Southern Songwriter Showcase: Seth Williams, MarDe Brooks and Lance Rogers

219 South White Street,Wake Forest NC 27587

20 August, 2021

Description

A trio of fantastic Southern singer-songwriters comes to the Wake Forest Listening Room for a special night of musical storytelling. About the musicians: Seth Williams"You can just hear it...He was born in the age of compact discs, but his soul is from the era of eight-tracks, vinyl, and velvet-curtained Chevy vans with airbrushed sunsets on the side." At just 23 years old, Seth Williams has insights and talents of someone much older. Hailing from the small town of Reidsville, NC, Seth started playing publicly when he was 14 and hasn’t stopped since. Formerly half of Whiskey Foxtrot, an Americana/Rock n' Roll band out of Winston-Salem, Seth has since embarked on his newly found solo career and is focusing on honing in on his unique sound. Working up and demoing duo, trio and full band tracks, with hopes of releasing new music in 2021. MarDe BrooksMarDe Brooks’ debut release, Running Out of Time, without question, is bound to be your new favorite album of 2020. As the very first notes hit the air, you hear the impact of a young boy spinning his daddy’s vinyl collection, you feel the echoes of the small Alabama mill town on the banks of the Chattahoochee River—and, you hear his heart. Running Out of Time will take you on a journey—deep tones that stretch from central Alabama to the hollers and hills of Appalachia. It is an Americana album through and through: infectious and compelling, shrouded in a certain kind of timelessness, and written from a place of both struggle and hope. This powerhouse vocalist and rhythm guitarist wrote his first collection of songs in just under a year at his home in Valley, Alabama after spending 11 years as frontman of the rock band Fifth Element. During his time with Fifth Element, they opened for heavy hitters Blackberry Smoke and Drivin’ and Cryin’, to name a few. As his lyrics say, “Even if you do things the right way, you don’t always get what is earned.” But, sometimes—and especially in this case—MarDe Brooks will definitely get what is earned. In fact, he just made an album that you’ll be singing along with for a long time to come. Lance Rogers"Lance is an incredible songwriter...He has put together just an amazing piece of work and I think you're going to love it." -- Angela Oldfield, host of "Bluegrass Breakout" on WSKV, Irvine, Kentucky Lance has drawn from his blue collar roots, the love of his Kentucky home in the Bluegrass region, and the heart of his varied musical influences to craft songs that appeal to story lovers everywhere. You'll hear traces of your own memories and life experiences in the unmistakable originality of a hard-working Kentuckian's unique, sometimes raw, perspective as he paints musical portraits that touch a range of emotions. ​From small beginnings, writing his first song in 2018, Lance began co-writing songs with established singer-songwriters, including Phillip David Harris, Micah Howard, and many others. One of his songs, co-written with Harris, is under contract with Banner Music in Nashville. In 2019, only a year after writing his first song, he was runner-up in a regional singer-songwriting competition at The Steam Engine Session Room in Irvine, Kentucky, an emerging destination for roots musicians in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Since then, Lance has been a featured guest on a popular roots music show, "Bluegrass Breakout", produced by radio station WSKV in Irvine. Lance has opened for Arlo McKinley, CoraLee and the Townies, Justin Wells, and Derek Spencer. Lance has accomplished a lot in the world of roots music in a short amount of time, and it's clear why from listening to his compelling and evocative songs. Currently, he is working on his debut album, and has released his first three singles. "Outside the Lines" is a lyrical journey with two small town misfits to find love, despite tough times at home, by living life their own way, outside of what is expected. "Flyin' on Momma's Feet" is about growing up in the 80's in Lance's small mountain hometown, Berea, Kentucky. And "Was I Always Killing You?" is a hauntingly beautiful contemplation of a long suffering relationship.