Oct 28
Cody Jinks
Cody Jinks Makes History with Two Consecutive #1 Records
Nov 20
Black Pumas
Black Pumas Nominated for Best New Artist at 2020 GRAMMY Awards
Dec 10
South of Eden
South of Eden Signs to Lava Records with New Album on the Way
Oct 28
Cody Jinks
Cody Jinks Makes History with Two Consecutive #1 Records
Nov 20
Black Pumas
Black Pumas Nominated for Best New Artist at 2020 GRAMMY Awards
Dec 10
South of Eden
South of Eden Signs to Lava Records with New Album on the Way

Alex Williams

Alex Williams
A native of Pendleton, Indiana, Williams grew up listening to '80s metal, eventually gravitating toward classic country when he was in his late teens. He enrolled in Nashville's Belmont University after graduating from high school, but he soon dropped out of college and began gigging in the Music City, sometimes drifting back to his home state of Indiana, sometimes getting down to Texas. Williams wound up leading his own band and their constant gigging brought them to the attention of Julian Raymond, a producer who also worked A&R at Big Machine Records. He signed Williams separately from the band, taking him into the studio with a star-studded backing band that included J.T. Corenflos, Matt Rollings, and Victor Indrizzo to record his debut album. The resulting Better Than Myself was released in August 2017.

Sophia

Sophia

Cody Jinks

Cody Jinks
For well over a decade, Cody Jinks has devoted himself to making music that’s equal parts uncompromising and empathic, often giving voice to those who exist on the margins of modern life. Since first emerging as a solo artist in the mid-2000s, he has steadily advanced from playing nearly-empty bar rooms to independently building a following so dedicated, that he is now known as the biggest independent country artist on the planet.

Black Pumas

Black Pumas
Sometimes, a mystical, life-changing connection can be closer than you think. In 2017, Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada had recorded some instrumentals in his Austin studio, and he started looking around for a vocalist—he knew a lot of singers, but he wanted something different.
Meantime, Eric Burton had recently made his way to Texas. Born in the San Fernando Valley, he grew up in church and then got heavily involved in musical theater. He started busking at the Santa Monica pier, where he brought in a few hundred dollars a day and developed his performance skills. Burton traveled through the Western states before deciding to settle down in Austin—setting up his busking spot on a downtown street corner, at 6th Street and Congress, for maximum exposure.
A mutual friend mentioned Burton to Quesada, saying that he was the best singer he had ever heard. The two musicians connected, but Burton took a while to respond (“My friends were like ‘Dude, you’re an idiot, you need to hit that guy back!’ “) Finally, he called Quesada, and started singing to one of the tracks over the phone. “I loved his energy, his vibe, and I knew it would be incredible on record,” he says. “From the moment I heard him on the phone, I was all about it.”
The results of that inauspicious beginning can now be heard on the self-titled debut album from Black Pumas, the group that Quesada and Burton assembled, which has become one of the year’s most anticipated projects.
Meantime, Eric Burton had recently made his way to Texas. Born in the San Fernando Valley, he grew up in church and then got heavily involved in musical theater. He started busking at the Santa Monica pier, where he brought in a few hundred dollars a day and developed his performance skills. Burton traveled through the Western states before deciding to settle down in Austin—setting up his busking spot on a downtown street corner, at 6th Street and Congress, for maximum exposure.
A mutual friend mentioned Burton to Quesada, saying that he was the best singer he had ever heard. The two musicians connected, but Burton took a while to respond (“My friends were like ‘Dude, you’re an idiot, you need to hit that guy back!’ “) Finally, he called Quesada, and started singing to one of the tracks over the phone. “I loved his energy, his vibe, and I knew it would be incredible on record,” he says. “From the moment I heard him on the phone, I was all about it.”
The results of that inauspicious beginning can now be heard on the self-titled debut album from Black Pumas, the group that Quesada and Burton assembled, which has become one of the year’s most anticipated projects.

