Joe Pug

A singer-songwriter known for his lyrical acumen and plaintive harmonica style, Joe Pug dropped out of college and moved to Chicago where he worked as a carpenter before breaking into the city’s music scene. Since 2008 he has released a string of critically-acclaimed albums and toured heavily in the U.S. and abroad. Paste Magazine wrote of his music: “Unless your surname is Dylan, Waits, Ritter or Prine, you could face-palm yourself to death trying to pen songs half as inspired." He has toured with Steve Earle, Levon Helm, The Killers, Justin Townes Earle, Sturgill Simpson, and many others. He has appeared at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and The Newport Folk Festival. His music has appeared on NPR’s “Prairie Home Companion” and “Mountain Stage”. His music has been released by Lightning Rod Records, which features an alumni roster of Jason Isbell, Billy Joe Shaver, and James McMurtry. Additionally, he is the creator and host of the popular podcast The Working Songwriter.

Kelly Hunt

Memphis-raised singer-songwriter, Kelly Hunt, paints stories as old and offbeat as her Depression-era tenor banjo and parlor guitar, reimagining traditions of folk and old-time music with innovative vigor. Interweaving poetic lyrics, lilting melodies, and intriguing arrangements, Hunt casts a spell which No Depression describes as “the musical equivalent of a book you can’t put down, one you’ll want to revisit again and again to catch every nuance and turn of phrase.” Hunt’s 2019 debut album, Even The Sparrow, was a finalist for the International Folk Music Awards “Album of the Year.” Her sophomore album, Ozark Symphony, was recorded with Grammy-winning musician and producer Dirk Powell and released on Compass Records in 2023. “Kelly Hunt sings with the lilting cadence of a folksinger born somewhere far away, sometime long ago.” —Rolling Stone Country

Dylan Walshe

Dylan Walshe, originally from Dublin, Ireland, embarked on a journey that took his solo acoustic performances from the bustling streets of London to across Europe and eventually leading him to settle in Nashville, Tennessee. Now residing in the serene southern highlands of Black Mountain in western North Carolina, Dylan has carved a niche for himself in the music world, headlining tours across the United States, Europe and the UK. He has shared the stage with numerous musical pioneers and has toured as the opener for a diverse range of artists including Flogging Molly, The White Buffalo and Avatar. "Dylan's a wordsmith and a fair chanter, it does my heart good to hear him sing, love his voice and the way he's using it. Dylan is a true Irish ballad singer, I admire his work." —Christy Moore

Cyr and the Cosmonauts

Cyr and the Cosmonauts perform music rooted in Americana but as eclectic as your old man’s record collection. Their eccentric, original songs feature tight vocal harmonies, dynamic musicality, and probing lyrics that search for the cosmos hidden in the chaos. They have released two albums that seek to weave together the personal and the universal, the mundane and the beautiful—songs to live to, die to, and resurrect to.

Christian Lingner

Christian Lingner is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and poet living in Nashville, TN. Growing up in rural Missouri, Christian’s passion for music was nurtured by a Methodist hymn book, fuzzy country radio stations, and a scratched CD of Stephen Foster folk songs. Christian has released several albums and EPs. His forthcoming EP, Woman's Son, will mark a return to the Americana storytelling of his upbringing, drawing on the likes of John Prine and Johnny Cash while addressing the perennial themes of love and loss, loneliness and hope, repentance and forgiveness.

Childcraft Annual

Childcraft Annual is a singer-songwriter from Beaufort, SC. His music has taken shape through many hours on the road, long days working under the sun, and late nights around campfires. He is known for his unique voice and fingerpicking guitar style, which create a rich folk sound.