East Tennessee's Own WDVX

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/27 - Dani-Rae Clark / Dean Batten
2023-05-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Knoxville, TN, United States
Dean Batten is a master in the making. He’s been writing songs since age thirteen and recording himself in some form or another since 2013. After the breakup of the last band he was in, Dean set out in 2015 on his own to discover and fulfill the fullness of his artistic calling. This has led to three EP’s, three albums and a string of singles; and he isn’t stopping there.
Combining his singular wit with the nuance, care and insight of a much older poet, Dean balances the two extremes of feet-on-the-ground and head-in-the-clouds to produce a music all his own.
https://youtu.be/HY1dvi-4MtU
Notes on a Crisis from Dani-Rae Clark is a small collection of songs about loss, mourning, fear and prayer in the ongoing fentanyl crisis. It is an offering to anyone wrapped up or touched by this collective trauma. It is for everyone we have lost. May you be heard. It is for anyone who has lost. May you be held.

The WDVX Big Plate - 5/26 - Eldon Huff
2023-05-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Eldon Huff is an American singer-songwriter making music that means something.
Pairing tough-to-match guitar skills with downhome lyrics about life and love, Eldon performs soulful songs that unite us all under the human condition. Like so many of us, he has searched for himself at the bottom of a bottle and down on his knees before God.
Somewhere between chasing the dream and putting in an honest day’s work, Eldon made a name for himself in Nashville doing Southern Roots Rock.
Known in Nashville as a triple threat, Eldon steps onto the stage with a steady and soulful voice, songs that speak volumes, and a legendary ability to wield a Les Paul guitar. Eldon’s catalog of music is grounded in straightforward themes that stand the test of time and lyrics that just don’t expire.
As a songwriter, he draws on his own life to tell stories about standing for something, refusing to back down, putting in a hard day’s work, relying on a higher power, falling in love, and remembering where you came from. Narratives rooted in nostalgia and relevant today are paired with unshakeable chords and performed with the kind of conviction that only comes from living.
Born and raised in rural Kentucky, Eldon grew up on timeless greats like Bob Seger, Travis Tritt, and Keith Whitley. Drawn in by music at an early age, he got on stage every chance he could get.
At eight years old, he was playing drums in his dad’s body shop, and by 11, he talked a local band into hiring him. By 12, he started teaching himself guitar and, at 15, became the lead guitarist in another band. By 17, Eldon had played every bar, club, and honkytonk in Virginia, West Virginia, East Kentucky, North Carolina, and East Tennessee. At 18, he broke his mama’s heart when he dropped out of high school to follow the dream full time.
The rest was not history. It was hard work, dedication, and a winding road that finally led Eldon home.
With pit stops along the way, Eldon made the pilgrimage to Nashville to pursue music. It was here he learned that talent alone won’t get you there. It also takes an unrelenting will to succeed, a love for making music no matter how many people are listening, and the support of those who will stick by your side.
Working in manufacturing and construction, he crisscrossed the southeast, playing music on nights and weekends. Running on empty, Eldon moved back to Kentucky to play in a local band, where he was lucky enough to meet and marry his wife. Before long, Huff was recruited to the road, touring with country music artist Eric Church before publishing his own hit album.
Eldon has walked a mile in everyone’s shoes, and he’s finally found his way home. Soon after signing with High West Records, he holed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Ben Fowler to breathe life into his latest album, “Drifter.”
From here on out, Eldon Huff will continue to do what he’s always done by making music that means something. And he’s just getting started.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/25 - Sugarcane Jane
2023-05-25 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Sugarcane Jane, formed and lead by Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee from Loxley, Alabama — have been America’s sweethearts from Alabama’s Gulf Coast for over a decade. Between them, they have amassed a rich musical heritage working with such notables as Neil Young, Steve Winwood, and Dwight Yoakam. The music they make together is simple and direct, rooted in country and rock, and anchored by their sweet and soulful harmonies.
To know the couple’s roots is important in understanding the foundation of their incredible story. Anthony’s musical career has lead him all over the world beginning at Opryland at the age of eighteen to performing at the Grand Ole Opry with Roy Acuff, to being on tour with Sonny James, Neil Young (The Shocking Pinks, The International Harvesters, The Electric Band), then Steve Winwood (Roll With It Tour), Vince Gill, and Dwight Yoakam. He’s had appearances on Hee Haw, Austin City Limits, Live Aid, Farm Aid, Showtime, the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Today Show, Grammy Awards Show, made music videos (Wonderin’-Neil Young, Gone-Dwight Yoakam), been in movies (Heart of Gold-Neil Young, Neil Young Trunk Show, Blackhawk DVD). He’s played on stage with Paul McCartney with Neil Young at Hyde Park. He took the cover photo for Neil Young’s Chrome Dreams II album. His songs have been recorded by Steve Winwood, Dwight Yoakam, Kenny Rogers, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, Lorrie Morgan, Billy Burnett, Sawyer Brown, and others.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/24 - Mary Kate & Angel Chantel / Ally Venable
2023-05-24 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Beautiful roots harmonies, the low hum of an upright, and rhythm. What more could you ask for out of a Duo? Mary Kate and Angel Chantel will bring you tunes ranging in genre and energy from the Classic Country hits of Loretta Lynn, Pasty Cline, a new spin on the Carter Family, to the modern outlaw country stylings of Tyler Childers. They are teaming up for an early summer tour across the south east, that includes Mrs. Loretta Lynn’s Festival at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN.

