Lorraine Conard

Riding On Your Wings by Lorraine Conard

Don't mistake the title of singer/songwriter Lorraine Conard's recently-released disc: There's no adult contemporary sap here. "Have mercy on me. .. oh angel, let me be," she pleads on the country rocker "Angels Are Following Me." Conard's lyrics are instantly comfortable yet avoid cliche; her vocals are dusky and hint at bad-girl inclinations. Fiery woman-wronged numbers like "Sitting Tight" and "Train A' Coming" deserve bad ass boots and line dancers; the darkly driving "Heading Down to New Orleans" confirms that Wings is devilishly good.

Learn more at http://www.lorraineconard.com. - Mountain X

For many music lovers, Western North Carolina is heaven.

The mountains are quietly establishing a reputation for having a very populated and diverse music scene.

On any given night in any given town, one can hear everything from bluegrass to rock to blues to reggae. Even the occasional heavy metal group will fill a venue.

In Haywood County, at least for the most part, most of the performing groups are those playing cover tunes. The same five Lynyrd Skynyrd songs are rehashed, chewed up and spit out. For fans of great original songwriting, a trip to Asheville has usually been the only option.

Enter Winchester Creek.

Blending their own mix of Americana, folk, bluegrass, roots and blues music into clever original compositions, Winchester Creek are the breath of fresh air in a sometimes stale Haywood County musical scene.

“You try to put yourself into a genre,” says Michael Skinner, lead guitarist and vocalist for Winchester Creek. “With our original material, we kind of cover it all.”

Indeed, Winchester Creek’s musical influences are diverse. On their web site, (www.winchestercreekmusic.com), they describe themselves as “progressive Americana,” a genre created by the group, “covering a range of tastes – from bluesy folk to country rock to bluegrass, ballads and a wee bit of jazz.”

“I like (Dan) Fogelberg; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Marshall Tucker Band; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; pretty much anyone with that fits into that folk-rock area,” says Skinner.

Skinner’s crisp and melodic lead lines perfectly complement lead vocalist Lorraine Conard’s ethereal yet bluesy and souful singing.

“I feel like I have always had music in my life,” says Lorraine Conard, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. “One way or another, whether I was performing or not, music has always been there.” Conard lists some of her own influences as James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and Ben Harper.

Occasionally, Ed Kelley and Mark Stevenson of the Timber Rattlers will join Winchester Creek.

Kelley adds mandolin and dobro, Stevenson, bass and mandola.

Skinner says adding two more pieces of instrumentation not only adds depth to their songs, but also pushes him to add new phrasings to his guitar work.

“I am a journeyman guitar player, I like to play with people that are better than I am, I can pick up on things they are doing and put it into my own style.”

The duo say they will be recording their debut CD soon, but in the meantime, it is all about the performance.

“To me, it is all about connecting musically with the audience,” says Conard.

“The key is can you write a song in such a way that it connects with people,” says Skinner. “When we perform, that is what I am looking for, is that connection.

Catch Conard and Skinner at Windows on Main this Friday night (July 7th). - The Guide, Waynesville, NC