WNC Original Music

Jesse Frizsell joins the podcast this week to talk about his new album, singing on top of pianos, hiding his harmonies from public display, and how to spell his name. (Z before S as in buzzsaw and zest)

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Hailing from the mountains of western North Carolina, guitarist and songwriter Jesse Frizsell seamlessly combines aspects of modern and classic country. Born in Asheville, NC, Jesse grew up learning and playing his favorite tunes by classic artists. By the age of 16, he was playing in various local bands. Frizsell has performed at the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam both with his band and more recently as a solo artist. He has opened for acts such as Bret Michaels (of Poison), Blackberry Smoke, Framing Hanley and shared the stage with Kevin Kinney (of Drivin’ N Cryin’) as well as Justin Biltonen (of 3 Doors Down). More recently, Jesse writes songs for the heartbroken, the working man and those ready and willing to unwind after a long day. He participates actively in the local Asheville music scene and regionally in the Southeast. You can find him most weekends playing as a member of The Western Carolina Writers, solo or with his bluegrass trio, Jesse Frizsell and the Riffers. Jesse has released a two song EP, “A Couple of Songs for Drinking”,in 2018, and a full length album “Rose Gold Renegades”, in 2019, both available for streaming or download on all major platforms. His latest endeavor takes a more traditional approach honoring the music of the mountains he grew up in. “Back to Carolina”, his homage to bluegrass will be available everywhere the 1st of October, 2021

Combining blues and folk influences with a raspy undertone of high falsetto notes, Agee Wilso seeks to push the boundaries of musical understanding. He is a native of the Appalachian Mountains and often finds inspiration in the landscapes nearby to accompany his lyrical ideas.

Blake Hornsby stops by the podcast to discuss his unique blend of music, his varied influences, and his present and upcoming projects.

 

 

 

 

Website: www.unakaprong.com
IG: www.instagram.com/unakaprong
FB: www.facebook.com/unakaprong
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0EQGphxo7rc5OwVa9jW9jM
Bandcamp: www.unakaprong.bandcamp.com
YouTube: https://youtu.be/frI83XKAB08

 

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Blake Hornsby is a psychedelic folk musician born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, currently based out of Boone, North Carolina. Hornsby's work is influenced by psychedelia, folk, eastern music, American primitivism, avant-garde, and sound healing. He recorded his first original music in the summer of 2015 on his laptop. This demo incorporated acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, synthesizers, vocals, and samples. In Autumn of 2016, Hornsby released his first album Solipsism & the Nectar of the Gods. This album included reworked versions of songs from his demo as well as new material. In 2018, Hornsby released Legend of the Unconscious Enigma as a follow up to his previous album. In contrast to his debut, he transitioned to a more organic sound without the use of synthesizers and electric guitar. He began experimenting with acoustic guitar in open tunings as well as more complex overdubs.  In the Spring of 2019, Hornsby went on a solo trip to northern India. He purchased a guitar in Delhi and began writing new material in the Himalayas. When he returned to the United States, he perfected these songs and composed the remainder of the material on what would become Teetering on the Edge of the Void.  Teetering On the Edge of the Void was Hornsby's first professional album. It was recorded in late 2019 to analog tape in a studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The result was a psychedelic world folk album tinged with heavy Indian influence and orchestrated segments. Released in June, 2020, this acclaimed album was his most ambitious to date. It became the final album in his conceptual trilogy and was self released on vinyl. Less than a year later, Hornsby released his first professional instrumental album. Dogwood Dance was recorded in Asheville, NC and exemplifies his advanced guitar style that has been compared to artists akin to John Fahey. The Australian record label Ramble Records funded its release on vinyl. Both of his most recent albums have gained attention worldwide and have been positively reviewed on blogs, as well as airplay.

 

Meeting in Boone, North Carolina, Unaka Prong borrows their name from a mountain range in western North Carolina. With their fourth and newest release, Kudzu, Unaka Prong continues to produce their unique blend of instrumental jazz fusion and alternative rock. Now based in Durham, NC, they've played across the southeast over the last few years, supporting bands like TAUK, Moon Taxi, and Dumpstaphunk.

