Highway Natives is an American rock 5-piece out of Nashville, TN. With "a retro ‘70s vibe combined with roots-flavored country-rock brawn, Highway Natives conjures up early Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, and savors of the fictional band Stillwater in Almost Famous," (Medium). Having such a wide array of eclectic influences, at their core, the group can best be distinguished by their rich, soulful harmonies, artful full-bodied stylings on guitar, and a rhythm section that’s groovy timekeeping is nestled tightly underneath singable and raw lyrics that trade between the two lead singers.

Made up of Brandon Moore, Jordan Miller, Matt Drummey, Artie Scarazzo, and Arthur Stover, Highway Natives was originally formed as a duo in mid-2019 when Moore and Miller recognized their songwriting compatibility, and created together as an escape from the rigorous and hectic music business where they worked behind-the-scenes at a record label and a recording studio. After recording demos with large, full band productions, they realized what they really longed for was a sonically larger live sound, as well as a collective group to share the vision with. With a careful selection, Drummey, Scarazzo, and Stover were brought on and the group quickly solidified and started hitting the road together.

In May of 2021, the group released their first project, a self-titled EP; 4 carefully selected songs from a catalog of songs they were already playing live. Highway Natives debut EP went on to receive acclaim from publications such as American Songwriter and Medium, and took them to stages all over the southeastern region of the USA.

Following their EP, some members of the group went through personal, life-changing events, on top of being in the midst of a global pandemic. As serious changes and adaptations were happening in their personal lives, the Natives lifted each other through writing and creating music as a remedy. The time spent together in this period of their career resulted in the making of their first full length LP, “West of the Blindside,” out now.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

The Jolly String Quartet, Russian-born siblings with an amazing story, mix velvet vocals and fiery fiddling with red-hot mandolin and guitar for a blend of folk, pop, jazz, blues, gospel, and newgrass, featuring songs from Sinatra to Cash. This remarkable group has graced the stages of The Opry House, Carnegie Hall, The Country Music Hall of Fame, and The Ryman Auditorium and have entertained in venues as diverse as Nashville’s Puckett’s Restaurant and the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas. Stunningly skillful musicianship and diversity of style – along with a compelling story of redemption from the darkness of a Russian orphanage – produce a concert experience that is certain to intrigue and entertain. Viktor, Gorsha, Yara, and Kristina Jolly, who make up The Jolly String Quartet, were born in Far East Russia, but they now have deep Southern roots that enrich their music with all-American values of freedom, faith, and family. Russian beginnings, an American upbringing, and the flair of a fiery fiddle make music that is both extraordinary and just plain old hand-clapping fun.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

Raised in the legend-filled, limestone land of Tennessee, Jason Lee Wilson naturally blends the spirit of the old west with a little southern “branch” for a refined mixture of rockabilly, traditional country, and gospel music. With the talented James County, he celebrates stories of the legends and the land that shaped them along the way.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

Rachel and Emily... a Thanksgiving tradition at GrinderHouse. These sisters are so talented & their harmonies will touch all ages!

The Restless is a female led sister duo composed of sisters Rachal and Emily Schmieder. The Restless make music that is rich with soulful storytelling lyrics, harmony, and conveys a positive message to listeners.

Growing up, sisters Rachal and Emily developed a love for music and performance independently. Rachal performed at school talent shows, and throughout her community in Portland, TN, and learned to play guitar at the age of 14. Emily became a regular performer in school, and played the role of Ariel (Footloose) and Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz) in the community of Franklin, Kentucky’s theater productions.

Harmony became a big part of their creative process, with background singing in church, theater, and choir.  The sisters later collaborated as “The Restless,” to accompany each other at shows, and began playing everywhere they could. Prior to graduating high school, The Restless had performed numerous times throughout the Tennessee and Kentucky region. The sisters became regular guests on WSM radio live, local news stations, and were honored to perform the National Education Summit at The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. 

