Jay Bragg, Matthew Szlachetka

When songwriter Jay Bragg left the state of Maine and his band North of Nashville behind to move to Nashville, he set out to play an active role in a shift that so many country fans have been yearning for – a return to real and honest country music coming out of Music City. Country and American roots music has been flowing through Bragg’s veins since before he was even born. While pregnant with Jay, his own mother ran sound for his father’s touring gospel group Judah. The grandson of a railroad conductor, Jay Bragg’s childhood was filled with the vagabond songs from singers like Jimmie Rogers, Roger Miller, Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. Based out of Maine, the band North of Nashville – with its Waylon Jennings meets Charlie Daniels sound – toured the country, playing 200 dates a year and sharing the stage with the likes of Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan and Chris Stapleton. NoN was awarded “Country Act Of The Year” by the New England Music Awards in 2015. Source: TicketWeb