Matt Heckler with Sweet Baby Jules
Matt Heckler Website / Bandcamp / Instagram MATT HECKLER is a solo multi-instrumentalist that barely fits into any ordinary musical category. He tends to keep to the darker side of Appalachian mountain music and early bluegrass but listen long enough and you’ll soon be transported to the mountains of Eastern Europe or a dimly lit bar in Ireland where they honor those who have passed with a gently swaying a cappella ballad. After touring almost nonstop for years in support of bands like Devil Makes Three, Lost Dog Street Band, Flogging Molly, and others, HECKLER, like the rest of us, got sidelined by the ongoing global pandemic. With the newfound time off, he set to pushing creative boundaries in his home recording studio as far as his mind would allow. Each fiddle, banjo, and guitar track carefully put in place all the while retaining the grit and energy reflected in his live shows. Paired perfectly as the sequel to After The Flood, the Blood, Water, Coal album is a defining release in his career. Blood, Water, Coal was performed and recorded by MATT HECKLER with upright bass and backing vocals provided by Jeff Loops (Lost Dog Street Band). While recording Blood, Water, Coal, MATT HECKLER released The Magnolia Sessions outdoor live set – the maiden release for the now popular series – which made it to #9 on the Bluegrass Billboard Charts. The Magnolia Sessions was still charting upon the release of Blood, Water, Coal, which debuted at #3, leaving HECKLER with two albums running on the Billboard Charts simultaneously. With the release of his last album, “This Town Is Killin Me”, HECKLER signed off on his fourth album with a national tour. Fans filled the venues for a rowdy solo act, and he held true to the grit of his live shows reputation. Moving forward, HECKLER has a new album in the works, which he says is his best yet. Keep your ears peeled for future recordings, videos and performances near you. Sweet Baby Jules Bandcamp
JAWSFEST 2026
Paprika with COGS and Buck Swope
Paprika Instagram / Bandcamp COGS Instagram Buck Swope Instagram / Bandcamp
Withered witth Xenobile
Withered Website From its inception, WITHERED has been an outlier, a perplexing charge of extremity which the metal scene has never been able to put its finger on. “We want to compound new elements into every album,” posits guitarist/vocalist Mike Thompson, “and we’re definitely a band for metal nerds. Our audience seems to be the old-schoolers who are absorbed by this stuff every day and jaded folks of a certain age. Industry types and peers tend to get it, but that’s about it.” Thompson’s self deprecating assessment of his creative output might be part gentlemanly humility talking or a harshly realistic take on WITHERED’s cult status, or somewhere in between, but with an impressive body of work fanned out over the course of 18 years and five albums which have weathered as many trends, the Atlanta quartet continues to confound and refuses to compromise. New album, Verloren is the band’s most daring and iconoclastic work yet, one that spits in the eye of complacency and exists as a contrarian masterstroke. Xenobile Website Ignorant Death Metal from Atlanta
Celaris with We Used to Cut The Grass, Somnium, and Lofield
Celaris Bandcamp Celaris is a progressive metal band from Raleigh, NC We Used to Cut The Grass Bandcamp A genuinely fun-loving experimental ensemble from New Jersey. Somnium Bandcamp Math rock from the Carolinas Lofield Bandcamp Lofield is a post-rock outfit comprised of Adam Norris (Guitar, Bass, Vox) and Joey Colvin (Drums).Together they seek to blend as many genres and sounds as possible within the typical workings of Post-Rock. Samples, beats, angular riffs, strings, synths, and more make up the fabric of Lofield songs.
Jack the Songman, Eric Lee Hardt, and Chris Chism
Jack the Songman Jack The Songman is a new artist from North Carolina determined to show you a good time straight from the heart. The man behind the song, Jack Carmichael, has been making music in the Triangle for more than a decade. Under the “Songman” moniker, he writes songs with a funky, classic pop sound that feels familiar but sincere. Love, togetherness, and celebration of the mundane are central motifs baked into the entire Songman catalog. Born into a family of musicians, Carmichael has been a member of various musical ensembles since childhood—however, it wasn’t until his mid-twenties that he stepped into the dual role of frontman and songwriter as Jack The Songman. With the support of lifelong friends and collaborators (known collectively as The Songman Band), Carmichael has forged a genre-melding, piano-driven sonic identity that weaves together elements of yacht rock, funk, and power pop while calling to mind musical forces such as Michael McDonald and Ben Folds. Since stepping onto the scene, the Songman has made a name for himself playing high-energy shows throughout the Triangle. Carmichael’s songwriting craft has made an impression on his hometown, generating a commission to write and record the signature jingle for Chapel Hill’s radio station, 97.9 The Hill WCHL. The debut album “Love Songs and Other Songs” comes on the heels of Carmichael’s marriage to his high school sweetheart. The tracklist navigates different stages and flavors of a romantic relationship, from the high-energy, horn-forward bop “No Plans” to the heartening ballad “Get By”. As groovy as it is heartfelt, Jack The Songman’s first album is an exposition on joy, warmth, and endearment. Chris Chism Chris Chism is a North Carolina-based musician, originally from Indiana, whose work blends traditional folk with modern indie and alternative influences. Playing guitar and banjo, Chris creates music that is both deeply personal and open to interpretation.His songs carry a melancholic tone, but offer glimpses of hope for those willing to look closer. Through a unique mix of heartfelt storytelling and diverse musical elements, Chris’s work invites listeners to connect with the beauty and complexity of life’s quieter moments. Eric Lee Hardt A captivating songwriter and expressive performer. Eric Lee Hardt is a recent transplant to the Carrboro music scene you won’t want to miss. With a broad span of influence and experience, his music radiates the countless hours and miles that have crafted his unique sound. With lyric forward songs and guitar technique shaped by years of composition and real world experience gained through performance on the road. He delivers a musical experience you won’t soon forget
Living in Y2K Early 2000s Dance Party
LIVING IN Y2K: EARLY 2000s DANCE PARTY The best Y2K Party in the USA comes to Chapel Hill for the first time!!! • Nothing but the best throwback hits and remixes spinning all night long • A Costume Contest with $100 Cash Prize • Free Y2K Gifts & Candy, and much more!!! Follow @Living.in.Y2K on Instagram+TikTok for more info!
Dynamite Brothers with Crank Stallion and Megayacht
Dynamite Brothers Bandcamp / Instagram Crank Stallion Website / Instagram Megayacht Bandcamp / Instagram