Brigid Kaelin

Multi-instrumentalist Brigid Kaelin has been a guest on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion, the BBC, has traveled the world for her music, art, writing, and storytelling. She’s played accordion, piano, musical saw and sung with Elvis Costello on multiple continents, tours Europe at least once a year, yet remains a staple in Louisville, where she has received several "Best Singer/Songwriter" awards. Her latest single, **"Kentucky With You," is featured on the new Kentucky Proud** advertising campaign, and she's thrilled to have written a new song for her home state.  

In addition to her music, Brigid's writing has been published in Salon, ScaryMommy, Kveller, LEO, Louisville Magazine, and many blogs. A true Renaissance woman, Brigid is also an artist, focused on architectural paintings. Her works hang all over America, as well as a government building in Switzerland. She also recently turned down a dream role in a Broadway show in order to care for her dying parents ... and wouldn't change a thing about that. 

As you can see, focusing is not her forte, but anything in the arts is. And Brigid will do pretty much anything if there's a transatlantic plane ticket involved.

Learn more at https://www.brigidkaelin.com

The Honey Dewdrops

Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish of The Honey Dewdrops began touring in 2009 and have called the city of Baltimore home since 2014. With several albums and fourteen years of playing shows on the road, they continue to expand their experimental folk sound of electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and clawhammer banjo with tight vocal harmonies, while maintaining a commitment to deepening their understanding of the world through the lens of songwriting and music. No Depression says of the new album, Light Behind Light, “The Honey Dewdrops have a way of filling their songs with humanity, using their beautiful playing and harmonies to emphasize what connects us all.”

Learn more at https://www.thehoneydewdrops.com

John Bare & Don Dixon

John Bare is a photographer, songwriter, and former journalist who has worked for more than two decades in the nonprofit sector. With Don Dixon, John wrote songs for the 2019 album, Lassie James Songbook Vol. I, a collection of twelve original songs inspired by his novel. John was born in Winston-Salem and attended public schools in Garner, NC, where his parents were educators. He attended the University of North Carolina, where he studied film as an undergraduate, received a PhD in mass communication research, and developed an appreciation for biscuits, whiskey, and live music. John shares his house with rescue dogs Winston and Isadora.

Don Dixon was born in a small mill town in South Carolina in 1950. He became a professional bassist when he was in the 8th grade. In 1969, while a freshman at UNC-CH, he formed Arrogance with Robert Kirkland, Mike Greer, Jim Glasgow and Marty Stout. For 13 years, Arrogance played an integral part in the creation of the rich North Carolina Triangle Music Scene, first recording and releasing their own independent albums, then, with Glasgow replaced by Scott Davison, signing with Vanguard Records, a successful New York based label known primarily for folk (Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Odetta), jazz, (Elvin Jones, Oregon, Larry Coryell) and classical music. After the addition of Rod Abernethy in the late 70s, they signed to Warner/Curb.

Arrogance disbanded in 1983. In 1985, a collection of Dixon’s recordings from the previous few years called Most of the Girls Like To Dance But Only Some of the Boys Like To was released in the UK on Demon Records. Mega Records released that Lp in Europe, Australia and Japan. Shortly after, he signed with Enigma in the US. Howard Libov made a video for his song Praying Mantis which became popular on MTV, while Mega landed him several hits in Scandinavian countries where he often toured in the mid to late 80s.

He continued to make records for Enigma throughout the decade well into the 90s.

As a producer he has created albums with Chris Allen, Richard Barone, Kim Carnes, The Carpenter Ants, David Childers, The Connells, Marshall Crenshaw, Kyle Davis, Pat DiNizio, Fethchin Bones, Gin Blossoms, Larry Groce, Guadalcanal Diary, Hootie and the Blowfish, In Tua Nua, Marti Jones, Tommy Keene, Let’s Active, James McMurtry, Moxy Früvous, R.E.M., The Red Clay Ramblers, Rosavelt, Kelley Ryan, The Smithereens, Mathew Sweet and Austin Walkin’ Cane along with dozens of other equally talented bands and individuals.

He has written songs recorded by Joe Cocker, Counting Crows, Marshall Crenshaw, Hootie and the Blowfish, Marti Jones, Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector, among others.

Additionally, he has appeared in plays and movies.

Dixon has been a session musician throughout his life, singing and playing on dozens of recordings a year. He also tours regularly with Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Despite being born in the red clay of piedmont South Carolina, Dixon’s roots run deep in Eastern North Carolina where they draw from the waters of the Pamlico Sound. When riding the ferry from Cedar Island to Okracoke, if you’re very still, you might hear his voice singing faintly in the salty air.

He now lives in Ohio and continues to write, perform and produce. His newest collection, released in 2023, is called Gunny Sack.

Learn more at https://www.johnbarebooks.com