The Company Stores Release ‘The Family Album,’ Produced by Galactic’s Robert Mercurio—1st Single Out

The Company Stores Release The Family Album Sept 23, 2022
Produced by Galactic’s Robert Mercurio

1st Single “Ways” Out Today →
https://thecompanystores.hearnow.com/ways 

Preorder The Family Album

CHARLESTON, WV — The Company Stores independently releases The Family Album, their third full-length album, on September 23. The powerful and sultry voice of lead vocalist Ileana Ille captivates the audience with her ability to express raw emotion, while the band unites many influences to lay down bold grooves amidst dynamic crescendos. “This album is about family,” says Matthew Marks, the primary lyricist for the band. “It’s about understanding the triumphs, failures, tendencies, and choices of the people who came before, in order to understand how to successfully navigate where you are going.” 

Based in Charleston, WV, the band blends elements of rock and roll, jazz, funk, world music, Appalachian folk, gospel, and other soulful roots music with soaring harmonies, electronic textures, strings, and horns over a solid rhythm section. Along with Ille’s vocals and Marks on guitar, The Company Stores is Michael Micucci on bass, Joseph Cevallos on violin and trumpet, Matthew Jackfert on keys, vibes, trombone, among other instruments, and John Query on drums. 

The Family Album was produced by Robert Mercurio, bassist for New Orleans funk legends Galactic. The instrumentation was recorded by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC. Mercurio stepped in as engineer to record the vocal parts at Galactic’s Number C Studio in New Orleans—including bringing in the Josh Kagler Choral Group to enhance the choruses on much of the album. The album was mixed and mastered by Mikael “Count” Eldridge [Trombone Shorty, DJ Shadow, The Revivalists]. 

Mercurio says, “As a producer, I feel like I saw this band grow immensely as songwriters though the process of making this album. We started working on it before the pandemic, and with their downtime they put in the work it takes to make great songs. Illy blossomed into the rock star she now is—crushing the vocals on every take. I’m very proud of the final product and had a blast working with all of them.” Along with his own band, Mercurio has production credits with an impressive list of artists including Big Freedia, Lyrics Born, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe.

The Company Stores had plans to hit the road hard, raise funds, and save to record their new album in 2020, then all plans got curtailed and almost all of their live shows and side jobs were canceled due to the pandemic. The songs were written during a time of personal havoc for Marks after his engagement had ended and he moved to his family farm, where he still resides, in March 2020 to help with his Grandad who was dying of lung cancer. While first there, he did a deep dive into his family history and roots lending to the content and mood of the album. They were able to start recording in mid-2021 after a year-long pause once things seemed safe for travel again. 

“This album tells a story of everything being turned upside down; both personally and across the country,” says Marks. “Together we have been spending countless quarantine hours writing in the rehearsal room, growing as songwriters and musicians, and are getting excited to present what we think will be our greatest record to date.” Jackfert, who is also a freelance composer and classical music broadcaster, collaborated with Marks on the arrangements in shaping the lush orchestral soundscapes.

Ille says, “I am honored that The Company Stores chose my voice as a vehicle to express the stories in The Family Album. Each song is a collection of the people who have shaped us and the times that made us. I hope the listeners are able to connect with the musicality, storytelling, and creativity to feel at home when they listen to it.”

With keys and vibes at the front, the album opens with a moody “Savannah” followed by the fiery “A New Leaf” which explores negative patterns in life, with the lyrics, “Damn… what a year. Sucker punched me to the next hemisphere… And now I’m waking up thunderstruck. Right in front of God and everyone… But now…clarity… A view from the floor that I had to see myself for sure. To turn over a new leaf…”

The 1st Single “Ways” is Available Now
thecompanystores.hearnow.com/way

With its rockin’ country western vibe “Ways” continues on this theme, but sees the narrator start to recognize how choices made have developed these patterns of behavior that produce similar outcomes. “These old ways ain’t the best ways, just the ones I know… Trails blazed over time in my mind are deciding where I go… Now I gotta find peace of mind, redefine my life…” “Ways” also sees special guests Walter DeBarr [Song of the Year in Minnesota 2021, William Elliot Whitmore] and Jodi Hall on backing vocals. This song is dedicated to DeBarr, known for his soulful songwriting and deep raspy voice, who sadly passed away shortly after recording with the band. Jambase premiered the “Ways” music video and the song is the album’s first single—available now at thecompanystores.hearnow.com/ways.

“Maria” sees someone trapped in comparisons of old relationships and incorporates Latin stylings. “Old Dog,” told from two perspectives—the grumpy old dog stuck in his ways and the “Boy” who is bluntly saying “stop barking at the shadows”—has a bit of hip-hop flare on the verses and heavy guitars and horns on the chorus.

“Fathers” looks into how mistakes made can be passed down for generations, stuck in a cycle. Marks, whose father was a pastor, says, “It’s a very personal song, about my father, and his father. I am being as honest with myself and listeners as I could—baring it all.” Set in the minor key, the acoustic guitar and electric Fender Telecaster with tremolo effects along with the Spanish trumpet at the end gives this a very Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western vibe.

An ethereal “Blue Tide” calls out to explore the dark depths of oneself, while the rock opera, “There Went The Neighborhood” is about seeing the people you shared childhood dreams with deteriorate with the neighborhood you all grew up in. The progressive “American Dream Girl” sees a few time signature changes and calls out, “Hey, American Dream Girl. Who are you trying to be? You’re in a dream world. Somebody else’s dream… But every filter veils a real identity.”

“Some Sunday,” composed and written by Micucci, has a R&B flavor, with a focus on bass and groove. The album closes with a southern rock gospel ambience in “Castles & Cain,” a song about trying to live up to your family name, and realizing that the people who you respect and even idolize had highs and lows just like everyone else.

The name “The Company Stores” is a throwback to the old coal mines of West Virginia referring to the store in Appalachian coal towns during the 19th and 20th century where workers were paid in coal money or “scrip,” leaving them with no exit from working the mines. This name not only shows the bands heritage, but also the gritty feel of their music and the meaning behind many of their songs about the struggles of the common man.

The Family Album is preceded by the 2017 release Little Lights, also recorded at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, and their local debut Rollin’ In in 2014. Mother Church Pew says, “The Company Stores‘ Little Lights features a fiery backdrop of musicality that begs for a festival-sized stage and a whole lot of sunshine. It’s punchy, it’s poignant, and it’s perfect” and Jammerzine says it is “filled with emotional highs and empathetic harmonies laid over an almost orchestral level of musicianship.” 

The Company Stores says, “We look forward to the day when we can sing, dance, laugh, and cry with you in a room filled with music once again.” Keep an eye on their website and socials for tour dates and further news: www.thecompanystoresband.com, facebook.com/thecompanystores, twitter.com/CompanyStoresWV and instagram.com/thecompanystores. 

Presave and preorder The Family Album at https://thecompanystores.hearnow.com. 

