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Willow Avalon: The Southern Belle’s Hometown Return

Credit: Katherine Goguen

Closing out January with a television debut performance of the single “Homewrecker” on “The Late Night Show” with Stephen Colbert following the release of her Atlantic Records debut album Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell, contemporary country singer-songwriter Willow Avalon’s next stop this week is the 40 Watt Club. She’ll be dropping in to her honorary hometown along an international tour celebrating the album’s release.

Gathering powerful momentum in the country music world, Avalon was recently named a 2025 Artist to Watch by The Tennessean and Holler. Living in New York City with rural Georgia roots has contributed to Avalon’s blend of Americana, folk and classic country with notable pop and rock influences. However, Avalon’s main inspiration comes from her own personal stories.

In an interview with country music magazine Holler, Avalon describes her debut album as a “cohesive culmination of my life, my history, my family’s history, me growing up, my relationships.” It opens with the intro track “Runs in the Family” featuring the voices of her grandmother and great-aunt, welcoming listeners into the small town world still beating in her heart.

“I was raised by incredible Southern women and my papa, who is a one-of-a-kind storyteller and folk singer. I was surrounded by the Southern gothic lifestyle and imagery from childhood, and that hasn’t left me to this day,” says Avalon. “Despite me traveling more that I thought a human ever could, I still hold on to my Southern roots every day, whether that’s making my grits in the morning in my Manhattan apartment or putting on my mama’s cowboy boots and a vintage hand-of-cards belt buckle my papa got me from the J&J Flea Market. I hold my home and my roots close to my heart, and I love being reminded of it everyday with those tokens of the South I keep on me at all times.”

Katherine Goguen

Daughter of Winterville musician, artist and author Jim White, Avalon explains that Athens is a huge part of her story. Avalon even starred in the locally produced feature film Ragged Heart, playing the part of a legendary Athens guitarist’s estranged musician daughter. White played a fictionalized version of himself, along with other locals who all share notable credentials. The fame of Athens’ music scene is far-reaching, inspiring many up-and-coming creatives.

“I grew up in Carlton about 30 minutes outside of the city; it’s a small 200-population town where there wasn’t much to do. I would get giddy about the idea of going into town for something because I love Athens and its music history so much,” says Avalon. “I’ve grown up listening to artists coming out of Athens, and I think there truly is something in the water that makes such incredible art come out of Athens.”

Turning to songwriting as a means of escape from an early age, Avalon’s tumultuous youth was a path of navigating trauma and mental health, leaving home in her mid-teenage years, then finally setting off for California after a period of sleeping in her car and couch surfing. The cover art of Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell, which is a real mugshot, proves to be another example of Avalon taking what life throws at her and turning it into creative gold.

During a trip home to Georgia, the rising country star was barrelling toward Savannah planning to surprise her mother for her birthday. As blue lights flashed her down, a perhaps rightful speeding ticket turned into a wrongful arrest for a warrant that Avalon wasn’t even aware of. The DMV database pulled up a decade-old ticket written outside of Atlanta with a failure to appear in court attached. Instead of showing up on her mother’s doorstep, Avalon ended up wishing her a happy birthday from jail, reporting her arrest—and obtaining a killer mugshot, which she says even the person behind the camera said, “Damn, that’s a good one,” under his breath.

Taking it in stride, Avalon’s cheeky sass that pulled her through her arrest can be felt in tracks like “Something We Regret.” Powering through with resilience and dedication to her art, Avalon’s Athens homecoming for her debut album is a full circle moment.

“I remember playing with my [Nuçi’s Space] Camp Amped band opening for The Drive-By Truckers at the 40 Watt when I was 12. I remember touching the grasping hands in front of me after we finished our opening set and just thinking how amazing it is that music hits people so hard in the heart and that I had the ability to make people feel something with my music, whether that was sadness or happiness, that was a really powerful discovery,” says Avalon.

Now headlining the iconic 40 Watt, Avalon will be joined on Thursday, Feb. 6 by local cosmic country band The Pink Stones, who are currently wrapping up recording their third album release, and Nashville-based Zandi Holup.

WHO: Willow Avalon, The Pink Stones, Zandi Holup
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m. (doors)
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
HOW MUCH: $19.99 (adv.), $25

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