OXFORD – This Thursday, at 7:30 p.m., 6 On The Square (6OTS) is proud to kick-off its Emerging Artists Series with Tumbleweed Highway. This six-member group, the product of a few popular local bands, is making a new name for itself with their alt-country sound. They have been gathering stories and experiences from touring the Americana scene in Upstate New York over the past decade and now they’re singing out!

Rising from the ashes of bands such as Panhandle, Fetish Lane and the Tim Heron Corporation, Tumbleweed Highway (TW HWY) blends together the influences of all their previous families, and infuses in new sounds, pulling from the depths of their creativity.

With a strong acoustic root to the band, their style is unmistakably derived from the likes of John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett and Gram Parsons. Their alt-country instrumentation is accompanied by what they dub as “whiskey-in-oak” harmonies, those well rehearsed, tight five-part vocals with a gravelly soft nuance. At times you hear the resonance of vocal groups like Poco but with raw talent of The Avett Brothers and The Zak Brown Band.

The members of Tumbleweed Highway are: Nate Gross, Nick Andrews, Keith Radke, Brian O’Connel, Pat Strain, and Ben Gross. They’ve have shared the stage with legends such as Arlo Guthrie, Steve Earle, Donna the Buffalo, and the Marshall Tucker Band to name a few. Together as TW HWY, they’ve been in many music festivals such as the Oxford Americana Music Festival, Colorscape Arts & Music Festival, Chenango Summer Jam, and on many stages such as the Hard Rock Live, The Oneonta Theater, and many more. From now and into 2013, TW HWY will be on the Road promoting their newest release “Where do we go from here?”

Eric Larsen, Chenango Blues Society President/Founder said, “Tumbleweed Highway is a great regional band that has everything you are looking for in a performance: good songs played by good musicians with a good attitude. They are easy to work with, helpful and audiences love them.”

Tickets are $5 online (plus a $2 ticket service charge) or – if available – at the door. Ticket price for students, under age 18, are always $2; call to make a student reservation. Doors open one-hour prior to show time. For further information, call 843-OTS6 (6876) or visit www.6onthesquare.org.

Also, don’t miss these future performances: Drew Nelson on Oct. 6; and the Grand Slambovians on Oct. 12, all at 7:30 p.m. Doors open one-hour before show time. Visit the website for tickets and future event information.

While at 6OTS – or before the show – be sure to view the seascape, landscape and skyscape paintings by Joni Eaton, which will be on exhibit at 6OTS through Nov. 4.

6 On The Square, Inc., a not-for-profit, volunteer-based, community music and arts venue, is located at 6 LaFayette Park in downtown Oxford.