Lee and Scott sit down with Doug Harris, and if you're trying to figure out which Doug Harris band you saw last weekend, join the club. This man's got more musical projects than Blount County has dive bars – the Dirty Dougs, Doug Harris Band, Dirty Doug and Johnny, and a few others we probably forgot to mention. But here's the deal: every single one of them is worth catching.

Doug's heading to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge representing the Smoky Mountain Blues Society, and if you know anything about Beale Street in January, you know it's gonna be cold as hell and hot as fire musically. We're talking the largest blues festival in the world, folks. But Doug's not just about the stage – he's out here teaching seniors to play harmonica at Blount Memorial through the "Rare Air" program (yeah, that's air with an E for attitude). Turns out blowing into a harmonica might help with COPD, or maybe it's just the laughing and singing. Either way, it works. We get a full-on harmonica lesson (complete with World War I history and why we lost all the good blues fiddle players), plus Doug performs his original song "Catharsis" – which he swears he wrote to keep from killing somebody. Don't worry, he's feeling much better now.

From teaching Lee harmonica to living across the street from Brackins (dangerous move), Doug's been holding down the East Tennessee music scene since 2001. And with an album dropping in 2026, this blues historian/musician/community treasure ain't slowing down anytime soon. Fair warning: He's got at least 14 harmonicas on him at all times, and he knows how to use 'em.

Hold up. Did we just say sixteen? Yeah, you read that right. Wyatt Ellis might not be old enough to vote, but this Townsend native's already played the Grand Ole Opry multiple times, won an IBMA award, and has his own exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. No big deal.

Lee and Scott sit down with the mandolin wizard whose theme song "Maryville" literally opens and closes our podcast (you're welcome). Wyatt breaks down how he went from a 10-year-old kid who heard Rocky Top once to performing with Randy Travis's band and recording in creeks with microphones. Yeah, he actually waded into Abrams Creek to get authentic river sounds for his album "Happy Valley." That's commitment, folks.

We're talking Ireland tours, Ernest Tubbs Midnight Jamboree comebacks, and how this kid manages to make grown musicians look like amateurs while still being the most humble person in any room. Plus, he rips through "Orange Blossom Special" right here in the studio, and trust us, you're gonna want to hear this.

Oh, and he's also the official Peaceful Side Ambassador for Blount County. So basically, if you get pulled over in Townsend, just tell 'em you know Wyatt. (Don't actually do that.)

From Rocky Branch jams to international stages, this is what happens when raw talent meets East Tennessee roots. And at 16, he's just getting started.

Lee and Scott catch up with Lane Shuler, Townsend native turned Maryville resident who's been crafting his own brand of alternative hip-hop right here in Blount County. Lane breaks down how he went from a kid in Townsend with no music shops or guitar teachers to creating what he calls "liquid running through a dark alleyway" – and honestly, once you hear it, that description makes perfect sense.

We dive into the making of his upcoming album "Candlelight Vigilante" (dropping Q1), which features some mind-blowing production with up to 75 tracks on certain songs. Lane's working with Will Johnson, whose dad did sound for Whitney Houston and Aerosmith, and they're recording in studios from Knoxville to Rockford to Minneapolis.

Lane performs a couple tracks live with just piano – including a tribute to Alonzo Rogers, a Good Guy Collective member lost to violence in Knoxville. The acoustic versions hit different, and watching him rap at lightning speed while playing keys? That's something you don't see every day.

We also talk about the Townsend Hot Air Balloon Festival, upcoming shows, and how Lane's building a whole circular economy with local artists and producers. Plus, stick around for the rapid-fire lyrics that had Lee trying to talk his way out of a speeding ticket.

Real music, real stories, real Blount County.