Listen to 10 North Carolina artists as they contemplate lost love, new-found spirituality, and more in our curated Spotify playlist.
earl scruggs
Fearless in the Foothills
Hidden away in the hollers just west of the Piedmont, where the land begins to rise, our ancestors learned to enjoy themselves with homemade whiskey, music, car racing, and other activities that provided relief from the arduous work of farming and laboring in mills.
The 1940s: The Soundtrack of the Decade
In the 1940s, traditional mountain music gives rise to bluegrass, jazz spreads nationwide, and three North Carolina natives make their mark on American music.
Southern Twang: The Story of the Banjo
Pluck one string, and images start forming: rural family gatherings, dirt-floor dances, and simple picking on a porch as the sun sets. Few instruments conjure place more powerfully than the banjo.
