Your support keeps artists in the driver’s seat

Working musicians like Trenton Ayers and John Kveen know a few things about life on the road.

For artists who rely on gig income, making ends meet can mean traveling hundreds, even thousands of miles from home to play at festivals, tour with their band, or reach new audiences. When rent is due and you’re already behind on the light bill, turning down a performance opportunity because of the distance simply isn’t an option. Having a reliable vehicle (and being able to afford fuel for it) is non-negotiable.

This year, we’ve seen skyrocketing gas prices put extra strain on working class artists who already struggle to afford groceries and medications. In times like these, costly repairs can spell disaster – and losing your car entirely can leave a promising career running on fumes.

Thankfully, music lovers like you go the distance every day so these tradition-bearers can continue enriching our culture.

The son of Junior Kimbrough’s bassist Earl “Little Joe” Ayers, Trenton Ayers of Holly Springs, MS has been immersed in the blues since he started playing at age four. He rubbed elbows with Hill Country icons like Jessie May Hemphill from a young age, and went on to share the stage with the likes of Cedric Burnside.

After decades mostly spent as a sideman, Trenton’s own star is finally on the rise. He joined Music Maker as one of our Next Generation Artists in 2024, and made his Telluride Blues & Brews Festival debut with us last September. His first album on our label, produced by the great Jimbo Mathus, is set to come out this fall.

With so much on the horizon, it was all the more devastating when Trenton’s car suddenly stopped running this spring. The mechanic’s diagnosis: a failed water pump and busted radiator. The repairs would set him back $700, a devastating blow to an artist already living paycheck to paycheck.

Luckily, generous music fans like you stepped up to help. Your support made it possible for us to fully cover the cost of Trenton’s car repairs, putting him back in the driver’s seat – and keeping his family’s Hill Country blues tradition alive.

Transportation issues don’t just affect individual artists. For busy working artists like bassist John Kveen of Oxford, MS, the logistics of transporting a whole band and their equipment to and from gigs can turn a dream performance into a nightmare.

A member of Jimbo’s band Creatures of the Southern Wild, Kveen has been an integral part of our Performance and Documentation Programs for the last two years. He regularly travels from Mississippi to our studio in Fountain, NC to back our partner artists during recording sessions, and has played for Music Maker shows across the country. All this in addition to performing with his other bands – including Trenton’s band Wolfeagle!

When the old van that the Creatures had used for years became unavailable, Kveen shared with us his dream of owning a van large enough to tour with Trenton, and his other band projects. This summer, Music Maker supporters made this dream come true and got these guys back to work.

“I can’t thank the folks at Music Maker enough for giving me this grant, which will allow me to buy a touring van,” says Kveen. “Thank you, Music Maker, for helping me realize my dream of owning a touring vehicle with which to bring Mississippi’s rich culture of music to the rest of America!”

Generous music lovers like you make this work possible. Your gift provides life-changing aid to vulnerable artists through our Sustenance Program, including monthly stipends to senior artists, emergency grants to help with crisis situations, and much more.

Thanks to you, musicians in need like Trenton can keep doing what they love: sustaining essential American traditions, enriching our culture, and bringing people together through music, wherever the road takes them. Thank you for being part of this journey!