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Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer, and he’s from the South…the Southern Appalachian Mountains to hone it a bit finer. Four decades of performing have taken him to over forty states and many foreign countries. One could compare Michael’s performances to his granddaddy’s pocket knife, well worn and familiar feeling, but razor sharp and with a point. He gets the job done. His recordings top the Americana Music Association charts year after year and his touring schedule stays full. Michael’s combination of music and storytelling are based in experience, sometimes downright funny, sometimes just plain scary, maybe even with a message worth taking away, but always mesmerizing and entertaining.
Michael has penned hits for Nashville receiving both Gold and Platinum Awards. Michael won First Place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting contest at Merle Fest in 2002. He has recorded with some of the giants in the acoustic field including pals Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas. His storytelling has been described as, “Andy Griffith with an edge” and “…the Appalachian Mark Twain”. Don’t miss an opportunity to immerse yourself in the Southern Experience. As Michael puts it, “You don’t have to be from the South to be Southern, you just gotta live here… and like it!”

 

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Since writing her first song at age four, Hannah Miller has known exactly what she would be when she grew up. Raised in Dothan, Alabama and educated in the mountains of Asheville, NC, she now calls Columbia, SC, her home.

After her first EP Storms of Summer was released in the spring of 2006, Miller’s reputation as an up and coming singer/songwriter began to solidify, and the doors opened for her to make the trip to Nashville to record with two time Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay). The record boasts an astounding degree of depth and maturity for a freshman LP; on it Dane and Miller have crafted gorgeous sonic landscapes befitting of Miller’s smoky, velveteen vocals. Of the new record Miller says, “I wanted an album that everyone who hears it can find themselves in, and I think we accomplished that. The music is authentic, and listeners immediately identify that.”

Released in January, 2008, the record has already found a wide audience, and is receiving airplay on college and independent radio throughout the Southeast. Miller has also found herself sharing the stage with an impressive cast of characters, including Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, The Whigs, Danielle Howle, Jennifer Daniels, and Katie Herzig. With features in publications such as The State, Southeast Performer, Skirt Magazine, The Dothan Eagle, and the Free Times, Mrs. Miller is off to a great start, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

 

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Stephen Simmons was raised in the small town of Woodbury, Tennessee. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father held a factory job. In his family, they were the first generation that didn’t work the farm. Now a singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee, Stephen’s vision entails more than just reflections of rural America. The songs on his new recording, Something In Between, deal with existential realities that are familiar to country and city dwellers alike: redemption, heartbreak, hangovers and the loneliness of the road.

Like Stephen’s previous records, The Superstore, Last Call and Drink Ring Jesus (which were compared to everyone from Johnny Cash to Ryan Adams), Something In Between combines virtuosic songcraft and musicianship with unparalleled artistic honesty. “Don’t Mind Me,” for example, turns a jaded eye toward the perils of drunken conversation and the frustrations of a barroom troubadour. “And don’t mind me,” he sings, “Just keep it moving along/ The last thing in this world that I need/ Is a bar full of yapping jaws/ And don’t mind me/ Man I’ll pay when I’m done/ Already owed everybody/ Before I ever begun.”

Something in Between differs somewhat from Stephen’s previous work. If anything, the new recording focuses more on the microcosm of human relationships and less on the broader questions of faith and redemption that defined Last Call and Drink Ring Jesus. The title track, for instance, articulates the shifting emotions felt at different times during a relationship. In “We’ll See,” there’s a dark cloud hanging over a new connection. Then there’s the worn and weary lover and his collection of new scars in the rocker “New Scratches,” which is perhaps Stephen’s most confessional work to date.

