STANDING ROOM ONLY

Ashley Heath & Her Heathens
Ashley Heath is often described as “Velvet Soul” with her prolific songwriting, strong and airy vocals, bluesy guitar playing, and has garnered national and international attention with her latest album “Something to Believe” released by Organic Records in Asheville, NC in 2022. She also has two previous albums; “Where Hope Never Dies” recorded with her full band Ashley Heath and Her Heathens and “A Different Stream” recorded solo. She has been voted Best of WNC by Mountain Xpress voters several years in a row for Vocalist, Songwriting, Blues, and Americana/Country and also winning Merlefest band competition in 2018. Heath has opened for headliners Pat Benatar, Anders Osborne, Black Joe Lewis, and many more acclaimed artists.

Matthew Sidney Parsons
Matthew Sidney Parsons is a songwriter, poet, and educator from Olive Hill, Kentucky. He wrote the title track on Bronwyn Keith-Hynes’ 2025 Grammy-nominated album I Built a World. Raised in a bluegrass family, Parsons performs solo and with his band Whistle & Fish and has taught songwriting and traditional music across Appalachia through Morehead State University, Berea College, and Hindman Settlement School. He has performed at events including The Bluegrass Jamboree in Germany, Kentucky Arts & Letters Day, WDVX Blue Plate Special, and Bernie Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy Tour, touring with acts like Sarah Kate Morgan, The Local Honeys, and The Berea College Bluegrass Band. He has shared stages with Peter Rowan, Tim Stafford, Dale Ann Bradley, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. Parsons is the author of Mountain Roosters and Holy Land, and creates character-driven performances that celebrate mountain culture while addressing universal human experiences.