Janet Emma & Seven West

18. Evolve.

At age 38, after many years presenting other country tinged folk, blues & 'americana' artists - at festivals, private events & as proprietor/booking agent/front of house manager of The Americana Stage on King St in Leesburg, VA for 3 years - Janet Emma founded the alt-country group One Horse Town that garnered the 2006 Washington Area Music Award for New Artist of the Year boasting 8 songs written or co-written by Janet Emma, produced by the inimitable Jon Carroll of Mary Chapin Carpenter & Starland Vocal Band fame.

In 2009, Janet reached a little farther southwest to record w/ mentor & songwriting mentor Walt Wilkins supported in the studio by Walt's wife Tina & Walt's 'tribe' made up mostly of the Texas beloved band The Mystiqueros. Janet Emma's 2009 release, Ghostfields, engineered at Jumping Dog Studies in Cedar Park, TX by Ron Flynt, went on to earn 3 Washington Area Music Association nominations for Best Female Country Artist, Best Debut Recording, And Best Country Album in 2009. Given the project was made almost exclusively in Texas w/ Texans, just being nominated was a high honor.

Janet built a new group based on this project dubbed Janet Emma & Seven West. The full band, in it's current evolution, will debut a new line up February 16th at Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, VA featuring guitarists & singers John Bestwick & Joe Hammett of The Short Hill Mountain Boys, upright bassist David Hurt of Dry Mill Road Band, rhythm monster Michael Andre Aubin of Deanna Bogart Band, fiddler Ben Walters of several bluegrass outfits in & around the Blue Ridge for a double header with The Randy Thompson Band. Visit www.janetemma.com for dates/info.

The journey through music & friends & soulful collaborations continues! New songs are being written, new shows booked & new collaborations coming to the Seven West stage! David Kitchen continues to wield his rippin', unmatched telecaster magic, Mike Aubin joins Jem & 7West on drums, Patrick "The Hammer" Thornton will be throwing down on bass, & Kevin Dudley will be slinging acoustic & bringing his Texas tinged (& oh so welcome) vocals to the mix. WHAT a treat. Angel singer Jill Hales Barnes will fly in from AZ whenever possible, but most especially for The Old Waterford Schoolhouse show September 9th! We'll be surprising you with a few speical guest sit ins on banjo, mando, tele & who knows WHAT! New songs, old songs, new harmonies & arrangements. We have missed you. Can't WAIT to share summer nights of music with YOU!



Spread the word. We're so looking forward to seeing you!



Great music, great friends, good juju. Good times. Here we come!