Main episode here https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com/e/ep-132-modern-strangers-pt-3/

 

 

 

 

 

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"There are few groups on the local scene that would classify as pop bands. Modern Strangers is among that elite camp. With catchy melodies and an infectious energy, they create a sound that feels as if it comes from another era" - Mountain Xpress (09/09/2017)

“ There isn’t enough pop music in Asheville, but Modern Strangers are helping to change that” - Ashvegas (Caleb Calhoun 3/22/2018)

“You Guys are a gnarly party band!!” (Quinn Powers 06/02/2019)

Modern Strangers is an Asheville-based band playing high-energy, toe-tapping, and melodic rock music! A 4-piece combo of journeymen musicians, they take their varied influences and form them into a JanglePop juggernaut with a mountain twist. Hard to pin down their sound, they've heard comparisons from The Beatles to The Pixies to early REM to Elvis Costello to The Kinks. Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night whether they're playing originals or quirky covers.

 

Modern Strangers discuss their music, their scholastic histories, their favorite local bands, frets, thumbs, Kate, a bunch of other people, Kate again, royalties, and lots and lots of other stuff.

 

As long as this episode is, there's also a bonus episode! So make sure to listen to that as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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"There are few groups on the local scene that would classify as pop bands. Modern Strangers is among that elite camp. With catchy melodies and an infectious energy, they create a sound that feels as if it comes from another era" - Mountain Xpress (09/09/2017)

“ There isn’t enough pop music in Asheville, but Modern Strangers are helping to change that” - Ashvegas (Caleb Calhoun 3/22/2018)

“You Guys are a gnarly party band!!” (Quinn Powers 06/02/2019)

Modern Strangers is an Asheville-based band playing high-energy, toe-tapping, and melodic rock music! A 4-piece combo of journeymen musicians, they take their varied influences and form them into a JanglePop juggernaut with a mountain twist. Hard to pin down their sound, they've heard comparisons from The Beatles to The Pixies to early REM to Elvis Costello to The Kinks. Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night whether they're playing originals or quirky covers.

 

Dead Billionaires are a ramshackle trio bent on scratching a primal itch -- empowering audiences through effervescent, driving rock n roll. 

 

Formerly known as Little River Creek Police, Dead Billionaires started as the songwriting project of front man Warren Campbell in 2016 in Richmond Virginia. Settling into a power trio lineup with Nick Trbovich on bass and Hunter Rhodes on drums, the band wields music as a tool for grappling with the problems of our modern society, while having a hell of a lot of fun doing it.

 

Their self-titled re-debut "Dead Billionaires EP" tackles themes of self-doubt, impermanence, and perseverance while capturing the frenetic and vibrant energy of their live set.

Kristian Phillip Valentino joins the podcast to talk about his past and future releases.

 

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All music used by permission

 

Kristian Phillip Valentino is a solo acoustic, singer-songwriter born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now residing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. His musical palette falls between the lines of indie folk, singer-songwriter and Americana. Fans of Gregory Alan Isakov, Iron and Wine and Jason Isbell, will feel comfortable here. His lyrics are a healing balm from the daily struggle as they wash over you with a deep reverence.

 

After the passing of his father, ending up homeless and being broken up with all within one month, Kristian began writing songs in the summer of 2010, as a way to start processing all he'd been through and begin the healing process.

 

From 2010 until 2016 Kristian went under the moniker Ramblin' Pan. This project was an Alt Country, Folk sound that was heavily influenced by Ryan Adams, Mumford and Sons, and Johnny Cash. He released 1 EP, "A Prodigals Tale" and 1 self titled LP under the moniker. He also went on several national tours in various coffee shops and venues across the USA. In the summer of 2016, Kristian decided to take a break from music after years of constant touring and some deeply traumatic family experiences.

 

In 2019, Kristian had several life changes; including moving to Asheville,NC, getting married, and working through the healing process of the traumatic family events he experienced before his break in 2016.

 

The new album is a concept record based on the 4 seasons Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The plot is a love story that starts in Spring and weaves through the other seasons leading to a breakup in the Winter. There are 12 songs, 3 for each season and Kristian is currently releasing 1 song a month for the next year starting in March 2021.

 

Kristian wrote this album in 7 days, to process a relationship that had ended. Although it ends as a sad story, it's a story that will resonate with many others and hopefully can be a healing balm of hope. There are a lot of exciting things happening each month this year, so you don’t want to miss anything! Make sure to join the email list to follow along in the journey.

 

 

 

After eighteen months of meticulous crafting, Across The Sea are set to unveil their much-anticipated second album The Wayfarer Triptych, scheduled for release on 1st October. A nine-track concept piece,  the album narrates an original story penned by the band themselves, marrying fantasy and folklore, fairytale and philosophy, to present a stirring tale of drama, adventure and mystery.

