She’s been a Colorado resident for a dozen or so years now, but Emily is originally from Greensboro, where a Nanci Griffith concert she attended inspired her to pursue songwriting herself. She then attended Furman University and lived in Cedar Mountain, Brevard, and Hendersonville before moving out to Telluride. On her latest album, Appalachia, she sings about Hurricane Helene, her grandmother slipping into dementia, a cash-only saloon full of characters, and gratitude for life, despite its hardships. “There’s this thing I do with every record I make,” she says. “I knit a prayer into it, and I ask for all these songs to find their way to everyone who needs them. I ask these songs to be of service, to help people find and experience joy.”

The Austin by Way of Appalachia Group Embarks on the Second Leg of Their Musical Journey

Wednesday, April 1, 2026 | Thomas Wolfe Auditorium | Asheville, NC

Friday, March 27, 2026 | Neighborhood Theatre | Charlotte, NC

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, playwright, retreat teacher… Dar Williams has been a fixture in the modern folksinging community since the 1990s. It’s been a long time since she last visited WNCW, but she reached out to us to say hello, and we asked her to come on back! Dar is in our area for a show Wednesday evening at the Booth Playhouse in Charlotte, and Friday at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville.

Saturday, March 21, 2026 | The Orange Peel | Asheville, NC

Friday, March 13, 2026 | The Orange Peel | Asheville, NC

She’s 72, she’s a recent stroke survivor, and this is her 18th studio album. And it’s one of her most powerful, spirited ones yet! This is mostly a collection of modern-day protest songs, as she addresses corruption, oppression, division, and women bearing witness to all of this. But it’s also multi-layered, and poised to stand the test of time along with other gems in her catalog like Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Essence. Lucinda’s band, both on this record and when on tour, back her up well, plus she’s joined here by Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Brittney Spencer, and Mickey Raphael among others.

England’s James Hunter provides tight, timeless R&B and Soul with his band; we love each and every album of his! A former guitarist and backup vocalist for Van Morrison, James has a track on this new one featuring his former boss, on this, his first album on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound record label.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | Peace Center | Greenville, SC