Donna the Buffalo Performs at MerleFest 2017 – Groove-heavy & Danceable

This year at MerleFest, Donna the Buffalo plays sets on multiple stages:
Watson Stage Saturday Night Jam with Donna the Buffalo and Special Guests!
Sets on the Americana Stage, The Dance Tent, and The Hillside Stage.

Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear also make an appearance in the Walker Center Stage as part of Docabilly Blues Blowout with Mitch Greenhill, T. Michael Coleman, Jeff Little, Jorma Kaukonen, Jim Avett, and Pat McInerney.
See DtB’s Full MerleFest Schedule Below

www.donnathebuffalo.com
www.merlefest.org

Known as one of the most dynamic and determined bands continuously touring America for nearly thirty years, Donna the Buffalo has created a community environment at their shows through their distinctive, groove-heavy, and danceable music. With roots in old time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric American mix infused with elements of cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country, Donna’s music often contains social and moral responsibility as core beliefs, and they are just simply fun to get out and celebrate life with.

“Donna the Buffalo… amazing swirl of squeezebox, Hammond organ, fiddle and pulsing electric guitar… Their hippified Zydeco sound first reached my eager ears at MerleFest ages ago when they were stirring the Dance Tent into a swirl of sweat and energy,” says Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst. “They’re as fine a band for close listening as they are for a party – a sound that’s been honed and practiced since 1989. Jeb Puyear and Tara Nevins share vocal and songwriting duties with he on Stratocaster and she on fiddle or sometimes Cajun rubboard. They don’t make news very often; they just play and tour and play and tour.

Donna the Buffalo first started playing MerleFest in 1994. It was the year the entrance was moved to it’s current location and new stages (like the Dance Tent) were added to help the growing festival. Learn more about the event’s history at Wilkesboro Journal-Patriot in their 2012 History of MerleFest series.

In 2000, MTV.com wrote, “Along with such true-bluegrass names as Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Sam Bush, and Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals, some odd monikers show up on the schedule for this weekend’s MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC… Odd as in Donna the Buffalo… Bands such as Donna the Buffalo… have often found themselves at odds with folk purists, but they’ve been accepted over the years at MerleFest and are just now finding summer homes at other festivals.”

“I think the festivals have broadened their scope. MerleFest was always pretty broad,” Donna the Buffalo frontwoman Tara Nevins said to MTV in 2000. “They’re having us this year for the dance [stage]… we fit because they’re broadening, but we also fit because we have a lot of roots stuff right in there… I feel there’s a thread between all that, whether it’s country, old time — the roots. So it’s exploring the thread between the idea of one world, one music community, one roots thing.”

Mountain Times’ Derek Halsey wrote in 2016, “Donna The Buffalo became a perennial favorite at MerleFest long ago. The rootsy and diverse jamband, based in upstate New York, has made a point of being a part of the North Carolina festival scene over the years and their appearance in North Wilkesboro every April has become a tried and true tradition.”

“We love playing in the Dance Tent as it is a fun set,” Nevins said in the interview with Halsey. “It has been a very long time. I can’t remember the first year that we played at MerleFest… We definitely feel like we’re a part of the MerleFest family and we love the festival and always look forward to it.” In 2016 Donna the Buffalo was honored to host the late-night Saturday night Midnight Jam for the first time (Mipso hosts in 2017).

Now, in 2017, this broad range of talent shines through honoring MerleFest’s roots and branches with a stellar lineup that includes, Transatlantic Sessions (hosted by Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain with special guests James Taylor, Sarah Jarosz, John Doyle), The Avett Brothers, Zac Brown Band, Bela Fleck, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Del McCoury Band, Leftover Salmon, Sam Bush Band, The Earls of Leicester featuring Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Kruger Brothers, Jorma Kaukonen, The Steel Wheels, Mipso, Scythian, Chatham County Line, Sierra Hull, I Draw Slow, Jim Lauderdale, Bryan Sutton Band, Donna the Buffalo, The Waybacks, David Holt, Pete and Joan Wernick, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, Claire Lynch, Front Country, The Stray Birds and lots more!

This year at MerleFest, Donna the Buffalo is stacked with sets on multiple stages including closing out the Watson Stage for a Saturday Night Jam with Donna the Buffalo and Special Guests! They also have sets on the Americana Stage, The Dance Tent, and The Hillside Stage. Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear also make an appearance in the Walker Center Stage as part of Docabilly Blues Blowout with Mitch Greenhill, T. Michael Coleman, Jeff Little, Jorma Kaukonen, Jim Avett, and Pat McInerney.

Donna the Buffalo is Jeb Puryear (vocals, electric guitar) and Tara Nevins (vocals, guitar, fiddle, accordion, scrubboard) joined by David McCracken (Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet & piano), Kyle Spark (bass) and Mark Raudabaugh (drums). “It’s been really fun with this lineup,” Puryear says. “You get to the point where you’re playing on a really high level, things are clicking and it’s like turning on the key to a really good car. It just goes.”

Their old school purple Eagle tour bus, however, was something that just wouldn’t “go.” Well known to The Herd across the country as the band travels spends over half of each year on the road, they put 1 million miles on the original engine traveling from coast to coast; from their home in Trumansburg on down to Suwannee, from MerleFest to Mcdowell Mountain, from Blue Heron to Grand Targhee, and every fine venue in between. Over mountains, through valleys, across plains, and desert, their bus enables Donna the Buffalo to share their music with you all.

Earlier this year, they successfully funded a new tour bus through GoFundMe raising over $85,000 in just a few weeks. “We thank you all for your continued support, love, and friendship. It means the world to us. We can’t do this without you and we can’t thank you enough. Peace and Love Always,” says Donna the Buffalo.

With their new bus equipped for the road, they have embarked on tour throughout the states and are thrilled to be returning to MerleFest in 2017!