Texas blues-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire, Ally Venable, entertains wherever she goes. With her signature glitter dresses and black knee-high boots, Venable comes off of the ropes swinging dazzling crowds on tour or throughout the festival circuit. “Venable pulls off a stunner of gritty and/or sultry blues rock tunes embellished with lots of tasty guitar solos.” – Guitar Player Magazine. A Kilgore, Texas native, Ally began singing at church at four and picked up the guitar at age 12. By 13, she started her own band and through her early influence of Stevie Ray Vaughan captured the passion and yearning for more in the blues genre. Early releases No Glass Shoes (2016) and Puppet Show (2018) started her fanbase, charting radio play, and several East Texas Music Awards. It was 2019’s #2 Billboard Blues charting Texas Honey and rocking sets on Ruf’s European Blues Caravan tour that propelled her internationally. “Ally is the future of blues and the crossover music of American roots-rock.” – Mike Zito. In what silenced many musicians during the pandemic, Venable now in her 20’s, released another Blues Billboard charting album, Heart of Fire (2021), which challenged her to write not only about love but the unguarded honesty of feeling pain.”On this album,I really wanted to create a tone of overcoming your struggles and persevering through them,” she explains. Mentor and featured artist on this album, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, lends his guitar skills on XM Bluesville’s charted song, “Bring on the Pain.” In 2022, Guitar World Magazine named Ally #2 on the top 15 Young Guns Making the Gibson Les Paul Cool Again, and she received the Road Warrior award from the Independent Blues Music Awards. Along with Ally’s own tour domestically and in Europe, her band has supported Buddy Guy and Kenny Wayne Shepherd throughout the US, as well as Colin James in Canada. She has performed as a featured artist on the Experience Hendrix Show at the ACL Live at Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Fans are anticipating Venable’s upcoming spring 2023 release produced by Grammy award winning producer, Tom Hambridge, which includes a duet with the iconic Buddy Guy and a song featuring powerhouse guitarists Joe Bonamassa.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/23 - Chris King and the Gutterballs
2023-05-23 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Chris King & The Gutterballs know the secret to creative success; movement is key to progress. Whether by a gust of tornado wind or rubber against the road, pushing forward is all there is in a life, buoyed and scarred by love. The band infuses this propelling urgency in all of its performances into its songs, starting with King’s dynamic, uncorked-fire-hydrant voice.
The band has released three full-length records, Hidin’ Out in 2014, Cocktails in 2016, and Painwaves in 2019. Since their last full-length release, Chris King & The Gutterballs have released the singles Fantasy Island and Weekend Warrior in 2020, Party With You in 2022, and, most recently, City Love on April 14, 2023.
Chris King & The Gutterballs have played at major music festivals, including Treefort (Boise, ID), Off-Beat (Reno, NV), Freakout Festival Seattle, WA), The San Juan County Fair (San Juan Islands, WA), Fisherman’s Village (Everett, WA), Filo Fest (Online), and Capitol Hill Block Party (Seattle, WA).
They’ve had the honor of sharing the stage or live stream with national and local acts, including The Growlers, The Quilters, Bob Weir, David Crosby, The Smokey Brights, Acid Tongue, Shaina Shepherd, Tomo Nakayama, The Moondoggies, Silver Triplets of the Rio Hondo, and more. They’ve performed live in-studio on the acclaimed radio station KEXP. In addition, the band was featured on Seattle Channel’s Art Zone with Nancy Guppy and 107.7 The End’s Locals Only radio show.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/22 - Mary Scholz
2023-05-22 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The stage is dark. The ice in your glass clinks as you take a sip. When the lights come up, and Mary Scholz steps onto the stage, a warmth comes over you that has nothing to do with drink. Barefoot, with dark curls cascading, she is at once whimsical and grounded. Just one woman with an acoustic guitar, but fills the room from the moment the music leaves her lips. The sound seeps into you like honey. You feel seen. You feel human. You feel loved.
For years, Mary’s stunning voice and evocative songwriting have made her a live circuit favorite. The Philadelphia native has toured nationally for over a decade and made several excursions to Europe. Every time Scholz takes the stage, she forges a personal connection with her audience. As the Music Junkie Press put it, “To see Mary Scholz live in concert is to fall in love. It is not just the flashing dark eyes or the crown of black ringlets or the confident, welcoming body language at the microphone. It is the voice and the lyrics — the music that flows from the stage…you know this woman and her music and you want to spend the rest of your life listening to her.”
Growing up, Mary had a deep reverence for music. She was always drawn to the spiritual resonance of dusty church organs and captivated by the lyricism of seventies sweethearts like Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. She grew up dancing, playing both piano and flute, and came to the guitar later, as a teenager. She went on to earn a BFA from the University of the Arts. But just as she would sing, years later, that she “knew about California,” she always knew her voice would be her primary instrument. On the road, she would also deepen her relationship to the guitar and begin a more nuanced level of exploration.
Today, Mary is based in Los Angeles, where her unique brand of gritty folk-charm has helped her make her mark. “I’ve been referred to as a ‘folk explorer with spacey roots and wings.’ I’m a fan of that one,” Mary says. Though she’s quick to follow that her musical genre is always evolving alongside her creative process. “I think it’s it’s important that artists can be exactly who they are, not who they think they should be, and create from that space.” That throughline of authenticity has set Mary’s music apart from the beginning.
Much of Scholz’s material considers how transitions color the human experience, as well as the side effects of love and loss. Her 2014 release, The Girl You Thought You Knew explores the self in relation to the other, and the bittersweetness of separation and self-actualization. In addition to its folk-pop title track, the album includes the HMMA-nominated song, “Bridges We Burn.” In 2017, Mary followed up with another breakout record, California. The album was recorded live in one room, to an Ampex 8-track tape machine. It was also the artist’s first vinyl pressing.
California marked a turning point in Scholz’s work and broadened her fanbase. “I don’t always get chills when I find a new artist, but I absolutely did with Mary Scholz,” wrote a journalist at Ear to the Ground Music. “There’s a purity in her performance that only comes along once in a while. The clarity in the composition is evident, allowing Scholz’s vocal to cut through the sound. It’s romantic and invigorating…[“California”] truly a treat of a pop-folk song.”
A music video for the song “Murder Ballad” followed the album release. The video garnered attention for its stark examination of abusive relationships, and the ways they inform one’s self-image and interactions with the world. With the release of the single “The Mother Song: Wild Womxn,” Scholz pushed her boundaries even further, telling a profound story of womanhood that is at once personal and utterly universal. Beyond their positive reception, “California” and “The Mother Song” also led to Mary’s partnership with Blue Élan records co-founder, Kirk Pasich, and the affiliated company, KZZ Music.
“One of the things I so appreciate about Kirk, and his team, is that they are really interested in cultivating a community, and creating space for artists to do what they do best. That gives me a platform to be myself, which is a beautiful thing,” she says.
Mary’s 2020 single, “LADY LIBERTY,” also touches on the broader aches of our modern world: “The song is written from the perspective of the Statue of Liberty,” she explains. “She is overlooking this country, seeing where we are failing to uphold the beliefs that we say are our foundation, demanding we acknowledge and make change.”
Planting her feet firmly in the Americana family, Scholz released the self produced EP “Lonesome” in 2021, which spent months on the Americana radio charts, both for the record as well as its toe-tapping title track. This led to the much anticipated release of “Begin Again” in 2022, a full length record produced by Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Margo Price, Angel Olsen, Connor Oberst). The album is a 10 song Americana journey that paints a panoramic, starry landscape, addressing how we process life internally, to how we respond as a community.
To date, Mary has seven studio releases and various singles available on all major platforms and plans to release more this year. Though her music has shape-shifted through the years, she continues to espouse the same message of love, hope, and personal empowerment.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/20 - Jay Skaggs / Justin Kaleb
2023-05-20 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Justin Kaleb grew up in the foothills of the Arkansas Ozarks and moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the ripe age of 22. He cut his first record “Homesick Blues” down in the infamous Muscle Shoals, Alabama with the great Jimmy Nutt (Jimmy Buffett, Jason Isbell, American Aquarium) and Gary Nichols (The Steeldrivers), and signed his first publishing deal shortly after. What seemed to be a bright immediate future in Nashville soon became a monotonous grind clouded by homesickness and depression. He packed his bags and headed back home to catch his breath.
After a year of being back home in Arkansas and working the Texas and Oklahoma markets, Nashville came calling again. He found himself back in his old stomping grounds regularly playing shows, writing music, and having more fun than he’d ever had before. He partnered up with his old pal Darren King (Project 86/The Overseer) and the songs they were working on quickly became a record.
Justin Kaleb has seen his fair share of ups and downs. He’s played sold out venues with bands like The Steeldrivers, and felt the rush of cramming into a 15-passenger van with his best friends to share the stage with bands like Drowning Pool in his early years of fronting a metal band. At the same time, he’s felt the calmness and serenity of driving through an Alabama cotton field by himself to play for nobody but the bartender. While this ebb and flow way of life might deter most, he’s learned to find comfort in it.
Don’t be fooled by his laid-back demeanor. Justin knows that talent is worthless without work-ethic, and work-ethic can even overcome a lack of talent if you work hard enough. He sees it every day while working with his hands when he’s not on the road or in the studio, and has experienced first-hand how sometimes just showing up can be the first step toward something great.
In the same vein as artists like the Turnpike Troubadours, Tyler Childers, and Jason Isbell, Justin Kaleb brings an element of truth-telling, blue-collar music that Americana music fans can surely get behind. Jump on board while you can, because the train’s leaving the station.

Jay Skaggs joins us today as well.

Kidstuff Live - Children’s Festival of Reading - 5/20 - Sean McCollough
2023-05-20 10:00 - 11:00 | World’s Fair Park, 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37916, United States
Join WDVX at the World’s Fair Park on Saturday Morning May 20th at Ten for a live Kidstuff with your host Sean McCollough from The Music Tent. The Knox County Public Library hosts the Children’s Festival of Reading with storytelling, live music and more. All the fun starts at 10 AM and goes til 3 PM. The Children’s Festival of Reading is a free event!! More info at www.knoxcountylibrary.org/childrens-festival-of-reading.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/18 - Higher Education
2023-05-18 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Higher Education crafts a unique blend of psychedelic soaked roots with raw riotous rock n roll. Higher Ed is a three piece power trio from the state of Maryland, consisting of brothers Petey and Danny Devaney on Guitar, Bass, and Vocals, and Bradley Wilson on Drums. Together they have toured the country sharing their extensive original catalog of music and high energy performances. Higher Ed’s music certainly bends genres, but their foundation is rooted in Rockin guitar riffs, groovin’ bass lines, powerful drums, and strong melodies. They are creators of their own unique style of music, ever evolving, while steadily sharpening their sound. If you are a music lover it’s time for you to get educated, you’re about to discover something special. ​
Check out their latest single “Hope and Fear” streaming now!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/17 - Mike Miz
2023-05-17 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Mike Mizwinski, better known simply as Mike Miz is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Northeast Pennsylvania known for soulful and energetic live performances. Encouraged by both his Mother and Father to pursue a passion for music, Mike began playing guitar at age 7 and started writing songs as early as age 10. Performing over 200 shows a year, he has had the privilege to open for Jason Isbell, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson, Blues Traveler, Derek Trucks, America, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Felice Brothers, Shawn Colvin, Leon Russell, Chris Isaak, Peter Wolf, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Jackie Greene, Railroad Earth and many more… Rolling Stone called Mike’s 2021 single Virginia “a monster of a jam rocker.” The new album Only Human is set for release 4/14/23. Mike currently resides in Nashville TN.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/16 - East Tennessee Bluegrass Association / Arum Rae
2023-05-16 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Arum Rae is a singer and songwriter based in New York City. Lover of fashion, music, lyrics and art.