The Company Stores – The Family Album – Track Listing

1. Savannah (4:08)
2. A New Leaf (3:31)
3. Ways (3:47)
4. Maria (5:53)
5. Old Dog (4:58)*
6. Fathers (4:07)*
7. Blue Tide (3:47
8. There Went The Neighborhood (2:43)*
9. American Dream Girl (3:32)
10. Some Sunday (3:58)
11. Castles & Cain (3:54)

*FCC Warning: please note explicit language
Radio edited versions are available for “Old Dog” and “There Went The Neighborhood”

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Saint Disruption (Feat. John Medeski) with Warren Haynes – “Imagine” Out Today

SAINT DISRUPTION’S JOHN MEDESKI AND JEFF FIREWALKER CELEBRATE
50 YEARS OF JOHN LENNON’S “IMAGINE”
FEATURING GUITAR LEGEND WARREN HAYNES

Saint Disruption’s “Imagine” Out Now → https://orcd.co/stdimagine 

“… this version brings together soulful vocal harmonies and dignified yet ominous piano work. What could be described as almost a hip-hop beat provides the rhythmic backbone that pushes the song forward and allows the vocals and piano to shine. With Medeski’s effortlessly cool jazzy touch and Haynes adding textures with his subtle slide playing, the vocals are allowed to soar to new heights and present this song in a more grandiose manner that feels spiritual.”
—Glide Magazine Song Premiere

ASHEVILLE, NC —Saint Disruption, the spirit-driven music and art collective led by renowned  improvisational keyboardist John Medeski (cofounder of Medeski Martin & Wood) and musician, scientist, and folk healer Jeff Firewalker Schmitt, has created a soulful rendition of John Lennon’s classic composition “Imagine.” The single features slide guitar work by Grammy winning vocalist, songwriter, guitar legend, and Gov’t Mule front man Warren Haynes, marking the first time that Haynes has recorded with his nephew Austn Haynes, cofounder of Asheville-based hip-hop quartet Free Radio.

Out April 8, 2022 via Root Doctor Collective, the track also features impressively dynamic vocalists—Datrian Johnson and Grammy winning artist Debrissa McKinney (both of whom also work with Austn in Free Radio)—with the foundational bass parts played by Jake Wolf.

Noted Asheville spiritual artist Saïd Osio provides the striking original artwork inspired by the single. “When I was asked to create an image for the new ‘Imagine’ single, I was struck by the richness of John Lennon’s creative vision as a watchtower. I wanted to honor John Lennon in deepening what his song calls forth in me. In this time of upheaval ‘Imagine’ beckons humanity forward, to embrace Gaia as she continues her journey as divine consciousness.”

“Such a cool, inventive take on this timeless tune,” says Warren. “It highlights the amazing strength and importance of the song while taking it into the future. It’s a real honor to work alongside my nephew Austn, my Asheville cohorts and my old friend John Medeski.”

Jeff Firewalker reflects, “We were inspired to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of Lennon’s classic recording ‘Imagine,’ as we feel the message is more pertinent than ever. There are no human dilemmas, no global issues, no societal imperatives that the message of ‘Imagine’ doesn’t touch. We hope that our rendition stands as a ‘call to action,’ as we ask ourselves, “Are we courageous enough to dismantle the structures that have not served us?”

For this song, Medeski provides tasteful, ominous piano work, and skilled arrangements. He also stepped behind the console to mix the highly-textured reimagined track with Chris Bittner at Applehead Studios. John remarks, “I’m very sensitive about covering songs. I don’t see the point unless you have something personal to say or want to shed a different light on the original. ‘Imagine’ is an anthem, so at first, I was tentative. It was essential that we evoke a different emotional landscape as the backdrop for the song— something all of us were feeling. I think it happened. Nothing felt forced, it all came together easily and naturally, a good sign!”

Medeski and Firewalker Schmitt had no idea they’d meet and strike up a friendship when they traveled independently to the heart of the Amazon to work with a shaman healer in 2008— but when they did, a collaborative creative relationship was born. Over a decade after that fateful meeting, in the midst of a global pandemic, the two felt an urgent need to join forces and make music as Saint Disruption. Saint Disruption brings together musicians and artists to create works that support positive change in the world, with a spotlight on the rich artistic community of Asheville, NC as the creative hub. Firewalker and Medeski are pleased to have created the foundation to bring Warren and Austn Haynes together for the first time in a recording. 

Austn comments, “It’s been a long-time in the making for me to collaborate with Warren, and to start by paying homage to a song of this stature was as frightening as it was fitting. Free Radio and Saint Disruption have become like a musical spirit family and bringing Warren into the mix really felt for me like one side of the family finally coming together with the other. I couldn’t be more grateful that it turned out exactly how it did.“

“‘Imagine’ has long been one of my favorite songs,” says Austin of the song that was initially released in October 1971. “Although John Lennon’s classic might not make most people think about hip-hop, for me, I’ve always wanted to remix it and rap on it. In this dark time our world is currently in, I attempted to meet Lennon on his committed frequency of love and add some poetic confidence in the spirit of hip-hop. Working with this group of musicians was humbling and encouraging because they really helped create the space for the presence and camaraderie that brought our version to life.” 

American Songwriter’s Geoffrey Himes writes, “What’s surprising about this partnership between Schmitt and Medeski is how different the results are from what most people expect of ‘spiritual music.’ The two men may have met in a shaman’s kitchen in the far reaches of the Amazon jungle, but the music they created sounds much more like an American street than that rainforest or a guru’s mountaintop. The predominant flavors are hip-hop, funk, blues-rock and electronica, even if the lyrics are probing issues of systemic oppression, personal identity and barriers to spiritual development.” 

Austn Haynes and the entire Free Radio collective is featured on Saint Disruption’s critically acclaimed debut album Rose in the Oblivion [Released April 8, 2021 via Root Doctor Collective.] The debut is a sweeping seven-track opus of probing and political neo-funk featuring contributions from Lyric Jones and Last Poets founder Umar Bin Hassan amongst others. 

Looking forward, Saint Disruption is planning to release more music and visual art collaborations, music videos, and their soon-to-be-launched No Simple Disruption Podcast/Video-show—released in conjunction with the No Simple Road Podcast and The UBC TV Network—which aspires to provide a platform for young visionaries to share their works and engage in deep dialogue with thought-leaders of their choice.

Stream Saint Disruption’s “Imagine” here → https://orcd.co/stdimagine 

Revisit Rose in the Oblivion here: https://orcd.co/saintdisruption.

For further updates and news about Saint Disruption, please visit: 

www.saintdisruption.com 

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The Freeway Jubilee Independently Release A Lively New Album, ‘On The Horizon Vol. 1,’ TODAY 11/12

THE FREEWAY JUBILEE KEEPS IT IN MOTION WITH NEW ALBUM

ON THE HORIZON VOL. 1 INDEPENDENTLY RELEASED NOV 12

www.freewayjubilee.com

Available Now →  https://lnk.to/OnTheHorizon

ASHEVILLE, NC —  With song premieres in Glide, Americana Highways, and VENTS, The Freeway Jubilee is excited to independently release On The Horizon Vol. 1 on November 12. 

Glide Magazine says, “Right out of the gate, the band lays down a funky groove that is only heightened by the presence of brass. Channeling the Southern laid back rock of Little Feat alongside New Orleans R&B and greasy blues, the song [‘Sunlight Stream’) is a testament to this crazy pandemic-laden world we have all dealt with over the last year and change.” 

The Freeway Jubilee’s evocative blend of gospel-tinged southern rock and hard-driving soulful grooves is met with a flare of psychedelic mountain music and a strong dedication to the craft of the song. Their heartfelt lyrics weave imagery through a tasteful layering of vibrant 4-part vocal harmonies, crisp Telecaster licks, smoky saxophone riffs, and an eclectic assortment of organ/piano arrangements, creating a soundscape that is both musically intricate and soulfully energetic. Rest that on the groove of a unique and driving rhythm section, and you are sure to feel the magnetic force of this band. 