Donna the Buffalo Full MerleFest Schedule:

Friday: Americana Stage: Donna the Buffalo
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Friday: Walker Center Stage: Docabilly Blues Blowout with Mitch Greenhill, T. Michael Coleman, Jeff Little, Jorma Kaukonen, Jim Avett, Tara Nevins, Jeb Puryear, and Pat McInerney
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Friday: Dance Tent: Freestyle Dance with Donna the Buffalo
5:15 PM – 6:00 PM

Saturday: Autograph Booth: Autograph Session with Donna the Buffalo
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Saturday: Creekside Stage: Tara Nevins is joining in on Memories of The Watson Family hosted by T. Michael Coleman with Watson Family Friends
12:00 PM-1:30 PM

Saturday: Dance Tent: Saturday Night Dance Party with Donna the Buffalo
7:00 PM – 8:15 PM

Saturday: Watson Stage: Saturday Night Jam with Donna the Buffalo and Special Guests
9:45 PM – 11:15 PM

Donna the Buffalo will also be part of the Midnight Jam on Saturday in The Walker Center, hosted by Mipso.

Sunday: Hillside Stage: Donna the Buffalo
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

MerleFest has unveiled the 2017 MerleFest mobile app, now available for download for free. It features the MerleFest lineup and stage schedules, artist biographies, map, announcements, social media links and more.

The app allows users to plan for their entire MerleFest experience. A bonus for MerleFest fans: once downloaded, the app will be fully functional without having connection to phone service. Just visit your app store and search MerleFest and you can have the schedule in your hands before you even get on site!

For more information and tour dates, please visit www.donnathebuffalo.com
facebook.com/donnathebuffalo and twitter.com/donnathebuffalo.

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Donna the Buffalo, The Honeycutters, and Savannah Smith at MerleFest This Weekend!

We’re so excited about MerleFest this year!
Dreamspider Publicity’s Erin Scholze will be on site all weekend representing a few fine acts including
Donna the Buffalo, The Honeycutters, and Savannah Smith.
All three acts are available for onsite interviews, pending timing.
We hope you are able to catch their sets!
Times and stages, as well as a bit more about each are posted below.
Cheers & see you at the fest!

Donna the Buffalo

Donna the Buffalo

MERLEFEST APPEARANCES
Dance Tent
Thursday 10pm-11:30pm
Americana Stage
Friday 12:15pm- 1pm
Watson Stage
Friday 3:15pm-4:15pm
Hillside Stage
Saturday 11am- 11:45am
Dance Tent
Saturday 5pm-6pm

Donna the Buffalo just passed the marker as their 25th year as a band and have proven to be a consistent purveyor of American music. What’s the recipe? To be sure, it’s infused with more spices than you’ll find at a Cajun cookout by way of a southern-fried, rockin’ country old-time jamboree. “For the dizzying array of styles and genres with which they work, Donna The Buffalo maintain a surprising level of consistency. The New York-based band has played around with folk, zydeco, and many other musical ideas over the course of their 25-year career, but they retain a sharp focus that has helped them create some truly lasting music,” writes Elmore Magazine.

Donna the Buffalo is Jeb Puryear (vocals, electric guitar) and Tara Nevins (vocals, guitar, fiddle, accordion, scrubboard) joined by David McCracken (Hammond organ, Honer Clavinet & piano), Kyle Spark (bass) and Mark Raudabaugh (drums). “It’s been really fun with this lineup,” Puryear says. “You get to the point where you’re playing on a really high level, things are clicking and it’s like turning on the key to a really good car. It just goes.”

“Donna The Buffalo is from central New York state, not Louisiana, but this widely loved quintet has woven that joyful, hip-shaking zydeco pulse into the DNA of its sound, and leaders Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins have wrapped that core vibe with hopeful, mellow lyrics.” –Craig Havighurst, Music City Roots

The Honeycutters

The Honeycutters

MERLEFEST APPEARANCES
Creekside Stage
Friday 10:45am- 11:30am
Americana Stage
Friday 2:45pm- 3:30pm
Austin Stage in Alumni Hall
Friday 9:15pm-9:30pm
Songwriter’s Coffeehouse with Amanda Platt

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, is set to release 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 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.

“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 Root

Savannah Smith

Savannah Smith
MERLEFEST APPEARANCE
Friday at 2pm for the contest on the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall

Newcomer Savannah Smith, originally from Tupelo, brings North Mississippi soul to whatever stage she graces. Her original songs and their heartfelt melodies evoke emotions usually associated with more seasoned writers. Savannah is poised and ready to be the next important female singer/songwriter to come from the talent rich region of Western North Carolina!

Be on the lookout for Savannah’s new project, recorded at the prestigious Echo Mountain studios in Asheville, NC. You don’t wanna miss this talented young artist perform!

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The Honeycutters Announce Tour Dates, New Album ‘Me Oh My’ Out April 21 via Organic Records

The Honeycutters. Photo by Sandlin Gaither

Asheville-based American Country Roots Band, The Honeycutters,
Set to Release 3rd Studio Album, Me Oh My, on Tue, April 21, 2015 With Organic Record Company

“… just superb, with a sweet toned and melodious aura… Today’s Smoky Mountain area modern folk thing does have a certain vibe, and these guys are among its finest purveyors.” –Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst

“Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.” –Folk Music About.com’s Kim Ruehl

Announcing Spring and Summer Tour
Throughout the Southeast and Into the Northeast

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, is set to release 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. Pre-sales for the album have launched on iTunes and include four immediate tracks to download off the fourteen track release. They have announced tour dates throughout the southeast and into the northeast this spring and summer; more dates will be announced.

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.

Me Oh My is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. It kicks off with an engaging southern swingin’ song, “Jukebox,” that is about taking life one day at a time and not taking yourself too seriously saying “it’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?” The title cut is an inspirational anthem about the state of the modern woman, stating, “Some girls marry and some girls wait.” Me Oh My brings more of what fans love about The Honeycutters, honestly written songs sung in Platt’s authentic voice. The up-tempo, beer-raising, danceable “Ain’t It The Truth” is one that will fuel audiences at live shows while melancholy ballads like “Texas ’81” balance the album both in meter and mood. The upbeat “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” as a whole speaks to holding someone up until they are strong enough to stand on their own. Me Oh My delves deeper into the darker realms of love with “Little Bird” which gained Platt notoriety as it was chosen as a finalist at MerleFest’s prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (2011).

Platt self produced the album along with the help of engineer and assistant producer Jon Ashley. The album was recorded 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.

“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.”

