MerleFest Spotlight: Kacy & Clayton

As of today we are just 43 quick days away from MerleFest!  Visit the MerleFest website now to grab your tickets to see over 100 bands and artists that all celebrate the roots of bluegrass, folk, and Americana music. 

Leading up to this family-friendly event, we will be spotlighting some of the must-see acts.  One of those acts, Kacy & Clayton, will be performing at the highly notable festival, SXSW before hitting MerleFest. Kacy & Clayton is Kacy Anderson (vocals, violin) and Clayton Linthicum (guitar, melodeon, vocals). The duo interprets and composes music inspired by traditional music from Southern Appalachia and the British Isles.

As children they were surrounded by rural musicality, absorbing the knowledge of Kacy’s grandfather (Clayton’s great-uncle) Carl Anderson. Although the second cousins are young in age, they have been playing music together for over a decade and have created a distinct and cohesive sound. Kacy’s completely unforced vocals are always in her own distinct and natural timbre. Clayton’s instrumental talents serve every song with modesty; he reserves his virtuosity for only those few transitions that require elaborate expression. The production values of their recordings are consistent and simple.

Kacy & Clayton shun studio trickery and gimmicks, pursuing mixes that recall the natural warmth of 1970s British folk LPs. In fact, much of their repertoire could easily be mistaken for hidden gems of decades past. Their return to form is no mere retro affectation; it is a respectful bearing of the torch passed on from their deep and studied musical heritage.

MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for April 28-May 1, 2016, takes place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the heart of Appalachia. The 2016 lineup will feature over 100 artists, including John Prine, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jason Isbell, Dave Rawlings Machine, Brandi Carlile, The Wood Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tim O’Brien, Tommy Emmanuel, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Alison Brown, Doug Seegers, Jim Lauderdale and more!

The four-day event, the largest roots and Americana music festival in the nation, takes place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the heart of Appalachia. MerleFest continues the legacy of Doc Watson and is a benefit for the college. This homecoming of roots music artists and fans draws nearly 80,000 participants every year.

*Details courtesy of Hearth Music PR