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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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Will Overman, Crawford & Power bring the sounds of Virginia to The Pour House on Sunday, Nov. 12

Don’t have plans for Sunday night in downtown Raleigh? Now you do because you don’t want to miss the following performances at The Pour House on Nov. 12 from Virginia country rockers Will Overman and Crawford & Power.

Virginia native singer-songwriter Will Overman‘s music has been described as alternative country, Americana, Southern rock and folk rock among others. I first discovered Overman at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival in 2015 when he was a junior majoring in sociology at the University of Virginia. At the time I described his music as someone whose songs seem to be drawn from the experiences of someone much older. In 2017, I wrote about him and his band here in The Huffington Post here and here.

Fast forward to 2023. Overman is now living in Nashville and has just released his latest EP titled, “Live From Virginia.”  Despite the move to Music City, his music is still a dynamic and nostalgic ode to his time in central Virginia and you don’t want to miss the chance to hear this former “The Voice” contestant perform live.

Armed with a powerful voice and powerful convictions, Overman is slowly but surely building a name for himself performing throughout the east coast at venues and festivals such as (The Jefferson Theater, Fall for Greenville, The Basement) and supporting artists like (Joe Pug, Christian Lopez, Town Mountain, Grady Spencer & the Work, Wheelwright, etc.). Regardless of whether you get a first listen at the next show or song on shuffle, you can be sure that it won’t be long before you know his songs by heart.

Virginia natives Crawford & Power are making waves within the country music scene with their unique sound. Authentically southern, Jake Crawford’s powerful vocal blended with a modern approach to the Dobro from Ethan Power, create a brand of country that has been lauded as a breath of fresh air to the genre.

The duo have already opened for a variety of artists including The Marshall Tucker Band, Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt, The Charlie Daniels Band, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, 38 Special, Gary Allan, Jerry Douglas and many other major acts. 


With the help of their debut EP, “Play a Hank Jr. Song,” the duo have quickly eclipsed over 5 million on-demand streams. C&P followed up their debut release with many single releases between 2019-2021 highlighted by “She Liked to Get High” & “Letting You Go.” Crawford & Power are spending time in the studio with Producer Grady Saxman, and just released their new EP, “Bring it On Home,” on Sept. 30.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased this link.


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Will Overman, River Tramps to perform at The Pour House in downtown Raleigh on Sunday, March 5

RALEIGH — Will Overman’s genre-bending, storytelling approach to songwriting is a product of being born and bred on the East Coast, finding love and being tested on the West Coast, and finding a renewed passion for his art around the world.

You can listen to this alternative country, folk rocker live with Nashville’s The River Tramps at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, at The Pour House, 224 S Blount St., in downtown Raleigh. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at this link.

The Charlottesville, Virginia, singer-songwriter’s music carries a maturity to match the up-and-down life he has lived over the past 26 years. From fronting a touring band while attending college, through-hiking the Appalachian Trail and traveling around the world for several months, to witnessing his parents divorce, standing by his wife as she fought and beat cancer twice, and going through tough financial situations while trying to make it as a creator; Overman’s songs evoke the wisdom of an old soul with youthful optimism.

Overman initially found success with his collaborative project, Will Overman Band, touring up and down the east coast on the weekends while attending college at UVA. The band released two EPs and an LP from 2013-2017. In the spring of 2017, Overman graduated and the band decided to go their separate ways. Not sure what to do next, Overman began writing again, culminating in the release of his first solo studio work, 2017’s Crossroads EP.

Overman shares his stories and perspective through songs that cross genres from Pop and Folk to Country and Rock ‘n Roll; taking an approach laid by legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, and expanded upon by the likes of Josh Ritter, Jason Isbell and John Mayer.

In early 2020, he followed up the Crossroads EP with several new singles in anticipation of his debut solo LP, “The Winemaker’s Daughter” (releasing Feb. 12, 2021).


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Will Overman releases romantic single just in time for Valentine’s Day

A little more than a year ago, Will Overman was living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The singer-songwriter wrote on Facebook that he was jobless, raising a puppy and cut off from his support system in his adopted hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, where he had recently graduated from the University of Virginia. He was also confused.

Fast forward 12 months and Overman finds himself in a completely different place, literally and figuratively.

He is married to his dream woman, his puppy is now a dog, and he has a day job that not only supports him and his little family but also his music career. He and his wife, Janey, just bought their first house just outside Charlottesville.

