Grits & Soul plays Isis, Aug. 12

Photo by Jenny Baumert

Grits & Soul’s lyrics are delivered with smiles and a prideful twang. At its most basic, the duo combines acoustic guitar and mandolin. But Americana singers Anna Kline and John Looney also frequently invite guest musicians (violin, upright bass, banjo, etc.) onstage and always marinate their male-female harmonies in country swoon.

The duo plays the upstairs lounge at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall in support of their latest album Flood Waters on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $5 each.

Check out this video of the band performing at the Grey Eagle:

Here is the full release from the band’s team:

At the heart of Grits & Soul are song-crafters Anna Kline and John Looney. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, they take the influences of mountain bluegrass and classic country and fuse it with those of Mississippi soul and blues.

On the heels of their 2013 MerleFest IBMA showcase and the release of their debut album, Flood Waters, the duo continues to attract the attention of audiences throughout the Southeast. Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine gave the team a glowing review, calling Flood Waters “intriguing and enveloping.” The recording highlights the collaboration of a gifted lyricist with a talented arranger, with a shared sensibility of stirring melodies and powerful story lines.

Since the release of Flood Waters, they received coveted invitations to perform at Merlefest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Albino Skunk Festival, and Suwannee Springfest, amongst others and recently opened for Jim Lauderdale at the Ingles 4th of July celebration downtown Asheville. Notable upcoming appearances include Magnolia Fest 2015 and Country Festival in Sint-Truiden, Belgium.

Grits & Soul are a memorable musical team with their voices blending together in seamless harmony. Their collaboration forges a powerful connection between hard-driving bluegrass, barroom honky tonk, Celtic, Southern gospel, and slow-burning blues. Working together for over four years now, they continue to hone their sound and songs onstage together, logging thousands of highway miles and hundreds of performances.

Anna’s powerhouse voice is “mesmerizing — growling, slurring, soaring, swooping, note-bending, word-bending…they’re all a part of her power-packed technique,” says Bluegrass Unlimited.

John, who grew up in Mt. Sterling, KY, is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, setting the tone onstage with his interpretation of classic melodies, while his skills as arranger shine through their original material.

They are currently working on new material for a 2016 album release.

For more information and further tour dates, please visit www.gritsandsoul.com, twitter.com/gritsandsoul, and facebook.com/gritsandsoulband.

The entire Flood Waters album can be heard at www.soundcloud.com/gritsandsoul/sets/flood-waters
It can also be found on Spotify and iTunes.

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About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

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