 

An artistic Endeavour near-cinematic in its scope and ambition, The Wayfarer Triptych sees the genre-defying progressive duo push every aspect of their signature sound to the extreme in order to create an immense work of astonishing musicality, vivid storytelling, dizzying virtuosity, and staggering emotional resonance.

 

Hailing from Worthing on the West Sussex coast in the south of England, Across The Sea sound unlike any act you’ve heard before. Evocative, otherworldly, and utterly captivating, they defy categorization, inhabiting a place where the boundlessness of the imagination transcends genre limitations and conventions. A breathtaking synthesis of the haunting, siren-like vocals of classically trained soprano Hannah Katy Lewis and the dynamic, unorthodox and experimental guitar style of Pete Ferguson, their mesmerizingly unique sound is wildly eclectic, fiercely inventive and singularly distinctive.

 

The Get Right Band return to the podcast to discuss mix cassette order, making music videos, touring the Caribbean, and more.

 

Photo courtesy of Tom Farr https://www.instagram.com/ringofarr/

 

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THE GET RIGHT BAND is “hip-shaking, earthquaking pure funk fun” (The Alternate Root). They are one of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge” picks, Home Grown Music Network’s 2015 “Best New Band of the Year,” and were voted “Best Progressive Band” in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress readers. They have performed on the famed World Cafe, a nationally syndicated NPR show, and have brought their unique sound to major festivals and venues such as FloydFest, The Orange Peel, Music City Roots TV Show, The Green Parrot, Arlene’s Grocery, and Riverbend Fest. Combining catchy, clever, honest  songwriting with musical expertise and fearless improvisation, the live show promises to move your head, heart, and hips.

 

Metrofern is a self-produced and managed 6 piece funk band formed by members Sam Witz and Chesty Hall dedicated to the creation of bright, rhythmically driven funk music. Since their debut EP in 2019, they have blended elements of Jazz, Rock, Disco, and Folk with retro recording techniques to bring reminiscent styles to a modern context. Having emerged on the scene from IL, their name is a play on the Chicago city motto, "Urbs in Horto," or Garden in City. They released "Swingin' in the Afternoon" in the summer of 2020 to remind a locked-down world of the simple joys of life. 

 

This week I talk with Tyler Moore about harmonies, people who don't have chemistry, birds chirping, people who still have a house but shouldn't, and letting out sighs.

 

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Tyler Moore is a  Native of and resides in WNC.  He's a Multi-instrumentalist  and vocalist of newfound alt/eclectic Rock outfit “Man Moans”. The record is self-titled and the debut album is available now.

From the Northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan, Wolf Willow plays original country and western inspired by honkytonk, Western swing and countrypolitan retro sounds. Wolf Willow both stretches and upholds the retro-country tradition as they have played festivals (Ness Creek ,Gateway, Break-Out West) and tour dates across western Canada. After receiving a Western Canadian Music nomination for Visual Media Composer of the year, Wolf Willow has spent 2020 preparing a new full length album for release in Fall 2021.  The first single, All I Can Say is now available on all major streaming platforms.

 

Will Easter and I talk about writing music, touring, recording, and I explain to him what a "band" of musicians is. He acted like he already knew but still, couldn't hurt to hear it again.

 

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Coming of age in a hardworking, musical family, living in harmony with the land and the river, Will Easter’s passion for music may have been a given, but his talent and lyricism is what has him sharing the stage with acts like Jim Avett, David Childers, Time Sawyer, Brooks Forsyth, and Danger Muffin. Will’s album, Carolina Home, will take you on a journey from growing up to love lost and found, working hard while finding peace in the everyday, always culminating on the winding road leading home.

 

Will Easter has one of those voices that is like a home-cooked meal for the soul. Maybe it’s a bit rough around the edges, but that’s what makes it so believable, so relatable, so impactful. Will has the cool throwback rock edge of Tom Petty with the modern folk-Americana appeal of the Avett Brothers, but with something hard to put your finger on that could only be born out of the shadows and peaks of the North Carolina mountains. One iteration through a chorus and you’ll find yourself humming along, by the second time around you’ll be singing out loud, ready to hit the repeat button. Having said all that, where Will greatly excels is as a songwriter; he has a knack for capturing the reality of the human condition – the ugly and the beautiful, the mundane and the profound – and drawing meaning from those experiences.

