Olivia Ellen Lloyd
Olivia Ellen Lloyd learned to play music at the feet of her father Greg, a staple in her hometown’s local music scene. Raised in Shepherdstown, WestVirginia Lloyd spent her life surrounded by music, the river, and the mountains. The youngest of four girls, Lloyd’s family has lived in the WestVirginia hills since before the state’s founding.
Her Appalachian roots run deep and are evident in both her songwriting and singing. “West Virginia is my cowriting partner for a lot of these songs. I am proudly an Appalachian songwriter, and I spent about a decade trying to “find”myself when I realized it was there all along.”After suffering a great deal of loss in her early 20s (including the death of her father and best friend) Lloyd largely stopped performing, but she never stopped writing songs.
Eventually, music found its way back to her when she stumbled upon a lively session at Sunny’s bar in Brooklyn, NY. From finding her footing in bluegrass jams and backroom bars to leading a band at the Bowery Electric and The Bitter End, Lloyd tumbled back into the music scene like she had never left.Lloyd’s debut album, “Loose Cannon,” is the culmination of nearly a decade of work. Her music is heavily influenced by classic country sounds combined with modern influences like Jenny Lewis, Jason Isbell, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Learn more at http://www.brooklynbasementrecords.com
Bil Lepp
Bil Lepp is an award-winning storyteller, author, and recording artist. He’s also the host of the History Channel’s Man Vs History series, and a contributing columnist to the West Virginia Gazette-Mail. Growing up in a family where the truth was fluid, Bil Lepp became adept at spinning tales and exaggerating circumstances at an early age. A nationally renowned storyteller and five time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest, Bil’s outrageous, humorous tall-tales and witty stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages and from all walks of life. Though a champion liar, his stories often contain morsels of truth which shed light on universal themes. Be it a hunting trip, a funeral, or a visit to the dentist, Bil can find the humor in any situation. Lepp explains that while his stories may not be completely true, they are always honest.“
…Lepp, a cross between Dr. Seuss and…film noir....” -Charleston Gazette
Bil is the author of seven books and twenty-one audio collections. His first children’s book, The King ofLittle Things, won the PEN Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing, received a Kirkus Starred review, and favorable reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, The School Library Journal and other publications. It also won the Zena Sutherland Award, the Parent’s Choice Gold Award, was a finalist for the Irma Black Award, and was chosen to be West Virginia's book at the National BookFestival.
Bil lives in South Charleston, WV with his wife and two children.
Learn more at https://www.leppstorytelling.com
Wes Collins
At age 44, Wes Collins and his wife Anita made a pact to become writers: she started writing fiction and Wes penned his first song. A few years later, they were both multi-award-winners in their fields. Collins more than makes up for lost time with songs so dense with ideas that a first listen only scratches the surface. Come for a haunting melody and some intricate fingerpicking and stay for the wit and deep literary intelligence. There is always more to find in a Wes Collins song.
Wes has played shows from coast to coast including: The Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville, TN; The Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX; the Cary Theater in Cary, NC (opening for Dave Olney); and many more. He is a winner of the prestigious Grassy Hills New Folk Competition and a North Carolina Arts Council Songwriting Fellowship, and has been featured as a finalist in The Telluride Troubadour Contest in Telluride, CO; The Songwriter's Serenade Competition in Moravia, TX; and The Wildflower Performing Songwriter Contest in Dallas, TX.
Wes recorded his third album Jabberwockies at Chris Rosser's Hollow Reed Arts Studio in Asheville, North Carolina, with special contributions by Ordinary Elephant and Jaimee Harris. Advance reviews for Jabberwockies are very positive and the album looks poised to surpass the success of his popular second album Welcome to the Ether.
Learn more at https://wescollins.com
