Sam Shackleton with special guest Nick Hans

Sam Shackleton

Sam Shackleton, also known by his Gaelic moniker, Sorley the Bard, is a Scottish singer-songwriter and folk artist. His music is greatly inspired by the rich inter-connected musical oral traditions of Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. Strongly influenced by the 1960's folk revival, his unique sound is a mix of country, old time, traditional, folk, and blues with a Scottish spirit. He was born in Stirling and raised all over Scotland, from the Borders to the Highlands and his music is deeply inspired by the oral tradition, musical culture, and landscapes of Scotland.

After building up a large local following busking, then performing sold out shows in his hometown of Edinburgh, Sam burst onto the US folk scene in 2020 after gaining hundreds of thousands of views on the popular Nashville-based country and folk music channel, GemsOnVHS. He has since released his debut album, “Causeway Recordings” – awarded Top of the World by Songlines Magazine - and his subsequent EP, “Scottish Folk Ballads of Freedom,” to much critical acclaim. In recent months, Sam’s videos busking around Scotland have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram and he has gathered a large and loyal fanbase of followers and listeners on Spotify and YouTube.

Nick Hans

Nick Hans writes songs drawing primarily from his own life – sometimes dark, sometimes beautiful. He left Tennessee in his late teens and began crisscrossing the country by freight train, working seasonal jobs, farming, and living in punk and radical communities. When he found a cassette tape with Leadbelly on one side and Woody Guthrie on the other, he was blown away by the beauty and power of those legendary musicians and their songs. He picked up a beat-up Stella guitar, and has been writing and playing his own songs ever since. Hans spent many years living in New Orleans, playing shows and busking with an ever-changing cast of musicians, including his previous bands the Sluetown Strutters and the Stay All Night Rounders. He currently lives in Taos, New Mexico, where he continues to farm, work, and write music.