East Tennessee's Own WDVX

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/13 - Adrienne & Rob Berry / Shanna Snowden
2023-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Berrys are a folk rock band from Youngstown, OH. Fronted by husband and wife singer songwriters Rob and Adrienne Berry. Their new but nostalgic sound is inspired by legendary artists like Fleetwood Mac and Chris Stapleton. You can hear the Rock and Country roots in their latest release, The Wind. Their dreamy harmonies and intricate yet relatable lyrics leave listeners with a better understanding of the world around them.

Shanna Snowden joins us this day as well for The WDVX Blue Plate Special!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/11 - Full Cord
2023-11-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
When it comes to movers and shakers in the bluegrass world, Full Cord is a super-group on the rise. After winning the prestigious 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in Colorado, the Michigan-based group followed that with another much-coveted
honor when the International Bluegrass Music Association named Full Cord its “Momentum Award Band of the Year.” While mandolinist Brian Oberlin notes the band’s music “is new and fresh to the ears of seasoned bluegrass fans,” the bluegrass traditions in Full Cord have deep roots. The group’s members – Oberlin, guitarist Eric Langejans, bassist Todd Kirchner and fiddler Grant Flick – boast decades of musical artistry, with experience in popular performing bands from Michigan to Oregon. And with the recent addition of award-winning, Colorado-based banjoist Ricky Mier, Full Cord is poised to take the next step in its journey as a bluegrass powerhouse: The band’s debut album on Nashville’s Dark Shadow Recordings is set to drop in 2023.
Full Cord’s songwriting has reached a new “tipping point,” Manager Katie Kirchner suggests, enhanced by the group’s vast repertoire and robust experience in numerous band projects over the years. And Oberlin insists the band is “just hitting its stride” – ready to follow in the footsteps of fellow Michigan bluegrass icons Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/1 - Crawdaddy Jones
2023-11-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Crawdaddy Jones joins us today. An original blues rockin’ duo from Knoxville Tennessee!

Kidstuff Live - 11/11 - David Bivens
2023-11-11 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Grab your adult & join us for Kidstuff Live with David Bivens. With an outstanding background as a professional player and over 15 years of teaching experience, owner and teacher David Bivens brings both his passion and his expertise to The Bop Shop, helping you believe & achieve!

The WDVX Big Plate - 11/10 - Joshua Ray Walker
2023-11-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
The catalyst of Joshua Ray Walker’s new album, What Is It Even?, was sparked on the patio of the Tulsa, Oklahoma music venue and dive bar Mercury Lounge, a fitting origin story for any country record. But this is far from an ordinary country record. It was on that Tulsa patio, deep into tour, when Walker and drummer Trey Pendergrass were half joking about what their gospel jump blues version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” would sound like, wondering “what if the Blues Brothers covered a Whitney Houston song?”
At that point, it was still unclear how the Dallas native would follow up his trio of critically acclaimed, interconnected albums, all of which were packed tight with character-driven songs that put multiple national-tours worth of crowds on the precipice of staining their shirts with either beers or tears, depending on the song. The third of the trio, See You Next Time, led to Walker appearing on The Tonight Show and CBS Saturday Morning, brought with it performances at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and Gruene Hall in Texas, landed him on Rolling Stone’s “Best of 2021” list, and prompted SPIN to call him “one of country’s most exciting storytellers.”
Those stories about dive bar dwellers running out of last chances made listeners feel a gauntlet of emotions. What Is It Even?, a 11-track cover album consisting of songs made famous by female pop acts, produced with John Pedigo and arranged alongside his touring band of Pendergrass, bassist Billy Bones, and pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, was born out of wanting to make people feel joy.
“I just wanted to make something that was fun,” Walker says.
After having such a clear vision for what he wanted, Walker and his band finally got in the studio and manifested it, an experience he compares to needing to sneeze for a month and finally getting it out.
“I realized how influential female pop records and artists have been on me as a person, even more than in a creative sense,” Walker says.
Seemingly unafraid of whether it strips him of the “standard bearer of authentic country music” label that some circles have tagged him with, What Is It Even? is something of a broad endorsement for personal liberation from judgment. A call to be who you feel you are. It happens to be couched in a reimagining of some of the catchiest and most beloved songs of the past 30 years.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/9 - Stoll Vaughan / Fish Fisher w/EmiSunshine
2023-11-09 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Originally hails from Kentucky. Stoll Vaughan’s career in music began in the late 1990s, when he left Interlochlen Arts Academy and went to Bloomington, IN to get involved at Echo Park Studios. Mike Wanchic producer and longtime guitarist for John Mellencamp discovered Stoll and took him under his wing and helped him develop the foundation for his songwriting. Being influenced by Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Stoll embarked on the journey of writing his own songs. By the mid ‘00s, he released two solo albums, Hold On Thru Sleep & Dreams and Love Like A Mule. Both were in the Top 10 on the Americana charts. He has toured with the likes of John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, James McMurtry, Marty Stuart and opened for a Def Leppard/Journey co-bill (to name a few). His music has been featured in major motion pictures and television series such as True Blood, Friday Night Lights, Shameless, The Office, The Open Road and he composed music for David Lynch’s Webby Award winning Internet series Interview Project. Vaughan co-produced/co-wrote Sketches of American Music, the EP by Duane Betts (son of Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts). Stoll co-wrote with The Allman Betts Band for their debut record, Down To The River as well as their follow up record Bless Your Heart. Stoll’s record The Conversation was co-produced by Carl Broemel, of My Morning Jacket and Mike Wanchic. The album’s title, Stoll says, signifies “being in a continual conversation regarding people, God, and the fears we carry around—and how music interplays with everything emotionally and spiritually.”

Fish Fisher. An independent singer, songwriter, producer & performer. I play what I want. Some call it Outlaw Country Or Mountain-Folk Music or whatnot. I call it Ghettobilly. It don’t really matter though, I just like it when you like it. I co-write with lots of folks in Nashville & Knoxville. Most of those songs are for others to sing or perform on their own albums. I road-tour what I term the Rust-to-Coal Belt tour over & over and elsewhere’s too. I hope to see you in some place! I’m born from Toledo in the Rustbelt but live also in east TN near Gatlinburg where my home base for songwriting & music making is. Follow me yall.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/8 - Sophia Corinne / The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee
2023-11-08 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Sophia Corinne harvests poetry for the lines of each song from her life, one lived paying attention. Her songs are witness to the raw difficulties and layered radiant joys that every heart bears. In both writing and voice, Sophia’s songs offer the companionship of something beautiful for us to hold close in any season.

Mining the fertile common ground between bluegrass, early country music, and traditional mountain music, The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee are torchbearers for dynamic, deeply grounded old time music. Their powerful harmony singing and energetic instrumentals have captivated audiences around the country and helped the band to win many awards including blue ribbons in the old time band contest at the 85th Annual Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax, Virginia and the bluegrass band contest at the 51st Mount Airy Fiddlers’ Convention in North Carolina. Deep knowledge and appreciation for traditional music enables the band to craft tasteful original songs and instrumentals that blend seamlessly alongside the classics. The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee cut no corners when it comes to real, hard hitting, old time country music – an approach that is gaining them loyal followers far beyond the reaches of their Virginia mountain home.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/7 - Ben Balmer / Mike Jones
2023-11-07 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The son of a classical pianist mother and a harmonica-playing father, music has been a constant for Ben Balmer. He started playing harmonica at 13 in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and by 16 was playing guitar and performing club gigs across the region.
Balmer’s early listening was as eclectic as it gets and encompassed everything from Bela Bartok to The J. Geils Band. Over time, his musical influences expanded to include Fiona Apple, Taj Mahal, and Tom Waits. He’d play along to his dad’s blues records, especially Sonnyboy Williamson and Paul Butterfield. Following his dad’s lead, Balmer took harmonica lessons from Grammy Award-winning player, Peter “Madcat” Ruth. As a teenager, Ben began his 10,000 hours of live performances, singing in a local band (Comatose Collin) and playing harmonica for Motown legend, Martha Reeves.

