Hayes Carll, Amythyst Kiah, Matt Andersen, and more on Mountain Stage

GUEST ARTISTS: Amythyst Kiah, Matt Andersen, Vanessa Collier, and more TBA (click each artist name to learn more)

Ticket Information

All tickets to this show are e-tickets and will be emailed to you upon purchase. Open up the pdf and the QR code on your ticket will be scanned at the door. This event will also be offered as a livestream.

• Doors at 6:30pm
• Show at 7pm

Member Tickets on sale: April 25, 10am ET
Public sales: May 2, 10am ET

Watch the livestream!

Mountain Stage livestreams are free, however, there are some incredible folks out there who’d like to show their support through a donation-based, pay-what-you-want “ticket” for the livestream. This is a donation-based “ticket” to show some love for the program and is not a ticket to the live event.

You’ll be able to catch the show from the comfort of your home (or wherever you wish) Sunday, August 17, 2025 – at 7 PM ET at mountainstage.org

Amythyst Kiah

Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Amythyst Kiah’s new album Still + Bright explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural world, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described “anime-nerd mall goth.” In dreaming up the backdrop to her revelatory storytelling, Kiah and Walker arrived at a darkly cinematic and exhilarating twist on the rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough album Wary + Strange—an LP that landed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like Pitchfork. With its sonic palette encompassing everything from fuzzed-out guitars and industrial-leaning beats to gilded pedal steel and Kiah’s exquisitely graceful banjo work, Still + Bright fully affirms her as an artist of both daring originality and uncompromising depth.

On Wary + Strange, Kiah offered up a collection of spellbinding songs detailing her experience with grief and trauma and alienation, each illuminating the extraordinary impact of her songwriting. An electrifying showcase for her singular musicality and soul-stirring voice, Kiah’s Rounder Records debut soon found many leading critics hailing her as a formidable new talent, adding to a list of accolades that includes earning a Grammy nomination for her powerhouse anthem “Black Myself.” But when it came time to create her follow-up, the Tennessee-born singer/songwriter felt compelled toward a profound shift in her artistry. “On the last record it felt so cathartic to write about all the pain I was dealing with, but this time the songs came from a place of finding joy in the music,” says Kiah. “In the past I felt so mired down with anxiety that I sometimes held back from what I really wanted to write about; I felt like I needed to play it safe and keep certain thoughts to myself. But now I’m at a point where I’m confident in what I value and love, and because of that I’ve made the album I’ve always wanted to make.”

Although Kiah’s third full-length marks a departure from the anguished emotionality of its predecessor (an album informed by losing her mother to suicide at age 17), Kiah imparts all of Still + Bright with a hypnotic intensity born from boldly stating her convictions. To that end, the LP opens on the stormy grandeur of “Play God and Destroy the World”: an immediately captivating coming-of-age tale featuring guest vocals from Kentucky-bred singer/songwriter S.G. Goodman. With its title taken from a song Kiah penned and performed at a talent show in high school, the hard-charging track dispenses a bit of searing commentary on the hypocrisy she witnessed throughout her childhood—and ultimately speaks to the sense of hope and possibility she discovered in unexpected places (e.g., the humanistic sci-fi of The Matrix). “I grew up in a good neighborhood and had parents with good jobs, but in many respects my family was different,” says Kiah, who was raised in Chattanooga and later moved to Johnson City. “In order to fit in, you had to go to church and have conservative values—and I know that being Black wasn’t doing us any favors either. This song was written for the 15-year-old version of me who suspected that there was a big world out there that allowed for many beliefs and a more connected humanity.”

On songs like “S P A C E,” Kiah turns inward and ponders her search for peace of mind in times of maddening uncertainty. “As someone whose identity is tied up in being a touring musician, the pandemic created a lot of anxiety where I started questioning who I was if I wasn’t out on the road,” says Kiah. “There were moments when I dealt with that by scrolling through Instagram, but over time I started to treasure the quiet. Meditation became an important part of my life, and I eventually wrote ‘S P A C E’ about learning to be more present.” Partly written on banjo, “S P A C E” unfolds as a soulful outpouring laced with lush mandolin lines, lovely fiddle melodies, and a powerfully soaring vocal performance from Kiah. “One of my main goals for this album was to show a new side of myself as a singer,” she notes. “I’ve always loved really strong, gospel-style vocals, and I put a lot of work into increasing my range for this record.”

