Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
The traditional and contemporary bluegrass band Lonesome Heart has been doing some picking and singing throughout the New River Valley and beyond, and with a new single out and another on the horizon, band members say they are thrilled with their musical journey.
Lonesome Heart band is made up of Emily Handy on bass, Ethan Handy on banjo, dobro player Eric Handy, Scott Patrick on guitar, and lead singer Nikki Wright. They started playing their first gig one year ago in March 2023, and started touring southwest Virginia shortly thereafter. Recently, they have played in the local NRV at the Blue Hen Restaurant, Floyd Country Store and Wildwood Farms in Floyd and outside of the NRV in Jeffersonton, Virginia at Death Ridge Brewery, just to name a few of their events.
“We have some good players, some that are young and kind of up and coming but are doing great,” singer, songwriter, musician, recording agent, and marketing band member Scott Patrick said. “I’m really proud of everyone in this band, I am the old guy, and wasn’t sure if I was up to the task.”
“I’ve learned a lot of lessons over the years, so I give them the freedom of choosing what to play. That artistic freedom is pretty nice to have at a young age and will help them grow and improve as musicians.”
Their upcoming event at Selah Springs Performance and Event Center in Riner, Virginia, is one they are certainly looking forward to. They will be headlining with Shelton & Williams, made up of veteran singers and musicians Johnny Williams, Jeanette Williams, and Jay Shelton.
According to Shelton & Williams Band website www.sheltonandwilliams.com, “The band’s material is a variety of styles including original, classic country, gospel, blues, traditional and progressive bluegrass and Americana. All members are songwriters and seasoned vocalists.”
The event on April 6, kicking off Lonesome Heart’s 2024 season, will include a songwriting workshop from 3-5 p.m. that is included with the $15 ticket price. Doors will open for the 7 p.m. show at 6 p.m. and there will be food available for purchase catered by Hethwood Market.
Scott Patrick records Lonesome Heart’s music at his own Blue Tin Roof Studios. Their single titled “River of Tears” is set for a soon release and has a toe-tapping rhythm rich with the metallic sounds of the banjo coupled with the warm, melodic vocals of lead singer Nikki Wright.
“She’s a great area musician that has played with a lot of bands. She is the one that brought the song to the band, it’s a Honi Deaton song, a real good song she did years ago. We have been performing it over the past year,” Patrick said. “It is a cover song; everything else we have released I have written, and this is our third release.”
Plans for another single titled “Stronger”, is also set to be released later this year, and was also written and mostly arranged by Scott Patrick. He said he brings the core progression to the band, and they bring it all together with their individual instruments.
Patrick said another release set to happen in the Spring of 2024 was co-written by him another songwriter and musician out of Tennessee, Jeff McClellan. “I’m Just a Man” has Carson Peters playing fiddle and Zach Alvis on mandolin.
Tickets for the April 6 event can be purchased in advance online at www.selahspringsfarm.com.