From Scarborough, Maine Mike Jones joins us as well this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/6 - Ryan Burns / Clay Johnson + the Hard Promises
2023-11-06 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Ryan Burns is a Chicago-based indie folk musician with a distinctive sound and captivating songwriting. Born and raised in towns around the Midwest, Ryan was always surrounded by music. He grew up listening to a wide range of artists, from classic folk singers John Prine and Paul Simon to indie rock acts like Wilco and Fleet Foxes.
Ryan’s music is a reflection of his diverse musical influences and his love for poetry and storytelling. His lyrics are both introspective and observational, exploring the world he sees around him and all its intimacy, joy, and sorrow. He combines intricate guitar and banjo work with shifting arrangements and his soulful voice to make a whole that’s alternately driving and comforting.
Since 2019, Ryan has released an EP and full-length album, building a loyal fan base in Chicago and beyond. He has also performed at some of the city’s most iconic music venues, including the Metro and House of Blues. Ryan’s live shows are known for their raw energy and emotional intensity, leaving audiences spellbound.
In addition to his own music, Ryan also plays with the Australian singer-songwriter Tom West, and Chicago bands Distant Brothers, Cat Mullins and the Holy Lonesome, and Musichigan.
With his unique sound and powerful message, Ryan Burns is poised to make a big impact on the indie folk scene and beyond.

Clay Johnson & the Hard Promises, From Spartanburg, SC, were formed in the midst of 2020 as the backing band for solo musician, Clay Johnson. Tying together the classic traditions of southern folk music along with modern takes on Country/Americana; the band brings together sounds across multiple American genres with an earnest southern flavor.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/4 - Chris Long / Daniel Anderson and Heroic Dose
2023-11-04 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Daniel Anderson grew up in rural North Carolina absorbing a diverse range of music from blues, to gospel, to country, to hip-hop. Having been bitten by the music bug at a young age, there were always toy guitars, drum sets, and keyboards around, but it wasn’t until age 11 that Daniel convinced his mother to buy him his first real electric guitar. A few months later, his father took his own life, leaving music as more than just a means of artistic expression. It became a lifeline, a coping mechanism, and the one thing he could count on to always be there.
In his early teens, Daniel began listening to groups that were responsible for the British blues revival of the 60’s, and from there he worked backwards and became immersed the sounds of Delta and Hill Country blues, especially keen on Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, R.L. Burnside, and T-Model Ford, the latter of which he was able to share the stage with. In 2003, a chance encounter with Derek Trucks would lead Daniel to make slide guitar a big part of his repertoire, and one that has served him well since.
He played mostly around NC, SC, and VA until 2009 when he took a touring gig with a signed artist, but in 2010 decided to focus on teaching and gigging locally for the next few years. From 2015-2021 Daniel played gigs from coast to coast with multiple artists, also co-writing multiple songs that hit #1 on regional charts.
Despite being a sought after sideman, Daniel decided to take control of his own destiny, culminating with the formation of “Daniel Anderson and Heroic Dose” in 2022. The group blends all of his blues influences with elements of psychedelia, roots-rock, and jammy improvisation. They are currently in the studio working on their debut release “Stuck With Trouble”.

Chris Long also joins us this day!

Taps & Tunes - 11/3 - Joey English
2023-11-03 18:00 - 19:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Joey English joins us this night for Taps & Tunes!

The WDVX Big Plate - 11/3 - Ferd Band
2023-11-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Mississippi Delta roots with a spirited blend of folk, bluegrass, and blues traditions…FERD delivers traditional-sounding original tunes with a kick that is all joy, big bass, and blazing banjo.
FERD (the band) is nearly 15 years in the making. As the former fiddler and front man for the Hackensaw Boys, Ferd Moyse first met East Tennessee banjoist and singer Matt Morelock in 2007 and double-bassist Chris Stevens shortly thereafter. Ferd, Stevens, and Morelock decided to take the trio on the road in 2021 with a singular focus on Ferd’s body of timeless original songs. FERD has quickly gained the attention of fans, musicians, venues, and discerning listeners worldwide with headlining spots at the Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, Old Tone Festival, Blackpot Festival, and venues, theatres, clubs, and campfires. FERD is set to release their first album, Feelin’ Like the Wind, in 2022. The album is a musical journey into the toils of joy we find while stumbling our way to forgiveness.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/2 - Zach Willdee / Shawn Williams
2023-11-02 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Outlaw Country singer Zach Willdee combines energetic performances with his raw talent to bear a voice bigger than his body and stories older than his boots. Growing up in Massachusetts, writing beneath the shade of the New England pines, Zach Willdee began his musical career busking on the street corners of Provincetown, Massachusetts at 14 years old. By age 16, he earned the name “The Barefoot Brother.” Lifeguarding on the Atlantic coast during the day and street performing at night he reflects, “They called me that because I didn’t wear any shoes when I performed on the tarmac. They thought it was the funniest thing that this barefoot lifeguard was playing music.” It wasn’t long before Willdee moved from playing on the tarmac to playing local bars, with lines of people wrapping around the block, waiting to get in.
But long before that, Willdee would attend the annual Grey Fox and Joe Val Bluegrass Festivals in New England with his father. He fondly remembers jumping in on a picking circle at age 12, and then realizing he was playing with the Steel Drivers and Chris Stapelton. “They were all so welcoming it really sparked something in me and spurred me on,” Willdee laughs.
Inspired by writers like Steve Earle, John Prine, and Merle Haggard, he began writing his own songs at the age of 16. Willdee later apprenticed under Darrell Scott (songwriter for The Dixie Chicks, Travis Tritt, Beyoncé, Zac Brown Band, and others) in 2016, which ultimately sparked him to move to Nashville to pursue his own career singing and writing country music.
Influenced heavily by the depth and honesty of the greats, Willdee conveys simple truths through dynamics in his music and writing. His voice and lyrics, echoing from the golden age of country music, are often compared to Johnny Paycheck and Waylon Jennings, writing from the depths of his soul about life’s trials and tribulations––bearing the good, bad, and ugly through stories and songs that gain deeper meaning with each listen.
Willdee says, “I write and perform my music to help myself mentally––as a form of therapy, you could say––and hope that I can help someone relate and know there’s someone else out there sharing their experience.”
It’s not uncommon to see members of the audience singing along to Willdee’s songs at his shows––and they haven’t even been released yet! The slow rollin’ rambler has been captivating audiences for over a decade and shows no signs of putting the breaks on now. Finally laying his fans’ favorites down, Willdee will release his debut singles, “Take the Sign” (June 9), “Lately” (July 7), and “Shadow Riders” Fall of 2021, with his first album dropping later this fall. Listeners can look forward to tracks layered with the talents of musicians like Adam Duran of Kelsey Waldon’s band (electric and acoustic guitar), American Aquarium’s Neil Jones (pedal steel), Nashville local legend and country singer Tim Bolo (bass), Lucy Cochran (fiddle, backup vocals,) and Chris Weisbecker (drums, producer, and engineer) as well as his own. The multi-talented musician plays guitar, mandolin, bass, and harmonica as well. When he’s not playing the iconic American Legion Post 82 or Dee’s Country Lounge, you’ll find Willdee cooking, gardening, or exploring the great outdoors of Tennessee.

