2025 Performers
Nate Currin
With over 800,000 miles driven and over 900 shows performed over the last 15 years, Nate Currin is a troubadour in every sense of the word. With his roots in the North Georgia clay, Nate has enough of the South in his voice and writing to show off his upbringing but he includes an emotional trustworthiness that can't be faked. Having shared the stage with plenty of "big" names and had songs featured on a myriad of television shows, Nate retains his enigmatic drive to fly under the radar from time to time.
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Nate's journey is all about chasing after the genuine human connection, one fan and one song at a time. Having spent years performing in listening venues, ticketed clubs and living rooms all across the country, Nate moved into a motorhome for a 4 year stretch and lived the real life of a rambling man. And he's got the stories to back it up.
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Over the last 8 years he has won 5 International Music & Entertainment Awards, including Songwriter of the Year twice and been nominated for Indie Music Awards as well as a Georgia Music Award. In addition to that, several of Nate's albums have reached the top 20 charts on iTunes including his 2016 release The Madman and the Poet. In 2019 Nate released his most recent studio album, entitled Ashes & Earth, including the hit song Oklahoma which got notoriety for it's placement in the hit show Shameless on Showtime.
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The most recent album reunites Nate with long-time producers and friends, Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra) and Simon Illa for several songs, but the bulk of the record was recorded in Nate’s hometown of Gainesville, Georgia with Nate’s long-time drummer and friend, Jon Poole at his working location: Track Side Studios.
Rochelle Clark &
The Familiars
A native of Michigan, Rochelle Clark’s music has been described as raw, honest, and beautifully vulnerable. She writes and sings about real life, joy, struggle and human tragedy - you can’t help but feel for the characters in her songs. Leaning heavily on personal experience, she connects on an intimate level that resonates with her audience. As one-half of the acclaimed Americana duo, The Potter’s Field, Rochelle’s powerful vocals have been captivating audiences in Michigan and throughout the Midwest for years. Drawing on her roots in folk, americana, and country, Rochelle has found a sound that is uniquely her own.
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After feeling like she was in a creative rut, Rochelle set out to challenge herself by recording and releasing her first single, Jericho in April 2019. The experience was so positive that she decided the time was right for an EP. In January 2020 she released her first solo recording; an EP titled, In Time. This six song debut is a progression of songs that reflect where she is coming from and where she is hoping to go.
Sam Robbins is often described as an "old soul singer songwriter." A Nashville based musician whose music evokes classic 70's singer songwriters like James Taylor and Neil Young, Sam adds a modern, upbeat edge to the storyteller troubadour persona. An avid performer, he has gained recognition from extensive touring and as one of the six 2021 winners in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition, one of the largest and most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country.
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Sam released his debut album, Finally Feeling Young, on May 14th, 2021. The album is reminiscent of his 70's singer-songwriter heroes, with a modern perspective. On the heels of the award winning opening single, 'Remind Me", Finally Feeling Young has already garnered radio airplay and critical acclaim. Two album tracks, Remind Me and Saying Amen, won him a place as one of the six Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk winners. Americana Highways writes: “He writes of subjects that others don't explore. Saying Amen has Robbins touching that special place Leonard Cohen went. This is brilliance." Fateau Magazine in the UK writes "One of the most promising new songwriters of his generation".
A multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Sam began learning drums and piano, falling in love with guitar at age 15. He then started writing original music, recording his first CD during his sophomore year of high school, while playing open mics in his hometown of Portsmouth, NH.
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Sam is a full time troubadour, playing over 150 shows a year across the country, including the MainStage at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Festival, and as one of the “‘Most Wanted to Return” artists in the 2023 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
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Sam Robbins
Sarah Schingeck is a musician and singer/songwriter based out of Bay CIty, Michigan. Her music is positive, thoughtful, tender, and hopeful. She treasures acoustic, folk, gospel and americana music and through these influences, felt inspired to write her own songs and music.
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Sarah has been singing and performing since childhood and through the years has performed with various local bands throughout her musical journey. Upon January of 2018, she stepped out into her own with the release of her EP Be Still. This Ep includes five of her original songs and has steadied her own singer/songwriter path ever since.
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Sarah holds a foundational degree in Music Education and built a steady teaching career that spans nearly 20 years. She is currently educating and inspiring children in Young Fives-4th grade as a Music and Mindfulness teacher.