Erin Viancourt

Erin Viancourt
I've always heard things a little different, and in musical terms "incorrect" in my head since the day I picked up a guitar. Although I am always trying to learn and sharpen my tools, I have also been looking for a team that wasn't there to "correct" me but help deliver what I hear in my head. I found that team. For the very first time, I can slap my names on songs ready for the world to hear and feel, "Yup, this is me, this is what I hear in my head and if you like these songs then you like a genuine part of me and well we should get a beer."

JB Strauss

JB Strauss
From the true southern city of Macon, Georgia, and a family steeped in oral tradition, JB Strauss meshes music with storytelling in effortless fashion.
Influenced by the heavy, electric style of bands like The Allman Brothers, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with poetic and witty writers like John Prine, Gram Parsons, and Jim Croce, it is fitting that JB borrows from the notion that ‘everything that rises must converge.’
Also noteworthy are the years JB spent with family and friends on Georgia’s Golden Isles. His music is redolent of the intricacies and depth of life in the marshes and intracoastal waterways and leans on their life-giving elements to feed the soul when the rivers of home run murky. As JB followed in both of his grandfathers’ footsteps, achieving a law degree all his own, he learned the stories hidden beneath the surface of life in the South. The musical result? The ability to deftly balance the human qualities of contradiction with spiritual redemption. “These songs are part of the foundation of who I am as a person and now as an artist,” JB says.
In “Man Possessed”, the title song of his debut EP, out everywhere December 5th, JB speaks of his grandfather’s life as a Judge and “…how that life wore him down like river over stone…he became a man possessed with moving on.” Another tune, “Piss Ant Hill”, which will be released as the first single on 11/22, is a humorous, yet poignant tale of a man whose fatal mistakes land him in Georgia’s Reidsville Prison. With no one to claim him when he dies, the subject’s destiny becomes a date with a pine box on prison land reserved for the unclaimed.
As JB launches his artist career, one can expect honesty and intensity, truth and salvage. His presence on-stage is paramount to the experience and fans will feel it immediately when they step into one of his shows. “Man Possessed” represents just the first chapter of a long musical journey ahead. Indeed, it’s harvest time for JB Strauss.
Influenced by the heavy, electric style of bands like The Allman Brothers, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with poetic and witty writers like John Prine, Gram Parsons, and Jim Croce, it is fitting that JB borrows from the notion that ‘everything that rises must converge.’
Also noteworthy are the years JB spent with family and friends on Georgia’s Golden Isles. His music is redolent of the intricacies and depth of life in the marshes and intracoastal waterways and leans on their life-giving elements to feed the soul when the rivers of home run murky. As JB followed in both of his grandfathers’ footsteps, achieving a law degree all his own, he learned the stories hidden beneath the surface of life in the South. The musical result? The ability to deftly balance the human qualities of contradiction with spiritual redemption. “These songs are part of the foundation of who I am as a person and now as an artist,” JB says.
In “Man Possessed”, the title song of his debut EP, out everywhere December 5th, JB speaks of his grandfather’s life as a Judge and “…how that life wore him down like river over stone…he became a man possessed with moving on.” Another tune, “Piss Ant Hill”, which will be released as the first single on 11/22, is a humorous, yet poignant tale of a man whose fatal mistakes land him in Georgia’s Reidsville Prison. With no one to claim him when he dies, the subject’s destiny becomes a date with a pine box on prison land reserved for the unclaimed.
As JB launches his artist career, one can expect honesty and intensity, truth and salvage. His presence on-stage is paramount to the experience and fans will feel it immediately when they step into one of his shows. “Man Possessed” represents just the first chapter of a long musical journey ahead. Indeed, it’s harvest time for JB Strauss.

Josh Morningstar

Josh Morningstar
Josh Morningstar is a person that lays it out, in rhyme form, for us all. Yes, there's been trouble in his past. Yes, there's more than likely some more trouble in his future-trouble just seems to follow guys like him, regardless of whether its self-inflicted or by happenstance. But, somehow, he's able to take all that trouble, all that pain, and turn it into something beautiful.
Morningstar has earned the respect of the old guard, counting many of his heroes among his admirers and friends. His friends and tour buddies with folk legend Todd Snider, an artist Morningstar is often compared to thanks to his humorous, observational storytelling-Morningstar describes his own live show as "half song, half stand up." His mentor, Billy Don Burns, has written songs for Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Sammy Kershaw, and others. Morningstar has also toured with Waylon Jennings' youngest son Shooter Jennings, Country Music Hall of Famer Bobby Bare, Travis Tritt, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Travis Meadows, and many others.
His dedication has been paying off-fast rising country artist Cody Jinks who has recorded a Morningstar composition-a song called "Must Be The Whiskey"-for his new record "Lifers". “Whiskey” was released as a single and debuted at #1 on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play, as well as climbing to #1 on the Texas Radio chart), and Morningstar just completed a tour with fellow folk musician Colter Wall, an artist produced by Nashville's newest "go-to" guy, Dave Cobb.
Morningstar has earned the respect of the old guard, counting many of his heroes among his admirers and friends. His friends and tour buddies with folk legend Todd Snider, an artist Morningstar is often compared to thanks to his humorous, observational storytelling-Morningstar describes his own live show as "half song, half stand up." His mentor, Billy Don Burns, has written songs for Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Sammy Kershaw, and others. Morningstar has also toured with Waylon Jennings' youngest son Shooter Jennings, Country Music Hall of Famer Bobby Bare, Travis Tritt, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Travis Meadows, and many others.
His dedication has been paying off-fast rising country artist Cody Jinks who has recorded a Morningstar composition-a song called "Must Be The Whiskey"-for his new record "Lifers". “Whiskey” was released as a single and debuted at #1 on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play, as well as climbing to #1 on the Texas Radio chart), and Morningstar just completed a tour with fellow folk musician Colter Wall, an artist produced by Nashville's newest "go-to" guy, Dave Cobb.

Kendell Marvel

Kendell Marvel
Kendell Marvel wrote and recorded his new album, Solid Gold Sounds, in a matter of days, but it took a lifetime in country music to get there. Marvel and The Black Keys’ Auerbach co-wrote nine of the album’s 10 songs, drawing on the country sounds of the ‘70s as well as Marvel’s own experiences. Their songwriting collaborators include country legend John Anderson on the album’s first track, “Hard Time With the Truth.” A native of Southern Illinois, Marvel moved to Nashville at 28, shifting his goal of being an artist to raising his family while working as a songwriter. Marvel’s writing credits include Gary Allan’s “Right Where I Need to Be” and Chris Stapleton’s Grammy-winning single, “Either Way.” Brothers Osborne, Jamey Johnson, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, George Strait, and Lee Ann Womack have also cut his songs.

Leah Blevins

Leah Blevins
Few artists have a voice you can spot from note one. Leah is one of them. Born in Sandy Hook, KY, Blevins discovered her passion for expressing words, stories and life experiences through song at an early age. She has refined her passion for song writing in her sophomore EP, Walk Home (2018). Heavily influenced by church hymns and country and rock legends Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Stevie Nicks, and Janis Joplin, Leah’s distinct country, bluesy songwriting and voice differentiates her from the ordinary singer/songwriter in Nashville. Her debut EP Runnin', produced by Ken Coomer, and released in 2015, introduced Leah to the world and captivated listeners with her rich voice and touching lyrics. In Walk Home, Leah is stepping into new territories, redefining country music in her terms.

