John Morgan Live in Concert with Ryan and Rory at Moonshine Flats

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John Morgan - With a style that’s defined by melodic grit and a craftsman’s approach to songwriting, John Morgan brings a blue-collar toughness to country that’s pulled straight from the only life he knows. Hailing from a tiny town called Sylva, deep in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, John grew up immersed in bluegrass tradition and even toured the festival circuit each summer in a family band, before diving into songwriting, inspired by six-string legends from Tony Rice to John Mayer. Now, “a Music City songwriting star” (Tennessean), he has earned cuts with Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch, Thomas Rhett and an outstanding 16 for Jason Aldean, including the superstar’s #1 songs - “Trouble With A Heartbreak” and the GRAMMY® nominated, ACM Single of the Year “If I Didn’t Love You” with Carrie Underwood, along with Aldean’s latest single at country radio “Whiskey Drink” currently climbing the charts. Praised by People as an “accomplished songwriter,” Aldean signed the sought-after, powerhouse artist “with guitar skills that will knock your cowboy boots off" (Nash News) to Night Train Records, his imprint with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. Having made his Grand Ole Opry debut and logging hours on the road opening for Aldean, ERNEST, Riley Green Nate Smith and Jameson Rodgers, his party starter smash “Friends Like That” - featuring Jason Aldean - is currently surging into the Top 10 at country radio. With the Tennessean praising the “live concert favorite whose banjo and steel underpinnings still allow room for a hard-rocking core,” John's breakout radio single has Billboard applauding, “Broken hearts aren’t typically pleasurable, although the breezy melody and pulsing guitars on ‘Friends Like That’ make loneliness sound attractive.” Giving fans a taste of new music with the jaunty “Crickets,” confident “I Know Better” and heartrendingly smooth “Long Ride Home,” John Morgan’s highly anticipated debut album, Carolina Blue, is out now.

Ryan and Rory - Opening Act

It took just one phone call for Ryan Keith Follesé (fall-uh-zay) and Rory John Zak to decide they were meant to be musical partners.

Ryan placed that call to Rory after a mutual music-business friend, Liz Morin, suggested the two consider working together. “It was like having your aunt set you up with someone, “Ryan remembers. “Before long, I thought, ‘Oh my God, my aunt’s right — this is the person.’”

Two hours later, they hung up as the duo Ryan & Rory.

The music Ryan & Rory have been creating since then proves that their first impressions were spot on. Ryan’s proficient songwriting and powerhouse voice fit hand in glove with Rory’s incredible musicianship and vocals that blend yet command attention. Rory also possesses the rare ability of “perfect pitch”, the ability to identify a musical note without any reference.

But let’s back up. That phone call may have been the start of Ryan & Rory, but the pair separately put years of hustle and dedication into their careers before coming together.

Ryan is the son of country songwriters Adrienne and Keith Follesé. Keith co-wrote Tim McGraw’s double-platinum #1 single “Something Like That,” Faith Hill’s crossover hit “The Way You Love Me,” and Lonestar’s chart-topper “Smile.” Together, the couple co-wrote Martina McBride’s 1999 hit “I Love You,” a five-week #1.

“When I was growing up, I wanted to write my way out of their shadow,” says Ryan, who tried to do that as frontman of the Nashville-based pop-rock band Hot Chelle Rae. The group signed to RCA Records, scored a #1 song (2011’s “Tonight, Tonight”), won an American Music Award, and toured the world — but when they broke up, Ryan faced a crossroads. He could become a full-time songwriter for others, or he could take those songwriting skills and his proven voice and lean into what he grew up knowing best: country music.

“When I was younger, I thought if you decided to be a songwriter, you were giving up on being an artist — and now, I realize that it’s not giving up, it’s really digging in,” says Ryan. “The best artists are great songwriters, too, ‘cause nobody’s gonna tell your story like you.”

Rory, meanwhile, has been playing piano since he was a toddler growing up in Raleigh, N.C. By 17, though, he reached his own dilemma: As plans for college were starting to take shape, the Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach invited him to be their youngest-ever full-time lead singer.

“I knew from a really young age that music was what I wanted to do, and I was gonna make that happen regardless,” he says. “But at that moment, it was a very tough choice. Should I do college now and start my music career later — or should I skip college to start my career right at that moment? I decided to bet on myself. Thank God my parents agreed.”

Since 2017, Rory has played more than 300 shows each year. He spent four years performing with the Carolina Opry six nights a week and has continued at that pace since striking out on his own in 2021.

Now both living in Nashville, Ryan & Rory have finished their first EP, slated for release this spring. The process of writing, recording, and rehearsing has shown them that their individual strengths create something together that neither could have created individually.

“Rory is a world-class musician, a really good writer, and a grounded, solid guy,” says Ryan. “I couldn’t have found a more perfect partner if I spent years trying.”

Ryan co-wrote five of the EP’s six songs — three with his family — and Rory elevated their arrangements and performance. Track by track, their vocal harmonies shine as they narrate comfort cocktails that sound remarkably like both classic and modern country.