Folk duo Redleg Husky and five-person Americana band Erika Hughes and The Well Mannered are set to play at Casa Nueva on Friday.
Ohio University alumnus Tim McWilliams is returning to Athens Friday with a guitar in hand.
“I’m definitely going to make a pit stop at Big Mamma’s Burritos to get fueled up for the show,” McWilliams, a member of Redleg Husky, said.
Folk duo Redleg Husky and Americana band Erika Hughes and The Well Mannered will perform at Casa Nueva Restaurant and Cantina , 6 W. State St., Friday at 10 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge.
Redleg Husky, a duo of McWilliams and Misa Giroux, from North Carolina, will open the show with its “boot stomping” folk music and classic country sound.
The duo plays a lot of original pieces that are composed through a joint writing process, Giroux said. When one member has an idea for a piece, the duo works together to create a final product.
“We still get really excited when we come up with a new original that we want to break out for the show,” Giroux said, “Pretty much anything we want to play, we get really excited about performing it live.”
Giroux said her inspiration comes from what she sees and feels. She said she wants to express her emotions through song and see if people feel the same way.
Following Redleg Husky, Erika Hughes and The Well Mannered, a five-person band out of Columbus, will perform. Friday’s show will mark the band’s third gig at Casa.
“I know there is a lot of good music down that way. ... I just think the town has a good vibe and is a good fit for us,” said Erika Hughes, the lead vocalist.
The group includes vocals, acoustic guitars, mandolins, a tambourine, drums and an upright bass. The sound is Americana, but it has a country edge with rock ’n’ roll, bluegrass and blues mixes together, Hughes said.
The band chooses to play originals and to cover unpopular songs to make sure the show keeps an original feel, said Hughes.
As the primary writer of the group, Hughes said she focuses on real life experiences and tends to write a lot about traveling, being on the road and heartbreak. The audience can expect to have the urge to dance to fun, upbeat heartfelt music that’s easy on the ears, she added.
The vocal harmonies tend to blend well together and are the reason for many compliments after a show, Hughes said.
“Margot (the backup vocalist) and I are really tight. People ask us if we’re sisters all the time. We’ve just been singing together for a long time,” Hughes said. “It stands out.”
When people see the band live, they tend to enjoy the sound, but the first step is getting people in the door, Hughes said.
“It’s all about just getting people out to see us, then we hook them in,” she added.
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