Josiah and the Bonnevilles

JOSIAH AND THE BONNEVILLES

Josiah and the Bonnevilles is a musical project led by singer-songwriter
Josiah Leming. Josiah was born in Morristown, Tennessee and as a child,
Josiah was fascinated by music and began playing the piano and guitar at
a young age.

Josiah's musical talents became evident to his family and friends, and he
began performing as a teenager catching the attention of music industry
professionals. In 2010, he formed Josiah and the Bonnevilles, which
presented a unique blend of Folk, Americana, and Country that draws from
his roots as a true Appalachian artist, embracing honesty and putting life's
realities into his songwriting.

In 2015, Josiah and the Bonnevilles released its debut album, On Trial. The
album was praised for its raw, vulnerable lyrics and its combination of
acoustic and electric instruments that underpinned the storytelling. The
band went on tour in support of the album with the artist LP, performing at
various venues across the United States and Europe.

Since the release of On Trial, Josiah and the Bonnevilles have continued to
make music and tour, gaining a devoted fan base along the way. Josiah
remains grounded and focused on his music. He has spoken openly about
his struggles with mental health, addiction, and the music industry as a
whole and uses his songwriting as a form of therapy. He continues to
inspire his fans with his honesty and vulnerability, and his music has
touched the hearts of people around the world.

THE WILSON SPRINGS HOTEL - Opener

Homegrown in the rich music scene of Virginia, Wilson Springs Hotel is a band brought together under a genreless flag;  A folk band committed to rock and roll, and a rock band committed to classic country.  After forming in 2021, Jacob Ritter (guitar/songwriter/lead vocals), Victor McManus (lead guitar), Brendan Boylan (fiddle), Sebastien Richard (drums) and Andrew Carper  (bass), released two albums in quick succession and are once again releasing new music in 2024.  Their first single “Pulling Weeds”, available now, explores the struggle with repetitive mental loops, like attempting to get nutrients out of the same spent garden.  Their new songs are a split between a classic country, and a more rock influenced sound, finding the band still unwilling to conform to a single genre, and instead celebrating the many influences that brought them to where they are today.

Guitar player and lead singer/songwriter Jacob Ritter was living in Richmond and earning his living as a baker, when his relationship and corresponding plans for the future started to fall apart.  Ritter had grown up playing harmonica and washboard with his older brother, but had more recently begun writing songs on the mandolin.  “I always wanted to have a touring band, and felt that it was something I had missed out on doing.”  When the pandemic hit in 2020, his dreams came into sharper focus, and Ritter got to work making them happen.  “I think the world almost ending in 2020, or at least feeling like it was going to end. It made me think, ‘we better not miss the boat, let's get out there while we can’”.

Ritter’s college friend, guitar and pedal steel player Victor McMannus, was an obvious choice for the group, as the two had played together in the band Muther Goose, and had a long standing musical rapport and chemistry. “I went to Victor and said, ‘hey we’ve always wanted to do this, let’s just make it happen’.  He was in.  

Sebastien Richard, a trained sound engineer, also met McMannus and Jacob through the band Muther Goose.  Wilson Springs Hotel wanted him to join as the bass player, but he was initially unsure of the idea, having identified with the production aspect of music first and foremost.  However, the group’s musical connection grew organically, and Richard soon became a foundational member, moving from bass to drums and then, in a full circle moment, back to producer on the new album. 

Fiddle player Brendan Boylan was busking on the street when he was approached by Ritter, who asked if he wanted to try out playing in a band.  Boylan was training to work at the Virginia State Legislature, but soon put those plans aside.  “He just said, ‘boys, I hate this job, and I’m quitting’”, explains Ritter, “That was that, and now he’s a full time musician”.

As a group, the band quickly realized that their strength was in creating a melting pot sound, rather than trying to rein one another in.  Ritter loved old classic country and bluegrass, folks like Dwight Yokam, Eddie Arnold, and Willie Nelson.  But his bandmates were coming from entirely different directions; Boylan was a classically trained violinist, and McManus was more versed in classic rock and metal.  Richard had played bass for a psych-rock band.  “We have kind of a weird sound,” says Ritter, “Wild tones, fuzz pedals, feedback encouraged…”

“We are a group of guys who decided to finally do something that we’ve always wanted to do” says Ritter,  “Maybe we thought things would be going a little faster, or it’s not exactly where we thought we’d be…but 4 years down the road we are making some of the best stuff that we’ve ever made.”  

Ritter’s love for Virginia and its regional festivals has inspired the project from day one, and the full circle nature of his experience is not lost on him. .  “I’ve been going to these same festivals since I was a kid,” says Ritter. “I haven’t missed a year, but I’ve moved from audience member to work crew, to finally, performer.  And that feel’s really good.”