Asheville Bands, The Honeycutters & Town Mountain at AmericanaFest 2016

Two Asheville, North Carolina bands, The Honeycutters and Town Mountain, represent different ends of the Americana spectrum and both will perform at the 2016 AmericanaFest in Nashville.

The Honeycutters Show Their Country Roots
with On The Ropes, Released By Organic Records

The Honeycutters have a voice you can’t ignore; a voice of persistence, of struggle and of hope, a voice that leads the new music movement erupting out of Asheville, NC. They released their 4th studio album On The Ropes May 20, 2016 on Organic Records to much critical acclaim. Nashville’s Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst says principal songwriter and frontwoman, Amanda Anne Platt “has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.” On The Ropes was produced by Amanda Anne Platt and Tim Surrett and engineered and mastered by Van Atkins at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

On The Ropes debuted on release day at #39 on iTunes Top 40 Country Chart and #12 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases on Folk. The album spent nineteen weeks on the Americana Radio Chart hitting #10 and remaining in the top twenty for 11 weeks. It also landed in the #1 position on the Roots Music Report Country Chart! The band recently shipped the album overseas and it stands at #11 on September’s EuroAmericana Chart.

Joining Amanda Platt to round out The Honeycutters are Rick Cooper, alternating between upright and electric bass, drummer Josh Milligan, pedal steel player Matt Smith, and Tal Taylor on mandolin.

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“Like all great songwriters, Platt’s characters are alive, with enough nuance to convince the listener that they have entire lives outside the glimpse they get from the songs.” Examiner’s Chris Griffy continues, “This is most evident on the album’s closer ‘Barmaid’s Blues’. One of the rare ballads in On the Ropes’ fourteen songs and one of the most lyrically dense. When Platt’s world weary bartender laments that ‘All the gunslingers, got the rings on their fingers” and later that ‘I got a feeling like I been waiting on the last train home. It’s been a little slow, but it’s coming I know’, there’s a delicate balance of melancholy and hope that takes a deft hand to pull off without sounding cliched. Platt’s hand is that deft.”

The Honeycutters AmericanaFest 2016 Schedule

Thursday 9/22 – 12pm – Taping with The Country Network “Our Land: The Music Highway” TV Show at The Listening Room  – Open to the public with Meet & Greet Post show  – More info TCNCountry.com

Thursday 9/22 – 10pm – The Basement – Official AMA Showcase

Friday 9/23 –  8:40am – KHYI Radio Live Broadcast with Chuck Taylor at Sound Stage Studios – Live Radio Session – listen online at khyi.com

Friday 10/23 – 10am airing of a radio session with The Honeycutters on Sun Radio – Solar-Powered Americana from Austin – listen online at sunradio.com

More information at www.TheHoneycutters.com

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Town Mountain Displays Their Soulful Bluegrass/Country Swagger on Southern Crescent, Produced by Dirk Powell On LoHi Records

Raw, soulful, and with plenty of swagger, Town Mountain released their 5th studio album, Southern Crescent, on April 1, 2016 on LoHi Records. Produced and engineered by GRAMMY winner Dirk Powell, Southern Crescent was recorded in Powell’s studio The Cypress House in south-central Louisiana town of Breaux Bridge. It was mixed by Mixed by Scott Vestal at Digital Underground in Greenbrier, TN. Since it’s release the band debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium stages bringing their sound to new audiences. The critically acclaimed album debuted at #4 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and spent ten weeks on the Americana Radio Chart’s Top 40.

“The first time I heard TM I loved, respected, and enjoyed them. And I do now more than ever,” exclaims Jim Lauderdale. “They have stuck with their deep bluegrass roots but as they have with all of their releases they have grown and expanded. They sound like Carolina, and they carry that sound farther and farther with Southern Crescent, their latest gem.”

Up for the 2016 Emerging Artist Award with the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and the 2013 winners of IBMA Momentum Awards for Performance Band and Vocalist of the Year (Robert Greer), Town Mountain has earned raves for their hard-driving sound, their in-house songwriting and the honky-tonk edge that permeates their exhilarating live performances. With an insatiable musical hunger, the members of Town Mountain are Robert Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, Jack Devereux on fiddle, and Adam Chaffins on bass. Please note Bobby Britt (fiddle) and Nick DiSebastian (bass) perform on the album.

No Depression’s Amos Perrine names Town Mountain as, “the most exciting bluegrass band to come along in a long time,” which is echoed by Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst sentiments, “I’d put Town Mountain on my list of Five Bluegrass Bands You Must Know in 2016, because while the genre has forked and morphed in wonderful ways, these guys from Asheville have more Flatt & Scruggs and more Jimmy Martin in their sound than any young band I can think of. And when they do nod to other influences, they tend to be from parallels to the early bluegrass era, like Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins for example.”

Town Mountain AmericanaFest 2016 Schedule

Tuesday 9/20 11pm The Basement – Official AMA Showcase

Wednesday 9/21 – 9:30am airing of a radio session with Town Mountain on Sun Radio – Solar-Powered Americana from Austin – listen online at sunradio.com

More information at www.TownMountain.net

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The Honeycutters Show Their Country Roots In ‘On The Ropes’ – Out Today on Organic Records

The Honeycutters, an Asheville-based American Country Roots Band,
Release 4th Studio Album, On The Ropes, May 20, 2016 on Organic Records

Now available: CD, Vinyl and Digital
iTunes, Amazon, Tower Records, and Select-O-Hits

ASHEVILLE, NC — The Honeycutters have a voice you can’t ignore; a voice of persistence, of struggle and of hope, a voice that leads the new music movement erupting out of Asheville, NC. Their new album On The Ropes is out today, May 20, 2016 on Organic Records. Nashville’s Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst says principal songwriter and frontwoman, Amanda Anne Platt “has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.” This morning the album hit #38 on the iTunes Top 40 Country Chart and #12 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases on Folk. It is currently at #1 on the Roots Music Report’s Country Chart! and #10 on the The Alternate Root Magazine’s Roots 66 Chart!

