Martin Anderson
Music Director & HostEschewing his mother’s taste for easy listening music early on, Martin Anderson was raised on his dad’s love for jazz, his brother’s Beatles/classic rock LP’s, and the bluegrass and Top 40 radio of the D.C. area. He began volunteering for the University of Delaware’s WXDR/WVUD eclectic overnight and morning mixes in 1989. Upon graduating with an American History degree, he moved to Eugene, Oregon, he spent the 90’s working in natural foods, environmental causes, and above all, public radio. He hosted various folk, world, Triple-A, and other shows at KLCC, and started a “Miles of Bluegrass” show at KRVM.
After two years working underwriting sales and various music and public affairs programs at KHSU in Arcata, CA, Martin joined WNCW in 2001 as your weekday morning host. He loves interviewing the many talented musicians who come to Studio B, stretching out with the many styles ‘NCW embraces, and reflecting listener requests, events of the day, and our beautiful Southern Appalachian landscape. As Music Director, he books our live sessions, and keeps in touch with the record labels and promoters that send us new music. When not at the station, he enjoys gardening, hiking, traveling, history, and raising his daughter on good music and more.
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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’ve enjoyed playing the music of Grey DeLisle here the past few years, and she has another career as a Comic Con icon. Les Greene is the voice of Little Richard in the recent “Elvis” movie and Grammy-nominated soundtrack. The two met in 2024, and as DeLisle says, "As soon as I heard Les Greene sing for the first time, I went home that very night and wrote us a duet!” Grey & Greene was produced by rockabilly veteran and multi-instrumentalist James Intveld, who co-wrote three of the songs with DeLisle. They describe their latest project as “this warm and vibrant slice of real, flesh and blood rock n’ soul (that) is a balm to our battered ears (and psyches).” -
3-time GRAMMY nominee & groundbreaking Afro-Cuban funk innovator Cimafunk joins with his powerhouse band La Tribu (The Tribe), to release this new album, which translates as It’s Your Turn. Joining Cimafunk here are Dr. Zapa (musical director / drums), Hilaria Cacao (trombone/vocals), Katy Cacao (saxophone / vocals), Machete (percussion/vocals), Big Happy (minor percussion/vocals), Wao (piano), El Ra (bass), and El Friki (guitar). "Cimafunk redefines funk… with a sonic mosaic that fuses Afro-Cuban rhythms with the contagious groove of R&B and the harmonic sensuality of soul, evoking giants like Earth, Wind & Fire.. pure energy, originality, and charisma - creating an exciting, danceable bridge between African American and Latin music… solidifying a place as one of the most innovative and captivating artists in contemporary music." (Billboard) -
She’s sweet indeed, and it’s sweet that she and her band will be live in Studio B on Friday the 5th! They play the Summer Tracks series at Rogers Park Amphitheatre in Tryon that evening, and then return to the area for a show at The Palm Room at Fitz and the Wolfe in Asheville on Friday June 12th. We love her new album Sweet Negroni. It features songs from the likes of Edith Piaf, Fats Waller, and Billie Holiday, as well as Tom Waits. As she says, “The album is quirky, jazzy, Americana-leaning, and all-around a good time. So cozy up, maybe make yourself a negroni, and enjoy.” 11 am might be a bit early for a negroni, but hey, you do you! -
Everyone’s got stories of how they first got turned on to music as a kid, but young Andrew Sa, whose dad had been a touring musician in a previous life chapter and mom started up a karaoke company, found himself singing on stage at age 10. “For some reason I always picked the sad Patsy Cline songs,” an early sign of Sa’s penchant for aching country ballads that would eventually find its way onto American Rough, Sa’s debut album out on June 26 via Bloodshot Records. His musical interests shifted from country to jazz as he became enthralled with the voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole – influences that continue to ring through his musicianship today. He then fell in love with musicians like Rufus Wainwright, k.d. lang, and Elton John, and after time spent growing up in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, he found himself settled in the music scene of Chicago… though his new album was recorded in NC with Polk County native H.C. McEntire as producer. Get to know this refreshing new artist on the scene when he visits Studio B! -
Caleb Caudle has made lists such as Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know” and “The 10 Best Country and Americana Songs To Hear Now,” along with NPR’s “Songs We Love”. He’s a North Carolina native who moved to Nashville to further his growing career as a singer/songwriter, but then moved back to the Western NC mountains when his heart beckoned him back. “The natural world has always shown up in my lyrics but with these songs I felt that get magnified,” says Caudle. “The beauty and force of it all became sacred to me. I felt unplugged from the hustle and free to pay close attention to the details, and it completely changed my approach to life.” We look forward to sharing his latest album Heavy Thrill, released officially on June 5th. Caleb plays Asheville’s Sundays on the River in Olivette on Sunday the 31st. -
Brevard, Asheville, and Saluda are the hometowns of this favorite band of ours, and we have been honored to play their music and host them for live sessions since they first formed in the early ‘00s. They’ve just released their latest album Next Act, which is in a decidedly more string band direction. Get to know it more when we catch up with them on Tuesday! They’re playing two evenings at Sierra Nevada Brewing in Mills River, Thursday and Friday. -
Avery Hellman (AKA ISMAY) has been a rancher, an alt-country musician, and, always, a dreamer. But they recently found themself once more while looking for Lucinda Williams. In 2023, Hellman was hard at work on an album, podcast, and documentary delving into the psyche of the country singer-songwriter when they discovered how much poetry played into Williams’ general talents. -
You might know Joey Quiñones as the frontman for the soul band Thee Sinseers. But before Thee Sinseers, before the lush orchestrations and pitch-perfect harmonies that became his signature, Quiñones cut his teeth leading various backing bands for visiting Jamaican ska and dancehall acts touring Southern California. He describes those years as reggae college, getting yelled at by every Jamaican artist who had a record out. Those years of apprenticeship in rocksteady and roots reggae would inform everything that followed—and on his new solo record "Inna Soul Steady Situation," Quiñones finally showcases those influences front and center. Check out the variety of genres – soul, reggae, and the rich Chicano culture of East L.A. – converging on this Colemine Records release. -
Hailing from the eastern slope of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, The Two Tracks have spent the last decade crafting a powerful blend of Americana, folk, and roots rock built around thoughtful songwriting, soaring harmonies, and dynamic musicianship. Led by husband-and-wife duo Dave and Julie Huebner, alongside bassist Taylor Phillips and drummer Fernando Serna, the band pairs expressive storytelling with cello-driven arrangements that set them apart in the modern Americana landscape. This fifth studio album of theirs was recorded in Nashville with Grammy-nominated producer Will Kimbrough, Grammy-winning engineer Sean Sullivan, and Grammy-winning mixer Trina Shoemaker, delivering songs that range from road-worn roots rock and harmony-rich folk to stripped-down acoustic intimacy. We’ve enjoyed hosting them in Studio B in the past, and catching live sets at SkunkFest and elsewhere. This one’s a winner!
