Jim Lauderdale News

Steve Poltz has been described as a?oequite possibly the most talented and engaging solo performer on this planeta?? by Front Porch Music. The alternative folk singer, songwriter and all-around  free spirit has enjoyed a colorful career since striking out with San Diego cowpunk cult favorites the Rugburns in the early '90s. Along the way, the Canadian-American co-wrote Jewel's 1995 hit 'You Were Meant for Me,' and made a short major-label run of his own. Multi-platinum a?oemystery mana?? Jack Tempchin of Eagles songwriting fame, opens the show.  Poltz and company will take command of the Poway Stage on Saturday, November 2 starting at 8 p.m.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, will begin accepting entries for the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (CASC) on October 1. CASC is one of the most acclaimed songwriting contests in roots and Americana music and has a reputation for launching careers as well as drawing attention to important new talent. The contest is split into four genre-based categories including bluegrass, general, gospel, and country. First through third place winners will be chosen in each category at MerleFest 2020, set to take place on April 23 - 26, 2020. MerleFest is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C. First-tier tickets for MerleFest 2020 will go on sale on November 12th, with Tier 2 pricing beginning February 17th, 2020, and Tier 3 pricing beginning April 23rd, 2020.

Get ready for 'The California Country Show,' a social mixer and radio event featuring performances by Americana artists from the West Coast, Nashville, and beyond who have a great love for the California Sound. The official AMERICANAFEST event will take place Friday, September 13 from 12:00 PM - 4:30 PM at Acme Feed & Seed.

Michaela Anne is proud to debut “Child of the Wind”, which exclusively premiered today via Brooklyn Vegan, who dubbed the track “a catchy, breezy dose of modern country.” You can listen here. The single is the newest from her upcoming album Desert Dove, out September 27th on Yep Roc Records. In June, Anne released the first single from the record, “By Our Design”,which premiered on Rolling Stone. In addition to playing notable festivals like Wisconsin's Mile of Music and Nashville's long-running AmericanaFest, Michaela Anne announced new East coast dates today for her fall tour.

Among nominations for ACM Guitarist of the Year and Americana Musician of the Year; touring with Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, and Vince Gill; and playing on countless A-list Nashville recording sessions, Jedd Hughes has never lost focus on what he'd intended to do since he was an 8 year-old aspiring musician in Quorn, Australia; write and play his own music. WEST, Jedd Hughes's highly anticipated return to the spotlight, will be released on August 30. Self produced and mixed by Hughes, WEST runs the gamut of emotions through its dynamic ten song tracklist, drawing on a number of close friends' heavyweight musical talent as well as a stunning string quartet for more than half of the album. Hughes's songs are largely self-written and intimate, but a few co-writers are sprinkled throughout WEST, including the aforementioned Crowell, as well as Parker Milsap, Sarah Buxton, and the late, great Guy Clark.

Michaela Anne grew up bouncing around the States and abroad—from Washington to California to Italy, to name a few. A child of a military family, she learned to cope with her lack of roots and what she called “having more questions than answers” by learning to write songs. That skill set and those songs have carried Michaela Anne farther than ever imaginable, impressing the likes of NPR, who said she “works through weepers and hits the honky-tonks as every great country singer should,” and Noisey, who praised her most recent release as the antidote to commercial pop-country, calling her “our saving grace, our angel, the person who will help usher us into a new age.” And into the new age, she continues to push. On September 27th, Yep Roc Records will release Desert Dove, Michaela Anne's full-length follow up to her critically-acclaimed Bright Lights and the Fame. “By Our Design,” the album's first single and video, was premiered today at Rolling Stone. Celebrating the song as “a gorgeous meditation on picking the road not taken,” Marissa Moss, writing for Rolling Stone, notes that the track “highlights the songwriter's pristine voice.' The song, a mid-tempo burn framed with dense violins and tremolo guitar, is a sweet ode to a carved out life together; imperfect, but adaptive and free. Moss also points out Michaela Anne's intent for the song to sound like a “bit of Laurel Canyon dust into Tennessee soil.”Pre-order Desert Dove and/or stream “By Our Design” here.

Coming off an incredible sold out 12th year of Cayamo: A Journey Through Song, this floating music festival at sea continues to innovate with a diverse lineup. Music legends Tweedy of Wilco and Mavis Staples will be joined by Rodney Crowell, Soggy Bottom Boys, Anderson East, Lake Street Dive, Buddy Miller, Deer Tick, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Watkins Family Hour, Raul Malo, Hayes Carll, Shawn Mullins, Jim Lauderdale, Ashley Monroe, Steve Poltz, Molly Tuttle, Dan Tyminski, Dar Williams, Jill Andrews, The Wailin' Jennys, Over the Rhine, Wilder Woods, The Quebe Sisters, Allison Moorer, The Mastersons, Dirk Powell, Hush Kids, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Amythyst Kiah, Madison Cunningham, and Grayson Capps.

