The first annual Pickup Country Homegrown Holiday Show was a blast to put together and share. It was great to work with so many beloved local artists willing to share their gifts and talents to help us all celebrate the season! And speaking of gifts and talents, Sticks Stones and Stitches in Stanton, KY is helping Pickup Country make your holiday a little brighter with a special TEXT CODE added to the repeat broadcast on the December 22nd at 4PM AND the audio player below. When you text the code to 606-663-2811, you can be one of 5 winners chosen at random to receive a unique handcrafted item from Sticks Stones and Stitches!! Winners will be drawn on Monday, December 24th and notified by text message. 

​Tune in to 104.9FM or click the "Listen Live" button at www.wskvfm.com on Saturday December 22nd at 4PM for a re-airing of The Pickup Country Homegrown Holiday Show. The show will also repeat December 24th and 25th at 8PM

Special thanks to our sponsors making the show possible including Big E Insurance, Alight Marketing, Massage by Lindsey, Blessings Floral Design, and Whitaker Bank. Also a big thank you to the long list of artists who contributed to the show and made our first one so much fun! 

Pickup Country had the pleasure of welcoming Nick Dittmeier into the studio where he shared this thoughts on country music, songwriting and his new album titled "All Damn Day." He was also gracious enough to share a few of the new tracks with us. Listen to the full interview below and hear his tunes when you listen like a local with Pickup Country 104.9FM!  

Find more about Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters by following these links:

Official Website: ​nickdittmeier.com/

Facebook Page: ​www.facebook.com/nickdittmeiermusic/

On Bandcamp: ​nickdittmeier.bandcamp.com/

Today, Reed Masterson gave a us a call to share information about this fantastic fundraiser event to benefit the Leeds Center for the Arts in Winchester, KY. Give the interview a listen and then call and get your tickets!! More details below:

21st Century Magic: Keeping the Arts ALIVE Tour

Location: LEEDS Center for the Arts - 37 N Main Street Winchester, KY 40391 
Date: Friday, November 30, 2018
Time: 7:00 PM
Tickets: General Admission $15 - VIP $50
Purchase Online at mastersonsmagic.com/leeds-tickets (or) Call 859-744-6437 
Performance Length: Approx. 105 Mins including a 15-20 Min Intermission.

Description: 21st Century Magic is what Reed & Ashton like to call a “High Energy, High Impact, Magic & Illusion Show”. It is a strategically combined mix of Brain-Bending New Age Illusions, Highly Trained Rescue Animals, Ridiculous Stunts, Breath-Taking Escapes, Audience Participation, and just “The Absolute Correct Amount of Comedic Relief”. The Alban Arts Center described it as “A Phenomenal, Vegas Quality Show”. With their signature Rock Star Style and “Larger than Life Personalities” in high demand, this duo is guaranteed to be a “Smash Hit”.

!!!TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!! 
Since 1925 LEEDS Center for the Arts has been the #1 place to witness LIVE entertainment in downtown Winchester, KY. In fundraising efforts, for one night only, Join The Mastersons on their mission to "Keep the Arts ALIVE in Small Town America"! Their Award Winning show "21st Century Magic" will not only raise money for the theatre, but help to build awareness of the Performing Arts in and around Clark County.

For the past 10 years The Mastersons have raised 1,000's of dollars for historic theatres just like LEEDS across the country. With a long history of sell out performances resulting in people being turned away at the door. We recommend that you purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee your seat.

For more info on this specific event click the ticket link above.
Add this event to your google calendar: https://goo.gl/TTkr4u 
Receive event specific updates: https://goo.gl/JmXXoq

Blues man, Jeremy Short took the stage at Kickin' It On the Creek 2018 as a solo fill-in with only his guitar and left the audience in awe. You can hear more of Jeremy and other artists from the Little Ross Creek Festival on Pickup Country on Saturday nights 9-Midnight. 

Find more of Jeremy's music at ShortandCompanyMusic.com

​We've put together a few of our favorites from his set that you're sure to enjoy. 

Nashville artist Dustin Collins, of Bardstown, Kentucky, stopped in the studio to talk about his upcoming show headlining at the Bluegrass Rockin' Rodeo at Alltech Arena. Dustin is headlining a concert at the rodeo - an International Pro Rodeo event. Friday, Nov. 16 is Family Fun Night and Saturday will include 90 of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the country as they compete in calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and more. 

Check out the interview below and visit his official website for more of his music.

