Josh Ritter -
Since the release of his critically-acclaimed album “Golden Age of Radio,”
Idaho-born Josh Ritter has been splitting his time between the US and Ireland.
On both sides of the Atlantic - “Six Feet Under” used one of his tunes while
another, “Me and Jiggs,” landed in the Irish Top 40 - he’s been selling out
clubs and theaters, and earning raves from publications ranging from The
Washington Post to The Irish Times. The son of two neuroscientists, Ritter was
on his way to follow in their footsteps when he discovered Johnny Cash and Bob
Dylan in high school. Five studio releases later, he was included in Paste
Magazine’s “100 greatest living songwriters.” Stephen King named “The Animal
Years” as his Number One album of 2006 while “Entertainment Weekly” listed
Ritter among its “The 10 Most Exciting Artists Now.” After releasing “So Runs
the World Away” In 2010, he published his first novel, “Bright's Passage,” in
2012. His record label subsequently issued a special box set of Ritter reading
his own novel, accompanied by an EP of songs inspired by the book. “He Beast in
Its Tracks” was inspired by his divorce while his new release is titled “Sermon
on the Rocks.” Of his new release, Stephen King gushed, “…the most exuberant
outburst of imagery since Bob Dylan’s ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,’ in 1963.”
Ritter and band have performed with the New York and Boston Pops.
Amy Helm - A
singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter, Amy Helm had years of recording and
touring experience before she embarked on a solo career in her 40s. Her father
was Levon Helm, the drummer and vocalist with The Band, and her mother was
Libby Titus, a singer and songwriter whose songs had been recorded by artists
such as Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and Carly Simon. After recording and
touring with a reunited Steely Dan, she teamed up with like-minded New York
roots musicians to form the popular group Ollabelle in 2002. Meanwhile, Helm
was one of the organizers of her father’s Midnight Ramble Concerts. When Levon
resumed touring, Amy was a member of his road band and, beginning with his 2007
release, “Dirt Farmer,” began co-producing his releases. She also provided
guest vocals for a wide range of artists, including the Holmes Brothers, Linda
Thompson and Joan Osborne. Amy was working on a solo album when her father died
in April, 2012. She continued to host concerts at Levon's barn, and began
working with a new band, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers. Her solo debut,
“Didn’t it Rain,” was released in 2015. She supported the record touring with
Mavis Staples and Patty Griffin.
Noah Gundersen
- Washington native Noah Gundersen was born into a religious family that
frowned on secular music. Nevertheless, by age 16, he was performing in local
cafes along with his sister, Abby, a skilled violinist, pianist, and harmony
singer. Soon, the duo added a rhythm section and began performing as a full
band called The Courage. Gundersen formed the post-hardcore group Beneath
Oceans in 2007 but resumed his solo career a year later. After a string of EPs,
he released “Ledges,” his full-length solo debut, in 2014. The disc earned
raves from NPR's World Café, Spin, and CBS Saturday Morning. His current album,
“Carry The Ghost,” is heavily influenced by existential philosophy with
surprisingly weighty themes for a 25-year-old songwriter. Gunderson’s music has
been featured on television series including “Sons of Anarchy.” His touring
band includes his sister Abby and brother Jonathan.
Lindsay Lou &
the Flatbellys - When Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys found each other
jamming at open mics and music festivals around Michigan they couldn’t have
predicted what would lay ahead of them. In the past year they’ve toured behind
the release of their most recent record, Ionia; been featured in the lineup of
prestigious affairs such as The Shetland Island Folk Festival 200 miles north
of mainland Scotland, Stagecoach Music Festival in California, The Bluegrass
Jamboree all over Germany, and a number of the best acoustic music festivals in
the US. Having earned their name late night at a Michigan Bluegrass festival
from a fellow picker who proclaimed, "It's good to see you Flatbellys out
here pickin with us Greybeards," today Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys keep
one foot in The Great Lakes State and the soul of Motown, and one in Music City.
They still embody the soul of a good jam or late night pickin’ session, and
also have honed in on a sound that’s entirely their own drawing from soul,
blues, folk, jazz and maybe even a traces of that techno beat. When asked what
he thought about LLFBs new record, Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass said,
“What do I love about 'Ionia'? Let's keep it simple: Everything.”
The Cactus Blossoms
- Brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum grew up in northeast Minneapolis and
have been blending their voices as The Cactus Blossoms since 2010. Their
hypnotic harmonies and unforgettable songs have made them favorites in the
Minneapolis–Saint Paul music scene. Their latest album, Live at the Turf Club,
blurs the line between old and new as they sneak a few originals into their
repertoire of early country and Western swing.