Choosing twelve highlights from the 70+ acts we saw perform in Nashville before, during, and after AmericanaFest this year isn't easy, but decisions must be made. The twelve selected performances reflect the wide range of genres under the Americana umbrella, from traditional country to bluegrass and folk, and from soul to rock.
Andrew Sa @ The 5 Spot (1)
A recent signing to Bloodshot Records, the Californian-born crooner’s debut album AMERICAN ROUGH has been one of my most-played albums since its release a few months ago. His perfectly placed high-pitched falsetto, dramatic stage presence, and killer band reproduced the album's material to perfection.
Kassi Valazza @ Acme & Seed (2)
Unlike last year at AmericanaFest when she performed with a band, this year’s showcase by Kassi Valazza was a solo performance but equally engaging. Perched on a stool, her vocal phrasing and guitar skills were mesmerising in a set that included the main selections from Lonesome Highway’s Album of the Year in 2025, FROM NEWMAN STREET.
Jaimee Harris @ Skinny Dennis (3)
Our numerous previous encounters with Jaimee Harris were solo slots or duets with Mary Gauthier. Impressive as they were, her showcase backed by a five-piece band raised the bar by some distance. An artist who is noticeably growing in confidence as a writer and performer as the years pass, her set included some hugely impressive songs that will feature in her next album.
Silverada @ Bobby’s Idle Hour (4)
Our first encounter with Silverada since their rebrand and name change back in 2025, their live shows (we caught them again later that evening at Skinny Dennis) were as gritty and full-on as ever. Few bands perfect the mix of country, roots, and southern rock in a live setting like these guys, and recent addition Parker Twomey on keyboards was a worthy replacement for the loss of pedal steel player Zach Moulten.
Kristina Murray @ Vinyl Tap (5)
The one consistent thing in Lonesome 'Highways' reviews of AmericanaFest over the years has been highlighting the quality performances of Kristina Murray, and this year is no exception. Not many other current singer-songwriters can epitomise quality country music in the manner that she does, and despite playing in 40 degrees centigrade heat, she breezed through her set at the New West Records Day Party.
Emily Nenni @ Vinyl Tap (6)
Also playing the New West Records Day Party was Kristina Murray’s label mate Emily Nenni. Her latest album, MOVIN’ SHOES, pointed to an artist equally comfortable playing country soul as hard-core honky tonk, and her performance shifted seamlessly between both.
Will Worden @ Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge (7)
Playing solo in the early afternoon in Nashville for a relatively unknown act is no easy task, but Will Worden pulled it off with aplomb. A throwback to the 1960s, Worden’s deep baritone, songs, and dress sense have a striking Lee Hazlewood vibe, and he silenced a noisy room to pin-drop silence with his delivery.
Abigail Rose @ Acme & Seed (8)
Local Nashville singer-songwriter and previously unknown to us at Lonesome Highway, Abigail Rose played a duo set of indie-folk compositions that caught the eye. She bookended her set, joined by numerous friends and artists, with a definite crowd-pleaser, Betty’s In The Band.
Bronwyn @ The 5 Spot (9)
Most certainly a rising star in the modern bluegrass scene, the artist formerly known as Bronwyn Keith Hynes played to a packed room, an indication of her well-deserved growing popularity and reaction to her new album RATTLIN’ BONES. Her fiddle playing was exceptional, matched by her bandmate’s mandolin, guitar, banjo and upright bass contributions.
David Newbould @ The 5 Spot (10)
AmericanaFest would not be complete without a hair-raising guitar shredding session, and David Newbould invariably hits that spot. His blistering set introduced an evening followed by similar gloriously thunderous showcases by Wes Parker and Laney Jones and The Spirits.
Kimmi Bitter @ Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge (11)
A fusion landing somewhere between 1960s Countrypolitan and breezy West Coast roots and surf, Kimmi Bitter headlined Honky Tonk Tuesday at The EastSide Bowl alongside her classy set at Dee’s.
Cordovas @ Skinny Dennis (12)
Jamming often refers to loose, unrehearsed arrangements by bands. Not so with Cordovas, who have perfected their fusion of rock, border, blues, jazz, soul and roots. Their playing was seamless, flowing, technically faultless, and a joy to behold.
Other acts we saw – Santa’s Ice Cold Pickers, Levi Foster, Adam Wright, Adam Chaffins, Dee White, The Reeves Brothers, Silverada, Emma Swift, Chuck Meade, Robyn Hitchcock, Derek Hoke, Christian Sedelmyer, Erin Rae, Nicki Bluhm, Jon Byrd, Nicole Atkins, Kristina Train, Justin Collins, Hollow Hand, Patrick Sweany, The Tiger Beats, Hannah White and Keiron Marshall, Kai Crowe Getty, KP Hawthorn, Mindy M Miller, Cast Iron Shoes, Anna Elizabeth Wescoat, The Waymores, Bonnie & The Mere Mortals, Two Runner, Fruition, Mountain of Youth, Schaffer Llana, Spencer Thomas, GA 20, Mattie Schell, The Deltas, Tyler Ramsey, Jess Williamson, Boy Golden, Tim Carroll, Jeremy Ivey, Alice Wallace, Rah Rah Rabbit, Matthew McNeal, Marcel, Lemongrass, Judy Blank, Tim Easton, Wes Parker, Allison Pontier, Laney Jones and The Spirits.
Review and Photography by Declan Culliton