Red Barn Radio

Monroeville is a Smoky Mountain-based band rooted in the traditions of Bluegrass, Country, and Blues music — with a modern energy that connects across genres and generations.

Founded by Matt Munsey, a Grammy-nominated musician, Monroeville began in 2010 with the release of their self-titled debut album. What started as a passion for honest, acoustic-driven music quickly grew into a full-time act known for engaging crowds and delivering high-energy performances.

Since their debut in 2010, Monroeville has stayed true to its roots, writing and performing original music. Over the years, the band has recorded four full-length albums, numerous singles and music videos, and a live album with a youth orchestra — all made up of original songs that reflect their sound, story, and evolution as a group.

That commitment to original music and live performance has opened the door to major moments along the way — including being named IBMA Momentum Band of the Year and performing in front of 80,000 fans at Bristol Motor Speedway on live television. They have performed live filmings for syndicated TV shows, and secured coveted spots on national festival stages.

Darron Sturgill is a Singer-Songwriter from Rockcastle County Kentucky; Bursting into the acoustiverse with Americana style inspired music with multi-genre undertones. He gives inspirational messages in his lyrics and textured guitar riffs with his inspirations from his library of music influences; Conveying a relax-ing feel to his live performances.

He's played many bookings at many places including Legends Bar & Venue (Cincinnati, OH), The Burl (Lexington, KY) & many more in and around the Kentucky area; Radio stations including WRFL 88.1 (Lexington, KY), V-99.3 (Irvine, KY) & WGOH-WUGO 100.9 (Grayson, KY); festivals including Mewz In The Mountains, Cannastock, Flood With Love; Actor and Soundtrack Creator in partnership with a local Kentucky Film Called Moonbow Movie, Starred in two music video's; including benefit events as well.

Rainbow Girls formed in the fall of 2010, when they began performing together at an underground open mic in UC Santa Barbara’s neighboring college town, Isla Vista.[1] Original members consisted of Erin Chapin, Caitlin Gowdey, Vanessa Wilbourn, and Cheyenne Methmann.[2]

The band spent the Summer of 2011 busking and couch-surfing in Europe, and releasing self-recorded de-mos.[3] When they returned to California in the Fall, they began playing with drummer Savannah Hughes. The band performed at farmers markets in the Santa Barbara area, playing venues like SoHo and Cold Spring Tavern and performing at local festivals like Earth Day and Summer Solstice.[4]

In April 2013, the band left Santa Barbara and moved to the countryside north of San Francisco’s Bay Area. That same year, Rainbow Girls released their crowdfunded debut album, The Sound of Light.[5] Rainbow Girls continued to tour the West Coast regularly, as well as Europe and the UK every summer.

After the departure of Methmann in 2014,[6] the remaining four members recorded their sophomore album, Perceptronium, and released it in June 2015.[7]

In the spring of 2016, Hughes announced she could no longer tour with the band full-time, so the remaining three members of the band – Chapin, Gowdey, and Wilbourn – began performing as a trio. In this period they opened for John Craigie and The Brothers Comatose.[8]

On November 8, 2017, Rainbow Girls released their third album, American Dream, with a shift to a more acoustic folk sound.[9][10][11]

In the fall of 2018, the band received wide exposure when their video of Alvin Robinson's "Down Home Girl" received several million views on Facebook.[12] They soon went into the studio to record a cover al-bum, Give the People What They Want, which was released on February 22, 2019.[13] Their video for “Down Home Girl” (originally performed by Robinson and popularized by The Rolling Stones, The Coast-ers, and Old Crow Medicine Show) led them to be picked up by Madison House booking agency, as well as by manager, Hannah Spero

Episode 256

First Air 09-20-26

Matt Axton and Badmoon

Badmoon

Gravey

Home Sweet Home

Same Old Story

Matt Axton is a gifted singer/songwriter. Granted, that’s a claim made by many artists that inhabit the world of Americana these days, but in Matt’s case, it’s more than a mere boast. The ability to make music is firmly infused in his genes, courtesy of a family history that implanted that ability in him early on.

