Biggest Musical Takeaways From AmericanaFest 2023

AmericanaFest occurred last week in Nashville. And despite the continued debates on “What is Americana?” and some off-the-stage fireworks that Saving Country Music will be covering once all the information is in one place, the event is an excellent place for discovery. Some of the artists and bands showcasing at the event will be the biggest names in country and roots music in the coming years.
Below are a few of the biggest standouts from the week, and for more coverage from AmericanaFest, check out Saving Country Music on Instagram.
Kimmi Bitter

Kimmi Bitter is an absolute classic country treasure. She’s the closest thing our generation has to Patsy Cline, but she also has a style all her own. She’s the perfect combination of the familiar and original.
Bitter first made waves with her song “My Grass Is Blue” that became a nominee for Saving Country Music’s Single of the Year in 2022. But she has a whole set worth of great original songs that she showcased at Nashville’s Feed & Seed as part of AmericanaFest.
In the coming years, Kimmi Bitter is going places, and she’ll be taking classic country with a little injection of psych and mod with her. The future of country music is classic, and the future of classic country is Kimmi Bitter.
Taylor Hunnicutt

Taylor Hunnicutt. Taylor Hunnicutt. Taylor Hunnicutt. Tattoo that name on your brain and remember where you heard it first, because this young woman is going to be lights out when she hits, and entertaining crowds for years to come.
Taylor Hunnicutt rolled into Dee’s Cocktail Lounge in Nashville with her band of a bunch of greasy boys from Alabama that look like they could stink up a 15 passenger van something fierce, and laid waste to the place on Wednesday of AmericanaFest.
Hunnicutt is like 49 Winchester’s soul, Mike and the Moonpies’ skill, and a serious dose of bluesy country Outlaw rock with all those deadly tight rhythm changes that help pound her original songs home. She’s just released a succession of singles and and an EP at this point. But be ready for it, because when it catches fire, it’s gonna be big.
J.R. Carroll

One of the cool things about the massive explosion in popularity of Zach Bryan is how it’s helped raise the profile of so many other worthy artists and musicians in the process. You’ve probably seen J.R. Carroll playing in Zach Bryan’s band, but he’s a great songwriter all his own.
Carroll played the legendary Exit/In in Nashville as part of AmericanaFest Friday night, and proved why he’s much more than just a side player. Check out his song “Preacher Man,” if you want further validation. Carroll also invited Tanner Usrey up to the stage to sing the song “Make You Weep” they co-wrote together.
On top of that, steel guitarist Read Connolly who’s played in both the bands of Zach Bryan and Charles Wesley Godwin (another guy Zach Bryan has helped out) was seen all over the place at AmericanaFest as well, supporting cool artists and throwing positive energy all over the place.
Channing Wilson

Damn does Channing Wilson bring it live! Everyone that was not at The Basement Thursday night at AmericanaFest in Nashville was in the wrong damn place. Channing and his band waylaid the crowd with their badass chest-thumping Outlaw country. This is the kind of music that makes you try to pound your boot heel through the floor.
For years Channing has been a highly respected songwriter, covered by the likes of Sunny Sweeney, Jason Eady, and some guy named Luke Combs just to name a few. But now that he’s finally released his first official album Dead Man produced by Dave Cobb, he’s out there fronting a badass Outlaw country band that packs the mother of all punches.
Channing had been seen before by Saving Country Music, but only in the capacity of a solo songwriter. With the band, it’s true Outlaw country at its finest.
The Wilder Blue

There is music. And then there is The Wilder Blue, who feel so transcendent, they’re in a category all of their own. Blending country, bluegrass, folk rock and Americana, and underpinning it all with incredible musicianship and 5-part harmonies, it puts you in a place other “music” just can’t take you.
They’re not exacty new to Saving Country Music. Luke Combs discovered them while reading this website. But their performance at AmericanaFest was so spectacular, they deserve a mention here. While performing at The Basement East in Nashville, Zane Williams said “Some people ask why I gave up a solo career to be in a band. I say to them, ‘Have you heard the band?’”
A supergroup in many respects that also includes singer and songwriter Paul Eason, multi-instrumentalist Andy Rogers, drummer Lyndon Hughes, and bassist Sean Rodriguez, you will be hard pressed to find more talent on a stage on this planet or any other. The chemistry is incredible.
The Wilder Blue is musical truth. New album produced by Brent Cobb coming up in November.
Gabe Lee