The Restless‘ song “If these walls could talk“ (mixed by Pat Lassiter… mastered by Josh Northwood) has gained over 70,000 online streams, and contains the storytelling songwriting tactic that the duo is known for.  The Restless are now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Currently, The Restless are working towards completing a new EP project, containing what they believe to be their best music yet.

Rachal Schmieder is a 2022 Belmont University Alumni were she earned a BA in Music Business. Emily is currently a student at Belmont University majoring in Music Business. She also releases original music with her worship team at Generation Church. 

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

You might recognize Lauren from Season 19 of NBC's "The Voice", where she made it to the Knockout Rounds on Teams Gwen and Legend, or lately, from her feature in NPR Music's Tiny Desk 'Top Shelf'! She also competed on the Grinder House stage for the 2022 Tennessee Songwriter Competition Qualifying Round, and chosen as an alternate to move on to the next level. We really enjoyed meeting and getting to know more about Lauren and so, invited her back to the 'In the House' stage.   Her first original releases are part of a collaboration project with guitarist Ben Suyat. The two began writing music while at the School of Rock, staying after weekly house band rehearsals to work out their tunes. Their first song, "Adaline", won the notice of judges Kix Brooks, Pat Higdon, and Shane Minor at the 2020 Tennessee Songwriter Week Qualifying Round at Arrington Vineyards. Influences from John Mayer, Steely Dan, and the Grateful Dead can be heard in Suyat's lush guitar melodies. Their latest release, "Morrison" will be followed by an official video and "The Latona EP" later this summer! Lauren's songwriting is intricate, personal, and authentic, and her vocals have been compared to Amber Navran of Moonchild, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, and Amy Winehouse. The urban vibe of her music is a surprising juxtaposition to the rural eastern Colorado farm where she lives and creates. Her recent feature in Tiny Desk 'Top Shelf' is a nod to the debut solo project she can't wait to share with the world!

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

Mother Legacy's return to the Grinder House Stage is a blessing and a homecoming of sorts! We are ready for some Steve and Shay groovin.'  One of the most diverse professional sought after bands around.  Vocals unlike any you've heard. Which will knock you off your seat, harmony to make goose bumps crawl and bring tears to your eyes. Such full sound rhythm, rocking guitar playing & finger picking to have you scratching your head. Nobody can fathom how they can create so much energy and sound with a tiny simple package.

MOTHER WHO, YOU ASK?
Shay Collins IS Mother Legacy. Many don’t know that Shay came into this world through music, as her mother, Sue was a popular club singer in Taipei, Taiwan.  SHAY is Niece/ Protege to the famous Ray Collins the founding member of The Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa.  Shay, together with her flashy velvet versatile vocals crooning cowboy husband Steve, have created quite an inspiring, exciting, rocking performance lighting up stages everywhere. being invited back time and time again with as many as 18- 29 shows a month, These two travel and perform 90% of the year.  Loveable, real, raw and honest, they are able to conquer absolutely any venue or event.

IT WAS MUSICAL DESTINY.
They met June 2005 during karaoke in Chattanooga Tn. Together they did a mission of taking care of struggling troubled inner city children at a get away "unplugged" camp ministry. 2006-2008   Blessed with a miracle daughter in 2008. They were FINALLY wed in Sept 2016. Shays mother was ordained to officiate, her stepfather of 38 yrs & her biological father were there. The bride & groom sang Faithfully by JOURNEY as their vows and...THAT was the first moment that the family ever heard them sing together.  Shay lost both her fathers that following year to cancer, their last wishes, because of that wedding song, was for them to go out & perform. They quickly set out to do a few small free shows to honor them. These performances led to many many bookings. Neither dreamed of music being their primary way of life. In 2019 they produced their 1st original music CD "MOTHER LEGACY Go Find Yourself" with CD sell outs weekly & available on all online platforms.