The Honeycutters on Tour
4/2 Thu – Robert Ferst Theatre Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
4/3 Fri – Mars Theatre – Springfield, GA
4/17 Fri – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC
4/18 Sat – Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
4/22 Wed – Music City Roots – Nashville, TN
4/24 Fri – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
5/2 Sat – Sylvia Theater – York, SC
5/3 Sun – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
5/8 Fri – The Willow Tree – Johnson City, TN
5/9 Sat – Barley’s – Knoxville TN
5/14 Thu – The Double Door Inn – Charlotte, NC
5/15 Fri – Bourgie Nights – Wilmington, NC >
6/4 Thu – The ArtsCenter – Carrboro, NC
6/5 Fri – Sails Music Series – Hickory, NC
6/17 Sun – 10th Ave Burrito Co. – Belmar, NJ
6/18 – Thu – Rockwood Music Hall 2 – New York, NY *
6/20 Sat – Rochester International Jazz Festival – Rochester, NY
6/21 Sun – Mechanic Street House – Cleveland, OH
8/21 Fri – Summer Tracks Rogers Park Amphitheater – Tryon, NC
8/22 Sat- Cataloochee Ranch – Maggie Valley, NC

> w/ Massive Grass
* w/ The Hillbenders

For more information about The Honeycutters and further 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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The Honeycutters Release ‘Me Oh My’ on April 21 Through Organic Records

Asheville-based American Country Roots Band, The Honeycutters,
Set to Release 3rd Studio Album, Me Oh My, on Tue, April 21, 2015
With Organic Record Company

Me Oh My Pre-sales Begin Tuesday, February 17th on iTunes
Pre-sale orders include two immediate tracks for download

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC-based original country roots band, is set to release their third studio album, Me Oh My, on April 21, 2015 with Organic Records®. 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. 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. Pre-sales for the album start Tuesday, February 17th on iTunes and includes two immediate tracks to download.

The Honeycutters are (right to left)
Matt Smith, Josh Milligan, Rick Cooper,
Amanda Anne Platt & Tal Taylor.
Photo by Sandlin Gaither.

“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.

Me Oh My is threaded with themes of love, loss, acceptance and regrowth. It kicks off with an engaging southern swingin’ song, “Jukebox,” that is about taking life one day at a time and not taking yourself too seriously saying “it’s only a song, so for heaven’s sake won’t you sing along?” The title cut is an inspirational anthem about the state of the modern woman, stating, “Some girls marry and some girls wait.” Me Oh My brings more of what fans love about The Honeycutters, honestly written songs sung in Platt’s authentic voice. The up-tempo, beer-raising, danceable “Ain’t It The Truth” is one that will fuel audiences at live shows while melancholy ballads like “Texas ’81” balance the album both in meter and mood. The upbeat “I’ll Be Lovin’ You” as a whole speaks to holding someone up until they are strong enough to stand on their own. Me Oh My delves deeper into the darker realms of love with “Little Bird” which gained Platt notoriety as it was chosen as a finalist at MerleFest’s prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (2011).

Special guests on the album include Phil Cook on piano and organ, Aaron Wood on Telecaster, Peter James on Telecaster, Will Straughan (Red June) on harmony vocals and resonator guitar, Mica Hanks electric guitar, Evan Bradford on trumpet, and Amanda’s father Mark Platt on harmonica.

Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst calls The Honeycutters “… just superb, with a sweet toned and melodious aura… Today’s Smoky Mountain area modern folk thing does have a certain vibe, and these guys are among its finest purveyors.” Folk Music About.com’s Kim Ruehl wrote, “Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.”

They’ll celebrate Me Oh My with an album release tour which is soon to be announced as well as a hometown album release party at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on April 17th. They are also set to perform at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC the weekend of the release date.

In both her simple composition and honest delivery it’s easy to hear the influence of country legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or Loretta Lynn, and with this Miss Platt credits growing up listening to her Father’s extensive record collection every Saturday morning. Despite her love for classic country, Platt cites Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty as major influences and her songwriting carries a wit and an edge that plants her firmly in her generation.

The Honeycutters formed in 2007 in Asheville, NC, the town they still call home, and had quick success with their first release Irene (2009). Me Oh My is the highly anticipated follow up to the 2012’s When Bitter Met Sweet. Each album has helped to grow grow their audience and expand their tours to include notable appearances at MerleFest, Suwannee Springfest, Strawberry Music Festival, Vancouver Island Music Fest, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Folk Alliance, Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Fest and the Nelsonville Music Festival. They have also performed alongside esteemed musicians Guy Clark, Tony Rice, The Seldom Scene, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Amy Ray, Donna the Buffalo, Jill Andrews, and The Steep Canyon Rangers.

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

The Honeycutters on Tour
2/12 Thu – Willie’s Locally Known – Lexington, KY
2/18 Wed – Music City Roots – Nashville, TN
2/19 Thu – Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO
3/13 Fri-  Mudville Music Room – Jacksonville, FL
3/14 Sat – Music Under the Moss – Panama City, FL
4/2 Thu – Robert Ferst Center For The Arts – Atlanta, GA
4/3 Fri – Mars Theatre – Springfield, GA
4/17 Fri – Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC
4/18 Sat – Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
4/24 Fri – MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
More dates TBA

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 Records® is a division of Crossroads® Entertainment & Marketing and is located in Arden, North Carolina. More information can be found at www.organic-records.com.

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The Honeycutters Sign with Organic Records; New Album Slated for Spring 2015

The Honeycutters Sign with Organic Records Front to back & left to right: Ty Gilpin (Organic Records), Amanada Anne Platt, Erin Scholze (Dreamspider Publicity), Tal Taylor, Josh Milligan, Rick Cooper, Matt Smith

The Honeycutters Sign with Organic Records
New Album Slated for Spring 2015
www.thehoneycutters.com

The Honeycutters, an Asheville, NC based original country roots band, has signed an exclusive recording contract with Organic Records®. The band led a successful Kickstarter campaign raising $31,317 to help fund their third studio album. They have laid down the tracks in Echo Mountain Recording Studio in Asheville and are mastering it over at Crossroads Studios in Arden. The album is slated for release in the spring of 2015.

Led by songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, The Honeycutters include Tal Taylor on mandolin, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums, and Matt Smith rounding out Platt’s songs 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.

“We’re very excited to be joining the Organic family!” says Platt. “We’ve been considering going with a label to help us grow, and it feels right to team up with one that is based in Asheville. Keepin’ it local. We want to keep the music coming, and believe the Organic folks are just the guys to help us do that.”

“The Honeycutters fit perfectly with Organic, where we love to support and promote great original music,” said Organic Records Marketing Director Ty Gilpin. “They are super talented players and Amanda is a songwriting and singing tour de force. They are hard-working, dedicated to the music and great people to boot!”

The band is frequently mentioned along with the movement to “Take country music back to it’s roots.” The Honeycutters are just doing what they know how to do: making music that feels as good to hear as it does to play.

“The new album is the one I’m most proud of to date.” Platt goes on to say, “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.”

The soon-to-be-titled release is slated to drop in April with an album release party in Asheville along with a release tour to be announced. They are also scheduled to appear at MerleFest that same month.

The Honeycutters formed in 2007 in Asheville, the town they still call home, and had quick success with their first release Irene (2009). That release and their sophomore effort When Bitter Met Sweet (2012) grew their audience to help expand their tours to include notable appearances at MerleFest, Suwannee Springfest, Strawberry Music Festival, Vancouver Island Music Fest, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Fest and the Nelsonville Music Festival. They have also performed alongside esteemed musicians Guy Clark, Tony Rice, The Seldom Scene, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Amy Ray, Donna The Buffalo, Jill Andrews, and The Steep Canyon Rangers.

Amanda Anne Platt has been hailed as “easily one of the best songwriters coming out of WNC these days” by WNCW programming director Martin Anderson, who goes on to state, “and she really needs to be discovered by the national Americana world.” In both her simple composition and honest delivery it’s easy to hear the influence of country legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or Loretta Lynn, and with this Miss Platt credits growing up listening to her Father’s extensive record collection every Saturday morning. Despite her love for classic country, she cites Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty as major influences and her songwriting carries a wit and an edge that plants her firmly in her generation.

For a sampling of The Honeycutters’ previous releases and some live mixes, visit: http://noisetrade.com/thehoneycutters/noisetrade-mixtape.

For more information about the Honeycutters and their tour dates, please visit: www.thehoneycutters.com.

 

The Good Word About The Honeycutters:

“I recommend the Honeycutters not only because they’re some of the best my hometown of Asheville, NC, has to offer. Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.”
—Kim Ruehl, Folk Music About.com

“They’ve got a sound as classic as grits… I thought of those country songs that play on those diner jukeboxes you see in movies.”
—Charlotte’s Creative Loafing

“… just superb, with a sweet toned and melodious aura that put me in mind of the erstwhile everybodyfields. Today’s Smoky Mountain area modern folk thing does have a certain vibe, and these guys are among its finest purveyors. Happily, after three floaty and beautiful songs the band shifted into a hard Memphis vibe with ‘Fancy Car.’ It was a car song disguised as a train song, with a rolling rock beat.. Great stuff.” —Craig Havighurst, Senior Producer, Music City Roots

***************************************************

Label: Ty Gilpin, Senior Director of Marketing for Organic Records ty.gilpin@crossroadsmusic.com
Booking: John Everhart, KCA Artists john@keithcase.com
Publicity: Erin Scholze, Dreamspider Publicity dreamspider@gmail.com

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 Records® is a division of Crossroads® Entertainment & Marketing and is located in Arden, North Carolina. More information can be found at www.organic-records.com.

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John Cloyd Miller (Red June) Wins MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest: “Cloud of Dust” Places #1 in Bluegrass

John Cloyd Miller (Red June) Wins 2013
MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest

“Cloud of Dust” Places #1 in Bluegrass Category

John Cloyd Miller won first place in the 21st annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in the bluegrass category at MerleFest 2013. Miller is a vocalist, guitarist and mandolin player for the Asheville-based band, Red June, a nationally touring acoustic Americana trio that includes his wife, fiddler and vocalist Natalya Weinstein, and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Will Straughan. The winning song, “Cloud of Dust,” appears on Red June’s 2012 sophomore release, Beauty Will Come.

“‘Cloud of Dust’ highlights the frustrations and resolve of a young man during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.” John says, “This song tells the story of what happens when we abuse our land.” Red June kicked off 2013 with the release of a music video for the song which features powerful archival footage from the Dust Bowl.

John Cloyd Miller. Photo by Terry Manier.

Acclaimed NC traditional musician, Riley Baugus, says, “John’s music reminds me of being in the Blue Ridge Mountains, high on a hill all alone and hearing the sound of the mountains coming from all around and filling your soul with the feeling that everything is just right in that place. His voice is strong and pure and harkens back to a time when there was no need for electronic enhancement and tuning adjustments. In short, John is the real thing and is just incredible.”

The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest offers songwriters the opportunity to have their original songs heard by a panel of professional songwriters and others from the Nashville music industry. The 2013 winners were chosen from more than 700 entries. Winners in the Bluegrass category included 1st Place – John Cloyd Miller’s “Cloud of Dust” (Asheville, NC); 2nd Place – Todd Grebe’s “Master of My Destiny”  (Nashville, Tenn.); and 3rd Place – Aaron Burdett’s “Magpie (Saluda, NC). Previous winners of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest include Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Michael Reno Harrell, Adrienne Young, Martha Scanlan, David Via and Johnny Williams.

“The talent this year was amazing!” says Laurie Brintle-Jarvis, coordinator of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. “They gave an inspirational performance on the Cabin Stage on Friday evening, sharing their talents and enthusiasm with the crowd.” For more details about the contest, visit www.MerleFest.org/ChrisAustinSongwritingContest.

In 2012, Red June made their MerleFest debut, performing at the 25th anniversary festival. Later that year they released their second full-length album, Beauty Will Come, and performed at numerous shows and festivals across the country including Music City Roots, Suwannee Springfest, Beartrap Summer Festival, and Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival. The band was selected for an official showcase at The Station Inn in Nashville at the Americana Music Association conference, and was featured in the October 2012 issue of Southern Living magazine with Douglas Rogers writing, “Bands like Old Crow Medicine Show, The Avett Brothers, and Red June have recently put the sounds of Appalachia back on the map.”

Red June at MerleFest by Will Sparklin

A native of Hickory, NC, Miller’s musical background includes deep roots in bluegrass. A self-taught musician, he grew up listening to his grandfather, legendary bluegrass fiddler and NC Folk Heritage Award winner, Jim Shumate. After graduating from Appalachian State University, Miller moved to Utah and joined the bluegrass band Lo-Fi Breakdown. Eventually the band relocated to Asheville, NC, and continued to perform until early 2009. Around that same time, Miller, Weinstein, and Straughan formed Red June (named after an heirloom apple variety), a group that emphasizes songwriting while combining elements of bluegrass, old-time, country and American roots music.

“Beauty Will Come by Red June just may be the most stunningly gorgeous country album in years. Everything about it: from the exquisite three-part harmonies and acoustic loveliness of the mandolin, fiddle, guitar and upright bass…This is the epitome of Americana…” says Mike Greenblatt with Rant’n’Roll Aquarian Weekly.

For more information, visit www.redjunemusic.com or www.johncloydmiller.com.

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The Honeycutters Launch Kickstarter Campaign, CMT Show

The Honeycutters Launch Kickstarter Campaign
CMT’s Concrete Country Features The Honeycutters

 CLICK to Visit The Honeycutters’ Kickstarter Site!

The Honeycutters are thrilled to announce the launch of their Kickstarter campaign on Thursday, April 25, 2013 for a Spring 2014 album release! The band is fronted by vocalist and songwriter, Amanda Anne Platt and lead guitarist/ producer Peter James and includes Tal Taylor on mandolin, bassist Rick Cooper, and Josh Milligan on drums.

The Kickstarter campaign launches during this weekend’s MerleFest, where The Honeycutters are set to perform, and will run for forty days. The goal is set to raise $28,000, which will be earmarked for recording; the mixing & mastering of the album at the prestigious Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville; album packaging design; album pressing; distribution; publicity and radio promotion. Supporters will receive an assortment of special gifts for pledging to the campaign including a day at the studio w/ The Honeycutters; handwritten lyrics booklets to accompany the album; house concerts featuring The Honeycutters; an invitation to a either a guitar workshop w/ Peter James or a songwriting workshop w/ Amanda Anne Platt; a special edition poster; pre-release copies of the album; stickers; digital downloads and more.

“We love playing music, being on the road, and meeting the people that make our lives as musicians possible,” Platt says. “We’re hoping that the release of this next record will afford us a greater opportunity for doing what we love–we want to bring more Honeycutters music into the world!”

Last year marked a successful year for The Honeycutters, with the release of their second album, When Bitter Met Sweet, which was also fan funded. The album released at MerleFest and was one of the top ten selling albums at MerleFest 2012. The band went on to sell out the Grey Eagle in Asheville for their official CD release party, and they performed at Strawberry Music Fest in California. Highlights for the band in 2012 included opening for Guy Clark in Nashville, TN and for Jim Lauderdale in New York City.

When Bitter Met Sweet remained on the Americana Radio Chart for 11 weeks after its June release where it reached #23. It  landed at #94 in the top 100 Americana releases for 2012 and placed #4 in WNCW’s Top 100 Albums of the same year. Regionally, it was the #2 record, right behind The Avett Brothers’ The Carpenter. Asheville’s Mountain Xpress reader’s poll selected The Honeycutters as “Best Local Americana Country Band” for the second year running. The group’s first release, Irene (2009) also received positive accolades like placing #32 on WNCW’s Top 100 Chart and a listing on Iaan Hughes’ No Depression Podcast’s Top Twenty of 2009.

The Honeycutters are currently featured in CMT’s Concrete Country series where they perform three original songs live in the heart of Downtown Nashville. Watch it here: http://www.cmtedge.com/2013/04/22/concrete-country-the-honeycutters/

For a free download of a sampler of The Honeycutters’ music, visit NoiseTrade: http://bit.ly/honeycuttersntm.

 CLICK to Visit The Honeycutters’ Kickstarter Site!

The Honeycutters on Tour:
Fri & Sat 4/26-27/13 MerleFest – Wilkesboro, NC
Fri & Sat 5/17-18/13 Isis Music Hall – Asheville, NC
Wed 5/29 The Berkeley Cafe – Raleigh, NC *w/ Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers
Thu 5/30 US National Whitewater Center – Charlotte, NC
Sat 6/1 Nelsonville Music Fest – Nelsonville, OH
Wed 6/5 Old St Francis Theater, Bend OR *
Thu 6/6 Kennedy School – Portland, OR *
Fri 6/7 Hotel Oregon – McMinnville, OR *
Sat 6/8 Treehouse Cafe – Bainbridge Island, WA
Sun 6/9 Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR *
Tue 6/11 Oly Club Centralia – WA *
Wed 6/12 Edgefield – Troutdale, OR *
Thu 6/13 Sand Trap – Gearhart, OR *
Fri 6/14 Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, OR *
Sat 6/15 Conor Byrne Pub – Seattle, WA
Sun 6/16 Green Frog Acoustic Cafe – Bellingham, WA
Thu 6/27 Western Carolina U’s Summer Concert Series – Cullowhee, NC
Fri 6/28 High Rock Outfitters – Lexington, NC
Sat 6/29 Amanda Anne Platt solo opening for Jill Andrews (Barley’s Knoxville, ticketed show)
Wed 7/10 Eddies’ Attic – Decatur, GA w/ Rebecca Pronsky
Sat 7/20 Magnolia Music and Medicine Show – Eastman GA
Sat 8/10 Dead On The Creek Music Festival – Willits CA
Fri 8/23 Summer Tracks Series – Tryon NC
Sun 8/25 Music On The Lake, Blue Ridge Community College – Flat Rock, NC (  (duo show)
Sat 9/7 Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival –  – Harmony PA
*as part of McMenamins Great American Northwest Music Tour

More information can be found at www.thehoneycutters.com

ABOUT THE HONEYCUTTERS
The Honeycutters are, at the heart, the musical collaboration of singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt and lead guitarist/ producer Peter James. While their sound has drawn comparisons to such artists as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris or Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Platt and James produce a refreshingly unique blend of Americana music that is comfortingly familiar while being entirely original. Whether performing as an acoustic duo or a full fledged Honky-Tonk five piece band, The Honeycutters leave smiles on the faces of the ears that they catch.

