Buffalo Traffic Jam
Buffalo Traffic Jam is a folk band born in the heart of Bozeman, Montana, where its members, Frankie Cassidy and Nathan Ross, first crossed paths as students at Montana State University. United by a love for storytelling and the raw beauty of acoustic sound, they began crafting music that evokes wide-open landscapes and the emotions that live quietly beneath the surface of everyday life. The result was a self-titled debut EP followed by singles “Rescue Me” and “Forgot Your Roots,” the latter of which saw the band gain their first bit of online momentum, leading to explosive growth in the past 3 months. Their newest release, the Take Me Home EP, marks a defining moment in Buffalo Traffic Jam’s evolution—showcasing a deeper, more expansive sound while staying grounded in the heartfelt lyricism and raw instrumentals that first won them fans. The project weaves together themes of resilience, nostalgia, and self-discovery, subjects that have become commonplace in the songwriting of Buffalo Traffic Jam. Since its release on Oct. 24, the EP has picked up over 8 million streams across DSP’s. In 2025 Buffalo Traffic Jam made their festival debuts at Under the Big Sky, Redwest Fest, and went on tour with country singer-songwriter Dylan Gossett. From dorm room jam sessions to packed venues across the US, Buffalo Traffic Jam has stayed true to their roots.
Dean Johnson
With I Hope We Can Still Be Friends, his debut for Saddle Creek, Dean Johnson makes a pact with the listener: He will sing you his truth in the most heartfelt and charming way possible, if you promise to keep an open mind. The title partly stems from the playful way the Seattle-based singer, songwriter and guitarist communes with his audiences at concerts. “I hope you’re not afraid to talk to me after the show,” he’ll say, sweetly, before launching into “Death of the Party,” the album’s seventh song. Centered on the “energy vampire” archetype — the exasperating windbag we’ve all encountered at some point — its lyrics are at once intellectually biting and unmistakably hilarious. His tender voice rings out like the ghost of Roy Orbison or a misfit Everly brother. Johnson spent years tending bar at Al’s Tavern in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. There, he encountered folks of all stripes; and regulars enthusiastically murmured about his budding musical greatness — There’s the best songwriter in town! Johnson was a kind of local lore, a long-held family secret, before the singer finally broke out in 2023 with his debut album, Nothing For Me Please, at age 50. I Hope We Can Still Be Friends is essentially an anthology that bridges Johnson’s earliest days as a songwriter with his present-day outlook and abilities. There are songs that have been in his setlists for years, and others that will be new to fans. Each of its 11 tracks contains jocular social commentary or lovingly rendered affairs of the heart. The album’s songs about love and relationships offer another way to interpret its title: as a parting thought to an ex. Like all of Johnson’s cable-knit writing, the title is a clever banner for the album’s dual nature, the thing that binds its tragedy and comedy masks. Johnson explains that he didn’t set out to make a concept album. It’s a coincidence that about half of the album’s songs are a bit sardonic, and the other half are more lighthearted. I Hope We Can Still Be Friends floats in a liminal plane between timely and timeless, its minimalist instrumentation elevating Johnson’s affecting voice to new heights. Recorded at Unknown Studio in Anacortes, Washington, the record was produced by Sera Cahoone — the Seattle-based singer-songwriter Johnson describes as a “soulmate sibling.” Overdubbing took place at Seattle’s Crackle & Pop! For the sessions, Johnson assembled a small band of friends including Abbey Blackwell (bass, backing vocals), multi-instrumentalist Sam Peterson and Cahoone (drums, backing vocals), who created a familial tone on the already intimate album. I Hope We Can Still Be Friends, with its sharp observations and stirring personal insights, holds space for both intense reflection and emotional release. You may laugh, or cry or both. In this sense, the album is powerful medicine — a way to both expose yourself to and inoculate yourself against the ugly, absurd, existential and heartbreaking. At its core rests a basic truth that is often difficult to remember or accept: Happiness wouldn’t exist without sadness as its counterpart. On his uncanny ability to so clearly see and then encapsulate humanity in all its messy glory, Johnson offers this core memory, drawn from his childhood on Camano Island in the Puget Sound. “I was raised on a bluff,” he says. “I’m not trying to make it sound dramatic, but I did have a sweeping view.”
The Talbott Brothers
The Talbott Brothers, hailing from the heartland of Imperial, Nebraska, embody the heart and soul of Americana, Folk/Rock, Soul, Blues and Country with their blue-collar grit and unapologetic authenticity. Grounded in the character of their rural upbringing, brothers Nick and Ty Talbott have built a name for themselves with their soul-stirring lyrics, sibling blood harmonies, and rich melodies that represent the ebbs and flows of life.
