Emerging Americana 2023

The String

Episode 262: There's no better forum to survey what's happening at the cutting edge of roots music than AmericanaFest, and 2023's huge edition was no exception. In what's become an annual tradition, I survey three acts who are making waves in three different genre spaces in the Americana universe. Summer Dean quit her teaching job around her 40th birthday to hit the road as a honky tonk singer and songwriter and earned the support of Bruce Robison's Next Waltz Records. Caleb Elliott became ensconced with Muscle Shoals label Single Lock Records as a session cello player before breaking cover as a songwriter. They liked his stuff so much they've released two albums with him. And Allison DeGroot and Tatiana Hargreaves define the cutting edge in today's old-time scene.