While he modestly describes his sound as a “humble slice of Americana,” it’s clear that it possesses so much more. With a style that encompasses country, folk, roots, rock, R&B, and pure pop proficiency, he defies easy categorization. With a rich reservoir of original tunes — over 300 in fact — and three well received albums (Blue Sky Rain, Matthew C. Axton and Badmoon), he’s established himself as a prolific and proficient singer, songwriter and guitarist, both on his own and at the helm of his various ensembles.

Even a small sampling of his musical output proves the point. His “Blue Sky Rain” is both stirring and seductive, an easy amble that belies its description of the topsy turvy travails that accompany the entanglements of relationships. “Born of Chains” is flush with steadfast determination, a rugged, relentless bluesy-rocker that conveys clear conviction and a desire to overcome whatever obstacles are tossed in his way. On the other hand, “Everything” is an homage to romance, desire and faithfulness shared with some upbeat bluegrass banter. Here again, Matt demonstrates his remarkable fluidity and a decidedly affable attitude.

Notably, he also keeps good company. Matt has recorded original material with Steve Ferrone (drummer for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) and Hal Cragin (bassist for Iggy Pop), and shared sessions at the legendary East West Studios in Hollywood where Tom Petty recorded much of his work. The songs include: “Last Search”, a Southern rock-style anthem; “Born of Chains,” which shares a sparse and dark singer/songwriter vibe; the Americana style “What a Day”; the soulful strains of “Soul to Sell” and “The Big South”, a blues groove reminiscent ZZ Top.

He has collaborated on projects such as “Abbey Road Reimaged – A Tribute to the Beatles” where Aaron Badgley of Spill Magazine called Axton’s cover of ‘Octopus’ Garden’ “pure genius.”

“Matt’s powerful songwriting and vocals, along with his natural rapport with the audience, was the highlight of the 4th of July celebration where we hired him to play for the 3,500 people at Donner Lake,” said Ben Martin, executive director of the Tahoe Truckee School of Music and Tahoe Music Professionals booking service.

Grace Rogers is a musician & writer from Kentucky having just released her debut full length album Mad Dogs (Sophomore Lounge, 2025). Grace Rogers blends rock, country, and traditional influences into tunes that, in the words of Leigh Viner, "hum like hymns and drive like rain." Pitchfork named Mad Dogs one of the 30 best Rock Albums of 2025, and Stereogum writes, “Rogers has the kind of talent and irrepressible per-sonality that makes a singer-songwriter stand out in a crowded field.” Long Bio: Kentucky singer, songwriter and poet, Grace Rogers, comes from a family of old time, traditional and string band musicians. Her great grandpa Charlie Rogers played guitar in the Kentucky String Ticklers, recorded on the Gennett Record Label in Richmond Indiana during the Great Depression. Grace, herself, has been playing solo shows and tradi-tional music for around ten years. But on Mad Dogs (Sophomore Lounge, May 2025, Worried Songs, Nov 2025) her debut studio album, Rogers has ventured beyond the music she cut her teeth on with the help of a group of skillful, kind-hearted musician friends: Ian Gordon on electric guitar, Chris Cupp on bass and cello, and Fiona Palensky on drums and vocal harmonies. Drawing nourishment from the deep roots of her home place in Bath County and watered by the freak waters of Louisville, Rogers has crafted eight original tracks that hum like hymns and drive like rain. The album was recorded by Jim Marlowe at End of an Ear (Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, Joan Shelley, Young Widows) in Louisville, KY, and mixed and mastered by Carl Saff at SaffMastering. Pitchfork named Mad Dogs one of the 30 best Rock Albums of 2025, and Stere-ogum writes, “Rogers has the kind of talent and irrepressible personality that makes a singer-songwriter stand out in a crowded field.”