Marc Ford

Marc Ford
Note for note, Marc Ford ranks as one of the world’s preeminent guitarists. Even so, his songcraft commands the utmost respect. Keyboardist Johnny Neel once said: “Marc Ford’s an actual genius. He has the best guitar sound I’ve ever heard.” Ford’s career began in Los Angeles during the 1980s. His group, Burning Tree, captured the essence of his guitar virtuosity and songwriting. He joined the Black Crowes in late 1991. Ford toured and recorded on three of the Crowes’ finest albums--The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, Amorica, and Three Snakes and One Charm. Ford’s tenure in the Crowes found the group operating at a zenith. He rejoined the Crowes in 2005-2006 when they toured and released The Lost Crowes--two albums the band never released when he was a member. In 2002, Ford released his first solo album, It’s About Time. Ford’s following solo albums included Weary And Wired (2007), The Fuzz Machine (2010) and Holy Ghost (2014). Artists he produced include Ryan Bingham, Pawnshop Kings, Steepwater Band, Chris Lizotte, Phantom Limb and Republique du Salem. Marc Ford exists as a musical architect of the highest order. Through his career Marc Ford has performed and recorded with Izzy Stradlin, Gov’t Mule, The Jayhawks, Federale, Widespread Panic, Blue Floyd, Booker T. Jones, Ivan Neville and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell. It’s harvest time for Marc Ford. Over the years he’s created his own stellar sound that meets all the rigid standards of excellence.

Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane
Nikki Lane reinvents the nostalgic sounds of 1960s country music for a modern audience, mixing Southern twang with lush orchestral arrangements and the occasional pop/rock hook. A high-school dropout from Greenville, South Carolina, she spent her early adulthood working as an L.A.-based fashion designer. Lane later moved to New York City, where a messy breakup inspired her to pick up the acoustic guitar and write a handful of sad, sassy country songs inspired by Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard. What began as a form of self-therapy eventually developed into a full-time obsession, and Lane wound up leaving town again, this time returning to the American South by settling in Nashville.
Having relocated to the country music capital of the world, Lane began building a local audience by putting her own spin on the genre. The Gone, Gone, Gone EP, whose orchestral sound earned comparisons to mid-century icons (Tammy Wynette, Nancy Sinatra) and retro-revivalists (She & Him, the Secret Sisters), appeared in July 2011, followed several months later by the full-length Walk of Shame. After extensive touring in 2012, she signed to New West in 2013. Her debut for the label, All or Nothin', was issued in May of 2014. Three years later, Lane released Highway Queen – which she co-produced with singer/songwriter Jonathan Tyler – on New West.
Having relocated to the country music capital of the world, Lane began building a local audience by putting her own spin on the genre. The Gone, Gone, Gone EP, whose orchestral sound earned comparisons to mid-century icons (Tammy Wynette, Nancy Sinatra) and retro-revivalists (She & Him, the Secret Sisters), appeared in July 2011, followed several months later by the full-length Walk of Shame. After extensive touring in 2012, she signed to New West in 2013. Her debut for the label, All or Nothin', was issued in May of 2014. Three years later, Lane released Highway Queen – which she co-produced with singer/songwriter Jonathan Tyler – on New West.

