East Tennessee's Own WDVX

The WDVX Big Plate - 5/12 - Andy Whatley & Company
2023-05-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

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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.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/26 - Ash Taylor / Farewell Friend
2023-04-26 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Farewell Friend’s music is first and foremost an exploration of poetry, narrative, and storytelling. Their sound is a delicate avalanche of sonic texture – a presentation of recognizable and distorted folk and Americana forms. Farewell Friend is a folk rock band based in Greensboro, North Carolina and is made up of frontman Tom Troyer (guitar, vocals, songwriter, engineer), Mark Byerly (electric guitar, resonator, pedal steel, drums), Evan Campfield (upright bass).​
Their latest album “[SAMSON]” is an autobiographical exploration of Troyer’s childhood growing up as the son of a small town preacher in rural Indiana, feelings of being an outsider in the South, and the lonely disappointments of his twenties. Examining the political moment of the last 5 years by deploying the stories of Old Testament tragic heroes and the fragmented American masculine identity. The album is cathartic shadow work explored through up front vocals and acoustic instruments while introducing raw electric textures, modern synth, and minimal percussion. If the Samson of the Old Testament is a cautionary tale, this album is a knowing nod at the hazard lights and an echo of the fog horn before the hurricane.​
The release of their sophomore album in the Summer of 2019 “Glenwood and Gomorrah,” Troyer established himself as producer and audio engineer mixing and mastering the entire album in a small bedroom in his former home in the Glenwood neighborhood. This album is both a question and a prayer for the neighborhood he grew up in, cataloging his personal relationships with neighbors during a time of swift gentrification.​
The three part conceptual debut album “Lineage” traverses the generational story of a family whose history is wrought with struggle, challenge, success, and tragedy. The musical territory covered in this project is diverse as an extended family reunion and divergent as the American landscape.

It has been said by many that Ash Taylor is the most hardworking, down to earth girl you will Ever meet. Growing Up in her hometown of Bakersfield, California she was heavily influenced by artists like Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Brandy Clark, and Gretchen Wilson. After her growing interest in the music industry led to a friendship with hit songwriter Clay Mills (“Don’t Think I don’t Think About it” by Darius Rucker), she made a difficult and life-changing decision to sell everything she owned, Jump on a plane, and move across the country to Nashvile, Tennessee to pursue her dreams.​
From sleeping on couches and even in her car to long nights playing in the Honky Tonks of Nashville’s lower broadway or touring the country playing Bars She began to craft her career one stage and one fan at a time. Since The beginning of This journey she has been Working Consistently In The Writing Rooms On Music Row. As a result She Has had Songs recorded By Multiple Artists Including A&E TV Star & Average Joe’s Recording Artist Big Smo, Warner Chapel Recording Artist Ryan Larkins, Country Artist Noah Smith, Guitar Legend Johnny Hiland & More.
In the midst of her songwriting success It was her love of performing that truly led her to the path of becoming a successful country artist. Ash Has Been Honored By The Bakersfield Country Music Awards For Her Achievements & Contributions To The Famous Bakersfield Sound. Ash Was Named “One To Watch” By The Nashville Songwriters Association International and Won an International Songwriting Award in 2021. As an entertainer of many talents, You Can even See Ash Appear In Several Episodes Of The Hit Television Series “Nashville” On CMT Network.​
Though her growing list of achievements is already long, ash has no intentions of slowing down. When she Is Not Writing the next big hit She Is On The Road Performing All Over The Country And Playing In Some Of Nashville’s Most Famous & Prestigious Venues, including The Bluebird Cafe & The Listening Room. With every performance Ash works to connect with Fans by bringing together the sounds and subjects of real life and real people.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/25 - Abby Posner / Nash Hamilton
2023-04-25 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Abby Posner has been a working musician in Los Angeles for the past 18 years. She is best known for her ability to play nearly any instrument that she can get her hands on, twisting genres, and pushing the boundaries of folk, roots, electronic, and pop music making her “Genre Fluid.” If you have seen Abby perform live, you know she can play a mean lead-blues guitar solo, or throw down a complex Earl Scruggs banjo riff. You also may have spotted her playing drums, mandolin, or bass while using her looping pedal. In addition to her versatility, she puts passion and soul into everything she does.
This CalArts music graduate has composed & produced music for commercials/TV, films, and radio shows all over the globe (including Hulu’s Maggie, The Fosters, This American Life, The Art of More, and Last Tango in Halifax, custom songs for Facebook, Viacom-CBS, and CW’s Kung Fu). She also has music placed in commercials and TV shows all over China, Sweden, The UK, and Australia. Posner appeared in two episodes of GLEE on season four playing banjo and guitar, and the Freeform show Famous In Love playing banjo, as well as performing live several times on KCAL 9 news and Good Day LA.
Posner has also scored the music for multiple films (Across Land Across Sea, Through Their Eyes, award winning short animation Elizabeth Sees, and recently scored the Award-winning Documentary Lady Buds) while playing and touring all over the US. In 2019 Posner played banjo and sang Wagon Wheel as a featured principal role in Bank Of America’s ad campaign for the Ken Burn’s PBS Country Music Documentary.
After signing with Gary Calamar’s licensing company Laurel Canon in 2016, Abby Posner has gained major recognition in the LA music scene. Opening for such iconic acts as PHRANC, Sierra Hull, and Dustbowl Revival. She has released multiple albums under her Name Abby Posner, and Abby & The Myth, and will be releasing two records with Blackbird Music Label in 2023.
In 2020 Abby Posner won the Carl Gage “Give me Shelter in Place” Songwriting Award through the Topanga Folk Festival for her original song Blind Spots, and she received the runner up for her song Emergency Use Only for the 18th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards. She was honored to land an Official Showcase at Folk Alliance International in 2022 after signing with her booking agency Baker Booking.

