A couple of weeks ago, I headed out to Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California, which might just be the largest country music gathering in the States. Since its inception in 2007, it has welcomed an eclectic line up of bands: this year including great elder statesmen The Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard, ZZ Top, and Eric Burdon. There was a seriously cool lineup of Americana artists there this year too. I was honored to be hosting the Stagecoach Radio broadcast on TuneIn (super cool fun!). You know every time I get to go somewhere, I always get to hear some new music. Summer season is festival season, and it is the time to get to a music event near you, to make some new friends and make some memories.

The Americana Music Association has just announced the first round of artists playing AmericanaFest in Nashville this September, including Los Lobos, Patty Griffin, Whitey Morgan and the 78s, honeyhoney, John Moreland, Andrew Combs, Nikki Lane, Pokey LaFarge, James McMurtry, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Nora Jane Struthers, and Jackie Greene. The nominees for this year’s Americana Honors & Awards are going to be announced this Thursday, May 14th, from 1pm to 2pm CT, and you can watch it on Music City Roots. Music Fog is proud to have attended past AmericanaFests, and we have our fingers crossed that the team will be able to go this year.

Today’s video comes from Kristin Andreassen, who is playing AmericanaFest this year, too. We got to film her back in January at Midtown Live in New York upon the release of her second album, Gondolier. She spent time with bands Uncle Earl and Sometymes Why, before going solo. Her debut CD Kiss Me Hello included the John Lennon Songwriting Contest winner "Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes." Here is the Music Fog recording of that song, featuring Kristin accompanied by Alec Spiegelman on bass clarinet and backing vocals.

- Jessie Scott