Paul Cauthen

Paul Cauthen
A native of East Texas, Paul Cauthen was raised in Tyler, Texas, learning how to sing and play at the hands of his grandfather, a songwriter from Lubbock who associated with that town's local legends Buddy Holly & the Crickets. As he grew, he was steeped in classic country and rock & roll, but he found his way toward trouble as his adolescence gave way to young adulthood. After a brief stint in jail for marijuana possession and getting kicked out of college, Cauthen turned to songwriting to stabilize himself.
While residing in San Marcos, Texas in 2010, Cauthen ran into David Beck, a singer/songwriter who shared a similar taste and sensibility. They quickly formed a duo called Beck & Cauthen, switching their name to Sons of Fathers after alternative rocker Beck sent a cease-and-desist letter. Relocating to Austin, Sons of Fathers recorded a debut album with producer Lloyd Maines, which appeared in 2011. Sons of Fathers earned good reviews and climbed into Billboard's Americana Top Ten with both their debut and Burning Days, the sophomore set that appeared in 2013. The success started to chafe at Cauthen and he quit the group following a performance where the duo opened for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
Following the split, Cauthen roamed Texas, eventually settling in the Dallas area as he slowly started a solo career, gravitating toward gutsy, soulful country as he wrote and recorded the material featured on My Gospel. Appearing in late 2016 on Lightning Rod Records, the Beau Bedford-produced My Gospel peaked at 50 on Billboard's Country Albums chart and he worked the album throughout 2017, building up a fan base. Cauthen recorded Have Mercy -- a seven-song collection of originals that was somewhere between an album and EP -- with Bedford at Modern Electric Studios in Dallas, supported by the collective of DFW musicians calling themselves the Texas Gentlemen. Have Mercy appeared in June of 2018. Around this time, Cauthen endured a difficult breakup with his girlfriend and moved out of his home to live out of Dallas hotel. Written during this tumultuous, alcohol-fueled period, his next album was titled Room 41 after his temporary home.
While residing in San Marcos, Texas in 2010, Cauthen ran into David Beck, a singer/songwriter who shared a similar taste and sensibility. They quickly formed a duo called Beck & Cauthen, switching their name to Sons of Fathers after alternative rocker Beck sent a cease-and-desist letter. Relocating to Austin, Sons of Fathers recorded a debut album with producer Lloyd Maines, which appeared in 2011. Sons of Fathers earned good reviews and climbed into Billboard's Americana Top Ten with both their debut and Burning Days, the sophomore set that appeared in 2013. The success started to chafe at Cauthen and he quit the group following a performance where the duo opened for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
Following the split, Cauthen roamed Texas, eventually settling in the Dallas area as he slowly started a solo career, gravitating toward gutsy, soulful country as he wrote and recorded the material featured on My Gospel. Appearing in late 2016 on Lightning Rod Records, the Beau Bedford-produced My Gospel peaked at 50 on Billboard's Country Albums chart and he worked the album throughout 2017, building up a fan base. Cauthen recorded Have Mercy -- a seven-song collection of originals that was somewhere between an album and EP -- with Bedford at Modern Electric Studios in Dallas, supported by the collective of DFW musicians calling themselves the Texas Gentlemen. Have Mercy appeared in June of 2018. Around this time, Cauthen endured a difficult breakup with his girlfriend and moved out of his home to live out of Dallas hotel. Written during this tumultuous, alcohol-fueled period, his next album was titled Room 41 after his temporary home.