Jim Lauderdale has released a new song from his forthcoming album, FROM ANOTHER WORLD. The song, 'Some Horses Run Free,' is the latest from the 2x GRAMMY® Award-winning Americana legend's 32nd studio album that arrives everywhere on Friday, June 21.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, has officially come to a close, but not without a number of electric collaborations, spontaneous sit-ins, and world-class performances. Wynonna & The Big Noise, Amos Lee, Tyler Childers, Sam Bush Band, Brandi Carlile, and The Avett Brothers all brought extra MerleFest energy to the Watson Stage, marking another successful year for the long-running festival. Early estimates show that from its start on Thursday, April 25, to its close on Sunday, April 28, participation over the festival's four days exceeded 75,000 attendees and artists from across the world. MerleFest, held on the campus of Wilkes Community College, is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, which funds scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.

Now that MerleFest, presented by Window World, is only one week away, annual festival-goers have surely begun planning their weekends. For those who have not, however, here are five sure-to-be epic experiences that shouldn't be missed. Make a note or two and join a welcoming legion of music fans in Wilkesboro, N.C., from April 25th to 28th at MerleFest.

The Country Music Hall of Fame said it best when they opened the Outlaws and Armadillos exhibit in May of 2018, Bobby Bare originated “Outlaw Country” when he became the first artist of the era to gain control of his productions, leading to the likes of Willie, Waylon and the boys following suit. In celebration of the Country Music Hall of Famer's 84th birthday on April 7 and over 60 years in the music business, SiriusXM's Outlaw Country will air an all-star tribute concert recorded on the 4th annual Outlaw Country Cruise. The two-hour special will air on SiriusXM Outlaw Country, Channel 60 on Friday, April 5 at 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 6 at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday, April 7 at 12 p.m. ET and be available OnDemand through the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com.

Organizers of Jam In The Trees, The Pisgah Brewing Outdoor Stage Series, and HoosierDevil are proud to announce Strings & Suds, a two-day music event held at Pisgah Brewing Company's legendary taproom and outdoor stage on August 23rd and 24th, 2019. The first-annual Strings & Suds, which derives its name from a former Pisgah Brewing event held in 2013, will feature Tex-Mex troubadours The Mavericks, roots music mainstays Donna the Buffalo, double-neck guitar slinger Junior Brown, the King of Americana himself, Jim Lauderdale, and mandolin-wielding songstress Sierra Hull. Additionally, Strings & Suds will featureFrank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, YARN, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Danny Burns, East of Monroe, and Ashley Heath and Her Heathens. Fans should be sure to expect special artist collaborations and sit-ins each night.

From its first incarnation in 1993, MerleFest's annual Chris Austin Songwriting Competition has seen the likes of Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, and Martha Scanlan rise to the top of an always competitive field of up-and-coming songwriters. Legendary songwriters have presided over the competition from the start as judges, too. Darrell Scott, Hayes Carll, and the late, great Guy Clark have all taken a turn at judging the CASC. This year, the event will be judged byJoey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, better known as The Milk Carton Kids, Cruz Contreras of The Black Lillies, and Texas-troubadour Radney Foster. Mr. Americana Jim Lauderdale will host the competition and Mark Bumgarner will return as emcee for the finalist contest taking place at MerleFest's Austin Stage on Friday, April 26th at 2:00 p.m.

As the world of Bluegrass continues to evolve, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers have taken advantage of the creative environment that keeps the tenets of tradition next to those of individual expression. The result is The Choosing Road, an album of refined dynamics, themes informed by personal growth and some of the most intimate songwriting to date.

As the countdown begins for the kickoff of A2IM's Indie Week, A2IM is announcing the list of nominees for the 2019 Libera Awards presented by SoundExchange. The Awards recognize a wide range of musicians and visionaries and offer the independent music community the opportunity to honor the hard work and accomplishments of their peers.

Hot off the heels of a sold-out fourth cruise, Steven “Little Steven” Van Zandt's Renegade Circus and Sixthman, the industry leader in music festivals at sea, are proud to announce the lineup for the fifth annual Outlaw Country Cruise. The extensive lineup includes The Mavericks, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Shooter Jennings, Son Volt, Elizabeth Cook, Waco Brothers, Carlene Carter, Kinky Friedman, Dale Watson And His Lone Stars, Jesse Dayton, Bottle Rockets, Robbie Fulks, Jim Lauderdale, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, NRBQ, The Long Ryders, Jason Ringenberg, Warner Hodges, The Yayhoos, Jesse Malin, Sarah Borges, Rosie Flores, Deke Dickerson, The Mastersons, Jaime Wyatt, Sarah Gayle Meech, Waylon Payne, Paula Nelson Band, Folk Uke, Heybale!, Dallas Wayne, Roger Alan Wade, and of course, Mojo Nixon with more to be announced!

Yep Roc Records is proud to announce the new LP from 2x GRAMMY® Award-winning Americana legend Jim Lauderdale. FROM ANOTHER WORLD arrives everywhere on Friday, June 21.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the 2019 lineup for their beloved Late Night Jam. Sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation and hosted by Chatham County Line, this year's Late Night Jam will feature Molly Tuttle, Jim Lauderdale, The Brother Brothers, Donna the Buffalo, Presley Barker, Ana Egge, Steve Poltz, and more. The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, April 25-28.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the 2019 lineup for their beloved Late Night Jam.  Sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation and hosted by Chatham County Line, this year's Late Night Jam will feature Molly Tuttle, Jim Lauderdale, The Brother Brothers, Donna the Buffalo, Presley Barker, Ana Egge, Steve Poltz, and more.  The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, April 25-28.