Wilkesboro Vibes Provide Musical Inspiration

From jam sessions on the front porch to the annual extravaganza of Merlefest, music just a part of life for folks in Wilkes County. For Will Easter, Shay Martin Lovette and Nikki Morgan, the rolling beauty of the Brushy Mountains, rushing waters of the Yadkin River and laid-back pace of life in Wilkesboro has served as inspiration, provided a place to hone their craft and given them a supportive community to showcase their art. With live music venues opening back up this summer after a pandemic pause, all three have new music to share with fans and are excited to get back out performing.

Shay Martin Lovette

A native of Wilkesboro, Shay Martin Lovette has been immersed in the roots-music culture of this community all his life. “I grew up going to Merlefest, and music played a big part of our life in my family,” Lovette says. His dad is also a songwriter, and the two of them will sit around and jam sometimes, trading tunes. “He’s been a big influence on me, probably a main reason why songwriting was a natural avenue for me to explore as a career,” Lovette says.

In the spring of 2020 just as Shay was ready to release his second album, Scatter & Gather, the COVID-19 pandemic came along, bringing with it restrictions for live gatherings. “I was coming off a pretty successful year in 2019, having performed more than 100 shows around the Southeast,” Lovette says. ‘I really love performing, and knew how important being in front of people would be in promoting this album, so I decided to wait it out.” The timing couldn’t be better, as Shay released the album in May, just as he gets ready to open for Mipso at some of the popular Chapel Hill band’s 2021 tour dates. “I’ve been a huge fan since I first saw them at Merlefest, and I’m excited to team up with them and get this opportunity to reach a wider audience with my new music,” Lovette says.

Fans of Shay’s story songs will enjoy the new characters and stories found in the 12 songs of his newest albums. “I read a lot of short stories, writers like Flannery O’Conner, John Cheever, and Ron Rash,” Lovette says. “I really admire how they pen the narrative and are able to use words in a way that makes such a big impact. I try to do that same thing with my songwriting.”

Place is just as much a character as any of the people created in Lovette’s songs. Gravel roads, sticky summer days and storm clouds over the Blue Ridge Parkway create an atmosphere that will hook native North Carolinians and introduce those outside of the state to the haunting, magical beauty to be found here.

Where to Hear Him

Follow Shay Martin Lovette on Spotify, or order his music at shaymartinlovette.com

Upcoming Shows:

June 24: Historic Rural Hill, Huntersville, NC

June 25: Orange County Speedway, Durham, NC

June 26: Blue Ridge Music Center, Galax, VA

Will Easter

Will Easter moved to Wilkesboro after high school, but the area wasn’t much different than Stokes County, where he grew up in the small community of Pine Hall. He eventually made his way to Boone, where he studied recreation management at Appalachian State, but music seemed to follow him no matter where he went. “I grew up around music, on both sides of the family,” Easter says. His dad’s family had a bluegrass band, the Easter Family, that toured around the Southeast, and his mom’s family was known locally for its gospel group. “It’s funny, when I was younger I skipped children’s choir to go outside and play football, maybe as a way to be different and pave my own way in this family, but here I am now singing for a living.”

From Stokes to Wilkes to Watauga County, the bluegrass culture has played a big role in shaping Easter’s sound, but over the past few years he’s forged his own way, creating a unique sound that combines a variety of genres into what some call “grunge grass.”

Easter just released a new album in March 2021, and the self-titled work includes nine new songs, many of them written during his years in Wilkes County when he was finding his way as an adult. “I’m really proud of what we put out on my latest album,” Easter says. “I feel I’ve grown as a musician, and this new album has a noticeable difference in sound from the first, maybe a little more rock and roll.”

Where to Hear Him:

Follow Will Easter on Spotify, or purchase his music at willeastermusic.com

Upcoming Shows

May 19: Hell on Horse Creek Brewery, Madison, NC (solo)

May 20: Crestwood Inn, Boone, NC (trio)

May 21: Anchor Coffee, North Wilkesboro NC (solo)

June 5: Fruition Cocktail Lounge, Elkin NC (duo)

June 11: Brewers Kettle, Kernersville NC (Full Band)

June 12: Concerts on the Commons, Wilkesboro NC (Full Band)

Nikki Morgan

A creative spirit, Nikki Morgan has done a lot of different things in her career, including acting and musical theater. But after about 10 years in that world, working hard to make it as an actor in Chicago, she had an epiphany. “I realized I really wanted to commit myself to music,” Morgan says. “I have always loved words and writing, and I decided to just take the plunge with writing songs. I realized at the time there was a lot that was ready to come out.”

Her love affair with words is a blessing to us all. Her debut album, 30 Something, released in August 2020, is full of poetic songs full of passion and raw emotion from an artist who is finding her way in life and is more than happy to bring us along with her.

While much of the work on 30 Something was done in Chicago, Morgan has spent the last year living near her family in Wilkes County. “I found myself needing some rejuvenation, and it felt right to come back here, where my mom’s family is from,” Morgan says. “Wilkes County is such a beautiful place for me at this point in my life, and I’ve found myself making yet another transition creatively.”

Morgan is looking forward to getting back out performing in front of audiences this summer, with a few dates already booked in Chicago in June and the promise of more in Winston-Salem in July. “If you see I’m going to be playing somewhere, you’ll want to be there because Lord knows what will happen,” Nikki says. “We always have fun at my shows.”

Where to Hear Her:

Follow Nikki on Spotify, and purchase her album here.