With a distinctly raw, plainspoken form of instinctual song craft, 23-year-old Hayden Blount has grown into the epitome of a real-deal country outsider … and he’s got no intentions of changing that up. A native and current resident of Savannah, Tennessee, the self-taught talent wields a no-B.S. sound and a drive to cut his own path, earning breakout acclaim with the God’s-honest-truth as his only creative requirement. Because where Blount comes from, a man’s word is his bond. Living out the lines of countless country songs, the rising star played baseball throughout high school before an injury derailed his plans, and rule-breaking country innovators like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers refocused his attention. Proving a quick study with a gift for rural realism, the D.I.Y. singer-songwriter released his first independent tracks in 2023, and in 2024 the romantic rough edges of “To Know You Were Mine” cut through. Leading to a distribution deal with Santa Anna, Blount followed up with the 2024 EP debut Up, Out, and Leaving – nine-songs which solidified his rustic sound and stripped-down melodic instincts, driven by a vocal built on character, not theatrics. Likewise, brutal honesty formed the bedrock of a unique creative vision, with solo-written songs keeping Blount focused – and never chasing trends. The burning desire behind 2024’s “Good God, Hot Damn” gathered steam, and later that year “Heaven on Earth” became a bonafide hit. Built on a dusky but propulsive guitar-and-fiddle pairing, it’s racked up more than 25 million streams while standing in sharp contrast to the mainstream. Still based in Savannah, Blount will spend early 2026 on the road. And with a new debut album in the works, that style is bound to evolve … but never stray from the truth. Singer/songwriter Zandi Holup has the kind of voice that instantly cuts to the heart's deepest corners: enchanting, enigmatic, profoundly world-weary but radiant with raw feeling. After building grassroots following by sharing her demos and song fragments online, Holup landed a deal with Big Loud Records and set to work on her debut album, Wildflower: a revelatory body of work born from embracing her singular eccentricity, ultimately bringing an incandescent beauty to the most painful of experiences. Holup joined forces with producer Ryan Hadlock (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers, Wyatt Flores) on the record, captured during a month recording at Bear Creek Studios in the woods of northwest Washington. Cut from the same cloth as legendary folk singer-songwriters like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, Holup's raw brand of original folk country flourishes through unfiltered storytelling reminiscent of Dolly Parton and emphasized by her emotive vocals. A mesmerizing performer, Holup has opened for the likes of country legend and Grand Ole Opry member Steve Earle, Amanda Shires, Midland and more. “It's almost like my voice is the embodiment of who I am as a person, and when I sing, I feel like it's my soul coming out,” Holup shares.