The Arcadian Wild is a four-piece indie folk/pop group from Nashville, TN. Led by songwriters Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick and Bailey Warren on fiddle, The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genre, blending the traditional with the contemporary. Combining elements of progressive bluegrass, folk, and formal vocal music, The Arcadian Wild offer up songs of invitation; calls to come and see, to find refuge and rest, to journey and wonder, to laugh and cry, to share joy and community and sing along.

Carrie Newcomer weaves her life and her art together, with music, community activism, and personal concerns all playing a role. She's one of those people who exudes a spirituality that's all her own, and she has to be seen in concert to be truly appreciated. Says novelist Barbara Kingsolver: "She's a poet, storyteller, snake-charmer, good neighbor, friend and lover, minister of the wide-eyed gospel of hope and grace."

As acclaimed indie folk band The Ballroom Thieves wrote and recorded their upcoming album, one central question emerged as the theme: “What if we could all just be a little more tender?” The duo – Calin Peters (vocals, cello, bass) and Martin Earley (vocals, guitar) – started to ponder what they could do to be more self-aware of their mental health and of those around them in a world oversaturated by social media, pop-culture, and digital consumption. The result is a personal, lush, 10-track collection of thoughts on the human experience called Sundust.

Audiences first discovered Grant-Lee Phillips’ thoughtful, literate songwriting in context of the rock band Grant Lee Buffalo, a trio which found success with the 1993 debut Fuzzy. The title track catapulted the group to international recognition. Beginning with his 2000 solo debut Ladies’ Love Oracle, Phillips opened another chapter in his career, as a folk- and Americana-focused artist crafting songs and stories rich with details and humanity. He returns to The Ark with his 10th solo album, “All That You Can Dream,” as well as the 25th anniversary vinyl reissue of his first solo album, “Ladies Love Oracle,” recorded in 1999.

Katie Pruitt is living proof of music’s power to transform the way we experience the world. Soon after the arrival of her acclaimed debut Expectations—a 2020 LP on which she documented her journey in growing up queer in the Christian South—the Georgia-bred singer / songwriter / guitarist heard from countless listeners that her songs had impacted their lives on an elemental level. With her sophomore album Mantras, the Nashville-based musician now looks inward to explore such matters as gender identity, self-compassion or the lack thereof, and the struggle for peace in times of chaos and uncertainty—ultimately arriving at a body of work that speaks to the strength in undoing harmful self-beliefs and fully living your truth.

Portland, Oregon's Jeffrey Martin is a minister's son who can build a house with his bare hands. One night in middle school he stayed up under the covers with a flashlight and a DiscMan, listening to Reba McEntire's “That's the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia”' on repeat until the DiscMan ran out of batteries. That night he became a songwriter, although he didn't actually write a song until years later. Jeffrey writes music that probes the depths of the human experience and doesn't shy away from its darkest corners. We were introduced to Jeffrey at last summer’s Ark Art Fair stage, and we’re looking forward to hearing more!

Ari Hest is a Grammy nominated indie folk singer/songwriter who built a fiercely loyal following through relentless touring over the past two decades. Mike Vial is a singer-songwriter and educator based in Ann Arbor. He won the Ypsilanti Songwriting Festival award in 2010 and the Blue Owl Songwriting award in 2014.