Colby T Helms is a Franklin Co Virginia native with a harrowing story about how he came to be a songwriter. He is also an upcoming performer at this year's Merlefest.

Tyler Hughes is an East Tennessee State University bluegrass graduate and Executive Director for The Crooked Rd. He also serves on Big Stone Gap's Town Council.

Girls Rock Roanoke is part of a national and world wide movement to educate and empower girls and gender expansive youth through music, creativity and collaboration.Girls Rock Roanoke is a music camp movement that began in 2001 with the establishment of the Rock 'n Roll Camp for girls in Portland, Oregon.Amanda Bocchi chats with Catherine Backus and Lacy Levy, board member and executive director of the non profit, Girls Rock Roanoke.Learn more about Girls Rock at girlsrockroanoke.org

Tom Barr was the owner of Barr's Fiddle Shop; he passed away recently at age 82. His shop is considered the birthplace of "hillbilly" music.

Jamie Collins is a singer-songwriter from Bristol, Tennessee, now residing in Hillsville, Virginia. The profound connection she has with listeners is rooted in her dedication to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of traditional Appalachian music that has been handed down through generations in her family. Host Amanda Bocchi interviews Jamie Collins who discusses her song “Smoke Rising” off her debut album, Enjoy Life.

Mama & the Ruckus with Melissa McKinney is one Asheville's blues powerhouse voices alongside her daughter McKinney, a soul pop artist who has been harmonizing with her mother since her Sesame Street days. This episode highlights the special bond between mother and daughter and Melissa's song "Thank God" off her recent debut self titled release, Mama & the Ruckus.

The Biscuit Eaters are a 7 piece, bluegrass and old-time family string band from Surry County, NC with their youngest member playing fiddle and singing at 5 years old. Meredith is a homeschooling mother of six kids and their bass player, and father, Jason is a pastor.

Interview with Courtney Brown, assistant professor at Southern Methodist University at the Center for Creative Computation, a Fulbright Scholarship winner, coder, musician, inventor and composer using the medium of a dinosaur head. Learn more at courtney-brown.net.

The late Logan Michael was a guitar player, producer, singer-songwriter and father.Host Amanda Bocchi speaks with the mother of his child, Moriah McCowan who has turned his loss into The Lion Blues, a recording space in Roanoke, VA that serves the community through recording services, music lessons and music therapy.

A shorter broadcast version of the full hour episode available on podcast platforms everywhere