Based in Knoxville, TN, the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association is a non-profit organization committed to promoting traditional bluegrass music through education, outreach and community. We organize events featuring local artists, provide music education and host jams around East Tennessee thanks to the support of people like you!
ETNBA jams are acoustic and feature traditional bluegrass instruments: acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and dobro. Jams are FREE and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in listening are also welcome!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/15 - Creamery Station / Stella Prince
2023-05-15 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
In little more than four years and hundreds of shows under their belt, the band Creamery Station has evolved into a powerhouse on the scene with a unique sound the people can’t seem to get enough of! Within this relatively short time, the band has risen through the ranks – having done shows with national acts such as Max Creek, Melvin Seals & JGB, Twiddle, Keller Williams, Marshall Tucker Band, Roots of Creation, John Kadlecik Band, Pink Talking Fish, The Garcia Project, Kitchen Dwellers, & many more. The band is primarily focused on developing their original material – the songs have already become crowd favorites. Alongside a healthy mix of classic songs you know and love, this eclectic, multi-genre band has been garnering some serious attention lately – delivering stellar performances that you don’t want to miss!

2022 has been a groundbreaking year for Stella Prince. Her first single that went to radio, “Crying on a Saturday Night”, charted on the Americana Singles Chart, was played on over sixty radio stations internationally, and was the most added song on folk radio in March of 2022. The follow up single, released in July of 2022, “Eighteen”, debuted on the Folk Alliance International Charts at #46 and also debuted on the Alternative Country Charts. Stella’s most recent single, “Closing Doors”, produced by famed producer Professor Louie of “The Band”, debuted at #15 on NACC. Her music video for the song has received over 80,000 views on YouTube alone, and has received support from legendary outlets such as CMT, Ditty TV, Heartland, The Country Network, and Discover Music Videos. This year Stella has been featured over 50 times in various articles by outlets such as Americana Highways, Girls Life Magazine, Americana UK, Country Music Views, Teen Look, Think Country, NY State Music, Cowgirl Magazine, and Music City Magazine, among others. Her debut EP released on July 22, and she is working with top radio promoters Art Menius and David Avery. Touring has been another breakthrough for Stella in 2022. She just finished her first international run in the UK, and will soon be embarking on an 18-city tour of the Southwest. She has already performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, such as London’s “The Bedford” and “Spice of Life”, New York’s “Bitter End” and “Arlene’s Grocery”, and Nashville’s famed “Bluebird Cafe”. She currently resides in Nashville and is currently working with Nashville based manager Neal Spielberg.
RECENT UPDATE: In February 2023, Stella was the winner of the First Timers Scholarship at Folk Alliance. She showcased in 6 different private showcases between Feb 1-3.

ORNL FCU/Summer Sessions - 5/13 - Hackensaw Boys / Larry Keel Trio
2023-05-13 18:00 | Southwest Point Amphitheater in Kingston, 1225 S. Kentucky Street, Kingston, TN, 37763, United States
Roots music shapeshifters Hackensaw Boys make a triumphant return with the Hackensaw Boys new self-titled album due out in June. Known for their energetic live shows, the band have been operating as a sort of musical collective for over two decades now, carving a songline that traverses all genres of American roots music. They’ve toured nearly constantly, playing festivals all over the world, sharing stages with the likes of De La Soul and Cheap Trick, and even working as Charlie Louvin’s touring band. They’ve been featured on NPR and Pitchfork, where Amanda Petrusich aptly described their music as a “grassy tornado with brazen punk attitude”. Through it all they’ve adapted their sound, as well as their lineup, to serve their songs with a workman-like ethic. It was during the recording and release of their last EP A Fireproof House Of Sunshine (Free Dirt Records) that David Sickmen realized he was doing his best work. This motivated him to “stay out of his own way” during the making of their new self-titled album, a free-wheeling romp through roots music that includes hardcore roots instrumentals, country rug-cutters, and folk rock gems. Produced by Park Chisolm (Kevin Costner & Modern West), Hackensaw Boys is chock full of classic, catchy Hackensaw sounds while achieving a new level of unapologetic honesty and vulnerability via Sickmen’s well-honed, salt-of-the-earth songwriting.
After a six year hiatus, and a battle with vocal polyps that resulted in surgery, founding member, songwriter, and guitarist David Sickmen assumed leadership of the band. He says “…after struggling internally for years to decide what was Hackensaw Boys material and what was not, I realized my life experiences are actually what makes the songs real for me, and therefore good Hackensaw material.” In 2015 he developed an ethos “to play good shows, and be responsible citizens,” which has fueled the group’s longevity and helped them to weather the ebb and flow of musical tastes du jour, as “alt-country” transitioned to “Americana”. Hackensaw Boys have been around so long that Sickmen’s own son Jonah has now joined the ranks on this new effort, taking lead on one of the band’s more notorious innovations, the charismo—an instrument that symbolizes the ever evolving nature of the band. The charismo is a collection of found objects, worn like a washboard, but played percussively like a drum set. The amalgamation of sounds from tin cans and scrap steel, often picked up on the road and attached to the one of a kind instrument, lend a one of a kind sound to the band, and a sound that changes just a bit as the years pass by.
Hackensaw Boys opens with “Things We’re Doing” a hot flatpicking number backed by atmospheric fiddle. Sickmen sings “the past, you’ll see, it ain’t no place to be,” encouraging a progressive outlook even as their music digs further into the well tilled soil of roots music for their original sound. By the second song “Mary Shelley” Hackensaw Boys are again breaking new ground. Sickmen is singing his level best about the myths that can be repeated so often they become our reality. It’s promethean in its structure, essentially an uptempo pop song played on acoustic instruments, propelled by ringing mandolin, jangling guitars and plucky charismo. The song is a years-long realization for Sickmen, who wrote it in Berlin over a decade ago. “As soon as we talked about making a new record the guys all asked if we could record the Mary Shelley song,” he says “so I realized that these experiences I’ve been living for years are the Hackensaw Boys sound”. The tempo does not let up on “The Weights” as the band achieves a full sound anchored by Chris Stevens deep, woody upright, fronted by Caleb Powers appropriately scratchy fiddle on a cheeky song about the weight of personality types on working relationships. Powers then switches to banjo, bounding in on the uptempo “Cages We’re Grown In” another song about turning adversity into advantage, celebrating the human spirit in the way only Hackensaw Boys can. Never resting on their laurels, Hackensaw Boys make the switch to a Texas two-stepper on “My Turn”. Sickmen sings in duet with Sara Beck (Kevin Costner & Modern West), and one can almost see couples shuffling across a roadhouse floor as Sickmen sings “I suppose if you leave, I’ll have it comin to me, and I’m beggin you to stay, and try to relearn to love me”. “These are songs I’ve been carrying around for years, I’ve found love and lost love and found it again since then, but these things stick with me”. Finding comfort in the hardpan of dirt road country, Hackensaw Boys cruise into “Stranger” shifting into four time on a song about taking a chance on a stranger as a method to better oneself. It’s clear Sickmen and the band have been workshopping some of these songs for years. Now the band has come full circle, recording David’s most affecting material – full of their most vulnerable and honest songwriting.
Much has been said about Hackensaw Boys’ ability to constantly push forward in roots music since 1999, and rightfully so. Sure, their collective has at times seen now-famous solo artists such as John R. Miller and Pokey LaFarge among their ranks. Yes, they’ve shared stages with huge names ranging from Del McCoury to Modest Mouse. But what is perhaps most important about Hackensaw Boys is their steadfast commitment to leading new generations into a world of roots music that honors the legacy of the sound, while finding ways to forge ahead. They’ve got a sound so intentional and so original that one might even mistake the deep cut Bob Dylan cover “All I Really Want To Do” for a Hackensaw original, and it’s a testament to their own writing. Hackensaw Boys have found a way to spiritually combat the battle of attrition that eventually kills most bands, and it’s a straightforward one. They’ve simply remained true to their mission statement: “to raise a little hell, encourage a more peaceful world, and bring the music back to its roots in a working-class American vernacular.” Twenty three years in, they’re doing their best work.

