Rising out of the Austin, Texas music scene, the Greyhounds, a duo comprising guitarist Andrew Trube and keyboardist Anthony Farrell, feature a unique sound that mixes R&B, soul, funk, and the Bakersfield country of Buck Owens into a style that has been described as “Hall & Oates meets ZZ Top,” and the duo’s exciting live shows have earned them a large and loyal fan following. The pair met in the late ’90s, and immediately began writing and playing together, placing tunes with artists like Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks while building up a songwriting catalog and gathering new fans with each show. The Greyhounds signed a three-album deal with a reconstituted Ardent Records (by this point officially called Ardent Music) and released Accumulator early in 2014. Two years later, the group released Change of Pace, a record that emphasized their soulful side.

Tomar Williams got his start singing lead on the Chitlin Circuit with his family band in the late 1980s. In 2015, after several decades as a music producer and side man, Tomar decided to return to his roots as a frontman. He was introduced to a local instrumental band, the FCs, and Tomar and the FCs was born.  The band have three recordings, “Day by Day”, “Heart Attack”, and the latest, “Rise Above”, released on Splice Records in 2020. They have toured all over the country and have performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, Old Settlers Music Festival, SXSW, and in 2022, Bonnaroo. At the 2023 Austin Music Awards, the band won best R&B act and Tomar was named best male vocalist.