Val Storey grew up steeped in country music from day one. Both of her parents were singer-songwriters originally from Roanoke who moved close to Nashville to pursue their dreams of country music success. Her dad even opened a recording studio. It took some trauma trigger her instinct to start making her own music. “My mom and I were in a ...

Drawing their name from Jimmy Martin’s 1958 done-me-wrong song, Rock Hearts came together in 2013, fusing the talents of a bunch of southern New England bluegrass veterans “who love to sing and pick bluegrass, old country tunes, and seek out newer tunes from other genres to ‘bluegrass-ify’.” From the moment they got together, they all knew they had something special ...

Pat Berlinquette had pursued music from a number of angles (punk as a youth, electronic later on) far from the world of Americana. He had also put music aside for a while to build a successful career in marketing. The music never let him go completely, however. After spending about five years of “messing around, picking up the guitar once ...

Growing up in rural Kentucky, about 45 minutes from Nashville, but now somewhat of fish out of water living in Los Angeles, Michael Monroe Goodman’s roots run deep in the Americana soil. “We knew about life, maybe more than city people,” he says. “I’m proud of my home state of Kentucky. You need that strand of where you’re from or ...

Don’t let her diminutive physical stature fool you: Kari Holmes is living large when it comes to her music career—averaging 200 gigs a year (pre-Covid), winning the indie-centric Josie Music Awards Artist of the Year for 2021 (along with four other nominations), and connecting with audiences of all ages along the way. When asked about her audiences, “It’s been interesting, ...

North Carolina native Josh King (a life-long resident of the Greensboro area) grew up surrounded by music. With a church pianist grandfather, it’s no surprise that the church was his earliest influence, including a lot of singing in harmony. After the typical abortive attempt at piano lessons around age 10 or 11, in high school he found himself playing bass ...

Known as a band that makes roots music with strong pop and rock elements, the Dirt Nappers, led by Frank Migliorelli, usually serve up songs dealing with serious adult themes of love and loss, cultural issues, and much more. However, as with every other band and artist in the world, the pandemic forced a change of focus for at least ...

[From the dusty, rusty trails of American roads the first steps were taken for the creation of a new music style, the Nordic Americana folk genre. Based on a trip through half of America – the four track EP Dry Wood was shaped. When Danish solo performer and songwriter, Mette Kirkegaard, went on her first trip to New York, she ...

After nearly 30 years of honoring songwriters, it appears the annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest will be calling it quits. But not before awarding it’s 2020, and 2021 class – announced at the September 2021 edition of Merlefest. Jim Lauderdale, the long-time contest coordinator and host, was also honored Saturday for his over twenty years of shared expertise, enthusiasm, and ...

It’s rare for a guitarist to communicate with a distinctly identifiable voice within the abundant sea of bluegrass and traditional flatpickers. Unique in her delivery, Avril Smith stands out. Her articulate guitar work is rich with a creative blend of quirky flourishes, poignant timing, double stops, and signature voicings that bend the ear just a little bit further than expectation ...