Larry Keel is an award-winning innovative flat picking guitarist and singer/songwriter hailing from Appalachia. Raised in a musical family steeped in the mountain culture of the region, Keel began from an early age to forge a distinctive sound, taking traditional music and infusing it with modern light. With the acoustic guitar Keel has brought the flat picking form to its highest level of sophistication and sonic power with his muscular, yet refined style of playing. As a composer and singer, Keel integrates raw honesty and charming grit to form a unique brand of music he calls ‘experimental folk’, songwriting that is filled with reality, imagination, imagery and mood. He has appeared on over 20 albums, 12 of which he produced, and has written songs that have been recorded and performed by distinguished artists including Grammy-award winners Del McCoury and The Infamous Stringdusters. Keel has collaborated and continues to merge creative forces with some of the greatest artists in modern roots music such as Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, Al DiMeola, Tony Rice, Keller Williams and Sam Bush, to name a few.
His latest creation is a solo album titled American Dream, whose every component—from the writing and arranging, to the instrumental and vocal performances, to the recording and production—spring straight from the mind, soul, and hands of the Virginia-born artist. Each of the album’s 10 tracks were composed by Keel and serve as an autobiographical overview of his life and career, as well as the influences and episodes that have shaped his personal perspective along the way.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/13 - Heather Sarona
2023-05-13 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
North Carolina-based folk singer-songwriter Heather Sarona grew up in a small town in the Uwharrie Mountains where the tradition of folk music and bluegrass was an intrinsic part of the culture. At age 14 she found her dad’s old guitar in the attic and felt an immediate kinship, later picking up banjo and ukulele while developing her own unique way of playing guitar with metal fingerpicks, often associated with the banjo, turning them around backward to execute intricate patterns and solid percussive strumming simultaneously.
The nine songs on Head Above Water make up Heather’s first full-length album, and also mark the first time she’s collaborated with other musicians in a studio setting. “When I released my first three-song EP in 2017, I had only been playing music live for about a year, and I just wanted to have some music out there if people ever looked up my name,” she says. “This release has been much more labor-intensive.”
For a debut album, Heather certainly was able to assemble an impressive team: the album features, among other personnel, Andrew Marlin (Mandolin Orange, Watchhouse), Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), Sarah McCombie (Chatham Rabbits) and Lizzy Ross (Violet Bell) on harmonies, as well as Hank Smith on banjo, Marcel Ardans on guitar, Alex Bingham on bass, and Jason Cecil on percussion.
“The human experience is just so universal once you start looking at our emotions and love and relationships – those are the things I write about,” she says. “That’s why I want people to hear these songs. I want to let the way that I have processed these big feelings, big decisions and big changes to help someone else get through those same things they’re probably experiencing, too.”
“For Me” describes how “falling in love can feel like being saved – we carry around all the scars and damage from our pasts, and new love can make us feel seen for the first time. “I wrote this song when I was in a place where I felt like I just wasn’t special enough to be truly loved. There is so much magic in new love, and I wanted to hold onto every bit of it.”
“I’ll Be Lost,” picked as part of IBMA’s 2021 Songwriter Showcase, features Sarah McCombie of Chatham Rabbits as well as Libby Rodenbough. Heather “wrote the first verse of the song quickly, but I couldn’t figure out what to do with the second verse; the first has such a strong metaphor (‘You are the anchor in the ocean of my bed’), where do you go from there? A year or so later, the word ‘weathervane’ popped into my head while I was playing the beginning of the song, and from there it was an easy song to finish. I realized ‘weathervane’ was in my head from reading a book to my two-year-old and pointing out the pictures to him.”
“Window To Break” offers a look at vulnerability, and what it means to offer that vulnerability to another person. “I tend to be very honest and open, and I generally think that’s how other people are going to be, too,” Heather says. “For better or worse, that leaves me in an unguarded position more often than I’d like. I’ve written quite a few song lyrics about being like glass shattering in your hands, here I use that metaphor for vulnerability – my window’s yours to break.”
“I’ve always found it so amazing how, through music, I can take feelings or experiences that are very specific to me, put them in a song, and people can then hear that song and think to themselves, ‘Oh yeah. I get that. I’ve been there. That’s my life, too,” she says of both the album and her music as a whole.
While Head Above Water is her first full-length album, it follows the release of her 2017 EP, Waltz, which melds acoustic guitar, banjo and ukulele to create warm, folk-inspired songs, unified by a 3/4 time signature. Her songs, infused with a lifelong love of music and a years-long dedication to her playing, often have a folksy twist, inspired by bluegrass musicians like her grandfather, who taught her how to play her first song on guitar and how to pick a banjo.
Heather was selected by the International Bluegrass Music Association as a showcase songwriter for the 2021 and 2020 World of Bluegrass Music Festival. Her songwriting has been recognized by the Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield Bluegrass Festival), Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, the Don Gibson Singer Songwriter Symposium, the Backwoods Beat Music Festival Songwriting Contest, and the WHIW Songwriting Contest. She was nominated for a Carolina Music Award in 2022.

Kidstuff Live - 5/13 - Miss Lynn
2023-05-13 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
On the day 9-year old Lynn Hickernell was selected as captain of a gym class kickball team, she knew just what she would do: the first members chosen for her team would be the classmates who, like her, were usually picked last. As the teams assembled, she ignored the quizzical facial expressions and continued to select smaller, less-coordinated 4th graders, instead of the stronger, faster students who quickly made up the opposing team. She knew that her team might not be obvious victors, but if they worked together, they could show the other team what they could do–which turned out to be lose. Badly. By a score of approximately 25 to 0. And while it wasn’t much fun to lose that spring morning, many years later it made a good story.

The WDVX Big Plate - 5/12 - Andy Whatley & Company
2023-05-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Andy Whatley is from Montgomery, Al. and comes from a long line of musicians. From his Grandmother’s piano playing to his Father, Brother, and cousins harmonies of blended family songs, Andy has placed all these influences into his own brand of music.
Andy played the college circuit along with the honky tonks, dives and southern establishments performing his originals as well as his favorites influences such as The Band, Creedence, CSNY to name a few, but his dad brought him up on the classics of Merle, Haggard, and Waylon.
In the early years as friends of the family, Jamey Johnson and his dad HoJo would come over after church and the acoustics and the harmonies would soon be traded back in forth as they would play into the night.
Andy has been in and out of the music scene over the years and lately has found his self back out there touring the southeastern venues. Writing, recording, and performing his originals, while covering the songs he likes to cover.
Jamey Johnson signed Andy to his own record label called “Big Gassed Records” and other opportunities such as opening up for Jamey Johnson from time to time as well other artist and even the late great Charlie Daniels.
Andy Whatley Performs live with his band commonly referred to as “& Co”, and they deliver a fiery brand of pure excitement which which will energize any event that they play.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/11 - Krystal King / John David Kent
2023-05-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
With a classic sound, freckled face, and a full heart, rising country artist, Krystal King, brings a voice to Nashville that we have all needed. Originally from Hickory, NC, Krystal King has a fresh take on a true country sound, combining raw and emotionally laced vocals with vivid, imagery infused songwriting.​
Krystal is your down to earth “next door redneck” with a real, honest, fun, and quirky personality that naturally seeps into her songs. She’s not afraid to say what she is thinking- whether that’s diving into heartfelt emotions or picking on her husband in songs like “You’re the Reason That I Drink.”​
At three years old, Krystal caught a snippet of Alan Jackson on the radio…and the rest is history. Country music was in her bones. She followed this love of music to college where she studied Music Therapy at Appalachian State University (home of Eric Church & Luke Combs) and later worked as a psychiatric music therapist. While she loved being able to use music to help others, Krystal says that country music “haunted” her and she knew she had to follow that passion, moving to Nashville in 2017.
Krystal’s sound has been described as 90’s country with a bit of folk, blues, soul, and rock. Early influences included artists such as Alan Jackson, Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, Eric Church, and Chris Stapleton. More recently Krystal has been compared to artists such as Alanis Morissette, Bonnie Raitt, and Sheryl Crow. This blended sound has been described as “if Janis Joplin went Honky Tonk.”​
Krystal has released 6 original singles produced by Mike Loudermilk (previously producing and playing guitar for Crystal Gayle). Over the next year, She will be releasing songs off of her self produced, Debut Album “Pretty Poison” (CD Available Now). Krystal states “this is my favorite music so far…It is the most “ME” sound yet.”
Touring Nationally, Krystal will be visiting Tennessee, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Mississippi in 2023. She has had the honor of performing iconic stages including the Bluebird Cafe, The Listening Room Cafe and Tootsies Orchid Lounge. Additionally Krystal has played several festivals with headliners including Walker Hayes and Craig Morgan and opened for Beth Neilson Chapman (writer of “This Kiss” by Faith Hill).​
One of Krystals biggest passions is songwriting, “I wanted to be an artist in the true sense of the word. Not only did I want to sing and be on stage, but I wanted to have a voice through writing and producing my own songs.” Krystal has had early success in her songwriting career as the 2018 winner of the Hickory Oktoberfest Songwriting Competition, 2019 Old School Songwriting Contest, and a co-writer on cuts from Thomas Kavanagh, Kirstie Kraus, Laura Rabell, Taylor Hughes, and Zach McCabe. “Who Am I Gonna Love” a song released by Thomas Kavanagh and Kirstie Kraus, has been featured on The Ty Bentli show and stations in the UK including BBC Radio.