Every so often we have the chance to introduce you to an artist who's still at the be-ginning of the journey. Those are some of my favorite evenings, because years later you can say, "I remember hearing them before everyone else did." I think you'll feel that way about Garrett Dearing, our guest next week on Red Barn Radio.

Garrett has turned a lifetime of Kentucky memories, a mix of colorful characters, sad times and hopeful times, into songs that are we like a lot not because they're flashy or trying to be clever, but because they are honest and accessible to all. Raised in Barren County, Garrett began singing in church before discovering that songwriting could help him make sense of the life he's lived.

Growing up in the small town of Union, West Virginia, Caden was sur-rounded by old timers. While no one in his family played an instrument, he got bored and decided he would learn to play the banjo. He taught himself to play bluegrass banjo at a young age. That lead to Caden pick-ing up a guitar as well. Eventually he would grow to love southern rock, blues, country, and folk music with big inspirations such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Doc Watson, Jim Croce, The Allman Brothers and many more! These inspirations molded his voice to what it is today! His knowledge and playability of music is a wide variety of all genres! Caden has music across all platforms telling tales of Appalachia.

The only thing Full SpectrumBluegrass has to prove is that bluegrass music is for everyone. 

Their debut EP Homesick (releasedNovember 2025) virtuosically showcases the driving rhythm of classic artistslike Bill Monroe and JD Crowe, while intertwining original songwriting thatexplores the modern queer, trans, and urban experience. Without losing sight oftradition, Full Spectrum invites people from all walks to access everythingthat makes bluegrass special. 

 ‘Full Spex’ finds fans in oldschool grassers, deadheads, Americana fans, and everyone who enjoys apassionate live performance. Their live set is a high energy mix of originals,bluegrass standards, and unexpected deep cuts. 

Erik Stucky is a internationally touring producer, songwriter, and instrumentalist.

Growing up in the mountains of Western Colorado, Stucky picked up his first mandolin at the age of eight. Following the release of his debut album Stray Clouds in 2017, Stucky packed up his instruments and headed for Nashville. Since then he’s released his sophomore album, Good Vibrations, and held stages across the United States and Europe.

Stucky has been featured multiple times by RFD-TV and Today in Nashville, as well as The Cowboy Channel, The Bluegrass Situation, Nashville Entertainment Weekly, and many other media outlets. His music has been praised by Americana UK, Roots Music Report, M Music & Musicians Magazine, and CMA, AMA, and ACM award-winner Crystal Gayle.

The music of the Carolinas (and Appalachia in general) stems from the marriage of the Irish fiddle and the African banjo, which first met in the South before the revolution. The Tan and Sober Gentlemen aim to bring these traditions full circle, blending Irish tunes, ballads, and pub songs with the Appalachian old-time and bluegrass music they grew up on. The result is a ruckus known affectionately as “Irish-American hill-billy music”.

Renowned as one of the South’s most electrifying live folk bands, The Tan and Sober Gentlemen are known for blazing tempos, raw energy, and unforgettable shows. Their performances are raucous celebra-tions of the Carolinas’ Irish heritage, filled with drinking, dancing, and downright joy, and have earned them a devoted following across the folk, bluegrass, celtic, and roots music scenes.

Since forming in 2017, the Tan and Sober Gentlemen have toured across the United States and Ireland, per-forming at festivals including MerleFest, Blue Ox Festival, IBMA Bluegrass Live!, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, Appaloosa Festival, FloydFest, Ramble Fest, Shakori Hills, and internationally at Electric Picnic, Spraoi, and the world’s largest Irish traditional music festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

In January 2024, the band sold out the Haw River Ballroom on their home turf of Alamance County, North Carolina, performing to 800 fans and recording a live album. Live at the Haw River Ballroom was released in February 2025. Their sophomore studio album, Regressive Folk Music (2022), followed their debut Ve-racity, which was named by Shite’n’Onions as one of the five best Celtic punk albums of 2019–2020.