Hailing from the melting pot of New Orleans, Shawn Williams makes music that’s every bit as diverse and hauntingly soulful as her hometown. She calls it “alt-rocka countrybilly, serial killer blues,” carving out an atmospheric sound that blends amplified guitars, rawly honest lyrics, and nocturnal arrangements into her own brand of Americana-noire. Sulking In Love, her fifth full-length record, adds a new dimension to that musical mix, unfolding like a soundtrack to the long, lonely hours after midnight. It was produced by GRAMMY award-winning producer Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Neville Brothers, Neil Young…).
“Her throaty rasp, sardonic lyrics and the confidently pugnacious band behind her combine, at best, to suggest a spiritual sister to both Lucinda Williams and Chrissie Hynde.” – Uncut Magazine
“Voice alone and you might get that nostalgic feeling from Shawn Williams that is an aching twangy southern soul that is more often mimicked than authenticated..the real deal, undisputed soulful artist category: destined for a shot as a career artist.” – Glide Magazine
“I’ve always been drawn to dark themes,” she explains. “Maybe it comes from being in New Orleans. Maybe it comes from my love of the desert. It just flows out of me from somewhere else.”
Wallowin’ in the Night, Williams’ fourth full-length record (May 2022), shines its light on the darkness of the human experience, its songs detailing Williams’ experience with heartbreak and hangovers, breakups and booze, vices and vulnerability. Released on the heels of 2020’s The Fear of Living, The Fear of Loving, it’s an album about the people who leave and the hard habits that stick around, written and produced by a songwriter who isn’t afraid to shine a light on the skeletons in her own closet.
“A lot of these songs have a nighttime atmosphere,” explains Williams, a former radio programmer who launched her songwriting career with 2017’s Shadow and its acclaimed follow-up, 2018’s Motel Livin’. “The nighttime is when we’re mostly alone by ourselves, stuck with whatever’s going on, whether that’s sadness or happiness. When I was writing some of these songs, it was mostly sadness.”
From country ballads laced with pedal steel (“Don’t Go”) to angry, alt-rock standouts with overdriven guitar solos (“Everything You Stood For”), Wallowin’ in the Night explores the universal theme of heartbreak with Williams’ singularly genre-jumping approach. The sexually-charged “Buzzed” begins like a haunting folk song, its acoustic guitar chords punctuated by Williams’ invitation to a would-be lover to come spend the night, then builds into an anthemic, full-band salute to the carnal desires that keep us awake after hours. “Fireworks” finds her channeling Neko Case — another country-adjacent rock & roll siren who traffics in the nocturnal and the nuanced — while “So Tired” mixes fuzz guitar riffs and stomping percussion into a proudly pissed-off declaration of hard living and inebriation. Williams mixes humor with heartbreak, too, delivering biting lines — “I really do hope that you two live happily ever after, but who am I kidding? I was never good at telling jokes,” she snaps in “Someone Else” — with the stinging swagger that’s already made her a hometown hero in New Orleans.
Other hometown heroes appear on Wallowin’ in the Night, too, with Williams reconvening her studio band of regional all-stars. John Fohl, a veteran of Dr. John’s band, plays guitar. Casey McAllister (Peter Murphy/Langhorne Slim/Hurray for the Riff Raff) handles keyboard duties, as well as guitar on a few tracks. NOLAmericana solo artist Lynn Drury sings harmonies, NPR-celebrated instrumentalist Dave Easley makes a cameo appearance on pedal steel, and The Iguanas — longtime staples of New Orleans roots-rock scene — serve as the rhythm section, matching Williams’ sharp songwriting with deep grooves. Working with engineer Tom Stern at Blue Velvet Studio, Williams produced the recordings herself, spotlighting the combination of creative vision and do-it-yourself drive that’s earned her shows alongside fellow roots-music mainstays like Wanda Jackson and Sarah Shook.
“The unbridled Williams sings of lust and longing at the dark end of the street,” gushes The Advocate, alternately describing the songwriter’s sound as “hillbilly-post-punk-goth-rock” and “Hank Williams meets The Smiths meets Siouxsie and the Banshees.” Defying categorization, Shawn Williams wears her broken heart on her sleeve with Wallowin’ in the Night, unafraid to detail the lengths to which she’ll go — from quick fixes to long benders, from last calls to first moves, from self-examination to boozy self-annihilation — to get some much-needed relief. It’s an album of dynamic shifts, its full-throttle highs and lonely lows mirroring the rollercoaster ride of heartbreak itself, and Williams sings each song in a voice flecked with both the twang of alt-country and the pissed-off power of alt-rock. She makes her home there, in the gray area between genres, planting her flag in territory that runs beside her influences, yet is still distinctly her own.
Yes, there’s darkness at the end of that street. But there’s also melody, guitar-driven muscle, and the cutting insights of a songwriter who, like her New Orleans home, isn’t afraid to embrace both the wild thrills and dangerous possibilities that come with a life lived after sundown.

Tennessee Shines - 11/1 - Darrell Scott / Po Ramblin' Boys / Chris Knight
2023-11-01 19:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Join WDVX for Tennessee Shines
with host Jim Lauderdale & special guests!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
“It’s hard to know how people are gonna react,” Chris Knight says of Almost Daylight, his ninth album and first new recording in over seven years. “I’ve written songs about a lot of different things going all the way back to my first record, and some folks still think ‘somebody kills somebody’ is all I write about. Maybe that’s why I was bound and determined to get these particular songs on this album. If people like them, then we’ll be fine. But I wasn’t gonna do it any other way.”
For the past 20 years, Chris Knight has only made music his own way. He’s released eight acclaimed albums, played thousands of electrifying live shows and built generations of fervent fans from Texas honky-tonks to Manhattan rock clubs. He’s been hailed as “the last of a dying breed…a taciturn loner with an acoustic guitar and a college degree” (The New York Times) and “a storyteller in the best traditions of Mellencamp and Springsteen” (USA Today). Bottom line, he’s hard-earned his reputation as one of America’s most uncompromising and respected singer/songwriters. And now with Almost Daylight, Knight delivers the most powerful – and unexpected – music of his career.
Almost Daylight is very much a Chris Knight album, familiarly featuring vivid pictures of rural characters, desperate men and hardscrabble survivors. At the same time it’s unlike anything Knight has done before, with formidable testaments to compassion, redemption and even straight-up love. It’s an album both tough and tender, as bare-knuckled as it is open-hearted. “I do think there’s a cohesiveness to this album,” Knight explains in his thick Kentucky rasp.“The title is key, I suppose. Through all these songs, you could find a theme about seeking shelter.”
Produced, mixed and mastered by Grammy-winner Ray Kennedy – best-known for his 30+ year creative partnership with Steve Earle as well as producing Chris’ Enough Rope (2006),Trailer II (2009) and Little Victories (2012) albums – Almost Daylight also sounds like no other Knight record, with scorching guitars by Georgia Satellites founder and two-time Knight album producer Dan Baird, rich background vocals by Chris Clark, Siobhan Kennedy and Lee Ann Womack, and deeper instrumentation than ever before. “Chris had been playing some of these songs on the road and started developing ideas before we got to the studio,” Kennedy says. “He and I talked about keeping the Appalachian factor with banjo, fiddle, harmonica and mandolin where it felt right. It was significant that Dan was involved, as he’s the man who can play guitar with the right feeling for Chris. The background vocals really brought the fire, and this lead to ideas for piano, Hammond B-3, accordion and Wurlitzer electric piano. Everything evolved from the performance of each song and I let the songs dictate what they needed in order to evolve into an album.”
“I was determined not to do any acoustic songs on this album,” Chris explains. “I wanted it all to sound edgy and raw, but to feel big at the same time. We kept trying different approaches until I felt we landed on what worked. The thing is, some of my songs might take a year of writing before I even think they’re ready for recording and I fretted about every one of these. I’ve never put a cover song on any of my records before, but there are two covers on this one. And I think it all fits together pretty good.”
The album opens with “I’m William Callahan”, a defiant roar fueled by equal parts pride, memories and searing guitar. “Crooked Mile” is classic Knight, a piercing take on outsiders bound by love, while the poignant “Send It On Down” is a plaintive plea for salvation. There are tales of small-town despair (“I Won’t Look Back”), ominous rural menace (“Trouble Up Ahead”) and melancholic break-ups (“Everybody’s Lonely Now”). Chris’ cover of Johnny Cash’s “Flesh And Blood” – which originally appeared on the Dualtone 2002 tribute albumDressed In Black – is a poignant interpretation of Cash’s ode to devotion. The plainspoken positivity of “Go On” is one of Knight’s most life-affirming songs, while “The Damn Truth” is a ferociously clear-eyed look at our current cultural divide. The title track might be the most unexpected Knight song of all, an unapologetic paean to the power of love. “That’s probably my favorite song on the album,” Chris says, “because it’s closest to the truth.” He then quickly adds with a laugh, “I’m killin’ people with love now.” The album closes with yet another surprise; a joyfully raucous duet between Knight and longtime fan John Prine on Prine’s 1973 classic “Mexican Home”. “I love that song, but it took me 15 years to find a way to do it,” Knight says. “I kept playing around, changing the vocal key and finally landed on the spot. I’ve been singing it my kitchen table for the last few years, and when we were down to the last song, I knew this should be it.”
With the release of Almost Daylight, this native son of Slaughters, Kentucky (population 238) is eager to get back on the road and perform these songs for the faithful. Meanwhile, the singer/songwriter who was originally inspired by the likes of Prine and Earle now finds himself influencing a new generation of artists who revere Knight’s idiosyncratic talent and attitude. “There’s all kinds of different ways to make music, but this is the way I chose to do it,” Chris says. “If I don’t have something worth saying I’m not opening my mouth, which is probably why I took seven years to make this album.” And for an artist who has always defied expectations, Chris Knight’s next chapter indeed feels like the dawn of a new day. “I haven’t suited everybody, but every time I get a new fan it tells me I’m doing something right,” he says. “I think my previous records have set a precedent, if only for me at the very least. I just want people to think this one stands up to everything else I’ve done.”

