3 p.m. • Signature Brew Stage
The newest musical entity in Western North Carolina, the Haywood County quartet brings together singer-songwriter Kevin Fuller with banjoist Joey Fortner (formerly of Soldier’s Heart). Add in teenage fiddle prodigy Alma Russ, and you have yourself a solid foundation of mountain melodies and indie-folk grit to build upon.
Founded by Fuller, the Upstate New Yorker has traveled the highways and bi-ways of America, from Maine to California, putting his transformative experiences to paper and chords.
Smoky Mountain News: How did Through the Hills come about?
Kevin Fuller: When I moved to Western North Carolina, I played a gig at Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) and met our bassist Raymond Mathews. We started sitting around the brewery, playing songs, and that’s when we met Joey and Alma. We just started these impromptu jams at the brewery and decided it sounded quite all right.
SMN: What’s the intent of the group?
KF: I think for me, personally, I’m trying to tell a story. I’m humbled that three other people want to stand up there and tell my story with me. I’ve used this music as a healing tool. I do think our overall philosophy is just to share the music and these stories with people. One person, five people, 500 people, we don’t care.
SMN: How does this region affect your sound and what you’re ultimately trying to get across to an audience?
KF: I’ve always been influenced by bluegrass and Appalachian music. I’d always heard the twang in my songs. I heard banjo, fiddle and upright bass. I had absolutely no intention of ever moving to Western North Carolina. So, when I ended up here, and met the greatest musicians in the world, who played those instruments and asked to play music with me, I was kind of blown away. I feel like there’s a reason why I am here, and I feel like this is it.
— By Garret K. Woodward, staff writer