The Barefoot Movement is an acoustic trio with members hailing from Granville County , North Carolina and Oneida, TN. The group fuses the styles of bluegrass, old-time, Americana, and rock, creating an eclectic, original sound, featuring interweaving harmonies, progressive instrumentation, and accomplished songwriting.
When singer-songwriter and fiddler Noah Wall left North Carolina to attend school at East Tennessee State, she hoped to meet and learn from a wide variety of musicians while a student of the Bluegrass, Old-time, and Country Music Program offered there. She organized a band, and along with fellow founding barefooter, mandolin player Tommy Norris, the group began applying for every venue that was receptive to the roots music movement. They spent the summer of 2009 taking their music to the Appalachian Mountains and beyond, playing over 40 shows, some as close by as Johnson City’s Acoustic Coffeehouse, and some as far away as New York City’s Googie’s Lounge.
In the fall of 2009, Quentin Acres was added to the lineup. He and Noah befriended one another when they both were chosen for the Old-Time Pride Band at ETSU. “Quentin is so energetic and he has such a powerful voice,” says Noah. “I felt immediately connected to him.” The Pride Band Director, Roy Andrade, formerly of The Reeltime Travelers, had a similar impression, saying “Those two were born to sing together.” Quentin also fills the role of rhythm guitarist. Wall’s own vocals, once described as “goose-bump inducing,” channel the blues, jazz, and folk styles of her favorite singers. Her ear-catching original songs are supported by Norris’s genre-hopping mandolin style. With the instrumental pieces provided by Norris and Acres, the material is truly gaining recognition with audiences near and far.
The name “The Barefoot Movement” has many different meanings for the group. “The initial reason the name dawned on me is because I always feel more relaxed when I’m shoeless, and I noticed that before our shows would end, my shoes would be off”, says Noah. “So I think the name is just our way of encouraging people to sit back and relax once in a while-especially when listening to us play.”
The Barefoot Movement is taking folk music somewhere new without forgetting the old. They bring listeners something they can relate to-something they can truly understand. Everyone who hears them agrees, and if you give them a listen, you will too, The Barefoot Movement is contagious.
Roger Alan Wade is a singer-songwriter based in Chattanooga, but his music stretches across the United States.
Wade penned songs for country legends such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. He embarked on a solo career with the promotional assistance of his cousin, actor Johnny Knoxville, who occasionally featured Wade’s music on his TV show Jackass. He has also been featured on the TV show Wildboyz. During an appearance on the Howard Stern radio show, Knoxville promoted his cousin’s songs, which were favorably received by Stern and his audience and given frequent airplay thereafter.
His latest video has received tremendous airplay on CMT – you can view it here:
Originally from the northern wilds of Winter Harbor, Maine, Megan Light relocated to Nashville in 2005. Her first studio LP was produced by Robert Reynolds (The Mavericks), released in 2007. Her latest effort, Black & White, is a five song vignette of indie-pop, with Megan’s delicate vocal, acoustic guitar and piano the framework for the overall sound. The songs are direct, honest and simple.
“Coming from such a remote corner of the country, I didn’t bring a premeditated self-image to Nashville. I just do what I like. It’s simple and kind’a naive, really. I hope to keep it that way,” Megan says.
Produced by Eliot Houser (Shack Shakers, Old Crow Medicine Show), the new EP includes collaboration with drummer Fred Eltringham (The Wallflowers, Dixie Chicks) bassist Dean Tomasek (Bare Jr., Will Hoge) guitarist-producer Nathan Spears (Stack Magic, Red Letters Project) and cellist Claire Indie (Landon Pigg, Taylor Swift).
“There was a considerable amount of pre-production that went into it. We didn’t want it to sound like an over-tracked, overdubbed-to-death recording, so we did some live shows and rehearsals beforehand. I feel we achieved something special, something very listenable for the everyday person,” Megan says.
The Blue Circle Records recording artist The Bluegrass Soul Pickers are a five piece bluegrass band from Hazel Green, AL. The band’s journey together began in September of 2003 when three friends followed the their hearts to sing, write, and record the bluegrass style of music they grew up listening to; and today, continue to hone tight vocal harmonies and instrumentals that define the unique sound and musical style of The Bluegrass Soul Pickers.
Members of the band include Shane Norman (vocals and mandolin), Lorne Wilde (upright bass), Buddy Mason (vocals and guitar), Brett Anderton (vocals and dobro), and Weston Stewart (vocals and banjo).
