Meet Your Camp Counselors

Todd Snider

A man standing in front of a colorful quilt, wearing a patchwork shirt and a brown hat decorated with flowers.

At this point in his career, Todd Snider is undeniably one of the greatest songwriters of his generation, as attested by John Prine, Loretta Lynn, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver and Guy Clark. Lynn, Shaver and Walker all recorded his songs, as have Tom Jones and Garth Brooks. But Snider is so much more than the lovable, lazy-ass stoner yodeler he appears to be. Did you know his memoir is a best-seller, which makes him a best-selling author — let that sink in. In some minds, at least his own, he’s a literary giant. He’s had an accomplished film career, as well. Did you know Snider’s song “Just Like Old Times” inspired the film Hard Luck Love Song which stars some people you’ve heard of? The film even includes an on-screen performance of the song by Snider during the closing credits. He also starred in the independent feature film East Nashville Tonight along with outlaw country chanteuse Elizabeth Cook. That film is in part about trying to score some drugs, which is one of Snider’s well-known hobbies. 

  • And last, but certainly not least, there are Snider’s accomplishments in the world of sports. Although it hasn’t been officially verified, he’s widely regarded as the inventor of the high five. And few people are aware he won the single player American Foosball championship in the late ’80s. Still, even with all these amazing accomplishments you may not have known about, first and foremost Snider remains one of America’s truly gifted storytellers. And if you’ve got tickets to see him live, boy, does he have a few songs and a few stories to share with you.

Elizabeth Cook

A woman dressed in a white cowboy hat, white jeans with embroidery, cowboy boots, sitting on a chair against a dark background, holding a red bag with white lettering.

Elizabeth Cook was born the youngest of 11 half-siblings in Wildwood, Florida and came to be the brilliant songwriter with a storied career we know today. The New York Times rightfully called her a "sharp and surprising country singer" - Cook is known for her wit and sophisticated hold on language, melody, and music. Her latest album, Aftermath, arrived to critical acclaim in 2020 and she is currently working on new projects including albums, films, and television -- in addition to her daily offering as the thoughtful and beloved host of "Apron Strings" on Sirius XM Outlaw Country.

Kevn Kinney

A person with long brown hair wearing sunglasses and a large skull ring on their finger, holding a her finger near their mouth, with a black background.

Kevn Kinney is most widely known as founder and frontman of Atlanta-based rock band Drivin-N-Cryin. A highly-acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician, performer, visual artist and poet, he has recently been inducted into both the Wisconsin Music Hall of Fame and Georgia Music Hall of Fame for his impactful legacy of art.

Kinney has released multiple critically acclaimed solo and band recordings during his career having also collaborated with Warren Haynes, REM, The Who and John Popper, among others. Peter Buck of REM has produced and performed on several of Kevn’s albums and continues to be involved in his career.

Kevn Kinney has continuously toured full-time with his band Drivin n Cryin while simultaneously carving out a niche for himself as a solo artist. From the festival stage to the smallest house concert, fans are always excited at the opportunity to see him up close and personal in a stripped-down acoustic setting. Recent touring include multiple dates with the Indigo Girls, Blackberry Smoke, The Black Crowes and others.

  • His latest solo studio album Think About It was released in 2022. In Fall 2023 the first release of the Let’s Go Dancin’: A Compilation Celebrating The Songs Of Kevn Kinney four-album vinyl series came out with over 100 digital recorded titles slated to go through end of 2024. The project is a massive all-star tribute to songwriter, poet, performer Kevn Kinney. Tracks from Jason Isbell, Violent Femmes, Shovels & Rope, Mike Farris, Great Peacock and dozens more will be released.

Aaron Lee Tasjan

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Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, band leader, activist, and Grammy nominee. Aaron Lee Tasjan has been and continues to be all of these things. 

 Over his past decade plus of writing, recording, producing, Tasjan has released four excellent and critically acclaimed solo albums, toured the world over on his own and as the guitarist in the New York Dolls.  He co-founded and co-wrote all of the material for the band Semi Precious Weapons. In 2021 he was nominated for a Grammy for his writing on Yola’s “Diamond Studded Shoes” and most recently, Tasjan produced Mya Byrne's album Rhinestone Tomboy (Kill Rock Stars Nashville) which helped to establish her as one of the first openly trans artists in Americana Music.  

 He’s cultivated a brilliant and outstanding career to date already.  But his forthcoming album Stellar Evolution (Blue Élan Records) is just what the title says.  Tasjan’s new album is truly the sum of all of the parts of his diverse accomplishments to date while clearly heading in a brand-new direction.  You can’t put any labels on Stellar Evolution except for it being a career defining work and a major leap forward for someone who’s never been afraid to push the boundaries of any and all expectations.

  • As he set out to work on Stellar Evolution, Tasjan knew better than ever what was important to him. He’s been working his way towards a record like this since he first started making solo albums, with 2015’s In the Blazes. He stuck to an alt-country paradigm early in his career, though he knew that all of his favorite artists were the ones who broke out of their own boxes. His approach to that changed when he began to be more open about his queer identity. 

     

    “I realized that part of being an artist means building a community. What do you want that community to look like? Who do you want to be a part of that community? As an artist, it’s your job to curate that, and to be a reflection of what you wanna see in the world,” he says. “I gradually got braver to share more and more of myself through each record, and the music just kinda had to follow suit.” Stellar Evolution is a record on which Tasjan’s songwriting is beholden to nothing — no expectations, and certainly no genre. Just the pure sense of wonder and discovery that had made him fall in love with music as a kid in Orange County, devouring it all with no understanding or care for what was “cool.”