Joining Amanda Platt to round out The Honeycutters are Rick Cooper, alternating between upright and electric bass, accentuating the band’s delve deeper into a rock sound blending with their old-school country roots attitude. Along with drummer Josh Milligan the two create a powerful pocket and groove that locks the album together, with Milligan’s vocal harmonies complementing and enhancing Platt’s lead. The pedal steel work of Matt Smith brings unexpected rock licks on an instrument traditionally reserved for a classic country sound in tracks like “Blue Besides” and “Only Eyes”. Smith also shows his prowess on electric guitar with rock, and R&B flavored runs and solos like in “Golden Child”. Tal Taylor’s mandolin cuts through with bitey, bluesy notes and fierce tremolo that pushes the instrument beyond its obvious folk appeal.

On The Ropes was produced by Amanda Anne Platt and Tim Surrett and engineered and mastered by Van Atkins at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

What Folks Are Saying about On The Ropes:

Amanda Anne Platt. Photo By Leah Beilhart.

“Their songwriting is first rate, their arrangements and instrumental ability in top form and with a front woman as assertive and impressive as singer Amanda Anne Platt, there’s nothing lacking in presence or execution. The songs may revolve around the need for assurance and affirmation, but clearly, Platt and her colleagues… have every contingency covered.”  ––No Depression, Lee Zimmerman

 

“Pratt is a gifted songwriter and vocalist… She has an authoritative, confident voice that can be sweet, aching, and joyous, sometimes even in the same song. Pratt’s voice and the interplay of the guitar and mandolin give this band their unique complex sound – a clear-sounding mash-up of Americana, bluegrass, folk, and honky-tonk.” ––Elmore, Jim Hynes

“On The Ropes wonderfully showcases Platt’s dazzling songwriting skills with themes of loss, loneliness, nostalgia and getting the shit kicked out of you by love. All thirteen tracks are original material, except for a fascinating cover of Leonard Cohen’s iconic “Hallelujah”, sung in a spellbinding manner and just dripping of honeysuckle and moonshine.” —That Music Mag, Jane Roser

“Amanda Anne Platt is a master songwriter, not because she finds unusual metaphors, creates cute wordplay, or buries deep psychological meaning in her lyrics, but because her songs are so effortlessly conversational. She’s like that old friend at the bar who sidles up to you real close, in your personal space, and grabs your forearm to get your attention because she really really wants to make sure you get what she’s telling you. Her songs command attention because they are so darn human you believe them.” —Americana Music Show, Calvin Powers

“On The Ropes is brimming with affecting, relatable, and on point lyrics… It’s not just Platt’s ability to tap into emotions and experiences so keenly that makes On The Ropes so special, the band’s tight musicianship brings Platt’s lyrics to new heights. Tal Taylor’s mandolin adds something special to every song as does Matt Smith’s pedal steel, dobro, and electric guitar while Rick Cooper (upright and electric bass) and Josh Milligan (drums/harmony vocal) expertly keep a precise beat.” —The Daily Country, Tara Joan

“Make no mistake, The Honeycutters are a country band in every sense of the word. They are the type of ‘country’ that has the ability to save country music radio, in the same way as Sturgill Simpson, Whitey Morgan, and Chris Stapleton. They will probably stay firmly within the Americana charts and radio promotions and do very well there, but each time I put on their album I can’t escape the heavy realization of how much country music radio needs them right now.” —Lonesone Banjo Chronicles, Brian Swenk

“While her country-flavored songs almost always tell a story, The Honeycutters’ musical approach adds a dimension to the tunes that only widens their appeal.”  —Mountain Xpress, Bill Kopp

The Honeycutters. Photo by Leah Beilhart.

“Amanda Anne Platt doesn’t sound like everyone else. Her voice has its own sweet yet strong, recognizable ring, and the songs she writes sound like old friends, yet are new and relevant.” —Asheville Citizen Times, Carol Rifkin

 

“More fans should attach themselves to her brand of poignant songwriting and Lucinda Williams-like singing… The Honeycutters aren’t like anything on today’s country music radio. The group’s music, though, is like the country music that once blared through AM radio, complete with steel guitar and a dash of Western swing.”
—Hendersonville Times News/ GoUpstate, Jason Gilmer

“This here is sawdust floor and longneck honky-tonk. North Carolina’s The Honeycutters swings gentle to and fro, with a knockout punch of steel guitar, and a rhythm section that adheres gloriously to the 2/4. This is the country music you’ve been missing. The genre’s purity gets redefined by songbird Amanda Anne Platt. It’s all around beautiful and timeless.” ––Rochester City Paper, Frank De Blase

“On The Ropes is a worthy successor to Me Oh My. It’s relatable and heart-breaking, buoyant and hopeful. The Honeycutters just keep getting better and it’s thrilling to hear it.” —Popshifter, Melissa Bratcher

“On The Ropes shows more versatility from The Honeycutters with a bit of rock and pop influence in the production, while still keeping the songs firmly planted in country music. The songs and lyrics are richer, exploring more topics, and Platt’s vocals sound as good as ever.” —Country Perspective, Derek Hudgin

“On Ropes, Platt asks the hard questions and avoids easy answers, both lyrically and musically. The pieces are familiar ones from just about any other country bar band, the pedal steel, the mandolin and guitar with touches of ‘grass, gospel and folk. Platt’s writing keeps these in play while raising the Honeycutters above the overly familiar tricks and cliches of the crowded genre. Love lost is hardly new territory, but she writes about it from a novel place.” —KRFC’s Route and Branches, Scott Foley

“All of those sad little pop singers need to get off country radio and let the Honeycutters take it from here. When I heard this album I felt the same way I felt when I first heard Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band. There’s not much of a point to making such comparisons however, because the Honeycutters are their own band… Thank god for bands like the Honeycutters, they give me faith that a group can remain true to their vision while still writing extremely memorable songs.” —Western Free Press, Skyler Miller

“There are a lot of lines that stand out, that ring true, lyrics you can hold onto.”
—Michael Doherty

“One of the best current acts to come out of Asheville is The Honeycutters, a great band ready to be discovered by the rest of America.” —Cincinnati City Beat, Derek Halsey

Song Premiere: LISTEN: The Honeycutters, “On The Ropes“ at Elmore Magazine →
“On The Ropes’ [is] a feel good barn-burner of a song that pairs Platt’s old-school country vocals with a rollicking, danceable melody. The harmonies laced throughout recall the roots tradition the band is steeped in, but the track is a radio-ready hit, dangerously catchy and perfect for when you need a little boost.”

Song Premier: LISTEN: The Honeycutters, “Blue Besides” at The Bluegrass Situation → www.thebluegrasssituation.com/read/listen-honeycutters-blue-besides

Listen in to The Honeycutters’ World Cafe appearance at http://bit.ly/TheHoneycutters_WorldCafe.

More info, tourdates and updates at www.TheHoneycutters.com, www.facebook.com/Honeycutters, and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

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The Honeycutters Poised to Release 4th Studio Album, On The Ropes, May 20th on Organic Records

The Honeycutters, an Asheville-based American Country Roots Band,
Release 4th Studio Album, On The Ropes,
May 20, 2016 on Organic Records

A Special Vinyl Edition On The Ropes Featured as a National Release
for Record Store Week in partnership with Select-O-Hits
on ‘Vinyl Tuesday’ April 12th

Pre-order starting April 1st at iTunes
Get the vinyl at Tower Records, Select-O-Hits, and Amazon

Tune into NPR’s World Cafe Thursday, March 31st to hear The Honeycutters → www.worldcafe.npr.org

ASHEVILLE, NC — The Honeycutters have a voice you can’t ignore; a voice of persistence, of struggle and of hope, a voice that leads the new music movement erupting out of Asheville, NC. Poised to release their 4th studio album On The Ropes May 20, 2016 on Organic Records, Nashville’s Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst says principal songwriter and frontwoman, Amanda Anne Platt “has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.” Along with Platt, The Honeycutters are Rick Cooper (electric and upright bass), Josh Milligan (drums and vocal harmonies), Matt Smith (pedal steel and electric guitar), and Tal Taylor (mandolin). On The Ropes was produced by Amanda Anne Platt and Tim Surrett and engineered and mastered by Van Atkins at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

“Fitting in at country honky-tonks and hard-scrabble bars alike, the Honeycutters have built a reputation for high energy shows coupled with tight harmonies and wistfully delicate lyrics of longing, heartbreak, and the American experience,” writes Alan Cackett (UK).

In On The Ropes Platt continues to bring songs of heartache, yearning, and comebacks using phrases so relatable you wish you had thought of them yourself, ”Love ain’t ever black and white, it’s pink and gray and blue besides” (“Blue Besides”).

Platt’s writing is always personal. The title track, “On The Ropes,” is a rally song about coming back from hard knocks. “When I’m down for the count there’s a voice I can’t ignore,” like a continuous conversation with herself, pushing her along and encouraging her to make “something out of nothing.”

In a recent interview with David Dye of the World Cafe, Dye pointed out Platt’s string of songs with ‘love gone wrong’ themes. Her response, “Doesn’t everyone have stories of love gone wrong?” Part of Amanda’s significance as a songwriter lies in her ability to write everybody’s story and allow each listener to feel it’s theirs alone. She shares songs of love and loss, songs of struggles and fears; in “The Only Eyes” Amanda writes, “If there were an easier road that wasn’t so crooked, Honey, I hope you know I would have took it.” NPR’s World Cafe, produced by XPN in Philadelphia, brought the show to Asheville’s The Grey Eagle this February for a sold out evening of entertainment including The Honeycutters in their “Sense of Place” series. The airdate for The Honeycutters’ World Cafe segment is Thursday, March 31st during the first hour of the show.

The Honeycutters. Photo by Leah Beilhart

The power of Amanda’s songwriting requires musicianship with the kind of edginess needed to match it, to cohesively surround the lyrics in just the right skin while still shining in their individual performances.

Alternating between upright and, new to this album, electric bass, Rick Cooper accentuates the band’s delve deeper into a rock sound blending with their old-school country roots attitude. Along with drummer Josh Milligan the two create a powerful pocket and groove that locks the album together, with Milligan’s vocal harmonies complementing and enhancing Platt’s lead. The pedal steel work of Matt Smith brings unexpected rock licks on an instrument traditionally reserved for a classic country sound in tracks like “Blue Besides” and “Only Eyes”. Smith also shows his prowess on electric guitar with rock, and R&B flavored runs and solos like in “Golden Child”. Tal Taylor’s mandolin cuts through with bitey, bluesy notes and fierce tremolo that pushes the instrument beyond its obvious folk appeal.

On The Ropes has thirteen tracks of all original material with the exception of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” a song Amanda has been playing since before she moved to Asheville. She says, “We’ve had a number of people ask us to record our version, so here ’tis.”  Special guests on the album include Amanda’s father Mark Platt on harmonica, Jeff Collins on piano, and Jason Webb on Hammond B-3 Organ. “The Handbook” features the lovely ladies of Sweet Claudette on vocals: Dulci Ellenberger, Melissa Hyman, and Amber L. Sims.

A special vinyl edition of On the Ropes will be released April 12, 2016 on Vinyl Tuesday, as a featured national release for Record Store Week. This will include a double album released through Organic Records®’ national distribution partner Select-O-Hits. This vinyl album will be made available to independent record stores throughout the country in time for Record Store Day on April 16th. Vinyl Mastering by Scott Barnett at Crossroads Studios / Arden, NC and Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl, Memphis, TN.

On The Ropes builds on the critical success of The Honeycutters breakout album Me Oh My [Organic Records 2015], which appeared on over twenty “2015 Year End Lists” including nods from No Depression, “It’s the type of country music you’d play on the jukebox and take a spin on a red dirt floor” and Cleveland Scene, “an upbeat symphony of regret, redemption and resurgence.” The album was voted #3 on WNCW’s Top 100 Listeners Poll (Under Jason Isbell and Alabama Shakes), listed in NPR’s Folk Alley’s Top 50, and was one of KBCS’s “Most Played Albums of 2015.”

