The Deslondes are a New Orleans-based country-soul, swamp-boogie band. In their writing and performing, they combine elements of early Stax, Sun and Atlantic records with the influence of a more raw, stripped-down sound gleaned off field recordings from Alan Lomax and Mississippi Records catalogue. In their writing as well as their lives, The Deslondes three principle songwriters—Sam Doores, Riley Downing and Cameron Snyder—endeavor to carry on the traveling country-troubadour tradition of their heroes Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley and John Prine. With the help of bassist Dan Cutler and pedal steel-fiddle player John James, the band’s musical production and vocal arrangements are inspired by the rhythmic, high energy, and harmony-driven sounds of their other heroes, The Band and Allen Toussaint. Bandleader Sam Doores left his home as a teenager to ramble around and seek out likeminded musicians. Along the road he met Cameron Snyder and they embarked on a road trip to the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in their outfit, at the time, called Broken Wing Routine. It was there they first met Missouri native Riley Downing, trading tunes around a camp fire, though it would be a few years before all three would be in the same band together. Shortly after that first Woodyfest, Sam settled down in New Orleans, where he met fellow freight hopping, hitchhiking street musicians like Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Lee Segara and Yosi Perlstein, as well as New Orleans-based bassist Dan Cutler. Doores and Cutler formed the original group under the name Sam Doores & the Tumbleweeds in February 2010, and began touring and playing honky tonks in New Orleans, and also served as the backing band for Hurray for the Riff Raff. That summer Sam spent another Woodyfest trading tunes with Riley and in September of 2010, Riley joined the Tumbleweeds in New Orleans, bringing with him a relaxed, downhome style, a powerful deep raspy voice, and a rich new bag of tunes. In October 2012, Sam Doores + Riley Downing & the Tumbleweeds released their debut album, Holy Cross Blues, on the Canadian roots label Dollartone Records. The album features Doores’ call-and-response-style field song “I Got Found,” Downing’s old west lament, “Throw Another Cap in the Fire,” and a ’60s doo-wop soul version of “Depression Blues.” While supporting Alabama Shakes and Michael Kiwanuka on a West Coast tour in early 2013, the band added John James and Cameron Snyder, completing the lineup, and has since toured together opening for The Lumineers and Oklahoma native John Fullbright. In August 2013, the band discovered that it would have to change its name. The Tumbleweeds was taken and taken again, and that’s how The Deslondes were born—named after the street in the Holy Cross where the band first wrote, practiced, and recorded; and where Sam Doores currently lives.

Georgia-bred, Nashville-based songwriter Kristina Murray plays Americana and country music rooted and steeped in troubadour storytelling, southern-rock grit and the footsteps of country queens of yesteryear. Kristina’s songwriting springs from a deep and personal desire to share her truth, her opinions and convictions, and the simple joys and tragedies of life. Her songs adhere to the adage “write what you know,” and her delivery is as fluid, rhythmic, and steady as her right hand on her 1963 J-45, a beloved companion whom she endearingly calls Lil’ Sister in a nod to an early musical hero, one Elvis Presley. Kristina currently lives in Nashville, where she is active in the underground independent country and Americana music scene that pays homage to the jangle of an acoustic guitar, the sting of a Telecaster, tight harmonies and a walking bassline—the sweat and grime and heartache of country legends—rather than, say, the synth and drum machine of contemporary pop country. One listen and you’ll believe every word that drips from her honky-tonk hewn, honeyed vocal style. Released on her own label, Loud Magnolia Records, her second full length album, Southern Ambrosia conveys a fierce and witty perspective on southernisms, hard truths, heartbreak, and the eternal magical mystery and saving grace of melody, music and song.  

Devin Champlin is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, luthier and artist from Northwestern Washington. As the frontman/songwriter for Sons Of Rainier (along with bandmates Dean Johnson, Sam Gelband, and Charlie Meyer) he has carved out a unique voice in the contemporary indy-folk americana world. Intimate lyrics filled with optimistic existentialism are unhurriedly sung with a woodgrain baritone over fingerpicked guitar, the occasional elbow fiddle or keyboard. He prefers not to lean too hard into any specific genre, although he's satisfied with the umbrella term "folk" as the idea of non-commercial music made by people for the people. He's spent the better part of two decades studying traditional American musical styles, specifically country blues guitar and old time fiddle tunes, learning from old source recordings, elders in the scene, and the festival/camp community. Along with that cultural musical nerdery he has a prolific output of original music. As an artist with a DIY aesthetic, he uses songcraft as a medium to create imagery- along those lines he also produces animations, videos, paintings, drawings, and prints in tandem with his musical output. Keeping the audience (and himself) on their toes, he rarely plays the same thing twice- sometimes it may seem as if the wheels are about to fall off, but the train stays on the tracks and it's a satisfying roll. His recordings, solo and with Sons Of Rainier have found their way into the permanent library of hobos, widows, fry cooks, and fancy pants alike. In addition to his 2 releases with Sons Of Rainier he has a handful of self-released full length solo albums out, including one all instrumental album recorded on an Amtrak train, and the most recently released Lonesome Splendor In The Circus Tent (2024).