Songs We Wish We Wrote - Volume IV

Tuscan Hills Winery began as a big dream of a local family and has blossomed into a place of gathering where people of all ages can relax and have fun. Since officially opening on July 1st, 2011, the winery has become home to numerous weddings, showers, reunions, parties, and weekly musical performances. The owners, Wes and Wanda Pitcher want all visitors to “Come as our guests, leave as our friends.” Tuscan Hills Winery provides an old-world Tuscan feel in the heart of Effingham, Illinois. All of the wines are tastefully crafted and bottled in the wine cellar and wine tastings are available daily. However, if wine isn’t the drink for you, we also offer a full bar, local craft beers, wine-slushies, sangrias, and a variety of food offerings.

Tuscan Hills Winery is open 7 days a week! Our indoor and outdoor spaces are fully wheelchair accessible.

Jim Rotramel, better known as "Skinny Jim," is an American rockabilly musician and songwriter born and raised in the coal country of West Frankfort, Illinois. A lifelong music enthusiast with a passion for raw rock 'n' roll influences from Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran, Rotramel fronts the band Skinny Jim & the Number 9 Blacktops, named after an old country road near his hometown where he and friends drag-raced in his youth; the "Skinny Jim" moniker was bestowed by fellow musician Sean Hopkins, referencing an Eddie Cochran song. The band, blending rockabilly with punk-edged Americana, has released multiple albums, including Cool on My Right (2013) and Daredevil Action (mid-2010s), and has toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe. Rotramel co-founded the Tri-Nut Records label in the early 2010s to promote regional rock 'n' roll acts. In 2018, he co-formed the side project Franklin County Trucking Company with Hopkins (vocals/guitar), Eddie Spaghetti of the Supersuckers (bass), and Taylor Sprehe (drums), paying homage to truck-driving culture despite none of the members being professional drivers; the band has issued four albums of high-energy "rig rock," including The Death-Defying Adventures (2023), and gained a cult following through Sirius XM Outlaw Country.

Matt Poss is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist hailing from the small town of Effingham in downstate Illinois, where he channels the grit of rural life into his black-dirt country-rock sound—described by fans and critics as "sounds like country, feels like rock, tastes like chicken."As the frontman of the Matt Poss Band, formed over a decade ago with a rotating cast of "musical brothers" from the Effingham area, Poss blends traditional country storytelling with bluegrass, blues, and rock influences, drawing comparisons to Zac Brown and Blackberry Smoke for his smooth, soulful vocals and homegrown energy.

Travis Beasley is a Southern Illinois-born singer-songwriter and guitarist whose outlaw country sound draws from the raw, heartfelt traditions of the region's blue-collar storytelling, blending twangy riffs with tales of hard living and redemption. Raised in Eldorado, he honed his craft locally before moving to Champaign in fall 2007 to join White Trash Rodeo as a guitarist, where the band's rowdy honky-tonk energy earned them a devoted Midwestern following through relentless regional touring. After White Trash Rodeo disbanded in late 2010, Beasley formed and fronted the High Low Drifters in 2011, shifting toward a grittier, rootsier vibe that echoed influences like Waylon Jennings and early Steve Earle; the group gigged steadily in Illinois bars and festivals until 2013, when Beasley's veterinary career pulled him to Texas. Balancing his dual passions, Beasley has continued performing sporadically with the High Low Drifters while pursuing solo acoustic sets that showcase his songwriting depth, often drawing crowds with originals infused with equine life and rural grit. As of 2025, he remains active in both worlds, gigging locally and working with horses daily.

Host or Publisher Travis Beasley