In their “50 Essential Albums for 2015” list, Saving Country Music writes, “Me Oh My is the 14-song testament that you sense could be the centerpiece of her career when it’s all said and done… This is a band, an album, and a songwriter that both the Americana and country world should pay greater attention to.” Me Oh My launched The Honeycutters onto the national stage, bringing along an army of fans with them. Don’t blink now, they’re coming back for more.

It has been said that overnight success is a result of long time dedication and hard work. Amanda writes, in “Golden Child,” her love letter to the music industry, “Now I don’t mind if it takes a little time, when it comes to waiting I’ve been practicing for years.”

On The Ropes – Track Listing
1. On the Ropes
2. Blue Besides
3. Golden Child
4. The Handbook
5. The Only Eyes
6. Back Row
7. Useless Memories
8. Piece of Heaven
9. Let’s Get Drunk
10. 500 Pieces
11. Ache
12. Hallelujah
13. Barmaid’s Blues

Stay tuned to www.TheHoneycutters.com for tour dates and more news about their upcoming Spring 2016 album release on Organic Records!

For news from the road, please visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

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NPR World Cafe ‘Sense Of Place: Asheville’ Airtimes for Jon Stickley Trio, The Honeycutters & More

NPR World Cafe’s ‘Sense of Place: Asheville’
Featuring Jon Stickley Trio & The Honeycutters
Live from The Grey Eagle Airs March 31st

Asheville recordings run throughout the week of March 28th

ASHEVILLE, NC — NPR’s World Cafe, produced by XPN in Philadelphia, brought the show to Asheville’s The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 for sold out evening of entertainment with Jon Stickley Trio and The Honeycutters, two Asheville-based bands who have both been making headlines across the country. World Cafe host David Dye was in the house to interview with them during their performances. The airdate to hear both band’s performances is Thursday, March 31st as part of the “Sense of Place: Asheville” series. Find out more at www.WorldCafe.NPR.org. Fans can tune into their local affiliate station at the scheduled World Cafe broadcast time and Asheville area folks can tune in to World Cafe on WNCW weekdays between 4am to 6am and 6pm to 8pm.

The full series of “Sense of Place: Asheville” will run starting the week of March 28th. While in town, World Cafe explored Asheville music and musicians with visits to downtown’s Echo Mountain Recording Studio including local musicians Steep Canyon Rangers, Tyler Ramsey of Band of Horses, The Get Right Band, and River Whyless. They also interviewed with some movers and shakers in the scene including Jessica Tomasin (Studio Manager at Echo Mountain Recording), Michelle Moog (The Bob Moog Foundation), and Alli Marshall (Author and Mountain Xpress’ Arts Editor) among others.

Front Row Focus’ David Simchock was on hand to capture in photographs show at The Grey Eagle with Jon Stickey Trio and The Honeycutters and a live audience. He writes, “Let it be known that I witnessed, if not participated in, history in-the-making in Asheville, particularly within our awe-inspiring music… as the night went on, and as David Dye’s insightful interviews delved deeper and deeper into the inspiration behind the artists, I realized how huge this event was/is for all of the musicians in Asheville, if not everyone in the city. Oh, and the actual performances were pretty bad-ass as well!” Check out the images here → http://bit.ly/AVLWordCafePhotos.

The Asheville Citizen times writes, “Jon Stickley Trio and The Honeycutters are two of Asheville’s strongest bands, and they’re both breaking into the national eye in impressive ways.” The New York Times says of Jon Stickley Trio’s sound offers “a turbocharged original with a ska upbeat and a shredding melody. And when Mr. Stickley and friends turn to bluegrass, they sound both respectful and free.” Nashville’s Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst says of The Honeycutters, “Vocalist Amanda Platt has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.”

Since launching World Cafe in 1991, David Dye has served as the host of this nationally acclaimed show, now syndicated on more than 200 public radio stations worldwide. World Cafe’s Sense of Place is a quarterly series which brings the whole crew, including host David Dye, to various cities around the world. Previous shows have been recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Iceland, Havana, Stockholm (Sweden), Dublin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin, Pittsburg, Nashville, Memphis, Portland, and more.

For more information, please visit www.WorldCafe.NPR.org,
www.TheGreyEagle.com, www.jonstickley.com, and www.thehoneycutters.com.

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NPR’s World Cafe Comes to Asheville’s The Grey Eagle Featuring Jon Stickley Trio & The Honeycutters on Tue 2.23

The Grey Eagle Hosts NPR World Cafe’s ‘Sense of Place’
with Jon Stickley Trio & The Honeycutters on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Tickets are on sale now at → http://bit.ly/WorldCafeAtTheGreyEagle

ASHEVILLE, NC — NPR’s World Cafe, produced by XPN in Philadelphia, is bringing the show to Asheville’s The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, February 23rd for an evening of entertainment with Jon Stickley Trio and The Honeycutters, two Asheville-based bands who have both been making headlines across the country. World Cafe host David Dye will be in the house to interview with them before each band performs. This is a special show with limited seats available, so get tickets early before it sells out. Doors are at 7pm and the shows starts recording at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.TheGreyEagle.com. $15/$18. Come see it LIVE! It will air at a later date, tba!

The New York Times calls Jon Stickley Trio’s sound “respectful and free” and NPR Music featured a track off their new album Lost at Last on their program Heavy Rotation with Folk Alley’s Linda Fahey writing, “Jon Stickley has been playing in bluegrass bands for years, and is known as a progressive and adventurous flatpicker, but his musical roots and influences range widely to include rap, grunge, punk and more… [It’s] a wonderfully unique sound that defies easy categorization.”

Nashville’s Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst says of The Honeycutters, “Vocalist Amanda Platt has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.” Saving Country Music goes on to write, “…Platt’s songwriting could be placed in the exceptional category, at least from the evidence Me Oh My [2015 Organic Records] presents in her favor. It’s not just the sorrow and sincerity, it’s the insight and the resonance.”

