Gabrielle Louise’s music is anchored deeply in folk, but undeniably drawn to rich harmonies and melodic adventurism. Her sound has the earthy feel of early Joni Mitchell while also veering into the spirited delivery of fellow genre-hopping artist Martin Sexton. Unafraid to take a random musical escapade in the name of inspiration, Gabrielle is at one moment folkie and ethereal, the next moment a smoky jazz chanteuse. She has 100% independently released four records, Journey (2006), Around in Circles, the E.P. (2007), Cigarettes for Sentiments (2008), and Live in Coal Creek Canyon (2009).

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Molly’s Revenge is a dynamic, acoustic Celtic band known for its unique and infectious on-stage enthusiasm. The classic combination of bagpipes, whistle, fiddle, and song — set against a backdrop of guitar, bouzouki, and mandola accompaniment — guarantees an enjoyable experience for all fans of Scottish and Irish music. Their arrangements of traditional jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more.

From epic sets on highland pipes and fiddle, to angelic folk songs over bouzouki and mandola, to ripping sets of Irish jigs and reels, the lads of Molly’s Revenge have expanded their range on their seventh release, “The Western Shore.” The new record was produced by John Doyle, a founding member of Irish supergroup Solas. Guest performers include percussionist Fraser Stone (Old Blind Dogs), John Doyle, and vocalist Moira Smiley (VOCO).

David Brewer has been playing whistle and four types of bagpipes for about 15 years. He studied in Scotland at the Ceolas Music School in South Uist under the tutelage of some of the best pipers in the world. His authentic and unique style of playing has earned him the reputation of being one of the most accomplished pipers on the West Coast. David has composed close to 200 traditional style tunes, many of which have appeared on recordings, independent films, and television.

John Weed is a classically-trained violinist who switched to playing Irish fiddle about 10 years ago. John lived in Ireland in 2000 and taught fiddle workshops at the Flowing Tide International Music School in Doonbeg, County Clare. He hones his skills annually by attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Dunlewey, County Donegal where he has studied with Ciaran O’Maonaigh and Dermot Mcloughlin.

Pete Haworth grew up in the Blackburn area of Lancashire County, England, where he collected and sang the local folk songs. He brings an authentic vocal style, a very big bouzouki, and an unflagging sense of humour to the band. He and his family moved to California in 1982.

Stuart Mason has been collecting and performing traditional music for over 30 years. He has appeared on stage from Ireland to China performing Celtic, old time bluegrass, and his original compositions, which have won awards from the West Coast Songwriters Association. He leads workshops and classes in traditional music techniques at music festivals and camps.

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The Honeycutters are singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt and guitarist/ producer Peter James. While their sound has drawn comparisons to such artists as Graham Parsons and Emmylou Harris or Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Platt and James produce a refreshingly unique blend of Americana music that is comfortingly familiar while being entirely original. Ω

Their first full length studio release Irene (May 2009) was recorded at Asheville’s own Collapseable Studio, and mixed by Grammy Award winning sound engineer David Fergason ( Nashville TN ) . The album has garnered radio support across the USA as well as overseas, and landed them in Iaan Hughes’ (No Depression Podcast) top twenty of 2009, Fret Knot Radio Hour’s “Nine to Know from ‘09″, and as number 32 in WNCW’s listener voted top 100.

Amanda Anne Platt has been hailed as “one of the best songwriters coming out of WNC these days” by WNCW programming director Martin Anderson, and her voice has been described as “perfectly unadorned” and “recklessly beautiful”. Her lyrics are as catchy and heartbreaking as her melodies. Dane Smith of Asheville NC’s Mountain Xpress writes “Her songs make you sad…in a good way!” In both her simple composition and honest delivery it’s easy to hear the influence of country legends such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or Loretta Lynn, and with this Miss Platt credits growing up listening to her Father’s extensive record collection every Saturday morning. Despite her love for classic country, she cites Bruce Springstein as one of her biggest influences and her songwriting carries a wit and an edge that plants her firmly in her generation.

