WILKESBORO – MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the next round of artist additions for MerleFest 2022, taking place April 28-May 1. Trampled By Turtles, Colin Hay and The Steel Wheels will join an already stellar lineup that includes performances by Emmylou Harris, Greensky Bluegrass, Rissi Palmer, Old Crow Medicine Show, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Allison Russell, We Banjo 3 , and more. MerleFest is the annual homecoming for musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.

Hogslop String Band will host this year’s late night jam. Guest artists for the Jam will be announced in the coming weeks. Other fan favorites announced today include Barbaro, Big Daddy Love, The Contenders, Damn Tall Buildings, David Childers and The Serpents, Desure, Eli Yacinthe, Jake Blount, Kaia Kater, Nat Myers, Shannon McNally, Shay Martin Lovette, Sister Sadie, Tenille Townes, Time Sawyer and Tray Wellington.

In addition to those mentioned above, the following artists and bands have already been announced: Alison Brown, Andy May, Arlo McKinley, Banknotes, Caleb Caudle, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, Darrell Scott, Donna the Buffalo, Dr. Bacon, Happy Traum, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Joe Smothers, Kruger Brothers, Laura Boosinger, Mark Bumgarner, Mitch Greenhill, Pete & Joan Wernick, Peter Rowan, Presley Barker, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Roy Book Binder, Sam Bush, Scythian, T. Michael Coleman, The Arcadian Wild, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, The Local Boys, The Waybacks, Tony Williamson, Wayne Henderson and 49 Winchester.

MerleFest 2022 will host its second annual MerleFest Mega Raffle to support scholarships at Wilkes Community College. Tickets are on sale now. The mega raffle draws will take place during the festival on Sunday, May 1 at the raffle tent/silent auction from 1 to 2 p.m. Over $170,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. Only 5,000 tickets will be sold and ticket holders do not need to be present to win. Raffle tickets are $100 each and include two entries to MerleFest Mega Raffle drawings. To buy tickets or for more information, click merlefest.org/megaraffle.

About Trampled By Turtles (Presenting Thursday):

Frontman Dave Simonett originally formed Trampled By Turtles as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his musical equipment, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who ransacked his vehicle while he was playing a show with his old band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began to put together a new band, this time drawing inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn’t rely on amplification. Simonett had never played bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who had previously played drums in a speed metal act) and the bassist Tim Saxhaug. With mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the band began to carve out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock and roll as it did bluegrass.

Trampled By Turtles released their first record, “Songs from a Ghost Town” in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the experience of the members of the group in rock music and their new acoustics. inclinations. ‘Blue Sky and the Devil’ (2005) and ‘Trouble’ (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn’t until 2008 and the band’s fourth release, ‘Duluth’, that Trampled By Turtles gained recognition. by the bluegrass community. “Duluth” peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass charts and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When “Palomino” arrived in 2010, it was met with even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for over a year. Two years later, their crossover appeal rocketed them to number 32 on the Billboard 200 pop chart when they released their sixth album, “Stars and Satellites.” The official concert album, “Live at First Avenue,” tracked in 2013, was recorded at Minnesota’s most famous venue. A year later, the group returned with the darker-toned “Wild Animals”, which bettered its studio predecessor on the album charts, reaching number 29. Trampled released their latest album “Life is Good on the Open Road” in 2018.

About Colin Hay (performing on Saturday):

Colin Hay was born in Kilwinning, on the southwest coast of Scotland, on June 29, 1953. For the first 14 years of his life he lived in the nearby town of Saltcoats, where his parents owned a small music before the family emigrated. in Australia in 1967.

From the age of 14, although still in school, Colin started writing songs, playing guitar and singing in folk clubs wherever he could. During his senior year at school, Colin met Kim Gyngell (who became a successful stage and film actor), who introduced Colin to both Greg Ham and Jerry Speiser, who became members. of Men at Work a few years later.

Colin pursued and earned an arts degree at Latrobe University in the 1970s, and later decided to strive for a living in writing, recording and performing music. Colin met Ron Strykert in 1977, who became the core of Men at Work, which formed in mid-1979, went on to become a multi-platinum musical number, and won a Best New Artist Grammy in 1982 The original band was short-lived, however, and from 1985 Colin Hay became primarily a solo music artist. He has written and released some 13 solo albums, the latest being “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself”, a cover album, released by Nashville-based Compass Records, with whom Colin has worked since 2003. He has a new album of original material slated for release in early 2022.

Colin is also a touring member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band, which is set to resume touring in 2022. Currently, Colin is wrapping up a tour with his Los Angeles-based band of musicians and will soon be gearing up for an intense tour. . scheduled for 2022, in concert with the release of his new album.

About The Steel Wheels (featuring Thursday and Friday):

Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the mountains of Virginia where the band was formed, but always forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. In 2005, Jay Lapp (vocals, guitars, mandolin) and Eric Brubaker (vocals, fiddle) joined vocalist Trent Wagler (guitar, banjo) to form the band as a vehicle for Wagler’s songwriting. They released several albums under the Wagler name, before officially adopting the name The Steel Wheels with the 2010 release of “Red Wing”.

Quickly establishing themselves as indie upstarts on the burgeoning Americana scene, The Steel Wheels followed that release with three more self-produced albums over the next five years, before teaming up with producer Sam Kassirer for “Wild as We Came Here” (2017) and “Above the Trees” (2019). Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion, keyboards) joined the band in 2017, bringing a new level of sonic depth and polish to the outfit.

2021 closes a chapter for The Steel Wheels, as founding member and bassist Brian Dickel steps down from touring to succeed Jeff Huss as co-owner of Huss and Dalton Guitars. The band will be joined by bassist Derek Kratzer, a longtime friend and musical collaborator, to continue the mission set out over a decade ago, challenging traditions to see what sticks, telling stories and reaching communities through song.

About the Late Night Jam Hogslop String Band hosts (performing Saturday and Sunday):

Staying true to tradition and maintaining a certain irreverent attitude are qualities that rarely go together. Nonetheless, Hogslop overcame these obstacles by keeping their hands entangled in bluegrass basics and a string band sensibility, while pursuing a sound that identifies them as both punks and purists. It’s an unlikely combination, but given the talents of vocalist and violinist Kevin Martin, guitarist, harmonica player and vocalist Gabriel Kelley, mandolin player and vocalist Will Harrison, banjo player and vocalist Daniel Binkley and bassist Pickle, a versatile performer, they shoot with shrewd aplomb. The name alone alludes to their goofy ways, but catching them live provides a perfect example of how this group stands out in a number of ways.

They thrive on crossing genres with nimble assurance, negating the need to stay tied to bluegrass or the music of a strictly string band variety. Along with their original material and traditional classics, the boys spice up plenty of tasteful covers from similar genres and beyond. It’s clear they’re a band on the move and have quickly become one of the most unique and uplifting bands on the scene today.

“It only gets weirder from here,” Kelley promises. He’s not kidding.