​Sam Bush - Grammy winning, multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush is one of the architects of the newgrass movement and has emerged as the patriarch of jazzgrass mandolinists. Bush was instrumental in expanding the horizons of bluegrass music, fusing it with jazz, rock, blues, funk and other styles. He co-founded the genre-bending New Grass Revival and is an in-demand musician who has played with everyone from Emmylou Harris and Bela Fleck to Charlie Haden, Lyle Lovett and Garth Brooks. In addition to his mandolin prowess, Bush is also a three-time national junior fiddle champion and Grammy award winning vocalist. Bush was honored by the Americana Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association with a “Lifetime Achievement Award.” His latest release, “Circles Around Me,” is a mix of bluegrass favorites and new songs, including "The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle." Co-written with Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson, it tells the haunting real-life story of the 1973 murder of Grand Ole Opry star David "Stringbean" Akeman and his wife. The CD also features cameos by Del McCoury, Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas. Bush’s core band includes Scott Vestal, Stephen Mougin, Byron House and Chris Brown. The 2015 documentary, “The Sam Bush Story,” directed by Kris Wheeler and Wayne Franklin, was recently screened during the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Chuck Prophet - Since emerging onto the music scene at age 18 as a member of the seminal rock band Green on Red, Prophet has collaborated with everyone from Warren Zevon and Billy Swan to Jim Dickinson and Lucinda Williams. Prophet has produced a CD for Kelly Willis and penned a book titled “Road Song” for the San Francisco Chronicle’s book division. His songs have been recorded by artists ranging from Solomon Burke to Heart, and he has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” In recent years, Prophet’s music has been featured in several hit television series including HBO’s “True Blood,” Showtime’s “Californication,” and FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.” He also co-wrote all the songs on Alejandro Escovedo’s 2008 critically acclaimed album “Real Animal.” Prophet has followed up 2012's critically acclaimed “Temple Beautiful” with “Night Surfer.” 

Corb Lund - Born into a family of longtime ranchers, Corb Lund grew up on his family's cattle ranch in the small town of Taber in Alberta’s southern foothills. Now a Juno-winning songwriter and musician, Lund writes story songs that range from rockabilly and Western swing to cowboy ballads, country-rock and yodeling. Recording in Nashville, Lund’s releases have garnered praise at home (where they have been certified “gold”) and in the U.S. None other than Miranda Lambert recently Tweeted that she's a "total fan" of Lund and asked him to open several stadium shows for her and country star (and “Mountain Stage” alum) Dierks Bentley. Lund’s 2012 release, “Cabin Fever,” hit #1 in Canada its first week, was certified gold, and made the Polaris Music Prize longlist.  Nine of Lund’s songs form the basis of an exhibition at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum titled "No Roads Here: Corb Lund’s Alberta" that explores the unique history of Alberta from gambling and Mormonism to early prohibition and the early days of oil drilling. His latest release, “Things That Can’t Be Undone” was produced by Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton) and marks his first new studio LP in three years.

Patrick Sweany - Ohio singer/songwriter/guitarist Patrick Sweany gained notoriety in the mid 1990s, performing in clubs and coffee houses, playing acoustic, delta-styled blues. His electric trio, The Patrick Sweany Band,” furthered that reputation, taking his blues- and R&B-based music to larger venues and festivals. His 2006 release, “C’Mon C’Mere,” was produced by The Black Keys Dan Auerbach and Jimbo Mathus from Squirrel Nut Zippers, and found him sampling a wider range of styles. Sweany has toured extensively, headlining, and as an opener for artists such as The Black Keys, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Wood Brothers, Hot Tuna, Sonny Landreth, and Paul Thorn. He’s also appeared at festivals including Newport Folk Fest, Merlefest, Montreal Jazz Fest, and Telluride Blues & Brews. His current release is titled “Daytime Turned to Nighttime.” 

Darlingside - Combining influences that range from ‘60s folk and bluegrass to classical and indie rock, this Massachusetts-based quartet writes lush, cinematic pieces that are performed around a single microphone. Formed in 2009, the members of Darlingside met at Williams College in western Massachusetts and quickly realized their disparate musical influences would create a unique quilt of sound. The instrumentation includes harmonium, frailing banjo, 12-string electric guitar, Wurlitzer, auto-chord organ, and grand piano. A recent NPR review described Darlingside as “"exquisitely-arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk-pop." The group’s current release is titled “Birds Say.”