Mando Saenz (Nashville, TN)
Mando Saenz, who grew up in various locales across the US as an Army brat, cut his musical teeth in the Houston alt-country scene of the early aughts, writing in the story-song tradition of Lone Star luminaries like Guy Clark, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Jerry Jeff Walker. His first three solo albums — Watertown (2005), Bucket (2008), and Studebaker (2013) — leaned toward the country-folk stylings of his Texas heroes while sporting an occasional rock tinge. All My Shame, his most recent release, retains the sharp, detailed lyricism of those early albums, while confidently moving into the poppier, more melodic realms of Tom Petty, Big Star, Ron Sexsmith, and indie stalwarts the Shins.
Graham Weber (Austin, TX)
A seasoned musician, Austin-based Graham Weber has released six solo studio and two live albums, as well as band releases with So, Long Problems and critically acclaimed, Western Youth. Weber currently is the singer and primary songwriter in Austin Rock and Roll band – Restos. In 2024, he will release his first solo album in 10 years, Old Young Man. He has toured North America and Europe, and supported many of his songwriting heroes including Guy Clark, Slaid Cleaves, Todd Snider, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Alejandro Escovado, among many others.
Equal parts country-folk songwriter and Americana road warrior Parker Twomey makes timeless music for the modern world. It’s a rootsy sound that blurs the lines between genre and generation, created by an old soul who’s still in his early 20s. Twomey nods to his influences on his solo debut All This Life, an unabashed fan of the folkies, crooners, and indie songwriters who came before him. The lush string arrangements channel Glen Campbell. The frank, heart-on-sleeve lyrics salute Jason Isbell and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith. Finally, the album’s balance of intimate moments and grand gestures evokes the lushly-layered bedroom recordings of Elliott Smith — a man whose introverted songwriting captured Twomey’s attention at a young age.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.