Sky Smeed is a folk singer-songwriter whose songs balance humor, heart, and honesty. He was raised in a one-room schoolhouse outside Chanute, Kansas. At 16 his sister handed him a Takamine acoustic guitar for his birthday. That old guitar, along with a growing love for Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom Joad and Son Volt’s Trace, sent him down a long road of writing songs and playing for anyone willing to listen.
“The truth is the shortcut to everything”
Listening to Aaron’s songs, you won’t hear a lot of effort to sound like anyone else or to play by any particular set of rules.
Sure, it’s only natural that dashes of heroes like Lyle Lovett or Guy Clark sneak into the stew, but what you’ll mostly hear are stories being told from the perspective of man who has been there and wants to share what he learned from them.
Laundry hanging on the line, or the death of a dear friend in the passenger seat of his truck; if it’s in the song, it probably happened.
Aaron can be found driving across the United States and beyond with his rescue pals Oscar and Zeke. He Plays theaters, listening rooms, festivals and back yards… the kind of places where all the seats face the stage and folks are there to hear the songs and the stories behind them.
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Two-time New England “Roots Act of the Year” nominee and winner of the International Acoustic Music Awards Best Country/Bluegrass song 2024, Crowes Pasture inspires audiences with their powerful and moving songs that connect with listeners at every stage of life. While their lyrics provoke thought and emotion, their unique banjo-guitar instrumental union takes listeners on a meditative journey, sometimes joyful, sometimes wistful and oftentimes poignant. The duo has gained a loyal following throughout New England, charmed by their approachable presence and mesmerized by their intimate and haunting harmonies, described by Americana Highways as “a wholly vintage vocal parfait” and “rurally expressive with a genuine instinctive unifying feel.”
John Byrne is a Dublin native and Philadelphia-based musician who performs as a solo act and with The John Byrne Band. Their debut album, After the Wake, was released to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011. With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Planxty, John’s songwriting honors and expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes.