Contact:
Corey Wagner at Sanctuary Artist Management
615-524-7740
corey.wagner@sanctuarygroup.com

Urban Reggae music, independent self-made LA-based family band.

One new release every Friday for the entirety of 
2020!  

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Thanks for listening!

Marrying the traditional idiom of classic country with finely-drawn and revealing lyrics that tell of a hard life richly and fully lived--that is the music of Angela Norris White.  White's writing is rooted in real life experiences that extend back to her hardscrabble start.  From her poverty stricken life with no running water,  heat,  and Christmas in name only to homelessness to addiction to abuse, White says "When you grow up singing as a way to literally help yourself survive, it gives you a very personal and unique relationship to singing and songwriting.  For me, because I have that kind of connection, songwriting lets me draw from deep within while keying me into a space of authenticity and sincerity that I probably wouldn't be able to touch otherwise."  She credits her singer/songwriter mother, always balancing a big old Gibson on her knee, for her love and passion for music and songwriting that started at a very early age.  "It's how we survived, well, that and a sense of humor.” says White.   Her years of "woodshedding" included studying the songs of those she now credits as her musical mentors, among them Lucinda Williams, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Hayes Carll, Rodney Crowell, and elder statesman Guy Clark.  These mentors acted as a magnet that drew her into her Americana style music.  She fell in love all over again, but never lost her love of traditional country music and outlaw country music.  Her songs are delivered in a spot-on, keening country inflection that recalls a time era past, while being ever so present on stage, and she is finding a welcoming, and appreciative audience wherever she appears.  White has coined her own term for the genre of her original material as "Edge". White says, "Well because it’s on the "edge" of everything, anything, something, and sometimes nothing". In White's work, that "edge" combines with honesty, a clear-eyed, yet abidingly romantic outlook on life and studied song craft to create distinctive and memorable songs.  Now that Gibson is balanced on Whites knee, and country music is the richer for it..

Two decades. They've gone by in a blur, filled with soundchecks, encores, album releases, and sold-out shows stretching from the California coastline to the UK mainland. Along the way, Pepper has sharpened its own "Kona dub-rock" sound — a blend of reggae, alternative rock, island rhythms, and punky spirit — while al-so building a community of fans and likeminded bands.

That communal spirit runs throughout the band's eighth studio album, Local Mo-tion. After sharing shows for years with their heroes and peers, Pepper's three members — vocalist/guitarist Kaleo Wassman, vocalist/bassist Bret Bollinger, and drummer Yesod Williams — are no longer merely artists; they're ambassa-dors of a scene, bringing people together under an umbrella of positive-minded music and collaboration. Appropriately, they share the spotlight with some of their longtime friends on Local Motion, whose songs feature appearances by Stick Fig-ure, E.N Young, Micah Brown, Iration, The Green, Tribal Seeds, and Reel Big Fish's Billy Kottage. A celebration of artistic synergy, brotherhood, and modern reggae music, Local Motion is Pepper's most collaborative record to date, shining a light not only upon the three bandmates themselves, but also upon the wide community they've helped build. 

"We're part of a community of bands who have the same mindset," says Wassman. "They're our peers. They're our friends. We all exist on the same plane, and that's why we called this album Local Motion, because this is our local scene. It's where we fit in."

Before Pepper began building a community in its adopted hometown of Southern California, the group held its very first rehearsal in 1997 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. All three members were natives of the Big Island, and together, they made a sound that nodded to their tropical roots while also moving forward into new territory. After earning a local fanbase in Hawaii, they moved to the mainland, where Pepper quickly became a popular live act. Pepper's diverse music allowed the group to tour the country with a wide variety of bands, including reggae icons (The Wailers), punk bands (Pennywise), reggae-rockers (311, Slightly Stoopid), and hip-hop leg-ends (Snoop Dogg). Meanwhile, the band's admiration for DIY-minded groups like NOFX inspired Pepper to launch its own label, LAW Records, which gave the trio complete control over its own music. It also allowed the band to sign other acts, which expanded Pepper's circle even further. 

"When we moved to California, we were playing small clubs," remembers Bol-linger, who now plays outdoor amphitheaters, indoor theaters, festivals, and other high-capacity venues with his bandmates. "We felt like we were one of the only bands carrying the flag for this genre in America. These days, it's different. We're seeing some real movement within the reggae scene. This sound has become an established part of American music, and we're grateful for the other bands who are flying the flag, too. Everything is connecting. The energy is right. Incorporating those bands into our new record was the perfect alignment of where we need to be."