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Her most recent project, “The Album of Hope” came after a personal experience of losing a family member to suicide. As Sarah tried to process this deep grief and loss, one of the places she turned to was songwriting and music. It was in her faith, and a transition from heartbreak to hope, that inspired the songwriting for this record. As Sarah aspires to “simply be a hope dealer,” the twelve tracks on this album aim to spread hope far and wide.
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The Album of Hope crowd funding campaign (to be announced), live release shows and album sales, will give portions of the funds to The Barb Smith Suicide Resource and Response Network (SRRN). This network has been caring for the community at the local, state and national level for the past 32 years. The SRRN’s mission statement is to prevent suicide through education, connection to resources, and support for those impacted by suicide. SRRN supports the understanding that mental health is just as important as physical health.
Sarah Schingeck
Shari and Dave throw a four handed acoustic party – street swing, stomp blues, mountain twang – music from the holler and swamp. Blues and gospel shouting, stellar fingerpicking, deep slide, banjo, dobro, mandolin, and Appalachian harmony singing. Gary Davis meets Dock Boggs and Muddy Waters and they share a jug.
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Shari and Dave shows are steeped in folk and blues roots, blended with Appalachian grind – serving up an intoxicating acoustic brew. Dave’s smoky vocals, percussive rhythm and innovative lead, and Shari’s crisp picking style, rootsy leads, and stinging slidework are a testament to sounds once heard on the streets of Harlem, juke joints of Mississippi, the Carolina hills or the jug bands of Memphis.
Shari Kane &
Dave Steele
The Songs of Darkness and Light made their debut in 2024 on the The Ark's renown stage, and instantly became one of the most sought-after supergroups in Michigan. Known for their ability to write honest, powerful and deeply personal songs that evoke pure joy, brutal heartbreak and everything in between, award-winning singer-songwriters Jen Cass, Amy Petty, Sarah Schingeck and Jennifer Naegele have created a rare and special magic you won't soon forget.
Songs of Darkness & Light
The Lucky Nows
Somewhere in mid-Michigan, as the final days of a long, dark December marched dutifully into the history books and a fresh new year waited hopefully in the wings, every star in the universe magically aligned to bring four award-winning singer-songwriters together to create the folk/Americana supergroup, The Lucky Nows.
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Featuring renown singer-songwriter Jen Cass, the stunning work of harmonica legend Rosco Selley, and the vast and varied musical chops of multi-instrumentalists Eric Janetsky and Michael Robertson, The Lucky Nows have spent the last decade showcasing their stellar songwriting, exceptional musicianship, and intricate harmonies on some of the country’s most famous stages, from The Ark to Wheatland, and everywhere in between. The Lucky Nows have been honored to share the stage with many of our heros, and make it a point to extend opportunity and grace to new singer-songwriters at every step of our journey.
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After the success of their first studio album, Rise, in 2018, The Lucky Nows worked hard to carefully craft a follow-up that would speak truth through music. Through their unique storytelling lens, the Lucky Nows shine a spotlight on important issues from death and dying, indigenous rights, love and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community, loneliness, losing faith, alzheimer's awareness and the pure joy of raising children to fly. Their much-anticipated sophomore release hit the airwaves in July 2024, immediately rising to #7 on the folk charts, with all 11 songs receiving airplay in markets all over the world. The Lucky Nows infuse their work with honesty, beauty and humor, welcoming their audiences to feel the full range of human emotion in every set they play.
If Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young gently collided with The Indigo Girls to create a musical lovechild who was raised by Jeffrey Foucault and Kris Delmhorst and frequently visited by the ghosts of Townes Van Zandt and The Carter Family, they would sound eerily similar to The Lucky Nows. Trust us.
The North Ingalls Band
The North Ingalls Band is a seven-piece indie folk-groove group with all members hailing from the University of Michigan. Formed in 2023 the core group includes Corazon Szell (guitar/vocals), Liam Charron (piano), Andres Soto (bass), Jack Harris (drums), Eric Bressler (trumpet), Em Spencer (saxophone), and SC Klein (trombone).
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Each member of the band brings their unique sound, that has been shaped through diverse personal experiences, to the original music you hear from them today. As a group, they continually explore and pull from each and every genre that catches their ears, lights a fire in their souls, and sings from their instruments.