Old Cane Back Rocker was developed over two consecutive weekend gigs in Arkansas and Colorado. Rather than sending the entire band back home in between weekends, Scott kept everyone out the following weekdays in a band house in Louisville, CO – so they could walk to Moxie Bread Co. every morning – and drive to Boulder everyday to record. So for three days with only a playlist of the songs sent to each player and a call to Scott’s friend, Nick Forster at eTown Studio in Boulder, The Darrell Scott String Band produced a set of tunes that pay homage to his cherished Kentucky upbringing along with showcasing the immense working relationship he maintains with the talented musicians who graced these songs.
“I am fortunate to play with amazing musicians,” Scott says, “I always have had my ear to the six winds to assess players and their strengths and the music we would make — electric or acoustic, two or five people, country, folk, blues, string players, grass, rocking, quiet or loud, whatever. The category does not matter as it is just a category. There has always been a group of great musicians near to help me get there, and yes, I am lucky.”
Led by the single “Kentucky Morning,” the song joins others in Scott’s catalog that gives a nod to his family’s musical traditions and heritage. “It’s literally my family’s story,” said Scott. “There’s a bit of fiction there because, at the end of the day, I’m a songwriter. I can make up stuff. But I start, in this case, from a factual view. It happened across the South – folks chasing work. There were car factories and steel mills near Chicago, and my dad worked in both. Two brothers were born in Dearborn, Michigan, and two in the Chicago area. So many people left, yet there was a part of my family that never did. That’s the thread that says, ‘Home is home. It’s not Chicago or Akron or anywhere else.’”

At a time when most people feel constantly distracted by technology and barraged by the news, authenticity and straightforward honesty are paramount. There’s something about the music of The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys that cuts right through the noise of the world and speaks plainly to the soul. Formed in the Smoky Mountains, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are at once exactly what you would expect and not at all what you would expect from a tattooed East Tennessee Bluegrass outfit. No strangers to hard work, the boys are as much at home riding in their restored Eagle tour bus as they are crawling underneath to fix it when it needs maintenance. But they take pride in being ambassadors of their genre, and the group has brought their music from rural bluegrass festival stages to the rock clubs of Europe, and even the GRAMMY Red Carpet, with stunning results. “I think to a certain extent everyone is just craving music that they can feel, and any music that feels real will reach any audience” says CJ Lewandowski, the groups founder, “We want to put bluegrass right where it’s least expected”. Perhaps this mindset is why the group earned the title of Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2018 IBMA Awards.
In 2014, Lewandowski was working at Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery in Sevierville, TN when the band first formed. The distillery employed musicians to play for visitors seven days a week, and Lewandowski, who primarily plays Mandolin and sings, was occasionally hired to fill in when the entertainment didn’t show. Eventually, the distillery approached him about forming a band for a full time slot, so he reached out to long time music friends Jereme Brown, who plays banjo for the group, and Josh Rinkel, who plays guitar. “Jereme was doing a lot of welding work at that time, and Josh was running a sign company”, says Lewandowski, “I think we were all ready to do something new, something with our music but we didn’t know when or how”. Bassist Jasper Lorentzen happened to be working in the tasting room at the distillery, and he turned out to be the perfect addition to the band. The four friends played multiple times a week for a year and half, honing their band sound, meanwhile word was spreading about their music. “The first gig we played out of town was a festival in Alberta, Canada, and a week later we went on a two week tour of Europe, it was crazy”, says Lewandowski. In 2020, the finishing touch, the cherry on top if you will, was added to the quartet. Laura Orshaw, a seasoned fiddle player and singer joined the Boys after contributing her talents to the Sound Biscuit Productions’ full Gospel album, “God’s Love is So Divine” and “Toils, Tears, & Trouble.” On the addition C.J. exclaims “after 5 1/2 together as a four piece, we needed that perfect fit that would not only fit us on stage and recording, but a personality that would add to the band and be a part of the family we have created. Laura was that person and we can’t think of anyone else that fits our music and our family better than her. The show has benefitted so much from Laura and the chemistry we have between the now 5 of us.”
Material for the group’s freshman Rounder Records album “Toil, Tears & Teouble,” was a combination of original songs and old numbers that honor the group’s mentors and bluegrass heroes. “We love to dig up old songs that haven’t been heard in years and bring them back into the spotlight”, explains Lewandowski. In fact, two of those gems on the Rounder album, “Next Train South” and “Hickory, Walnut & Pine,” were nominated for IBMA Song of the Year along with “Next Train South” taking the trophy for SPBGMA same category in 2020. The momentum of “Toil, Tears & Trouble” has continued to grow with the band’s first GRAMMY Nomination for Best Bluegrass Album.
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys passion for bluegrass is as clear as it is contagious. With a heavy touring schedule across the United States and Europe and recent Grammy Nomination with Rounder Records, the Boys are well on their way to becoming the quintessential bluegrass band of their generation. Despite all of their recent success, they maintain a humble perspective. “Bluegrass has left such a mark on us that we feel like we owe something back to the music”, says Lewandowski. “We want to do something for the music to show our appreciation… There’s no telling what could have happened to us, what we would have become if we hadn’t found this music. It’s gotten us through a lot, the good and the bad. When I think about all of the damn medications that I didn’t have to take because I had music to turn to. We didn’t have to go to the doctor and pay for something to make us feel better, because we had this music, so we really want to honor it by bringing it out of the shadows and onto new stages and wider audiences. Because we know that if we can bring Bluegrass to new folks, those folks will come with us and support the bluegrass community.”

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/31 - Madelaine / Lucky Perm Band
2023-10-31 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Always wanting to be where the music is, singer/songwriter Madelaine Fisher grew up watching her dad, Gary Fisher, rehearse and perform in local bands. Grounded by listening to the sounds of country and pop, she penned her first song at thirteen and, shortly thereafter, a father & daughter duo was born.
As Madelaine grew her catalogue of original songs, she started to build a band. Adding drummer Jim Alfieri and bassist Douglas Mendell, the four musicians emerged as the uncommon “Madelaine & the Southern Gypsy Band”. Performing her innovative and original Pop/Country and Rhythm & Blues songs, along with inspired arrangements of covers by Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, Madelaine, and her multi-generational band of seasoned musicians, have created their own unique sound.

East Tennessee’s Own Lucky Perm Band joins us this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/30 - David Easterling / Wild Blue Yonder
2023-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Wild Blue Yonder was born in the year 2000, when veteran performers/songwriters Melissa Wade and Philip Coward joined forces to share their love of acoustic music with new audiences. In 2003, fiddler Cindy Wallace came on board, and the group flourished in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, producing two CDs and performing more than 50 shows a year for several years.
Phil, Melissa and Cindy each come from families who played and sang songs passed down from their Scots-Irish ancestors. With fellow band members Karen and Michael Leffel, from East Tennessee and Kentucky, Wild Blue Yonder holds a deep respect for the traditions of Appalachia. That respect and a love of history inspire the group to share the music that traveled from Celtic regions afar to the Smoky Mountains.

