mallorysamson

There is something special and fun about this room. The artist comes and sets up their own equipment. They test the sole mic. They test the volume. The crowd lets them know if its ok. Yet, it is not precious. It is a community connected by music and artists and everyone is in it for the evening. Each artist brings their vibe to this room. The last time I saw Hayes was around midnight in a sweaty Continental Club in Austin, TX. He jumped on stage, and the energy in the room shifted. This room...

Bobby Bare, Jr. could've phoned in a career. He could've exploited the fact that he's the son of iconic Country Music Hall of Famer Bobby Bare, was born into Nashville's Music Row elite, and counted artists like Shel Silverstein as close family friends and George Jones and Tammy Wynette as next door neighbors. Instead, Bobby blazed a path of unique songwriting craftsmanship with a voice that blows through you like an unyielding wind on the desolate prairie. Throughout his career, Bare has...

Tift Merritt is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and musician who wanted to be a writer until her father taught her guitar chords and Percy Sledge songs. In her 20-year career, she has released a critically acclaimed body of work and toured the world with her sonic short stories. The New Yorker calls her “the bearer of a proud tradition of distaff country soul that reaches back to artists like Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry.” Emmylou Harris calls her “a diamond in a coal mine.”...