Buffalo Nichols

Buffalo Nichols
For all the moonlighting he's done in other genres over the years, Carl Nichols always comes back to the blues. At various points in his career Nichols has played gospel (despite being an atheist), West African music (despite being born and raised in Milwaukee) and, as one half of the acclaimed folk duo Nickel & Rose, Americana (despite having some deep reservations about that genre's long history of appropriating black music without always welcoming black musicians). None of those gigs, however, extinguished his desire to play the kind of traditional, acoustic blues he grew up admiring.
Maybe on some level he's pathologically drawn to spaces where he's an outsider. As a twentysomething black musician, Nichols is all too aware that the modern blues scene doesn't look much like him, but he never outgrew his childhood love of the music. "It seemed cool to me when I was young," he says. "You'd just hear people like Lightnin’ Hopkins or R.L. Burnside, and they just seemed cool. That's why anybody gets into music, because it speaks to them."
And it continues to speak to him, so much so that he’s tabled Nickel & Rose just as the duo was establishing itself as a major folk festival draw to pursue his dream of returning the blues to its songwriter roots. "I think a lot of what's been lost in the blues since the early '60s is the black experience, so I try to sing about that," Nichols says. "I can't escape racial realities, but I'm also aware that my audience is different than me, so the way they receive my message is different. I have this nostalgia for an era where blues musicians sang about their experiences to their own people, but that audience isn't there now."
It’s a challenge, he admits, but there's power in crossing racial and generational divides. And on a personal level, he sees Buffalo Nichols as a form of justice for the music he's always loved. "I want to redeem the blues after all the experiences I went through when I was younger," he explains. "When I first started getting into the blues, my mom would take me to blues shows, and inevitably there'd be some old white guy there who would try to take me under his wing and explain 'the rules' of the blues to me. It chased me away."
I always related to the blues," Nichols concludes. "I grew up in abject poverty. I experienced racism. And when I would sit down with a blues record, I could hear that in the songs. Now I want to be that person that I never got to see on stage."
Maybe on some level he's pathologically drawn to spaces where he's an outsider. As a twentysomething black musician, Nichols is all too aware that the modern blues scene doesn't look much like him, but he never outgrew his childhood love of the music. "It seemed cool to me when I was young," he says. "You'd just hear people like Lightnin’ Hopkins or R.L. Burnside, and they just seemed cool. That's why anybody gets into music, because it speaks to them."
And it continues to speak to him, so much so that he’s tabled Nickel & Rose just as the duo was establishing itself as a major folk festival draw to pursue his dream of returning the blues to its songwriter roots. "I think a lot of what's been lost in the blues since the early '60s is the black experience, so I try to sing about that," Nichols says. "I can't escape racial realities, but I'm also aware that my audience is different than me, so the way they receive my message is different. I have this nostalgia for an era where blues musicians sang about their experiences to their own people, but that audience isn't there now."
It’s a challenge, he admits, but there's power in crossing racial and generational divides. And on a personal level, he sees Buffalo Nichols as a form of justice for the music he's always loved. "I want to redeem the blues after all the experiences I went through when I was younger," he explains. "When I first started getting into the blues, my mom would take me to blues shows, and inevitably there'd be some old white guy there who would try to take me under his wing and explain 'the rules' of the blues to me. It chased me away."
I always related to the blues," Nichols concludes. "I grew up in abject poverty. I experienced racism. And when I would sit down with a blues record, I could hear that in the songs. Now I want to be that person that I never got to see on stage."

Cody Jinks

Cody Jinks
For well over a decade, Cody Jinks has devoted himself to making music that’s equal parts uncompromising and empathic, often giving voice to those who exist on the margins of modern life. Since first emerging as a solo artist in the mid-2000s, he has steadily advanced from playing nearly-empty bar rooms to independently building a following so dedicated, that he is now known as the biggest independent country artist on the planet.

Sam Carlson

Sam Carlson
From the hills of Pennsylvania, Sam Carlson found his passion singing traditional Gospel hymns. The years that followed ignited a journey of original Americana music, highlighted by a soulful, Gypsy-Folk vibe. The vintage sound, typically loaded with upright bass, lead guitar, fill strings and soul-binding voice, demands attention from the growing audiences that are lucky enough to catch his sets. Nationwide promotion and tour scheduled for early 2020. His songs are a unique combination of country blues and country folk music, with refreshing lyrics and catchy rhythms.

South of Eden

South of Eden
We’re a four-piece band from Midwest Ohio. We're all college dropouts and we’re not fond of rules. We like to play by our own. We play for others who see and do things differently. The ones who also like to play by their own rules. Although there may be few of us...long live Rock 'N" Roll!

