Kentucky's vibrant music scene in 2025 explored

Walter Tunis, the Lexington Herald-Leader's contributing music columnist, writes about Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, S.G. Goodman, Molly Tuttle and more.

Catch up with the stories below.

Kentucky native Tyler Childers released his latest album, “Snipe Hunt.” It’s filled with a sense of mischief as well as musicality. By Sam Waxman

NO. 1: REVIEW: TYLER CHILDERS IS ELECTRIC AND FULL OF RURAL MISCHIEF ON ‘SNIPE HUNTER’

Leave it to Childers to call upon such rural mischief as a means of reflection, both worldly and personal, Herald-Leader music columnist Walter Tunis writes. | Published July 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

NO. 2: WHAT DO DYLAN, STEVIE NICKS, PINK FLOYD, THE BOSS HAVE IN COMMON? THE SOUNDS OF 1975.

These landmark albums all hit big 50 years ago and music was never the same. | Published January 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

The Infamous Stringdusters, from left: Andy Falco, Jeremy Garrett, Chris Pandolfi, Travis Book and Andy Hall. The band will play Refro Valley on March 22. By Eric Rayburn

NO. 3: INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, COMING TO RENFRO VALLEY, STILL TAKING BLUEGRASS IN NEW DIRECTIONS

Latest album included a hit by Harry Styles, among other covers. | Published March 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

Nitty Gritty Band is playing in Lexington on April 10, 2025.

NO. 4: LEGENDARY NITTY GRITTY BAND RETURNS IN LEXINGTON FOR ONE FINAL SHOW

The pioneering Americana, country, rock and everything-in-between band plays in Lexington tonight during their final tour. | Published April 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

Americana/country artist Brent Cobb will play The Burl in Lexington on May 10. By Jace Kartye

NO. 5: COUNTRY/AMERICANA SINGER BRENT COBB BRINGS HIS SOUTHERN ECLECTIC MUSIC TO THE BURL

He’s appeared in Lexington before with Chris Stapleton, Marty Stuart. | Published May 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

NO. 6: ONE OF BLUES MOST LAUDED JOURNEYMEN VISITS WOODSONGS OLD-TIME RADIO HOUR

For more than six decades, this legend has played with renown blues pioneers and now you can see him in Lexington. | Published June 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

Billy Strings played a moving if somewhat subdued concert in Rupp Arena on June 20, 2025, after announcing that his mother had died hours earlier. By Walter Tunis

NO. 7: BILLY STRINGS REVIEW: BLUEGRASS ARTIST HONORS LATE MOTHER IN MOVING RUPP CONCERT

His mother, who had just died, would want him to finish the tour, he told sold-out crowd. There’s another Rupp show tonight. | Published June 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

S.G Goodman will play Lexington. By Ryan Hartley

NO. 8: KENTUCKY SINGER-SONGWRITER S.G. GOODMAN RETURNS TO LEXINGTON WITH NEWEST ALBUM

She’ll play 2 shows, plus perform at a signing “Planting by the Signs.” | Published June 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Walter Tunis

Singler Molly Tuttle, who will perform an outdoor concert at The Burl on Aug. 14, has been known lately for her Bluegrass music. But her new album, which arrives on Aug. 15, will take things in a new, more pop-influenced direction. By Ebru Yildiz

NO. 9: BLUEGRASS ARTIST MOLLY TUTTLE TAKING A POP DETOUR. CATCH HER NEW SOUND AT THE BURL

What would be the expected career move after you formed a band whose first two albums, both generationally defining statements on the genre they represented, nabbed Grammys? | Published August 12, 2025 | Read Full Story

Bluegrass giant Del McCoury will appear in Lexington. By Ashli Linkous

NO. 10: FINDING THE JOY: DEL MCCOURY BRINGING BLUEGRASS, HUMOR TO LEXINGTON OPERA HOUSE

It’s difficult to appreciate the full artistic reach of Del McCoury until you find yourself in conversation with him. | Published August 19, 2025 | Read Full Story

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.