The Freeway Jubilee
Photo by Nick and Chelsea Anderson / ASONMediaGroup

The group formed in Asheville, NC in 2015 and is made up of a collective of songwriters including twin brothers, both vocalists, Adam and Jonathan Clayton on keys and guitar, respectively, along with singer and bass player Kenny Crowley, blazing bari and tenor saxophonist Hunter Parker, and the John Bonham-style drumming of Cartwright Brandon.

Cultivating positivity, especially through challenges, is the overarching theme of the album. This clear optimism can be heard in the upbeat opener “In Motion,” the bright rock and soul vibe of “Reachin’,” and the gospel and mountain music inspired closing track “Humble Song” (in which Chris Moe adds to the playfulness of the sound via his harmonica accompaniment.)

The Freeway Jubilee says, “As a hard-working independent band, it tends to feel like you’re constantly moving towards goals that are far out on the horizon and hard to reach. It’s a long and challenging road and it can feel never-ending, but something on a deep and meaningful level keeps driving you onward towards those ever elusive landmarks. For us it’s truly the music and the brotherhood that keeps us going. Combine that with actually being on the road a lot and literally headed towards that horizon on a regular basis, and the fact that we’ve been working on this album so long in striving to capture the real essence of Freeway, this release feels like it’s been ‘On the Horizon’ for a long time. Especially since there’s a Volume 2 yet to come…”

Produced by Kenny Crowley and The Freeway Jubilee, On The Horizon Vol.1 was recorded mostly at the band’s home studio in Asheville, NC, mixed by Robin Applewood and Kyle Brone, and mastered by Justin Weis at trakworx.com [Sammy Hagar, Papa Roach, The Polish Ambassador, NOFX]. 

With “In Motion” as the opener, the band presents their vocal harmonies front and center over a straightforward rock and roll beat with a catchy saxophone hook. This track was recorded by Gar Ragland at Citizen Vinyl—a newly converted communal space housing a record press facility, cafe, bar, recording studio, and more – located in the historic Citizen Times building in downtown Asheville. The album includes 7 original tracks and clocks in at 45 minutes, the perfect length to fit on vinyl—which is being pressed at Citizen Vinyl and is due out this Winter. Watch “In Motion” →  https://youtu.be/-9n2cRyYNnU.

The funky, groovy “Sunlight Stream” turns up the heat with the additions of Dr. Bacon’s Michael Crawford on harmonica and Myles Dunder on alto and tenor sax as well as Jacob Bruner on trombone. Penned by Crowley on a solo camping trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the song speaks of a divine communion with nature restoring a hopeful outlook at a time when the state of humanity seems to be unraveling and perilous.

Two of the more lengthy tracks include a blazing country rock suite, “Not the Same,” and the genre-spanning epic, “Rugged & Free,” of which Americana Highways says, “In this song of outlaws and individualists on the run in the natural countryside, you can hear the ‘spirit of America… rugged and free.” The song features former Freeway member Freddie Barry and pays homage to the beautiful and dark history of American music, art, and literature. Crowley says, “It’s a nod to the wealth of world-influencing art that our young country has created in its short life, due in large part to the underprivileged and working class, and the cross-pollination of cultural influence throughout our history.” 

Barry also joins in on the album’s ballad “Let Me Try”— a song written by Adam Clayton about how being sincere and honest with people in life contributes to personal peace and how living openly, intently, and putting your best foot forward is the key to finding and keeping your path clear. 

Always striving to evoke an emotional experience in their listeners, the band continues to shape their lyrics and compelling vocal harmonies towards the human condition, inspired by the real life experiences of a traveling band on the current American landscape. Freeway says, “Music is such a powerful form of expression and a truly universal language. We think the thing that has always drawn us the most to music is the chance to share something meaningful that people can relate to, and hopefully we’re uplifting or moving them in the process.”

Sheryl and Don Crow of Nashville Blues Society say of Freeway, “You’re gonna hear a little bit of everything we’ve grown up with–the Allmans, Garcia-era Dead, Dylan, on up thru the likes of Gov’t Mule, the CRB, and Tedeschi-Trucks on today’s scene. We don’t want to call them ‘Southern rock,’ because, although they have Southern roots, this music is much, much more… Their incredible musicianship, collaborative songwriting, and spot-on harmony arrangements make this set special.” 

Formerly dubbed ‘The Freeway Revival,‘ the group has been continually growing a dedicated grassroots fan base with their energetic sound. After the successful release of their 2016 self-titled EP, The Freeway Revival burst onto the scene in the Fall of 2017 with their heavy hitting debut album Revolution Road. Freeway exhibits, “an assured balance between flash and restraint. 

For this band, the song is the thing… Listeners who appreciated Delaney & Bonnie in the ’70s — or who enjoy the Tedeschi Trucks Band today — will find a similarly eclectic and soulful mindset at work,” says music journalist, historian, and author Bill Kopp of Revolution Road.

Freeway continues to show relentless work ethic and a prolific sense of creativity and in early 2019, as they stepped into a bigger and bolder sound with the addition of a saxophone, they evolved into what is now The Freeway Jubilee. Since then, The Freeway Jubilee released The Revival Days, a digital only compilation pulling from the two previous albums, and in 2020 they put out a single, “Let Me Try.” With On The Horizon Vol. 2 yet to come, The Freeway Jubilee is heading out into the horizon.

On The Horizon Vol.1 Track Listing

1. In Motion  (5:06) 

2. Sunlight Stream  (6:54) 

3. Not the Same  (9:07) 

4. Rugged & Free  (9:48) 

5. Let Me Try  (3:55) 

6. Reachin’  (4:01) 

7. Humble Song  (5:29) 

Website: www.freewayjubilee.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thefreewaymusic
Twitter: @freewayjubilee       
Instagram: @thefreewayjubilee

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Taylor Martin’s ‘Song Dogs,’ OUT TODAY – Ft. Members of The Honeycutters, Mountain Heart & More

Taylor Martin’s Song Dogs Out Today, November 16, on Little King Records
Produced by Amanda Anne Platt at Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, NC
Featuring Members of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, Mountain Heart, and more

Available Now To Stream and Purchase → https://taylormartin.hearnow.com
(Please note that this link takes you to the correct album on Spotify; however, it currently
attributes the album to the wrong Taylor Martin, working with Spotify to correct this)

More about Taylor Martin at https://about.me/songdogs

ASHEVILLE, NC — Taylor Martin’s Song Dogs is out now on Little King Records (11/16/18). Spinning tales of the highway, homes, lost love, love regained, redemption, and the overuse of cell phones, Martin’s soulful, relatable lyrics and raspy, emotion filled voice is instantly recognizable. The Honeycutters’ Amanda Anne Platt took the lead as Music Producer (along with adding harmony vocals on a handful of songs) with the help of Co-Producer and Engineer, Robert George, and Martin’s visions for the album. The album was recorded at Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, North Carolina.

“Taylor Martin is a killer songwriter,” declares Platt. “He’s got a great sense of melody and an ability to write classic, accessible songs about things we all take for granted. It’s also to his credit that he hits all sides of the spectrum– there are toe tappers and tear jerkers on this album and everything in between. I’m a big fan of the saying, ‘Great songs produce themselves,’ I certainly found that to be true in working with Taylor.”