David Easterling is an Americana singer/songwriter/storyteller living in Oak Ridge, TN. His folky Appalachian tales are often comedic, sometimes little bit scary, but always connect with the head and the heart! Spooky Songs Live is his newest CD and he has recorded 5 more CD’s of original music. David’s music can be found on the usual media outlets including ReverbNation, YouTube, Facebook, etc. and has been played on radio stations from WDVX in Knoxville, TN to K2K radio in London, England. He has performed at festivals and many venues as diverse as Madlife in Georgia, Moonlight on the Mountain in Alabama, Stones Throw in Wisconsin, Capones in Indiana, Iron Horse in North Carolina, and Sugarlands and The Listening Room in TN. And Nashville gigs including 12 Keys Saloon, Sam Ash Music, The Commodore and Millennium Maxwell House!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/28 – Emma Zeck / Erin Wolf
2023-10-28 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Hailing from Texas, singer – songwriter Emma Zeck knows intimately the journey of transforming herself from victim into victor using the power of her voice, her poetry, and her song.
Zeck sang and played piano as a child but completely stopped performing for twelve years as a defense mechanism while living in a chaotic home. As a teenager she found solace by writing poetry and scribbling in her journals all the truths that she was afraid to speak out loud.
It wasn’t until her early twenties that Zeck started to share her poetry online. Writings that were chock full of raw, poetic fervor gained attention from thousands of people all over the world and amassed a large social media following. Through a series of spiritual transformations over the course of years, she zealously began the journey of reclaiming her voice and the next artistic chapter in her life.
The power of her writing began to morph into melodies and songs in her mid twenties as the traumas of her earlier life began surfacing –
“I was in such deep emotional pain, it felt like all the songs I didn’t sing over the years I shut down my voice started pouring out of me. I simply could not silence myself anymore. My body wouldn’t let me. I no longer cared who or what I had to lose, I had to sing. I realized I am a singer and always have been. I’ve denied myself this gift because I learned that silencing myself would keep me safe.”
And for years, it did. But through a series of spiritual transformations over the course of years, Emma zealously began the journey of reclaiming her voice.
“I sing for the little girl in me who was shamed for being a truth teller, I sing for my mother who was oppressed with no access to resources for years, I sing for the powerful, bullshit detecting women who get labeled as crazy, I sing for every little girl who feels as if their voice has been taken from them, I sing for every woman who feels the fire burning within to reclaim her life, for herself. I sing for the dreamers – for the complete and total reclamation of us all.”
Emma has a full length album set to release Spring 2024 that she is recording this fall at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.

Erin Wolf is an American folk-Americana singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Little Chute, Wisconsin. Her catalogue of over 300 original songs includes collaborations with a wide range of artists, including James Tristan Redding, Rubén González, David & Laurie Easterling, Paula Varela, Kent Aitken, Niki Shepherd, Dan Tanz, Julia Bloom, among others both stateside and around the world.
Her original songs have been featured on the Shaun O’Reilly Songwriter’s Show in the U.K. (Islington Radio) alongside tracks from artists such as John Prine, Chris Stapleton, and Willie Nelson. She is also featured on the track, “A Sinner Like Me”, opposite James Tristan Redding, from his album “Song A Week, Vol. 3”.
Erin has performed, sung, and led music in both solo & group settings through the Song A Week Dot Org and Fearless Songwriter Challenge communities, as well as within & beyond the Episcopal Church. She has performed live (in-person) around the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, respectively. Virtual performances have taken her all around the world!
While her musical background in choral, religious, and classical settings helped to instill a great deal of musical theory and singing techniques, Erin’s deep love for folk, bluegrass, Americana, and singer-songwriter genres (among others) truly shines through in her music. She weaves stories together, capturing both the allure of folklore and the everyday human experience: life, love, death, parenthood, humor, and so much more.

The WDVX Big Plate - 10/27 - Jordan Foley & The Wheelhouse
2023-10-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Jordan Foley is a singer-songwriter in the folk-Americana realm based in Orlando, Fl. Jordan packs a punch with his growling voice and heavy-hand acoustic rhythm and can be found playing all over the Central Florida area and beyond.
Jordan’s music has been described by Clever Loafing Tampa Bay as “a special brand of Americana for admirers of bands like American Aquarium, Lucero and Ryan Bingham.”
On Jordan’s live performance, Orlando Weekly stated, “He doesn’t try too hard because he doesn’t need to. Confident in the pocket and the natural power of his expression, Foley’s probably one of the more finished and articulated young examples to emerge in the local Americana scene lately.”
In 2017, Jordan was nominated in the Best Singer-Songwriter category for Orlando Weekly’s Best of Orlando. This year, he’s been nominated for Best Folk Act!
Jordan’s debut album, Give to Get a Day, was released on all music streaming services and on CD on April 27, 2018. The album includes originals like See You Letter and Clouds. The record features local musicians Tanner Johnson, Zack Maruniak, Rhemy Ventura and Sara Underhill, and it was recorded at TSM Studio in Longwood, Fl.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/26 - Justin Kaleb / The Spooky Oooo’s
2023-10-26 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.

The Spooky Ooo’s bring “Paranormal Honkytonk”, originals and covers about UFOs, ghosts, Big Foot, and other paranormal.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/25 - Lance and Lea / Andrew Finn McGill
2023-10-25 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Dream loud. That’s the way Texas native Lance Kotara & Colorado cowgirl LeAnna Kaufman live their lives. It was no surprise the two songwriters would find each other in Nashville, forming the duo Lance and Lea.
Marked by heart pounding harmonies, prominent guitars & emotional lyrics & melodies, their collaborative genius is on fire, with over 400 songs already written together. Their first album “There Goes My Heart,” with Grammy award winning producer Paul Worley was released in late 2018 and their music has garnered airplay in the UK, Ireland, and in Music City, Nashville Tennessee.
The duo already has an award under their belt, winning “New Artist Of The Year” at the 2019 iHeart Radio Rocky Mountain Country Music Awards in Lea’s home state of Colorado. “There Goes My Heart” was also nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2020 iHeart Radio RMCMA’s.
In 2020 the couple raised over $16K on a fan funded crowdfunding campaign for their album “Great Big World” which was released early 2021. That same year, in the middle of a pandemic, they booked a 31 date Backyard PopUp Tour all over the US covering 26 states & over 12,000 miles in an effort to bring live music back to the people.
In 2021 they completed an 80 date, four month long Summer Tour, playing to even more fans across the US – this time traveling in a vintage RV aka “The Honeybee.”
The duo is set to release their first single off the new album “Songs From The Road” in July 2022 with a 50 date Summer tour kicking off as well.

Andrew Finn Magill has been featured on PBS, NPR, TEDx and MTV-U. Finn is a Fulbright fellow, North Carolina Arts Council fellow, and South Arts Emerging Traditional Artist. He has performed with John Doyle, Rising Appalachia, Charm City Junction, Open the Door for Three, Greg Ruby, The Paul McKenna Band, and Peter Mawanga among others. Finn grew up studying Irish, old-time, and bluegrass with dozens of the best fiddlers in the world every summer at The Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina. Finn has performed at venues which include Milwaukee Irish Fest, Celtic Connections, Olympia Hall in Paris, France, DisneyWorld, and Malawi’s Lake of Stars Festival.
In 2005 Finn debuted with Drive & Lift a collection of traditional and original Irish music. In 2009 Finn was awarded a Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship to spend a year in Malawi co-writing and co-producing a concept album about HIV/AIDS with Malawi pop icon Peter Mawanga. The result, Stories of AIDS: Mau a Malawi, is a soundscape of traditional Irish and Malawian sounds reimagined with an Afro-pop production and a riveting message of social justice. It was the inspiration for a multimedia show of the same name Finn wrote and co-directed with Jon Haas and Joseph Megel, and which debuted at the University of North Carolina’s Memorial Hall in October 2011.
In 2016, Finn released the two-part Kickstarter-funded concept album Roots and and Branches which features original acoustic music inspired by Irish and American music. Roots debuted at #46 on the Folk DJ charts and writes Grammy-winning Americana artist Tim O’Brien:
“He has learned from and now plays with the best in the genre. On Branches you can hear a new musical voice emerging. I’m gonna keep listening for Finn Magill.”
In 2014 Finn moved to Rio de Janeiro to study Brazilian choro music. In Rio he founded many Brazilian music groups including O Finno, Violino no Choro, Brazilian Strings Trio (with fellow American violinist Ted Falcon and Brazilian guitarist Nando Duarte) and Canta, Violino! the album of which was released on Ropeadope Records in 2018. Says the legendary Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira (Chick Corea, Miles Davis):
“Its nice to see fresh, young musicians carrying on the traditions of Brazilian music. Finn Magill displays a love and authenticity that can fool you into thinking he is from Brazil. His style is playful and light, yet soulful and passionate. Congratulations!”
Fascinated by the connections between the fiddling traditions of Ireland and Scotland and their musical cousins of oldtime and bluegrass, in 2018 Finn created the lecture series “The Relationships between Irish, Scottish, and American Fiddle traditions” which is a musical presentation for adults that explores the connections between these styles through their fiddle tunes. Finn has given this lecture at universities across the country and museums across North Carolina. Finn has taught traditional Irish music, bluegrass, Brazilian choro, and old-time at over a dozen fiddle camps across the U.S, Scotland, Canada, Brazil, and France.
Finn currently has active projects with Dave Curley, Alan Murray, Seán Gray, and an acoustic jazz quartet. Finn tours as a solo artist and sideman with dozens of artists in various genres.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/24 - Juliana Eden / Full Service
2023-10-24 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Juliana Eden is an emerging Contemporary Christian, Country Artist and a Dynamic Songwriter. With her roots in old time gospel her voice echoes southern traditions while offering a unique, and powerful sound that touches the hearts of young and old. Having spent the last 6 years traveling throughout the southeast sharing her love for music and her soulful voice to many weary hearts, her path is now set towards Nashville. She is grabbing the attention of many in the music industry with her heart felt original works and exceptional vocal rage. Currently working on her studio album and releasing her Debut EP in October, 2023.

