Brett Dennen - In the early 2000s, Northern California native Brett Dennen was a camp counselor who played guitar, wrote songs and performed fireside. With a self-made album, he began playing coffee shops along the West Coast and picked up a devoted following. Championed by KCRW DJ Chris Douridas, who in 2004 called Dennen “the best unsigned artist of the year” adding, “Rarely does music come along so unadorned, so pure in spirit, and so eloquently written.” Following 2006's “So Much More,” Rolling Stone named Dennen one of the 10 Artists To Watch in 2008. Dennen has toured with performers such as John Mayer, the John Butler Trio, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Ben Folds. On 2007's “Hope For the Hopeless,” Dennen was joined by Femi Kuti, Natalie Merchant, and Jason Mraz. His songs have appeared on “Scrubs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Parenthood,” “Brothers & Sisters” and “House.” His current release is titled “Loverboy.”

Red Clay Ramblers - Now in their 40th year, the Tony Award-winning Red Clay Ramblers are a North Carolina string band whose repertoire reflects their roots in old-time mountain music, as well as bluegrass, country, rock, New Orleans jazz, gospel, and the American musical. The Ramblers’ long association with music and theater includes the 1993 hit “Fool Moon on Broadway,” and the original New York productions of Diamond Studs (1975) and Sam Shepard's “A Lie of the Mind” (1985). The Ramblers scored Shepard's 1988 film “Far North” and performed and appeared in his second feature, “Silent Tongue.” In 2003, the Ramblers developed “Kudzu: A Southern Musical,” in collaboration with Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Doug Marlette. Over the years, the band has performed with a diverse cast of musicians including Shawn Colvin (a Rambler for most of ’87), Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Eugene Chadbourne, Ireland’s Boys of the Lough, Randy Newman, and Michele Shocked. The Ramblers appeared with the North Carolina Symphony New Year’s Eve 2007, and “Carolina Jamboree,” its second ballet, was debuted by the Carolina Ballet in 2005 and reprised in 2008. “The Daily Advance” called the Ramblers' 2009 release “Old North State,” "North Carolina culture at its best" while radio station WNCW dubbed the band "the house band of North Carolina." 

Kruger Brothers - Originally from Europe, now living in North Carolina, Jens and Uwe Kruger were introduced to American audiences in 1997 and quickly gained the attention of fans and the music industry.  The two were performing regularly before they hit their teens. Joel Landsberg, a native of New York City, joined the brothers in the early ‘90s. Exploring the fertile ground between bluegrass and jazz, the group received a National Endowment for the Arts grant for “Music from the Spring,” a symphonic suite composed and orchestrated by Jens Kruger. In addition to the group’s concert schedule they perform this piece regularly with select symphony orchestras throughout North America. In 2010, the Kruger Brothers also premiered a new work for banjo, guitar, bass and chamber orchestra titled "An Appalachian Concerto.”

Charlie Worsham - Raised in the northern Mississippi hills just south of Memphis, Charlie Worsham was proficient on most stringed instruments at a young age, and made his Grand Ole Opry debut with Mike Snyder at age 12. He went on to earn a degree in music production and engineering at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. After moving to Nashville, he quickly landed a songwriting deal with a publishing company and before long was leading a band. In late, 2009, he left the band to pursue songwriting. He currently divides his time between writing songs, doing recording sessions and playing live. He recently released his self-titled debut and is touring with Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert.

Nikki Lane - Nikki Lane’s path to country music took her from her native Greenville, South Carolina through Los Angeles, New York, and finally to Nashville, where in addition to working on her music, she operates a vintage clothing store called High Class Hillbilly. Impressed by her vocal chops and charismatic personality, she was signed by flourishing indie label IAMSOUND, which paired her with producer David Cobb (Shooter Jennings, The Secret Sisters) and Lewis Pesacov of Fool’s Gold. The fruit of these sessions, a retro-voiced four song EP called Gone, Gone, Gonewas released in July to much interest and acclaim.