The album features a number of special guests including Platt, Mountain Heart’s Aaron Ramsey and Josh Shilling, GRAMMY winning Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s Debrissa McKinney, and Jon Stickley Trio’s Lyndsay Pruett on fiddle, among others.

To celebrate the album’s release, Martin shares a video for the album’s title track “Song Dogs which is full of stunning imagery. Taylor says, ”when I heard that the filmmaker Aladin Aathmani, was heading to Morocco, I jumped at the opportunity to have my musical vision put in a distant landscape. His emotional video interpretation of ‘Song Dogs’ is very moving and like nothing I imagined (in a great way).”

The piano driven, haunting title song comes last, inspired in part by coyotes howling (per cover art) to find each other at night,” writes Country Standard Times’ Jim Hynes of the song. He continues, “It may seem that it stands apart from the others in tone and style, but several listens to Martin will have you hearing an array of styles and influences. That’s what makes it so infectious. Each song stands apart.”

A resident of Asheville since 2004, Martin has been creating music since 1994. He blends musical styles: the approach to music he grew up with in Richmond, Virginia; the western spirit he experienced living five years in Paradise, Utah; and the sounds of southern rock, country, and rhythm n’ blues.

Jeff Burger writes, “The North Carolina–based Taylor Martin, whose raspy vocals recall Levon Helm and, occasionally, Dr. John, features eight originals on this third album, along with three well-chosen covers: Bob Dylan’s ‘Sign on the Window,’ Neil Young’s ‘Music Arcade,’ and Merle Haggard’s ‘Kern River.’ Martin’s own lyrical subjects are all over the map: ‘Little Pictures,’ the funky opener, is about excessive cellphone use, for example, while ‘Hollywood’ references Marilyn Monroe, and the melancholy ‘Eden Colorado’ is about looking for a friend, a dream, and some hope. The music—sometimes funky, sometimes folky, sometimes poppy—is just as varied.”

Martin previously released a video for the album’s bluesy opener “Little Pictures,” which is a song that tips the brim to artists like Professor Longhair while having a contemporary social commentary. The song is what Martin calls his, “observation of people being lost to reality and the death of empathy and the human experience. People being on cell phones too much are missing out on the beauty of the world.” It also invites the listener to put down their electronics and sink further into the experience of the album. Americana Highways premiered the video and wrote “The song rings instantly familiar and simplifies a complex message in clear lyrical fashion, over catchy, punchy, piano-prominent rhythms.”

“Taylor Martin is a singer-songwriter who will remind you of everything good from Tom Waits to the Everly Brothers or the Avett Brothers with some surf rock thrown in. Well-sung, well-played, well-written and relevant…” writes Asheville Citizen Times.

Asheville’s veteran songwriter is just below the forty mark with a bright future as a songwriter and performer ahead of him. Although as jaded and bitter as some road worned heroes, Martin finds refuge in a good sense of humor. “I would have been a terrible dentist,” he laughs. “I’m here, music is why, this is Earth, let’s make more music.”

Taylor Martin – Song Dogs Track Listing

1. Little Pictures   3:34
2. Here Comes the Flood    2:59
3. Eden Colorado   3:17
4. Music Arcade [Neil Young] copyright Silver Fiddle Music   4:25
5. Second Sight   3:41
6. Hollywood   3:41
7. Our Memories   3:49
8. Kern River [Merle Haggard] copyright Mt. Shasta Music   4:00
9. Milk and Honey   3:22
10. Sign on the Window [Bob Dylan] copyright Big Sky Music   3:39
11. Song Dogs   4:49
     

     

MUSICIAN CREDITS
Taylor Martin – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (all)
Richie Jones – Drums, Aux Percussion (all)
Matthew Dufon – Bass (all) Harmony Vocals (2,10)
Aaron “Woody” Wood – Acoustic Guitar (3,8), Electric Guitar (5, 6,10)
Matthew Smith – Electric Guitar (1, 2), Pedal Steel (3,7,8,11)
Aaron Ramsey – Acoustic Guitar (2,4,7,9,10), Mandolin (9)
Josh Shilling – Piano (1,2, 6,7, 8,10,11), B3 (1,2,5,6,7,10), Wurlitzer (5)
Phil Alley – Telecaster (7)
Lyndsay Pruett – fiddle (4,5,7,8)
Amanda Anne Platt – harmony  vocals (2,4,7,9,10)
Debrissa McKinney – harmony vocals (6)

Recorded @ Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, NC
Recorded & Mixed by Robert George
Produced by Amanda Anne Platt
Co-Produced by Robert George & Taylor Martin

For more information and tour dates, please visit www.TaylorMartin.org and www.facebook.com/taylormartin.org and www.twitter.com/song_dogs.

 

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LIVE ALBUM RECORDING: Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Two Nights at The Grey Eagle Fri-Sat, Nov 2-3

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters
Two Nights at The Grey Eagle
185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, NC

Amanda Anne Platt and her Honeycutters are excited to be making a
LIVE RECORDING of their upcoming shows at the Grey Eagle
Both nights will be recorded and the best cuts selected from the two sets,
to create an album that will be released in 2019

“We’ve never made a live album and I’m looking forward to putting something out that will capture our on stage energy and the spontaneity of a live show. The Grey Eagle is one of my all time favorite venues, and this is a homecoming show for us, so it makes that this is the weekend we do the recording”
—Amanda Anne Platt

NIGHT ONE: AMANDA ANNE PLATT & THE HONEYCUTTERS (SEATED SHOW)
FRIDAY · NOV 2, 2018
doors: 7:00 pm / show: 8:00 pm; All Ages; $15-$18
Bob Sumner Opens

NIGHT TWO: AMANDA ANNE PLATT & THE HONEYCUTTERS (STANDING ROOM ONLY)
SATURDAY · NOV 3, 2018
doors: 8:00 pm / show: 9:00 pm; All Ages; $15-$18
Oliver Bates Craven Opens

ASHEVILLE, NC —  After a whirlwind of a summer, Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters are excited to return home from overseas and play two nights at The Grey Eagle, Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3 as a homecoming! Amanda says, “This has been one of the craziest summers of my life… possibly the craziest year. There’s so much going on in the world, and my own small world has seen its share of changes, from babies being born, illness, our tour van burning to a crisp on the side of the Texas highway, getting married…and this tour has been a wonderful way to encapsulate all the madness. It’s an incredible feeling to be so far from home and hear people singing along with every word of one of my songs. We’ve been in so many different places and met so many new people, and where I might have expected to feel lost and scattered, there has been an overwhelming sense of connectedness and camaraderie at every turn.”

Lyrically driven, the songs of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters blend the band’s old-school country roots attitude with their shared influences of rock and folk. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Amanda Anne Platt is a storyteller by nature with an incredible band backing her. Performing along Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith on pedal steel and guitar, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums and harmony vocals, and Evan Martin on keys and guitar.

The band is thrilled to have returned from their overseas tour which will led them back to England and Scotland as well as to Ireland, Spain, and The Netherlands from late August through the end of September! To some wonderful International reviews:

Jump In Hot’s Juan Fitzgerald writes, ““Amanda Platt and her band The Honeycutters from Asheville, North Carolina brought over a warm country glow … and provided top class songs and musicianship throughout the evening… for me her solo spot was another high spot and the song ‘Americas Blues’  about the dreadful state of American politics at this present time again hit the spot.”

