Hillbilly Zen is a weekly, hour long musical meditation airing live on Sundays from 2-3 pm on 103.7 WPVM-LP and streaming from http://wpvmfm.org. It is not defined by genre, but instead is centered around a different topic each week such as CHANGE, REDEMPTION, BETRAYAL, or IDENTITY.  Host Andy Ferrell seeks to curate a unique and diverse weekly playlist, highlighting artists from many different time periods and regions tying them all together with thoughtful and forward thinking commentary between sets.  On any given episode you are likely to hear a combination of current hip hop and R&B, classic country, traditional blues, indie, and local artists, all woven together into one cohesive hour of music.  From Bessie Smith to Beyoncé, this show is sure to expand your musical tastes as well as build on what you already love.

The title, “Hillbilly Zen,” is intentionally oxymoronic.  Originally intended to be an exploration of American Roots music, this idea was abandoned before airing for something more relatable to a wider audience paired with relevant commentary on life as it is unfolding before us.  In a region ripe with Americana music, it felt redundant to have another solely folky show in the mix.  With genre becoming an increasingly outdated concept in music and artists cross-pollinating musical influences more than ever, it seemed appropriate to mirror that unifying force and foster its progress.  The show does, however, stay true to the original folk-based concept through keeping “Hillbilly” in the name, though it is not necessarily indicative of the music played each week.  Rather, it is an indicator of perspective- one WNC born folk songwriting host’s desire to share and learn about the world and its many diverse inhabitants through music, seeking truth and uncovering the underlying unifiers of humanity through melodies and lyrics.  Hillbilly Zen is a travel log and diary of one person’s mission to understand, love and find peace in the world around him.