Natalie Brooke
When she first stepped into the role of bandleader, six months before the pandemic, Brooke was hesitant. The forced pause became a turning point. “When I first started my band, I was still a little shy being the front woman. Then during covid was when I decided that I can get back out there, I’m gonna not hold back. I’m gonna rip it up.” That commitment shows up not just in her stage presence—often wielding a keytar bought on impulse (“I wish I had a better story… I just bought the keytar”)—but in the way she runs her band. “I really like grit, and I really like when people like to be pushed and when they like to also push me… we always want to be hurtling forward, creating something new, and not getting stagnant.”
Her debut solo EP, Wicked and Wonderful (2024), hinted at this alchemy of sounds, combining instrumentals, piano-driven experiments, and genre-bending curiosity. The forthcoming album pushes further, weaving fusion, funk, and rock energy with moments of intimate storytelling. On stage, Brooke favors high energy, while in the studio she leans into narrative and nuance. “I like to go into the studio to really tell a story and honestly get things out that I can’t get out live,” she admits. The result is a body of work that honors both sides of her identity: the explosive live performer and the reflective songwriter.
Ultimately, Natalie Brooke’s story is one of reinvention, perfecting the art of learning to be heard, to lead, and to trust the creative tension that comes with pushing boundaries. The release of Measured In Moments captures that arc in full, cementing her place as one of the most compelling new voices in modern jazz-fusion and beyond.
Abby Byant
A music minister’s daughter turned fierce frontwoman on the festival scene, Abby Bryant found her true love for performing while attending Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Bryant quickly formed a touring band playing the Southeast and beyond with lifelong friend and guitarist Bailey Faulkner. She went on to release her debut album Not Your Little Girl which garnered critical acclaim and Americana chart success with themes of growing up, leaving home, and finding her own identity outside her traditional upbringing.
Produced by Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Bryant’s highly anticipated sophomore album Glowing, released fall 2024, includes a cast of heavy-hitting session musicians including Adam MacDougall (Circles Around the Sun, Chris Robinson Brotherhood) and John Kimock (Mike Gordon Band, Oteil Burbridge & Friends). Glowing features a collection of dynamic and contemplative tracks that highlight Bryant’s artistic growth and evolving sonic landscapes as she comes into her own and ventures into ever-bolder explorations.