development company, creating a regular podcast, and even sharing their experience with aspiring artists through an online academy, Cliff & Susan (aka Cliff and Susan Prowse) are the definition of musical power couple—a duo completely focused on making an impact with their music and ...

Read More »

Bill Abernathy

As the “baby” of his musically-inclined family, Kansas City singer-songwriter Bill Abernathy recalls being “the little eight-year-old kid that was hanging around watching my brother sing folk music…with a bunch of his friends in the living room.” Music became an important part of his life, as well. But despite performing throughout his youth and into adulthood, Bill opted for the ...

Read More »

Racyne Parker

It took a little while, but Racyne Parker seems to have finally figured out where she should really be. She’s found her identity as a singer-songwriter after pushing as far as she could in other areas of her life. The seeds of her current musical life were planted firmly when she was little, mainly by her singer-songwriter dad. “He was ...

Read More »

Kim Brogli; Creativity Through The Written Word

Unlike the stories of youthful encouragement many artists share in these profiles, Kim Brogli recalls what discouraged her from singing at a young age. “It was elementary school when I tried out for the little school choir and I didn’t make it. I was just like ‘Ok. There’s that. I guess I can’t sing.’…I was super-effected by people’s opinions. I ...

Read More »

John Shain

Originally from Massachusetts, Jon Shain ended up adopting Durham, NC as his home, after attending Duke University and, more importantly, finding a musical home; a place where he would add the blues to his rock and soul background and come up with his own unique style. Jon remembers his earliest intentional exposure to music by way of his dad, a ...

Read More »

Lolly Lee’s Video World Premiere; “Great Crusade”

Lolly Lee’s fans have been eagerly waiting for the release of her self-titled album set for February 23rd, 2024, but you can get a early, sneak peak right here with the World Premiere of her “Great Crusade” Music Video. Lolly Lee’s “Great Crusade” is a powerful and soulful track that captures the essence of love, loss, and the struggles of ...

Read More »