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Johnny Irion and Seth Bernard

Now and then in American culture, the written word fuses the worlds of music and literature. Bob Dylans Nobel Prize is only the most obvious example. An individual singer songwriter can sometimes embody that fusion in his life and work. Thats Johnny Irion, whose family tree includes John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie, and whose new record Driving Friend was backed by Blackwing, the artisan pencil makers with a diverse musical heritage.

Whether Irion is singing about Santa Barbara, Pittsfield or the Rapture, his sharp wit, telling description and brief character studies take us to a musical hometown of his own, quite a feat for a rocker whose last record with his band US Elevator was hailed by Rolling Stone as being as lovingly handcrafted as the jeans on the back of After The Gold Rush.

Seth Bernard is a prolific songwriter, a compelling performer, an award-winning recording artist and producer, and a dedicated organizer and activist. In 2001, he founded the artist collective and label, Earthwork Music. Seth is living the life of the bard he was born to be, having traversed our great North American landscape and beyond for two decades, with roots firmly planted in Michigan. Through his music and activist work, he has uplifted a generation of young songsters and change agents and partnered with venerated organizations like the Library of Congress, the National Parks Service, and Interlochen Arts Academy to name a few. Folk legend, Greg Brown says, "I know that the future of music is in good hands with people like Seth around to be its caretaker. More importantly, I know the future of our world is in good hands."