Singer-songwriter Andrea Colburn is one-half of the musical duo Andrea and Mud, who categorize themselves as “surf western music.” Based in Atlanta, they spent many years operating a very demanding touring schedule. Growing up in St. Louis, Andrea Colburn says she wanted to learn guitar from a young age, but never particularly excelled at the instrument. When she moved to Georgia in 2012, however, a shift happened, and she found herself performing on a new level. When she connected with Kyle “Mud” Moseley, they found the right match. The duo released their album Bad News Darlin’ in 2020. In addition to guitar, Andrea Colburn also plays the musical saw.
Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/24/2020.

Born into a musical family, Daniel de los Reyes’ grandfather co-founded the Cuban orchestra Casino de la Playa. His father, Walfredo de los Reyes III, went on to become one of Cuba’s most successful drummers/percussionists prior to moving to Puerto Rico and then to the United States. Daniel de los Reyes himself is a multi-faceted percussionist who has been on tour with the modern country outfit, the Zac Brown Band, for many years. Prior to his touring with the Zac Brown Band, de los Reyes has performed with a long list of major recording artists, including Don Henley, Earth Wind and Fire, Sting, The Killers, Sheryl Crow, Patti LaBelle, Peter Frampton, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Nicks, and more.
Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/30/2020.

Queen Quet Marquetta L. Goodwine is a singer/vocalist, author, computer scientist, lecturer, and cultural historian. She is the founder of the premiere advocacy organization for the continuation of Gullah/Geechee culture, the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition. Queen Quet was the first Gullah/Geechee person to speak on behalf of her people before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and was also one of the first of seven inductees in the Gullah/Geechee Nation Hall of Fame. In 2008, she was recorded at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, at a United Nations Conference in order to have the human rights story of the Gullah/Geechee people archived for the United Nations. She worked with US Congressman James Clyburn to ensure that the United States Congress would work to assist the Gullah/Geechees. Queen Quet then acted as the community leader to work with the United States National Park Service to conduct several meetings throughout the Gullah/Geechee Nation for the Special Resource Study of Lowcountry Gullah Culture. Due to the fact that Gullah/Geechees worked to become recognized as one people, Queen Quet wanted to ensure that the future congressional act would reflect this in its name and form. As a result in 2006 the “Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act” was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by the president. Queen Quet has appeared in numerous documentaries and films, and in print and other media. She uses her voice and vocal performances as healing arts.
Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/14/2020.

Ron Shirley II is an R&B, pop, and electro-dance performer from Atlanta, Georgia. With rich vocals, crafty songwriting, and artsy videos, Ron is a young artist who was supported by his mother, who served as the director at the Woodruff Arts Center. He was involved in musical theatre from an early age and began writing his own music in his early teens. He released his first few EPs in the early 2010s, where he says he explored more colorful sounds and created his own visuals to accompany the music. His later albums, Thanks For Nothing and About a Boy, expanded upon similar connections between colorful visuals and music.
Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/24/2020.

Atlanta-based rapper DeCarlo Tatum, Jr. emerged in 2014 as a member of the Atlanta rap trio, Rebel Forest. The group flourished creatively under the tutelage of southern hip-hop pioneer Rico Wade and released several singles, most notably “More” and “Drugs” in 2015. 2020 marked DeCarlo’s second full-length release on Rare Dope International. The project, titled DEVOTION, introduces listeners to the key principles of DeCarlo’s sound. The album follows the rhythmic pattern of the ceremony that proceeds a church service. In other words, it is meant to sound like the jam session before the main church event. The lead single, “Project Baby,” features Damain.OG.
Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/25/2020.