Another track spotlighting the stunning force of her voice, “Empire of Love” presents what Kiah refers to as “my personal theme song”: an impassioned statement of devotion to her journey as a spiritual seeker, gorgeously wrought in brooding guitar riffs and fiercely delivered poetry (“My religion is none at all/I build my own cathedrals and let them fall…I pledge allegiance to my soul/I’ll follow where she needs to go/I’m a pilgrim for the empire of love”). Inspired by her ever-deepening connection to the Appalachian landscape—and by her interest in Western humanities and Eastern religions—“Empire of Love” finds Kiah constructing her own belief system firmly rooted in compassion and curiosity. “I believe in carving a path in life that honors my own experiences in the context of the wider world,” says Kiah, who co-wrote “Empire of Love” with Sean McConnell. “As a seeker in the mountains, my sense of spiritual connection stems from nature, which is connected to all of the cosmos. And there is no religious or social dogma that can change that.”

All throughout Still + Bright, Kiah reveals her rare ability to spin her fascinations into songs uncovering essential truths about human nature. On “I Will Not Go Down,” for instance, she looks back on a barbaric moment in history and unleashes a furiously stomping folk epic, featuring background vocals and nimble guitar work from bluegrass phenomenon Billy Strings. “I read about the Crusades in high school, and I was disgusted at the prospect of coercing people into spilling an unimaginable amount of blood and brainwashing them into believing they were serving their god—when in fact they were simply doing the bidding of warmongers,” says Kiah. “I wrote the chorus in my high school journal, and it became a song about people-pleasing to a fault, then reclaiming your autonomy and finding a balance between serving yourself and serving others.” Meanwhile, on “Silk and Petals,” Ellen Angelico’s feverish guitar tones merge with strangely euphoric grooves in a gothic love song sparked from Kiah’s viewing of the supernatural horror-drama of The Haunting of Bly Manor. “‘Silk and Petals’ was inspired by the story of the Lady in the Lake, the ghost of a woman named Viola Lloyd,” Kiah explains. “After falling ill with tuberculosis, Viola leaves her chest of her finest clothes and jewelry to her daughter, then becomes violent as she witnesses the affection between her husband Arthur and her sister Perdita. While Arthur is away on business, Perdita smothers Viola in her sleep, only to later be strangled to death by Viola’s ghost. The Lady in the Lake then wanders the hallways for centuries searching for her daughter, killing anyone who moves into the house along the way. I wrote ‘Silk and Petals’ thinking about the idea of ghosts being unable to leave this realm because they’re hanging onto something they’ve lost, and the song came from being so intrigued by that very intimate intermingling of love and death.”

For Kiah, the making of Still + Bright involved a careful transformation of the songwriting process she adopted after composing her first song on a Fender acoustic at age 13. The latest turn in a dynamic career that’s included joining Our Native Daughters (an all-women-of-color supergroup also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), the album marks her first time opening up her approach and working with co-writers, including punk legend Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden (a guitarist/vocalist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit), former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan, and Sean McConnell (a singer/songwriter who’s also written with Brittney Spencer and Bethany Cosentino). “In a way I almost felt like I had to relearn how to write songs, because the experience had changed so much for me after taking better care of my mental and physical wellbeing over the past few years,” she says. “It felt completely different to write from a place of fulfillment and wanting to have fun with what I was creating.”

While Still + Bright undoubtedly finds Kiah pushing into new emotional and musical terrain, the album also makes for a vital new addition to a body of work largely dedicated to exploring the struggle and joy of true self-discovery. “With all of my music, I’d love to leave people with the feeling that it’s okay to go off the beaten path and to structure your life in a way that feels right to you,” says Kiah. “And just like with the last record, I hope that these songs can help people out if they’re going through a difficult time. That’s what I always hope for more than anything: for my music to continue to be a part of the healing process for anyone who might need it.”

Vanessa Collier

Singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier’s sixth album Do It My Own Way comes out September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers.

Second single “Wild As a Rainstorm,” which dives deep into soul territory, powerfully gives advice to women and people who feel left out to ignore the naysayers and “Be a tapestry of dreams.” The track been added to Spotify’s official Retro Soul playlist. The groove and horns would make Willie Mitchell proud, and indeed features legendary Hi Records organist Rev. Charles Hodges. The vocals are powerful, awe-inspiring, and undeniably soulful vocals.

Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.”

Do It My Own Way takes listeners back to the heyday of music with Memphis soul-influenced horn arrangements, layers of vocals for color, with poignant and powerful saxophone solos that deliver a quietly powerful undercurrent to each song and the album as a whole. Minor key Americana/noir “Take Me Back” served as the first single. The album kicks off with the funk workout “Elbow Grease.” On an album full of incredible grooves, “Shoulda Known Better” stands out while “Just One More” sways to a rhumba beat.

The gospel-tinged “Rosetta” pays tribute to one of Collier’s heroes, electric guitar pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Collier sings, “She’s carried the torch so I can see a little bit better… There’d be no Elvis or Chuck Berry. Sometimes the women do it best. She tackled all the inequities. And fought with strength and audacity.” Kicking off on resonator guitar before the full band joins in, album closer “Warrior” paints the picture of a powerful woman and is both a universal message about the strength and experience of women and a tribute to Collier’s mother. The anthemic, slinky third single and title track artfully commenting on the sexism she’s encountered in life and in the music industry. Collier has encountered calls from members of the industry to dress in sexy clothes and to not rock the boat, but has successfully taken hold of her own career.

“The opening lines are a piercing statement of the overused, antiquated, and tired views within the industry. And the lyrics of the second verse demonstrate how the industry attempts to put and keep women ‘in their place’ by undermining them,” she recounts, continuing, “I find that most artists I admire - namely, Prince, James Brown, and Bonnie Raitt, went against the grain and did things that people hadn’t thought of before and that people hadn’t seen before, changing the industry as they went. This song is an assurance that I will continue to choose to fight quietly or publicly, if needed, to represent myself how I want to be represented in this industry and that I will not allow someone else to define who I am. It’s also a statement of hope that the industry is, can, and will continue to progress.

” Of “Wild as a Rainstorm,” Collier says, “’Wild As A Rainstorm’ is a love letter to the next generation -– particularly my little sisters – who feel out of place in the current world. I’m hoping that this song and my journey to recognize my own personal power might inspire another to choose to take their own path when repeatedly arriving at forks in the road.”

Collier takes on multiple roles, writing the songs, producing the album, arranging horns and all instrumental and vocal parts, playing acoustic and electric guitars and alto and tenor saxophones, flute, as well as singing the lead and background vocals. Also on the album are legendary Hi Records organ player Rev. Charles Hodges (Al Green, Bettye LaVette, Ann Peebles, Alex Chilton, Robert Cray); and frequent Collier collaborators Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Laura Chavez (Sue Foley, Mike Ledbetter & Monster Mike Welch); bassist Scott Sutherland (Elvin Bishop); and Byron Cage (Otis Taylor).

The songwriter/bandleader made her Chicago Blues Festival debut this year, in front of tens of thousands. Best known in the blues world – she’s a twelve-time Blues Music Award nominee and four-time winner, including for the monumental Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, Horn Player of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year this year – Do It My Own Way finds her influenced by soul artists like Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin.

Blues Blast Mag said, “Vanessa is an important part of the future of the blues.” Born in Texas, growing up in Maryland, launching her career in Philadelphia, and now residing in South Carolina, Collier grew up listening to an eclectic variety of music. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she joined blues legend Joe Louis Walker’s band, going solo at his urging, and has become a notable artist “whose rise to the top is nothing short of meteoric” (Making a Scene). She has opened concerts for Blues Traveler. Her prior studio album, Heart On The Line, spent nine weeks in the Billboard Blues Album Chart top 15.

Matt Andersen

When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His latest album, The Hammer & The Rose, is a veritable garden of heart; a (mostly) delicate collection of tender folk and stirring soul numbers that find the New Brunswick-born songwriter thoughtfully tending to the most important things in life. Andersen’s stage presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theatres all over the world, delivering moving performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result - a multi-faceted and poignant body of work - has led him to amass over 33 million streams on Spotify and 30 million views on YouTube.

In addition to headlining major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America, Europe, and Australia, he has shared the stage and toured with Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Greg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Serena Ryder, Tab Benoit, and more. Andersen nabbed the 2013 and 2016 European Blues Awards for Best Solo/Acoustic Act, was the first ever Canadian to take home top honours in the solo category at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, won the CIMA Road Gold award in 2015, and has won multiple Maple Blues Awards. Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy was nominated for a Juno Award in 2024

Hayes Carll