Old Soul brings artists together for a night of music

W.B. Walker’s Old Soul Radio Show will bring 10 country artists to the V-Club Saturday night, headlined by regional performer Tyler Childers.

Justin Payne will perform live as the second act of the night, bringing forth true stories from his album “No Place Lower Than High.”

“The little stories and stuff, some of them might be shameful to say but that’s the truth,” Payne said.

Payne said he made quick friends with W.B. Walker after releasing a benefit song called “Miner Soul,” the proceeds of which were used to support the families of the victims of the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.

Payne, from Nellis, West Virginia, said although he plays in Huntington occasionally, his most recent shows nearby have been with The Horse Traders.

“Me and Tyler, we’ve got the distinct pleasure, I guess you can say, of being the only ones that can say they’re on bill every year,” Payne said.

Payne said the autobiographical style he uses is comparable to the late Merle Haggard, whose influence will inevitably be showcased within the 10 artist lineup.

Payne will gain another chance to play with Huntington locals The Horse Traders, who will help wrap up the first hour of performances before Josh Nolan takes the stage.

“We like to get out and trade our music around with other people,” Brandon Mooney, member of The Horse Traders said. “So, the idea of playing a show with three bands you’ve never played with before, it kind of hearkens back to the idea of sitting around the fire like that trading stories or trading livestock. We trade our stories in the form of song.”

The Horse Traders are currently working on an untitled EP for this year, anticipating release in late May.

“We kind of tossed around naming it ‘Jewel City,’” Mooney said. “But all of that is kind of still up in the air.”

Tyler Childers will be wrapping up the night around 1 a.m. after Canadian musician Colter Wall takes the V-Club stage for the first time.

Childers, well known among the artist lineup, will be absent from the Huntington scene for some time in order to tour across the U.S. amid growing attention for his brand of music.

“We won’t get to see our buddy for a while after this one,” Mooney said.

Ryan Fischer can be contacted at [email protected].