Palmyra

Established in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Palmyra captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives: Teddy Chipouras, Mānoa Bell, and Sasha Landon. 

Palmyra straddles at least two musical worlds. They are, on one hand, a band from the South that plays traditional instruments and indeed once lived in the old-time locus of Floyd, Virginia. Comparisons to and a kinship with The Avett Brothers and even Old Crow Medicine Show are inevitable. On the other hand, Palmyra writes about grief, gender dysphoria and identity, and coming of age in songs that flirt with soul, post-rock, and even emo; the South, too, is the place of My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, Cat Power, and now, Palmyra. 

The band’s first full length LP, Restless, is out now on Oh Boy Records. Framed by moments of struggle, solidarity, and hard-won growth, Restless is an unqualified ringer for anyone who loves the space where the roar of indie rock collides with raw folk.

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Olivia Ellen Lloyd

West Virginia-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Olivia Ellen Lloyd had a banner 2025 with her sophomore album, Do It Myself, released to critical acclaim, and has returned to the studio in 2026 to build off that momentum with new music and a new alt-country direction. 

Her record release tour included a sold-out record release show at Public Records in NYC, a Mountain Stage debut alongside Jeff Tweedy, two Midnight Ramble appearances at Levon Helm Studios (including a sold-out opening slot with her full band), opening the sold-out Saturday night lineup at Brooklyn Folk Festival, and her debut as an official showcasing artist at Americana Fest. She also made live video debuts on Western AF and Paste Live Sessions. 

That album cycle followed her debut record Loose Cannon (streamed over 1 million times) and included support runs with Tommy Prine and Kelsey Waldon, as well as opening slots for Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Sammy Raye & The Friends, Jobi Riccio and more. 

She was a mainstay on Sirius XM’s Outlaw Country all year, recording a live in-studio session in May and performing in their annual live broadcast from Robert’s Western World during AmericanaFest. Come year’s end, Steve Earle included her song “Knotty Wood” on his personal Top 25 of ‘25 playlist, on his Hardcore Troubadour Radio program, the most widely listened to specialty show on Outlaw. 

The album received more critical acclaim from No Depression, which made Olivia their artist of the month for March 2025, The Bluegrass Situation gave the album a cover story, and Saving Country Music called it, “one of those albums that you measure all of the other albums against as the year

unfolds.” At year’s end, Rolling Stone staff writer Jonathan Bernstein included the title track in his best of 2025 picks and Austin’s KOOP 91.7 FM radio listed it among their Top 5 Country Anthems. The album was selected for the Bluegrass Situation’s Good Country year-end round-up, as well as accolades from a host of grassroots outlets: Twangville, Meanwhile In Music, Country Cutler, You’re Lookin’ At Country, and No Frills Reviews. 

Olivia capped off the year releasing her first Christmas song with her take on “Let It Snow!” while her single “Live With It” made Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Songs of the Year and Don’t Rock The Inbox included her tune “Friday Night” among her 10 Best Country Songs of the Year, calling it “proof that when the feeling's there, you don't need any backroads or cowboy boots — this is pure country.” 

She kicked off 2026 with a spot on Nashville Scene’s Country Music Almanac 2026: Artists To Watch list and she made her official SXSW debut in March along with day party appearances at Meanwhile In Music and Garhole + Western AF showcases, capping off her week with a set at a special tribute to Todd Snider at Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch. 

Olivia made her return to the studio this summer, and released a cover of the Gin Blossoms’s “Hey Jealousy,” with dreamy vocals nostalgic for the early 90’s and haunting pedal steel that hint at the new indie and alt-country direction of her next record. 

Support highlights this year include runs with Willi Carlile, Mikaela Davis, and River Shook, with marquee slots supporting Sunny Sweeney, The Local Honeys, and Emily Scott Robinson, upcoming support slots for John R. Miller and Dylan Earl, and fall engagements including the Iowa City Songwriters Festival, headlined by Lucinda Williams. 

You can also catch Olivia this fall at her second annual NYC-in-Nashville unofficial day party at AmericanaFest, which she co-organized with singer-songwriter Marley Hale. Sponsored by Lone Star Beer and hosted by Rolling Stone’s Josh Crutchmer, the revue will feature mainstays of the NYC country + roots rock scene, including herself, Hale, Jackson & The Janks, Vaden Landers, and Zoë Pete Ford from 3-8pm on Tuesday, Sept. 15th at Skinny Dennis Nashville.