2017 Singer Songwriters

SATURDAY
The Song Tent
4:20-5:00pm

julianneankley.com
With six Detroit Music Awards to her name including Outstanding Country Songwriter in 2016 and Outstanding Country Vocalist in 2015, Julianne has cemented herself in the Detroit and Michigan music scenes as a major talent and one of the hardest working country artists in the midwest. Julianne has been writing heartfelt songs and delivering electric performances, both solo and with her band The Rogues, for years. Her sophomore album “Vivid” was the winner of the 2012 DMA for Outstanding Country Recording, and her song “Lead Footin’ In The Left Lane” was used for the opening video for the 2015 Woodward Dream Cruise television show. In addition, Julianne’s song “No Place For a Lullabye” was used nationally by HomeAid of America in their PSA campaign to raise funds for housing the homeless. She was the celebrity host and performer in Nashville on the Hard Rock Cafe stages during CMA Fest, and also performs occasionally at Nashville’s world-famous Bluebird Cafe, the Listening Room, Tootsie’s, and more.

garyhannanmusic.com
Gary is a professional Songwriter who has written songs recorded by Blake Shelton, Joe Nichols, John Michael Montgomery, Craig Morgan, Michael Peterson, Jaron and the Long Road To Love, Montgomery Gentry, Hot Apple Pie, Darryl Worley, and many more. His awards include BMI #1 Radio Airplay awards for “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and “Back When I Knew it All”, CMA #1 awards, ACM #1 awards, Country Aircheck, BMI Millionaire awards in recognition of over Four million plus radio air plays, NSAI’s “Songs I Wish I Had Written” award voted by the professional songwriting community. Gary has a song on Blake Shelton’s 2013 ACM and ACA winning certified Platinum, Grammy nominated Album of The Year “Base On A True Story.” In addition to his U.S. accolades, Gary has two International #1 hits, and a 2015 Album of the Year award in South Africa for Jason Bradley.”

SUNDAY
The Song Tent
2:30-3:10pm

daveboutette.net
The special intimacy that only comes from sharing firelight is where Dave Boutette finds his home. Songs of highway hijinks and wildcat oil drillers in the Michigan woods are as likely to be heard as old favorites that have been in your head and heart for years. For Boutette, it’s the sharing of songs that holds all the magic. Come on over, join the circle, sing a tune, or stir the coals. You’re welcome to hang until first light. Just be careful not to wake the folks in the tents.

Dave. Dock. Jumping. Joy. Whether banging out a set of saloon songs at a Michigan watering hole, or settling back for an evening of singing at a fire ring afterward, Dave Boutette will hold listeners as long as they keep the lights on or until the rain starts. Stories, advice, observations, or raffles are as apt to appear during a performance as are his songs. Blending many schools of American roots and popular music including folk, blues, swing, and old time country, his songs testify to the power of true love, rebirth, snow plows, and migrating fish. If you get the chance, stand next to Dave. Besides feeling taller than you actually are, you may start to see some things in an entirely new light.

SATURDAY
The Song Tent
3:30-4:10pm

maynardmusic.com
Songs about broken things and poignant little ponderings are delivered with a rootsy vibe, a touch of twang and a soulful groove. Annie and Rod are on a musical journey that began in 1982, culminating into a symbiotic sound that reflects their deep and intuitive understanding of each other. Annie’s disarming, earthy voice and solid command of her guitar are punctuated by Rod’s effortless, accompaniment and beautiful solo work. Together they weave unforgettable melodies that are at once intricate and sparse – musically completing each others’ sentences.

Over the years, Annie and Rod have done it all; from rock to musical theater and while they continue to draw from a wide range of genres and influences, what comes out is a hybrid sound all their own. Genuine and playful; effortless and endearing; this duo has been enchanting audiences in quality music venues, house concerts, coffeehouses and festivals throughout their home state of Michigan and beyond.

“The audience is drawn in right from the beginning with Annie’s amazing voice and the power of her songs. She has a way of making everyone in the venue feel like she is his or her personal friend.” – Dave Rutkofske, Blue Water Folk Society (Thumbfest)

“When I look around the room at an Annie and Rod Capps performance, I see a lot of smiling faces with eyes riveted to the stage…there is a magic that energizes an audience. I can’t wait to bring them back to our concert series!” – Tim Piazza, Concerts at the Cabin, Evansville, Indiana

SATURDAY

The Song Tent
1:00-1:40pm

Centennial Stage
Michigan Songwriters in the Round
5:15-6:45pm

eddupas.com
Americana singer-songwriter Ed Dupas’ lived-in melodies unwind with reflective lyrics and speak to the current state of the human condition, soothing where possible, agitating where necessary, and seeking change where appropriate.
Crafted from the heart, Ed Dupas’ simple yet soulful music flows from an array of broad social themes to more personal narratives of love and loss. Rooted in both realism and idealism, Ed’s musical goal is deeper inquiry and exploration for himself and his listeners. With comparisons ranging from Steve Earle to Bruce Springsteen, Ed paints a sonic picture of the road less traveled and the world de-familiarized. Ed Dupas creates and shares well worn wide awake music.

