John Fullbright

John Fullbright comes from Okemah, Oklahoma, the same small town that produced Woody Guthrie. He writes songs that sit somewhere between folk, blues, and country, with a directness that feels rooted in that place. His debut album, 'From the Ground Up,' came out in 2012 and was followed by records like 'Songs from the Road,' 'Open Road,' and 'The Liar.'

A song like 'Satan And St. Paul' shows what he does well. It's a quiet, searching ballad about faith and doubt that doesn't offer easy answers. Other tracks, such as 'Gawd Above' and 'I Only Pray At Night,' work in a similar vein, personal, unadorned, and more interested in questions than declarations.

He performs mostly as a solo artist, though he's often joined on stage by other musicians. There's not much grand narrative or dramatic arc to his story, which seems fitting. He just makes the records and plays the shows, letting the songs speak for themselves.