Exploring the 2026 Blissfest Lineup, Part XII
Five Songwriters Who Found Their Way to Blissfest
People often ask, “How do you find bands?” or perhaps more often, it’s, “How do I get booked for Blissfest?” Those are great questions without a simple answer. It’s a very non-linear process that might look like a web of ideas, lived experience, serendipity, and, dare I say, fate. Sometimes it really does feel like destiny.
If you want to break into the consciousness of a talent buyer—or at least this talent buyer—it’s rarely about the email that is so mind-blowing that I instantly become a fan and send an offer. Most of the time, you become unforgettable because I had a personal experience watching you perform. Or maybe I heard through the grapevine that you’re an artist not to miss. Maybe I keep seeing your name on social media, as if the algorithm is really the one building the Blissfest lineup. Or sometimes your agent is really pushy. But truly, most of the time it’s something that reveals itself over time through trial, error, serendipity, and timing.
Looking back at the songwriters featured in this year's lineup, I realized that each one entered my orbit through a memorable experience that stuck with me.
The Folk Alliance International Conference is one of my favorite events. If Blissfest is your Christmas, Folk Alliance is mine. Thousands of music industry professionals gather for four days of networking, but most of all, we gather for music. Artists perform day and night in large and small showcase rooms. The small showcase rooms are actually hotel rooms.
It must have been one of my first Folk Alliances in 2015 when I walked into one of those hotel rooms that had been transformed into a music venue. Picture no beds, tapestries up, stage lights on, snacks, beverages, seats, and your favorite artists or a complete unknown, all crammed into a hotel room, and then a different band every 30 minutes.
At this stage in the game, I was just wandering and seeing what I could find. There was no agenda. I did not even have the power to book these bands, but I felt like I did, or that I one day would. I walked into a room to see a band called “Fish & Bird,” and I remember a tall guy with a beard, glasses, a twinkling banjo, a baritone voice that seemed to rattle the walls. That voice belonged to Taylor Ashton. Some voices you don’t forget. When Taylor relocated to NYC, he embarked on his solo career. Fast forward to 2023 and I’m at AmericanaFest in Nashville for a similar industry conference and I happen to meet Taylor’s manager. A group of us were driving to a showcase across town and they put on Taylor’s newest album Stranger to the Feeling and it became my most listened-to album on Spotify that year. That record features his wife Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive), Buck Meek (Big Thief), and Theo Katzman (2026 Blissfest Headliner). When we booked Theo, I knew it was the year to get Taylor, and then, like magic, it all came together.
Nathan K.’s story also involves Folk Alliance, but also that network of recommendations I referred to. Our account manager, Holly Keller-Thompson, pointed out that Nathan would be at Folk Alliance 2024 and that we should book him for a showcase slot, given that we were representing The Michigan Room, and he is a Michigander living in Nashville. Beyond the songs, it was his demeanor that stood out. We quickly learned that Nathan is the salt of the earth type. Nathan is seen wearing orange (most of the time) so he was hard to miss in the hallway at the 2026 Folk Alliance. Seeing Nathan again reminded me how he embodies the kind of artist we want filling our stage at Blissfest. So when he kindly asked about a slot for 2026, it was an easy “Yes, let’s make that happen!”
This lineup is full of sweethearts, apparently! Sam Robbins is a songwriter we met at the Nor-East’r festival in Mio last summer. I liked his set so much I essentially went right up to him afterwards and told him he should play Blissfest in 2026. You would think Sam is a Michigander because he plays in the state so often, but he is a New Englander with a Michigan heart. His guitar playing has a very James Taylor-esque style and his voice echoes the current indie-pop vibe like Noah Kahan. He has performed at The Trinity House Theater, Wheatland, and The Ark. For some extra credibility, he comes from a strong line of Kerrville New Folk Winners. Sam isn't the only artist on this year's lineup with Kerrville credentials.
Kyle Joe also represents the Kerrville New Folk Competition alumni. Each year at the Kerrville Folk Festival, they showcase a cohort of 24 finalists, and then by the end of the festival six are chosen as winners. These musicians join the ranks of previous winners like Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, James McMurtry, Anaïs Mitchell, and several Michigan musicians like Sav Buist (The Accidentals), Andy Baker, and Jen Cass (The Lucky Nows). Kyle Joe has a pitch-perfect voice that we heard at Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters, a long-held Blissfest partnership now taking place at The Jolli-Lodge in Leland, but for decades would happen every November in Harbor Springs at the former Birchwood Inn. Lamb’s Retreat is high on the list of my favorite places to find music and connect. Each year, Blissfest sponsors the Friday night Italian dinner and also offers a scholarship. We get an insider's peek at the songwriting process as we engage with the attendees over dinner, listen to their songs at the open mic, and then sit around the famous late-night song circle. Some think it’s my favorite place because it’s where I met my future husband (true story), but it truly is a gem of a tradition and has connected many songwriters across the state into a special community.
Each year, we represent the retreat by inviting John D. Lamb to Blissfest to host a songwriter round. On Third Stage Saturday and Sunday mornings, bring your coffee to the shaded cabin and listen to great songs in an intimate setting. For Sunday morning’s songwriter round, we have put Kylee Phillips, Chris Dupont, Kyle Joe, and Sammie Hershock together. What I love about this round is that they are all friends and have experience performing on each other’s songs. Chris and Kylee are engaged and also perform together as Dupont Phillips. Chris Dupont produced Kyle’s latest album! Sammie’s song “Gold Sticker” features Kyle Joe on background vocals and Chris DuPont as producer and also on guitar.
Don’t sleep on these incredible songwriters!
After a late night at Blissfest, it can be tempting to stay in your tent until lunchtime. But make it a point to wander over to Third Stage for a songwriter round or stop by the Song Tree. Magic happens at these intimate stages where songwriters share songs, swap stories, and invite you into their world.
If you happen to nod off in the sunshine after three hours of sleep, they’ll probably take it as inspiration and write a song about it.
Have you secured your spot for Blissfest 2026?