Ellington

Ken Edwards and Kenny Graeber, both Jackson boys, are two members of a band that has come onto the scene challenging contemporary country music. Ken Edwards and His Well Strung Band consider themselves progressive-country-rock. Graeber, the drummer, explains that the title of their latest album, "Nashvillywood," is tongue-in-cheek, that it means "Nashville has gone Hollywood. In our eyes it's become about the hair, the look and beautiful people. We aren't about that. We want to bring it back to the bar room; make it what it once was, pure and honest."

Ken Edwards, songwriter and lead vocalist, echoes this same idea. "A lot of the Nashville acts that control the radio right now are big shows catering to pop-rock. They just throw in a banjo or fiddle and call it country." Although his band is frequently labeled as country-rock, they use elements of traditional country music, and most importantly, they write their own material. "The artists used to write the songs and play them. That's what we are going back to, and that's what makes us stand out from so many bands," Edwards says.

Edwards formed his band in Oxford, where they gathered a fan base, which is very visible when they return to do a show. The members come from varied musical backgrounds, and their songs exemplify their willingness to experiment with different sounds and styles. Daniel Karlish, who plays lead guitar, lap steel and slide guitar, toured with the Kudzu Kings and has been working on a side project with Widespread Panic's guitarist George McConnell. Travis Lamb, who attended Ole Miss on a choral and musical scholarship, plays bass, mandolin and banjo. Lamb has been performing since age 9.

"The guys I play with are all in it for the right reasons, and that's really important to me," Edwards says. "We aren't trying to fit a certain mold; we'll do songs that are slow, fast, bluegrass, rock, and country—as long as we are passionate about it, that's what we'll do." This non-conformity has made Edwards and his band stand out from mainstream pop-country and has helped the band fill the void of edgy, heartfelt country-rock.

Critics and journalists have given the band very positive feedback. One music journalist, Britt Strickland, who reviewed the band, wrote that they were "authentic, heartfelt and very well delivered. Ken Edwards and his band tap into American roots music with the gusto it deserves."

The band has been together for two years, and in that time they have produced three albums. Their first CD, "A Long Time Coming," came out in September 2004, and in the past six months they released two albums, a self-titled live CD and "Nashvillywood," which came out in April. Since the release of their latest CD, the band has really started to see momentum pick up. They recently signed with a talent agency out of Austin, Texas, and have gigs coming in at a regional level.

"We're still in an early stage but starting to see the results. We're getting out of our comfort zone and hoping to build on it by making new fans in new towns," Edwards says.

While Edwards and his band enjoy traveling and playing new venues, they look forward to coming back to their hometowns to put on shows. "The crowd is always a good mix of family too old to be in bars and friends who fit right in; we always have a good time playing," he says.

Ken Edwards and his Well Strung Band play Hal & Mal's Sept. 1. To hear them before they get there, check out their music at www.kenedwardsmusic.com or www.myspace.com/kenedwards