Like so many of country music’s great duos, Platt and James have a musical chemistry that can be felt throughout the songs they play, from the sounds of their guitars to their vocal harmonies. Perhaps this is why they are frequently mentioned along with the movement to “take country music back to its roots.” The Honeycutters are just doing what they know how to do: make music that feels as good to hear as it is to play.

 CLICK to Visit The Honeycutters’ Kickstarter Site!

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Dreamspider Bands at Merlefest 2012: Donna the Buffalo, Red June, The Honeycutters, Johnson’s Crossroad & Jonathan Scales Fourchestra

Dreamspider Publicity is so excited about MerleFest 2012! Dreamspider is working with 5 acts that will be performing this weekend including Donna the Buffalo, Red June, The Honeycutters, Johnson’s Crossroad, and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. Both Red June and The Honeycutters have albums due out soon!  Please click on the images for links to their websites.

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Donna the Buffalo’s feel-good, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially conscious music all began over twenty years ago with roots in old time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric Americana mix infused with elements of cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country. Donna the Buffalo is known for touring the country remaining fiercely independent as one of the industry’s most diverse roots-music bands and has “earned a reputation as one of the most respected, eclectic and hardest-working acts today,” praises Encore. The dynamic songwriting tandem of vocalists Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins have penned over 180 songs in their collaboration with DTB and have many more in the making.

*

Donna the Buffalo MerleFest Schedule:

Thursday, April 26, 2012:
Outreach:  1:30 PM- 2:30PM (DtB performance at Wilkes Middle School)
Media Tent: 4:30-5PM
Watson Stage: 6:45-7:45PM (Donna The Buffalo with Jim Lauderdale)
Autograph Signing: 8:15-8:45PM

*
Friday, April 27, 2012
Traditional Tent: 2:30-3:30PM (Tara Nevins and Friends)
Hillside Stage: 6:15-7PM (DtB)
Dance Tent: 10:30-11:59PM (DtB)

*

Saturday, April 28, 2012
Creekside Stage: 2-3:30PM Tara will sit in for a song with Peter Wernick’s Flexigrass

*

Sunday, April 29, 2012    
Traditional Tent: 11:30AM-12:30PM Tara will take part in the “Women Who Sing Traditional Music” workshop

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Red June is an acoustic trio based in Asheville, NC who creates and performs beautifully distilled Americana music. They are making waves with their dynamic, yet refined sound that features striking 3-part harmonies, tasteful instrumental work and honest, soulful songwriting that seamlessly blends old-time, bluegrass, roots rock and traditional country music. Poised to release their second full-length album, Beauty Will Come, on June 5th, 2012, listeners can expect an album to fall in love with. “The record is a brilliant integration of old-time, bluegrass, and beyond, and feels like a holding of hands… the blend is beautiful,” says singer/songwriter Kari Sickenberger of Polecat Creek.  Red June is made up of Will Straughan on resonator guitar, vocals and guitar, John Cloyd Miller on mandolin, vocals and guitar, and Natalya Weinstein on fiddle and vocals.

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Red June MerleFest Schedule:

Friday, April 27, 2012
Dance Tent: 12:45-1:45 PM “Learn to Clog with Carol Rifkin and Red June”
Dance Tent: 8:30PM Natalya will be a guest performers at the Square Dance
*
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Americana Stage: 11:00-11:45AM
Autograph Signing: 12:15-12:45PM
Traditional Tent: 1:30-2:15PM
Traditional Tent: 3:30-4:15PM Natalya will be part of the Fiddle Workshop
Dance Tent: 4:15-5:45PM

*

Sunday, April 29, 2012
Media Tent: 11:00-11:30 AM
Cabin Stage 12:20-12:45PM
Autograph Signing  1:15-1:45PM

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The Honeycutters are excited to introduce their second full length studio release, When Bitter Met Sweet this spring. Like their first release, Irene, When Bitter Met Sweet features singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, who has been hailed as “one of the best songwriters coming out of WNC these days” by WNCW programming director Martin Anderson. Peter James accompanies her on lead and rhythm guitar as well as harmony vocals. The Real Southern Say, “I can see a day when her name is mentioned alongside Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier and Gillian Welch. She’s just that good.”

 *

The Honeycutters MerleFest Schedule:

Friday, April 27, 2012
Americana Stage: 9:45-10:30AM
Creekside: 1:15-2PM
Austin Alumni Hall: 2-3:30PM Amanda is a guest judge @ Chris Austin Songwriting Contest
Austin Alumni Hall: 8:55-9:10PM Amanda will be performing a solo songwriter session
*
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Media Tent: 1:30-2PM
Cabin stage: 3:05-3:30PM
Autograph signing:  4-4:30PM

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Johnson’s Crossroad has been described by friends and fans as everything from Appalachian Soul” to “Hillbilly Metal.” The band blends blues, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, and Appalachian Old Time for a sound that The Daily Times’ Steve Wildsmith calls “both mournful and jubilant, breezy and graveyard serious.” He goes on to comment that frontman Paul Johnson’s voice “barely rises above a growl, but he stretches that sound to encompass the experience of a train-hopping hobo and the wisdom of an old man recalling loves lost and wars fought from the porch of a backwoods cabin.”  Watching his back is mandolin player Keith Minguez, a strong friendship at the core of the group… ironically enough the band originated on Keith’s first visit to MerleFest watching John Hartford perform.
*
Johnson’s Crossroad MerleFest Schedule:

 Friday, April 27, 2012
Walker Center: 1:15-2:00PM
Creekside Stage: 3:45PM-4:30PM
Autograph Signing: 5-5:30PM
Austin Stage in Alumni Hall: 10:05-10:20PM Songwriter Coffeehouse with Paul Johnson
*
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Media Tent: 10-10:30AM
Cabin Stage: 11:15-11:45AM
Autograph Signing: 12:30-1pm
Americana Stage: 1:30-2:15PM
Plaza Stage:  5:45PM- 6:30PM
Autograph signing: 7-7:30PM

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Classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales is heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z and is known for his unique presentation of the Steel Pan that brings the instrument into new realms of musical influence and has been called, “… a rising star of the steel drums” by Traps Magazine and “The Real Deal [with] a Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works” by Pan on the Net. Fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright provides the harmonic support for Scales’ sound, while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves.  Premier Steel Pan Magazine When Steel Talks says, “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.”

