Artist: Hannah Connolly Hometown: Los Angeles, California (via Eau Claire, Wisconsin) Latest Album: Shadowboxing Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Han, Hannah Banana, Hannah Montana, Hanny How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it's actually “me?” Most of the songs I’ve written and recorded so far have…

Last month, Sister Sadie took the stage at Nashville’s Station Inn to showcase and celebrate their latest album, No Fear. And although the title itself could be an ode to the group’s unrelenting urge to hop genre fences – from bluegrass to country to pop and back again – it’s also a nod to the…

Despite her well-earned reputation as one of Nashville’s strongest songwriters and nuanced singers, Brandy Clark had gotten used to not hearing her name called at Grammy Awards ceremonies. Two years ago, her friend Brandi Carlile decided to do something about that. Carlile produced Clark’s fourth studio album, Brandy Clark, which earned five of the six…

Missy Raines is one of the winningest musicians in the 30+ year history of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual awards. She’s a 10-time recipient of the Bass Player of the Year trophy and has taken home a couple of Collaborative Recording of the Year and Instrumental Recording of the Year awards, too. She’s been…

Artist: The Lost Wayne (AKA Hunter Hoffman) Hometown: DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) Latest Album: Tangerine Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Hamster, Smooch Which artist has influenced you the most and how? There have been, and there continues to be, so many that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. But the artist who has…