Ready to take on any and all arguments about why this guy isn’t headlining big festivals, filling massive rooms, and making major waves in music, and to throw them right back in your face as pure poppycock.
Gabe Lee is just on a different level right now, and feels like a ticking time bomb ready to explode when the world wake up to what it has among its midst. We’ll be talking about his new album Drink The River when consideration for Album of the Year comes around come December.
Gotta love the smile he cracks when he knows he landed in the pocket when his harmony singers Kelly Holloran and Rylie Bourne kick in. Sublime take on “Eveline” captured at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in Nashville as part of Keystone Artist Connect at AmericanaFest.
September 27, 2023 @ 9:20 am
Looked like a lot of cool stuff happening that week. Deke Dickerson was posting some great photos of some of the events he was at. One picture had Bobby Rush and Jesse Dayton on stage. Pretty cool
September 27, 2023 @ 9:40 am
I was there too and saw a lot of shows and my huge takeaway is that Logan Ledger is a bad ass. He crushed it at 3 shows I was at and he sang Jimmy Buffett like George Jones on the awards
September 27, 2023 @ 10:05 am
That is a ridiculous amount of talent in this post. All so, so great. The new Gable Lee is my current record of the year. And Wilder Blue is the best live band I have seen in ages — and of course best show of the year so far.
September 27, 2023 @ 10:12 am
So sick. Caught taylor hunnicut at peacemaker fest in arkansas in July and she made a fan out of me after not initially loving her recorded stuff. Chick fuckin rules. Also, seeing wilder blue live is such a trip. I’ve never seen a band that tight or musicians that talented in person. Its incredible to see absolute masters work in perfect tandem like that, its sublime. Cant wait to catch gabe lee soon, idk how i havent seen him live yet. Seen JR a few times and he’s the man. Guy makes every set so endearing and personal (even if it does cost about 15 min of music lol). Thanks for the recap
Jeremy pinnell rips one day i will see him live and spontaneously combust into a fiery spirit destined to traverse the continent infecting good men with love for them big girls from bakersfield ya heard
September 27, 2023 @ 11:51 am
Love Gabe Lee but the dude needs to smile a bit. He always looks so grumpy when playing, but his music is so good.
I really do think presentation is important, and shouldn’t be ignored, which is sometimes the case…
September 27, 2023 @ 3:19 pm
Indeed I have been cursed with a strong RBF, however anyone who’s come through the merch table will testify I’ve been known to crack a joke and smile, although it pains me so.
September 27, 2023 @ 4:10 pm
Awesome reply, thanks Gabe! Will say hello next time I see you for sure!
September 28, 2023 @ 2:35 am
There ain’t no laughin’, if the heart don’t break?
September 27, 2023 @ 1:04 pm
Been following the Wilder Blue since they were Hill Country.
Had the chance to see them twice when I was in TX this spring.
They are so f’in good live.
The 5 part harmonies.
Super entertaining band.
Could be the best live country band out there now (Sorry Moonpies! Lets say its a tie).
If you have a chance to see them, do it.
Met a bunch of them too. Its a family operation. Great people. Wish them all the success.
September 28, 2023 @ 7:16 pm
Couldn’t agree more. Saw the Wilder Blue in Richmond two months ago in front of 30 people. Loved it!
September 27, 2023 @ 3:50 pm
Rylie Bourne* singing with Gabe. Also fronts her own killer band LoneHollow. Should check them out!
September 27, 2023 @ 3:50 pm
Two songs from The Wilder Blue’s set at Americanafest, Dixie Darlin’ and The Ghost of Lincoln:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc9wrpC63a0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZgIK1p87p0
September 27, 2023 @ 4:07 pm
Loved all of Americanafest, but due to having to make choices only caught 1 Gabe song during the Peach Jam and JR Carroll’s set from off this list. Still saw an amazing amount of awesomely talented musicians over the festival week though. Too many to list honestly. 10/10 musical experience
September 27, 2023 @ 6:39 pm
The Wilder Blue were here with Bri Bagwell a few weeks ago and were incredible! Channing Wilson has played a couple of shows @ Joe’s Live in the last few months. He’s the goods! On a different note Erin Viancourt came through last week and she was so smooth. Very friendly, talked and chatted with everyone. A total pro.
September 27, 2023 @ 8:39 pm
Maaaan Erin is such a great singer
September 27, 2023 @ 8:52 pm
I’ve had the opportunity to see a few of these artists over the years Perhaps, most memorable was Channing Wilson with Carly Pearce and Dani Flowers in 2012 who performed together as the Nashville Singer-Songwriter Group. Oddly, their performance wasn’t even listed on the Gulfport Music Festival’s flyer..
September 28, 2023 @ 5:18 am
Wilder Blue sounds cool. I will have to get to the Americana Fest in coming years.
September 28, 2023 @ 6:32 am
Listened the crap out of Channing Wilson’s album this summer. Would love to see him live.
Taylor Hunnicutt is one of those artists who has been around for awhile, with her first EP coming out in 2018, but she really doesn’t have much of a catalog other than the EP and a few singles. You have to wonder why. She has a great gravely voice, and has a nice bluesy southern rock sound. Definitely deserving of more attention.
September 28, 2023 @ 9:54 am
Dang, how’d I miss all those? Still had an amazing time catching Bee Taylor, Robbie Fulks, West Texas Exiles, Willi Carlisle, Secret Sisters, Dan Tyminski, Rodney Crowell, Emily Nenni, Buddy Miller, Logan Ledger, Colby Acuff, Striking Matches, Suzy Bogguss, Dale Watson, and Leon Timbo. The show at Basement East performing Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels album was also great.
March 19, 2024 @ 6:41 pm
I’ve been getting a lot of JR Carroll recommendations on Spotify, and I have liked everything I heard so far. So last night I went to his website to see if he was coming to my area anytime soon. Very little touring is listed. It took some Googling to figure out that’s likely because he’s on the road with Zach Bryan. Too bad, because I’d rather hear JR Carroll singing his songs than attend a ZB concert.