Kelley Mc Rae’s ‘‘Never Be’’ is a strong debut for the singer and will please anyone willing to take a chance on someone new. Native from Mississipi, Kelley McRae began her career as an actress studying drama at Southern Methodist University, where her decision to enroll in an elective guitar course provided a change of course. The result was an immediate connection to the craft of songwriting.

Her first album released in 2006, “Never Be” was recorded in Brooklyn. The album is a beautiful reflection of Kelley’s live shows and features the honey-sweet harmonies of Sarah Fullen and Virginia Kull, along with the collaboration of Jake Sanders on resonator guitar and Sean McClowry on upright bass. Produced by J.D. Foster (Calexico, Richard Buckner, Laura Cantrell), the album also showcases the work of Dave Schramm, Ted Reichman and Joan Baez’s longtime drummer, George Javori.

Caroline Herring’s Lantana Reestablishes Singer as Preeminent Storyteller Austin Music Award Winner for Best New Artist Returns with Album that Re-images the Gothic South Nashville, Tennessee.

Caroline Herring confidently returns to the forefront of the American roots music scene with her new album Lantana, due March 4th, 2008 on Signature Sounds Records. The Mississippi-born, Atlantabased singer/songwriter took the producing helm for the first time on the new record, co-producing with longtime collaborator Rich Brotherton (Robert Earl Keen).

Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada and a Science and French teacher when she’s not playing music, singer-songwriter Kate Maki is about to release her third album, On High a collection of pastoral and old-time country-folk songs produced by Howe Gelb on his label, OW OM Records. Kate’s debut Confusion Unlimited and follow-up The Sun Will Find Us were both recognized as “Album of the Year” by the Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards. She has appeared on the cover of such notable publications as NOW, XPRESS, and ECHO, and placed original tracks in Canadian films Weirdsville and Wilby Wonderful.

Imagine Neil Young songs interpreted by Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams covering Townes Van Zandt, or Patty Griffin playing Tom Waits, this is how we can feel when listening Lara Ewen for the first time. With this first full length album Ghosts and Gasoline, the New York City born and raised singer and songwriter Lara Ewen accompanied with her band “The Unstrung Orchestra” is accomplishing her own ventures out of the standard East Coast waters with her own brand of bluesy, alt-country ballads. Ghosts and Gasoline is exemplary for what is essentially a first album, merging classic country and blues with a new attitude as appealing as it is satisfying. Ewen’s simple lyrics and arrangements are matched up just fine by her so satisfyingly smoky and melodic voice with a femininely rugged constitution, like cigarette-smelling velvet and a “disillusioned but struggling to remain hopeful” edge to her heady, Stevie Nicks-like vocals, Lara Ewen’s style is one that evokes a constant stream of flashbacks from those moments in life that toughen our skin, give us our spine and strengthen our resolve; it’s that quality that seems to communicate, “I’ve been through some crap in my life.”