Jamie Lin Wilson

With her honeyed Texan twang and smart, relatable songs, Jamie Lin Wilson earned her stripes in the late 2000s fronting Americana outfit the Sidehill Gougers, then later as part of the close harmony country quartet the Trishas. Though she made name as a collaborator and songwriter, Wilson later launched a career as a solo artist with albums like 2015′s Holidays & Wedding Rings and 2018′s Jumping Over Rocks. A native of Sealy, Texas, Wilson later relocated to the Hill Country around Austin. Inspired by seeing Natalie Maines do a solo performance during a Dixie Chicks concert, she began playing guitar while at college at Texas A&M. Within a year she’d helped form the Sidehill Gougers, a spirited Americana combo and Hill Country favorite who found some success with independent releases like 2003′s The Runaway Scrape and 2008′s A Long Day for the Weathervane, the latter of which was credited simply to the Gougers. Around that same time, Wilson formed another band, the Trishas, an all-female country-folk outfit which included Liz Foster, Kellee Mickwee, and Savannah Welch. Initially formed as a one-off to play at a tribute show for member Savannah Welch’s father, country veteran Kevin Welch, the group’s close harmonies, and wealth of songwriting talent quickly earned them a fan base. As part of the Trishas, Wilson’s reputation continued to grow through tours with major acts like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Todd Snider, and the group’s 2010 debut EP, They Call Us the Trishas. Wilson even released her own solo EP, Dirty Blonde Hair, in 2010, though the Trishas remained her primary project and returned in 2012 with their full-length debut, High, Wide & Handsome. With the Trishas entering a hiatus, Wilson took the incentive to begin a proper solo career, recording her first long player, Holidays & Wedding Rings, released in 2015. She followed up three years later with 2018′s Jumping Over Rocks. ~ Timothy Monger