Wyatt Espalin

"….(His) songs reflect a maturity in songwriting that is comparable to the best the Americana genre has to offer." - Vincent Wynne / www.listennashville.com

WINNER: 2014 L.E.A.F. Festival New Song Singer-Songwriter Competition, WINNER: 2ND PLACE-2014 John J. Jarrard Music Foundation Songwriting Awards, 2015 ALT. FINALIST: Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubadour Competition, 2014 REGIONAL FINALIST: 2014 NEW SONG 13th Annual Songwriter Contest, FINALIST: 2019 Songwriter's Serenade, 2019 Chris Austin Songwriting Competition-Merlefest, 2014 24th Annual Rocky Mtn. Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase, 2014 Eddie’s Attic 40th and 41st Bi-Annual Open Mic Shootouts, 2009 Chris Austin Songwriting Competition-Merlefest

Wyatt has shared the stage with: INDIGO GIRLS, AMY RAY, PATTY LOVELESS, SHAWN MULLINS, RANDALL BRAMBLETT, GLEN PHILLIPS, CHELY WRIGHT, MICHELLE MALONE, JENNIFER KNAPP, KEVN KINNEY, DAVID COOK, THE GRASCALS, CLAIRE LYNCH, ALICE PEACOCK, THE WHITES, THE GREENCARDS, TIM O'BRIEN, SAM BUSH, LARKIN POE, VON GREY, JAMIE O'NEAL

WYATT ESPALIN: Recently, Wyatt Espalin returned to his roots to live at the rustic campground where he was raised by his grandparents in the North Georgia Mountains. There he found a setting that would inspire “The Last Leaf” (2018), a collection of mysterious songs that gives his audience a bird’s eye view of an artist rediscovering himself. Like a ghost-writer in his own autobiography, the former frontman of Americana group Trees Leave approaches these songs as an outsider looking in at his own stories. Taking it all back to the beginning has left the fiddler/singer and champion clogger evaluating where he came from and trying to recognize who he has become. After releasing his solo debut album “Songwriter/Singer” in 2015, Wyatt went on to win the 1st Annual New Song Songwriting Contest at North Carolina’s popular L.E.A.F. festival. He has also spent the last couple of years sharing the stage opening for some of his songwriting idols Indigo Girls, Jennifer Knapp, Kevn Kinney, Chely Wright, Michelle Malone, Shawn Mullins, Patty Loveless, to name a few. During his performances, the haunting, intimate songs juxtaposed with the hilarious stories that he shares in the banter between them create a beautiful tension. It may not always be clear who Wyatt is addressing in his songs, but maybe this line from the last verse from the last song on the new record “The Last Leaf” can give some insight: “It won’t phase me if you never hear these words. See, I wrote them down for me, a way to measure up my worth.” The listener will be glad that he chose not only to write them down, but to share them with us all.

TREES LEAVE: 

Trees Leave traveled the nation for 6 years in support of the haunting debut album, "Run" and the dynamic follow-up, "The Gospel of Hurt". From those albums came the neo-Bluegrass number, "Water Falls" which placed the duo as a finalist in the 2009 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest held at Merlefest. The duo was placed in the Bluegrass category, but even contest host, Jim Lauderdale, didn't know how to classify the song. "It's just different, in a good way", he said. That's exactly how Trees Leave likes to be described: different. Over the years, they have crafted a sound that marries their Bluegrass roots with their love of Rock, Blues and Traditional Country music. Trees Leave's preferred brand of Americana mixes raw, emotional lyrics with equally jarring melodies and instrumentation. Whether they are plugged in or sitting on the back porch, the urgency in their music and performance is hard to ignore.

Usually performing as a duo, they share rhythm guitar duties when the other is impressing on their signature instruments. Cobi Ferguson's polarizing guitar riffs and Wyatt Espalin's fiery fiddle solos add spice to their live performances and keeps audiences guessing what will come next. When the venue suits it, Trees Leave performs with a backing band and their songs do not hesitate to meet them at the next level. The listener is caught off guard with the twists of irony, winks of wit and sighs of sorrow of the characters in their songs.

Trees Leave have studied the architects of Americana music and are not ashamed of borrowing from their influences such as Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, Gillian Welch, the Counting Crows and new Folk-Pop act, the Weepies. They would never call themselves Bluegrass players, but they love taking turns on fiddle and mandolin-laced folk tunes and often try to recreate the sounds of old world music with their tight harmonies and interesting interpretations of old standards.

Trees Leave has been featured on Georgia's Public Radio with Edgar Treiguts and on Prescott, Arizona's Folk Sessions.