Name: Gabe Lee and JD Graham
Start: 2025-11-19T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Songbirds Foundation

Doors at 6:00 PM
Show at 7:00 PM
Seated Show
Equal parts classic songwriter and modern-day storyteller, Gabe Lee has built his own bridge between country, folk and rock. Lee has been collecting stories for years, both onstage and off. "I used to bartend," says the Nashville-based songwriter, "which means I was also a cheap therapist for whomever happened to be sitting on the barstool. Whether they were there to celebrate or drink away their problems, I heard about whatever they were going through. It was my job to have that face-to-face interaction — that connection. Being a full-time musician isn't much different."
With critically-acclaimed albums like 2019's farmland, 2020's Honky-Tonk Hell, and 2022's The Hometown Kid, Lee created that connection by delivering his own stories to an ever-growing audience. His fourth record, Drink the River, takes a different approach. This time, Lee isn't offering listeners a peek into his internal world; he's holding up a mirror to reflect their own.
Storytelling has been an anchor of Lee's music since the very beginning. Raised by Taiwanese parents in Nashville, TN, he left home during his teenage years and headed to Indiana, where he obtained college degrees in literature and journalism. Lee launched his career as a genre-bending musician after returning to Tennessee, quickly progressing from dive bar gigs to high-profile opening slots (including shows with Jason Isbell, Los Lobos, Molly Tuttle, and other artists who, like him, blurred the lines between roots-rock, country, and other forms of American folk music) to his own headlining shows. Throughout it all, he drew upon the narrative skills he'd sharpened as a student. If albums like Honky-Tonk Hell and The Hometown Kid often unfolded like autobiographical entries from his road journal, then Drink the River shows an even broader range of his storytelling abilities. Lee isn't just writing songs about himself; he's writing songs about all of us. And maybe, in doing so, he can bring us a little closer together.
JD Graham is an Americana singer-songwriter whose raw, soul-baring music weaves tales of redemption, faith, and hard-won sobriety. An Oklahoma native , Graham’s early life was marked by a 25-year battle with drug addiction, beginning with a prescription for anxiety at age 11 and spiraling into a world of reckless living. His journey took a pivotal turn in 2017 after a catastrophic car accident led to a five-year prison sentence in Arizona. There, stripped of distractions, Graham confronted his demons, found solace in faith, and rediscovered his purpose through music.
In an unprecedented move, he recorded his debut album, Razor Wire Sunrise, within the walls of Arizona State Prison, inspired by the stark beauty of his cell’s view and the weight of his past decisions.Graham’s time in prison also sparked a transformative music program that he taught alongside other inmates raising over $20,000 in donations and leaving a lasting impact on inmate population through a curriculum that fostered purpose and self-expression. Since his release, he has channeled his experiences into a prolific songwriting career, blending the raw honesty of influences like John Moreland, Brandon Jenkins and Jason Isbell with his own confessional style. His 2023 album, Pound of Rust, recorded at Skinny Elephant in East Nashville with producer Neilson Hubbard and songwriter Ryan Culwell, is a haunting testament to accountability and resilience. The album’s unadorned, guitar-driven sound captures the essence of a man with nothing left to hide, earning him a place on the national touring circuit making appearances at Mile 0 Festival and Born & Raised Festival.
In July 2024, Graham released his highly anticipated album Sergeant of Sorrow, further cementing his reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter. His performances, whether in intimate listening rooms or at songwriter festivals, hold audiences captive with their sincerity and emotional depth. For Graham, music is about connection—reaching a stranger’s heart through a song or a conversation at a barstool. Fueled by faith, sobriety, and an unwavering commitment to truth, JD Graham’s music is a powerful reflection of his journey from darkness to redemption, resonating with listeners seeking hope and human connection.