In 1995, John Howie Jr.’s honky-tonk band, the Two Dollar Pistols, emerged out of the North Carolina alt-country explosion that gave the world Whiskeytown and the Backsliders, among others. The Pistols spent twelve years traveling around the United States and Europe, making records for the esteemed Yep Roc label with an updated, soulful take on old-school country and honky-tonk sounds.
Over the course of seven albums – including a series of duets with Grammy nominee Tift Merritt – Howie and the band developed a sizable following, packing clubs on the East Coast and being flown to festivals in Europe, while the band’s albums regularly appeared on the Americana chart. In that time, the Pistols shared the stage with a veritable who’s-who of country music legends, including Merle Haggard, Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, BR-549, the Derailers, and many more, and were invited to play at Opryland in 2003.
John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff has released two full-length albums, and, like the Pistols, the Rosewood Bluff has shared the stage with big names like the legendary George Jones, Wayne Hancock, Shovels and Rope, and many more. Both of the Rosewood Bluff’s albums, 2011’s Leavin’ Yesterday and 2014’s Everything Except Goodbye, were met with critical acclaim and received steady airplay on key programs like Sirius/XM’s Outlaw Country.
About Kelsey Rae Copeland
Kelsey Rae Copeland is a rising name in contemporary country and honky tonk, and she also has a heavy metal ballad on vinyl, “Sinister’s Widow,” she produced with Brent Purgason, formerly of GWAR, on the A side, and a country version of the same song on the B side. She established her own label, Weeper Records, and is producing her second full length album featuring her originals including recent singles “Spirit Of Death” and “Tennessee Weeper,” both country ballads.
She grew up in the heart of Appalachia, born in Abingdon, Virginia, and currently based in Nashville, where she performs regularly mixing tradition and old school country ‘twang’ with a hint of gothic flavor. Her performances have been described as ‘gothic with fringe’ specializing in retro-country look and sound wrapped in a sweet darkness that served as inspiration for country legends.
She possesses the perfect voice for classic-sounding country. Her tone, pitch and range are felt as she weaves her way through a compelling vocal melody on her latest single, the timeless ”Tennessee Weeper” with sweeping pedal steel and warmly resonant upright bass.
After winning the Richard Leigh Songwriters Festival song contest in 2015, Kelsey Rae headed to Nashville where she released her first album, “Fortune Teller,” featuring Amythyst Kiah on banjo. She became a regular on the live scene in Nashville with residencies at Layla’s and The Nashville Palace, and she performed at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion seven times over the years.
