Stephen

Artist - Stephen Wilson Jr. - Dreamy Draw 1

Stephen Wilson Jr. - 'Patches' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

If it wasn't already clear, here at Holler, we're diehard fans of Stephen Wilson Jr.

'Søn of Dad', his 2023 debut album, was a heartbreaking tribute and an autobiographical masterpiece. Wrenched from moonkick whiskey nights in Southern Indiana to soundtrack the dissonance of the 2020s, it felt like the sort of kick to the gut you'd be thankful to receive.

So it was only a question of when, not if, Stephen Wilson Jr would join us for his first Holler Live Session. Down in the sultry heat of Scottsdale, Arizona during the inaugural Dreamy Draw Festival, Wilson Jr delivered an intimate yet no less uncompromising performance that we wouldn't quickly forget.

Wilson Jr. introduces his songs with recitals and mantras - before he strums a single note, he mutters the chorus of his opening song like a whisper in the wind; "my patches got patches / and those patches got patches". It's a subtle opening that erupts into a beaten yet brazen celebration of taking on life's hurdles. "Yeah being broke down is how I's built / Hey look over there's another square on the quilt" Wilson Jr commands, his battered and beloved acoustic ringing gutturally under his voice.

"You can call me Billy, but the hills come with me", Wilson Jr. notes calmly, all before letting rip on a gutrot whiskey-soaked bluegrass riff. Knotty and meddling, Wilson Jr. proceeds into a vivid and poetic proclamation of being proud of who you are. "Collard green, cast-iron cornbread, pig on the griddle / out in the back is a soundtrack stacked with a fiddle", he spits, his guitar rattling with venom as he stomps on his trademark blast box. It's bold and striking, much like all of Wilson Jr.'s work.

One of our favourite sessions to date, Stephen Wilson Jr. once again proves why we're so excited about him - and how you should be too.

Stephen Wilson Jr. - 'Billy' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

For more Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions, see below:

Holler Presents Stephen Wilson Jr. for the Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions, performing his songs 'Patches' and 'Billy'.

Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Stephen Wilson Jr.

The artist behind Holler's No.1 Album of 2023 joins us for his first Holler Live Session in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Stephen Wilson Jr. - 'Patches' | Holler Dreamy Draw Session

Ross

Author - Ross Jones 2

Artist - Nolan Taylor - Dreamy Draw Festival 2023 3

Nolan Taylor - 'Life/Love' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

If this is your first introduction to Nolan Taylor, prepare for a tear or two. 

The Cincinnati songwriter has quickly made a name for himself as one of the most vulnerable lyricists and storytellers in a wave of compelling artists currently coming through the folkier Appalachian scene.

Joining us for his first Holler Live Session in the Arizonian sunshine at Dreamy Draw Festival, Taylor shows just why we've all become so enamoured with him over the last 12 months.

Nolan Taylor - 'Wichita' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

"I wrote it about coming to terms with the end of a relationship" Taylor shares while introducing his first song, the moving 'Life/Love'. A tangled and emotional observation, it encompasses the numbness and insecurity you feel when something that you thought would last comes to end. "Life and love is such a strange thing / I couldn't explain it if i tried" Taylor sings over gently strummed guitar. He offers few answers, but gives a sense of relief that we aren't alone in not having them all.

"This is about losing somebody and not being able to say goodbye to them". While 'Wichita' is no less of a sorrowful song, Taylor's guitar work really comes to the fore here - delivering a melodious major-key to balance the poignancy of his words. "Wichita Kansas Oklahoma / I don't know but I’ve gotta leave these memories now / locked inside an empty home", Taylor sings, seemingly always battling with himself as a song matures from inside.

Taylor closes with '68', the song that introduced us all to his emotionally stirring songwriting. Each time he performs the haunting, aggravated song, it breaks our hearts a little bit more - the story of his relationship with his mother and the events of his childhood becomes more and more ingrained in our minds through simple, vivid lyricism.

While it's a treat to see him perform with a full band live, you can't ignore just how entrancing Nolan Taylor is as a solo performer in a session like this. In such an intimate setting, Taylor is in his element, treasuring the chance to share his story with us all.

Nolan Taylor - '68' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

Holler presents Nolan Taylor for the Holler Dreamy Draw Session, performing his songs 'Life/Love', 'Wichita' and '68'.

Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Nolan Taylor

One of the most captivating new artists to arrive in recent memory, Nolan Taylor joins Holler in Arizona for his Holler Dreamy Draw Session.

Nolan Taylor - '68' Video - Holler Dreamy Draw Session

Artist - American Hustler

American Hustler - 'Hung Buffalo' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

Here at Holler, we're partial to a spoonful of rock n roll in our cup of country.

If the idea of Gram Parsons and Keith Richards jamming in French chateaus also floats your boat, then American Hustler could be your new favourite find. 

Joining us for their Holler Dreamy Draw Session, the duo of Nate Barrett and C.J. May plug in their electric guitars and skulk into something meaty and alluring.

American Hustler - 'Rollin' Stoned' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

"It's about being more hung than a hung buffalo" Nate smirks as the duo slink into the harmonica-led blues of their first track. They're a little cheeky and rambunctious, something that fits the vibe of their music - scratchy, grooving and a little rough around the edges.

"This is the first one we ever released, and it's just about rock n roll" Nate explains as he introduces 'Rollin' Stoned'. Ripping into nifty little dual riffs, there's no hungover stupor in sight - the pair channeling the cool looseness of their inspirations into something snappy and captivating.

"This is about a little trip we took to Nashville last year" Nate confirms, introducing their final track 'The Ville of Nash'. Once again leading off CJ's hazy harmonica, the duo create something sultry and sweltering as they run low on cash with the southern belles and country girls down on broadway. Whether it's a comment on the immorality of Music City is for you to decide.

American Hustler offer something a little more electrified than our traditional stripped-back fare, persuading us to join them on the American highways of hedonistic debauchery. We thoroughly recommend you jump in for the ride.

American Hustler - 'Ville of Nash' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

Holler Presents American Hustler, performing their songs 'Hung Buffalo', 'Rollin' Stoned' and 'Ville of Nash'.

Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions: American Hustler

American Hustler offer something a little more electrified than our traditional stripped-back fare, persuading us to join them on the American highways of hedonistic debauchery. 

American Hustler - 'Hung Buffalo' Video - Holler Dreamy Draw Session

Artist - Logan Halstead Americanafest 5

Logan Halstead - 'Kentucky Sky' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

There's an easy-going aura to West Virginia via Kentucky songwriter Logan Halstead.

Heading to Arizona following a notable appearance at Americanafest in Nashville the week before, Halstead arrives with a mellow charm. Sporting a kaleidoscopic orange shirt, he eases into the weighty, vulnerable songs that made him a household name in the Appalachian scene.

With Kentucky rising artist Ella Webster accompanying him on the fiddle, the pair delve into the tenderness at the heart of Halstead's debut album, 

Logan Halstead - 'Man's Gotta Eat' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

At times, Halstead's lyrics offer pleasantly simple observations. 'Kentucky Sky' wanders between vivid imagery of birds resting on fence posts and daydreams of dancing with the one you love under the setting sun.

The warmth of his words and the gentle strums make you think of home, a suitable consequence considering how much the Appalachian pines inform Halstead's music.

Despite its bouncier tempo here, 'Man's Gotta Eat' is a striking examination of the desolation the opioid epidemic left on large swathes of Appalachia and America.

As the pair bop and sway to their old-timey ode, Halstead sings from the perspective of someone struggling to make ends meet, carefully retelling the state of the human condition and the lengths we'll go when forced to survive.

Perhaps Halstead's most hopeful song, 'Bluefoot', floats beautifully once again between dreams and aspirations and the joys of keeping two feet firmly on the ground.

Under the comforter of Halstead's trembling drawl and Webster's rippling fiddle lines, you're sent to a place of solace and escape.

Logan Halstead - 'Bluefoot' | Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions

Holler presents Logan Halstead for the Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions, performing his songs 'Kentucky Sky', 'Man's Gotta Eat' and 'Bluefoot'.

Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Logan Halstead

An intimate and striking performance from one of Appalachia's finest acts. 

Logan Halstead - 'Kentucky Sky' Video - Holler Dreamy Draw Session

Holler Newsletter Sign Up banner

Live sessions and music videos from the world of country, Americana and roots from Holler.

The newest and best country music videos in 2024.

Country Music Videos

Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Stephen Wilson Jr.

Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Nolan Taylor

Holler Dreamy Draw Sessions: American Hustler

Holler Dreamy Draw Session: Logan Halstead