Local Musical Acts You Should Know, Part II

John Scott of WQIK shares part II of his list of Jacksonville's musicians we should all know.

Lauren Elise – Fleming Island singer with a wonderful radio-friendly sound and veteran on-stage presence that belies her age.  Her song “Lonely Alone” is a national hit waiting to happen.

Back from the Brink – Jaw-droppingly great acoustic / bluegrass group who recently played Magnolia Fest at Suwannee. Chops for days, inventive confluence of styles and influences that make this band a must see.  

Leah Sykes – Sykes is the current Miss America’s Most Outstanding Teen. No, really. But don’t let her physical beauty distract you from her talent as a singer and songwriter. At 17, she’s only beginning, but she has already hit the fast track.





Be Easy – Aaron Grigsby is his name and he is arguably the most versatile singer in these parts. Effortlessly belting out John Fogerty as easy as he knocks out Bruno Mars, he and his pan-formatic bandmates have played as a trio or with a full group. Last I heard they were working on their debut album, but here’s a sample of their sound.

Jenni Reid – Reid already has an impressive resume’ in the few years she has been at this. She has appeared on the show One Tree Hill and has shared the stage with pop singers Tyler Hilton and Ryan Cabrera. Her 2nd album of original music was released earlier this year. Her self-described “edgy acoustic pop” is full of hummable emotion. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheJenniReid

Canary in the Coalmine – People in the radio business say that country music isn’t a format; it’s a family reunion, due to the age span of fans. The same can be said of this group, whose ages span, well a family reunion. But what a sound this “family” makes. No members are actually family, but their harmonies could sure fool you. With musical backgrounds ranging from classical to hardcore, this bunch meets on the common ground of folk music, with incredible results.  



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John Scott, teams with Robbie Rose and Toni Foxx weekday mornings on 99.1 WQIK’s Big Show. He is also the station’s music director and host of The New Show that spotlights local artists.