Full Service is Knoxville’s Stevie Jones band.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/23 - Drew Young / David Watson
2023-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Drew Young Band has been around in one form or another for the better part of 2 decades. Drew has been crisscrossing the globe soaking up stories and experiences and translating the human experience into songs of longing, love, loss and learning. Drew has been co/writing with some of the top writers across the globe and is constantly writing, touring and recording. During the Lockdown of 2020, with life of the road no longer an option, Drew began a comprehensive re-invention and spent a full year writing and recording music. It was at this time that Drew also realized that alcohol was no longer serving his life .” Hence, the name of the new Album “ Bourbon and Bad Decisions.” This decision has proven to be a huge creative win and the joys of sobriety continue to grow daily. A series of Nashville recording session, with some of the top session players in Music City, resulted in 60 completed songs. Drew has been releasing the songs as singles and to date there has been an aggregate of over 2 Million streams across his catalog and the numbers continue to grow.
Post COVID finds Drew ramping up his live appearances . With shows in New Orleans, Mississippi, Atlanta, New York and all points in between. The international road beckoned with some of the highlights being the Maverick Festival, and The Long Road Festival in the UK, Live at Heart in Sweden, Camden Club and The Bedford in London, UK and multiple appearances around the UK. Drew is thrilled to make his first appearance at the infamous Green Note in
London on June 25th as the kick off to his 2023 European tour.
Refreshingly honest, defiantly original and always mercurial and insightful, Drew’s music is sure to connect and resonate.

David Watson began pursuing songwriting after retiring from 30 years as a Park Ranger ..From the suburban life by Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, Tn. to farming with his depression era grandparents near Lynchburg, Tn. he is noted as a classic country storyteller and has been compared to Guy Clark. His music is as varied as his raising. He plays songwriter events across the south. Music, Photography and Fishing are his hobbies.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/21 - Common Man / Trolls of Amsterdam
2023-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Common Man is a brand-new duo comprised of husband and wife Compton McMurry and Meredith Johnson. The couple have combined their solo careers to create a story-driven blend of folk, pop, and alternative sounds.

For more than a decade, Stephen Wilson was the glue that held together a community of creative people in Half Moon Bay, CA. The communal music space he provided gave rise to the Trolls Of Amsterdam, a trio of coworkers that came together to channel the frustrations of the work world, including Wilson on the mic, Armon Cabana on drums and Stefan Drobel laying a foundation of tracks via Maschine. Their 2016 self-titled EP, at once funky and hilarious, is a lighthearted jam session with infectious beats, full of inside jokes about hustling in the audiovisual industry.
2021 saw the addition of rhythm section specialist and producer Mat Gilbert, who brought to life some of their previously unreleased funk material, this time with live instrumentation, while Wilson added some new country and blues compositions to the mix. During the recording process, Wilson’s life was beset with obstacles. His deteriorating financial situation forced him like so many others to leave California. With one foot in Northern California and one in Stephen’s native South Carolina, Wilson Drive is an honest and heartfelt chronicle of Stephen’s life over the last ten years. The album has been praised as “a killer blending of both traditional and contemporary influences, creating something that feels instantly familiar yet excitingly fresh at the same time.” Steven Uhles for The Augusta Press called it “a really interesting release that feels very simple but is sophisticated in goals and execution.”

The WDVX Big Plate - 10/20 - Bohola
2023-10-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Irish music accordion virtuoso Jimmy Keane and the remarkable bouzar player and vocalist Pat Broaders, comprise bohola, Irish music’s newest “supergroup” as penned by The Irish Herald. Bohola play a driving, muscular, and yet very emotive style of Irish music with deep roots in the ‘pure drop’ tradition, infused with the raw and gritty urbanized musical vernacular of the Irish and Irish-American experience.

bohola’s debut album is championed by the Irish Voice as “one of the most impressive debut recordings ever by an Irish traditional music group.” The Courier News added, “Though most of the tunes bohola plays are well over 150 years old, the music comes across more vibrant than the moribund sounds of much of today’s alternative rock. Their sound comes from the Irish version of jam sessions, but bohola puts the noodling of many current jam bands (Dave Matthews, among others) to shame.”

The Irish Echo captured the essence of bohola when it reviewed their self-titled release. “The sum here is greater than the parts, and egos are subordinate to both execution and effect. bohola have crafted an album of intricate, nearly invisible latticework, relying not on gimmickry but on imagination and vision. What a welcome concept: muse-imbuing music.”

Born in London of Irish-speaking parents, Jimmy Keane’s accomplishments are far reaching. The son of a sean nos (old style) singer, he is All Ireland accordion champion for five consecutive years. He is a composer and arranger of Irish music and has produced and recorded numerous albums. Many regard Keane as the premier exponent of Irish music on the piano accordion. Noted University of Limerick Professor, composer, and musician Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin praised Keane as the “savior of the piano accordion.” Emusic described him as “one of the true giants of Irish traditional music of the past fifty years.”

Keane has performed and recorded with some of the best musicians in Irish music over the years including Liz Carroll, Michael Flatley, Mick Moloney, Eileen Ivers, and Seamus Egan. However, it was not until he started playing with Pat Broaders that the style of Irish music that Keane plays “really started to jell and this big huge raw and powerful sound came out of nowhere,” reflected Keane. “We were like a glove – instinctively darting in and out of the music as if we were “as-one” playing the same big instrument.”

Pat Broaders arrived in Chicago from Ireland in the 1990’s. “Pat is a real veteran of the Irish music scene both here and abroad, playing, recording, and performing with many artists and bands over the years,” said Keane. “Pat has this acute sense of music and rhythm that enables him to “lock in” his bouzar (bass bouzouki & guitar hybrid) playing to whatever I might do musically and rhythmically. The synergy that results spurs on bohola and draws in the audience. And his singing is brilliant – if I could sing, I’d love to sing like Pat.”

bohola’s key to their sound is the interplay between the musicians and the approach they take to their music. “It is the music that counts,” states Keane. “We really listen to and respond to each other when we play – bending, twisting, and caressing the music as it flows along.” Keane considers bohola fortunate to be able to perform and carry forward the traditional Irish music art form while placing their special touch to the music. “We are here to serve this great music and bring out what we feel is the best nature in the tunes and songs we play.”

The Chicago Tribune wrote, “bohola plays 300-year-old jigs and reels as if they were trying to tear the house down. Keane’s rippling accordion playing rapid, swirling melodies, while Pat Broaders accents the rhythm with his staccato bouzouki strumming. Broaders also takes the spotlight to sing plaintive ballads.”

“We try to always play from the heart,” said Keane, “and bring to the audience the core and the spirit of what the music we play and sing is about.”

In concert, bohola perform music selections that weave in and out between tunes and songs that can continue for twenty minutes or so, ever evolving and flowing. They play tunes that range from hundred-year-old harp pieces, reels, jigs, slides, polkas and barndances to newly composed pieces in the traditional idiom. And the songs run the gamut from the ancient melodies of Ireland, to songs brought to North America by immigrants, to newly composed songs from here and abroad. All played with a freshness and subtlety of approach that is unique in Irish music today.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/19 - John Salaway / The Tillers
2023-10-19 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Frontman. Acclaimed Grammy considered songwriter. Sideman. Nationally-endorsed multi-instrumentalist. Producer. Since moving to Nashville in the early 2000s, John Salaway has become one of the city’s most accomplished musicians, holding down a weekly residency at the world-class BB King’s Blues Club while also playing shows with acts like Peter Frampton, Ben Folds, Anderson East, Zach Williams, and Denny Laine from the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney’s Wings. He’s a drummer. A guitarist. A pianist. And with albums like 2019’s Americana Dreams, he shows the full range of his abilities, mixing a lifelong appreciation for the Beatles’ classic pop melodies with the southern-fried sounds of his adopted hometown.
“With every album I make, you’ll always hear a touch of the Beatles,” says Salaway, who got to work with the Fab Four’s iconic sound engineer, Geoff Emerick, during the last year of the studio legend’s life. “With Americana Dreams, though, I wanted to show off my Americana influences, which come mostly from Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Bob Dylan, The Band, and Tom Petty.”
Those influences are all on full display throughout Americana Dreams, whose 10 self-produced songs bounce between heartland rock & roll epics, pensive ballads, and rootsy rave-ups. While Salaway’s earlier records found the songwriter playing nearly every instrument himself, Americana Dreams is a work of collaboration, featuring tracks co-written with India Ramey, Kyle Daniel, Scott Gerow, and other Nashville staples, as well as blistering slide guitar solos by Joey Fletcher and sweeping fiddle from Bri Murphy. On an album filled with some of Music City’s brightest lights, though, it’s Salaway who shines the brightest, whether he’s channeling Simon & Garfunkel’s softly harmonized folk-rock with “It’s All In Your Mind,” cranking up some bluesy soul with “You Better Believe,” or taking a moment to appreciate the smaller things in life with acoustic highlights like “The Beauty That Surrounds Us.”
Salaway has every reason to sound appreciative. A Florida native who grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and other records from his parents’ vinyl collection, he has sharpened his diverse sound and expanded his international reputation throughout a two-decade career, earning accolades from outlets like American Songwriter along the way. His debut solo album, 2013’s The Song in the Air, was named the year’s best independent pop/rock record by Yahoo and The Examiner, while his 2015 follow-up, Down the Road of Life, explored a heavier, grungier sound. Americana Dreams finds him chasing down new milestones, with “A Little Bit Broken” — the album’s kickoff single, full of rock & roll stomp and gritty guitar — climbing to Number One on the worldwide indie radio charts several months before the album’s release.
Appropriately, Americana Dreams is a sunny record, stocked with reminders to seize the moment, savor the good times, and let go of life’s unnecessary burdens. These songs preach the importance of focusing on the things that really matter: love, good people, even better music, and the times we share together.
“I want to inspire people and make them feel uplifted,” says Salaway, who echoes similar sentiments during tracks like “Inspire You,” a quietly anthemic song laced with violin and acoustic guitar. “That’s my goal in life: to be a positive force for somebody else.”
In Nashville, much has changed since Salaway moved to town more than 15 years ago. The skyline looks different. The music scene has exploded. But Salaway, with his recurring Friday afternoon gigs at BB King’s — sometimes performed as a one-man show with loops and effects, and sometimes performed with Salaway on the drums, leading his full band like a younger Don Henley — has become a citywide staple. His music is rooted in the best parts of the past and filled with contemporary finishes — a reminder that Nashville, despite its modern makeover, has always been a place anchored by classic songwriting. With Americana Dreams, he begins a new chapter in a story that’s still unfolding, excitedly showcasing new angles of his sound while still taking a moment to enjoy the ride.
“If you hold on to too much regret or negativity, you usually wind up seeing more problems in your life,” he explains. “It’s like a chain reaction because negativity attracts more negativity. These songs are about letting that bad stuff go and saying, ‘Look, life is beautiful. Let’s be thankful for what we have and enjoy our time together.'”

The Tillers got their start in August 2007 when they started thumping around with some banjos and guitars and a big wooden bass. Their earliest gigs were for coins and burritos on the city’s famous Ludlow Street in the district of Clifton. The songs they picked were mostly older than their grandparents. Some came from Woody Guthrie, some were southern blues laments, and many were anonymous relics of Appalachian woods, churches, riverboats, railroads, prairies, and coal mines.
Their look didn’t fit the stereotype. They were clearly recovering punk rockers with roots in city’s west side punk rock and hardcore scene. The punk influence gave their sound a distinctive bite, setting them apart from most other folk acts- a hard-driving percussive strum and stomp that brought new pulse and vinegar to some very old songs. But their musical range soon proved itself as they floated from hard-tackle thumping to tender graceful melody, all the while topped by Oberst and Geil’s clear tenor harmonies.
They began picking up weekly gigs around the city’s bar scene. It didn’t take long before their signature treatment of classic folk songs became the preferred versions of Cincinnati locals. Their audiences swelled, growing into an assortment of grey-haired mechanics, neo-hippies, farmers, punkers, professors, and random strays all stomping, clapping, singing, and belting outbursts of “John Henry!” “Darlin’ Corey!” Ever since, the band has come to each show with the same energy. They are magnetic showmen, mature musicians, and colorful storytellers.
The Tillers have since won over Cincinnati’s bar and festival scene, and launching tours with tireless momentum. They were awarded CityBeat Magazine’s Cincinnati Entertainment Award for best Folk and Americana act in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2017. Their relentless gigging has taken them throughout the East coast, the Midwest and West, the Appalachian south and to the UK and Ireland opening for the St.Louis crooner, Pokey LaFarge. In the summer of 2009, veteran NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw featured the Tillers on a documentary about US Route 50. Brokaw showcased the group’s song “There is Road (Route 50)” as a testimony to the highway’s role as a connective tissue of the nation.
Musically, the band wears many hats. Their sound has proven to be an appropriate fit with a wide range of musical styles- traditional folk, bluegrass, jazz, punk rock and anything else they might run into. They have shared the stage with a broad swath of national touring acts, ranging from renowned folk legends such as Doc Watson, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Guy Clark, Country Joe McDonald, Jerry Douglas, Iris Dement, Pokey LaFarge, The Hackensaw Boys and The Carolina Chocolate Drops to rambunctious rock daredevils like the Legendary Shack Shakers.
Always moving, the Tillers continue to enter new territory. Their musical growth can be heard through the scape of their many releases, 2008′s debut record Ludlow Street Rag, 2010′s By The Signs, 2011′s Wild Hog in the Woods, 2012′s Live from the Historic Southgate House, 2013′s Hand On The Plow, 2018′s The Tillers and many more bootleg releases. The band’s lineup has also taken new shape. In February 2010, long-time bassist Jason Soudrette fondly parted ways with the group, being replaced by Aaron Geil, brother of guitarist Sean. In 2015 the band added fiddler Joe Macheret to the ranks. Recalibrating has not slowed their pace.
They continue to plot their travels around the map, electrifying new places and making new friends wherever they go. From place to place, they carry with them more instruments, new songs, and funnier stories. They are Cincinnati’s traveling minstrels. Expect to hear from them soon.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/18 - Jeff Plankenhorn / Leadbeaters
2023-10-18 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Jeff Plankenhorn‘s songwriting, expressive vocals, and musicianship are front and center on his latest album, Alone At Sea, produced by Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Keb Mo.) New sonic territory is explored on this gem of a long player.
The title track, “Alone at Sea,” is a poignant ballad nestled between two of the album’s many up-tempo tunes.It envisions an adventurous soul who’s searching for self-awareness and learns to appreciate solitude, not unlike Plank’s experience of moving to Canada’s Vancouver Island from a 20-year stint in the landlocked confines of Austin, TX.
For Jeff Plankenhorn, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of bringing people together to experience the joy music brings. He’s so good at it that he’s been recognized with Austin Music Award nominations for Musician of the Year, Best Guitarist, and Best Misc. Instrument – for “The Plank” a hybrid lap steel guitar Jeff designed himself. In 2016-2017, he also earned Album and Song of the Year nominations for his album, SoulSlide, and the single “Trouble Find Me.” Listeners quickly get that Plank loves a good groove, but he’s also become quite accomplished at composing ballads, as proven by two of the album’s other standouts, “Bluer Skies” and You’ll Stay.” These days, Plank happily finds himself on the road over 150 days a year. “I like the idea that people get uplifted at my shows; there are many ways to escape the hubbub of day-to-day living. Dancing is one of the more noble and effective, better than any drug I’ve tried. I like the idea that everybody who walks in — I don’t care if you’re a biker or a drag queen — I want you there. Music is supposed to bring people together.” His music does exactly that — whether people come to listen or do a little dancing. Or ideally, both.
In 2024, he’ll extend his reach into Europe & maybe Australia for the first time.

