Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show

Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show

Chris Stapleton’s blend of throwback country, classic rock, and soul, along with his ability to craft memorable and meaningful songs — both as a behind-the-scenes journeyman and as a solo performer — have made him a well-regarded, highly rewarded part of the country music scene. Before his 2015 breakthrough debut album, Traveller, he worked in Nashville for years, leading the progressive bluegrass group the SteelDrivers and working as a professional songwriter, scoring hits with George Strait (“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”), Luke Bryan (“Drink a Beer”), and Darius Rucker (“Come Back Song”) and providing songs for superstars like Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Adele.

These covers signaled a deep reservoir of goodwill within the industry for the songwriter, which bubbled to the surface in the fall of 2015, when he took home three major trophies at the Country Music Association Awards. With his visibility boosted, Stapleton won his first Grammy for second studio album From a Room: Vol. 1. His work proved to be both popular and influential, moving mainstream country in a rootsier direction during the course of the late 2010s. He continued pursuing his hybrid sound on albums like 2020’s Starting Over and 2023’s Higher, which emphasized his soulful side.

About Grace Potter

A bluesy, roots rock specialist with a powerful voice, Grace Potter is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (primarily Hammond B-3 and guitar) who burst onto the scene in the early 2000s both as a solo artist and with her band the Nocturnals. The group went widescreen in 2013 with their eponymous third studio album, which paired country and heartland rock with muscular Memphis-style grooves. Potter disbanded the Nocturnals in 2013, teaming with producer Eric Valentine for the 2015 album Midnight. It was the beginning of a fruitful relationship: Valentine produced the contemplative Daylight in 2019 as well as the bold, colorful 2023 record Mother Road.

About Nikki Lane

A singer and songwriter who mixes the honky tonk atmosphere of vintage country with the clever bite of indie rock, Nikki Lane is a barroom siren whose music is tough, witty, and bold, inhabiting Nashville archetypes while upending them at the same time. Lane’s songs walk a fine line between sincerity and irony, but the passion and effectiveness of her vocals keeps her from sounding like a put-on, and her melodies mix rootsy twang and rock & roll edge with confidence. Lane introduced her talent with the 2011 debut Walk of Shame and added a soulful edge with 2014’s All or Nothin’ and 2017’s Highway Queen. With 2022’s Denim & Diamonds, she eased back on her country accents and added harder rock energy to her mix.