Following his Middle album from last year, which we enjoyed spinning, and millions of new Instagram and TikTok followers (and about as many songs in the fields under power lines), Jesse Welles releases his sixth studio album, Masks Off. It’s the culmination of his work, as he came to prominence by performing songs in the Arkansas wilderness where he was raised and where he currently resides. “These songs were highlights of the past year, and they sort of speak to the moment we’re at,” he states. “I’m not trying to tell folks how to think or get a reaction. All I do is write my lyrics, make my records, and cross my fingers.” Jesse plays in Asheville on July 25th.

If you know Sturgill Simpson, then you know Johnny Blue Skies. He got the name from a bartender when he was just getting started singing open mics (can you imagine seeing him back then?!) As Pitchfork describes this, “The album threads disco stabs through country rock and political lyrics, a soundtrack for the best party at the end of the world.”

Friday, July 17, 2026 | Hellbender | Asheville, NC

The objective of these focus groups is to facilitate an open dialogue on lessons learned from response and recovery to Hurricane Helene from the perspective of regional grassroots organizations, nonprofits, private-sector partners, and government officials. Through these conversations, they hope to document lessons learned to date, reinforce existing partnerships, and foster stronger collaboration as we move forward in recovery.

Beginning this Wednesday, Jaclyn Anthony brings you weekly updates on local and regional outdoor activities and related stories. For the week of June 17, in addition to outdoor events and volunteer opportunities, Jaclyn includes the first installment of a multi-part series on bears and the BearWise program from NC Wildlife Resources Commission Biologist Ashley Hobbs.

Host Kevin Washington invites you to join him for a show where you’ll hear current WNCW artists alongside their influences, notable producers’ works over the past and current century, tunes from musical families over the decades, and a lot more. It’s 20/21, the new show connecting the dots from yesteryear to now.

Our introduction to country singer Joshua Ray Walker was his wonderful trilogy of albums Wish You Were Here (2019), Glad You Made It (2020), and See You Next Time (2021). After his serious cancer diagnosis and intense treatment in 2023, he began releasing a second trio, beginning with the rather light-hearted, surprisingly whimsical Jimmy Buffett-inspired Tropicana, followed by Stuff, which envisioned the world from the perspective of the inanimate objects we leave behind us. Now he completes trio #2 with a return to his honky-tonk roots with Aint Dead Yet, which he describes as “my most autobiographical record yet.”

We’re glad to have the latest project of Western NC’s Anya Hinkle, Billy Cardine, and Mary Lucey — Tanasi. Perhaps you’ve already gotten to know this trio of “worldgrass” musicians. As they describe it, their music “follows the invisible threads that connect cultures, landscapes, and hearts—from Nepal’s high plateaus and South African villages to the mountains of Appalachia—celebrating the shared human rhythms that surface wherever people gather to sing, dance, grieve, and love. Together they represent an eclectic variety of regional acts over the past 20+ years, including Tellico, the Biscuit Burners, Lovers Leap, and Acoustic Syndicate. Songwriters on this new release, aside from traditional Appalachian and Nigerian tunes, include Jimmy Cliff, Shambhujeet Baskota and Bidhan Acharya, George Harrison, and the three members.

The old-time, bluegrass, & folk band from Boone and now the world over is back. Their latest has a theme that’s right on time for our 250th anniversary of the USA, with songs like “Howdy Do America”, “Last American Waltz”, “Rainbow Stew”, and “Revolution Now”. Guests include Del McCoury, Jesse Welles, and Molly Tuttle.

A literal sign in Musgraves’ tiny, unincorporated, no-stoplight hometown, population under 300, that reads “Golden, TX: Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere” sparked the idea for the title track and symbolic throughline of the album, speaking to something deeper and more nuanced. A recent big breakup is another throughline you might notice. Pedal steel, accordion, and Texas dancehall rhythms provide a nostalgic framework that she flips on its head in signature fashion. It is a sonic love letter to the musical borders of Country, echoing influence from adjacent genres such as bluegrass, pop, and even bits of Norteño and Zydeco. See what you think!