Listen To It’s Been Awhile:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1md03j05y7nbjzu/AACwo_4nvK3Kv9HyfuKU_Rfha?dl=0
​Recent Press:
https://parade.com/686506/laurawhitmore/exclusive-premiere-dustin-collins-shares-an-acoustic-its-been-awhile/
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/8462854/dustin-collins-its-been-awhile

Press Release:
​https://mailchi.mp/adkinspublicity.com/dustincollinsnoone
  
More On Dustin Collins:
A true road warrior, Collins spent hundreds of thousands of miles on the road playing in honky tonks, fairs and festivals throughout the midwest and his home state of Kentucky, including a slot on Aaron Watson's Vaquero Tour, as well as opening for Chris Janson, Granger Smith, Kane Brown and many more. The emerging singer-songwriter’s independent single, "Cold Dead Hands," ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Singles Sales chart and his new album It’s Been Awhile landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

Mt. Sterling, Kentucky native and resident, Larah Helayne is making incredible music at the young age of sixteen. She sings, she writes and she plays up to ten instruments including guitar and banjo, calling herself "the banjo girl." If you've been listening lately, you've probably already heard the title track from her upcoming release titled "Roots." We were thrilled to have Larah in the studio to play and to talk about her music, her upcoming release party and the healing and support she finds in music and the local music community. She played tracks from the new release as well as covers.

Larah's Music Page on Facebook

Listen to her full interview on the player below.

BEATTYVILLE, Ky. – The City of Beattyville and the Lee County Fiscal Court has announced the first-ever Bring Business to Beattyville competition.
The competition is a regional collaboration with the city, county, the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR), Kentucky Highlands investment Cooperation (KHIC), Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED), Morehead State University’s Small Business Development Center, and Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative, Easter.
The competition is open to entrepreneurs, startups or existing small businesses in Lee County or a contiguous county.  The winner will be able to occupy a building in Beattyville for $100 a month for the first year.  Additionally, the winner will receive an incentive utilities package from the City of Beattyville for the first year, specialized pricing from area web development companies (for promotion and marketing), accelerated business coaching and training, special prizes including a cash award, access to GIG internet from PRTC, and have access to capital from SKED.
The building is located along the Kentucky River in the downtown district next door to a newly constructed RV park. The building is move-in ready with several large open spaces, access to ample parking, a full-size kitchen with room for seating, and then several small office spaces.
Beattyville is a vibrant community located near the Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park. It has become a destination for adventure tourism with close access to world-class hiking, biking, rock climbing, and is the birthplace of the Kentucky River.
To assist competitors and encourage solid business ideas to locate in the space, a series of open houses for the space along with specialized workshops including individual consultations with business development specialists will be held prior to the November 30 deadline:

• October 30, 2018 | Community tour and walkthrough of the building – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  View the space and imagine how your business could operate – Contact Teresa Mays
• October 30, 2018 | Be Boss Online Workshop – Booneville, KY – Owsley County Action Team – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Program will cover all aspects of digital marketing. Register: https://conta.cc/2P8ydz4
• November 7, 2018 | One-on-one consultation at Beattyville City Hall – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Visit with business assistance resources from KHIC/EKCEP/SKED/SBDC and get application assistance.
• November 13, 2018 | Be Boss Online Workshop – Booneville, KY – Owsley County Action Team – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Program will cover all aspects of digital marketing. Register: https://conta.cc/2P8ydz4
• November 20, 2018 | One-on-one consultation at Beattyville City Hall – 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Visit with business assistance resources form KHIC/EKCEP/SKED/SBDC and get application assistance.
• November 27, 2018 | Community Tour and walkthrough of the building – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• November 30, 2018 | Applications are due by email or in person at Beattyville City Hall. 
• Week of December 3, 2018 | Judges will review all competition submissions, contact applicants, and declare a winner. Winner will be notified on December 10, 2018.

 
For competition entry, applicants should email or present a copy of the application in person to Teresa Mays at City Hall, Beattyville by 4 p.m., Friday, November 30, 2018. The application is available at http://www.beattyville.org/2018/10/bring-business-to-beattyville-competition/.   
For more information, contact Teresa Mays, main street manager for the City of Beattyville, by phone at (606) 464-5007 or by email at tmays@beattyville.org, or Ian Mooers, economic and entrepreneur liaison at EKCEP, by phone at (606) 438-9927 or by email at imooers@ekcep.org.

​Want a Great Job but don’t want to travel? Stantek Manufacturing located right here in STANTON, KY is NOW HIRING
Starting Pay $10 per hour  - temp to hire and up to $12 per hour within 1st year once hired full time
Great benefits including, paid time off, holiday pay, medical insurance as well as profit sharing opportunities
Don’t want to work full time? Part time positions are also available
Starting Pay $10 per hour  - temp to hire and  up to $11 per hour within 1st year once hired full time
Local employment, great pay, and a Great work environment
Call Monday thru Thursday to setup an interview at 606-663-8200.

John R. Miller and Chloe Edmonstone were kind enough to make time in their busy touring schedule to visit with Angela for WSKV's Friday Night Backroads listeners. John has a newly released album called "The Trouble You Follow." Hear the interview and the great tunes using the player below.

John R Miller & the Engine Lights
Website
Bandcamp
Facebook

Sean Whiting has gone from truck driving to full time singing and song writing and says he has no regrets. Give a listen to our interview with Sean discussing all things music in his world. Be sure to check him out live at one of his upcoming shows! 

Sean Whiting
Website
Facebook
Bandcamp