Kenny & Amanda Smith

Kenny Smith spent years as a sideman, notably with the Lonesome River Band, and his flatpicking is widely studied for its tone and timing, with a heavy right hand and a habit of leaving space in a break. He and Amanda Smith began recording as a duo in the early 2000s, with Amanda singing lead and Kenny taking harmony and guitar. Their material draws on contemporary songwriters alongside traditional bluegrass, and the arrangements are usually spare, with the guitar carrying more of the load than banjo or fiddle. Amanda Smith has won the International Bluegrass Music Association's emerging artist recognition with the band.