As both a purveyor and enthusiast of small batch music, Dupas is at ease performing in both intimate and spacious settings, focusing less on a specific crowd appeal and more on the creation of a new space – one in which both he and the audience can re-imagine the world. With head moving, foot tapping and body swaying, Dupas often appears unaware of his surroundings, as if lost in the musical process.

Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Dupas is a self-described searcher and thinker, whose religious upbringing managed only to push him away from mainstream ideas, rather than box him in. His father was a computer programmer and his mother worked odd jobs, both trying to make ends meet while fulfilling the obligations of raising three children. Growing up, music was a staple in the household, and family gatherings unfurled to the sounds of children and adults singing familiar songs accompanied by acoustic guitars and a wash tub bass. As a teenager, Dupas returned with his family to the United States, where they made their home just outside of Detroit, MI.

SATURDAY

The Song Tent
2:40-3:20pm

Centennial Stage
Michigan Songwriters in the Round
5:15-6:45pm

michelleheld.com
Highly regarded as one of Detroit’s most original musical talents, Michelle is known for her captivating live performances. She started out in the theatre, picked up the guitar and wrote her first song in 2011 and never looked back. Her unique voice, razor-sharp candor and intricate guitar style honors the past yet owns a timelessness that rings through each song.

Michelle played this year’s Kansas City Folk Festival at Folk Alliance International, headlined by Billy Bragg and Bobby Rush. She is currently recording her debut album. Brett Callwood of the Detroit Metro Times wrote, “It’s her voice that adds the X-Factor; that little bit of welcome strange.” and Wrecks Bell of Galveston’s Old Quarter says, “Michelle is unbelievable!”

SATURDAY
Centennial Stage
Michigan Songwriters in the Round
5:15-6:45pm

SUNDAY
The Song Tent
12:50-1:30pm

billykingdom.com
As a seasoned performer, songwriter, and recording artist, Billy King’s presence in the independent music scene brings an original blend of rootsy folk/pop with an occasional touch of country swing.

In the early 1990s, Billy led his two-member band, the preteen King Brothers, to local fame in the Ann Arbor area, performing regularly and releasing five albums of mostly original material. Still living and working on the family farm, Billy has continued writing and recording, and, with his brother, started Holler Fest, a three-day music festival featuring Michigan artists.

Billy’s versatility as a multi-genre singer-songwriter is matched by his ability on a wide range of instruments from guitar and banjo to keyboards and accordion. An engaging solo and duo performer, Billy also delivers a high-energy set with his full band, which includes some of the area’s top musicians. Traversing intimate acoustic venues, major festival stages, and popular rural gatherings, he performs with lightness, dynamism, and sincerity.

Within the songwriting community, he is well-known for his musicianship and originality. In 2007, his composition, “I Don’t Write Love Songs,” was awarded the Grand Prize in the Great Lakes Songwriting Contest, and his band headlined the annual showcase for contest winners at the distinguished Trinity House Theatre in Livonia, Michigan.

Influenced by master songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon, Billy crafts melodically compelling songs that maintain a sense of the timeless and classic. Sometimes catchy folk/rock, sometimes searing blues, but always direct and thoughtful lyrics – this is original music from an original life, fully accomplished yet humble, and most of all real.

SATURDAY
Centennial Stage
Michigan Songwriters in the Round
5:15-6:45pm

SUNDAY
The Song Tent
12:00-12:40pm

oliviaandtheaquatictroupe.com
Of her own volition, Grand Rapids-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Mainville dove headfirst into the world of music as early as the fifth grade, when she had begun playing viola and upright bass in orchestra. Following her first Wheatland Festival in 2012, Mainville fell in love with the idea of performing her own songs on stage, which eventually inspired her 2014 gypsy swing and baroque pop debut EP, Full Steam Ahead featuring members of The Accidentals.

Since the release of her first solo output, Olivia has forged a unique path, becoming known alongside her band, the Aquatic Troupe, for their energized, dynamic performances and their gargantuan musical talent.

SATURDAY
The Song Tent
1:50 – 2:30pm

Visit wheatlandmusic.org/luke-winslow-king/ to view Luke’s bio, videos, and festival schedule!

SUNDAY
The Song Tent
1:40-2:20pm

Visit wheatlandmusic.org/drew-nelson-highway-2/ to view Drew’s bio, videos, and festival schedule!