Since launching World Cafe in 1991, David Dye has served as the host of this nationally acclaimed show, now syndicated on more than 250 public radio stations across the United States. Every week, Dye brings out the best in interviews with internationally known artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Joni Mitchell. He has conducted nearly 4,500 interviews during his years with the program. He introduces a half-million listeners each week to groundbreaking artists like Vampire Weekend, Mumford & Sons, PJ Harvey, Sheryl Crow, Beck, LCD Soundsystem, and Amos Lee.

World Cafe’s Sense of Place is a quarterly series which brings the whole crew, including host David Dye, to various cities around the world. Previous shows have been recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Iceland, Havana, Stockholm (Sweden), Dublin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Austin, Pittsburg, Nashville, Memphis, Portland, and more. Sense of Place is made possible by a grant from The Wyncote Foundation in hopes to give you an idea of the past and present of various local music scenes and some pointers for musicians or music-lovers planning a visit.

Asheville-area NPR affiliate, WNCW, consistently sings praise for each band; The Honeycutters placed #3 with Music Director and Morning Host Martin Anderson saying, “Amanda Platt writes songs on par with Lucinda, Isbell, Lauderdale, Hank Sr.” Anderson says of Jon Stickley Trio, who placed #13 in the poll, “Asheville has a force to be reckoned with in the tight three-piece perfection of the Jon Stickley Trio. It’s pretty incredible how closely the three play with their unique blend of Appalachian, jazz, maybe even prog-rock styles.” You can tune in to World Cafe on WNCW weekdays between 4am to 6am and 6pm to 8pm.

For more information, please visit www.xpn.org/world-cafe/sense-of-place, www.TheGreyEagle.com, www.jonstickley.com, and www.thehoneycutters.com.
Get Tickets at http://bit.ly/WorldCafeAtTheGreyEagle.

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The Honeycutters Debut Music Video for “Jukebox,” A Swingin’ Honky Tonk Anthem

The Honeycutters Debut Music Video for “Jukebox,”
A Swingin’ Honky Tonk Anthem

ASHEVILLE, NC — The Honeycutters recently filmed a music video for their original song “Jukebox” at the historical and eclectic Town Pump Tavern in Black Mountain, NC, just east of their hometown of Asheville. Folk Alley premiered the video and writes of it, “The jolly, honky-tonk rhythm of the song underscores the sweet plaintiveness of Platt’s voice…until it doesn’t. As she steps up on to the stage to join the band, her smile wide, her voice big and bright, she and the other musicians seem to be in perfect sync, swinging, swaying and encouraging the whole of the bar to join in and look ahead to the brighter side of life.”

“Jukebox” is the lead track and perfect introduction to their new album Me Oh My [Organic Records® April 2015], an album which is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. “‘Jukebox’ features a woman done with waiting to fully live and imploring her partner to come along and make some magic with her, ‘I’m going dancin’, you comin’ or not? Take a chance on me daddy, this may be all we got,’” writes Front Row Focus’ Beth Baldino. “And in a line that reflects an overarching theme running throughout the album, ‘no use asking why, songbirds just ain’t built to fly, but sooner or later we all have to try.’ In other words, don’t dwell on why it’s taken us this long, it’s about time for us to shine.”

The Honeycutters. Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

The Honeycutters are fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt who is also the album producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the group. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal shaped by a raw honesty that comes straight from the heart and emits a sort of melancholy happiness. Joining Platt in The Honeycutters are Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro.

The Honeycutters set out to visually tell the story of “Jukebox” by calling in a cast of friends and cohorts, as well as a few actors from the area, to spend a day filming in the perfect locale of this well-worn honky-tonk tavern. The video was directed and produced by Ty Gilpin, Senior Director of Marketing at Organic Records.

The visuals lead the viewer through an entire transformation. In this rustic and sleepy bar, Amanda plays the role of the bartender. She drops a quarter in the jukebox and starts washing the bar and dreamily singing while a few desolate souls sit and drink. She has a heart to heart with a couple of them, reminding that the music is on and begins to dance with a lonely man and woman, in turn, as she gets to the lyrics, “It’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?”

The band has entered the bar by then, set up, and is playing. An excited fan who peers through the window likes what he sees, so he calls in a whole crowd to come in and dance. As The Honeycutters get to the line, “Sooner or later we all have to try,” Amanda’s character shifts her own energy and the scene flashes to her on the stage performing. The leading male and female, no longer in despair, start dancing. The color is brighter; everyone is there; the bar is full of happy people spinning and cowboy boots kicking. Flash back to the first bar scene and the couple is now slow dancing peacefully with just a few others in the bar. They found their place in the music.

For making the “Jukebox” video possible, The Honeycutters send a special thanks to the Town Pump Tavern and their staff, Ty Gilpin (Producer/Director), John Litschke (Director of Photography/J. Martin Productions, Inc.), Dan Burke (Videographer/Lighting), Michael Hendrix (Videographer/Media Management), Don Talley (Associate Producer), Adam Foster (Jib Operator/Lighting/Production Assistant), Katie Kasben (Makeup/Stylist), singer-songwriter Lance Mills (Male Lead and a friend of band), and female lead Deena Wade (NYS3 – The Meisner Conservatory for the Southeast Graduate).

“Their music is the kind that you’d want to play on a jukebox in a bar, if bars still had jukeboxes.” No Depression’s Amos Perrine writes, “You can sit in a booth with a beer and a tear or stretch out and take a twirl with some like-minded stranger. And their new album is one of the year’s best.”

