Will and Alona are a singer-songwriter duo from the Smokey Mountains, just west of Knoxville, TN.  Will won the DC Blues Society slot to compete as a solo artist in the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Alona holds a professional songwriting certificate from Berklee College of Music. Will fronted for several country, rock, and blues bands before coaxing his wife, Alona to join him in performing some of their original songs as well as standards. The duo performed in the Northern Virginia area for about 5 years. While their repertoire was initially very eclectic, they have chosen to focus on the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country genres. They write  songs that draw on bluegrass and old-time tradition, yet are infused with traces of their blues/rock influences.  That led Will and Alona to name their duo “Instant Vintage” – the name under which they currently perform in the East Tennessee region.

Earlier this year, they had thier first single cut by a mainstream Bluegrass artist, Jerry Salley. The song, “A Hill to Die On” was co-written with Jerry and is on his latest CD, “The Believer”

We want to give a shout out to our mentors on our songwriting journey, Jerry Salley and Donna Ulisse. Both have won IBMA Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year multiple times, and other awards too numerous to mention including Grammy and Dove Awards.  Please explore their webpages to find out more.