Red Barn Radio

Episode 248First Air 06-28-26Trey HedrickPassing Through ShoestringAppalachiaDobbin Mine No.1A Better YearMe Leavin’ Town (Fragment)Trey Hedrick is a modern Appalachian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose sound blends Appalachian folk, Americana, and blue-collar country. Deeply rooted in the storied hills of southeastern Ohio along the West Virginia border, his music is as textured and layered as the region he calls home. Drawing from the landscape and lineage that shaped him, Trey writes with a deep reverence for generational memory, places, and the stories that define us.That storytelling comes into full focus on his forthcoming debut album, Sing Appalachia, out Friday, October 17. Recorded in May 2025 at the Tractor Shed in Nashville with GRAMMY-winning producer and engineer Sean Sullivan (Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, John Prine), the record is a testament to Trey’s belief in the power of place and honest songwriting. It also features a special guest appearance by one of Trey’s longtime heroes, Tim O’Brien — a full-circle moment for an artist who grew up studying his records.Raised in a proud, working-class family where music was as natural as breathing, Trey’s earliest memories involve instruments constantly moving through the room — a guitar, a mandolin, a fiddle — always in someone’s hands. His grandfather, a retired coal miner and a well-regarded local musician, had “such a rich and textured voice and an ability to make anything his,” Trey recalls. “Don’t just play it — mean it, make it yours,” his grandfather would say. That legacy left its mark.Though Trey spent years as a guitarist and mandolin player, it wasn’t until recently that he stepped forward as a songwriter and solo artist. “I never wanted to be someone who just talked about doing things and never actually did,” he says. “There were a lot of those guys where I grew up, and it scared the hell out of me.” His songs reflect that urgency and humility — written to feel honest, never traditional just for tradition’s sake. “I’m not here to cosplay Appalachia,” he adds. “If it sounds traditional one day and something else the next, that’s what came out when I picked up the guitar.”Even as his sound sits comfortably within Appalachian and Americana traditions, there’s a subtle freshness to it. Trey developed a deep love for flatpicking early on, drawn to the drive and precision of players like Clarence White, Tony Rice, and Doc Watson. His influences stretch far and wide — from bluegrass trailblazers like Tim O’Brien and Ralph Stanley to the powerhouse blues vocals of Susan Tedeschi, with nods to Aretha Franklin and Bobby Bland, and even ‘90s R&B and hip-hop woven in. “If something swings or grooves a little, that’s probably why,” he laughs. “I’d like to think all those influences come across in my debut album — that was kind of the point anyway.

The 65 North Pickers are a high-energy bluegrass quartet that fuses the drive of traditional bluegrass with the exploratory spirit of jam band im-provisation. Their high-energy performances feature incredible original compositions that merge bluegrass with the nostalgic vibes of classic festival music, where the essence of the grateful dead meets the psy-chedelic flair of Jimi Hendrix. with listeners dancing out of their chairs and captivated by the music. Next week will be an unforgettable night of music and conversation with the 65 North Pickers!

Episode 228First Air 01-04-26Bryce MullinsCask StrengthA OKBreakthroughSidewalkin'Always Right by Your SideAlice's Saturday Night TrainRaising KaneE.TBryce Mullins is a seasoned fingerstyle guitarist and songwriter hailing from Batesville, Indiana, with a rich and diverse musical background. Initially introduced to the guitar by his father, Bryce's passion quickly grew, drawing him into a world where classic rock intertwined with classical music, blues, and bluegrass. A pivotal moment in his early development came when he encountered the works of Andrés Segovia, leading him to pursue classical guitar with fervor.Bryce's academic journey took him to the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Classical Guitar Performance under the guidance of Professor Clare Callahan. He continued his education at Austin Peay State University, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance, studying with Dr. Stanley Yates. It was during this period that Bryce was introduced to the vibrant world of fingerstyle guitar, inspired by artists like Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, and Antoine Dufour.Armed with a deep understanding of technique and music theory, Bryce began composing his own fingerstyle guitar pieces. His debut album, "First Sip," released in 2017, garnered critical acclaim from outlets like Minor 7th, which praised his "melodic diversity" and the intricate interplay of melodies and contrasts in his compositions. This album marked the beginning of a distinctive voice in the fingerstyle community, where Bryce seamlessly weaves together his myriad influences into a sound that is both unique and familiar.

In 2013, frontman Tanner Blevins and guitarist Patrick Brumback shared a Morehead State dorm hallway and musical dreams. With Tanner’s older sister Amanda joining on vo-cals and songwriting duties, the band quickly took shape, releasing Conclusions in 2014 — a charmingly DIY debut full of personal, scornful laments and loose acoustic-pop, setting the tone for the heartfelt, genre-blurring path ahead. They followed with 2015’s Growing Pain EP.Chasing a bigger sound, the band headed to Nashville to record The Edge EP at Blackbird Studios. A run of polished singles followed — “All of Me,” “Halfway,” “New Addiction,” and “Tubesox” — recorded back home at Lexington’s Shangri-La Studio. With the addition of powerhouse drummer Matt Holleran and bassist Jared “Hippie” Davis, Wicked Peace also dove deep into production work, building their own Butchwood Studios in the process.Over the next few years, the band entered their most prolific era: four EPs (The Portland EP, The Evening EP, The High Road EP, Scott Named the Band (Live at Butchwood)), high-energy singles like “(Take Off My) T-Shirt” and “Ur Welcome,” and — at last — their first full-length album: 2019’s Rock N Roll Racecar, a full-throttle showcase of their growth, hu-mor, and heart.In 2023, the band returned with Wicked Peace, a self-titled record that sharpened their hooks and expanded their palette — delivering 10 hummable, harmonized songs about heartbreak, resilience, and boats.Now in 2025, Wicked Peace celebrates 13 years together with two retrospective releases

Hailing from Spartanburg, in the Upstate of South Carolina, the band came together during 2020 to back up a solo musician named Clay Johnson. They stuck together and spent the last five years developing a sound for Clay's tunes, building them up in the local bar scene and working relentlessly before they would strike out on their first tour in the fall of 2023. They released their debut record, ‘In Time’, on September 12th, 2025. With songs about life, love, and experiences growing up In Upstate Carolina. The band weaves together multiple sounds and genres within the southern music tradition.