Hailing from a small South Carolina beach town, Winyah emerged onto the music scene in early 2023 and has swiftly made their mark. They’ve shared stages with acclaimed artists such as The Red Clay Strays, The Vegabonds and The Stews, while also shredding festivals like Bonnaroo. Winyah’s live performances are a testament to their distinctive blend of indie and southern rock, featuring electrifying guitar solos and soulful vocals reminiscent of icons like Led Zeppelin, The Backseat Lovers, and flipturn. The band draws its name from Winyah Bay, a cherished landmark in their hometown where all five members spent their formative years. Their music is a reflection of the five rivers that converge into Winyah Bay, capturing the eternal summer vibes of their coastal upbringing. On the surface, Winyah delivers youthful energy and raw power, but their music also delves into themes of nostalgia and the bittersweet longing for childhood memories and cherished places.

Penelope Road is here to bring real performance back. It’s a goal as easy to grasp and slyly ambitious as the Georgia soul-pop band’s music itself, and that mission is playing out across the country to the tune of 20,000 tickets sold in 2025 alone. “We just want people to come to a show or throw on our music and feel like they’re in the ’70s,” says Max Moore, guitarist and one of two lead singers in the group, “where everything is happening on stage or in a studio — for real — and anyone tuning in is fully immersed in the music.” Call it throwback if you like. Penelope Road won’t mind. They don’t disdain old-school musical values; they embrace them. They’re a quintet of twenty-somethings who get visibly excited at the mention of AM radio rulers like Ambrosia and Pablo Cruise, who cover America and The Eagles at their increasingly legendary jam-heavy gigs, and who serve up a stew of perfect pop hooks, funky grooves, and sweet harmonies that’d fit into any yacht rock playlist worth its salt. The Penelope Road story starts on the Atlanta street that gave the group its name. Moore and bassist James Kopp were headquartered on Penelope Road with the rest of the initial lineup when things first got going in 2022, developing their sound amid some shabby circumstances. “We lived in an old, rickety house on the West End in the middle of nowhere. It was definitely a college house. We ran that place into the ground,” says Kopp. “It was gross,” Moore adds. But that house was the breeding ground for a special musical spark. And when the current band roster came to fruition the next year — including singer/keyboardist Charles Eastman, guitarist Koan Roy-Meighoo, and drummer Anthony Smith — Penelope Road moved from idea to action. With a shared musical background encompassing classic pop and rock, and a lingua franca of seminal R&B, the fellas quickly forged a sound that’s instantly accessible yet powered by real-deal musicianship too scarcely seen in modern music, on full display in their 2024 self-titled debut EP.  Penelope Road started out building a grassroots following at venues in and around the city. They got a big bump up the ladder when they began posting videos on social media, including the gently funky “Out Tonight,” filmed in the attic of the old Penelope Road house. Its cozy, homegrown feel quickly went viral, attracting labels, managers, and agents.  The band signed to Warner Records in 2025, and released their second EP, The Diamond Street Sessions. For the project, Penelope Road stayed close to home, recording at Diamond Street Studios in Little Five Points, Atlanta, run by Tedeschi Trucks Band drummer Tyler Greenwell. “It’s a small spot but it has a very special energy,” says Kopp. Packed together in the room, the band captured the warmth and immediacy of their live sound, producing a self-produced set with guidance from David Ryan Harris (who’s worked with John Mayer and Alicia Keys). The EP overflows with energy and a good-time mix of soul, funk, pop, and roots, featuring the mellow, post-breakup “Out Tonight,” the bittersweet, harmony-rich “Flowers (Carry Me Home),” and the jazzy, sensual slow-jam “So It Goes.” “We have a structure, and we have ideas, but a lot of stuff comes out when all five of us are sitting together in a room that just happens naturally,” says Kopp — and with Penelope Road, things happen naturally or they don’t happen at all. Following the success of The Diamond Street Sessions, Penelope Road released their latest EP, Chance Encounter in October 2025. With romantic heart-on-sleeve lyrics, full-band grooves, and impeccably warm harmonies, the project captures the spirit of their live performances while opening a fresh chapter in their story. Tracks like the hopeful “Feel It Coming My Way,” the soul-soaked “In Your Arms,” and the deeply longing “Like You Love Me” showcase the band’s knack for crafting songs that feel both classic and unmistakably their own. HITS Daily Double praised the group for their “organically soulful pop-rock” and “impeccable stacked harmonies,” while Creative Loafing Atlanta declared Penelope Road “in a league of their own.” Fresh off Chance Encounter, the Atlanta quintet closed out 2025 with three sold-out hometown shows in December and continued building their reputation through festival appearances and tours alongside Lake Street Dive and Goose. Penelope Road takes that momentum into 2026 with a North American headline tour kicking off February 13 in Brooklyn, NY. In addition, the band was featured on Grammy.com’s Grammy Reimagined series for their stunning Eagles cover, “Lyin’ Eyes,” showcasing their ability to honor classic influences while making them entirely their own. With Penelope Road, the music flows as naturally as the band itself. Warm, joyous, and rooted in real musicianship, their sound captivates fans live and on record, establishing them as one of today’s most exciting bands to watch.