Nash Hamilton will join us from Nashville Tennessee.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/24 - Rachael Sage / Annalyse & Ryan
2023-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Annalyse & Ryan are an Americana duo. Their sound and songs take listeners on a soulful, rootsy journey. The duo’s strong harmonies melt together seamlessly, with an undeniable edge: a symbiotic clash reminiscent of their differing senses of place, yet their ironically parallel styles of seeing the world.
The duo’s latest release, an EP titled Trilogy, dropped on March 31, 2023 to all major streaming platforms. Trilogy is the first full band album for Annalyse & Ryan. A phenomenal group of musicians join A&R to create an uplifting, epic, and heartfelt EP. The project was produced by Justin Guip (Levon Helm, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Hot Tuna) at Milan Hill Studio.
Their 2021 song, “Singing with Angels,” premiered in American Songwriter in October 2021. Its corresponding music video came out soon after, making its debut in The Bluegrass Situation. The song, an ode to the late music legend John Prine, begins on a personal note inspired by a chance meeting they had with the folk superstar in a grocery store in Nashville, TN, and expands into a sweeping chorus which declares that the late songwriter is now singing with the angels. Aside from this personal story, the tune speaks of the power and eternal quality of “The Song,” which lives on even after its creator has passed.
Annalyse McCoy grew up in the hills of eastern Kentucky, descended from the survivors and storytellers of the famous McCoy-Hatfield feud. A combination of pure genetics and the Appalachian culture in which she was fostered naturally brought about deep storytelling and true Country music tradition to Annalyse’s craft.
Ryan Dunn was raised on the New Jersey shore surfing and singing boardwalk doo-wop. The influence of the ocean and a respect and love for diversity and inclusion led to a native tendency in Ryan to create variegated and relatable grooves that resonate with all listeners.

A soulful vocalist and innovative multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer Rachael Sage is one of the busiest touring artists in independent music, performing 100+ dates a year both solo and with her band The Sequins throughout the US, UK, & Europe. She has earned a loyal following for her dynamic piano playing, delicate guitar work, soulful vocals, and improvisational audience interaction.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/22 - D. Boone Pitman / Jesse Daniel Edwards
2023-04-22 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
With his sophomore album Emerge, D. Boone Pittman once again makes Eastern Kentucky seem as mythical, alluring and inviting as any setting that’s ever been immortalized in song.
We’ve all come to know and love places because songs have inspired us to daydream about them: Memphis, El Paso, New Orleans, San Francisco, L.A.—from “Sweet Home Alabama” to “the South South Bronx.” But the scenery we encounter in Pittman’s songs is distinct in that he’s not just a troubadour passing through and observing for a night before heading for the next show. In fact, any place would be lucky to have a D. Boone Pittman to reveal its charms, its limitations, its stories, its humanity—its truth—to the world.
Having grown up in the Powell County town of Stanton, it’s as if the lay of the land has soaked into Pittman’s bones. And even when he touches on travails—be they his own or the more collective challenges he addresses for all of our benefit on Emerge—his love of home pours into every note of his rockin’ blend of country and bluegrass.

Jesse Daniel Edwards is an alternative songwriter from the small mountain town of Cuyamaca, CA where he grew up without TV, internet, or significant exposure to the outside world. Leaving home at 16, he spent his late teens busking on street corners around the US and abroad.​
While singing outside of bars on Music Row in Nashville, TN, Jesse struck up a friendship with the late Al Bunetta (John Prine). Bunetta served as a mentor to the young artist, encouraging Jesse to write and tour full-time in the years to follow.​
After a sabbatical from touring, Jesse returned to the stage in 2021 with critically acclaimed Juni Ata – a collaborative project produced by Steve Cropper (Otis Redding, RCA), and arranger/co-producer Jacob Rosswog. The resulting album “Saudade” charted in the U.S. and abroad, while receiving significant airplay and garnering reviews in Mojo Magazine, American Songwriter, and the Associated Press.​
2023 marks the vinyl re-release of 2012’s “American Dreaming” (Cavity Search Records- Elliott Smith), and in June, the release of piano rock opus “Violensia” (produced by Joe Chiccarelli- The Strokes, The Shins).