Shay Collins, a Hollywood California Janis Joplin funky Bluesy Rocker, has extensive experience in every aspect of the industry. Dance, Music, stage production, modeling, hair & makeup artistry.  DALLAS COWBOY Steven Seidler AKA JUST STEVE has a lifetime wide-range variety of experiences including playing with the greatest of the greats since a young lad.  He is a good ole smooth crooning cowboy, has performed all over the world delivering powerful gosple & country with a beautiful gift of velvet harmonies.  "Together We deliver a fun professional show with ringing harmonies & a variety of powerful music of every genre & era.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

WestWend is an Americana/country duo comprised of Jonathan Maness (guitar, vocals) and Wendy Crowe (vocals). Established in 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee, they perform and record new traditional country music. With Jonathan’s roots in bluegrass and Wendy’s roots stemming from the Delta blues, classic country, and Motown, they have come together to create a sound all their own.
WestWend’s latest CD, “Linger For A While”, takes bluegrass standards and makes them new again, while their originals capture their audience with a traditional flavor. Wendy’s voice has been best compared to Alison Krauss, while Jonathan’s rich baritone and agile flatpicking are well known to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
WestWend has performed at some of the biggest festivals in the United States and Europe including: the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the National Cornbread Festival, the St. Augustine Seafood festival, the Pensacola Great Gulf Festival and more. They also performed a 14 day tour in 5 european countries, including the Spring Bluegrass Festival in Switzerland. They have also opened for Rhonda Vincent, Guy Clark, and Tyler Hilton.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

There’s a sound that isn’t heard enough on Country radio—the sound of organic, three-part female harmonies, offering stories that speak the language of modern women everywhere. Add in some good-natured brash and sassy attitude and you’ve got Canada’s pop-country queens, The Heels.

That title is now undisputed with the release of the trio’s sophomore album I Am, the follow-up to their warmly received 2018 debut, Love, Heels. Although Bobbi Smith, Brittni Dominelli and Kyla Rawlins have spent much of these past three years winning over audiences with a dynamic live show that showcases each of their distinctive voices and personalities, they also found time to write over 100 songs during several trips to Nashville—and at their home base in Vancouver—from which I Am’s 16 tracks were chosen.

Even pandemic restrictions couldn’t slow them down; most of the recording was completed by producer Anthony Fiddler at his Fiddler Productions Vancouver studio, with The Heels’s trusty band contributing their parts remotely. Given such unexpected circumstances, the double meaning of the group’s name took on sharper focus as the process went on.

“Being in a band has been so healing in itself,” Brittni says. “Learning the ins and outs of the music industry and everything it takes physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually to be a part of it has given our goals and dreams a whole new meaning and healed parts of me I didn’t even know existed. Since we released our first album, we’ve learned so many new things about how to work as a team, and how to share space in all ways with each other on the road. It’s the most vulnerable and valuable experience I could have imagined and I’m so grateful every day.”

That all shines through in the songs on I Am, perhaps especially on the title track, which was actually conceived in the immediate aftermath of the tragic 2017 Las Vegas country music festival shooting. However, the song’s message of hope and recovery seemed even more appropriate in 2020, prompting The Heels to make “I Am” the new album’s centrepiece, with the aim to raise a listener’s “love frequency” to the highest level, and create a ripple effect with those vibrations.

Other themes of empowerment are shared on the standout tracks “High Heels On,” “Fools Gold” and the playfully sexy “Hush Money,” while the ups and downs of love are explored on “Symptoms,” “Happy After You,” and “Fixer Upper.” As Bobbi explains, “We like to be bold and outspoken, and for this album it was important to us that we share more love songs of all tempos and feels. We recognize each other’s inner child; we know what it’s like to want the same dreams. This is a musical sisterhood. We came together all in need of some self-care, and harmonies eventually healed us.”