Americana UK’s Jim Finnie writes of them, “Great songwriting, an incredibly tight sound with very high-quality musicianship from the whole band and it all gets brought together with Amanda’s glorious voice,” and Rootstime in Belgium says, “Amanda’s singing heartbreakingly beautiful.”

A homegrown entity, the band is critically acclaimed locally, regionally, nationally, as well as overseas. Their most recent album Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters [Organic Records 2017] placed #2 (sandwiched between Jason Isbell and Gregg Allman) in their regional radio station WNCW’s year end listeners poll for 2017! The station’s Music Director Martin Anderson said to No Depression, “Amanda Platt writes songs on par with Lucinda, Isbell, Lauderdale, Hank Sr. In my opinion, anyway.”

Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst writes, “She’s soothing (even in the hurtin’ songs) and sobering (except for the drinkin’ songs) and nuanced in a way that I think tops even those rather famous ladies of the moment named Margo and Kacey… I’d be hard pressed to find a finer string of recordings from any band working in the classic country/mountain tradition in these last five years.”

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters are a diamond in the rough, and through their music, travels, the friendships they make along the way, they will continue to bring music straight from the heart to the world.

Watch the official music video for “Birthday Song” → https://youtu.be/K168ib7ltTc

Watch the official music video for “Jukebox” → https://youtu.be/T87FD97QNRU

More information at www.TheHoneycutters.com, www.facebook.com/Honeycutters, and www.twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

 

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Taylor Martin’s ‘Song Dogs,’ Produced by Amanda Anne Platt, Out 11/16 on Little King Records

Taylor Martin Releases Song Dogs on November 16 on Little King Records
Produced by Amanda Anne Platt at Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, NC
Featuring Members of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, Mountain Heart, and more

First Single: “Little Pictures” Available Now →  https://taylormartin.hearnow.com/little-pictures

More about Taylor Martin at https://about.me/songdogs

ASHEVILLE, NC — Taylor Martin brings you music with a beating heart; his raspy, emotion filled voice is instantly recognizable and his lyrics have an unflinching sincerity. Martin releases his third album, Song Dogs November 16, 2018 on Little King Records. On it, he spins tales of the highway, homes, lost love, love regained, redemption, and the overuse of cell phones. The Honeycutters’ Amanda Anne Platt took the lead as Music Producer (along with adding harmony vocals on a handful of songs) with the help of Co-Producer and Engineer, Robert George, and Martin’s visions for the album. The album was recorded at Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, North Carolina.

“Taylor Martin is a killer songwriter,” declares Platt. “He’s got a great sense of melody and an ability to write classic, accessible songs about things we all take for granted. It’s also to his credit that he hits all sides of the spectrum– there are toe tappers and tear jerkers on this album and everything in between. I’m a big fan of the saying, ‘Great songs produce themselves,’ I certainly found that to be true in working with Taylor.”

The album’s bluesy opener “Little Pictures” tips the brim to people like Professor Longhair while having a contemporary social commentary. The song is what Martin calls his, “observation of people being lost to reality and the death of empathy and the human experience. People being on cell phones too much are missing out on the beauty of the world.” It also invites the listener to put down their electronics and sink further into the experience of the album. Americana Highways premieres the official music video for “Little Pictures” and write, “The song rings instantly familiar and simplifies a complex message in clear lyrical fashion, over catchy, punchy, piano-prominent rhythms.”

A resident of Asheville, North Carolina since 2004, Martin has been creating music since 1994. He blends musical styles: the approach to music he grew up with in Richmond, Virginia; the western spirit he experienced living five years in Paradise, Utah; and the sounds of southern rock, country, and rhythm n’ blues.

The album features some of the finest, most innovative musicians in acoustic music today including, not only The Honeycutters’ Amanda Anne Platt, but also their guitarist and pedal steel player, Matthew Smith. Mountain Heart’s Aaron Ramsey (mandolin, acoustic guitar) and Josh Shilling (Piano, B3, Wurlitzer) perform on much of the album along with Jon Stickley Trio’s Lyndsay Pruett on fiddle. Drummer Richie Jones [Ralph Roddenbery, Donna Hopkins Band] and bassist Matt Dufon perform on all eleven tracks. Asheville guitar legend, Aaron “Woody” Wood, takes the lead on acoustic and electric guitars on a handful of tracks, GRAMMY winner Debrissa McKinney (Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Empire Strikes Brass) lends harmony vocals on a song and Phil Alley adds some texture with his Telecaster on a track.

“I was supported by mostly local musicians for Song Dogs, says Martin. “Josh came in from Nashville and Richie came from Atlanta, but other than that it’s all friends from Asheville. There’s a lot of love on this record. Having close friends record with you really helps the album go deeper.”

“Working on Taylor’s albums has always been an awesome process,” says Josh Shilling.  “His distinct melodies, chord progressions, and organic recording approach create a unique and extremely vibey song and sound. His ability to pull the perfect band together makes the recording sessions feel amazing, and I love that he’s seeking emotional, human performances more than perfect performances. There’s some grit and soul on this record that feels like it came from another time and place… perhaps an Allman Brothers or Leon Russell time and place.”

“I’ve always tried to write from the heart and to do that there just has to be a story underneath,” says Martin. From the catchy “Here Comes The Flood” to the mellow and rolling “Eden Colorado” (with Wood’s expansive guitar solo and the delicate interplay of Smith’s pedal steel) to the dreamlike “Second Sight” (with it’s lucid surf tones and Pruett’s orchestral string arrangement) to the more pop-oriented “Hollywood” (featuring McKinney on harmony vocals), the album will have you hooked.

“Our Memories” is a lonesome duet that reflects on remaining in a home after the love has moved out and the remnants are left behind; Martin and Platt’s vocals intermingle with the sultry fiddle and pedal steel melodies of Pruett and Smith. Another duet with Platt, “Milk and Honey” features Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and is a love song that written over the course of many years to express that even in this numbing technological age people can still be in love in the land of milk and honey.

There are three covers on the album including Bob Dylan’s nostalgic “Sign on the Window” [New Morning], an upbeat and slightly cajun version of Neil Young’s poignant “Music Arcade” [Broken Arrow], and Merle Haggard’s song of tragic loss, “Kern River.”

The album’s title track, “Song Dogs,” lands as the final track and features Shilling on piano paired with Smith’s pedal steel. Martin says, “I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the woods alone. Usually right before dark the coyotes will begin to howl to find each other for the nights hunt. One such evening I wrote these lyrics about the loneliness of the modern age and how difficult it is to ‘stay’ when your heart is restless. And the remorse after you’ve gone too far… I sure do identify with those animals at dusk.”

“Taylor Martin is a singer-songwriter who will remind you of everything good from Tom Waits to the Everly Brothers or the Avett Brothers with some surf rock thrown in. Well-sung, well-played, well-written and relevant…” writes Asheville Citizen Times.

Asheville’s veteran songwriter is just below the forty mark with a bright future as a songwriter and performer ahead of him. Although as jaded and bitter as some road worned heroes, Martin finds refuge in a good sense of humor. “I would have been a terrible dentist,” he laughs. “I’m here, music is why, this is Earth, let’s make more music.”

Taylor Martin – Song Dogs Track Listing

1. Little Pictures   3:34
2. Here Comes the Flood    2:59
3. Eden Colorado   3:17
4. Music Arcade [Neil Young] copyright Silver Fiddle Music   4:25
5. Second Sight   3:41
6. Hollywood   3:41
7. Our Memories   3:49
8. Kern River [Merle Haggard] copyright Mt. Shasta Music   4:00
9. Milk and Honey   3:22
10. Sign on the Window [Bob Dylan] copyright Big Sky Music   3:39
11. Song Dogs   4:49
    
    MUSICIAN CREDITS
    Taylor Martin – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (all)
    Richie Jones – Drums, Aux Percussion (all)
    Matthew Dufon – Bass (all) Harmony Vocals (2,10)
    Aaron Woody Wood – Acoustic Guitar (3,8), Electric Guitar (5, 6,10)
    Matthew Smith – Electric Guitar (1, 2), Pedal Steel (3,7,8,11)
    Aaron Ramsey – Acoustic Guitar (2,4,7,9,10), Mandolin (9)
    Josh Shilling – Piano (1,2, 6,7, 8,10,11), B3 (1,2,5,6,7,10), Wurlitzer (5)
    Phil Alley – Telecaster (7)
    Lyndsay Pruett – fiddle (4,5,7,8)
    Amanda Anne Platt – harmony  vocals (2,4,7,9,10)
    Debrissa McKinney – harmony vocals (6)
    
    Recorded @ Sound Temple Studios in Asheville, NC
    Recorded & Mixed by Robert George
    Produced by Amanda Anne Platt
    Co-Produced by Robert George & Taylor Martin
    
    For more information and tour dates, please visit www.TaylorMartin.org and www.facebook.com/taylormartin.org and www.twitter.com/song_dogs.

 

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Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Play Salvage Station Fri 7/20

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Play Salvage Station on Friday, July 20
opener tba
$15 adv/ $18 dos
468 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC
www.salvagestation.com/events2/2018/7/21/amanda-anne-platt-and-the-honeycutters

ASHEVILLE, NC —  Lyrically driven, the songs of Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters blend the band’s old-school country roots attitude with their shared influences of rock and folk. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Amanda Anne Platt is a storyteller by nature with an incredible band backing her. Performing along Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith on pedal steel and guitar, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums and harmony vocals, and Evan Martin on keys and guitar.

There is an empathetic and charming wit ingrained in Platt’s songwriting. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and applying it to her story-telling, whether she is writing from her own experiences or immersing herself into the melody of emotions in another person’s life.

Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst writes, “She’s soothing (even in the hurtin’ songs) and sobering (except for the drinkin’ songs) and nuanced in a way that I think tops even those rather famous ladies of the moment named Margo and Kacey… I’d be hard pressed to find a finer string of recordings from any band working in the classic country/mountain tradition in these last five years.”

A homegrown entity, the band is critically acclaimed locally, regionally, nationally, as well as overseas. Their most recent album Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters [Organic Records 2017] placed #2 (sandwiched between Jason Isbell and Gregg Allman) in their regional radio station WNCW’s year end listeners poll for 2017! The station’s Music Director Martin Anderson said to No Depression, “Amanda Platt writes songs on par with Lucinda, Isbell, Lauderdale, Hank Sr. In my opinion, anyway.”

“This is a band that does everything right,” says Goldmine’s Mike Greenblatt. “Platt deserves all that might come to her over this, her fifth (and best) album. Backed by pedal steel, electric guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, and vocal harmony, it’s Platt’s show as she writes, sings and co-produces. Complete with lyrics of introspection with the kind of words you can chew on long after the album ends, it also works on a lighter level by dint of the fact that it just sounds so damn good. Go as deep as you want. It’s all good, as they say.”

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters received a shout out from Fodor’s Travel Magazine in a write-up about the band’s hometown of Asheville, NC, and a couple of years back they were also featured on XPN World Cafe’s Sense of Place series. In 2017, their music also placed into the Americana Music Association Year End Top 100 list of Americana Airplay for the second year in a row!

For the past ten years Amanda Anne Platt has been singing her original songs with her band The Honeycutters. In that time they have toured all over the United States and (parts of) Canada, as well as making their first trip overseas last summer, playing shows in England and Scotland garnering much praise and many sold out shows, and they made a lot of new friends and fans that they are excited to see again!

The UK’s American Roots’ Magazine Mike Morrison writes, “This is a band whose back catalogue is a match for anyone’s and yet still they’re improving. Modern country music really doesn’t get much better than the highly individual style of Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters.”  

The band is thrilled to have another overseas tour booked for this summer which will take them back to England and Scotland as well as to Ireland, Spain, and The Netherlands from late August through the end of September! They have an Indiegogo campaign currently running to help raise funds to cover the travel costs associated with the trip including round trip airfare to Dublin from the US for 5, internal flights, van and backline (amps, drums) rental, lodging (travelodges, tents, etc), and fuel with a goal aiming to raise $9000 by June 25 which they just surpassed today!

Everyone who donates will gain access to an exclusive (ooo!) tour blog (ahh!) featuring updates and anecdotes from Amanda, as well as photo and video documentation of the band as they experience some inevitable culture shock. Other perks include limited edition tee shirts, handwritten lyrics to an AAP song of your choice, pet portraits (Amanda says, “I don’t claim to be good at drawing, but it will be unique. I can guarantee that.”), CD packages, stickers, drink koozies, and a private House Concert.

Amanda says, “In these crazy days we live in it’s easy to forget that when a song comes on the radio and makes your day a little easier, there were a lot of people involved in getting that song there. However you support the arts, you are making it possible for working artists to keep creating. And when you do that, you are ensuring that this world will continue to have a thriving stream of original art and music. And we all need that!”

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters are a diamond in the rough, and through their music, travels, the friendships they make along the way, they will continue to bring music straight from the heart to the world.

Watch the official music video for “Birthday Song” → https://youtu.be/K168ib7ltTc

Watch the official music video for “Jukebox” → https://youtu.be/T87FD97QNRU

More information at www.TheHoneycutters.com, www.facebook.com/Honeycutters, and www.twitter.com/thehoneycutters.

 

 

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Announcing The Holiday Hang with Town Mountain and The Honeycutters – Southeast Shows!

THE ASHEVILLE HOLIDAY HANG HITS THE ROAD
SHOWS IN THE SOUTHEAST
FEATURING:
TOWN MOUNTAIN AND AMANDA ANNE PLATT & THE HONEYCUTTERS

The Holiday Hang is an event focused on highlighting talent from the Asheville music community, while raising awareness and donating partial proceeds to Feeding America food banks in each city

ASHEVILLE, NC — Town Mountain and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters, two stellar bands from Asheville, North Carolina, are teaming up for the Asheville Holiday Hang as a run of shows in the Southeast, sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company. Ashvegas’ Caleb Calhoun calls them, “a match made in heaven.”

“Over the past few years, New Belgium and Town Mountain have forged a relationship that goes well beyond making great music and good beer. The partnership has been one that ties to both organizations philanthropic roots at a time of year where people need it the most, the holidays,” says New Belgium Brewing Employee Owner, Trey Wheeler. New Belgium Brewing Company will be running specials at each of the shows and adding to the financial donation to MANNA FoodBank.

