Pastures doesn't sound like the work of a Gen Z songwriter. Instead, its songs are poised and pastoral, filled with acoustic instruments — including the 1930s banjo she inherited from her grandfather — that evoke a landscape far more remote than Southern California. Some songwriters make music that reflects their surroundings, but Del Carmen takes a different path, turning herself into a musical world-builder. At just 24 years old, she's chased down an Americana sound of her own making.

Texas-born and raised, Teresa James may now live in Los Angeles, but the Texas roadhouse blues remain strong in her. This is her 14th career album, and the Grammy- and Blues Music Award-nominated vocalist and pianist is joined here by musicians who’ve played with Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton, and Eric Burdon, among others.

“B” is for…Bluegrass? We’ve got some great new singles coming in, including these three. Saluda’s Aaron Burdett has one about Boone clog dancing legend Arthur Grimes, who’s been a big inspiration to Aaron and many others. Asheville native Bryan Sutton conceived this wild new interpretation of Charlie Daniels’ classic hit, which tells the tale of a guitarist from Deep Gap named Arthel, and how he came to be called Doc… And the Brothers Comatose are a bluegrass/Americana band that formed in 2008 in San Francisco, but now feature a new singer named Addie Levy from southwest Virginia.

Harrisonburg, Virginia’s Steel Wheels are constantly redefining their acoustic sensibilities over an ever-changing folk/rock landscape, as heard on this new one. The release date for this self-titled album is Friday the 16th, the same day they play the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte! The group — Trent Wagler (vocals, banjo, guitar), Eric Brubaker (fiddle), Jay Lapp (mandolin, guitar), Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion), and Jeremy Darrow (bass )— celebrates their 20th anniversary this year.

This is the duo’s second collaboration, following a trio work with the late Peter Cooper (a Spartanburg native), who passed away in 2022. The theme of this album centers around creativity: As they roam the world strumming and singing, the two always make time for art, and seeing Diego Rivera’s murals in Detroit sparked a song, as did Max Beckmann’s powerful paintings in a museum in The Hague. American painter Thomas Hart Benton’s final work, “The Origins of Country Music,” gets a close look in a song Thomm wrote with the great Shawn Camp. The album will be released on Red Beet Records on Friday, the 16th.

Our favorite Travelers Rest/Northern Ireland duo is back with their 2nd album, this time as new parents. It’s another warm, rich blend of bluegrass, Celtic, and songwriting roots, with longtime bandmates Julian Pinelli on fiddle, and Nate Sabat on bass. “Hearing The Foreign Landers for the first time immediately landed a huge smile on my face and for a moment allowed escape from all the negative noise in the world. Tabitha and David simply sound like two people who are meant to make music together. The playing, singing, and arrangements are all so wonderful—I’m a fan!” –Sierra Hull

Happy New Year! We look forward to a steady flow of great new releases from hundreds of WNCW-aligned acts in 2026. As the new full-length albums start to roll in, we begin this year’s New Tunes at 2 spotlight with some hints of what’s to come. Check out these new singles from forthcoming releases of these three acts, showcasing the eclecticism and talent we love featuring here at “A World of Music.”

Having been friends and occasional touring partners for well over a decade, Asheville-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Tyler Ramsey and My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel have now made their full-length recorded debut with Celestun (out Jan. 15th). It is predominantly filled with lush, mostly acoustic instrumentals, although they each sing a song or two here as well.

Mike Mattison is best known as a vocalist in the Tedeschi-Trucks Band and the Derek Trucks Band for over 23 years, though we also recall his cool work with the scrappy group Scrap-o-Matic, too. He has now released his third solo album, which he also produced. The album tells the story of Ted ‘n ‘Turk, a fictional 1930s Blues duo, who are “rediscovered” in the 1970s. It’s an intriguing story that uncovers a lot of the darker sides of the music industry, and Mattison says he’s also working on releasing this concept as a novella someday.

Where We Go, the debut album from California mandolinist Jesse Appelman, comes out Feb 20, and should be of keen interest to any fans of the acts he’s played with (Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick, Sam Grisman Project), as well as Andrew Marlin/Watchhouse, The Onlies, and Crooked Still, among others. John Mailander produced it, and the core band is Eli West (guitar), Sami Braman (fiddle), and Emily Mann (bass). Guests include AJ Lee, Allison de Groot, Laurie Lewis, and Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms.