The 2024 Lineup
The songwriters:
Kristian Bush
Kristian Bush, best known as half of the Sugarland duo, counts two Grammy awards on a mantle crowded with ACM and CMA awards earned while he and partner Jennifer Nettles racked up a dozen top ten singles, including five number ones. In more recent years, Kristian’s solo work has included the hit “Trailer Hitch”, and a collection of beach and summer-themed tunes that have attracted the attention and affection of Parrot Heads, the fans of one of Kristian’s musical idols, the late Jimmy Buffett. He’s also been busy in the studio with other artists, too, including as the producer the recent country phenom Megan Moroney, whose “Tennessee Orange” topped the Billboard Country charts last summer. Kristian will be accompanied by brother Brandon Bush, former keyboardist for Sugarland, John Mayer, and Train.
Paul Overstreet
It would be almost impossible to live in the English speaking world in the last 40 years and not know Paul Overstreet’s music. Named BMI Songwriter of the Year an unprecedented five times between 1987 and 1991, his songs helped make a country legend of singer Randy Travis with songs like “Forever and Ever Amen”, “On The Other Hand”, “Deeper Than the Holler”, and “Digging Up Bones”, the country/pop music standard “When You Say Nothing at All”, which was a huge hit for both Keith Whitley and Alison Kraus, and more recently Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” and Blake Shelton’s “Some Beach”, among many others. The accomplishments of this two-time Grammy Winner and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame are rarely matched in music history.
The Wheeland Brothers
The Wheeland Brothers marare Northwest stop to share their infectious good-time energy and the unique blend of surf rock, roots reggae, hip hop and acoustic pop that has earned them a growing national fan base. Now mainstays on both Radio Margaritaville and No Shoes Radio, their “Song for the Sun” from their album Pacific Vibrations was the most played song on both stations in the summer of 2022, the same year they were personally picked by Kenny Chesney to play the Nashville kick off his summer tour. Get ready for a good time!
Mishka
The Bermuda-born Mishka is an acoustic roots reggae artist who is among the most successful artists of the reggae genre in the 21st century, with five of his seven albums hitting number one on the Billboard reggae chart. Named Apple I-Tunes’ Best New Artist in the Singer-Songwriter category in 2009, he has gone on to collaborate on projects with musical icons Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett.
Thom and Coley
Thom Shepherd & Coley McCabe, the Texas based duo that has been honored multiple times as the Duo of the Year by the Trop Rock Music Association, have been favorites in Parrot Head Nation for over a decade. But each half of the couple enjoyed succes as solo artists prior to their being married by Elvis in 2015, Coley as a Grand Ole Opry alumnus, platinum-selling songwriter, recording artist and actress, and Thom as a hit songwrtier with two Billboard number ones – David Ball’s “Riding with Private Malone” and the Craig Morgan hit “Red Neck Yacht Club”. He’s also had several songs top the Texas charts, including “Beer Season” and “My Texas”. His songs have been recorded by more than 100 artists. Coley hosts the Wednesday night kickoff Girls Just Wanna Have Rum women’s songwriter celebration at the Alderbrook Golf and Yacht Club.
Caitlin Cannon
Caitlin Cannon is a name you will soon know and remember. She’s won or placed in a few recent prestigious songwriting competitions, though not for merely excelling at what other artists are doing. According to Saving Country Music, Cannon is “not a songwriter for the winners; she’s a songwriter for the broken, the downtrodden, the losers, the motherf–ers. She sings about real shit that most other songwriters don’t have the guts to broach. A crack pool player and a hilarious person on stage who could have a second career as a comedian, Caitlin Cannon is one of those country artists that slides criminally under the radar. She is outwriting most current artists.” Her new EP “Beggar” is due out this spring.
Eric Erdman
With smart lyrics, gorgeous melodies, soulful ballads, Eric Erdman’s range transcends genre. As a guitarist, Eric’s mastery and versatility have had him touring with world class acts like the Buddy Rich Band, and Coral Reefer Nadirah Shakoor. A three-time Trop Rock Music Association Songwriter of the Year, his weekly radio/video program “Fresh Song Friday” has been introducing a new original song every week without exception for five years. And while he has toured all over the country and the world, he’s loved no where more than in his home town of Mobile, Alabama, where the local population has voted him their favorite solo performer more than a dozen years running.
Stephanie Anne Johnson
Stephanie Anne Johnson is a Tacoma based artist, a Season 5 contestant on “The Voice” who has opened for artists like Macy Gray, Mavis Staples, and Robert Cray. Stephanie (who uses they/them pronouns) released their most recent album Jewels in April 2023, in which they made a msuical turn toward a rich Americana sound, as compared to earlier work that leaned more toward roots and blues/jazz. Their music, rooted in all that’s American, expresses the pain of the past, the roots of the down home and the hope that hard work will lead to proper reward.
Kitty Mae
Kitty Mae is a local singer-songwriter with a powerful country voice. She was recently honored by the Northwest Country Music Association as the Northwest’s Most Promising New Artist for 2023.
Honey Babe
Honey Babe is a Union-based duo (sometimes trio) fronted by extraordinary vocalist and songwriter Cailley Robinson. The singer delivers insightful lyrics in a Folk-Americana package with an opera-trained voice reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt. Her original songs can be heard on the group’s debut album What I Sow.
David Ashby
David Ashby is a lifelong Union resident and a popular singer-songwriter whose original songs include “Lay Your Weapons Down.” a song that has become a local anthem and usually gives rise to a spontaneous choir.
Stoney Gabel
Texas-based Stoney Gabel has built himself a following in his small town of Lyttoon Springs, but his mostly spoofy original tunes have caught on enough to earn him a larger, deeply disturbed following nationwide. Consequently this grilled cheese afficionado has been able to take his three chords and slightly out-of-tune guitar to house concerts and festivals all over the country, though his Peace, Love & Union appearance will be his first in Washington.
John Patti
Brittany Kingery
Brittany Kingery is a Grays Harbor grown singer-songwriter whose sophomore recording “Dream in Blue” made her the darling of not only Parrot Heads and Trop rock fans but of American and Canadian ex-pats and travelers in The Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit, where her themed concerts played to audiences in Puerto Vallarta and other cities for three years. Brittany stepped away from music performance in 2019, but the Peace Love & Union festival lands on the tenth anniversary of the release of the “Dream in Blue” album, and Brittany was persuaded to mark the occasion with her first performance in more than five years.