WNC Original Music

ReString Appalachia - Special Episode

Nicholas Williams, founder of the recovery effort ReString Appalachia, joins the podcast to talk about this wonderful project.
 
Action Link: ReString Appalachia
See the Movement: Instagram
The mission of the “ReString Appalachia” initiative is to get as many instruments back into the hands of people who lost them throughout Appalachia due to Hurricane Helene. Created by the roots music history podcast American Songcatcher, this project is supported by over 150 of the leading roots musicians, instrument makers, nonprofits, venues, festivals, actors, artists and media outlets. 
We are a "donor match" program, aiming to get instruments of comparable or better quality, if not the exact same make and model that was lost, if possible. 

Western North Carolina Flood Special Episode

Please consider donating your money or time to these organizations
 
www.belovedasheville.com
https://www.unitedwayabc.org/
https://www.bpr.org/bpr-news/2024-09-28/list-ways-to-donate-and-help-flood-victims-in-western-north-carolina-after-hurricane-helene
 
https://ashevillerelief.com/

Ep 187 Stephen Evans Returns pt 2

Stephen Evans returns and he's faster, stronger, more agile. Will probably get drafted in the first round.
 
Find Stephen Evans and the True Grits here
www.stephenevansmusic.com
www.facebook.com/stephenevansmusic
https://www.instagram.com/stephenevansmusic/
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stephenevansandthetruegrits/buzz-of-bees
 
Thanks to Jack Hyphen for the closing song
https://www.facebook.com/JackHyphenMusic
https://www.instagram.com/jackhyphen/
https://x.com/JackHyphen
https://www.youtube.com/@JackHyphen
https://www.tiktok.com/@jackhyphenmusic
https://jackhyphen.com/
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
This link has all the other places to subscribe
https://gopod.me/wncom
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
After many years of vacillating between being a professional musician and building a nest in Asheville, NC, Stephen Evans finally asked his friends, Brian Shoemaker (bass), Sam Hess (drums), and Woodstock (mandolin), to form the True Grits and make some music together in 2014. 
The very next year, Stephen Evans & the True Grits released their first LP "Something to Bleed".  Inspired to release more music, they followed two years later with their EP "Under the Bridge."  Both records have received local and regional praise for their passion and creativity. 
Stephen's strong melodic songwriting style is a blend of vivid imagery, darkness, and hopeful optimism.  There's no denying the feeling that shines through with his evocative vocals and lyrics.  Songs like ‘Ghost Among the Trees’, 'The Garden', 'Cherokee Hills', 'Shining Star', and '1000 Roses' are beacons of his folk rock song craft. With radio play on Western North Carolina radio stations, as well as shows around the region, Stephen Evans & the True Grits are becoming a local favorite.   
"Buzz of Bees" is their latest album, released in December of 2022, of folk rock with some songs dipping their toes into other styles like Americana, Latin Folk, and Vaudeville.  Singles from the LP, ‘Ghost Among the Trees’, ‘Winning the Day’, and ‘Estefania’, are already receiving radio play on local stations as well as national online radio and music podcasts.  Look for Stephen Evans & the True Grits playing fun live shows all around the area to support this beautiful album.
 
Emerging Manchester indie up and comer Jack Hyphen returns with the vibrant, breezy new single ‘Not Medicinal’ (June 28th). Having made a name for himself as one to watch with live shows in and around Manchester, Jack Hyphen continues to showcase the intricate songwriting and radiant musicianship which has seen him build a fanbase. 
 
Emerging from the breakup of Herefordshire Indie/Rock band Point Zero, where he served as the frontman, Jack returned with acoustic singles that showcased his vocal and lyrical prowess. His evolution into a 4-piece alternative pop/rock outfit in mid-2019 brought a punchy, atmospheric edge to his music. 
 
The new single ‘Not Medicinal’ continues this approach with intricate interweaving guitar lines, smothered in atmospheric modulation and reverb which glides over the punching drums and driving bass. Topped with Jack’s emotive, understated vocal delivery, the track blends its energetic undercurrent with an ethereal edge to create a unique, accessible yet thoughtful and delicate soundscape. 
 