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Angela Easterling was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the daughter of a Baptist minister. Much of her childhood was spent on the farm that has been in her family since 1791. While country roots run deep for this Taylors, South Carolina native, it wasn’t until she moved to Los Angeles, that the country calling in her soul became a siren’s song. A performer all her life, Angela had begun playing guitar and writing songs while studying at Emerson College in Boston. More and more her music returned to the place her heart called home. As Angela began honing her writing and playing live, other artists began to spark her imagination, artists like Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, the Carter Family and Johnny Cash.
All those honky-tonk Saturdays and gospel-drenched Sundays have paid off for Angela, who has embraced her heritage in a big way on her debut album, Earning Her Wings. Working “bit by bit” over a period of two years at various SoCal studios, Angela had amassed a lot of material. In 2006, she took all the pieces to James O’Connell, drummer and producer of L.A. roots-rock band West Coast Grand and owner of Silverlake’s Monkeyden Studios. Together, they waded through her tracks, recording new songs and remixing old ones. “This record represents such a slice of my life for the last few years!” she says. “The songs and the recordings are a visceral piece of me. All my friends (who just happen to be stellar musicians) helped me make this album. It was a real family affair and I think you can hear that in the final product”.
Tracks include River Jordan; about the music that’s “in my blood”. Angela wrote The Accordion with Shawn Davis, but the story is true: “My dad really did trade a truck for an old accordion! That’s so country I had to sing about it.” The 1940’s-era When I Wake Up, is the only non-original on the album. Angela had cherished the song for years but only recently discovered that it was written by distant relative (and prolific gospel song writer) Marion Easterling. “He had songs recorded by the Kingsmen, the Gaithers, Johnny Cash and Ralph Stanley. I’m so proud to share his name and sing his song.”
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While there are a number of “guitar greats” to choose from and plenty of vocalists filling the stages, it is a rare performer who combines both. Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed Miché, “…a quiet storm,” and his shows combine that intensity with a playful spontaneity that engages both the senses and the hearts of those who listen. In his most recent review from ListenersGeneration.com, the author writes, “This guy is not only a classical guitar virtuoso; he’s got a set of vocal pipes that are unbelievable.” He goes onto describe “a fantastic performance unlike any I’ve ever heard.”

Miché has toured the U.S. and Canada during the past several years, finding enthusiastic audiences in both major cities and tiny towns. He brings a professional attitude, a light-hearted sense of humor, and a musical show that is often called “a breath of fresh air” to festivals, concert halls, house concerts, coffeehouses and colleges everywhere and anywhere.

Miché performs both as a soloist and with a band - you can watch videos of both at www.miche.com. He also produces a video series titled, “Guitar Lessons” which captures experiences and characters and lessons learned while making a life as a guitarist.

 

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A perfect blend of folk, pop and Americana, there is a uniqueness to the sound of McClain that sets it apart from the pack, and yet at the same time their music conjures up a familiarity that recalls something close and personal to the listener.

Pop-Americana act McClain moved to Nashville less than a year ago to further pursue a career that was birthed in a kitchen. Songs sung into a microphone held up by two water glasses and recorded on a simple eight-track recorder emerged as a 12 song LP after the request of intrigued individuals from all across the country. Within two months time all three-hundred handmade albums had been sold, and as a result the long time couple begin to explore the option of pursuing music on a larger scale.

The decision was made to make the traditional move to “Music City,” and soon after their arrival in Nashville McClain joined forces with Producer Mike Odmark (Tyler James, Aron Wright, Daniel Ellsworth). After several night sessions their latest CD “The Ivy EP” emerged. The EP is a complete songwriting experience, shifting effortlessly between Americana and Folk originality.

 

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Raised In Virginia, and based in Nashville, Amelia White cut her musical teeth in the New England area, in the same scene that produced Mary Gauthier, Lori McKenna and Sarah Borges. Her music has been described as hard rocking -folkin -alt-art country… but her songs and strong melodic style rise above categorization. Her Albums “Blue Souvenirs” and “Black Doves” (Funzalo Records 2006) put her on the map with critical acclaims nationwide, steady non-com radio play, and appearances on E-Town and NPR’s All Songs Considered. A few TV placements further exposed her talents.

Amelia comments “The songs come out of me hard and heavy - regularly. They walk the line between Neo Folk, raw well made rock, and rootsy pop. They have a lot of heart, and a good dose of intellect, and every few songs have a political and social consciousness….sometimes you have to listen twice to get em, though some can easily grab hold of you like an old Hank Williams. Some call them Indie Country, some Americana, Some Folk Rock. To me they are the stories of my life and love and what I see in my friends eyes, strangers stories. They are miniature 3-3 1/2 minute films.”

