MELISSA & MCKINNEY
Melissa & McKinney is led by mother/daughter powerhouse singer/songwriters residing in Asheville, NC. With roots embedded in funk, soul, and blues, their powerful presence, undeniable chemistry, and deep bonds take their audience on a musical journey filled with joy, and then sadness, to healing, and back to laughter. Both women have a passion for community and music education. They work with LEAF Global Arts and produce the Women to the Front Music Festival together. McKinney works at Orange Peel and Rabbit Rabbit and Melissa also works with AVLFest and Black Mountain Blues.
RAINY EYES
“I really love “You Just Want What You Can’t Have”…It’s a great song, very well produced and Rainy’s an awesome singer -she really jumps out of the speakers! That track could easily be nominated for Americana record of the year. – DON WAS
Norwegian-born, Lafayette, LA-based alt-country artist Rainy Eyes has released her second album, Lonesome Highway, via Royal Potato Family. The 11-track collection was produced by Dirk Powell and features appearances by Sam Grisman, Ric Robertson, Chris Stafford and Eric Adcock among an exceptional cast of accompanying musicians.
Rainy Eyes was born and raised in Bergen, Norway. After fleeing a troubled upbringing and moving to Denmark at 18, she met and fell in love with an American free jazz musician. By 19, Rainy had eloped to San Francisco where she immersed herself in the local music community, befriending musicians like Peter Rowan, Sam Grisman and Ric Robertson while launching the West Marin Fiddle Camp.
Following the demise of her marriage, Rainy and her son left the Bay area for South Louisiana, drawn by the music and culture of the tradition-rich region. Once there, Rainy forged a collaboration with acclaimed musician and producer Dirk Powell (Rhiannon Giddens, Loretta Lynn) who encouraged her to further develop the songs she’d been working on while in California. Together, they hunkered down in Powell’s bayou studio, determined to fulfill the promise of what she’d begun. It ultimately resulted in her second studio album, Lonesome Highway, a hope-filled and assertive collection of 11 alt-country and Americana-based songs that present Rainy breaking cycles, trusting the universe, and allowing her higher self to lead the way.