“I am back in Virginia surrounded by a community I love and am pursuing music harder and with more joy than ever before,” he wrote on Facebook on December 31, 2019. “2019 was a year of growth and realization. I am sure 2020 will have its struggles, but I say bring it on. A new album, bigger tours, greater goals, and a whole decade of promise lie ahead thanks to your support. So here’s to you and Happy New Year!”

As promised, today Overman released his first new single of 2020, “Something To Hold,” which, appropriately, as it is Valentine’s Day, is a love letter to his wife.

“I wrote this song for and about my favorite person and partner, Janey Gioiosa,” he wrote today on Facebook. “Without her this song would have no words, no cover artwork, and honestly my catalog of songs would be about a quarter of the size it is now.”

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Carrboro Music Festival celebrates 21st annual event with 200 acts across 29 venues Sept. 29-30, 2018

The 2018 Carrborro Music Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the festival that will feature 200 acts across 29 venues.

Saturday’s kick-off event will feature three bands at Carrboro Town Commons, beginning at 2 p.m. following the Farmer’s Market. A free, ticketed, show will be held at the Cat’s Cradle at 8:30 p.m.

The Carrboro Music Festival is an effort to showcase Triangle-area performers and the varied musical styles they represent, according to the website. All of the performers donate their talents to foster a strong sense of community and to reveal their talents to a wider audience.

And while the acts are too numerous to mention, I am particularly excited to see some of my personal favorites, including Triad-based Abigail Dowd and newly relocated to the Triangle Will Overman, among this year’s performers.

The event is a product of a coordinated effort by the Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department and the Carrboro Music Festival Planning Committee.

This program is supported by the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Tourism Development Authority.  Generous support is also provided by the local business community.

Find a map and list of all the acts and times here: http://www.carrboromusicfestival.com/DocumentCenter/View/3119/2018-Carrboro-Music-Festival-Guide–Map?bidId=

 


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Gaelic Storm to headline Scythian’s 2018 Appaloosa Roots Music Festival over Labor Day Weekend

Scythian announced today Gaelic Storm will be headlining the Celtic rock band’s annual Appaloosa Roots Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018.

Gaelic Storm, Santa Monica, California’s internationally renowned Celtic band, has been topping the Billboard World Music Charts for decades.

The band also announced its full lineup on its new festival website, designed by none other than Danylo Fedoryka, that is full of visuals and videos to give fans a sense of the festival.

In an email, the band writes: “We invite you to our hometown for a music festival set under the Blue Ridge Mountains. Appaloosa is making waves and was chosen by Virginia Tourism to receive a ‘Virginia is for Music Lovers’ grant. We hope you can come join us this Labor Day Weekend and allow us to host you in our hometown of Front Royal, Virginia!”

In addition to Gaelic Storm and Scythian, Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Mandolin Orange will also headline. The lineup includes Town Mountain, Humming House, Fireside Collective, Mountain Duo and Will Overman, among many others.

Visit http://appaloosafestival.com for advance ticket sales and more information.


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Year in Review: My favorite musical picks for 2017

While 2017 will be remembered for many things, it turned out to be a great year for new music. Artists including Steve Earle & the Dukes, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Stapleton, Rhiannon Giddeons and Jason Isbell turned out some amazing albums over the past 12 months, but you don’t need me to tell you that.

Instead, I am going to focus on my own purely subjective list that evolves mainly from music festivals I attended, interviews I conducted and stories I published online on this blog, HalfwaySouth.com or on HuffPost that features my favorite genres (primarily folk, Americana, country, rock) and up-and-coming artists that I hope you will take the time to listen to in the coming year and beyond.

And now, in no particular order, here’s my picks for the best listens of 2017. Happy listening! Continue reading


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Taylor Swift vs. Ed Sheeran: Models for releasing new music continue to evolve

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Music artists are faced with a conundrum today that is worthy of a song. And it’s not just music artists. Ask anyone who is trying to promote a book or any other form of artistry. Do you give your artistic works away to gain exposure? Or do you try to get fans to pay for your hard-earned efforts, instead?

For example, many musicians these days are giving away new tunes on Amazon Prime, Apple Music, SoundCloud and Spotify, just to name a few, in order to try to build a following in the hopes that the masses will then seek out live shows. Continue reading


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Annabelle’s Curse, Will Overman Band to play The Garage on Friday, Aug. 18

Two of my favorite on-the-rise bands — Annabelle’s Curse and Will Overman Band — that hail from opposite ends of Virginia are going to converge at The Garage in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this weekend and I can hardly wait. I hope you will consider joining me for what promises to be a night of fantastic original Southern rock and Americana music. I promised you won’t be disappointed. The show begins at 9 p.m.

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