What Folks Are Saying about “Jukebox”

“From the first track – ‘Jukebox’ – to the closer (‘A Life For You’) this is a perfect album of tunes that – in most cases will have you dancing around the room (or at least tapping your toes)”
—Amazon, Steve Ramm

“Frontwoman Amanda Anne Platt writes potently vivid narratives that mine the underside of hardscrabble rural America: her characters are people we all know…, Jukebox, sets the tone, a swaying midtempo number with a cajoling cynicism: it’s sort of a ‘better enjoy this because this might be all we’ve got’ scenario.” —New York Daily News, Delarue

“When I first heard the opening track ‘Jukebox’, I thought ‘how did my Patsy Cline CD get in there?’… It’s a fun, toe-tapping honky tonk anthem…”
––That Music Mag, Jane Roser

“Not taking things too seriously is the theme of opening track ‘Jukebox,’ which immediately draws you into a place where you’ll remain throughout the record. The title track comments on the state of the modern woman.”
—The Daily Country, Tara Joan

“From the very first track, ‘Jukebox,’ Platt’s words will have listeners hooked on the entire album. ‘Don’t go calling me the angel on your doorstep/Cause I fell just like all the rest/I was too broke down to fly.’ These lyrics in ‘Jukebox’ are sure to grab the hearts of listeners and force them to clear their schedules just to finish the record. If the first track doesn’t leave listeners in tears by the end, the opening lines of the third song, ‘Me Oh My,’ will.”
—The Daily Lobo, Skylar Griego (New Mexico)

“Me Oh My… damn near beats anything coming out of Nashville these days. Singer/songwriter/producer Amanda Anne Platt is an irresistible and irrepressible force of nature. It’s all so authentic, organic, acoustic, sprightly, lively, lyrically profound and catchy that—when buoyed by Tal Taylor on mandolin and Matt Smith on pedal steel, electric guitar and dobro—you can’t get these songs out of your head. ‘Jukebox’ should be the obvious single… Americana comes up aces here.”
—The Aquarian’s Rant N Roll, Mike Greenblatt

“‘Jukebox’ is on a different plane, as country as anything you would have heard on the radio back in the day.”
—Lonesome Road Review, Larry Stephens

“The Honeycutters are a combo of supremely talented and empathetic musicians, fully committed to her vision. Whether driving and seasoning with pedal steel and brass the gently swinging honky-tonk of ‘Jukebox’, or creating the ideal atmosphere for the eye-opening dramatic desolation and stoic acceptance of life’s travails in the title track, they are indispensable. Their vocal harmonies, too, multiply the emotional effect of Amanda’s narratives.”
—No Depression, Amos Perrine

For more information about The Honeycutters & further tour dates, visit: www.thehoneycutters.com. For news from the road, visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

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Celebrating the Life and Music of Billy Constable at Isis on Thurs, Oct 8

Photo 1 is by Scott Woody, photo 2 is by Simply Pickin’ & the 3rd one is by Debbie Ryder

Celebrating the Life and Music of Billy Constable at Isis
Thursday, Oct 8, 2015
7:30pm – 1:00am
743 Haywood Rd, West Asheville, North Carolina 28806
http://isisasheville.com/events/celebrating-the-life-and-times-of-billy-constable-2/

RSVP on Facebook here

Billy Constable was a well-known and much loved bluegrass musician from WNC who had been battling terminal brain cancer for the better part of a year. He lost his battle on Saturday, August 22nd, 2015.

His friends have organized a memorial event, The Billy Constable Memorial Jam, to honor this kind-hearted, talented man and the great contribution he has made to the music community of WNC and beyond. It will take place at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall in West Asheville on Thursday, October 8th from 7:30pm-1am.

“The outpouring of stories and memories online about Constable give an idea of the scope of a life dedicated to musical passion, and they tell the story of a kind, gentle soul, always willing to teach to anyone who wanted to learn,” writes Brian Swenk in Boone’s Mountain Times.

Included will be a memorial slideshow and a celebration of his life in a night of live music with Billy’s longtime musical compadres. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the rich legacy he has left us. Suggested donation is $10 at the door. Proceeds to benefit the Constable family. If you cannot make the show, but would like to donate, please do so at http://www.gofundme.com/nuj8ks

The lineup so far includes:
Sassagrass
Butch Robins
Steve McMurry (of Acoustic Syndicate)
Jon Stickley & Lyndsay Pruett (of Jon Stickley Trio)
Bearwallow (2015 MerleFest Band Competition Winners)
Amanda Platt (of The Honeycutters)
Taylor Martin
Sam Wharton
Darren Nicholson Band (of Balsam Range)
Blue Wheel Drive
Robert Greer (with members of Town Mountain)
Jim Rollins
Adam Masters
Billy Cardine
Bobby Miller
Jason and Jacob Burleson
Mary Lucey

more to be announced

More about Billy Constable:

Born March 23, 1959, Billy Constable was a well known and much loved musician from WNC.

Growing up in Avery county, he came from a rich lineage of musicians including; Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman, Lawrence Wiseman, David Wiseman, Fiddling Jimmy Wiseman, banjo picker Kent Wiseman, and Billy’s mother, Lois.

Billy formed his first band Leather Britches, and at the age of 14 he hit the road professionally joining Charlie Moore’s band in the early 1970’s. He went on to play with Doug Dillard and in the 80’s his family band The Constables was formed. They also appeared with the late great Rose Maddox in that band. In addition he played with Dick Tyner and Train 45, Ray Parks, and toured with Kenny Baker and Josh Graves.

In recent years he recorded with the Big Daddy Bluegrass Band with Steve McMurry, and Curtis Burch, Larry Keel, String Cheese Incident, Acoustic Forum, Hypnotic Clambake, and formed his own band Sassagrass.

He has shared the stage picking with; Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Butch Robins, Mac Wiseman, Leftover Salmon, Byron Berline, Sam Bush, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Jim and Jesse, and the Osborne Brothers, to name a few.

Steeped in the rich knowledge of traditional bluegrass and Appalachian music, but reaching far beyond into gypsy jazz and other eclectic forms of music, he is well known as a musician’s musician.

A master of guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Billy has often been credited with teaching his musical compadres how to play and “play it right,” and we have all become better musicians and better people for knowing him.

Thank you Billy, for sharing your gift with us.  ~ written by Deb Ryder

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The Honeycutters, Town Mountain, and Organic Records Showcasing at AmericanaFest 2015

The Honeycutters, Town Mountain, and Organic Records
Showcasing at AmericanaFest 2015

The Honeycutters. Photo by Sandlin Gaither

Honeycutters AMA Showcase
Saturday, September 19th
9pm at The Listening Room
217 2nd Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201
www.listeningroomcafe.com

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, released their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records®. Fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt, Me Oh My moves her into the spotlight as producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the band. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal.