John David Kent will be joining us as well.

​

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/10 - The Bootstrap Boys / Thunder Lily
2023-05-10 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Bootstrap Boys are no strangers to hard living. Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, the group has been on the road for seven years and counting, bringing their hard-charging sound to honky tonks and bars in every corner of the country.
Made up of lead singer and songwriter Jake Stilson (“Big Jake Bootstrap”), guitarist Nick Alexander (“Nicky Bootstrap”), bassist Jonny Bruha (“Jonny ‘Bubba’ Bootstrap”) and drummer Jeff Knol (“Jeff Bootstrap”), the Bootstrap Boys aren’t your average outlaw country band — they marry muscular guitar riffs and raw twang with leftist politics and a defiantly “y’allternative” outlook.
“We are a socially conscious outfit,” explains Big Jake. “We have died more ego deaths on shrooms than most other bands.”
The first iteration of the group came together in 2015, quickly attracting a fanbase in the Grand Rapids area who was eager to hear new country music in the area. The group began touring relentlessly (their Chevy Coachman RV is practically the band’s fifth member), expanding their reach and drawing acclaim in the process.
For their newest LP, the plainly titled Hungry & SOBER, the group decamped to WimberlEy, Texas, and teamed up with producer David Percefull (Mike and the Moonpies, Jason Boland & The Stragglers) to craft their most authentic, intentional work yet. Across 10 self-penned tracks, Jake’s lyrics run the gamut from cheerily nihilistic road tunes to sincere ruminations on family and queer identity.
“This album has more honest poetry to accompany the storytelling that’s always a part of my work,” says Jake. “I edited myself a lot less.”
That sense of honesty also permeates the music, which is raw and off-the-cuff in a way befitting the rural Texas setting where the record came together. The Bootstrap Boys count Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Bob Wills among their biggest influences, along with technical masters such as Tony Rice, Kenny VaughAn and Clint Strong.
On album opener “As a Rule,” down-home picking gives way to a wall of distorted guitar and drums, announcing right off the bat that the group’s music is not for the faint of heart. In a similar vein, lead single “Call My Bluff” lays out the realities of life on the road in no uncertain terms:
“Only four days a week but it’s nine to nine / You gotta do what you gotta do to get by / and I’d need a miracle to survive this week,” Jake sings.
Elsewhere, on the rollicking “You Got That Right,” Jake winks at his sexuality with characteristic irreverence: “Been living on hand-me-downs / Rebrewing old coffee grounds / Line dancing in a zig zag / With Sally and an old f*g,” he sings.
There are tender moments on Hungry & SOBER as well, including the pleasantly offbeat love songs “Carhartt Cowboy and “Tire Tracks.” Jake wrote the latter track using what he calls “The Dolly Method,” which involves waking up in the early hours of the morning and writing lyrics while half-asleep.
The album takes a turn for the metaphysical with “The Last Roundup,” envisioning the afterlife as a cowboy’s paradise. Then there’s album closer “Even Though,” a love letter to Jake’s late father that culminates with the boys repeating the a capella mantra, “What would you give in exchange for your soul?”
It’s a stunning ending, signaling an artistic leap for a band that’s rapidly becoming a major presence on the outlaw country scene. With a SXSW debut and gigs opening for Morgan Wade, Shooter Jennings and Sarah Shook & the Disarmers under their belts, it’s clear these boys are only getting started.

Born in Toledo, OH, Steven Mullan created Thunder Lily in 2015 and released his first album, Volume 1, in 2020 at the age of thirty-three. Synth driven dance singles followed, along with another album, Volume 2 — a study of sound and color frequency. Thunder Lily’s recent tours include opening for Delta Rae and Pip The Pansy. Volume 3 is slated for release later this year.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/9 - Troy Youngblood / Lucy Isabel
2023-05-09 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Troy Youngblood is involved with Troy Youngblood & the Soulfish, BookHead SweetTooth, Smoke & Mojo, and solo acoustic.

Equally inspired by the Americana community of her Nashville home and the boardwalk culture of her native New Jersey, Lucy Isabel introduces herself as a road-ready songwriter with her debut album, Rambling Stranger.
Like the title suggests, Rambling Stranger finds Isabel on the move, taking stock of her world as it unfolds outside of the car windshield at highway speed. She’s been a traveling musician for years, ever since she shelved an acting career in New York City and moved to Tennessee. Living in Nashville motivated her, but it was the road — where she built her audience one show at a time — that sharpened her songwriting. She wrote folk songs, heartland roots-rockers, and acoustic ballads. She wrote about her husband; about the changing landscape of her hometown back east; about the wanderlust that kept her moving night after night, traveling from the listening rooms of America to the pubs of Australia and back again.
Meanwhile, she also made time to visit the recording studio, releasing her first EP, 2016’s Along the Way, within two years of graduating from Yale. Another EP, KANE, followed in 2017, stocked with stories about her maternal grandmother’s family. With 2019’s Rambling Stranger, though, Lucy Isabel shows the full scope of her songwriting. These 10 songs are filled with images from an adulthood lived on the run: a shuttered army fort along the Jersey Shore; a mountain range outside of Seattle; a road leading to an unknown destination, promising nothing but the unexpected for anyone willing to take it. And Isabel, of course, can’t resist taking those paths.
“When I was nine months old, my parents had to get me a regular bed instead of a crib, because I’d climb to the top of my crib and jump off,” says the young frontwoman, whose voice — a classic-sounding folk croon that evokes everyone from Brandi Carlile to Judy Collins — shares the spotlight with accordion, keyboards, and numerous stringed instruments throughout Rambling Stranger. “I was always looking for somewhere else to be. A rambling stranger is who I am to this day, even though I’ve now found a home for myself. My bed is in Nashville. My husband is there. But there’s always a part of me that’s looking to chase down something new, and it keeps me moving.”
Produced by Jared Anderson and recorded in a series of live, inspired takes, Rambling Stranger moves at its own speed, setting the pace for a career whose momentum is just beginning. Ramble on.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/8 - Kelly Hunt / Noah Zacharin
2023-05-08 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Noah Zacharin is a widely acclaimed guitar master, multi-genre songwriter, and dynamic performer. He was given his first guitar at age 9, wrote his first song at 13, and began performing at 14. In December 2015, Zacharin became a full-time recording and touring musician, and is more thrilled than ever to be doing what he has always done. Born in Montreal, Zacharin is no longer an urban dweller, splitting his time between a home by the forest near Madoc, and an off-grid cabin on the Canadian Shield. As the road has begun to return he spends time—mostly in the States—as well.
He has been called “a stunning guitarist…no stylistic boundaries” (Holger Peterson, CBC, Stony Plain Records), “a wonderful songwriter and performer” (Paul Mills, Borealis Records), “a poet, a songwriter, a singer we have been waiting for” (the late Penny Lang), “a great guitarist/ singer/ songwriter…a wonderfully musical player” (Randy Finney, Founder TFGA), “in a league of his own” (Brian Gladstone, Founder and AD Winterfolk Festival), “one of the best songwriters this country has produced” (the late great Rick Fielding, recording artist, radio host), and “deserving to be mentioned in the same breath with names such as James Taylor and David Wilcox” (Minor 7th).
Noah Zacharin’s 9th solo CD, the newly-released Points of Light (produced by Danny Greenspoon and released on Sonic Peach) is a mix of solo and band performances. Rhythm is established by Russ Boswell and Gary Craig, and the record features cameos by Marc Ribot, Denis Keldie, Burke Carroll, Roly Platt, Kevin Turcotte, and Kevin Breit. Zacharin’s previous recordings have all garnered popular and critical praise. Strange Rider made a number of ‘Best-Of’ lists for 2016; of 2018’s a Startle of Wings—an intimate 14-song journey through genres, concerns, and rhythms—renowned DJ Michael Stock (WLRN) said: “a beautiful album…rare to hear an album of solo vocal and guitar sound so full.”
As a soloist he has opened shows for Odetta, David Lindley, Dave Van Ronk, Jesse Winchester, Alex de Grassi, and Fairport Convention, and performed internationally in 100’s of venues from club to concert hall. As a producer and instrumentalist he has performed with some of Canada’s finest, appearing on some 60 recordings by artists from all across North America. As a writer, his songs have been recorded by popular performer and radio host Laura Fernandez (who also translated the song into Spanish), Rolling Stone (India) cover artist Rehan Dalal, Sohayla Smith, and double-slide master, the late Brian Cober.

