Taylor McCall – The Mellow War Tour

When the decades-old gospel recording fades into static, from which rises the first guitar chord of Taylor McCallʼsMellow War, you feel like youʼre walking out of one world and into another. Or perhaps, for a moment anyway, straddling two worlds. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, McCall quickly found his true sanctuary in the woods and on the water, and for much of his early life, stepped between the outdoors and the Sunday service. At the age of 7, he discovered his grandfatherʼs guitar and played with ritual secrecy until he was nearly 18. Following the release of his debut EP, Southern Heat, Taylor released his 2021 LP Black Powder Soul, which featured the title single earning recognition from Rolling Stone and American Songwriter. His songs are inspired by his father and grandfatherʼs sermons, the spirituality he finds in nature, and the influence of his contemporaries such as sister Rosetta Tharpe to TKTK, Johnny Cash and The Band. By 2023, Taylor was opening for Robert Plant and plans for many more live shows to share his most passionate project yet, Mellow War. Co-produced with Sean McConnell,Mellow War explores balancing good and evil, destruction and healing, and the importance of having faith in the darkest of times. "To me Mellow War is paying homage to my late grandpa, but also in relation to where Iʼm at musically. My grandpa went to Vietnam. The image on the front is him in Vietnam. These are songs that are sort of letters to home that I imagined he might have sent. My grandpa was a life inspiration for me; it was bigger than just music. The songs are a tribute to everything he stood for and everything he taught me. Itʼs a way for me to share with him even when heʼs in another dimension. This isnʼt just about me or myself. This isnʼt music about myself."

Philly-based country-western band Mandy Valentine might only be about a year old, but this five-piece is already delivering a rootin’, tootin’ good time to the Philly music scene. Comprised of vocalist, guitarist and lead songwriter Missy Pidgeon, drummer and production wiz Mattie Klauser, bassist Jay Johnson, vocalist and tambourine player Abbey Heier and lead guitarist Sam Perduta, Mandy Valentine draws influences from Elvis Presley and the Shangri-Las.