Town Mountain says, “For us the holiday season seems like a great time to celebrate playing music with friends as well as giving back to the community that has supported us through the years.” The Asheville Holiday Hang originated as a holiday benefit in Asheville and is heading into its 6th year with the hometown Asheville show taking place at The Orange Peel for the first time. Both bands and The Orange Peel are teaming up and donating 20% of ticket sales from that show to MANNA FoodBank!

MANNA FoodBank is a private, not-for-profit service organization, that links the food industry with over 200 partner agencies in 16 counties of WNC. MANNA is an acronym and stands for Mountain Area Nutritional Needs Alliance. They are a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. For 35 years, Feeding America has responded to the hunger crisis in America by providing food to people in need through a nationwide network of food banks with the motto, “Together we can solve hunger.”

“MANNA is excited to partner with Town Mountain again for the fifth consecutive year. Their Holiday Hang show has become a ‘Must See’ holiday tradition for dozens of fans in our MANNA community.” Alisa Hixson, Director Corporate Engagement & Signature Events at MANNA FoodBank, says,”Their support has provided for over 6,000 meals in WNC and their desire to keep giving  back to their community epitomizes the mindset of the Asheville community. They’re a powerhouse of musicians harnessing their talent to help their neighbors, the perfect holiday story!”

Last year, Town Mountain paired with The Honeycutters and decided to bring the Holiday Hang on the road to other cities they both frequent and have grown friendships and fans in. The tradition continues this year and are excited to expand the scope of the Holiday Hang with a longer run of shows through the Southeast including Rocky Mount, Virginia, Greer and Charleston, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Not only is the event traveling to additional cities, but with the help of Feeding America (of which MANNA is a part of) the bands are donating partial proceeds from each show to a food bank from that area.

Town Mountain and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters Family Holiday Photo 2017

Town Mountain and The Honeycutters have long been close friends and each band has a different sound to offer The Holiday Hang. Both have their own spin on what Americana is today. You’ll be sure to hear bluegrass, country, and rock influences coming from each band. As in years past there will be a jam at the end of each night where they join together in the collaborative spirit of the Asheville music scene.

 

“On the surface, a joint tour between the bluegrass combo Town Mountain and the alt-country band The Honeycutters might seem like an odd fit. Town Mountain’s dizzying all-acoustic instrumental skills and tight vocal harmonies recall the great early bluegrass groups like The Stanley Brothers or Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, while The Honeycutters’ rougher brand of twangy heartbreak is perfect for the honky-tonk,” says Greenville Journal’s Vincent Harris.

“We just go back a long way in the Asheville music scene; we’re friends in that way. And I think that we’re both bands with roots in more traditional forms of music. We can be put into genres, but at the same time, ‘Americana’ describes what both of us do,” Platt says in an interview with the Greenville Journal. “Obviously, Town Mountain plays bluegrass and The Honeycutters have origins in classic country, but we’re both very song-oriented. Town Mountain has three great songwriters that share the songwriting duties, and in The Honeycutters I’m all about the song.”

Asheville Holiday Hang Tour Dates
12/7 Thu – Harvester Performance Center – Rocky Mount, VA
12/8 Fri – The Spinning Jenny – Greer, SC
12/9 Sat – The Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
12/14 Thu – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA
12/15 Fri – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
12/16 Sat – Neighborhood Theater – Charlotte, NC
12/17 Sun – The Lincoln Theater – Raleigh, NC

More information about Town Mountain and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters →
www.TownMountain.net and www.TheHoneycutters.com.

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Jon Stickley Trio On Tour With New Album, Maybe Believe – “Clear, Present, and Slightly Dangerous”

Jon Stickley Trio On Tour With New Album, Maybe Believe
Produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus) at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville NC

“Stickley’s Martin churns out a mixture of bluegrass, Chuck Berry, metal, prog, grunge, and assorted other genres – all thoroughly integrated into a personal style.”
— Guitar Player Magazine, Michael Ross

“Clear, Present, and Slightly Dangerous”
—Musoscribe, Bill Kopp

“Stickley and his mates play a guitar-focused instrumental music that blends bluegrass/newgrass with a jazz trio vibe… this is a must-listen.”
—Jambase, Aaron Stein

“A learned, cohesive and stylistically daring acoustic sound all their own”
—Lexington Herald-Leader, Walter Tunis

“A force of musical exploration and innovation”
—Live For Live Music, Rex Thomson

“A compelling soundtrack you never knew you needed”
–The Poke Around, Tom Cunningham

“Thoughtful & energetic” —Bryan Sutton

“a damn genius, a musical mastermind, and one of the most unique, creative,
and inventive guitar players I’ve ever heard…”
—Greensky Bluegrass’ Anders Beck

ASHEVILLE — Jon Stickley Trio is on tour with Maybe Believe, their 3rd independently released full length album [May 12, 2017]. Jon Stickley Trio combines Jon Stickley’s rapid-fire flatpicking guitar with the sultry and wild, yet refined, melodies of Lyndsay Pruett on violin set over the deep groove of Patrick Armitage on drums.

Jon Stickley Trio has been touring the States extensively this year and kicks off September at the Jackpine Jamboree in Wisconsin and then they’ll spend a week at Sisters Folk Fest in Oregon with workshops and performances. Mid-month brings them around to the northeast before playing out the rest of September back in midwest. After a quick break in their hometown of Asheville, NC, they head  west with a stop in Colorado before a handful of shows in California, including the Joshua Tree Music Festival. Then the road brings them up through Utah and Wyoming before a few more Colorado shows. They close out October by joining in on the Halloween fun at String Cheese Incident’s Suwannee Hulaween down in northern Florida at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park.

In early November the Trio heads into Virginia for a couple of shows before traveling back into Florida for the Riverhawk Fest and more performances throughout the state. The end of the month brings the Trio back up towards their home-state for a scattering of shows and to rest up a bit before heading out in early December to Strings and Sol in Puerto Morelos, a Mexican port town on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula where they join in on Cloud 9’s annual 4-night all-inclusive Tropical Bluegrass Adventure with Yonder Mountain String Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Fruition, and Bryan Sutton. To close out the year they have a special New Year’s Eve Celebration in their hometown of Asheville at Isis Music Hall with The Digs!

Stay tuned to Jon Stickley Trio’s website and social networks for more dates to be announced and updates from the road.

