Four years into making their fourth album, Frog in Boiling Water, the four members of DIIV needed to talk — not later, but now.
The extended process had been uncertain and sometimes grueling, not only pushing them to up their musicianship but also taxing most every resource and bond they had ever cultivated. During the prior decade, DIIV had helped revitalize dream-pop and shoegaze alike, culminating in 2019’s unapologetic genre showcase, Deceiver. But with it, DIIV were now out of contract, proverbial free agents who didn’t owe anything to anyone but themselves — that is, to make a record that challenged them, that pushed their sound beyond any previous parameters.
White Denim is a freewheeling American rock and roll band formed in Austin, Texas in 2006. Over nearly 20 years and 13 albums the band has continued to energetically explore new territory, consistently delivering a musically sophisticated and inventive product both on record and on stage. James Petralli and his exceptional group put the music first. You will not see a better live band if you live to be a million.
Steve Ray Ladson is an artist, actor, vocalist, music producer, songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. His musical talents span the banjo, Dobro, piano, Hammond organ, lead guitar, bass guitar, accordion, spoons, and harmonica.
He has written, produced, and performed around the world with six-time Grammy Award winners and Grammy Lifetime Achievement honorees, The Blind Boys of Alabama. Steve Ray also sings and plays with four-time Grammy nominee Robert Randolph and the Family Band.
His performances have been featured on major platforms including The Don Imus TV Show, CTV, BET, Canadian TV, AudioTree TV, The Today Show, ABC’s The View, The Rachael Ray Show, AOL’s The Build, Paste Magazine, Salon TV, and more.
When not touring or recording, Steve Ray dedicates much of his time to life on the farm, riding horses, and studio production. He’s now embarking on his own musical journey with a genre he calls “Blackgrass Brothacana” — a fusion of his deep musical roots and diverse influences.
Though his foundation lies in quartet music, Steve Ray has developed a style that bridges blues, R&B, hip-hop, country, and bluegrass. Constantly traveling and creating, his mission is simple but powerful:
“Keep the blues, funk, pop, soul, and rock ’n’ roll alive.”
Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band is a Louisville-based project led by songwriter and visual artist Ryan Davis, formerly of State Champion. Their sophomore album New Threats From the Soul highlights Davis’s intricate, expansive songwriting and the band’s dynamic blend of Americana, folk, and experimental rock.
“New Threats from the Soul [is] a beautiful and wildly smart record about making do in an upside-down world.” — Amanda Petsurich, The New Yorker
“If you don’t know it yet, it’s my privilege to tell you that Ryan Davis is one of the greatest songwriters of his generation.” — Nathan Salsberg
It’s no secret that great art comes from the margins. From those who are either pushed to create from inner forces, or who create to show they deserve to be recognized. Los Angeles-based street singer, guitarist, and roots music revolutionary Sunny War has always been an outsider, always felt the drive to define her place in the world through music and songwriting. Her restless spirit, a byproduct of growing up semi-nomadic with a single mother, led her to Venice Beach, California, where she’s been grinding the pavement for some years now, making a name for her prodigious guitar work and incisive songwriting, which touches on everything from police violence to alcoholism to love found and lost.
Founded in 1987, SILKWORM is a storied and beloved rock band, revered among many of those in the know. The band released nine richly distinctive, influential albums and “a bunch” of singles, EPs, and compilations over an eighteen-year period, as well as touring worldwide in North America, Europe, and Asia, notably playing every state in the continental USA except Delaware.
The group recently played together as a dual-guitar quartet for the first time in thirty years, at Steve Albini’s memorial in late July 2024.
The experience was so rewarding that they began to discuss regrouping for some additional events…which led them to poking at the best possible options for doing so…
Slow Funeral is the alias of South Carolina-based musician Mary Norris. In 2020, she recorded a demo of “I Loved You In Another Life” in her room with a limited version of Ableton Live and two microphones. After releasing it on Bandcamp, SC-local The Old Earthquake heard the demo and was moved, requesting to produce a fuller version. Norris then released the song as Slow Funeral’s first single, marking the beginning of an artistry defined by resourcefulness, tenacity, and abraded lyrical and musical vulnerability. She set out to record her debut album, funded by three different arts grants and crowdfunding, and began performing with a band in 2022.
Sweetheart City is the latest musical venture from Paisley Marie, a South Carolina artist who has spent the last 15 years developing her voice as a distinctive and heartfelt songwriter. Formerly the frontwoman of Paisley and the Birdwalkers, Paisley steps into new creative territory with Sweetheart City, blending the lyrical depth of Jason Isbell with a fresh sonic palette influenced by Big Star’s classic power-pop and Chappell Roan’s modern edge. The music brings together the grit of alt-country and the shimmer of power-pop, rooted in emotional honesty, vivid storytelling, and a strong sense of melodic craft. Their live show is a standout, featuring a sparkly and polished aesthetic, emotionally charged performances, and the confidence of seasoned professionals.
The Ectomorphs are from Columbia, South Carolina. Featuring former members of Imp, Margo, and several other local projects, they play catchy rock and roll songs about love, science, and intergalactic warfare. Their new album Synthesizing Synesthesia Pills is out now on all streaming services.
Darion McCloud is an actor, storyteller, director, consultant, and teaching artist, who’s had the pleasure of working with a wide range of audiences, from young children to adults.