The band boasts of one the most versatile sounds in the business, ranging from hard-driving instrumentation and strong vocal harmonies to a smooth, soulful finesse.
According to Blue Circle Records CEOs and songwriters Dixie & Tom T. Hall, “The Bluegrass Soul Pickers are an angel band to work with. They have the knack and hard working ability to get things right and they show promise of becoming a great presence in Bluegrass.”
Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine says “their sound is tight & clear.”
Leaving Araby is a Pop/Rock outfit from Athens, GA known for solid songwriting, great hooks and killer live shows happening all over the Southeast. The band’s sound is akin to the likes of Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Eat World. Since August 2005, Leaving Araby has fought hard to write music you can believe in and leave it all on the stage at every show.
The Groundhawgs was originally conceived as a songwriting project that would resurrect the sound of old-time Appalachian string bands, yet evolved into a full-fledged six-piece string band through the fusion of bluegrass, old-time, jazz and swing, poetry and blues, and a little bit of Southern rock. Based out of Calhoun, Georgia, the Jones brothers, Clayton (lead vocals and banjo) and Clark (vocals and guitar), founded the band in 2001 after the ghost of Gram Parsons visited their dream(s) and told them to do so. Mick Kinney (fiddle), brother of Drivin’ and Cryin’ s Kevin Kinney, and music-maker Thomas Jody Howard (doghouse bass) joined the lineup in 2006. However, shortly after the band debuted at the Howard Finster Music and Folk Art Festival, the band began performing at venues such as The Earl and Eddies Attic in Atlanta, as well as festivals such as Blueridge Harvest Festival, Americana Folk Festival near Nashville, and down home. On stage, the band is intense and fier like Elvis or Johnny Cash. In the studio, they are eclectic and innovative like Parsons or Monroe. Put simply, the Groundhawgs is a skilled group of songwriters and craftsmen who take their music seriously all the while enjoying the hell out of it. In fall of 2004, the Groundhawgs released their first album, an independent and self-titled effort co-produced by Mike Compton of the Nashville Bluegrass Band.
Hannah Miller was born and raised in the deep South by two very deep Southerners, who taught her from an early age the meaning of love, the value of simplicity and the advantage of growing up without a television. She writes deep, folksy, catchy, soul-baring music that has drawn comparisons to Over the Rhine, Feist, Rachael Yamagata, and Brandi Carlile. She has three independent releases under her belt, 2006’s EP “Storms of Summer”; 2008’s LP “Into the Black”, produced by Grammy Award winner Mitch Dane; and summer of 2009’s stripped down, acoustic EP entitled “Somewhere in Between”. The year 2010 is shaping up to the best yet, however, as her song “Keep It Simple” was recently featured in NBC’s hit show, “Mercy” and she is set to begin work on all new songs this spring with a couple of Nashville’s most respected producers, Ian Fitchuk and Justin Loucks.
She currently resides in Columbia, SC, with her three spoiled dogs, Fender, Gibson, and Tele, and her very supportive husband, James Miller, who occasionally accompanies her on mandolin and kazoo. For tour dates, video clips and musical offerings, visit www.myspace.com/hannahmiller.
At twenty-three years old, Emily Lynch sings with the experience, humility, and sweet vintage voice of an artist twice or three times her years. What she lacks in career mileage is made up for by the sheer raw and intrinsic nature of her talent. Emily Lynch is a rare breed of artist.
Emily Sheridan Lynch was born on July 18, 1986 in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up dabbling with songwriting while singing in the church choir and high school chorus around the metro Atlanta area. After graduation, Emily pursued a college degree in Communications from Clemson University.
After graduating from Clemson in May of 2008, Emily teamed up with the Atlanta-based Dove award-winning producer, Dan Hannon, and has freshly rededicated herself to living her dream of being a singer and songwriter. Hannon, who has developed acts such as Aaron Shust and Manchester Orchestra, heard something special in Emily’s voice and committed to help her cultivate her talents. “I think Emily has the ability, drive, and determination to become one of the premier female singer-songwriters of this era. I am pairing her up with some of the best songwriters and artists that I know in the hope that she will glean a healthy artistic influence to complement her already rich arsenal of talent”.
So far, the team is producing some very respectable results. Emily’s debut EP, “A Little More”, includes five mostly acoustic songs that are a reflection of her spiritual and worship music background. “I want to write great songs that are authentic and genuinely inspired. It doesn’t matter what genre you want to put them in, I just want to create good music.”
