Local group has firm foundation to grow from
by Sam Hastings
If you’ve seen the Steve Miller Band, Dwight Yoakam, Styx, The Black Crowes or The Marshall Tucker Band in Knoxville or surrounding cities, you’ve also seen The Sedonas, who have opened those shows and many more in recent years.
“I was wanting to accomplish that for sure,” songwriter and vocalist James Connor Wike said about the gas-guzzling effort that had to be put in to be able to play on those bills, some often one-off, and most, far away. “This year, we’re still aiming to do stuff like that, but, you know, headlining is something that we want to move towards as well.”
Right now, The Sedonas are preparing to play The Smokin’ Monkey Lounge at The Shed in Maryville for the venue’s indoor concert series, a show that Wike acknowledged as their first headlining gig since 2019. Wike said, “[It’s] been a long time since we’ve done anything just exclusively us.
“We’ve been opening for a lot of different folks, which is definitely really fun and really nice playing the big crowds, but we want to start getting some folks out for us too.”
This is the first time the band will play indoors at The Shed, as they have gotten to play the outdoor stage a couple of times — most notably as openers for Blackberry Smoke in 2023 and The Kentucky Headhunters in 2024. “I’m sure it’s gonna be a lot louder,” Wike said in comparison to the outdoor stage. “It’s gonna be a bit more intimate.”
On top of his duties leading the band on stage, Wike also leads behind-the-scenes with booking and managing, hard at work as the new year settles in. Wike said, “I’m emailing a lot of people, trying to get stuff locked in.
“I’m just getting everything situated for the rest of the year.”
The Sedonas have a big year ahead of them. Wike said that the group recorded “pretty much every show” while they were on the road last year. “We’re working on a live record.”
Wike said that they are getting it ready for release this year. “We’re working on mixing that right now. I would be really surprised if it doesn’t come out this year. It should definitely come out this year. [We’re] gonna get a single out soon and do something along those lines.”
Those going to the show on Friday should expect to hear some new songs. Wike said, “We should have at least a couple of them ready for The Shed.
“That’s usually how we work: we play all the songs live and get really used to them and then hit the studio. We try to keep it really, really organic and natural and not overdo it with production or toss or anything. I’m excited about that and seeing how people respond to it.”
The Sedonas’ show in The Smokin’ Monkey Lounge at The Shed is this Friday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m., with the doors opening at 7 p.m. It is free.
To stay up-to-date on everything The Sedonas are doing, head to thesedonas.com.