Jon Stickley Trio ‘Dream Vision’ Tour
9/2-3 Sat-Sun – Jackpine Jamboree – Birnamwood, WI
9/5-10 Tue-Sun – Sisters Folk Fest – Sisters, OR
9/13 Wed – Gypsy Sally’s – Washington, DC * w/ The Last Revel
9/14 Thu – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA * w/ The Last Revel, Jeremiah Tall
9/15-16 Fri-Sat – Wormtown Music Festival – Greenfield, MA
9/17 Sun – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY * w/ The Last Revel
9/20 Wed – The Raccoon Motel – Davenport, IA
9/21 Thu – Tonic Room – Chicago, IL
9/22 Fri – The Source Public House – Menasha, WI * w/ Head For The Hills
9/23 Sat – Boats and Bluegrass – Winona, MN
9/24 Sun – Carnahan Hall – Lafayette, IN
10/3 Tue – Dolores River Brewery – Dolores, CO
10/5 Thu – Winston’s – San Diego, CA *w/ The Ghost of Paul Revere
10/6 Fri – Boulevard Music – Culver City, CA *w/ The Ghost of Paul Revere
10/7 Sat – Joshua Tree Music Festival – Joshua Tree, CA
10/10 Tue – Don Quixote’s – Felton, CA
10/12 Thu – Throckmorton Theatre – Mill Valley, CA
10/13 Fri – Old Ironsides – Sacramento, CA
10/14 Sat – Moe’s Original BBQ – Tahoe City, CA * W/ Brad Parsons
10/17 Tue – Piper Down – Salt Lake City, UT
10/18 Wed – Pinedale Fine Arts – Pinedale, WY
10/20 Fri – Wildflower Concert Series – Lyons, CO * Monacle Band Album Release Show
10/21 Sat – Cervantes’ Other Side – Denver, CO
10/22 Sun – 4th and Main Grill – Wray, CO
10/27-28 Fri-Sat – Suwannee Hulaween – Live Oak, FL
11/2 Thu – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC * w/ Larry Keel
11/3 Fri – 5 Points Music Sanctuary – Roanoke, VA * w/ Larry Keel
11/4 Sat – Bright Box Theater – Winchester, VA
11/11-12 Sat-Sun – Riverhawk Fest – Brooksville, FL
11/14 Tue – Terra Fermata – Stuart, FL * w/ The Nouveaux Honkies
11/16 Thu – Point Ybel Brewing Co. – Fort Myers, FL
11/17 Fri – Wynwood Yard – Miami, FL
11/18 Sat – Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center – Sarasota, FL
11/19 Sun – Iron Oak Post – Melbourne, FL
11/20 Mon – Beaches History Museum – Jacksonville Beach, FL
11/30 Thu – The Grove at Upcountry Provisions – Travelers Rest, SC
12/1 Fri – The Spinning Jenny – Greer, SC
12/2 Sat – House Concert – Walkertown, NC
12/8-12 Fri-Tue – Strings and Sol – Puerto Morelos, Mexico
12/31 Sun – NYE Celebration at Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC * w/ The Digs

For more information, further tour dates and updates from the road, please visit www.jonstickley.com, www.facebook.com/JonStickleyTrio, www.instagram.com/jonstickleytrio, and www.twitter.com/JonStickleyTrio.

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After Hours Jam, Meet & Greets w/ Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan & Tim O’Brien, Shuttles, and More for Jam In The Trees!

Jam In The Trees Takes Place Fri-Sat Aug 25-26 at Pisgah Brewing Company
The Infamous Stringdusters, Acoustic Syndicate, Peter Rowan, Larry Keel, Tim O’Brien and more!

Announcing:
After Hours Jam With Hosts Jim Lauderdale and Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen
Meet & Greets w/ Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan, and Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius
Free Shuttles Between Downtown Asheville, Surrounding Campgrounds & Hotels, and Pisgah

150 Eastside Drive, Black Mountain, NC 28711 | Phone 828.669.0190
Tickets:  www.eventbrite.com/e/jam-in-the-trees-tickets-29283448583

ASHEVILLE, NC — Jam in The Trees is honored to be nominated for an International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Momentum Award in the Festival/Event/Venue category for 2017! What great news to find out shortly before The 2nd Annual Jam In The Trees, a two day, Americana music-themed event that takes place at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, NC on both the beautiful Outdoor Stage and the more intimate Indoor Taproom Stage Friday and Saturday, August 25 and 26, 2017.

This year’s event features The Infamous Stringdusters, Acoustic Syndicate, Peter Rowan, Larry Keel Experience, Jim Lauderdale, Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, Jeffrey Foucault, Front Country, Eilen Jewell, Underhill Rose, Ken Tizzard, Cicada Rhythm, and Zoe & Cloyd!  There will also be unique vendors and local food trucks on-site including Bun Intended, Grateful Roots, Mountain View BBQ, and DOGS, as well as award-winning Pisgah Brewing beer!

Doors open at 7pm on Friday for shows on the Indoor Taproom Stage. Gates open Saturday at 12pm, with music starting at 1pm throughout the day until 11pm on the Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Stage and inside the Taproom with no overlapping sets between stages.

Saturday night there will be an After Hours Jam hosted by Jim Lauderdale and “house band” Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen with guests Peter Rowan, Tim O’ Brien, Ken Tizzard, Front Country and more. It starts around 11:30pm in the Taproom.

The full schedule of music can be found at www.jaminthetrees.com/stage-schedule-2017.

For folks that purchased VIP Tickets, VIP Meet & Greets take place on Saturday in the VIP Area and include Popcorn with Peter Rowan (5:30- 6pm), Jim Lauderdale PicNic Party (4 – 4:30pm), and Biscuits with O’Brien (Tim & Jan) (2:30- 3pm). Each is paired with a specific Pisgah Beer for the occasion and is followed by a brewery tour.

Tickets are on sale now. The two day packages are sold out; however there are still single day tickets available. VIP tickets (Saturday only) are also available and include Meet & Greets with the bands, a guided brewery tour and tasting, preferred parking, a commemorative event poster and more! Kids 12 and under are free and welcome on Saturday with a paying adult. Tap Room shows at Pisgah Brewing are 18 and up, which is what Friday night is, so no kids on Friday night.

Jam In the Trees is excited to have partnered with Asheville Brews Cruise to offer complimentary shuttle service to all ticket holders for 2017! You can catch a ride out to Pisgah Brewing from downtown Asheville before the music starts on both Friday and Saturday, and catch a ride back downtown after the music ends both days! Stay safe and save money on gas!

During festival hours, the Brew Bus will be making a continuous circuit between nearby hotels and campgrounds in the Swannanoa/Black Mountain area and Pisgah Brewing Company. The ones on the route are Holiday Inn Asheville-Biltmore East, Quality Inn and Suites Biltmore East, Super 8 Black Mountain, Mama Gertie’s Hideaway Campground, and Asheville East KOA. Even if you just missed the shuttle, the longest you should have to wait for another is approximately 30 minutes.

More information and shuttle times can be found at www.jaminthetrees.com/accommodations-shuttles.

Jam in the Trees not only values music and community, but we also take on a responsibility to change the world for the better. For the second year in a row, a portion of our proceeds will benefit Wild Forests & Fauna (WildFF), a conservation organization that works with local communities to protect and restore globally important forests. One of their main projects, Native Seeds, is headed up by Asheville-native Georgia Beasley who has helped build the largest native tree nurseries in northern Uganda to empower traditional women healers and provide the area with medicine and food security. Last year’s inaugural event raised $5000 to protect, restore, and support threatened forests and wildlife in Western North Carolina as part of their Big Tree Project.

Jam in The Trees is sponsored by Prestige Subaru and Mosaic Lifestyle Realty.

Stay tuned to the festival’s website www.jaminthetrees.com to see the full schedule and for more information and updates.

Jam in The Trees 2017 Lineup
The Infamous Stringdusters
Acoustic Syndicate
Peter Rowan
Larry Keel Experience
Jim Lauderdale
Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius
Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen
Jeffrey Foucault
Front Country
Eilen Jewell
Underhill Rose
Ken Tizzard
Cicada Rhythm
Zoe & Cloyd

More information about Jam In The Trees can be found at www.jaminthetrees.com, www.facebook.com/JamInTheTrees, www.twitter.com/jaminthetrees, and www.instagram.com/jaminthetrees.

 

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