"In a world of social chaos," adds Yes Williams, "we wanted a ‘return to commu-nity,' that community being the reggae-rock community. We continue to flourish and grow due to the synergy of likeminded bands and fans. Without each other, we are nothing, fom where the music comes from to where it goes. This record is fil-tered through the community, a true Local Motion that we are lucky enough to be a part of."

The feel good, reggae-rockin', ass shakin', party makin' band Taco & Da Mofos

Raised on Bible Hymns by her preacher father, Dead Horses front woman Sarah Vos' backstory sounds more like that of an old bluesman from the Mississippi Delta than a young folk singer from Wisconsin. But despite their youth, the Milwaukee-based Americana trio has crafted a timeless sound, informed as much by modern folk as it is by the classics. Vos' gospel, living free and unapologetically, is supported with conviction by Peter Raboin on mandolin and guitar, and Daniel Wolff on double bass. 

Ross Hollow is an Asheville based Folk, Rock and Americana artist. Started by Stuart Ross Johnson-Kwochka in 2017, Ross Hollow has taken on several formats. Early on it was a trio and full band in Indianapolis Indiana. Now it is mostly a solo project with support from Annalee Johnson-Kwochka on vocals and the occasional guest musician. With over 3 studio albums and 40 original songs out, Ross Hollow has been busy the past 5 years. Ross Hollow's music is influenced by classic artists such as Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers, CCR and modern artist such as Shakey Graves, The Lumineers, Iron and Wine, Birdtalker and The Tallest Man on Earth. Ross Hollow's music mixes in blues, jazz and even some classical guitar.

Former band mates consist of: Andrew Whitaker: Piano Dhruv Kulkarni: Keys/piano and vocals Jared Horvath: Bass and keys Jason Kahl: Trumpet, vocals Vernon Marsh: Drums/percussion, Vincent Yetsko: guitar, banjo, harmonica, vocals

Chamberfolk: Three classically trained musicians playing original music, as intricately arranged as a string quartet, lyrically rooted in the singer/songwriter tradition, and wrapped in three-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of both Appalachia and Medieval Europe. Building from the tonal depth of the cello (or is it a bass?), layer in the shimmering sounds of a violin and the strikingly natural addition of banjo to create a sound at once familiar and impossibe to categorize. Unapologetic genre-benders, Harpeth Rising fuses Folk, Newgrass, Rock and Classical into something organically unique. 

The three musicians each hold classical performance degrees from some of the most venerated schools in the world: Indiana University, Oberlin, Eastman School of Music. But their classical background is only one dimension of this trio’s powerful musical voice. Hailing from vastly different parts of North America, each member of Harpeth Rising brings different influences to the core sound. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Maria Di Meglio began the cello in 4th grade, and developed her playing style studying both classical music and traditional songs of her families’ ancestry across Western Europe and the Caucasus. Michelle Younger of Charlottesville, VA comes by her modern spin on old-time infused banjo authentically; her family has been in the United States for generations, and she is a direct descendent of Cole Younger, a member of the James-Younger Gang and the namesame of his very own banjo tune. Jordana Greenberg, violin, grew up listening to the sounds of Stan Rogers, Leonard Cohen and Natalie McMaster in her native Canada before moving to Southern Indiana as a child. She studied classical violin by day through the pre-college program at Indiana University, and spent her nights learning the folk tunes and classic rocks songs that her family plays at the annual post-Passover jam session. 

All three women began singing after they completed their instrumental studies, and found a passionate new musical avenue. They developed their voices and arrangements to bring life to the lyrical expressiveness of their original songs. Hallmarks of their music include expansive three-part harmonies, consummate musicianship and a deft, yet soulful, lyrical perspective.

Their most recent album, SHIFTED, debuted at #1 on the Folk-DJ charts and was released to international acclaim. Tim Carroll of Folkwords wrote “Choose words to define this latest album – progressive, creative, innovative, imaginative - they all describe what’s on offer…Alternatively, don’t attempt to categorise their ingenuity with words, take the shortest route, immerse yourself in Harpeth Rising and let the music carry you with its flow.” Chris Spector at Midwest Record said “Taking Newgrass to the next dimension, taking back lyric writing as an art form, if you’ve cleaned your ears out recently, this set is going to blow your mind. One of a kind, in a class by itself and simply superlative throughout.”

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