Leadbeaters are an Amsterdam based trio, too Rock ‘n’ Roll to be Folk. Old time and traditional songs in a raw and rowdy fashion.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/17 - Rees Shad / Killbillies
2023-10-17 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
One could consider the singer/songwriter, storyteller, and multi-instrumentalist Rees Shad to be a survivor. Over the course of his career he has demonstrated an ability to create music that’s both poignant and profound, stories shared from the heart, but which resonate with universal appeal.
With a masterful hand at crafting alluring melodies and short story songs whose characters interact and reoccur in eloquent musical vignettes, Shad has built an impressive catalog of 14 solo albums (and another 16 collaborative recordings) which demonstrate his love of blending both music and narrative genres.

Killbillies are a folk/roots band that had their origins in 2010.
Ben Childs leads the band through multiple genres, tying it all together with their signature “banjo and bass” sound. From festivals to rock clubs and live streams to living rooms this exciting trio will get you smiling and dancing along before you know it. Their new single “Promised Dream” is available now on all streaming services along with their two full studio albums. You can listen to them on the music page of this website. Come join the fun and see them live! Check out their gigs page or social media for details.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/16 - Jason Hoss Hicks / Francesca Brown
2023-10-16 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Jason Hoss Hicks joins us this day for the WDVX Blue Plate Special.

Singer-songwriter Francesca Brown is a California native, steeped in the sound and visual traditions of the Southwest. Her love for old timey country and folk is offset by an inherent Laurel Canyon meets California Country vibe. All of these influences coexist in her evocative soundscapes, which fall somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Loretta Lynn.
Brown’s early life wasn’t always easy moving between southern California and rural Illinois . Home life became a serious challenge, from her teen years on, in many ways Francesca raised herself. Work ethic was important and she jumped in at an early age and kept on with this cycle never slowing down. It’s that work ethic and being a mother of two, all while hustling to make ends meet, that truly makes her music country.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/14 - Olivia Jo
2023-10-14 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Olivia Jo is a versatile singer-songwriter whose roots lie in bluegrass and acoustic music, but have expanded into other genres. Her heartfelt lyrics—often derived from personal life experiences—and passionate vocals coincide to create an honest delivery. Olivia Jo’s 2015 country album, “Something Real Good”, showcases her diverse songwriting abilities with 10 of her original songs, including the title track “Something Real Good,” a feel-good, bluesy number. In 2019, she released her latest original single titled, “Paper Heart”, in which she took a deeper dive into the world of rhythm and blues. Olivia released a country single in 2021 titled, “Going Broke”, that she actually started writing amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Its ironically positive, upbeat tune and genuine lyrics depict the story of her life—not only during the pandemic and the struggles that came along with it—but also those over the course of the 10+ years that she has been breaking into the music industry. She says, “I just want this song to inspire those who hear to never give up on the dreams that are hidden deep in their heart, no matter what it takes to keep pursuing them… even if they can’t see ‘the light at the end of the tunnel,’ and they are possibly, quite literally going broke.”
Based in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the small town of Stuart, Virginia, an area rich in bluegrass tradition, Olivia Jo got her start in bluegrass at a very young age. She began singing basically when she could talk and learning guitar from her dad at age six. The first song he taught her to sing and play was Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, which opened the door to the music that would shape her entire life. A few years later, she started playing local venues and festivals in her surrounding areas at the age of nine where she began to establish a name for herself. She recorded two bluegrass albums by the time she was 12 years old with which she enjoyed moderate success and gained exposure in radio and television. At 13, she was one of the featured female artists for a PBS television documentary called, “Women in the Arts”. By 16, she had made her way to Nashville and transitioned into the country music scene. Since then, she has focused on honing her vocal ability and songwriting craft, recorded and shared the stage with numerous musicians, groups and artists in country music and other genres, as well as co-written with prominent Nashville songwriter, Larry Cordle, who she says has become “an incredible influence, mentor, and friend.”
When talking about what music means to her, Olivia Jo explains, “Music has been my friend when no one else was. It leaves you with a feeling of sublime peace when you hear the perfect song that just speaks to you… it truly heals the soul. That is part of what inspires me the most as a singer and songwriter: to create songs that help people to feel and heal, while also giving myself an avenue to truly and authentically express myself.” She is determined and dedicated to her music career. “Music is just as vital to me as the air I breathe. It’s who I am… it’s what God created me for,” she emotes.
Olivia Jo is thrilled to take her career back to her bluegrass roots, where her love for music began. She released her debut single in bluegrass titled, “You’ll Always Be My Blue Eyed Darling”, in September 2022, a classic that was first recorded in 1940 by Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys and has been covered by a plethora of artists since then; but never by a female artist. “This song goes way back. I first heard it performed by Harley Allen with the Allen Brothers from one of their shows in the 1980s. I was instantly struck by Harley’s voice and the way he sang it. As an up-and-coming bluegrass artist, I wanted my debut single to be a song everyone would love and identify with, that would also showcase my vocal style and range. I think this song checks all of those boxes and I’m eager to share my version of this classic, timeless tune with everyone,” Olivia shares. With Olivia Jo on lead vocals, the tune features an A-list lineup: Lou Reid, harmony vocals/rhythm guitar; Ron Stewart, banjo/fiddle; Shawn Lane, mandolin; and Barry Bales, bass. Lou Reid also produced the artist’s debut single.
The artist released a single in late February 2023 called, “Mighty Mississippi”, which features the same all-star lineup. “I wanted to come back with something more upbeat and driving.” the artist says. “We tried to create something new and fresh, and put my own spin on it, while still keeping the integrity of the original song alive. Truthfully, I think that’s the beauty of doing a cover song and I strived to accomplish that with my version of Mighty Mississippi.” she explains.
Her newly released single “Nothing to Lose” was written by Kim Fox, a renowned songwriter across multiple genres. Olivia Jo expresses her excitement about releasing this song as her newest single, saying, “Lou Reid brought the song to my attention and together we decided to make the song a duet. It has an upbeat melody and lyrics that will catch your ear right off the bat. With Lou’s prolific lead and harmony vocals, I was very happy to have his accompaniment on this song. I really enjoyed recording this song because it has a different style than my previously released singles, which allowed me to show a different side of my voice. All in all, I am quite pleased with how the song turned out and I’m excited to release it as my next single.”
Olivia Jo is looking forward to greater opportunities and new experiences in the world of bluegrass music. She says, “I grew up on this music, so it’s embedded in my heart. It’s where I got my start; and even though I’ve ventured into other genres, nothing feels like ‘home’ quite like bluegrass does. That is why I’m so eager to continue my musical journey in bluegrass and see where the road takes me.” She is looking forward to recording and releasing more music in the near future.

Kidstuff Live - 10/14 - Kyle Campbell
2023-10-14 10:00 - 23:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Kyle Campbell is a singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist performer. He is the front man and co-founder of The Bearded and the owner of Campbell’s Music Room Guitars in Knoxville, TN. He is an experienced teacher and entertainer of all ages.
https://youtu.be/dDFv5NE69MQ?si=8cdqnTWnc8YCjoxK
