K.K. Hammond is a singer-songwriter and slide guitarist who channels the dark and gritty vibe of the swamp and old Appalachia into her personal take on the blues, which has been sometimes labeled “horror blues.’ “I’ve always loved the blues…I’ve always loved horror films and murder ballads, the darker folk music,” the artist explains. “The old blues has a lot ...

Veteran Nashville songwriter Trent Summar calls the music he creates these days “farm rock,” his own unique blend of traditional and contemporary country with heartland rock & roll and honky tonk. Trent sums up his initiation into music succinctly: “My third grade music teacher put me on-stage for a ‘Hee Haw’ show and it got in my blood…Any time anybody ...

Born in Manitoba and raised mostly in the Vancouver area, Canadian, Kevin Arizona (a.k.a Kaz) was bitten by the performance bug at age 13. After an early childhood in a home immersed in music, including a mom who was into drums (“She set me up with spoons and upside-down Tupperware”) and dedicated to singing, Kaz, remembers a particular moment when ...

It’s the world premier release of “River N’ Me,” the latest single from Arkansas Americana group Ten Penny Gypsy. The song is an infectious, acoustic skiffle that enthusiastically pays homage to the classic American Roots music of the early 20th century. Recorded as a studio outtake from the group’s “Fugitive Heart” sessions, the song has become a fan favorite, and ...

Guest article by Sherry Nelson The moment he walks out on stage in his black leather vest, black cowboy hat, and signature Jennings swagger, a palpable energy builds in the air. It is that iconic sound of plangent tones that for generations has cut deep into the soul and hearts of music fans all across the world. He is Whey ...

The heartache and grit that much bluegrass music encapsulates expresses Corrie Lynn Green’s growing up years perfectly. No wonder she was drawn to the genre early on. Stuck in severe poverty, her family moved around the Harrisonburg, Virginia area frequently when she was younger. Then she moved to a home in Elkton, Virginia, just under the shadow of the Shenandoah ...

There is a pastry shop in the next town over from where I live. Whenever they pull a fresh tray of donuts from their oven, they light a little sign in their window that reads, “Hot and Ready”. That sign came to my mind recently when I visited the dance tent at Merlefest in Wilksboro, NC. At that tent, I ...

Doc Watson called the music, “Tradition plus.” And it was another weekend filled with tradition plus musicians at the 2022 Merlfest this past weekend, April 28th – May 1st. One of Doc’s discoveries, Old Crow Medicine Show, returned for a stellar close out performance Saturday evening to thousands of cheering fans singing along with Old Crow’s anthem, “Wagon Wheel.” The ...

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, through my student life years, I’m quite partial to the music of that era. I spent my first two years of college in 1983 and 1984 in a small college in North Carolina. My freshman year especially, was quite profound and exciting. It was the early days of MTV, and we still listened ...

From its beginning, from Gatlinburg, Tennessee-based band, Tuatha Dea, has embraced its Celtic heritage and meshed the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland with their own bold blend of mainstream rock, mountain drumming and Appalachian blues to produce a truly unique sound. Family patriarch, band co-founder/leader and Tennessee native Danny Mullikin says, “We’ve been celebrating that heritage for years and ...