American Aquarium

American Aquarium is an alternative country band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2006, the band derived its name from the Wilco song, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” and is led by band founder and lead vocalist/ guitarist BJ Barham. A new lineup was announced in April 2017 with new faces joining the ranks: Crooks drummer Joey Bybee, Damn Quails bass player Ben Hussey and guitarist Shane Boeker – all from Texas – along with Nashville pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, who also fronts Music City's experimental Buck Owens tribute Buck N' Stuff. American Aquarium has released seven albums, including their most critically acclaimed album to date, 2012’s ''Burn. Flicker.

BLUE CACTUS makes country music for people who think they don't like country music and people who love what country music used to be. Based out of Chapel Hill, NC, Blue Cactus is led by Steph Stewart and Mario Arnez who create songs that range from gritty honky-tonk to heartbreaking balladry.

Coming off the release of their self-titled debut album, Blue Cactus has given life to the future of “modern classic country"and received praise from music critics across the nation. Inspired by the iconic vocal harmonies of the Everly Brothers and dynamic twang of great singers like Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, Stewart and Arnez conjure a sound that will take you on a familiar journey into uncharted country, expanding tropes and breathing hope into the genre's limitless possibilities.