Her debut full-length project to be released in April 2010.
Brian Curtis – (Lead Vocals / Acoustic) – originally from El Dorado Hills, CA – landed in Nashville in Nov 2005. It wasn’t the shortest or most ordinary route he traveled to arrive in Music City. After earning his degree in International Business from the University of California, Irvine, Brian ventured abroad and soon found himself singing lead for a country cover band in Japan while teaching English during the days. Japan was followed by a year in Italy – it was there that Brian began consistently songwriting, and signs started pointing toward Music City as his next stop. In Nov 2005 Brian packed up and officially made the move to Nashville. Songwriting sessions and writer nights led to gigs as a demo singer, which brings him now to center stage singing lead for KURTIS. An impressive vocal range combined with a genuine organic stage presence allows viewers to feel part of each and every song he delivers
Jennifer Daniels performs with a power that rivals Ani DiFranco, and combines it with angelic melodies and lyrical rhythms reminiscent of Dido or Sarah McLachlan. Her intense, raw passion captivates the audience while her humorous banter between songs endears them. Paste Magazine writes, “It is a rare gift that someone can express such depth and power in lyrics, and it is even more rare that the lyrical gift is accompanied by such an amazing musical talent.”
Daniels tours the country with Jeff Neal, whose touch on guitar and mandolin embellish her melodies with ethereal moods and textures. They perform frequently at The Bitter End in New York, and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta where they won the prestigious Eddie’s Attic Shootout. Creative Loafing said that “her clear superiority in every ranked category – particularly vocal performance – were what clinched it for her. Whether throwing back her head to hold a magnificently sustained high note or expertly accompanying herself on a 12-string guitar, Daniels clearly outclassed the strongest competition.” This along with a cornucopia of awards has merited Jennifer opportunities to share the stage with GRAMMY award-winning artists like John Mayer and Indigo Girls.
“Dive & Fly” thrust Daniels onto the national scene when Performing Songwriter named it one of the Top 12 DIY Releases in 2002. FM Odyssey not only awarded “Dive & Fly” Album of the Year, but the nationally syndicated radio show also chose Jennifer Best New Female Artist at their Alternative to the Grammy’s music awards. “Dive & Fly champions the elementary emotional characteristics of singer/songwriter folk-rock and pushes the genre forward with a sound that is contemporary and commercially accessible,” says Tom Semioli of All Music Guide. Daniels’ is featured regularly on Laney Goodman’s Women on Air, and has also performed live three times on Michael Jonathan’s Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.
Jennifer’s latest release “Summer Filled Sky” was mixed and mastered by legendary engineer and producer Rodney Mills who has earned 37 gold and platinum albums for mixing, mastering, and producing artists including Sheryl Crow, Pearl Jam, Gregg Allman, and REM. Mr. Mills successfully captured just the right vibe for Daniels’ distinct style and inspiring lyrics, and set her most impressive instrument -her voice- perfectly in the tracks.
“Summer Filled Sky is the third and most fully realized release from this Southern spirit,” says Creative Loafing. “If you’re in need of an antidote to all things Brittany-like, Daniels latest effort Summer Filled Sky is like taking 12 doses of sanity in a world gone wrong.” From joyful pop rock anthems like Day to Live and Welcome to Your Life to the beautiful melancholy of ballads like Tattoo and Spiderman, Summer Filled Sky leaves no emotion untapped and no feeling unstirred. Performing Songwriter says, “Jennifer flirts with pop, rock or anything else that comes into her musical path. The result is pretty damn great!”
In addition to playing nearly 150 shows this past year, Jennifer and Jeff were involved with the NARAS GRAMMY in the Schools program. Daniels served on a songwriter’s panel with Anita Baker and Ed Roland of Collective Soul, and Neal participated with producers Phil Tan and Butch Walker in a recording workshop. This national outreach program provides insight to high school students about careers that are available in music, and direction on how to prepare for them. Primarily held on university campuses across the country, GRAMMY In The Schools provides an opportunity for students to interact with professionals representing a wide range of careers.
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The Barefoot Movement is an acoustic trio with members hailing from Granville County , North Carolina and Oneida, TN. The group fuses the styles of bluegrass, old-time, Americana, and rock, creating an eclectic, original sound, featuring interweaving harmonies, progressive instrumentation, and accomplished songwriting.
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