Me Oh My debuted at #33 on the Americana Music Chart and was listed 11 weeks straight in the Americana top 30 chart! They also were just voted Western North Carolina’s Best Americana/ Country band five years running in Mountain Xpress‘ annual Reader’s Poll.

Led by songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounds out the band on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro to create a sound that carries just as well across the bar room as in a church or a theater. Platt’s songs are shaped by a raw honesty that comes straight from the heart and emits a sort of melancholy happiness.

“The new album is the one I’m most proud of to date.” Platt says, “I took much more of a driver’s seat in it’s making, and the process has forced me to do a lot of growing up… I feel like I’ve really found my voice. I’m very excited about the line up of the band, and the songwriting includes some of my very favorites.”

Platt self produced the album along with the help of engineer and assistant producer Jon Ashley. They laid down the all original 14-track album in Echo Mountain Recording Studio and Mixtown Studio in Asheville, NC and it was mixed and mastered just down the road at Crossroads Studios in Arden, NC.

“From the first track – ‘Jukebox’ – to the closer (‘A Life For You’) this is a perfect album of tunes that – in most cases will have you dancing around the room (or at least tapping your toes).” —Steve Ramm, Amazon

“…Platt’s songwriting could be placed in the exceptional category, at least from the evidence Me Oh My presents in her favor. It’s not just the sorrow and sincerity, it’s the insight and the resonance.” —Saving Country Music

“Vocalist Amanda Platt has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.” —Craig Havighurst, Music City Roots

Town Mountain. Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

Town Mountain AMA Showcase
Friday, September 18th
Midnight (12am) at The Station Inn
Closing Set, Directly after Willie Watson
402 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
www.stationinn.com

Town Mountain’s hard drivin’ bluegrass sound, tight harmonies, and stellar in-house songwriting have become the band’s trademark. They light up the stage with their honky tonk edge and barroom swagger, featuring a Jimmy Martin-style bounce and confidence that is countered at times by a laid-back John Hartford-esque groove. Town Mountain includes Robert Greer on vocals and guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, and Adam Chaffins on bass.

Town Mountain is prolific in songwriting with each member contributing to their well-supplied vat of original material. They’ve been finalizing their next studio release which was produced and engineered by GRAMMY winner Dirk Powell in his studio, The Cypress House, in south Louisiana.

Town Mountain is about to release of Town Mountain: The Dead Session this summer. “Each member of this band has enjoyed the music of the Grateful Dead for quite some time,” says vocalist and guitarist Robert Greer. “It seemed only fitting for Town Mountain to pay respect to some musical heroes in this year, their 50th year of existence.” They recorded an impromptu set of two of their favorite songs from the Grateful Dead’s catalog at Echo Mountain Studios in their hometown of Asheville, NC.

They released their first official live album Town Mountain: Live At The Isis in the summer of 2014 following 2012’s Leave The Bottle and 2011’s Steady Operator (which were both produced by Mike Bub, five-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year). Town Mountain was nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2014 Award for “Emerging Artist of The Year” following 2013’s honor of receiving IBMA Momentum Awards for “Band of the Year” and lead singer Robert Greer for “Vocalist of the Year.”

“Phil Barker’s ‘Lawdog’ sounds like an unearthed classic, and the group’s tight harmonies alone make this record [Leave the Bottle] a treat…”– Juli Thanki

“While it remains a bluegrass band in all things instrumentation and touring the bluegrass and festival circuit, its sound crosses into American roots and even outlaw country, perhaps as a result of the gritty, mournful tone of Greer’s vocals. It is reminiscent of the 1970s truck-driving film sound, the perfect accompaniment to a car chase through the south á la ‘Smokey and the Bandit.’”  —Durango Herald, KDUR DJ Bryant Liggett

Organic Records Presents:
The Carolina Ball
Friday September 18th, 5-8pm
at Dan McGuinness Pub
1538 Demonbreun St.
Nashville, TN 37203
www.danmcguinnesspub.com

It’s Friday Happy Hour and this Asheville, NC’s Organic Records® brings you new bands from North Carolina! Come hear the Americana-Honky Tonk sound of The Honeycutters, the classic Country of Merle Haggard’s favorite young band The Malpass Brothers and the working class ballads of Appalachia’s Aaron Burdett. All in Nashville’s beloved Irish house, Dan McGuinness Pub from 5-8pm on AMA Friday.

Organic Records is an eclectic home for a variety of artists that are singularly unique and defy categorization. In a time when music is becoming less defined by genre, Organic artists are developing their own musical identity outside the confines of traditional classifications. Organic Records is their natural habitat. Organic is an independent label based near Asheville, NC. They promote, distribute and market music created by original artists who defy genre categorization. Organic Records is a division of Crossroads Entertainment and Marketing, Inc.

Their team, with decades of music marketing, licensing, distribution and promotional experience, brings artists to the world marketplace. Their award winning, state-of-the-art recording studio has been in operation since 1993 and provides artists with a world-class recording experience. Their marketing division has promoted award-winning and GRAMMY®-nominated albums, and our radio promotion department has achieved multiple #1 singles. Organic Records is dedicated to the sustainable career of their artists and achieves this through cooperative efforts with their artists, their fans, media outlets, and industry relationships.

See all the full schedule for AMA nightime showcases here: http://americanamusic.org/showcase-lineup

Full AMA conference schedule: http://americanamusic.org/daily-schedule

Free AMA Phone App with daily schedules: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/americana-music-fest-conference/id1027451265?ls=1&mt=8

Cheers and see you at AmericanaFest!

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The Honeycutters Announce ‘Me Oh My’ 2015 Summer Tour

The Honeycutters Announce ‘Me Oh My’ 2015 Summer Tour

Asheville-based American Country Roots Band, The Honeycutters,
Released 3rd Studio Album, Me Oh My, With Organic Records

“…Platt’s songwriting could be placed in the exceptional category, at least from the evidence Me Oh My presents in her favor. It’s not just the sorrow and sincerity, it’s the insight and  the resonance. Songs like ‘All You Ever’ and ‘Not That Simple’ exemplify this top shelf quality to her music, while the mood of Me Oh My very much takes on the perspective of a young woman moving ever so closer to middle age, and mindful of not just the changes in herself, but in the world as it reflects back on her.”
—Saving Country Music

ASHEVILLE, NC — The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, released their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records® and is thrilled to announce their 2015 summer tour.