*
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra MerleFest Schedule:

Friday, April 27, 2012
Media Tent: 10:30-11AM
Watson Stage: 11:45AM-12:45PM
Autograph signing: 1-1:30PM
Hillside Stage: 2:15-3PM
*
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Walker Center: 9:15-10:15AM Intimate performance for ticketed guests @ Patron Breakfast
Walker Center: 11:15PM-12AM Midnight Jam Opening Act
Mayes Pit-Cohn Auditorium: 2:45 PM 3:30PM Steel Drum Workshop

 ***

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Red June Releases “Beauty Will Come” on June 5th: Appalachian Rooted Americana

Like their namesake heirloom apple variety, Red June has strong roots in the Appalachian tradition while constantly forging new ground in Americana music.

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RedJuneMusic.com

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Red June is an acoustic trio based in Asheville, NC who creates and performs beautifully distilled Americana music. They are making waves with their dynamic, yet refined sound that features striking 3-part harmonies, tasteful instrumental work and honest, soulful songwriting that seamlessly blends old-time, bluegrass, roots rock and traditional country music. Poised to release their second full-length album, Beauty Will Come, on June 5th, 2012, listeners can expect an album to fall in love with. “The record is a brilliant integration of old-time, bluegrass, and beyond, and feels like a holding of hands… the blend is beautiful,” says singer/songwriter Kari Sickenberger of Polecat Creek.

Red June is made up of Will Straughan on resonator guitar, vocals and guitar, John Cloyd Miller on mandolin, vocals and guitar, and Natalya Weinstein on fiddle and vocals. The three have been longtime friends and first jammed together at a pickin’ party in Asheville in 2005. In late 2008 they formed Red June and went on to release their debut album Remember Me Well in 2010. Remember Me Well was voted the #1 regional release of 2010 by the listeners of the southeast’s premier independent radio station WNCW. “For those who seek well-crafted songwriting and impeccable musicianship, you just can’t go wrong with the acoustic instrumentation and powerful harmonies of Red June’s Remember Me Well. It’s an exciting debut from a collective of outstanding performers,” writes Chris Mateer in No Depression.

Beauty Will Come was recorded and mixed in late 2011 at Hollow Reed Arts Studio in Asheville by musician/engineer extraordinaire Chris Rosser, who co-produced the record along with Red June. The innovative young graphic artist, Peter Gaillard, designed the album art using an old lithograph of a Mourning Cloak butterfly. The image resonates with the album’s themes of transition, hope, loss and renewal.

More personal than their debut album, Beauty Will Come begins with an uplifting song by Straughan titled “These Old Chains.” “Every Hard Mile”, by Miller, is an expansive song featuring the band’s signature 3-part harmonies. Track three is an exciting old-time inspired fiddle tune written by Weinstein & Miller titled “Piney Branch Breakdown.” Straughan then brings us “All that the Fall Leaves,” a playful waltz about the search for true love.

“Bittersweet” is a pensive song from Weinstein, and is the song from which the album title was drawn. Next is the only cover song on the record, a gospel a capella originally recorded by Ralph Stanley called “I’m Willing to Try.” Following, is John’s nod to his bluegrass heritage with “Cloud of Dust.” Straughan’s beautiful and powerful “Soul’s Repair” follows and Miller then brings us the light-hearted “Foolish Me.” Next is a set of Irish reels, “Scott’s/Connors” penned by Straughan and named after his young guitar student and student’s brother. The final track on the album “Red Sky of Morn” is a collaborative song written by all three band members along with Laurelyn Dossett.

Red June is already well underway to becoming a longtime southern favorite, akin to the Appalachian heirloom apple variety from which they gleaned their name. Ripening early with a full balance of flavors, Red June is touring across the country and has performed at the renowned Music City Roots live radio show in Nashville as well as the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival and Suwannee Springfest. They will also be performing three days at the 25th anniversary MerleFest in April of 2012. As acclaimed songwriter & musician Joe Newberry says, “Red June is one of our truly great bands. They never fail to talk the talk and walk the walk.” Red June is sure to capture eyes and ears with their new release, Beauty Will Come.

WATCH “Soul’s Repair” live from Music City Roots

WATCH “Cloud Of Dust” from the Rooster’s Wife in Aberdeen, NC

WATCH “Bittersweet” from the Rooster’s Wife in Aberdeen, NC

Spring/Summer Tour Dates

4/27 – 4/29 MerleFest, N. Wilkesboro NC

5/5 French Broad River Fest, Hot Springs NC

5/12 Pinecone Concert Series, Cary NC

5/19 Opening for the Steep Canyon Rangers

at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain NC

6/7 Reynolda House, Winston-Salem NC

6/8 Hickory Unitarian Church, Hickory NC

6/9 Mountain Home Music, Blowing Rock NC

6/14 Whitewater Center, Charlotte NC

6/15 Altamont Theatre, Asheville NC

6/21 Marsh Woodwinds Upstairs, Raleigh NC

6/22 Ashland Coffee & Tea, Ashland VA

6/23 The Mainstay, Rock Hall MD

6/26 The Living Room, NYC

6/27 Johnny D’s, Boston MA

6/30 Wesley United Methodist Church, Amherst MA

7/1 Firebox TrueGrass Bluegrass Series, Hartford CT

7/21 Gallivan Center Folk & Bluegrass Festival,

Salt Lake City UT

7/22 Mountain Town Music, Park City UT

7/24 Cardiff Schoolhouse, Glenwood Springs CO

7/28 Cooper Creek Square Concerts, Winter Park CO

7/29 Fiddles, Vittles & Vino Festival, Colorado Springs CO

8/1 Poudre River Library, Fort Collins CO

8/4 Beartrap Summer Festival, Casper WY

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redjunemusic.com

twitter.com/redjunemusic

facebook.com/redjuneasheville

youtube.com/user/redjunemusic

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The Honeycutters Release New Album “When Bitter Met Sweet” CD Release Show at The Grey Eagle on May 5th

The Honeycutters Release NEW Album “When Bitter Met Sweet”

The Grey Eagle

Saturday, May 5th

Moses Atwood Opens

Doors 7pm, Show starts at 8pm

$8 adv/ $10 at door

185 Clingman Ave. 28801

828-232-5800

www.thegreyeagle.com

www.thehoneycutters.com

In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized and impersonal, the Honeycutters are building a reputation based on live performance and songs that tend to stick with you. Fitting into Americana realm, Mountain Xpress’s Alli Marshall calls The Honeycutters’ sound, “Old school country in the truest sense… free of twang and ten-gallon hats but full of real emotion, family history, quick wit and strong liquor.”