Socks In The Frying Pan – CANCELLED
Socks in the Frying Pan are a multi-award winning trio from County Clare on the West coast of Ireland, the universal hub of Irish traditional music. Their dynamic vocal harmonies, virtuosic musical ability and their onstage wit has captured and captivated audiences the world around. One of the most sought after groups in Irish music today, the worldwide ‘Sock Invasion’ continues! This youthful trio blend Irish traditional melodies with their own personal flair which has gained them critical acclaim and accolades including ‘New Band of the Year’ by the Irish Music Association. The group have been embraced in the United States, having been booked by every major Irish festival and praised for their modern traditional style and energetic approach to music. They have a clear love for live performance which only compliments the traditional essence in their shows and makes for a truly unique form of entertainment.
Jack Van Cleaf
Jack Van Cleaf was still an independent artist when “Rattlesnake” became a viral hit in 2023, earning praise from songwriters like Noah Kahan (who hand-picked Jack as the opening act on his sold-out Stick Season Tour) and Zach Bryan (who began covering the song online). For Jack, it felt like a pivotal moment in a career that had been building since his teenage years. “This album is all about the vertigo of growing up,” says Jack, who makes his Dualtone Records debut with the sophomore release JVC. “It’s about re-defining and re-understanding yourself.” JVC does more than plant its flag halfway between the worlds of indie rock and Gen Z folk. It also asks big questions about home and identity. Years after penning his first song as a high school freshman in San Diego, he headed east to Nashville, where he studied songwriting at Belmont University and released his debut album, Fruit from the Trees, after graduation. “I met many of my closest friends during my very first week at Belmont,” says Jack about his formative years in Music City. “All talented artists in their own right, they went on to help me make my first record everything that it is, and have remained my most trusted collaborators to this day.” “Rattlesnake,” with its introspective lyrics and atmospheric acoustics, earned him a spot on Spotify’s 2024 Best New Artist list with tastemaker playlist “juniper,” but nothing – not even the praise of his heroes – could calm the existential freakout he experienced as a 20something thrust into adulthood. JVC was born during that period of anxiety, self-examination, and newfound freedom. It’s a sharply-written record that measures the long, winding road from past to present. Sometimes that road is literal, with songs like “Shouldn’t Have Gone to L.A.” finding Jack in transit, caught between locations without a clear anchor, his heart in search of a place to land. Elsewhere, the album traffics in metaphor, whether Jack is singing about the road to ruin in “Thinkin’ About It” (a candid look at suicidal ideation, laced with resonator and acoustic guitars) or tracing the similarities between romantic obsession and substance abuse with the countryfied “Using You.” To record JVC, Jack and producer Alberto Sewald (Katy Kirby, Sierra Hull) headed to far-flung locations like Joshua Tree and the Texas/Mexico border. Those choices were deliberate, their landscapes reflecting the barrenness evoked by many of the album’s lyrics. “I felt like I was staring into an emotional desert when I wrote these songs, experiencing this feeling of desolation around me and looking for little signs of life,” he explains. Joined by friends and musicians Austin Burns, Ethan Fortenberry, Hunt Pennington, Adam Carpenter, Nathan Cimino, and Aaron Krak, Jack recorded his songs in a series of live takes, showcasing the artistry he’d developed as a road warrior opening for headliners like Noah Kahan, Shakey Graves, and Madi Diaz. He teamed up with Gatlin for “Teenage Vampire” — a seize-the-day anthem about vices and indulgent behavior — and flew to Manhattan to record an updated version of “Rattlesnake” alongside Grammy-winning chart topper Zach Bryan. With JVC, Jack Van Cleaf turns personal experience into something universal: a soundtrack to the years we all spend in existential free-fall, trying to find a new sense of gravity after the rules and regulations of youth have faded into the past.
Virginia Man
Virginia Man is an emotional folk-and-roll band comprised of Kristian Lietzan (singer/songwriter), Stephen Amoruso (bass/vocals), and Jamaal Farrow (drummer). With poetic lyrics bellowing over the sounds of middle Appalachia, these gentlemen champion the sound of Virginia: a strange suspension between the cardinal directions, musical genres, and the changing of seasons. The live show has become a favorite amongst members and audiences alike, like a sonic rollercoaster, akin to the plot of a great American classic, with gripping performances and storytelling, and celebratory beverages to follow.