Peter James is rapidly becoming one of Western North Carolina’s most sought after guitar players, known for both insightful solos and tasteful accompaniment. Having first held a guitar at age thirteen, he quickly started making up for lost time by delving completely into the instrument. His natural talent and attention to detail made him an asset to The Slant Six Cowboys, a New Hampshire based group founded by James and singer/songwriter Don Witcher out of their long time musical collaboration. In 2004 they released a self-titled album on 95 North records which reached number 14 on the AMA chart. Since moving to Asheville in 2006 James has played right-hand man to several of the region’s top acts, including Taylor Martin and Brian McGee.

Like so many of country music’s great duos, Platt and James have a musical chemistry that can be felt throughout the songs they play, from the sounds of their guitars to their vocal harmonies. Perhaps this is why they are frequently mentioned along with the movement to “Take country music back to it’s roots”. The Honeycutters are just doing what they know how to do: making music that feels as good to hear as it does to play. Their original brand of Americana has proven equally appealing to both the musician and the music lover, the country and the city, and the old and the young.

“If anyone can make this old metalhead want to whip out the cowboy boots and hat, order a couple of Budweisers and spin my woman around the dance floor, the Honeycutters can.” -Brent Fleury, Bold Life Magazine

“Old school country in the truest sense, “Irene” is free of twang and ten-gallon hats but full of real emotion, family history, quick wit and strong liquor.” -Ali Marshall, Arts and Entertainment, Mt Xpress

“Amanda Anne Platt is easily one of the best songwriters coming out of Western NC these days, and she really needs to be discovered by the national Americana world. Her moving delivery, accompanied by Pete James’ tasteful guitar work and harmonies, make The Honeycutters an act that really should not be missed. We can’t stop playing their CD “Irene” here at WNCW!” – Martin Anderson, Music Director WNCW

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Cahalen Morrison is not like many other 20-something musicians out there. He is genuinely old-time, but from a region (rural New Mexico) not often associated with a thriving string-band music scene. His multi-instrumental and songwriting talents were developed in small circles, privately, over many years, far outside the mainstream. He shows definite influences of kindred old spirits like Norman Blake, Greg Brown, and Doc Watson that were obviously instilled at a young age and not picked up in a “back-to-acoustic” fad. But he is very much his own man, traveling and playing with a determined Western independence and an easy hospitality towards those he encounters along the way.

And so it was that along came Eli West - another unique twenty-something who came by this music more circuitously, but sharing the same authenticity and Western spirit – and their mutual musical easy-goingness found some common ground in which wonderful things grow. The roots are strong, the branches are shady, and the guitars, banjos, mandolins and voices carry you far off the beaten path to a Good Place out under open Western skies.

“A Suzuki Violin kid that took a left turn early on, Eli West has been a busy multi-instrumentalist since, sitting in with members of the Wailin Jenny’s, Crooked Still, Michelle Shocked, and others. He was the voice and guitar behind the Seattle-based Loose Digits, and now finds it quite comfortable to be in a duo with Cahalen.

A Los Angeles-based singer/writer of eclectic roots-inspired songs, Shaun Cromwell uses his guitar, banjo, and voice to weave tales of intrigue and epics of sorrow. He draws heavily from the pantheon of American roots traditions, but infuses the music with more contemporary influences such as Bill Frisell, Lowell George, and Tom Waits.

“Shaun Cromwell has the unmistakable sound of someone who has put in the time and the heart, someone who has truly got inside the music.”

- Peter Mulvey: Singer-Songwriter

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Sid Selvidge has had a musical career as expansive as the Mississippi Delta — and as true to his roots as the bluesmen of yesteryear. Leaving his home in Greenville, Mississippi, Sid moved to Memphis at an early age, studying and performing with legendary bluesmen like Furry Lewis and Mississippi Fred McDowell at the famous Bitter Lemon Club. With a knack for the southern tradition of storytelling, Selvidge swiftly adapted their picking styles and incorporated them into his distinctive fusion of country, blues, folk, and rock.

