Dirk Powell & Kelly Hunt will join forces in October 2026 for a joint album release tour celebrating Powell’s new album, ‘Wake,’ (dubbed a ‘masterpiece’ by No Depression) and Hunt’s upcoming album (Sept 2026), ‘Requiem for a Sleepless Night,’ which was produced by Powell at his Cypress House studio near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana and features evocative vocal/instrumental collaborations on 12 of Hunt’s original songs. Together, they will bring their unique blend of soulful originals and time-honored traditionals to ten stages spanning the Midwest and Southwest.

Grammy-winning Dirk Powell is known as a ‘musician’s musician’ in the circle of American roots music and beyond. He learned banjo and fiddle from his Kentucky grandfather and has been a part of the thriving Cajun/Creole music community in Louisiana since his 20s. He has toured and recorded with artists such as Joan Baez, Eric Clapton, Rhiannon Giddens, Loretta Lynn and many more. His albums, combining deep traditional roots with emotional original material, have influenced generations of musicians. Steve Earle calls him ‘badass, to the bone’ and Joan Baez says ‘God gave this one an overdose of talent.’ Dirk is also in demand as a producer and his studio, the Cypress House, on the banks of Bayou Teche, is known as a mecca for American roots music.

Memphis-raised singer-songwriter, Kelly Hunt, paints stories as old and offbeat as her Depression-era tenor banjo and guitar, reimagining traditions of folk & old-time music with innovative vigor. Interweaving poetic lyrics, lilting melodies, and intriguing arrangements, Hunt casts a spell which No Depression describes as “the musical equivalent of a book you can’t put down, one you’ll want to revisit again and again to catch every nuance and turn of phrase.” Hunt’s 2019 debut album, Even The Sparrow, was a finalist for the International Folk Music Awards “Album of the Year.