KEXP Presents Shovels & Rope with Nolan TaylorShovels and Rope GENRE: Folk, Country Rock Spotify | Apple Music | Youtube | Website For those who are new here we’ve spent the last decade or so bouncing around in the ‘Americana’ realm quite a bit. Getting branded into that world was admittedly a bit of a head scratcher for us as we’ve always identified as more of a rock band (though we do think of ourselves as folk songwriters and yarn spinners, and we do harmonize well together) but the people were paying attention and we were building a fan base so we kind of felt like “who were we to tell them who we weren’t?”  But when you go all the way to Europe and are standing on a stage in front of a few hundred Scandinavians who are dressed in head to toe denim and cowboy hats, we can’t help but feel like we’re about to confuse some people. We will often find ourselves playing an outdoor, ‘free in the park’ type of concert series where a Male and Female with 2 guitars and beautiful harmonies will be booked as the opener, and then we’ll take the stage and proceed to be a little louder and maybe a little more brash than was anticipated. It’s always kind of been this way with us. The joke in our camp when this happens goes something like: And for tonight’s entertainment, we have for you “The What We Thought They Were’s” followed by the “Louder Than We Thoughts”! Recently we did a gig where the spokesperson said to us just before we went on, ‘so maybe don’t come out with your heaviest guitar stuff and your 808 bass bullshit right off the rip…there are kids and old people here and they’ll leave” (he was trying to be helpful). We politely told him “Don’t worry, we have a plan”.. .and then again opened with ‘Two Wolves,’ with it’s loud guitar stuff and it’s 808 bullshit, followed by a dynamic set where we touched on all the different things we do and everyone proceeded to have a great time. That’s kind of always how it’s been with us. – Shovels and Rope ___ Nolan Taylor GENRE: Folk, Country Rock WEBSITE | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE When Nolan Taylor grabs a guitar and steps up to a microphone, he speaks for the desperate, the deserted, and the downtrodden who deserve a voice and demand a chance to be heard. The Ohio-raised and Nashville-based singer,songwriter, and guitarist knows the hopelessness of an impoverished upbringing surrounded by addiction firsthand. However, he also knows what the light at the end of the tunnel feels like—because he dug himself out of despair and found that light. Growing up in Blanchester, OH, he initially lived in a small home. His mother fell prey to drugs and mental health turbulence, leaving Nolan and his brother to be raised by dad—who worked several jobs to make ends meet. He bounced around from place-to-place until life settled down during sophomore year of high school. Music offered a semblance of stability. Upon graduating high school, Nolan tirelessly gigged anywhere he could. A live video of “68” (which directly addresses the relationship with his mom and the topic of addiction) went viral and caught the attention of Atlantic Records. He gained traction with the Life & Love EP and Live From The Living Room EP. Beyond sharing bills with everyone from The Revivalists and City and Colour to 49 Winchester, Charley Crockett, and Band of Horses he sold out his headline Cincinnati Heart Tour. He contributed “Driving You Home” to Twisters: The Album, the companion soundtrack to the blockbuster film which went on to be nominated for a GRAMMY®. Nolan invited audiences into the heart of where he grew up (and the Heartland of the country) on his 2025 self-titled full-length debut, Nolan Taylor [Atlantic Records], and looks to expand his catalog with a new EP slated for release in 2026. Doors 7PM // Show 8PM Gold Circle is standing room only closest to the stage. General Admission is standing room only. Mezzanine is on the second floor, reserved and fully seated.