Soon his music began to catch the attention of those outside the Bluff City, who took notice of his ability to integrate classic methods into unique singing and playing approaches. “Sid Selvidge, who comes from Mississippi by way of Memphis, is neither country nor rock,” said John Rockwell of the New York Times. “He’s pretty much everything musically in the whole Southeast.” While still in school at Washington University, Sid recorded his debut LP, Portrait, which was released by Enterprise Records, a subsidiary of Stax. Thereafter, he traveled to New York and captivated audiences from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center, garnering rave reviews. “His voice is an astonishing instrument,” raved New York Times writer Robert Palmer. “Cool and liquid with a range of several octaves.”

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By this time, major labels were making offers, resulting in a deal whereby Elektra released his Twice Told Tales as a part of the Nonesuch Records “American Explorer Series.” When not working on solo records, Selvidge was a member of Mudboy and the Neutrons with cofounder and close friends Jim Dickinson, Lee Baker, and Jimmy Crosthwait. Selvidge and Dickinson would collaborate on numerous projects throughout their enduring friendship, but the 3 Mudboy albums were among the most original of that partnership. Bob Dylan even referred to them as “the great band that nobody can find.”

While living in Memphis during this time, Selvidge also taught anthropology at Rhodes College and helped found Beale Street Caravan, an internationally syndicated blues radio program heard on over 500 stations around the world. Even with his performance and recording career, Selvidge still remains heavily involved at BSC, serving as executive producer since its founding. In 2002 Selvidge signed to Memphis label Archer Records, which released A Little Bit of Rain the following year. Recording was a family affair, with Selvidge’s son, Steve (The Hold Steady) joining on guitar, along with Jim Dickinson on keys and his son, Luther (North Mississippi Allstars, Black Crowes) on slide guitar, and old pal Jimmy Crosthwait on washboard. Upon hearing the record, David Fricke of Rolling Stone couldn’t hold back his praise, declaring emphatically “Sid Selvidge is a precious treasure.”

The Killer In Me’s 12 soul‐baring new songs maintain the effortless melodic appeal of her prior work, while delivering complex emotional insights that give the album startling intimacy and resonance. “The Killer In Me” chronicles a strangled co‐dependent relationship, while “Haven’t Learned A Thing” offers absolution for the continuing struggle in the attempt to connect with another and never getting it completely right. “This Love” speaks to the hope and uncertainty that comes with the onset of a new relationship. The album covers more terrain than romantic relationships, closing with “Piece By Piece,” written as a prayer to her father, wishing him peace and love after the death of his brother.

Most of the album was written in the rural isolation of a rented cabin in the Catskills after her final separation from her husband. “It was just me, some books, my journals, my guitar and the songs, with no phone and no TV,” she explains. “I spent a lot of time reading and hiking and chopping wood for the stove, and wrote the songs that form the emotional center of this album.” “The situation,” she continues, “forced me to sit with a lot of silence, fear and confusion and make a kind of peace with them by writing songs to keep from going crazy. That’s when the album started making sense to me and became a whole different thing. Something shifted when I realized what was going on in the world outside mirrored what was going on inside of me, and I wanted to write songs that bridged that divide.”

We hope to reschedule for later in the fall!

Advance ticket-holders: We apologize for the inconvenience this cancellation causes you!  You will be receiving a refund on your credit card (including the service fee) through Brown Paper Tickets.  Please contact me at michael@emptysea.com with any questions!

Acoustic Double-Neck Guitarist Ian Ethan’s new album “Into Open Land” is an exploration of the largely untraversed musical territory that this unique 18-string instrument provides access to.

Unveiling the true musical potential of an instrument that has previously seen little serious use as more than a stage prop, the Vermont artist employs a wide variety of highly-innovative playing techniques that take full advantage of 18 strings, two fretboards, and his experience as a drummer, bassist, pianist, and composer.

The nine-part musical whole of “Into Open Land”, more than simply validating the use of the instrument, is the beginning of an epic journey through pristine worlds that present to the alert and engaged listener countless intriguing gems of fresh insight and inspiring, expansive views of a world that is tangibly deeper and more infinite than our physical surroundings.

