Led by the traveling troubadour, Cassidy Snider, this folk outlet is a grassy assortment of sounds from the New Orleans bayou, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Nashville honky tonks, and every accent in between. Each intoxicating song begins on the pages of Cassidy’s notebook, poems that follow her through miles of endless travels and roadside love-lost companions. The Wranglers have developed a sound that morphs musical styles with a voicing that can only be sung in Cassidy’s blues. (Photo by Jesslyn McCartney)

The Great Beforetimes was inspired by a desire to create a post-apocalyptic jug band. Mind you, this idea came before the pandemic. But as the songs grew from this concept, the lyrical themes detailed departing from the confines of heteronormative organized religion toward the freedom of found family and queer spirituality. The collection of songs released on their debut album are modern-day hymns that move the string band tradition into new terrain. Easily sharing the stage with folk-punk, indie-pop, or bluegrass groups, the banjo-led band invites the audience into sonic portraits that can only be chronicled as The Great Beforetimes. (Photo by Chris Gatens)

Justin Golden is a pioneering songwriter and traditional artist based in Richmond, Virginia, who is carrying the torch of roots music to new heights. He released his debut EP, “Idle Hands,” on Vocal Rest Records, and has gone on to release a full length record, “Golden Country, Volume 1,” with Devil’s Coattails as a backing band. While “Idle Hands” displayed Justin’s incredible ability to pay homage to traditional Piedmont and Delta blues, “Golden Country, Volume 1” moves beyond genre binary and fuses the shared sounds of blues, bluegrass, folk, and country music. Between his skillful finger-style guitar playing and energizing voice, Justin is a true tour-de-force. (Photo by Cullen B. Strawn)

Brady Heck is a country music artist based out of Richmond, Virginia. His mother sang in country bands and his father rode Harley-Davidsons. Brady Heck stays true to his roots, saying, “This is country music from Virginia, inspired by Virginia.” With tradition in mind, Brady's songs nod toward the past but look toward the song-centered future of the country music genre. Brady's voice and sound are regional, yet his lyrics touch on universal themes. His debut EP, “Ain't It Cruel,” is a still-life of genuine narrative-driven songs. His forthcoming singles “Grey Fox” and “Watermelon Seltzer” are available on all streaming platforms! (Photo by Ashley Travis)

There are shades of blue that don’t wash away and those hues are perfectly captured in the songs of Richmond’s own Mackenzie Roark. Exploring the tragically beautiful narratives littered across the honky tonk heartbreaks of the South, her songs lull heartache through brutal yet honest truths. With her sound firmly planted in the classic sounds of country and folk music, Mackenzie Roark brings those antiqued tones to new life in her newly released debut full length album, “Rollin High, Feelin Low.” (Photo by Jen Jacobowitz)

A voice can commune with spirits. This fact is felt whenever in earshot of Richmond-based Tess Fisher. Her singing is fierce yet tender and her entrancing songs are spellbinding. Tess pairs her booming timbre with artfully crafted stories weaving through the trainyards, wildnesses, and neon-lit dives from coast to coast. Her forthcoming debut single, “Stink,” is a high and lonesome love song that travels many miles, moons, and mountains to find a heart tangled in pining golden curls. (Photo by Cid Cher)

Dim lights, thick smoke, and loud, loud music have been a part of Ward Harrison's life for multiple decades. From being a road warrior with the Hackensaw Boys to having his songs covered by John R. Miller, this isn't Ward's first rodeo. But in many ways, there is a youthful glow surrounding the music of Ward Harrison. When his hands aren't at work playing an instrument, he makes a living as a carpenter. Ward channels his meticulous attention to detail from his woodworking when writing, arranging, and performing his meditative forthcoming full length album. (Photo by Rob Bullington)

Bernie Yodelin’ Hall is the father of Trey Burnart Hall and a major part of how Vocal Rest Records came to be. He taught Trey to play his first guitar chords, took him to Galax Fiddler’s Convention even as an infant, and indoctrinated him into American traditional music from birth. The musical lessons learned from Bernie are the foundation for Vocal Rest Records’ aesthetic and sound. At the age of 72, Trey helped Bernie manifest a lifelong dream, a studio record with a full string band. In many ways, Bernie’s first and final album, “Blue Ridge Mountain Yodel,” is a survey of early American music and documentation of a bygone singing style, the country yodel. Though Bernie suddenly passed away two weeks before the release of his album in 2022, his legacy will be passed down one song at a time. (Photo by Em White)

Richmond string band picking old time and bluegrass with traditional instrumental tunes and leftist lyrics. Composed of Ærn Stapel on fiddle, banjo, and vocals; Chris Gatens on guitar, banjo, and vocals; and Trey Burnart Hall on mandolin and guitar. Stay tuned for a full bio and recording updates.

Chuck Jones is a songwriter based just outside of the Richmond city limits. Inspired equally by old-time and r&b, their voice warbles between crushing vulnerability and empowering trill. Chuck has the ability to contain an entire narrative within a single couplet. Their songs paint vivid scenes within image-filled lyrics in the depths of each verse and chorus. Chuck’s writing is sharp as a razor blade, yet delicate as a lavender petal. Their debut full length record is set to be recorded in 2023. (Photo by Dave Parrish)

Devil’s Coattails is an instrumental backing band based out of Richmond, Virginia. This new supergroup displays that country music isn’t a monolith, mimicking the Swampers approach to session work out of Muscle Shoals. From waltz to country rock to funky tonk to western swing to bluegrass to blues, Devil’s Coattails support storytellers with dynamic instrumentation. This outfit is a force to be reckoned with and a portal for any stage and record to become a proper honky tonk. (Photo by Michael Hirsch)