Having already gained widespread press support and radio play from the likes of Amazing Radio and XS Manchester, Jack has opened for a number of breakout bands including Crystal Tides, Jeremiah Ferrari, and James Walsh (Starsailor), even gaining acclaim from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins for the quality of his live performance. Jack continues to grow, showcasing some of his finest work yet on the new single ‘Not Medicinal’. 
 

Ep 186 Andrew Wakefield part 2

Andrew Wakefield part 2. With a couple of do-overs.
 
Listen and follow Andrew at these places
Spotify
Apple Music
Tidal
Amazon
andrewwakefield.net
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
 
Thanks to Lily Vakili for the closing track
https://vakiliband.com/
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rx8uNDtBXzcrmA6vHiph4
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
The beautiful town of Asheville, nestled in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and noted primarily for its beer and bohemian atmosphere, now boasts a burgeoning contribution to American roots music in the name of Andrew Wakefield. Growing up in a musical family with a religious background, Andrew gained his first vocal experience singing hymns with family and in church choirs. That same passionate feeling within himself has prompted Andrew's emotional singing power and style throughout his life. 
After leaving home at the age of sixteen he spent years honing his guitar craft and living a gypsy life of travel, adventure seeking, and soul searching(with a few bumps along the way). In 2020 Andrew landed a coveted weekly performance with the house band at Jack of the Wood, an Asheville bluegrass institution. Soon after he joined The Well Drinkers, a progressive bluegrass band based in the area. 
Performing and touring relentlessly with these acts eventually gave Andrew the confidence to step into the limelight with his own songs and unique style, and the Andrew Wakefield solo project was born. 
Catch Andrew at Jack of the Wood in downtown Asheville every Sunday 1-3pm with the Bluegrass Brunch Boys!
(New York, NY) “I didn’t plan to put out a solo EP,” states Lily Vakili, the poetic and bluesy powerhouse best known for fronting the eponymous Vakili Band. But when the opportunity arose for a string of solo dates supporting John Douglas (of Trashcan Sinatras) this coming October, it “felt both completely new and like a return home.” As preparations for the tour began, new songs started to emerge, and Vakili, who started her musical career as a solo artist, decided to take some of her favorite advice: “Just keep on, keep improving your art, keep performing. Don’t isolate yourself, stay open and say YES.”

Ep 185 Couldn't Be Happiers pt 3

Couldn't Be Happiers return for their 3rd and final episode (for now) and it's probably for the best because it's the episode most likely to get me canceled
 
Listen and follow Couldn't Be Happiers
www.couldntbehappiers.com
www.facebook.com/couldntbehappiers
www.instagram.com/couldntbehappiers
 
Thanks to Cormac Russel
 for the closing song
 
https://linktr.ee/cormacrussell
https://on.soundcloud.com/wkb1Qt7fwiiaxpW29
https://www.facebook.com/cormacrussellmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/cormacrussellmusic/
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rx8uNDtBXzcrmA6vHiph4
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
The Couldn't Be Happiers are a married, songwriting alt-country/Americana duo from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jordan Crosby Lee (guitar and vocals) is a born again North Carolinian originally from Texas. His love of Texas music still runs deep, and his conversational songwriting style is redolent of Robert Earl Keen and Bruce Robison.  North Carolina native Jodi Hildebran Lee (drums, harmonica, and vocals) brings a more traditional/bluesy country dressing to their sound. Her voice is bold, brilliant, and hair-raisingly beautiful. Their sound is uniquely their own, but if a comparison must be made, think Violent Femmes meets Johnny & June. They cover everything from their love for each other to the rueful life of a Sasquatch hunter. The lyrics are nuanced, funny, and purposeful.
 
The duo’s first full-length album, "Songs for Butchie," is out now in three volumes. The album is named in honor of Jordan's late father, John Lee, who passed away on November 3, 2020, from a rare brain cancer.  "Butchie" was undoubtedly the band's biggest fan, and his faith in Jordan and Jodi is what drove them to finally write and release this album.  Melissa Clarke, Ph.D., of Americana Highways called their music on this album “witty and entertaining, even as the lyrics weave in serious topics to consider.”
 
Canadian born but raised in Ireland, Cormac Russell has taken his music across the globe, including tours in England and China. He released his acclaimed seventh album titled 'Resurrection' last year, which won some very favourable reviews in the press, as well as airplay on national and international radio. He will be releasing his eighth LP titled 'The Water Came Rushing' this October. Playing all the instruments himself, he draws from a wide range of influences; from Neil Young and Bob Dylan, to literary giants like William Butler Yeats and James Joyce. 