Solo pieces such as “Appalachia By Air” and “North By Northeast / One Straight Line” simultaneously intertwine drumset-like percussive ideas and groovy bass lines with inventive melodies and counter-melodies, always supported by a rich, colorful, three-dimensional harmonic context.

Meanwhile “band” tracks such as “Fourth Corner” and “Call of the Hill” (featuring Ethan’s overdubbed self-accompaniment on drumset, electric bass, percussion, and multiple double-necks) present an even more powerful and complete view of these highly detailed, multi-layered compositions.

Tying the whole album together is an unpretentious and consistently adventurous spirit that steers clear altogether of “The Road Less Traveled” and heads straight out into open land, where one has the freedom to explore and discover without limits, and thereby realize more of what has always been.

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For singer-songwriter Myk Gordon and Grammy-award winning producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Jackie Greene), the magic in their recent musical collaboration, SET FREE, is the result of a winning combination of stellar songwriting, unbeatable supporting talent, and irrepressible vision.

“The whole project has been amazing,” says Berlin. “It has certainly been one of the best I can remember, in terms of everyone coming together, capturing the moment, getting great performances quickly.”

In an abandoned Masonic temple in North Portland, Gordon, Berlin, engineer/bassist Jim Brunberg (Box Set), guitarist Paul Rigby and pedal steel player Jon Rauhouse (Jakob Dylan, Neko Case, Calexico, New Pornographers), and drummer Drew Shoals (Pat Monahan of Train) put their considerable creative prowess to work on 10 tracks for SET FREE.

“…[SET FREE] is nothing short of a classic country-soul tour de force.”

Francois Marchand, Vancouver Sun (click to see full article)

“Gordon’s finest songs ever. The new country/soul sound is perfect for his smart, hurtin’ songs. A career peak.”

-Stuart Derdyn, The Province

Gordon, who hails from Vancouver, B.C., has built a respected following over a span of six independent releases for having “a steady hand when mixing pop, folk, emotion and intelligence,” (Toronto Star). He is an “accomplished performer” (TimeOut, London) who has shared stages with artists including Emmylou Harris, Ron Sexsmith and Joan Osborne.

Student price: $8 advance, $10 at the door.

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David Rogers presents an eclectic solo guitar concert with strong leanings towards jazz, world, and classical music. David will play music from his soon to be released new CD, music from his last recording, The Lone Wild Bird, Spanish guitar favorites, a few songs by the Beatles, as well as his own ‘jazzy’ version of La Bamba. David’s background in jazz, improvisation and classical music allows him to go into many different musical genres during his concerts.

Recently termed  ‘a prominent guitarist’ by the New York Times, David Rogers fuses classical, jazz, early, and world music elements into powerful, moving and virtuosic performances based on both original compositions and traditional repertoire. The Washington Post has praised his ‘astonishingly florid’ solo improvisational passage work. He has been called a ‘modern master’ of the classical guitar’ by 20th Century Guitar. Classics today.com has praised his ‘first rate instrumental artistry,’ and the Lute Society of America Quarterly has called his technique ‘formidable.’

He is an endorsing artist for GHS Strings and his music has been featured in major guitar magazines such as Fingerstyle Guitar in the United States and Akustic Gitarre in Germany. His solo and ensemble performances have been broadcast on American National Public Radio and Bayrische Rundfunk.  He has given recitals and conducted master classes throughout North America, including performances and classes at the San Francisco Conservatory, the University of Southern California and The Interlochen National Arts Camp.

To hear and see David play, visit his website at http://www.davidrogersguitar.com/

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Please note: Ryan Tanner was originally slated to accompany Sarah on this gig but had to cancel due to a family emergency.

Two albums, an EP, and lots of touring into her career, Sarah Sample is quickly shedding any traces of up-and-comer. With a potent mix of hard work, conviction, an uncanny and tireless ability to connect with audiences, relentless enthusiasm, a stunning voice and- most importantly- an enviable catalog of really, really great songs, it’s easy to see why.