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The North Ingalls Band performs mainly original music (written and arranged) by Szell, as well as some covers. The vision is inspired by the many diverse musical styles the band collectively listens to and studies. Genres including folk, jazz, popular, R&B, rap and rock, are reflected in the compositions and the band’s setlist, along with music by artists including The Lumineers, Noah Kahan, Caamp, and Jack Johnson.
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Currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The North Ingalls Band has played throughout the area in established venues such as North Star Lounge, Canterbury House, and The Blind Pig.
The Rough & Tumble aren’t casual road dogs, but they aren’t letting on, either. From their upbeat, commanding stage presence and sharp banter to their earworm-inducing melodies and heartstring lyrics, this thriftstore Folk-Americana duo refuses to bring the haggard road-worn stereotype to their audience-- even though they’ve earned it. In fact, The Rough & Tumble have been elbowing out of most stereotypes. The Rough & Tumble, a dynamic duo comprised of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, have been captivating audiences with their unique blend of dumpster-folk and thrift store-Americana for over a decade. The Pennsylvania-born Graham and Central California's Tyler have a knack for weaving together elements of joy, sorrow, comedy, and drama in their music, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.
The Rough & Tumble
The Schrock Bros Band is a Michigan based Americana/ blues ensemble that features soulful lead vocals, family harmony, and solid musicianship. The Schrock Bros perform original music peppered with a collection of nuggets from the Americana archives. Over the past 10 years the quintet has performed at a multitude of festivals, concerts, clubs, and special events. In June of 2023 they released their first full length recording entitled ‘Faith In Love’ , the 2024 ‘Best Blues/Soul Album’ WYCE Jammie award winner!
The Schrock Brothers
Recently voted Detroit’s best Americana band by readers of the Detroit Metro Times, The Whiskey Charmers create their own brand of Dusty Americana with melancholy guitar weaving in and out of vocal melodies that tug at your heartstrings and give you the feeling of winding down a dusty desert road.
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Carrie Shepard (vocals/acoustic guitar) and Lawrence Daversa (electric guitar/harmony vocals) lead the band which performs both as a duo as well as with a rhythm section consisting of drummer John Porter and bassist Ozzie Andrews.
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William P Davis (Former Deputy Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville) says of the band, “I’ve heard a lot of good musicians. The Whiskey Charmers remind me of no one – and, to me, that is one of the best compliments an act can receive.”
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The Whiskey Charmers have won several Detroit Music Awards and their lonesome sound caught the attention of Sony Entertainment and landed them a music placement as the backdrop for a bar scene in the video game “Detroit: Become Human” (2018) which has sold over eight million copies and introduced their music to new enthusiastic fans around the world.
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The Charmers have been releasing albums at a steady clip since 2015 and their latest album “Streetlights” dropped this past June. Ken Capobianco, music correspondent for The Boston Globe writes “The new album from Michigan rockers The Whiskey Charmers, “Streetlights,” elevates their sound to new heights, thanks to some of their most compelling songs, filled with yearning, melancholy, and tentative optimism”
The Whiskey Charmers
Wilson Thicket has the acoustic soul of an Appalachian string band, but there is more to this Thicket than just a patch of bluegrass! Wilson Thicket combines a hand-picked group of the top singers, instrumentalists, and songwriters that Michigan has to offer, with decades of performing experience under their collective belts. Old school favorites, creative covers, and dynamic original songs are all delivered with strong doses of vocal harmony and creative instrumental mastery. This music has plenty of roots and lots of grass. There may be some thorns, but also some flowers. Welcome to the thicket!
Wilson Thicket
In December of 2004, 8 Michigan songwriters gathered in the brilliantly yellow living room of David Tamulevich’s Ann Arbor home for the first time. They’ve been meeting monthly ever since, to share dinner, conversation and the newest song they have in the process for critique. Each an accomplished songwriter and performer in their own right, they create a unique atmosphere of respect and support, friendship and generosity finding new and unexpected ways to explore beyond their previous personal boundaries.
It wasn’t long before they began performing together and presenting workshops in various configurations.
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What began as a casual excuse to get together with friends has evolved into one of the most exciting ‘super groups’ to ever join forces on one stage.
Yellow Room Gang