Ep 184 Cutlass pt 2

Cutlass returns, mainly because they used that old trick of "forgetting" their scarf at my house. Real smooth, guys.
  
Listen and follow Cutlass at these places
https://www.instagram.com/cutlassmusic/?hl=en
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Pf6RzYh2dCV4iK9mql7bo
https://www.tiktok.com/@cutlassmusic?lang=en
 
Find Landon Gray here
 https://open.spotify.com/album/06PFTY4QYTCLDr7ejxfjen?si=Led542LHRyiIqK8S2dj1yw
 https://music.apple.com/us/album/honeymoon-eyes-feat-zenna-bryan/1729484850?i=1729484852
 
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
This link has all the other places to subscribe
https://gopod.me/wncom
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
Cutlass is a dynamic alternative rock duo that draws heavy influence from the music of the late 60s to early 90s. Notable influences include sam cooke, jimi hendrix, the beatles, drake, cake, beethoven, soundgarden, prince, rihanna and the human condition.  Their 4th studio album "The East" will be released Winter 2022. Essential recordings include "Blue Bloods" "Used to" and "Slave". Cutlass can be found on all streaming platforms via the name Cutlass Music. 

Ep 183 Sycamore Bones pt 1

Sycamore Bones joins the podcast and we al try to out-delight each other.
 
Listen and follow Sycamore Bones at these places
https://sycamorebones.com/home
https://www.facebook.com/sycamorebones/
https://instagram.com/sycamorebones?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
 
Thanks to Chris Milam for the closing song
National Tour Dates: chrismilam.com/live
EPK: chrismilmam.com/epk | "The Letter" live at the Levitt Shell
On Spotify
National Tour Teaser
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rx8uNDtBXzcrmA6vHiph4
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
Sycamore Bones has spent the better part of a decade playing their brand of Folk, bluegrass and country. The band began with just an upright bass, acoustic guitar, and 3 part harmony. They have recently progressed to a 5 piece band featuring keys, electric guitar, fiddle, and drums. The band is led by its two primary songwriters and frontmen, Cory Kinal (acoustic guitar) and Andrew Massey (electric guitar, keys). Their new album “Someone Who Knows” puts on display the same lyrically sensitivity fans have enjoyed from the duo backed by a broader soundscape reminiscent of bands like the Old 97’s, REM, and Wilco.
 
“Invites—and earns—the Paul Simon comparisons,” raves American Songwriter about Chris Milam, the acclaimed singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. Milam’s first two albums—Kids These Days and Meanwhile—earned him widespread critical acclaim. Years of dogged, grassroots touring earned him a dedicated fanbase across the US & UK. Collaborations and co-bills with Stax legend William Bell, Valerie June, Amanda Shires, Cory Branan, Garrison Starr, and more earned Milam’s reputation as an ascendent artist to watch.Now, Chris Milam is set to release his third album, Orchid South: a kinetic, slyly subversive rock record inspired by the music and events of his adolescence. These eleven portraits of teenage life draw a direct line from the tumult, thrill, depression, and anger of youth to the chaos of the present.
 
 

Ep 182 Andrew Wakefield pt 1

Welcome Andrew Wakefield to the podcast to help me further appreciate bluegrass.
 
Click here for easy streaming or download -   
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/4qbie89iz8nncdyf/Ep_182_Andrew_Wakefield_pt_19ernm.mp3
 
Listen and follow Andrew at these places
Spotify
Apple Music
Tidal
Amazon
andrewwakefield.net
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rx8uNDtBXzcrmA6vHiph4
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
The beautiful town of Asheville, nestled in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and noted primarily for its beer and bohemian atmosphere, now boasts a burgeoning contribution to American roots music in the name of Andrew Wakefield. Growing up in a musical family with a religious background, Andrew gained his first vocal experience singing hymns with family and in church choirs. That same passionate feeling within himself has prompted Andrew's emotional singing power and style throughout his life. 
After leaving home at the age of sixteen he spent years honing his guitar craft and living a gypsy life of travel, adventure seeking, and soul searching(with a few bumps along the way). In 2020 Andrew landed a coveted weekly performance with the house band at Jack of the Wood, an Asheville bluegrass institution. Soon after he joined The Well Drinkers, a progressive bluegrass band based in the area. 
Performing and touring relentlessly with these acts eventually gave Andrew the confidence to step into the limelight with his own songs and unique style, and the Andrew Wakefield solo project was born. 
Catch Andrew at Jack of the Wood in downtown Asheville every Sunday 1-3pm with the Bluegrass Brunch Boys!
 

