Arkansas songwriter William Blackart returns to Louisville for a performance at The Monkey Wrench on Saturday, April 23. He'll be joined by Louisville's own Sam Hadfield and Trapper Haskins and The Bitter Swill of Altamont, Tenn.

Blackart plays a gravelly, lo-fi country style of folk music some have coined 'poor man's gothic.' Ruth Milne of Dakota Discography commented "The stories he told were poetic and captivating, as substantive as literature. His voice was rough and emotive, weather-beaten, framed by the hypnotic, spare music.

Since the release of his solo debut Left in 2007, Blackart has kept the road hot in support of the album, traversing the country steadily and sharing the stage with acts such as The Legendary Shack Shakers and Dax Riggs.

Prior to playing the gritty folk heard on Left and the upcoming vinyl release, A Well Woven Thread, William cut his musical teeth from 1998 to 2006 in the punk rock bands The Fraggin Monarchists and Ray Brower's Body.

It was the move to Chicago in 2006 that gave Blackart the freedom to spend more time with an acoustic guitar and mandolin and put together a more stripped-down lineup of songs that had been brewing for some years. He recorded Left that spring of 2007, hit the road that fall and continues to beat the pavement.

Mixing Americana with roots country music, Sam Hadfield blends the best of old-timey folk with contemporary appeal. His gravelly, well-worn voice and an old guitar fit perfectly into the folk artist mold. But what sets Sam apart is his passion for music.

Sam's affinity for lyrics and his ability to write them established him as a passionate and talented songwriter among Louisville musicians.

Trapper Haskins, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, began playing and writing on a nylon string guitar at the age of 12. In the decades since he has become the consummate craftsman. Custom guitars, wooden boats, and award winning songs, he has fashioned them each with an exacting attention to detail. Peers have acclaimed his material for being both lyrically poetic, though still musically accessible.

"William Blackart, one of Arkansas' most criminally under-exposed and great songwriting talents." - Arkansas Times