Lilli Lewis has composed in every tradition that inspires her, including soul, Americana, hip hop, classical, folk, jazz, rock, gospel, blues, soul and R&B. She integrated elements of New Orleans funk while co-writing and co-producing “Mask Up” in the summer of 2020. After carving out space for herself as an African-American lesbian of size, Lewis has lent her voice to the inclusion and equity in the music industry by speaking in conferences and seminars for Americana Music Association and Folk Alliance International in her role as VP & Head of A&R at Louisiana Red Hot Records. And she’s further sharing her message in the music of her eagerly awaited “Americana” album, following 2019’s critically acclaimed “We Belong.” In all things, Lewis does her best to live by the creed she and her ensemble have become known for: Practice Radical Decency. That’s a belief system we can get behind!
Grace epitomizes the term singer/songwriter. As a singer, her voice is both powerful and beautiful, and she uses it like a fine arts painter to color and craft her songs. American Songwriter Magazine wrote “As a decorated songwriter, Pettis blurs the lines between country, Americana and folk. Her soulful delivery of calculated lyric lines helps her tell stories for all generations.” Her songs have been recorded by many esteemed artists, including Sara Hickman and Ruthie Foster. For Grace, who has been characterized as “a little bit folk, a little bit country/Americana, and a whole lot of soul,” 2020 had many silver linings. She signed with MPress Records, released three critically acclaimed singles — “Landon,” “White Noise,” and “Drop Another Pin,” — and recorded Working Woman in Nashville employing an all-female/non-binary creative team.
Dustin Furlow is an award-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist whose playing and songwriting reflect a clear influence of today’s contemporary-folk artists. With comparisons to songwriters such as Ray LaMontagne and virtuoso guitar-players like Tommy Emmanuel, Furlow eventually carved out a sound that became easily distinguishable by it’s marriage of complex guitar work and warm, home-spun lyrics. From the haunting melodies in “Evergreen” to the foot-tapping groove of “Cherokee Lake” Dustin is an ambassador of dynamic control on stage. In 2019 he played over 200 shows, many with harp-guitarists and International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion Matt Thomas.
As the son of a musician and a guitar prodigy himself, Daniel Champagne had a head-start on a career in music, but it’s his indefatigable work ethic and exuberant appreciation for his supporters that have elevated him from simply an artistic genius to a rising international star. If he were simply a songwriter, his work would be admired throughout the industry; if he were only a singer, audiences would be engaged and enchanted by his voice; if he were just a guitarist, he would deserve world-wide acclaim for his artistry. But he’s not just any one of these, he’s all three. And he is, quite simply, amazing.
The Smartest Man in the World began as the solo songwriting project of Memphis-based Dead Soldiers vocalist and rhythm guitar player Michael Jasud. It features eclectic songwriting propelled by Jasud’s unconventional arrangements and unique melodic sensibility, with songs crafted by Jasud and shaped by some of Memphis’s most talented gigging and session musicians. With this latest group of songs he continues to explore relationships, pop culture, technology, and trauma through a millennial lens of postmodern existential dread.
“Matt Longo isn’t immune to the horrors of the world, but he knows how to wrap them up in gorgeous, lush, sophisticated songs … One can hear the wit of Randy Newman, the lush arrangements of Harry Nilsson, and the poetic flair of Leonard Cohen.” – PopMatters
Matt Longo (aka Thin Lear) just finished recording the follow up to last year’s highly acclaimed debut Wooden Cave. The new record was produced, engineered & mixed by Memphis’ own Matt Ross-Spang, and recorded lovingly to tape at Sam Phillips Recording Service with some of the finest studio musicians in Memphis.