Ep 181 Couldn't Be Happiers pt 2

Couldn't Be Happiers part 2 where things get pretty weird but a good weird like whne you microwave silly putty
 
Click here for easy streaming or download -   
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/qqjyyi4gd68mftty/Ep_181_couldnt_be_happiers_pt_299lxk.mp3
 
Listen and follow Couldn't Be Happiers
www.couldntbehappiers.com
www.facebook.com/couldntbehappiers
www.instagram.com/couldntbehappiers
 
Thanks to The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs for the closing song
Website
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rx8uNDtBXzcrmA6vHiph4
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
The Couldn't Be Happiers are a married, songwriting alt-country/Americana duo from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jordan Crosby Lee (guitar and vocals) is a born again North Carolinian originally from Texas. His love of Texas music still runs deep, and his conversational songwriting style is redolent of Robert Earl Keen and Bruce Robison.  North Carolina native Jodi Hildebran Lee (drums, harmonica, and vocals) brings a more traditional/bluesy country dressing to their sound. Her voice is bold, brilliant, and hair-raisingly beautiful. Their sound is uniquely their own, but if a comparison must be made, think Violent Femmes meets Johnny & June. They cover everything from their love for each other to the rueful life of a Sasquatch hunter. The lyrics are nuanced, funny, and purposeful.
 
The duo’s first full-length album, "Songs for Butchie," is out now in three volumes. The album is named in honor of Jordan's late father, John Lee, who passed away on November 3, 2020, from a rare brain cancer.  "Butchie" was undoubtedly the band's biggest fan, and his faith in Jordan and Jodi is what drove them to finally write and release this album.  Melissa Clarke, Ph.D., of Americana Highways called their music on this album “witty and entertaining, even as the lyrics weave in serious topics to consider.”
 
The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs, known to their friends as Kendra and Zack Harding, began gig-swapping as solo artists in 2014. They bonded over these shared gigs, their common love of dogs, and an enthusiasm for hiking. They decided to tie the knot in the fall of 2015. The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs officially formed in early 2016, and they’ve been bringing songs of joy, pain, and dogs to audiences ever since.Combining their unique backgrounds that range from classic rock to classical guitar, they create a blend of original music with deep roots in the past and a contemporary twist here and there.

Ep 180 Fancy and the Gentlemen pt 1

Not just Fancy, not just The Gentlemen, but Fancy AND the Gentlemen join the podcast this week to talk about their new album.
 
Listen to and follow Fancy and the Gentlemen at these places
www.fancyandthegentlemen.com
www.fancymarieonstage.com
https://music.amazon.com/artists/B0BTZL5N51/fancy-and-the-gentlemen
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1AZQuxValz9CKKsLOsLMIT
fancymarie.bandcamp.com
 
 
Listen to Songs of the Kurt Fortmeyer here
https://www.instagram.com/kurtfortmeyer/
 
 
Subscribe to the podcast -
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/
https://gopod.me/wncom
 
Follow on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic
https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/
 
All music used by permission
 
Based out of Asheville, NC, Fancy and the Gentlemen brings an eclectic mix of honky tonk, blues, southern gothic, outlaw country, and classical roots twist to Americana. Sensitive and rich harmonies weave through the tapestry of original compositions and carefully curated covers that celebrate the roots of southern American music. The crew enjoy performing as a full toms and mallets groove-infused band while staying true to the core artistry that is the songwriting quartet. 
 
Kurt Fortmeyer was born in a barn and raised in a stable environment, or so he
might tell an unwitting listener in one of his sillier moments.
Kurt has shared the stage with Grammy-winning songwriters Steve Leslie and R.L.
Castleman. and Hall Of Fame songwriters Don Wayne and Jimmy Payne. He has opened
shows for many artists including Livingston Taylor, Emmylou Harris, and Doyle Lawson
& Quicksilver. As at home in front of a microphone as he is on a front porch, Kurt plays real music,
by, for, and about real people.