On the walls of any local used music shop there hangs a gallery of mysteries. Picked up and handed down across the decades, each instrument contains the imprints and stories of those who have played it before, most of which remain untold. For Kansas City-based songwriter
Kelly Hunt, the most intriguing of these stories is the origin of her anonymous calfskin tenor banjo. “I really wasn’t looking for it,” she says, “but I opened up the case and found a note saying, ‘This banjo was played by a man named Ira Tamm in his dog and pony show from 1920 to 1935.’ It was unlike any banjo I’d ever heard…so warm and mellow, with an almost harp-like quality to it, very soulful”—apt words for the Memphis native’s debut album, Even The Sparrow, which was released in May 2019 and nominated for the International Folk Music Awards “2019 Album of the Year.”
The daughter of an opera singer and a saxophonist, Hunt was raised in Memphis, TN amidst a motley mélange of musical influences ranging from Rachmaninov to Joni Mitchell to Mississippi John Hurt. She grew up singing in choirs, poring over poetry books, and writing her own music as a matter of course, first on piano then 5-string banjo. After being introduced to the banjo in college while studying French and visual arts, Hunt began to develop her own improvised style of playing, combining old-time picking styles with the percussive origins of the instrument. After college, Hunt embarked on a rambling path through career pursuits in farming, French breadmaking, and visual arts, ultimately landing in Kansas City, where she would go on to write and record Even the Sparrow.
This debut work displays Hunt’s penchant for storytelling and intriguing arrangement, punctuated by articulate melodies and lyrical deft. While reminiscent of modern traditionalists such as Gillian Welch, Even The Sparrow reveals an ineffable quality that hovers beyond the constraints of genre, à la Anais Mitchell and Patty Griffin. Over the span of a dozen songs, Hunt’s penchant for storytelling and intriguing arrangement cast a spell which No Depression describes as “the musical equivalent of a book you can’t put down, one you’ll want to revisit again and again to catch every nuance and turn of phrase.”
In “Men of Blue & Grey,” what begins as a Reconstruction-era ballad about the repurposing of Civil War glass plate negatives in a greenhouse roof soon becomes a meditation on the hope that growth and life may one day be able to emerge from the ruins of suffering and haunting of violence. “Across The Great Divide” turns an otherwise traditional accounting of spurned love into a philosophical epic of the ethics offorgiveness and freedom, evoking the ideas of Søren Kierkegaard and Walt Whitman.
As for the original owner of Kelly Hunt’s mysterious tenor banjo, not much is known. “I’ve never been able to find anything about Ira Tamm,” she says, “I think he just had a humble little traveling show.” What’s clear is that the itinerant performer laid down his banjo at the height of the Great Depression, almost eighty years before it would be picked up by Hunt. “That banjo has stories. I wish I knew them all,” says Hunt, though the banjo’s most intriguing story may just be beginning with Even The Sparrow. “The marks of Ira’s hands are still in the calfskin head, so I can see where he played and left his mark,” she says. “Now my own marks are there too, in different places, like a kind of portrait.”
Production is currently underway on Kelly’s sophomore album “Ozark Symphony,” produced by Dirk Powell at his Cypress House Studio in St. Martinville, LA.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/6 - Season Ammons / Joe Clark
2023-05-06 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
With a voice as distinguishable and versatile as her name, Season Ammons is an award-winning songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, blending soulful blues with Texas roots and Americana. Ammons’ most recent project, ‘Steel Hearts,’ is her fourth and most personal album to date. For this recording, Texas-based Ammons took a special trip across the pond and recorded in the legendary Studio 2 at London’s fabled Abbey Road Studios. Sought-after producer David Percefull (Green Day, Gary Clark Jr., Meat Puppets) mixed ‘Steel Hearts’ at Abbey Road in Studio 3, and Sean Magee (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Rush, Iron Maiden) mastered the album there. Drawing predominantly from her experiences of heartbreak, forgiveness, self-acceptance and new love ‘Steel Hearts’ showcases Ammons’ unique, searing intensity and confirms that this singular artist has a lot more to say and infinite ways to say it.
Ammons’ remarkable live show has taken her all over the country and beyond. Highlights include multiple standing room only showcases at Americanafest in Nashville, TN; a featured showcase at the FMQB Triple A Conference (Boulder, CO); performances at 30A Songwriters Festival (Destin, FL), Little 5 Points Festival (Atlanta, GA), Waltstock & Barrel Festival (Fredericksburg, TX); packed house at The Bedford (London, England) and a special Future Faces showcase at the Texas Regional Radio Music Awards.
Over the years, Ammons has earned steady press coverage from national and regional media. Her musical diversity is evident with consistent appearances on various national radio charts including Billboard Triple A, Americana Albums Chart, Roots Music Report’s Top R&B Album Chart (#10) and regular Top 40 chart action on the Texas Regional Radio Report (TRRR) chart.
In addition to her musical endeavors, Ammons is proud to be a partner with Feeding Texas. Ammons is donating proceeds from her latest single, “We’ll Get By” to the organization. The track has become an anthem for the times as it brings optimism and promise in the face of adversity.

Hailing from the Bluegrass State, Joe Clark is an Americana artist who values authenticity in both his songs and his sound. His music is filled with catchy melodies and underlying themes of everyday hardships, staying true to his roots, and a deep love for his home. After releasing his first album “Storyteller” and his single “It is what it is” in Spring 2022, Clark, along with lead guitar player Justin Dwayne Chappell have frequented venues, private events and festivals across Kentucky and beyond. His newest single “Battlefield”, marks a career milestone with its creative composition, and was released in December of 2022. Clark is ambitiously preparing to share his music in new regions in 2023, headlining songs from his recent LP.
https://youtu.be/G0ReHkW4xkw

Taps & Tunes - 5/5 - The Tenos
2023-05-05 18:00 - 19:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Tenos. AT NINE YEARS OLD, Andy Teno, decided he wanted to play the banjo. His mom, Karyn, began teaching herself guitar so that the two could play together making the bluegrass music he was picking more fun. A few more months of Andy and mom picking together inspired his dad, Trippy, to pick up the bass and play along. Andy’s brothers, Will and Sam, soon began learning and playing Banjo and Mandolin respectively. Leah, Andy’s sister, decided to play the fiddle! This was the beginning of a new and exciting adventure for the whole family. Andy inspired them all to learn a new instrument and play together for fun and enjoyment! Their music consists of traditional bluegrass, old time, and gospel songs that you will love and enjoy!

The WDVX Big Plate - 5/5 - James McMurtry / Wolf Jett
2023-05-05 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
In James McMurtry’s new effort, The Horses and the Hounds, the acclaimed songwriter backs personal narratives with effortless elegance (“Canola Fields”) and endless energy (“If It Don’t Bleed”). This first collection in seven years, due August 20 on New West Records, spotlights a seasoned tunesmith in peak form as he turns toward reflection (“Vaquero”) and revelation ( closer “Blackberry Winter”). Familiar foundations guide the journey. “There’s a definite Los Angeles vibe to this record,” McMurtry says. “The ghost of Warren Zevon seems to be stomping around among the guitar tracks. Don’t know how he got in there. He never signed on for work for hire.”
The Horses and the Hounds is a reunion of sorts. McMurtry recorded the new album with legendary producer Ross Hogarth (Ozzy Osbourne, John Fogerty, Van Halen, Keb’ Mo’) at Jackson Browne’s Groovemaster’s in Santa Monica, California, a world class studio that has housed such legends as Bob Dylan (2012’s Tempest) and David Crosby (2016’s Lighthouse) as well as Browne himself for I’m Alive (1993) and New Found Glory, Coming Home (2006). McMurtry and Hogarth first worked together 30 years ago, when Hogarth was a recording engineer in the employ of John Mellencamp at Mellencamp’s own Belmont Studios near Bloomington, Indiana. Hogarth recorded McMurtry’s first two albums, Too Long in the Wasteland and Candyland, for Columbia Records and later mixed McMurtry’s first self-produced album, Saint Mary of the Woods, for Sugar Hill Records. Another veteran of those three releases, guitarist David Grissom (Joe Ely, John Mellencamp, Dixie Chicks), returns with some of his finest work.
Accordingly, the new collection marks another upward trajectory: The Horses and the Hounds will be McMurtry’s debut album on genre-defining Americana record label New West Records (Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Buddy Miller, dozens more).
“I first became aware of James McMurtry’s formidable songwriting prowess while working at Bug Music Publishing in the ’90s,” says New West president John Allen. “He’s a true talent. All of us at New West are excited at the prospect of championing the next phase of James’ already successful and respected career.” McMurtry perfectly fits a label housing “artists who perform real music for real people.” After all, No Depression says of the literate songwriter’s most recent collection, Complicated Game: “Lyrically, the album is wise and adventurous, with McMurtry — who’s not prone to autobiographical tales — credibly inhabiting characters from all walks of life.” “[McMurtry] fuses wry, literate observations about the world with the snarl of barroom rock,” National Public Radio says. “The result is at times sardonic, subversive and funny, but often vulnerable and always poignant.”
His lauded storytelling — check out songs such as “Operation Never Mind” and “Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call” on The Horse and the Hounds— consistently has turned heads for decades now. “James writes like he’s lived a lifetime,” said John Mellencamp back in 1989, when Too Long in the Wasteland hit the Billboard 200. “James McMurtry is one of my very few favorite songwriters on Earth and these days he’s working at the top of his game,” says Americana all-star Jason Isbell. “He has that rare gift of being able to make a listener laugh out loud at one line and choke up at the next. I don’t think anybody writes better lyrics.” McMurtry’s albums Just Us Kids (2008) and Childish Things (2005) back the claim, each scoring endless critical praise. The former earned McMurtry his highest Billboard 200 chart position in two decades (since eclipsed by Complicated Game) and notched Americana Music Award nominations. Childish Things spent six full weeks topping the Americana Music Radio chart in 2005 and 2006, and won the Americana Music Association’s Album of the Year, with “We Can’t Make It Here” named the organization’s Song of the Year.
Other accolades include a 1996 Grammy nomination for Long Form Music Video for Where’d You Hide the Body and an American Indie Award for Best Americana Album for It Had to Happen (1997).
McMurtry tours year-round and consistently throws down unparalleled powerhouse performances, reflected in the release of two live discs: the universally lauded Live in Aught-Three on Compadre Records, and 2009’s Live in Europe, which captured the McMurtry band’s first European tour and extraordinary live set. Along with seasoned band members Ronnie Johnson, Daren Hess, and Tim Holt, Live in Europe features special guests Ian McLagan (Faces) and Jon Dee Graham (True Believers, Skunks). (Video of the performance is available on the included DVD.)

Pure joy! That is the sound of Wolf Jett’s “Cosmic Mountain Music”. Original, danceable tunes in the style of classic southern americana with folk and blues influences, featuring soulful vocals combined with lively improvisation.
As versatile a group of musicians as you will find, Wolf Jett is equally at home performing in acoustic trio form as they are in 6-piece ensemble mode (and anywhere in between). Whether it’s entertaining for a private event or street festival, from mellow opener to headliner, this band can be counted on to bring positive and upbeat healing energy with their refreshingly down-home demeanor. There has yet to be a Wolf Jett show without enthusiastic dancing!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/4 - Craig Hendricks / Kat & Zach
2023-05-04 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Kat & Zach. Kat needed a guitar player and Zach needed a vocalist, and since meeting in 2018 they haven’t stopped making music together. They decided to combine their musical visions after Kat came to Zach for a guitar lesson. Like it was fated to be, they met on her birthday! After playing over 200 shows in State College, Pennsylvania (home to Penn State University) including venues like the Bryce Jordan Center and the State Theatre, they decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee to expand their music careers.
They’re inspired by many artists and genres but are especially influenced by the Avett Brothers, Local Honeys & Senora May and folk/Americana music as a whole. The songs they write are heavily inspired by nature, people and things happening in the world around them.

Craig Hendricks brings his own unique character and smooth style to create a personal and interactive experience for his listeners. He also brings the charisma often found in troubadours of yesteryear as a national award winner for his songwriting and recognition of his vocal talents.
Southern born and raised, Nashville recording and award-winning touring artist, Craig Hendricks has called home from the Piedmont of Middle Georgia to the Alabama heights of Lookout Mountain. Craig has found his place on stages at Festivals, Wineries, Breweries, Restaurants, Farmers Markets, as well as numerous Nashville based Singer/Songwriter events and Broadway venues.
Craig has been busy touring the countryside, bringing his own music as well as covers ranging from 70’s classics, classic country from 1955 to some present day. Craig offers a very diverse set list to his listeners
Craig was featured in The Sandersville Scene and is currently recording with Century Music in Nashville. You can also see an interview here on Reverbnation done with Mark Alan Cash.
Craig has performed with some of the brightest talent in the southeast, including award winning hit songwriters and performers.
https://youtu.be/tiGgVQyKf4w

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/3 - Donna Frost / Jake Ybarra
2023-05-03 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Donna Frost is a traveling troubadour with decades of performing and touring experience. Expertly weaving folk, blues and pop, she creates memorable concerts that champion the human spirit. She logs thousands of miles each year, performing across the U.S., solo and with her band. With over 300 songs in her catalog and seven albums, her music has received airplay, charted and garnered awards worldwide. She performed a tribute to the late Skeeter Davis at Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; and has performed live on Chicago WGN TV. Giving back to the community, she is an active performer with Music for Seniors, “Musicians on Call” and “Songs of Love.” She is endorsed by Kamoa Ukuleles and Luna Guitars; and is an ambassador for True Joy Acoustics which donates ukuleles to pediatric hospitals for music therapy programs across the country. Her upcoming album The Beautiful Unseen is a collaboration with her longtime friend Jack Howell, and recorded in Joshua Tree, CA.

It can be hard for an artist to pinpoint when the muse first struck and launched them into a creative life. For 25-year-old Jake Ybarra, the first step on his journey came in Harlingen, Texas, where Ybarra (pronounced “e-BAR-a”) was born into a musical household. With a classically trained pianist for a mother, a semi-professional horn player for a dad, and a couple of guitar-playing brothers, music was constantly in young Jake’s ears.
When Ybarra was eight, the family moved to Greenville, South Carolina, and music began leaving a permanent mark.
“We grew up Southern Baptist,” he explains, “so I sang in a bunch of quartets and boys choirs growing up. One was a group called Chicora Voices, and we would do recitals, sometimes with the Greenville Symphony. You learn to listen and learn what your voice can do.”
But at that point Ybarra’s ambitions were focused on the baseball field, not the stage. Those dreams, though, were set aside when he was 15—the perfect age to dive into music more seriously. Ybarra played in a series of rock bands in school, covering guitar-heavy artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
However, as he moved on to college at Furman University, Jake’s attention was drifting toward storytelling and creating music that bore his own signature.
“I found myself listening less to rock bands and more to lyricists,” he recalls. “The first ones that really got to me were Jason Isbell’s Southeastern and The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. Until then I didn’t realize how sad songs could be, but they could also be beautiful at the same time. That led me to Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, James McMurtry, John Prine and Lucinda Williams.”
After graduating with a degree in Political Science and Government (including a legislative internship at the European Parliament in Brussels), Ybarra turned his attention to songwriting full-time. To generate interest around Greenville in 2020, he recorded what he calls his “pandemic project,” the four-song EP Basement Songs, and posted it on Instagram.
It garnered enough attention to land him a management deal and an opportunity to record his breathtaking debut album, Something In The Water, with producer William Gawley and a crack band including drummer Billy Thomas, bassist Dow Tomlin, guitarist David Flint and keyboardist Dane Bryant.
The 10-track collection includes Jake’s first two streaming tracks, the wistful opener “Late November” and the upcoming radio single, the guitar-driven roots-rocker “BloodFire.” In addition, Ybarra paints a gallery of vivid portraits, such as the couple trapped indoors in an uneasy romance in “Long Winter,” the rambunctious party guy in the rockabilly workout “A Whole Lot To Remember,” the homeowner who stumbles onto a couple’s century-old love letters in “No Reason Or Right,” and the unsettled traveler of “Savannah’s Song” who is pained by the memory of the girl he let get away. Together, they add up to an impressive display of incisive storytelling that spotlights his warm baritone.
Ybarra’s evocative, emotional lyrics display a hard-won wisdom that belies an old soul in a young man’s body. The characters in his stories invite comparisons not only to his songwriting heroes but also to his favorite authors such as George Saunders, Stephen Vincent Benet and Ernest Hemingway.
Armed with these heartfelt tales on Something In The Water, Jake Ybarra is bending ears and pulling on heartstrings wherever he plays. “It is very gratifying when I get on stage and I see people reacting emotionally,” he says. “I know they’re into the words as much as the music.”