Will was hard at it during the pandemic, releasing a self-titled sophomore album of original songs earlier this year. This album is a true millennial coming-of-age masterwork – a stroke of genius to anybody who has grown up in rural America and experienced the inevitable hard knocks of love and life. Will invites the listener to share in his journey – through the lessons learned from the mistakes of “childhood living” to facing the reality of figuring out how to make your way in the world. Sure, the passage into maturity is one tinged with bittersweet nostalgia, but Will’s outlook is one of hopeful expectancy. Will is admittedly not one for clichés – but if he’ll allow me this one: it’s not about the destination, but the journey – enjoying the time traveling down that ever-flowing river that is life. That’s the metaphor that is so gracefully interwoven throughout this album.

-Jones House Culture and Community Center

 

Iris Marlowe is a singer-songwriter from Chicago, IL. Iris has been playing and writing music since she was 3 years old. She begun taking music seriously in 2018 and started to cultivate her sound. After releasing two albums 'Savannah' (2019) and 'Winter Solace' (2020) she decided to work on a western album inspired by spaghetti westerns and the occult. 'Home' is the first single to be released from the upcoming album. It's a folk song from the record that focuses on the reflection and acceptance you feel when you outgrow the place you grew up in.

Great time taking with Mitch Stewart of Vagabond Crowe about song inspirations, life changes, band changes, mood changes, spare change, and the return of the wildly popular guess the lyric contest.

 

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Founded in 2018, Vagabond Crowe quickly became one of the premiere bands on the Alternative Americana/Folk scene. The band premiered with an original catalogue of fresh, folky and soulful music.  After releasing their debut EP in the fall of 2019, Vagabond Crowe began performing shows in North and South Carolina, and became known as a local band on the rise. After playing together for two years the band took a break from the stage and lead singer, Mitch Stewart, went back into the studio to create and craft a set of new songs that are set to be released as singles during 2021 and beyond.

After a year away from the stage Vagabond Crowe is in the process of creating something new and true to what the heartbeat of the music is, as 2021 is a time for the stage to be set for a new era of Vagabond Crowe.

Accomplishments So Far:

• Winner of The Rise Guys Brutally Honest Music Review
• Featured on WNC Original Music Podcast and Picks & Bones Podcast
• Featured on WNCW Local Color and 98.1 The River's Homegrown Segment
• Featured in Bold Life Magazine, WNC Mountain Xpress, The Spartanburg Herald Journal, and The Music Advocate
• Performed throughout WNC and SC Upstate - Including The Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium (Second Stage), Isis Music Hall Lounge (Album Release), Delaney's Irish Pub, RJ Rockers, Gottrocks, The Melting Pot Music Festival, The Grey Eagle(porch series), Isis Music Hall (opening for Mike Mains & The Branches), Dry Falls Brewing, New Groove Artisan Brewery, Appalachian Coffee Co, Black Bear Coffee, Guidon Brewing Company and more

 

Katie in the Attic is an indie-folk/ indie-pop singer-songwriter based in Angus, Scotland. She plays piano & viola, as well as touching on a few other instruments. With a variety of genres influencing her music, folk strongly resonates through her songs, inspired by artists such as John Martyn, Nick Drake, Eva Cassidy, and Damien Rice to name a few. Growing up, she played across the Orkney Islands, where she was involved widely in the music scene. Usually found next to her piano, Katie pours her heart and soul into her song-writing. Listeners have likened her unique voice to Joni Mitchel. The whole writing process is very personal, as she re-lives emotions and experiences from throughout her life. Songs tend to channel their way out naturally when she has something to process – and they play an important part in telling her story. Highlights for Katie in the Attic include playing her own set as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In recent months, Katie was discovered online by a BBC radio presenter, and has taken part in interviews and performances on their own live lockdown show ‘ChannelZee’.
 
 
“Katie has a unique and beautiful voice, and a fantastic skill range. Her songs are a treat to listen to.” 
The Stag Acoustic Live Lounge.
 
“Katie is a talented and ambitious performer, with an incredible vocal range”
Richard Latto – BBC Radio Solent

Derek Frye discusses his musical process, neighborhood dogs, conspiracy theories, The Kinks, and more!

 

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After 7 years fronting the angsty Asheville rock band The Dirty Badgers, Derek Frye finds himself more eager than ever to showcase those same foreboding sounds through the haunting old time style of his Southern Appalachian ancestry. Born and raised in East Tennessee, Derek is a songwriter with deep rooted ties to the music born in the area. In the hyperbolic style of murder ballads, his songs are historical tales of heartbreak, trouble, strife, and ideas about the true nature of humanity. Derek's performances will take you on a journey through his life and those of his mountain ancestors.

 

Derek has taken the stage at some of Asheville’s most prominent festivals such as Downtown After 5 and Pridefest and has shared stages with artists like Cracker, Low Cut Connie, and Marcus King.