The New Artist Concert Series will launch with a concert featuring a band familiar to the Columbia stage and one making its Columbia debut.

“The New Artists Series has been launched in an attempt to make the Columbia Theatre a destination for new talent as they pass through the gauntlet of trying to find an audience on their way to a successful career,” said Pete Pfeil, associate director for operations and productions. 

The upcoming concert will feature River Whyless and Denton Hatcher & the Soapbox Blues, the former of which has previously performed at the Columbia as part of the Ghost Light series.

“We feel that River Whyless is a perfect example of an immensely talented group of musicians that are seeking truth and making the world a better place with their gifts of music,” said Pfeil. “Denton Hatcher & the Soapbox Blues’ style of music compliment to River Whyless. We have been very impressed with Denton’s sincerity and dedication to his craft.”

Based in North Carolina, River Whyless describes themselves on their website as “a mingling of currents, a flow of time and physical space, all brought together in a murmuring sense of purpose.”

The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Ryan O’Keefe, violinist and vocalist Halli Anderson, drummer and percussionist Alex McWalters and Daniel Shearin, who plays bass, harmonium, cello and the banjo in addition to being a vocalist. Their style is a blend of folk music and baroque according to the band’s Tumblr page.

Denton Hatcher & the Soapbox Blues is comprised of members Denton Hatcher, Scott Sibley, Thomas Johnson, Cody Ruth, Becca Babin and Paul Buller. According to the band’s Facebook page, their style is pure Americana, a blend of rockabilly, blues, soul and country, aimed to take listeners on “a musical journey of love, heartache, self-doubt and rebirth.”

For more information on River Whyless, visit riverwhyless.com. For more information on Denton Hatcher & the Soapbox Blues, visit dentonhatcher.com. To purchase tickets or find out more about the New Artist Series, visit columbiatheatre.com.