With lyrics that “cut to the bone” (Salt Lake City Weekly) and “just a great, great voice” (Peter Mayer), Sarah’s songs are getting noticed. They won her a slot on 2010’s Cayamo Cruise and the mainstage at Folks Fest 2008. Telluride, Kerrville, Mountain New Song, Sisters: you name it, she’s been a finalist. She’s also shared stages with Darrell Scott, Melissa Ferrick, Willy Porter, Peter Himmelman, Mark Stuart/Stacey Earle, Edie Carey, and more, winning new and devoted listeners each time.

The buzz about Sarah’s albums:

BORN TO FLY EP (2009)

“Born to Fly (is) her best effort to date. Sample’s raw, graceful voice is stronger and more self-assured, enhancing lyrical content that cuts to the bone.”

–SLC Weekly

“There’s nothing quite like the dreamy beauty of good folk pop such as this. The songs here feature a fine, velvety mix of gauzy sonic textures (like pedal steel guitar), straightforward guitar strumming, and gentle percussion and bass. While some beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there’s no questioning the elegant and gorgeous songs and production at work here. Sarah Sample is a pure talent, as her albums continue to prove.”

-CD Baby Editor Peter

The buzz about Sarah’s live show:

“It’s the same feeling I got when I first heard Sarah Mclachlan or Natalie Merchant. I knew was listening to a singer filled with confident clarity. I knew I was listening to a singer that can make big things happen with a whisper, and do it all to material that was clearly crafted, and smart. Thanks, Sarah. It’s great when friends become heroes.”

- Vance Gilbert, songwriter

Kate Graves is neurotic. She’s okay with this term and generally uses it as a term of endearment…or when somebody is really bugging her.

Kate Graves likes kissing. And singing. And trying to explain to the world that her chihuahua is just scared and not

really cold-hearted.

Appearing with Kate is Empty Sea’s own Michael Connolly, a versatile southern-born multi-instrumentalist whose fiddle, mandolin, and accordion have shared the stage with Coyote Grace, Captain Gravel, Korby Lenker, the Barbed Wire Cutters, and the Indigo Girls.

Kate and Michael share tight harmonies, beautifully understated phrasing, and the love of a good novelty song.

Both nights are now completely sold out – sorry!  No tickets will be released at the door.

Coyote Grace was the first group to grace the Empty Sea stage when we opened in May 2009.  That was just over a year and more than 70 shows ago!

Now they’re back for two consecutive nights: Friday, June 4th and Saturday, June 5th.

Coyote Grace

Girl meets Girl. Girl becomes Boy.

Girl and Boy become a band.

Meet COYOTE GRACE.

If you want a lesson in organic chemistry, take notes as you watch the sparks fly between the acoustic downhome duo, COYOTE GRACE. This folktastic phenomenon is the result of combining one guitarist Joe Stevens, a transman from Northern California, with one upright bassist Ingrid Elizabeth, a sassy femme originally hailing from the hills of Southeastern Ohio. Together, they capture the eyes and the hearts of live audiences nationwide with their bluesy folkroots sound, sweet harmonies, poignant songwriting, and mid-song dance moves.  The duo’s path over the past few years has taken them from traveling the coffeeshop circuit in their RV to touring with the Indigo Girls, Melissa Ferrick, and Girlyman.

Coyote Grace can also be found wooing the crowds at colleges, festivals, conferences, coffeehouses, pubs, house concerts, farmers markets, and community centers alike. They have shared the stage with such modern folk icons as Indigo Girls, Melissa Ferrick, Cris Williamson, and Lowen & Navarro. Although they spend most of their time on the road, the duo now resides in the North Bay area in Sonoma County, California.

Joe Stevens, who has been writing songs since the age of fifteen, comes from a lineage of studio singers and choral conductors, as well as old time rock & rollers.  He received a Bachelor of Music from CornishCollege of the Arts in 2004 with a focus on composition, while also composing music for modern dance & avant-garde theater.  Also heavily influenced by choral performance, Ingrid Elizabeth was steeped in the world of musical theater, which armed her with a signature sound of brassy soul. Since relocating to the west coast, Ingrid has been involved with various musical ensembles, from bluegrass to psychedelic rock to choral groups, as well as burlesque, spoken word, and cabaret productions.