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/2 - Three Star Revival
2023-05-02 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Three Star Revival is always sure to bring a good time when you come out and groove with them. Meaningful lyrics, catchy melodies, and extended improvisational sections take the listener across a plethora of genres including soul/r&b/jazz/funk to tie it all together with a high energy rock show that will always keep you movin’. Although the group was founded in Knoxville by frontman Ben Gaines and guitarist Cameron Moore, its members now call multiple cities home;Gaines, Tyler Reddick, and Jared White all call Chattanooga, TN home, Moore still holds down the fort in Knoxville with Brandon Whitaker. 2022 will see new music all year from the group with the first full length album slated to drop this Spring of 2023. Although the pandemic has slowed down the band’s hectic touring schedule, the group already has dates around the southeast in 2022 including festivals such as Hulawen. The group is just starting to spread the sounds of Tennessee across the country, and is not looking to slow down any time soon.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 5/1 - Blushin Roulettes
2023-05-01 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Blushin’ Roulettes deliver old-time tunes with a modern twist. “Their songs are stripped down, sexy little jewel boxes stuffed with ancient mountain magic,” says the San Francisco Free Folk Festival. Guitaress and songwriter Angie Heimann belts her stirring songs of damsels in their bliss and distress in a clarion vibrato often likened to Iris Dement. Cas Sochacki interlaces bright dobro stylings amid the rich lyrics of the Roulettes’ more serious songs, and rings in vocally with his molasses baritone on the occasional cheeky duet. The Roulettes have newly expanded their North Carolina lineup to include Cynthia McDermott (mandolin and vocals,) Jay Brown (guitar and vocals) and James T. Browne (drums.)
The Blushin’ Roulettes’ appearances include performances at the Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival, San Francisco Free Folk Festival, North Bay Hootennany and the Humboldt Folklife Festival, as well as shared stages with the Wailin’ Jennies, Wayne the Train Hancock, Big Sandy and His Fly Right Boys, and The Devil Makes 3, and poet John Trudell. Angie has won songwriting awards in KZFR/Sierra Nevada’s Celebration of the Song, Woody Guthrie Songwriting Contest, Artists for Literacy SIBL Songwriting Contest, and South Florida Folk Festival. The Roulettes’ video performance of Angie’s song “Dark of the Wood” was aired internationally on Destination America’s “Monsters and Mysteries” series.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/29 - Carrie Morrison / Mike River
2023-04-29 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Carrie Morrison‘s music will break your heart – in the best way. Melodic and memorable, her songs make connections. The singer/songwriter/pianist, a native of Louisville, Ky., has been playing piano since age seven. She moved to higher ground in 2004, and has been a popular act in the Western N.C. area for more than 15 years. Music has always been part of her life, from a youthful obsession with musicals, to improvisational and classical piano study. Morrison is known for melodically strong songs with personal lyrics, ranging from the deeply emotional to the slightly silly. Her EP “Carolina Blonde” was released in 2013 and produced by the late Terry Wetton. Her album “Miles and Miles” was produced by Chris Rosser, of award-winning ensemble Free Planet Radio, released in 2017. Her EP “The Neverwhere Sisters,” produced by Andrew Thelston and Daniel Nisbet, featuring cellist JamieLeighBennett, was released in 2021. Morrison is currently working on two new recording projects, to be released in 2024. She has had airplay on WTZQ and WNCW, and enjoys collaborations with several local artists onstage and in the studio. She performs solo, in duos with Thelston and Bennett (occasionally with them in a trio), and also is a vocalist and keyboardist in The Andrew Thelston Band. Morrison is a teacher of Exceptional Children and English at a local high school. She is married to Mike, the love of her life, her champion, and best roadie.

Raised in the heart of Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation, Americana singer-songwriter and story teller Mike River, has fronted several fire breathing cowpunk alt-country bands in Denver and the Rocky Mountain area over the last several decades.
In recent years he has relocated to eastern Tennessee and returned to his musical roots, populating his songs with people, places and sacred stories; paying tribute to the past with the descriptive flair of a seasoned screenwriter, offering up vivid vignettes that feel lived in and relatable.
“Pulling Sorrow,” Mike River’s latest album, offers a flavorful mix of classic country and the finest Americana that paints an evocative picture of his life, past and present, and represent the veteran songwriter’s finest work to date.

The WDVX Big Plate - 4/28 - Robinella
2023-04-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Robinella’s career began with a sort of luck that rarely comes to most artists within their lifetime. What started out as a simple husband-and-wife duo fresh out of college quickly grew to a full-fledged band that blended Bluegrass, Country and Jazz. The combination of Robinella’s honey-sweet vocals with violin, mandolin, bass, drums and piano captivated audiences, thus creating the ever popular Robinella & the CC Stringband.
They released their first album, self-titled Robinella and The CC Stringband, in 2000, which quickly followed, No Saint, No Prize in 2001. Both were on the independent label Big Gulley Records. With a few simple twists of fate, what followed was a whirlwind of rapid success – Columbia Records liked what they heard and signed Robinella in 2002. The label took seven songs from the band’s two prior albums and released them as the CD Blanket for My Soul and then released a full album in 2003, Robinella and the CC Stringband. This led to a national tour including opening for such artists as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Earl Scruggs, Nickel Creek, Robert Earl Keen, Kasey Chambers, Del McCoury and Rodney Crowell as well as an appearance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and a music video on CMT for their hit single, “Man Over”. She also performed on NPR’s “Mountain Stage,” appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and performed on PBS’s “SoundStage.” In 2006, Robinella was nominated for “Emerging Artist of the Year” at the Americana Music Awards and released her fourth album, “Solace for the Lonely”, on Dualtone Records in Nashville.
But then life, as it has a tendency to do, threw a few curveballs her way. She became a mom and a couple of years later, she and her husband/musical partner split up with a new record almost completed. Exhausted and somewhat disillusioned with the industry and its promises, it was time to regroup, redefine and get back to her roots. So she returned to her home, the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and got back in touch with what she truly wanted – love, family, friendship, music, art, truth.
With that comes her latest release, “Fly Away Bird”, her most mature work. However, within the melancholy and touches of sadness there is not true despair. For such a voice — that dazzling, warm, bright-as-summer-sunshine soprano — to even communicate it would most likely defy certain laws of emotional physics. No, instead, this album, beneath the disappointments, she is brimming with optimism — with hope. You can feel it, and even more important than that, you believe — because she believes, and because her music is so honest and so genuine and so forthright that you just can’t help but knowing that this is an artist who still finds life to be magical.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/27 - Tin Roof Echo / Dushane
2023-04-27 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Dushane is a high Energy, Pop infused, Blue Collar, Whiskey drinking-Urban Country Band.
https://youtu.be/MdKhbF9hOmk
Although originally hailing from the musically rich city of Macon, GA, Joe Hooten has called Asheville, NC home for many years. Since his 2014 debut, The Original Plan, seven albums (six LPs and one EP) have been released under the Tin Roof Echo moniker-each demonstrating the DIY recording style that ultimately allows his uniquely introspective songwriting & production style to be highlighted along with his varied influences. He’s performed at notable festivals such as Enofest & Finsterfest, he’s also shared respected stages with a diverse range of talents like alt-country hero Scott Miller (The V-Roys) & punk pioneers Agent Orange. His solo shows- whether in a festival setting, radio show, or intimate listening room- are not to be missed.
He also makes a lot of noise with Asheville’s all-star punk band PINKEYE & the legendary outlaw Americana-tinged Dark City Kings.