Jeremy Mercy
December 27, 2024, marks the release of Heavyweight, the first album by Omaha Americana band Jeremy Mercy and the Rapture Orphans. Recorded variously at Omaha’s ARC, Make Believe Studios, and the Omaha Conservatory of music, all tracks were produced and mixed by Ian Aeillo and mastered by Doug VanSloun. Mercy’s work with the Rapture Orphans has marked a departure from his earlier project Travelling Mercies (2009 -2019) in scope and sound. “My work with the new band on Heavyweight has been less focused on character sketches amidst a stylistic free-for-all. This is more about dealing honestly with my inner life and expressing it through a more coherent sound,” says Mercy. “The title Heavyweight absolutely evokes some macho, tough-guy bullshit, but is really about struggling with the weight of my own heart. The two of us have been going at it for years. It’s definitely the most I’ve shown of myself emotionally in my writing and performance.” The Heavyweight cast features an Omaha music scene dream team: GeorgeAnne Prescott on banjo and lap steel, Danny Burns on bass, Lee Gambrel on drums, and Kate Williams on accordion and keys (Clayton Goliath Pace now serves as the group’s bass player). The album also features the work of Nate Fowler, Scott Johnson, and Eric Elworth. Oliver Bates Craven of the Stray Birds and Sierra Ferrell’s band also makes an unforgettable appearance with his fiddle solo on “The Contender.” — Scott Severin redefines eclectic. Born “sometime during the Kennedy administration,” this songwriter/performance artist has been a folkie, punk rocker, actor and street performer. He incorporates musical styles from Folk, Punk, Country & Western and Americana, as well as traditional Rock & Roll. A native New Yorker, he relocated to Nebraska about two decades ago. Produced by legendary musician Steve Burgh, his debut album “Unknown Rider” was released in 2004, followed by “Birdhouse Obbligato”, recorded in Nebraska in 2010 with noted keyboardist Joe Delia. In 2022, Scott and his partner, Stateleigh Holmes, contributed their cover of Eric Andersen’s song “Woman, She Was Gentle” to a three CD Tribute of Eric’s songs “Tribute To A Songpoet”. — Stateleigh Homes began her music career playing solo at the historic Caffe Lena in 1975. Her two-woman duo, Mechanical Servants, had an NME-charting EP in the UK and an indy hit in Japan in 1980. Stateleigh then moved to London where she worked with Barry Adamson, Dave Formula and John Davidson of the iconic British band, Magazine. While still living in the UK, Stateleigh recorded an EP for Bomp Records in LA that was produced by Earl Mankey, an original member of Sparks. Stateleigh also sang on and toured in support of Howard Devoto’s solo album, Jerky Versions Of The Dream. Miss Holmes has written and collaborated on recordings with Jerry Dammers of The Specials as well. Stateleigh has worked with the legendary producers Pete Anderson, Richard Gottehrer, Adrian Sherwood and Earle Mankey. Upon returning to the US, Stateleigh played with storied NYC rock band, Big Iron, before decamping to Nashville. Somewhere in there, our Miss Holmes decided she’d like a normal life but now she’s back and bringing all this and more to you! xxooxxx
Clem Snide
Samantha Crain
Samantha Crain is a Choctaw-American singer, songwriter, film composer, and producer from Oklahoma. A two-time winner of the Native American Music Award, Samantha defies categorisation, marrying folk music with the sounds of country rock and college indie. Samantha’s latest album, A Small Death (2020), was released on Communion’s Real Kind Records. The album received universal acclaim with tracks finding themselves in constant rotation on 6music. Samantha has toured extensively over the past decade nationally and internationally, presenting ambitious orchestrated shows with her band as well as intimate folk leaning solo performances. She has toured with First Aid Kit, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lucy Rose, The Avett Brothers, The Mountain Goats, and many others.
The Wellermen
Music is storytelling, and some of the best stories have been told through centuries-old traditional folk songs. On their new album ‘Northern Sky’, The Wellermen have given this rich traditional musical history a new sound. The Wellermen’s history is well-known: originators of the sea shanty trend on Tiktok, they’ve since gone from strength to strength. Their versions of ‘Misty Mountains’, ‘Nancy Mulligan’, and ‘Hoist The Colours’ have racked up billions of views and led them to appearances on shows like Ant and Dec, Last Week Tonight, The Colbert Show and more. The group have now returned with their new album ‘Northern Sky’. Among much-loved traditionals such as ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, ‘Amazing Grace’, and ‘Red Is The Rose’, you will find more modern songs such as a tribute to Johnny Cash on ‘Hurt’ and a lively version of ‘The Nights’. The band also present originals ‘Northern Sky’ – inspired by maritime life in the Hebrides in the 18th century, and the humorous ‘Tall Tales’ – a one-upmanship of the telling of wild sea adventures. Say the Wellermen: “It’s all about connection and storytelling, and we hope the listeners are able to find something meaningful.” One thing is absolutely certain: these talented young men are in it for the long haul.
