Congratulations to the inaugural cohort of AMERICANAFEST grant winners administered by Salt Lick Incubator!
Spanning the country from Massachusetts to Alaska, the vibrant group of musicians and industry professionals experienced everything AMERICANAFEST 2024!
Want to apply for next year’s attendee grant? Applications will open again in May 2025. Sign up for announcements such as this and all the latest Americana news here.
Indigo Ansin (they/them)
Boston, MA
chrysalis is the solo project of Indigo Ansin, a singer, songwriter and guitarist currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Heavily influenced by artists they grew up listening to such as Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morissette as well as contemporaries like Field Medic and Indigo de Souza, chrysalis fuses together a unique blend of traditional American folk and indie rock.
Jacob Aranda (they/them)
Nicasio, CA
Jacob Aranda is a latino singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His ethereal, psychedelic country songs explore themes of cultural alienation as well as childhood and inherited trauma.
Annie Bartholomew (she/her)
Juneau, AK
Annie Bartholomew is an Alaskan songwriter and clawhammer banjo played from Juneau. Her historic songwriting project Sisters of White Chapel was named one of Folk Alley’s Best Albums of 2023.
Clare Conheady (she/her)
Charlottesville, VA
Clare’s love for music and dance started in Rochester, NY, though she now resides in Charlottesville, Virginia as the Talent buyer for The Front Porch. If there’s old-time music to be heard, you can be sure Clare will be ready to hop on her dance board, or join in for a tune on her banjo.
Mercedes Escobar (she/her)
Boston, MA
Mercedes Escobar commands any stage with vocals that range from heart-rendingly sweet to fearsome, raw, and unambiguously brave. She blends the traditions of old country and blues with the magical realism of her Guatemalan homeland in an emerging fusion genre she calls Latin Americana.
Miles Gordon (he/him)
San Francisco, CA
Miles Gordon is co-creator and co-bandleader of San Francisco queer country band Country Risqué, whose debut record Doe-Eyed Loverboys & Saints is available on all streaming platforms and BandCamp. He is excited to get to know the AMERICANAFEST community, learn all he can about the industry and bring Country Risqué (in acoustic trio format) to Nashville for the first time for two special shows that will co-occur with AMERICANAFEST.
Victoria Hamersky (she/her)
Philadelphia, PA
Victoria Hamersky is a music industry professional from South Philadelphia. She is as an artist manager at VH mgmt Group, A&R Scout at Elektra Records, and VIP + Production coordinator for concerts and festivals. Her mission is to create more opportunities for Women, POC, LGBTQIA, Non Binary and Disabled persons in music.
Rachel Moberg (she/her)
Centerville, MA
Rachel is a 24 year old singer/songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and a lifelong music supporter and fan. She believes in the power and community of all music—Americana in particular, as it strives to serve as an inclusive musical home for artists and fans alike—and thinks it is one of the strongest, most important forces in the world.
Rebecca Porter (she/her)
Harrisonburg, VA
Rebecca Porter, originally from Guam and now based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, infuses raw authenticity into her music with a honey-smooth voice and sharp, irreverent songwriting. Her musical journey embodies unwavering determination, creativity and the transformative power of storytelling, as she fearlessly explores themes like trauma, discrimination and parenthood.
Jeff Randolph (he/him)
Gurnee, IL
Jeff Randolph is an on-air talent on The Country Blend, doing the weekday morning shift. He also hosts a weekend feature called “Roots and Rhythm” that showcases artists of color in country music and country-adjacent genres such as Americana, folk and bluegrass.
Nyx Nakamarri (they/them)
Allston, MA
In a fever dream of satin and truth, Nyx Nakamarri breathes life into a lonely world for evil girls who dream of glamour and decay. Having been onstage their whole life, Nakamarri hails a background that encompasses genres from singing over triphop beats to bubblegum track to spinning jungle beats and brazilian funk in DJ sets. Nyx Nakamarri has been a creative force since their debut and they look forward to connecting at AMERICANAFEST!