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Songwriter-singer/guitarist Nathan Bell has toured the US and Canada, playing at clubs, concert halls, and (as a member of the duo, Bell and Shore during the 80s) most of the premier North American acoustic music festivals, including the Walnut Valley Festival, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the Mariposa Folk Festival. His work on acoustic, National steel-bodied, and electric guitars is as strong as his songwriting, which is an amalgamation of ideas inspired by writers ranging from Jack London, William Faulkner, and the poet Marvin Bell to Townes Van Zandt and southern short-story master Larry Brown.

Bell has shared the stage with Emmylou Harris, Eddie and Martha Adcock, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Townes Van Zandt, Kathy Mattea, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Ricky Skaggs, and a whole cast of scofflaws and gypsies from the folk and bluegrass archipelago. He was a staff writer for Ten Ten Music in Nashville and has been regularly featured at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, often as part of the “Writers in the Round” series with many notable songwriters, including Grammy-Award winner Don Henry, Craig Bickhardt, and CMA award nominee Angela Kaset.

In 1991, he recorded an album of songs with producer/guitarist Richard Bennett (Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Marty Stuart).

With the arrival of his first child in 1995, Nathan took a hiatus to concentrate on raising a growing family. In 2007, Nathan began writing and recording new material.

Nathan has just released his most recent CD, Traitorland.

 

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Matthew Shelton has consistently stood out in his performances and songwriting as a musician who has absorbed and assimilated a myriad of styles to create his own unique voice. Folk music was his first musical love. As a young boy, his heroes were Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce and others. Simultaneously, he was enamored with Prince and early hip-hop as well. These disparate musical appetites have continued for years as Shelton has worked at his own music.

Like so many others, Shelton began writing songs after a prolonged fascination with Bob Dylan. Combining this influence with his love of punk, hip hop, rock and avant-garde music, Shelton recorded hundreds of songs at home, as he finished college. The songs saw limited release, as they were mostly intended simply as an outlet for self-expression.

In 1999, Shelton discovered the mbira (aka kalimba, thumb piano) music of Zimbabwe. He began writing songs on the instrument, and performed for 3 years with his band Me or the Moon. The band was very well-received, and opened for many national acts including Antibalas, Daniel Johnston, and Animal Collective. In recent years, Shelton has applied his mbira talents with The Image Afro-beat Band, a 10-15 piece ensemble led by Baoku Moses.
Currently, Shelton is performing and recording as a solo artist. With his songwriting fully matured, he holds captive audiences with songs about love and sadness, frustration and transcendence. His songs these days are known for their combination of humor and melancholy, and an overriding hopeful and romantic nature, even when the songs seem full of despair.

His hard-driving finger-picking style has garnered praise and comparisons to Nick Drake, John Fahey, and Delta blues masters like Charley Patton and Mississippi John Hurt. His current work fits nicely into the recent popularity of newer indie-folk acts such as Devendra Banhart and Iron & Wine.

 

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While other little girls dreamt of being princess brides, mermaids, or fairies, Jen Woodhouse performed in her parents’ living room in front of a captivated audience made up of her two younger sisters, various stuffed animals, and Barbie dolls. Whether she was performing in ballet and piano recitals, or just hula dancing for the neighbors, it was apparent at a very early age that Jen was a born entertainer. Since her sold out living room concerts, Jen continues to mesmerize audiences across the globe.

These days, Woodhouse has been keeping busy. She is currently on a 7-month tour in Asia, playing shows 6 nights a week. Fans can experience Asia with her as she documents her travels and performances on YouTube.com.

A recent Nashville transplant, Woodhouse has been ceaselessly touring and promoting her highly anticipated double-disc album, “The Shaping & Shifting of Objects & Sound.” Quickly garnering tremendous word-of-mouth support, Woodhouse’s sophomore album follows on the heels of her critically acclaimed 2005 debut, “This Honest Age.”

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