Grace Campbell and Luke Sadecky open for Kathy Mattea on Friday, July 29.
This Friday, July 29, West Virginia–proud country singer Kathy Mattea headlines in the Ruby Summer Concert Series at the amphitheater.
And warming the stage for Mattea are two up-and-coming West Virginia musicians with strong ties to Morgantown. We caught up with Grace Campbell, a singer–songwriter and WVU undergrad from Princeton, and Luke Sadecky, a young Ravenswood-native singer–songwriter who’s recording with Morgantown label Mon Hills Records, to learn a little more about them.
Q: What are your primary instruments?
Grace Campbell: I am a vocalist, so I consider that my primary instrument, but I am also a guitarist.
Luke Sadecky: I primarily play acoustic guitar but really enjoy playing bass at my church.
Q: Who are your main influences?
GC: I am heavily influenced by artists like Gregory Alan Isakov, Brandi Carlisle, Hozier, Dodie, and Rusty Clanton.
LS: My main influences would be The Avett Brothers, Sarah Jarosz, Noah Gundersen, and Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange), to name a few. I am not sure they influence my songs directly, but they certainly inspire me while I write.
Q: What kinds of topics do you like to write and sing about?
GC: Most of my songs are centered around adventures or emotions that I have experienced. “A Weekend in Memphis” coincides with my experience going to Memphis, Tennessee, for a college audition while also trying to figure out who I am as a person and a musician. It is a telling both of what happened on that trip and of the questions it raised for me as a young adult. As far as covers, I just play what I enjoy and have fun with.
LS: I generally write about personal experiences in the particular season of life I am in. Whether it is coping with something hard or celebrating something good, I enjoy trying to approach an experience in an abstract way to produce something that isn’t necessarily obvious about the topic but creates a story for the listener.
Q: Cats, or dogs?
GC: Dogs! I have a standard poodle named Mia.
LS: Dogs for sure.
Q: What does it mean to you to open for Kathy Mattea?
GC: It’s such a huge honor, and it’s so exciting. Knowing this will be by far the biggest crowd I have ever played in front of makes me get butterflies in my stomach! I am really excited to showcase my skills to Morgantown and represent southern West Virginia well.
LS: It is very special and an honor. She is a legend in and beyond our state, and this is a big opportunity that I am thankful to be a part of.
Both of these young artists are serious about their musical ambitions. Campbell, whose motto is “Never turn down a gig,” hopes her hard work will lead to a career that supports her, and Sadecky says being invited to perform on Mountain Stage one day would prove to him that he can write a good song that people enjoy.
Catch Campbell and Sadecky on Friday so you can say you saw them back when—the show starts at 6:30 p.m.
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