The Heels’s story began at a North Vancouver café co-owned by Kyla, and where Brittni worked behind the counter. Bobbi was a regular customer, and the three soon decided it would be more rewarding artistically and emotionally to join forces rather than pursue individual solo careers. Momentum steadily built from there with their debut single “Come Around” hitting radio in 2017 and performances at the Calgary Stampede and the Sunfest Country Music Festival further raising their profile in western Canada. It all propelled Love, Heels to garner six B.C. Country Music Award nominations in 2018, with an additional slew of nominations coming the following year.

But rather than coast on that success, The Heels took it as an opportunity to expand their sound by incorporating influences that ranged from classic country, gospel and Motown, through to powerful contemporary female artists such as Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood and Whitney Houston. Add to that a growing attention to detail in the studio, and the end result of I Am is an album that, although it may be categorized as country, displays a unique musical vision that transcends the genre.

As Kyla says, “I am inspired by people and music that make me feel good, and I want to do the same for others. I need to feel that I am getting better, stronger, healthier, happier and more vivacious day by day, and that’s what I get from being in this incredible group. Every morning I wake up thinking, ‘What are we going to create or accomplish today?’ or ‘Who are we going to inspire today?’ Being in The Heels makes me truly feel like I won the life lottery.”

Bobbi, Brittni and Kyla still get a kick whenever someone assumes they’re sisters. They know it’s not just because of their seamless “family blend” harmony, but because of the obvious personal chemistry they share. And when that chemistry comes down to spreading positive energy, as they do unabashedly with I Am, there is just no limit to how high The Heels will lift us.
SONNY LUCA
Sonny Luca's debut 5-song EP, My My My, is an act of self-discovery and a return to Luca's roots after spending about a decade teaching in inner-city schools in Chicago and having a family. Luca never anticipated becoming an educator, in fact, when Luca began writing and performing at a young age he always dreamed of a career in music. He was raised in the Pacific Northwest by his father, a full-time classical guitarist and poet, and his mother, a roller rink operator and jazz vocalist. This surreal culture and music fusion left an imprint on Sonny’s musical expression and style.

After spending 8 years teaching on the southside of Chicago, Sonny supported and empowered his wife in founding a school for individuals with dyslexia. Luca worked as the Creative Director and also a supporting teacher, using music in his classroom to enrich the learning environment for kids of all ages. He balanced this job with helping care for their three kids. But in 2019, the school was stable and growing, the kids were old enough, and Sonny was ready to return to his first love: music.

Luca founded Studio Pastorale in the Fine Arts Building, downtown Chicago. Within Studio Pastorale, Luca began the process of reinventing his sound while giving a nod to his childhood context, resulting in a diverse EP incorporating alt-rock, pop and world genres. “The process that brought these songs into existence was one of belabored self-discovery.” The first single, “Last Night,” releases on May 1st, 2020.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central.

Singing ever since she could speak, Kayley feels like music chose her and not the other way around. Her scope of musical inspiration starts with Brooks and Dunn, when their music prompted her to dance around the living room as a little girl, and spreads as far as Gershwin dared to venture with those melodies of his that she sang while at The Boston Conservatory. The time spent singing all the harmony lines to Relient K albums, snapping her fingers to Michael Buble, and wondering how Alison Krauss and Union Station could make music sound so good were all precious moments helping her to understand how she wanted to deliver her own sound.
When listening to Kayley's music, you'll be able to sense the impact of rootsy bluegrass and rockabilly, you'll gather lyrics reflecting Dolly Parton and Miranda Lambert, and you will experience a sassy yet inviting vocal that will leave you wanting more.

"In the House" at the Grinder House is broadcast live on WFMC Jams every Saturday from 6-8pm central. 

Grinder House Coffee Shop is an intimate live music "Listening Room",  focused on showcasing and promoting the artist, singer songwriters. "It all begins with the Song"  The Grinder House has grown to become the downtown mecca. A place as diverse as the guest who share the experience and the difference found at the Grinder House.  Upscale coffee house and made to order restaurant during the week, and transformed to a premier “Live” acoustic Listen Room every Saturday Night with the “In the House” International Singer Songwriter Show.   Visit The Grinder House website for more details on future events.