Pressley Laton @ MerleFest Band Contest

Name: Pressley Laton @ MerleFest Band Contest
Start: 2026-04-25T12:45:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-25T13:00:00-04:00
Location: MerleFest

Schedule

Sat Apr 25 2026 at 12:45 pm to 01:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

MerleFest | Wilkesboro, NC

PRESSLEY LATON @ MERLEFEST BAND CONTEST
***12:45-1PM***
(PLAZA STAGE)
*THE WHOLE CONTEST RUNS FROM 11:30AM-4PM WITH THE WINNER ANNOUNCED AT 4:30PM*
Each of the 8 bands invited to perform in MerleFest's Band Contest will perform for 15 minutes for a chance to win a 45-minute set on the Hillside Stage the following day!
About the artist:
Blurring the lines between country and rock, Pressley Laton is an independent artist based in Boone, NC, whose music is shaped by Appalachian culture, small-town stories, and a lifelong love of outlaw country and rock-and-roll. As an alternative-country and roots-rock artist, Pressley blends bold, soulful vocals with gritty music and unfiltered storytelling to create a hard-hitting sound that’s raw and real, which Terry Hudson of rBeatz Radio described as “Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Jo Dee Messina.” She and her band leave a lasting impression with high-energy performances that connect just as strongly at festivals and packed bars as they do
in intimate listening rooms.
As a rising North Carolina artist, Pressley has performed at venues and festivals across the Southeast, including Amos’ Southend, Evening Muse, Bird’s Nest Listening Room, Appalachian Theatre, Boonerang Music Festival, Antlers & Acorns: The Boone Songwriters Festival, and the Southern Songwriter Festival.
Pressley Laton grew up singing in church with her mama in Stanly County, NC, writing her first song at age 10. Inspired by the powerful female vocalists she watched on country music award shows, she gravitated toward artists who commanded the stage with both conviction and vulnerability. After graduating from Appalachian State University, she stayed in Boone, initially settling into a career in higher education until jumping ship in
pursuit of a music career. She has refined her art through years of live performance, songwriting, and collaboration, combining country roots with a fresh perspective.
Following her 2024 EP, Pressley will release her next full-length album, Wandering Kind, in September 2026, produced by Jason Scavone of Sioux Sioux Studio in Charlotte, NC.