Featured Artists
From Grammy winning songwriters to journeyman troubadours to campfire pros a Guitar Satchel carries the load for many musicians and their beloved instruments. This is a sampling of our featured artists who have chosen the Guitar Satchel as one of the ways they transport their guitars to or from the gig or as their daily carry. On tour or on vacation. To the studio or to the campfire. Click on their profiles to learn more about them as people.
Scott Ballew - https://www.leisurerodeo.com/
Known as a Texas football star turned film director turned junkie turned musician. Scott is a multifaceted singer/songwriter and storyteller who makes Films, Commercials, Documentaries, Podcasts, and Music. With a life punctuated by moments of deep isolation, songwriting has been Ballew’s balm. Admittedly, it comes with self-indulgent moments but has the ability to give relief and create community with others.
Bob Minner - https://minnerguitar.com/
Bob grew up in old-time string band music as well as bluegrass in Missouri, near St. Louis. Bob is the acoustic guitarist for country icon Tim McGraw and has held that position for the past 30 years. Bob also a songwriter with credits and cuts with many bluegrass bands such as Blue Highway, Volume Five, Dailey & Vincent, Special Consensus, Chosen Road and others. Bob also releases music as a solo artist and is currently in the studio working on his next album which will be released by Billy Blue Records.
Jessica Willis Fisher - https://jessicawillisfisher.
Jessica Willis Fisher is a singer-songwriter-fiddler with a storyteller’s heart. Raised playing traditional folk music from an early age, she performed with her family band in the Irish, Country, and Bluegrass music scenes and made appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and America’s Got Talent. Her Americana-leaning debut solo album, Brand New Day, features both deeply autobiographical lyrics and foot-stomping anthems. Jessica is also the author of “Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice” and is a passionate advocate for survivors of trauma.
Casey Hooper - http://instagram.com/caseynhooper
Casey is originally from Des Moines Iowa and now lives in Georgia via a long stint in Los Angeles. Hooper is best known for his work as the guitar player for Katy Perry and in that roll has toured the world and played notable shows such as the Super Bowl and the Grammys. Casey also has released music with his band SurfMaster, a surf rock organ trio from Los Angeles.
Nick Nystrom - https://www.nicksmusicpicks.com/
Nick is a musician and a music fan. Nick plays out in Iowa and is the go to DJ for private and corporate events in the Des Moines area. On any given night Nick can be seen on the stage or in the crowd. As a fan of music Nick has started to curate playlists, podcasts, reviews and interviews. His most recent endeavor is to catalog and review his father's vinyl collection which he shares on his Nick's Music Picks website.
Gordon Kennedy - https://www.gordonkennedymusic.com/
Gordon Kennedy is a multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter and record producer, a virtuoso guitarist, and a music industry visionary in Nashville. With his love for storytelling, vintage guitars and his deep knowledge of music history, he has emerged as one of Music City’s most beloved Ambassadors. Kennedy’s live shows are a treasure trove of colorful backstories and outstanding performances that one only as talented and immersed in rich experiences can truly deliver.
Emma Butterworth - https://emmabutterworth.com/
Chicago songwriter Emma Butterworth is carving a niche for herself in the American indie scene with her uniquely soulful brand of indie-leaning folk rock. A keen storyteller and careful lyricist, she cuts straight to the heart of life’s big questions, examining moments of love, loss, growth, and self-acceptance with characteristic wit and wisdom. Her cheeky stage presence reveals a curious mind and a penchant for deeply melancholic songs, while her lush vocals have been compared to iconic acts like Brandi Carlile and The Head and the Heart. There’s a casual power when Butterworth sings that feels both practiced and raw: agile, occasionally vulnerable, but always sure—hers is a voice you’d follow in an emergency. The root of that strength lies in her own, joyful sense of self, which infuses even her most somber ballads with a buoyant, silver-lined charm.
Eric Watters - https://www.ericwatters.com/
Eric is a Birmingham, AL based musician skilled in guitar, vocals and bass with extensive songwriting, performance and production experience. Original and cover groups include Suburban Love Junkies, Caddle, Leaderdog, Greenleaf Hustle, Thrine, and Eric Watters Acoustic. On any given evening you can find Eric performing in and around Birmingham with one of these acts. Eric has shared the stage with Sting, Kid Rock, Lynard Skynard, Confederate Railroad, Doobie Brothers, Blues Traveler, Train, Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind and Travis Tritt. Eric is also the owner of Dreamcatcher Recording Studio where he helps write, track, mix, produce and master music for local and regional artists of all genres.
Kaylee Stenberg - https://www.instagram.com/bodiesb0dies/
Chip Albright - www.chipalbrightmusic.com
A true Midwesterner with rural Kansas roots and Des Moines branches, Chip Albright is an Americana-influenced singer-songwriter that still believes in good over evil. Chip's songs are empathetic vignettes and reflective narratives weaving personal perspective and social commentary. Drawing inspiration from the stylings of music legends like John Prine, Chip has a penchant for storytelling, humor and insight.
Jara Johnson - https://www.instagram.com/jarajohnson/
Jara’s musical journey has taken her out of Iowa to Texas to Nashville and back to Iowa where she now resides in Pella with her family. Music still is a large part of her story as she continues to travel back and forth to Nashville to write and record music as well as working to bring other artists and songwriters here to the Pella Opera House to perform as part of her role as Associate Director at the Opera House Jara has released several albums and singles of her original songs available on iTunes, Spotify & YouTube. Her soulful country sound and down home personality will make you feel at home and welcome you into her music and a window into her world as a songwriter.
Duke Oursler - https://dukeoursler.com/
Duke Oursler is a country musician singer/songwriter from Macomb, Illinois. He was born the son of an oil pumper on the Great Plains of Southwest, Kansas. Duke grew up in the windswept prairies of Finney County hunting pheasants, prairie chickens, rattlesnakes, and jackrabbits along the dry bottom of the Arkansas river.
His thoughtful, honest and direct lyrics speak to the experiences, virtue and aspirations of a midwestern life. His unique brand of American country music speaks to the hard working blue-collar life and often a critiques the notion of the “American Dream” by contrasting the economic and cultural tropes against unifying and spiritual stories of love, loss and family found on in rural America.
Kort McCumber - https://moorsandmccumber.com/
Kort McCumber is a talented multi-instrumentalist, dedicated performer, prolific songwriter and vocalist. More than a decade into his musical pilgrimage, he continues to define, and redefine, his sound, his persona, his love for music and his unwavering commitment to bringing good music to listeners throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. These days Kort spends most of his time playing with his duo partner James Moors. A duo fifteen years in the making, Moors & McCumber have done more than just endear themselves to fans - they’ve built a genuine community. Bridging the gap between classic folk rock and present day Americana, they write heartfelt songs directly inspired by life’s experiences. With their latest record, released in 2023, 'Wired to the Moon,' they have created some of their most compelling work to date.
Brian Schwager - http://www.brianschwager.com
Brian’s musical journey has taken him all over the midwest as a performer. Back in 2019, Brian teamed up with Tom Buckmiller to create The Buckmiller Schwager Band. In late 2021, they took first place in the Iowa Blues Challenge, allowing them the opportunity to compete in the 2022 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. The Buckmiller Schwager Band then advanced to the Semi Finals and had a documentary film made about their journey. In addition Brian plays regularly with The Brian Herrin Band and can often be seen playing with other local bands around the area.