Sunny Sweeney

Sunny Sweeney
Sunny Sweeney is the party and the morning after. She’s the quip that makes you laugh and the truth that makes you cry, the devil that’s egging you on and the angel whispering that you aren’t alone. But those compelling contradictions aren’t what’s most interesting about Sweeney: it’s the depth and brazen authenticity she brings to all her roles that grabs you and won’t let go.
“I’ve grown up doing the bar scenes, and you have to have drinking and partying songs there-–you have to,” Sweeney says. “Now, my songs are still about the same things, but I feel like they’re more mature versions.”
Sweeney’s salty wisdom and Texas-hewn soprano have never sounded stronger than they do on Trophy, her anticipated new album. Sunny Sweeney's wit and honesty has always defined her stone-cold country have blossomed into confessional, complex songwriting for grown-ups, still whiskey-drenched and honk-tonk-ready. Drugs, death, the ex-wife, drinking, devotion, and longing for a child: it’s all here, raw and real.
“I’ve grown up doing the bar scenes, and you have to have drinking and partying songs there-–you have to,” Sweeney says. “Now, my songs are still about the same things, but I feel like they’re more mature versions.”
Sweeney’s salty wisdom and Texas-hewn soprano have never sounded stronger than they do on Trophy, her anticipated new album. Sunny Sweeney's wit and honesty has always defined her stone-cold country have blossomed into confessional, complex songwriting for grown-ups, still whiskey-drenched and honk-tonk-ready. Drugs, death, the ex-wife, drinking, devotion, and longing for a child: it’s all here, raw and real.

Ward Davis

Ward Davis
American Singer/Songwriter from Monticello, Arkansas by way of Nashville, Tennessee, Ward Davis has had songs recorded by Trace Adkins, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Wade Hayes, Sammy Kershaw, Bucky Covington, Jimmie Van Zant, Buddy Jewel, Carolina Rain, The Roys, and more. Most recently, Ward Davis co-wrote “I’m Not The Devil” with Cody Jinks, with whom he subsequently toured with nationwide. With over 250 shows per year under his belt as both a headliner and support act, Ward Davis’ already popular live show is growing at exponential rates.

Whitey Morgan

Whitey Morgan
Although he resides in the automotive capital of Flint, MI, vocalist/guitarist Whitey Morgan (real name Eric Allen) is a country boy through and through -- and one particularly beholden to Waylon Jennings and his fellow outlaw country posse -- David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, as well as country traditionalists Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. In 2005, Morgan began assembling a group of sympathetic Motor City musicians to become his 78's, these being guitarists Jeremy "Leroy" Biltz and Benny James, bassist Jeremy Mackinder, and drummer Mike "Pops" Popovich. After making a name for themselves in the local clubs, Whitey Morgan & the 78's connected with Detroit's own typically hard rock-oriented Small Stone Records to cut their debut album, Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels, with crucial assistance coming from session pedal steel player Fred Newell. Morgan and company underwent some personnel changes when Biltz left and fiddle player Tamineh Gueramy joined. They signed with Chicago's Bloodshot Records in 2009; their first album for the imprint, a self-titled affair, was issued in October of 2010. Along with the band, the effort included guest appearances by Larry Campbell, Drew Howard, Pete Ballard on pedal steel, and Mike Lynch on accordion and piano. The album's release was followed by a national headlining tour featuring added band members Travis Harrett on drums, and Brett Robinson on pedal steel.

Charles Wesley Godwin

Charles Wesley Godwin
Charles Wesley Godwin’s sound is shaped by the time weathered hills and hollers of his home. Charles is a singer-songwriter born and raised in West Virginia. Nowadays, if you'd want to find him, you’d look in any dive bar, café, or live music venue in Appalachia. Charles performs as a solo artist all across Appalachia and beyond. He’s grateful to have shared the stage with artists such as Shooter Jennings, Luke Combs, Waymore’s Outlaws, Aaron Watson, Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Nicholas Jamerson and many more. Charles plans to release his debut solo album, Seneca, on February 15th 2019. Whether he’s performing solo for a room full of patrons who’ve quieted to a barely audible murmur or a music hall full concert goers breaking in their boots to the rhythm of a Union Sound Treaty tune, Charles Wesley Godwin turns heads and opens ears everywhere he plays. His stories strike a chord in all of us, and his voice gets the point across with a genuine authority. You’ll certainly be hearing Charles Wesley Godwin for years to come.