Asheville Recording Artists

Whether your musical tastes are deeply rooted in the traditional mountain music or you're a casual listener searching for new sounds, Asheville's innovative music makers offer an opportunity to connect with the music you crave.

Check back soon! A new local music directory is currently being populated to help you discover, listen and connect to Asheville bands and musicians.

What does a mountain escape sound like? Take a listen.

Take a sneak peek into Asheville's vibrant music scene, and get to know River Whyless, the voices and instruments behind Asheville's "Return Again" video. … more

Asheville-born funk & soul musician Lyric

Homegrown Headliner: Lyric Catches the Ear of Asheville's Music Scene

by Jason Tarr

Performing on the street in downtown Asheville’s Pack Square Park one day in 2011, Leeda “Lyric” Jones caught the attention of someone she never could have imagined. “I saw her and turned to my dad and said, ‘That’s Lizz Wright !” Jones said. Wright, … read more

It began with the banjo: David Holt’s long affair with traditional Southern Appalachian music

by Alli Marshall

In 1969 David Holt packed up his truck and drove from California to North Carolina. “That was the same summer as Woodstock, and I was going to wood stick,” he jokes. But the Texas-born multi-instrumentalist, who got his start as a jazz and rock … read more

Appalachia’s Ballad Singing Tradition

by Gina Smith

With its thriving music scene, including an ever-growing list of local Grammy nominees, Asheville is making a name for itself nationally as a hotbed for singing talent. But the craft of telling stories through song has long been woven into the … read more

L.A. to Asheville: Musician Ben Lovett Finds Inspiration in the Mountains

by Elizabeth Sims

Lovett grew up in a small town in Georgia “somewhere between the ‘E’ and the ‘O’” on a state map and attended the University of Georgia, where he was steeped in the Athens music scene and met his now long-time collaborator Jacob Gentry. Their first … read more

Jazz Artist Lizz Wright Longs for the Sweetness of Home in the Mountains

by Elizabeth Sims

Eight years ago, while living in Brooklyn, Lizz Wright visited the South and performed at The Orange Peel . The event was transformative. “People were smiling everywhere I went. And for no reason. At the concert, people were dancing to every song, … read more

Rising Appalachia Rests Its Roots in Asheville

by Jen Nathan Orris

Sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith started Rising Appalachia in 2004 as an experiment in combining Southern musical traditions with global influences. Their music has taken them around the world, including Asheville where they’ve been part of the … read more

Who's Next: Asheville's Grammy Watch List

by Alli Marshall

Which local musician will be next to bring home a Grammy ? There’s no shortage of promising talent. Keep an eye on rising country artist Joe Lasher Jr. who, at 19, is already splitting his time between Asheville and Nashville. And Chase Rice — the … read more

The Grammy Goes to... Asheville's Connections to the Most Coveted Music Awards

by Alli Marshall

The red carpet at the Grammys' annual Los Angeles event may be more than 2,000 miles from Asheville, but plenty of local artists have made the star-studded stroll. Just last year kid-hop artist 23 Skidoo — now based in California after launching his … read more

Asheville's Busking Scene Keeps Music in the Air

by Larry Bleiberg

When Peter Levitov blows into his homemade didgeridoo, an ethereal throbbing sound from the Australian aboriginal instrument echoes through downtown Asheville . A moment later, a percussionist lays down a rhythm on a hand drum, and a saxophone player … read more