RADNEY FOSTER

Radney Foster first gained attention as half of the duo Foster & Lloyd, who with “Crazy Over You” became the first duo in history to top the Country charts with their debut single. He then established himself as a solo artist in the early 90’s with his critically acclaimed release Del Rio, Texas 1959.

Known as a songwriter’s songwriter, his songs have been recorded by everyone from Keith Urban and the Chicks to Hootie & the Blowfish and George Benson. His own hits like “Just Call Me Lonesome,” “Nobody Wins,” and “Texas In 1880” continue to be played on radio and by bands around the world.

His most recent project For You To See The Stars is in two parts, a book of short fiction, and a collection of songs to go with it. He is currently working on another book of fiction, as well as developing film and TV projects.

KELLY WILLIS

Singer-songwriter Kelly Willis captured critical acclaim from her first release, with a distinctive voice that conveys both tender heartache and smoldering heat. Born in Oklahoma, she moved often as a kid with her Army Colonel dad. She started singing professionally at 16, fronting the rockabilly band “Kelly and the Fireballs” in the DC area, but it soon became clear she was more of a country singer. After high school, she moved to Austin and It wasn’t long before she got on the radar of MCA’s Tony Brown, who signed her after an introduction by Nanci Griffith.

Kelly’s recording career began at a time when Nashville was experiencing a creative resurgence with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Foster & Lloyd and The O'Kanes. She recorded three albums for MCA that were critical hits, but it wasn’t until she left the major label restrictions behind that she came into her own with 1999’s What I Deserve for Rykodisc.

The albums Willis has made since What I Deserve have only burnished her reputation as Austin’s reigning queen of Americana, including being inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame. When not performing her own music, Kelly tours with Brennan Leigh and Melissa Carper as Wonder Women of Country, in support of their 2023 self-titled EP.

Wonder Women of Country

When Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper and Brennen Leigh – three accomplished singer-songwriters who have forged their own unique lanes in country music – joined forces as a power trio, there was no more appropriate moniker than Wonder Women of Country.

At the end of 2021, after serendipitously sharing bills separately several times, Willis approached Leigh and Carper about teaming up and playing some shows together. Wanting more than your standard songwriter-in-the-round arrangement, the three learned each other’s songs to create a more integrated, band approach. Those first few shows together were so much fun and so well-received that they decided to continue.

Wonder Women of Country have discovered that, together, their own individual superpowers come alive. (One of their superpowers is being able to find hidden treasures in any thrift or vintage store.) With Leigh playing lead guitar and mandolin, Carper on upright bass, and Willis playing rhythm guitar, they support each other’s distinctive original material with beautiful three-part harmonies.

“At every show, folks were asking if we had records together,” says Willis. “After months and months of that, we finally found a chance to go make one.”

Their forthcoming, six-song EP, Wonder Women of Country: Willis, Carper, Leigh, was recorded at Bismeaux on the Hill in Austin, TX in December of 2023. It features two songs by each artist, including a couple of Carper/Leigh co-writes, and one reimagined John Prine tune. Each track captures the magic these three create night after night on the road. Wonder Women of Country are the super heroes we’ve all been waiting for.

Kelly Willis is the alluring voice and songwriting talent who pioneered both Americana and the Texas young country scene with her debut album in 1990, and has since over the course of five more gems proven how she can do it all from contemporary to traditional and beyond with finesse, smarts and irresistible charm.

Kelly Willis continues to record and perform with her husband, Bruce Robison and is working on her own new release for Spring 2018. Stay tuned, you’re going to love it!

“…alternative country’s golden goddess.” – NPR “…stunning voice that combines honky-tonk sass with bruised vulnerability…” – Los Angeles Times