Musicians and Writers

A longtime local arts writer, Edwin Arnaudin is the co-founder/editor of Asheville Stages and Asheville Movies. His work has appeared in Mountain Xpress, Asheville Citizen-Times, Consequence, Crooked Marquee, Men's Journal, IndieWire, and Fifty Grande.

Billy Jonas is "Bridging Divides," through rhythm and song, to help heal rifts within ourselves, families, communities, and the world. Billy has captivated audiences worldwide since 1987, using voice, guitar and “industrial re-percussion” (instruments made from found objects). He currently tours solo, as well as with “The Billy Jonas Band,” and records with the interfaith super-trio, “Abraham Jam.” He’ll be releasing “Bridging Divides: Dreaming the Future,” a collection of commissioned and sponsored songs, in spring 2025.

Jay Sanders is an Asheville, N.C.-based musician, composer, producer, and bandleader known for his effortless ability to fuse jazz, rock, blues, metal, and African influences with years of improvisational study and training. Jay’s compositions on guitar and bass trend toward the melodic and sublime; expertly traversing between peaceful melodicism, free jazz, and cacophonous noise music.

Pinkish Floyd is an Asheville-based, true-to-the-original Pink Floyd tribute band. Featuring veteran performers from Broadway, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, and the UK, Pinkish Floyd brings an immersive, multimedia Pink Floyd experience to life!

Sultry voice and versatile Guitar style, Anne has been the recipient of multiple Music Awards that span four decades. Anne has been featured on stages from coast to coast playing with many of the greatest artists in the industry from Blues & Rock to Jazz, Funk & Swing. Anne is Available for Solo, Duo,Trio and full band bookings. She is the Band Leader and Guitarist for the All Female Swing Band COMPANY SWING and plays is the Guitarist in the R7B Funk Band - A.G. Hammond band!

Bestselling author TK Eldridge retired from a career in Intelligence for the US Gov't to write. The experiences from then are now being used to feed the muse for romance, mysteries-thrillers, supernatural, paranormal, and whatever else captures their imagination.

Ryan "RnB" Barber is a proud staple of Asheville NC's legendary music scene, at the forefront of its funk and R&B community. Drawing from a lifetime of singing, rapping, producing and touring across the nation, Ryan has released 6 full length studio albums.

Amelia Mae is a musician, maker, carpenter, living an artist’s life in Asheville NC. She plays cello, guitar, and sings folk music. Young Joan Baez and Big Thief have heavily informed her musical reality.

We are musicians, bandleaders, producers, educators, and new parents that have lived in Asheville for almost 20 years. The Moon and You often performs as a cello / guitar acoustic duo, but can expand out into a soulful rock band with the help of our many talented friends. Our music is at once strange and familiar, groovy and full of heart.

Combining hi-energy psychedelia, progressive rock, and deep-fried funk, The Snozzberries deliver a powerhouse, genre-bending sonic journey.

Melissa McKinney is a singer/songwriter, musician, educator, and event curator. A powerful vocalist, Melissa believes in the power of using her voice for good and for helping youth do the same. She works for LEAF Global Arts, is the co-founder of WTF (Women to the Front) music festival, a board member of AVLFest, the artist curator for Black Mountain Blues festival, and a small business owner.

I am a New Thought minister, musician, and artist based in Asheville. Her painting is whimsical, bright and uplifting. She is currently writing a book called Make Good: Cultivating Joy with Creativity.

I’m a one man band/performing/loop artist based out of Asheville since 2009. I’ve averaged over 200 gigs a year for the last decade. I specialize in guitar heavy renditions of popular songs and mashups in multiple genres.

I am a lifelong, full-time player who relocated to Asheville in early June, excited to contribute to the robust, unique musical scene in Western Carolina. I perform, record, and teach lessons, and have always depended upon music as my sole source of income.

I am a local WNC drummer/percussionist. I play with multiple regional bands including Supatight, Smooth Goose, Sidecar Honey, and Diamond River Band. I also teach private lessons and play drums at local churches.

Josh Blake is a Grammy nominated musician, producer, and engineer with over 30 years of experience. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Josh now calls Asheville, North Carolina his home since setting roots there in 1997. As a musician and producer, Josh uses whatever toys are available, but on stage a guitar is his instrument of choice. He has recorded with and performed in a wide variety of bands over the past 30 years, whose styles include hip-hop, funk, reggae, bluegrass, acoustic and rock.

Chelsea LaBate is an award winning songwriter and poet. She is currently working on her memoir, “Falling together.” She lives in Candler with her fiance, Cyrus and their cat, Cloud.

The voice that will flow over you with the force of a waterfall and the sweet soothing melody of a bubbling stream. Delivering conscious and contemplative lyrics along with positive message's for our world.
Ian plays a mix of originals and covers including The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Taj Mahal, Tom Waits, Allman Bros etc. His acoustic music is awe inspiring and grooving. Mostly solo shows are acoustic but he might sing to a full band track of an original song now and then. You can find his band Solvivor on all the platforms.