Bryan Simpson Modern American eclectic singer-songwriter Bryan Simpson is an artist whose sound unnervingly explores an evocative amalgamation of southern folk, bluegrass, classic country and indie eclecticism, with the playful swagger, relatable storytelling, and thoughtful introspection of his heroes which include John Hartford, Tom T Hall, Jeff Tweedy, and of course Bob Dylan. Bryan’s songs have netted praise from all corners: The Huffington Post wrote “Bryan’s original undertakings are reminiscent of the whimsical and whip-smart work by David Byrne and Jim James”. While SeattlePi claims Simpson’s music echoes “Bowie, and Beck in the melodies, moods, and arrangements. The quest is entertaining and thought-provoking.” His genre-spanning career has included making records and touring as a singer/songwriter with luminaries as diverse as The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, bluegrass giant Ricky Skaggs and Mumford and Sons. Since leaving his hometown of Ft Worth Texas with only a fiddle, guitar, mandolin and a box fan to his name, Simpson has had many of his original songs recorded by country music standouts like Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Hailey Whitters, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Brandy Clark, Old Dominion, Stephen Wilson Jr., with several of them ending up with a number 1 beside their name on the Billboard and Music Row charts . He has also been awarded NSAI’s prestigious award of “10 Songs I wish I’d Written”. His songs have easily totaled over 500 million streams at this point. This year Simpson released his first record under his own name. “The Oldest”, released in April, is a concise 11 songs in length, produced by Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan/Brandi Carlisle) and takes Simpson’s shade tree kaleidoscopic storytelling center stage. CONNECT Ben Chapman Ben Chapman has a publishing deal with Hillary Lindsey’s Hang Your Hat Music, and artists including Flatland Cavalry, Shelby Lynne, Muscadine Bloodline, and the Steel Woods have cut his compositions, but these days, he’s intently focused on himself as an artist. Downbeat, the LaFayette, Ga., native’s new album, produced by Anderson East, finds him at his most confident in his musical style — “this southern-funk jam-band country thing,” as he describes it. Chapman is also the host of Peach Jam, a recurring Nashville event that’s featured, among others, fellow Georgians Brent Cobb and Channing Wilson, along with Hayes Carll, Lainey Wilson, Lukas Nelson, and more, since 2022. CONNECT THAD COCKRELL Thad Cockrell has been releasing music both under his own name and with his band LEAGUES for two decades; while also a collaborative songwriter who has written with the likes of Joy Williams (GRAMMY-nominated album Front Porch), Devon Gilfillian, and Joseph, among others. Cockrell was personally invited by Jimmy Fallon to perform with The Roots on The Tonight Show, after Fallon discovered Cockrell’s song “Swingin’” by Shazaming it in a hardware store. “It became my anthem,” Fallon said. “Because I’m like, when you want to give up, don’t give up! If you’re going to go down, you go down swingin’! This is my anthem, I love this song.” Cockrell’s 2020 solo album 'If In Case You Feel the Same,' which features “Swingin’,” was produced mainly by Tony Berg (career spans Phoebe Bridgers to the Replacements), mixed & engineered by Shawn Everett (Vampire Weekend, Beck, The War on Drugs) and features an all-star backing band throughout - ATO labelmate Brittany Howard (backing vocals on track “Higher”), Blake Mills (guitar), Chris Dave (drums), Matt Chamberlain (drums), Ethan Gruska (piano, synths), Ian Fitchuk (multiple instruments). Buoyed by the support of Brittany Howard, whom he first met over a 4a.m. pitcher of homemade margaritas, Cockrell set to work on his first solo effort in over a decade: an album that exposes his deepest insecurities and weaknesses, all for the sake of creating a transcendent connection with the audience. TREY HENSLEY Trey Hensley is a GRAMMY®-nominated musician and singer/songwriter who was voted the 2023 Guitar Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. He has been referred to as “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine. In addition to a storied solo career and a duo career with award-winning guitarist Rob Ickes (NPR has called them “two musical phenoms”), Trey has worked with a diverse list of artists including Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Taj Mahal, Tommy Emmanuel, Rodney Crowell, Old Crow Medicine Show, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Feat, Leftover Salmon and REO Speedwagon. Trey can be heard on the latest album by Ickes & Hensley, Living In A Song and collaborating with Rob Ickes and Molly Tuttle on “John Deere Tractor” on the A Tribute To The Judds album; as a member of the Taj Mahal Sextet on the newly released recording, Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa; and with Alison Brown and Steve Martin on the song “Bluegrass Radio.” Connect: https://www.treyhensley.com/ Meg McRee After attending Vanderbilt University on a full academic scholarship, Meg McRee traded her newly earned degree for the pursuit of an unpredictable dream as a songwriter. After a few years of waitressing at The Listening Room and nannying in between co-writes, McRee was validated as more than a driven idealist with the signing of her first publishing deal at Hang Your Hat, a creative joint venture with Concord Music Publishing and hit-songwriter Hillary Lindsey. Since, her musical prowess has earned her cuts with Elle King, Warren Zeiders, Ella Langley, Grace Potter, Colby Acuff, Paul Cauthen, Ashley Monroe, Shelby Lynne, Ben Chapman, Harper O’Neill and more. McRee introduced her artistry with debut record Is It Just Me?, produced by Andrew Petroff (Sheryl Crow, Devon Gilfillian), delivering the stand-out track “Mary Jane & Chardonnay.” With playlisting across Folk, Americana and Country playlists, SiriusXM supported the release with more airplay, following her intro to radio with “Gone As It Gets,” a stand alone collaborative track written and recorded by McRee, Brit Taylor, Adam Chaffins, and Ben Chapman, on SiriusXM Outlaw Country. This past year has been full of notable milestones for the budding McRee, receiving a standing ovation her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage, performing at coveted festivals including Stagecoach, CMA Fest, and Moon Crush, and supporting tours for Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde, Morgan Wade, Marcus King, Hailey Whitters, Lukas Nelson, Flatland Cavalry, Brent Cobb, Red Clay Strays, and Elle King. 2023 closed out with the release of Meg’s live-to-tape History of Heartbreak EP, a collection of new songs about old feelings. Tracks “Wildflower” and “The Moon” feat. Hillary Lindsey and Lori McKenna were highlighted heavily across playlists, with the project as a whole scoring Spotify’s Nashville billboard upon release. Her latest single, “Usually You,” showcases her songwriting prowess with a groovy, genre-blending sound and vivid imagery that transports listeners to Coastal California. CONNECT