Bourbon & Beyond 2026 - Line 17 (Ben Chapman, Clover County, Nathan Bess, Palmyra, Kevin Kraemer, Ryman)

Ben Chapman

One Liner: His bio calls this Country-Fried Funky-Tonk
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, but this is southern rock and country and Americana
Home: Lafayette, GA (but now Nashville)
Day: Friday

Thoughts: Pretty darned good.  Like if Stapleton had a regular guy's voice.  But a pretty good mix of country and rock that has been keeping me entertained this morning.  He sniffs around the edge of jammy stuff here and there too.  I dig it.  Top track is "Georgia Dreamin'" with 488k streams.

Clover County

One Liner: Country that veers into a folky pop at times, but sounds great in either
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but country, Americana, folky pop
Home: Athens, GA (via Orlando and many other spots)
Day: Sunday

Thoughts:  The first song kind of came at me like a Dayglow vibe, and then she kicks in the singing and it is alluring.  I've been through the whole catalog (not a huge feat, relatively limited) and that holds throughout.  Walks a fine line between country and folky pop, that sort of brings to mind people like Sierra Ferrell at times.

No Wikipedia, so I have to piece together a background from elsewhere.  Her website bio says she was raised in Central Florida.  According to Wikipedia, that is usually defined as Tampa to Orlando.  Sounds like a deliciously trashy section of the world.  She began songwriting at the age of 13, teaching herself to play on her dad's "collection of 1980's songbooks."  The idea of a songbook today is hilarious.  I had (maybe still have) one of Robert Earl Keen songs from when I thought I would play guitar.  Until I tried playing the dang F chord.  That one broke me.

A.G. Schiano is her real name.  The name Clover County is an homage to the places she has lived.  Orlando to Denver to Atlanta to Birmingham to Athens (to attend UGA).  Thats a fun string of towns to me.  But they don't seem especially prone to clovers?  Ah, no, this is metaphorical: "“Clover County'' represents a state of mind, no matter where you’re planted you have the choice to grow."  Are clovers especially hearty?  Feels like weeds would be the heartiest and able to grow no matter what.  I guess Weed County brings to mind a different vibe.

A couple of singles and then one 2024 EP called Porch Lights.  To track is "Ultraviolet" from the EP, with 1.2 million streams.

That bright and sunny start is cool, and her voice comes in with a lilt of country but joins in on the bopping of the beat.  By the chorus, she just sounds like she's singing a pop song.  I like it.  "Under These Conditions" is also on the new EP, and is her second-most streamed with 577k.

A little more stripped down, but the steel on the chorus and that piano joining in makes the song for me.  That is a really nice song.  I am going to share it with the wife right now.

I'd go watch this for sure.  

Nathan Bess

One Liner: Another Zach Bryan-ish bro
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, but this is southern rock and country and Americana
Home: Charleston, WV
Day: Friday

Thoughts: A full-time firefighter!  That is pretty cool.  Dude is very much reminding me of the Zach Bryan/Tyler Childers tree of spare, lo-fi country music.  Two 2024 EPs are all that is available on Spotify, so he is pretty new to releasing tunes.  It sounds good.  Top track is "Somethin' About the Smell" with 7.1 million streams.

That is a real ass mustache right there.  Damn!  I never really considered whether cocaine would have a smell.  I assume it does, so that drug dogs can ferret it out, but it seems like people just snort it away without checking out the scent.  Sad!

Palmyra

One Liner: Like alt-country Dr. Dog
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, but this is alt-country, bluegrass, indie folk
Home: VA
Day: Friday

Thoughts: My initial comparison was the Avett Brothers.  Kind of has that sort of countrified, banjo-ized thing.  But it also reminds me of Lukas Nelson.  And some of the tunes made me think of Dr. Dog.  They're a little all over the place.  A couple EPs and one album, 2025's Restless.  Top streamer was an early tune called "Happy Pills."  584k streams.

I was not expecting the lead singer to look like that.  That is one where I feel like I hear Dr. Dog.  I let this stuff play for a good bit today, and I liked it.  Better than I expected.

Kevin Kraemer

One Liner: Catchy pop dance music
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, but this is indie pop
Home: Asbury Park, NJ
Day: Friday

Thoughts: I'm way more bothered by the spelling of his last name than I should be.  Also, this is butt-ass pop music and I need to hurry up and write so I can move on.  I mean, that is too harsh.  It is pretty catchy pop that seems like it would be fun to dance to.  But it also feels like he is just another model-esque pop singer without anything under the surface.  One track definitely bigger than the others - "Attention" has 15.4 million streams (and no other cracks 2 million ).

I do not want for him to point at me anymore.  I’m sure that he is a lovely young man and that my daughters love these songs because of TikTok, but I do not want to see it.

Ryman

One Liner: Falsetto-fied indie pop kind of like a white Khalid
Wikipedia Genre: no Wikipedia, but he called it barn pop.  Sure.
Home: Nashville
Day: Sunday

Thoughts: Feels bold to name yourself after one of the iconic music venues in the US.  He sort of reminds me of the Dayglow guy, or that Role Model fella who was at ACL last year.  It isn't terrible, but it really isn't my thing.  Top track is "Lose" from a 2025 single.  825k streams.

Very pretty tune.  And I think this is definitely one of the better tunes in here - the low key, mild vibe here is much more enjoyable than when he is trying to make pop dance stuff.  Would not go see this one.