They kick off the tour in the south and have an appearance on WDVX’s Tennessee Shines in Knoxville on July 1st airing worldwide at 7pm CT at WDVX.com, followed by a show on the 3rd at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC with Greensky Bluegrass. They travel west for a several shows with stops in Kansas City, Colorado’s Front Range, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Kansas and Arkansas. After a short break, picking back up again for further shows in the southern region including a performance at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, TN in mid August.

Fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Anne Platt, Me Oh My moves her into the spotlight as producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the band. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal.

Along with Amanda Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounds out the band on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro to create a sound that carries just as well across the bar room as in a church or a theater. Platt’s songs are shaped by a raw honesty that comes straight from the heart and emits a sort of melancholy happiness.

The Honeycutters on Tour with Me Oh My
6/26 Fri – Transylvania County Library – Brevard, NC
7/1 Wed – WDVX’s Tennessee Shines @ Boyd’s Jig and Reel – Knoxville, TN
7/3 Fri – US National Whitewater Center – Charlotte, NC &
7/9 Thu – Knuckleheads Saloon – Kansas City, MO
7/10 Fri – Tuft Theatre – Denver, CO
7/11 Sat – Peak Performances @ Copper Mountain Resort – Copper Mountain, CO
7/12  Sun – Woody Creek Community Center – Woody Creek, CO
7/14 Tue – Low Spirits Bar & Stage – Albuquerque, NM
7/15 Wed – The Blue Door – Oklahoma City, OK
7/16 Thu – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR
7/17 Fri – Lakewood House Concerts – Pittsburg, KS
7/18 Sat – Stickyz Rock’N’Roll Chicken Shack – Little Rock, AR < 7/24 Fri – Conundrum Music Hall – West Columbia, SC 7/25 Sat – The Pour House – Charleston, SC >
8/9 Sun – Birthplace of Country Music Museum – Bristol, TN
8/14 Fri – The Crown at the Carolina Theatre – Greensboro, NC
8/21 Fri – Summer Tracks Rogers Park Amphitheater – Tryon, NC
8/22 Sat- Cataloochee Ranch – Maggie Valley, NC
10/1 Thu – The Albino Skunk Festival – Greer, SC
12/4 Fri – Manhattan Arts Center – Manhattan, KS
12/5 Sat – The Stage at KDHX – St Louis, MO

& w/ Greensky Bluegrass
< w/ Mountain Sprout > w/ The High Divers and Avi Jacob

For more information about The Honeycutters and further tour dates to be announced, please visit: www.thehoneycutters.com. For news from the road, please visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

What Folks Are Saying about Me Oh My:

“Vocalist Amanda Platt has a voice that’s complex, sweet and aching. Even more potently, she writes songs that folks are citing as up there with the best of the field, such as Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.” —Craig Havighurst, Music City Roots

“There are a lot of worthy and compelling Americana singer-songsters and bands out there right now, it’s a rich landscape. But The Honeycutters, fronted by Amanda Platt is surely a wonder to behold. The band just sounds so darn good and makes a style of country music that always makes me feel good, even when it’s so melancholy. I think Amanda has something to teach us about the economy of words, the magic of a good melody and the satisfaction of an aching and honest vocal.” —Amy Ray of The Indigo Girls

“With singer/songwriter — and, now, producer — Amanda Anne Platt at the helm, the group puts their own spin on an old form. Sure, there’s a timeless quality to honest songs done up by a bunch of great players… there’s also a freshness to it.” —Folk Alley First Listen, Kelly McCartney

“It’s easy to think of Mags Bennett, the character played by Margo Martindale on TV’s Justified, when listening to Amanda Anne Platt front North Carolina quartet the Honeycutters. Steadfast, independent and all woman…” –-Pop Matters, Eric Risch

“Me Oh My, an extremely balanced album in terms of tempo and theme, merges Americana, roots, country and even honky tonk into a delightfully unique combination. It’s a highly recommended, refreshing and enjoyable listen from the first track to the last.” —The Daily Country, Tara Joan

“Me Oh My… is a like a time machine on a shiny disc; classic, old-timey country and folk tunes with catchy melodies and lyrics that drip in poetry.”  ––That Music Mag, Jane Roser

“Platt’s rootsy sense of melody and strong lyrical instincts are heard throughout Me Oh My, with the inviting southern swing of ‘Jukebox’ and the ballad title track serving as particular stand-outs.” —Alex Biese, Asbury Park Press

 

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Watch The Honeycutters Live from WNCW’s Studio B – Songs From New Album ‘ Me Oh My’

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, released their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records®. Fueled by the powerful songwriting and vocals of founder Amanda Platt, Me Oh My moves her into the spotlight as producer, band leader, and principal creative force behind the band. With songs that are honest and relatable, part chagrin and part hope, Platt’s voice carries a timeless appeal. Led by songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounds out the band on pedal steel, electric guitar, and dobro.

“Amanda Anne Platt is easily one of the best songwriters coming out of Western NC these days, and she really needs to be discovered by the national Americana world.” Martin Anderson, the Music Director at WNCW goes on to say, “You can’t get much more Asheville than … Appalachian honkytonk band The Honeycutters … they recorded at Echo Mountain and Mixtown Studios there, and mixed and mastered Me Oh My at Crossroads Studios in Arden, where their label Organic Records is based.

The Honeycutters were recently in Studio B for a radio session around the new album, and WNCW got it all on video. Check them out below.

WNCW – Jukebox

WNCW – Interview following Jukebox:

WNCW – Texas 81:

WNCW – Interview following Texas 81

WNCW – All You Ever:

WNCW – Interview following All You Ever:

WNCW – Lucky:

For more information about The Honeycutters and tour dates, please visit: www.thehoneycutters.com. For news from the road, please visit www.facebook.com/Honeycutters and twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

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