In an interview with the Folk to Folk Blog, Amanda says that part of the Honeycutters appeal is that their sound harkens back to simpler, more honest times. “In times like these, people want something real,” she said. “They’re just really craving something that’s just going to connect them to that basic human pool of emotion.”

The Honeycutters are excited to introduce their second full length studio release, When Bitter Met Sweet on June 5th, 2012. They are hosting their Asheville CD release show at the Grey Eagle on Saturday, May 5th. Copies of the album will be available at the show. Moses Atwood opens the show, which starts at 8pm sharp. The Honeycutters will also be making an appearance on WNCW’s Studio B during the 11 o’clock AM hour on Thursday, May 3rd… tune in at http://wncw.org.

Like their first release, Irene, When Bitter Met Sweet features singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, who has been hailed as “one of the best songwriters coming out of WNC these days” by WNCW programming director Martin Anderson. Peter James accompanies her on lead and rhythm guitar as well as harmony vocals. They are backed up by Tal Taylor’s signature mandolin playing, Ian Harrod on bass, and Jon Ashley on drums creating an original brand of Americana that has proved equally appealing to both the musician and the music lover, the country and the city, and the old and the young.

Platt’s songs are shaped by a raw honesty that comes straight from the heart and emits a sort of melancholy happiness. The album features 11 tracks that touch upon childhood and loss of innocence, finding a sense of belonging and one’s voice, truth, love and patience, traveling and embarking on new life-journeys (and the fears that go along with these), and the understanding that comes about when life’s circumstances come full circle.

The title track, “When Bitter Met Sweet” is a song about the end of love looking back at the beginning.  Platt says, “I think it’s important not to lose sight of what was good about something even if it is ending.” “For Eleanora,” was inspired after reading a biography of Billie Holiday and reflects on a similar thought of polarities that, “It seems like so often the partners of extreme talent and specialness are self-destruction and doubt.”

The song “90 Miles (The Tennessee Song)” is featured on Blue Ridge Outdoors Trailmix for 2012 Merlefest Artists. It was written after her first trip to International Folk Alliance in 2010, an event that can be quite overwhelming at first. An admitted introvert, Amanda was faced with the challenges of how to be heard amongst all of the activity of events such as these. And make herself heard is exactly what she went on to do; becoming a finalist at 2011 Merlefest’s Chris Austin songwriting contest for her song song “Little Bird” (unrecorded). She was asked to return as a guest judge for the contest, along with Jim Lauderdale, for the 2012 Merlefest (Where The Honeycutters will also be performing a few sets this year). The same song won first place in the Great Lakes Song Contest in February 2012.

“All I Got, ” is a song Amanda calls, “a love song I wrote a long, long time ago, before I had actually ever been in love” and was selected for WNCW’s 2010 Crowd Around the Mic Vol. 14.

“Fancy Car” features Platt’s father on harmonica. He also sits in on “Not Over Yet”  which she says that when she sings it she imagines a child leaving home for the first time, wanting freedom but scared of what it might cost.

When Bitter Met Sweet was co-produced by Amanda and Peter with the assistance of Aaron Price, and was recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC after securing funding through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Along with the full band, many special guests make appearances on the album including Matt Smith (pedal steel and dobro), Nicky Sanders (fiddle), Mark Platt (harmonica), Je Widenhouse (coronet), and on drums Mike Rhodes and Richard Foulk and for various songs. The album was engineered (and partially mixed) by Jon Ashley with the assistance of Julian Dreyer, mixed by John Keane and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte, NC.

Their first full length studio release Irene, released in May 2009, has landed them in Ian Hughes’ NoDepression Podcast’s Top 20 of 2009, Fret Knot Radio Hour’s “Nine you need to know from ’09”, and #32 in WNCW’s listener voted Top 100 of 2009.

Since putting out Irene the Honeycutters have shared the stage with such Americana favorites as Tony Rice, The Greencards, Jill Andrews, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Donna the Buffalo, and The Seldom Scene.  They have been voted Western North Carolina’s favorite local Americana act (2011 Mountain Xpress reader’s poll) and delighted audiences from upstate New York to Seattle, Washington. They are currently touring around the release of When Bitter Met Sweet.

Stay tuned to thehoneycutters.com for more news about the album and their tour.

What the Press is saying about The Honeycutters:

“I can see a day when her name is mentioned alongside Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier and Gillian Welch.  She’s just that good.” —The Real Southern

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“They’ve got a sound as classic as grits… I thought of those country songs that play on those diner jukeboxes you see in movies.” –Charlotte’s Creative Loafing

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“Amanda Platt’s striking, timeless vocals form the cornerstone of her often heart-wrenching songs, while producer Pete James’ understated guitar and gentle harmonies round out the duo’s saccharine-sweet mix.” –Dane Smith, Mountain Xpress

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“Amanda’s lyrics are both sardonic and sweet, which adds a contemporary element to their country twanged Americana sound [which] is more influenced by the harmonic tendencies of country singers like Johnny Cash and June Carter” —Folk to Folk Blog.

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“I recommend the Honeycutters not only because they’re some of the best my hometown of Asheville, NC, has to offer. Their music embodies a very catchy, accessible, optimistic sort of spirit so frequently lacking in folk circles (where brooding, hyper-analytical music reigns supreme). What’s more, like Carolina Story, they’re a great band replete with tasty harmonies.” –Kim Ruehl, Folk Music About.com

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“If anyone can make this old metalhead want to whip out the cowboy boots and hat, order a couple of Budweisers and spin my woman around the dance floor, the Honeycutters can.” –Brent Fleury, Bold Life Magazine

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“Amanda’s voice sings like Carolina farmlands after a rainstorm” –Harvey Robinson, Monkeywhale productions

www.thehoneycutters.com

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