WNC Original Music

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Kristian Phillip Valentino is a solo acoustic, singer-songwriter born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now residing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. His musical palette falls between the lines of indie folk, singer-songwriter and Americana. Fans of Gregory Alan Isakov, Iron and Wine and Jason Isbell, will feel comfortable here. His lyrics are a healing balm from the daily struggle as they wash over you with a deep reverence.

After the passing of his father, ending up homeless and being broken up with all within one month, Kristian began writing songs in the summer of 2010, as a way to start processing all he'd been through and begin the healing process.

From 2010 until 2016 Kristian went under the moniker Ramblin' Pan. This project was an Alt Country, Folk sound that was heavily influenced by Ryan Adams, Mumford and Sons, and Johnny Cash. He released 1 EP, "A Prodigals Tale" and 1 self titled LP under the moniker. He also went on several national tours in various coffee shops and venues across the USA. In the summer of 2016, Kristian decided to take a break from music after years of constant touring and some deeply traumatic family experiences.

In 2019, Kristian had several life changes; including moving to Asheville,NC, getting married, and working through the healing process of the traumatic family events he experienced before his break in 2016.

The new album is a concept record based on the 4 seasons Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The plot is a love story that starts in Spring and weaves through the other seasons leading to a breakup in the Winter. There are 12 songs, 3 for each season and Kristian is currently releasing 1 song a month for the next year starting in March 2021.

Kristian wrote this album in 7 days, to process a relationship that had ended. Although it ends as a sad story, it's a story that will resonate with many others and hopefully can be a healing balm of hope. There are a lot of exciting things happening each month this year, so you don’t want to miss anything! Make sure to join the email list to follow along in the journey.

After eighteen months of meticulous crafting, Across The Sea are set to unveil their much-anticipated second album The Wayfarer Triptych, scheduled for release on 1st October. A nine-track concept piece,  the album narrates an original story penned by the band themselves, marrying fantasy and folklore, fairytale and philosophy, to present a stirring tale of drama, adventure and mystery.

An artistic Endeavour near-cinematic in its scope and ambition, The Wayfarer Triptych sees the genre-defying progressive duo push every aspect of their signature sound to the extreme in order to create an immense work of astonishing musicality, vivid storytelling, dizzying virtuosity, and staggering emotional resonance.

Hailing from Worthing on the West Sussex coast in the south of England, Across The Sea sound unlike any act you’ve heard before. Evocative, otherworldly, and utterly captivating, they defy categorization, inhabiting a place where the boundlessness of the imagination transcends genre limitations and conventions. A breathtaking synthesis of the haunting, siren-like vocals of classically trained soprano Hannah Katy Lewis and the dynamic, unorthodox and experimental guitar style of Pete Ferguson, their mesmerizingly unique sound is wildly eclectic, fiercely inventive and singularly distinctive.

Tyler Moore is a  Native of and resides in WNC.  He's a Multi-instrumentalist  and vocalist of newfound alt/eclectic Rock outfit “Man Moans”. The record is self-titled and the debut album is available now.

From the Northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan, Wolf Willow plays original country and western inspired by honkytonk, Western swing and countrypolitan retro sounds. Wolf Willow both stretches and upholds the retro-country tradition as they have played festivals (Ness Creek ,Gateway, Break-Out West) and tour dates across western Canada. After receiving a Western Canadian Music nomination for Visual Media Composer of the year, Wolf Willow has spent 2020 preparing a new full length album for release in Fall 2021.  The first single, All I Can Say is now available on all major streaming platforms.

Founded in 2018, Vagabond Crowe quickly became one of the premiere bands on the Alternative Americana/Folk scene. The band premiered with an original catalogue of fresh, folky and soulful music.  After releasing their debut EP in the fall of 2019, Vagabond Crowe began performing shows in North and South Carolina, and became known as a local band on the rise. After playing together for two years the band took a break from the stage and lead singer, Mitch Stewart, went back into the studio to create and craft a set of new songs that are set to be released as singles during 2021 and beyond.

After a year away from the stage Vagabond Crowe is in the process of creating something new and true to what the heartbeat of the music is, as 2021 is a time for the stage to be set for a new era of Vagabond Crowe.

Accomplishments So Far:

• Winner of The Rise Guys Brutally Honest Music Review

Katie in the Attic is an indie-folk/ indie-pop singer-songwriter based in Angus, Scotland. She plays piano & viola, as well as touching on a few other instruments. With a variety of genres influencing her music, folk strongly resonates through her songs, inspired by artists such as John Martyn, Nick Drake, Eva Cassidy, and Damien Rice to name a few. Growing up, she played across the Orkney Islands, where she was involved widely in the music scene. Usually found next to her piano, Katie pours her heart and soul into her song-writing. Listeners have likened her unique voice to Joni Mitchel. The whole writing process is very personal, as she re-lives emotions and experiences from throughout her life. Songs tend to channel their way out naturally when she has something to process – and they play an important part in telling her story. Highlights for Katie in the Attic include playing her own set as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In recent months, Katie was discovered online by a BBC radio presenter, and has taken part in interviews and performances on their own live lockdown show ‘ChannelZee’.

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