meet the 2026 lake martin songwriter's FESTIVAL ARTISTS

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  Carvin Walls is a dynamic married country duo hailing from Nashville, TN. Composed of Kelly (Carvin) Walls, a spirited and vivacious Jersey native, and Troy Walls, an authentic country boy from West Virginia, the duo's musical journey began when they crossed paths at a songwriter night in Nashville. Their instant connection sparked a creative partnership, resulting in a repertoire of original songs that have garnered widespread acclaim with off-the-charts engagement on social media and hundreds of thousands of streams on platforms. Known for their captivating lyrics, infectious melodies, and seamless harmonies, Carvin Walls continues to make waves with viral songs including their song “Lucky Enough” with 15 million+ views across social media platforms. In 2024, Kelly signed with Porchlight Music as a staff writer, further solidifying their commitment to their craft and passion for storytelling.

    Nacogdoches, Texas singer-songwriter Terri Jo Box has spent the last 26 years as a forerunner in the Nashville music scene. Growing up writing poetry and singing in church, Box moved from East Texas to Music City in 1999. She wrote for MERF Music Group 2010-2016, and in 2019 became the flagship writer for Jonas Group Publishing. 

Box has earned placement on four GRAMMY-nominated albums including two cuts on Lainey Wilson’s ACM, CMA and GRAMMY Award-winning "Bell Bottom Country," Miranda Lambert’s 2018 ACM Album of the Year “The Weight of These Wings,” bluegrass group Sister Sadie’s "Sister Sadie II" and Ashley McBryde’s "Girl Going Nowhere," who also earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for her performance of “American Scandal” which Box co-wrote. 

As host/creator of the Music Row Freakshow writer's round since 2014, Box has also penned hits for Eric Church, Cody Johnson, Joe Nichols, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless and many more.

Craig Campbell has long been admired for his patience and persistence on the road less traveled. Known for blending classic-country roots with a modern edge, the Lyons, Georgia native has earned a reputation as one of Nashville’s most consistent—yet still under-the-radar—voices. 

After years of grinding as a demo singer and Broadway bandleader, Campbell broke through with hits including “Family Man,” “Fish,” and “Keep Them Kisses Comin’,” followed by the gold-certified, fan favorite “Outskirts of Heaven,” praised by outlets including Rolling Stone and Taste of Country. 

He has appeared on national broadcasts, performed at NFL events and the TODAY show, and made more than 60 Grand Ole Opry appearances. In 2020 he launched Grindstone Recordings, releasing a steady stream of new music, then expanded his catalog with 2023’s The Lost Filesdouble-album releases and 2024’s Class of 89 and Almost Greatest Hits. In 2025, Campbell set his sights back on country radio with the single “Missing You.” Offstage, he and his wife Mindy run the Grindstone Cowboy coffee shop and support emerging artists through the Grindstone brand.

  Lance Carpenter is a country storyteller from Ozark, Arkansas, who writes songs that make you want to fall in love, pray a little harder, and believe in something bigger. After moving to Nashville in 2011, he landed a publishing deal and two major cuts in just 18 months. He co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s first #1 hit, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” and released his own debut single “Anyone Else” with then label mate Krystal Keith in 2018 after signing a record deal with country superstar Toby Keith. 

A farm kid turned hitmaker, Lance has shared the stage with Toby Keith and Luke Bryan, and his songs have been recorded by Ballerini, Emerson Drive, The Gatlin Brothers, Dylan Scott, Tyler Farr, Richie McDonald, and Ben Fuller. His heart’s in the story, and the stories always feel real.

Relocating from the Northeast to Nashville in 1987, it took Mark Irwin four years to land his first cut - “Meet Me Under The Mistletoe” recorded by Randy Travis for his “Old Time Christmas” album. Soon after, Mark co-wrote Alan Jackson’s first number one hit “Here In The Real World” - a two time CMA Song of the Year nominee, ACM Song of the Year nominee and winner of the Music City News Award for Song of the Year in 1990. Mark co-wrote the Tyler Farr number one single “Redneck Crazy” and Tim McGraw's number one hit song “Highway Don’t Care”, featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. 

Mark also wrote Blake Shelton’s number one hit single, “Neon Light”. His most recent cuts include McGraw’s single “Looking For That Girl” and Chris Janson’s “Power of Positive Drinking.” Also, along with having songs on Jackson’s “DRIVE” CD and Garth Brooks’ “THE LOST SESSIONS”, Mark co-wrote the singles “Bama Breeze” for Jimmy Buffet and That’s How They Do It In Dixie” for Hank Williams Jr. He also had the song “Bet You Still Think About Me” on Shelton’s CD “If I’m Honest” and “Sleeping in the Stars” on Tim McGraw/Faith Hill's duets CD ‘The Rest Of Our Life.”

Over the years Mark has had cuts by Lee Brice, George Jones, Faith Hill, Thomas Rhett, Bomshel, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jessie James, Tracey Lawrence, Sammy Kershaw, Chely Wright, Patty Loveless, Highway 101, The Whites, Chris LeDoux, Bucky Covington, Glen Campbell, Neal McCoy, The Amazing Rhythm Aces and The Dirt Drifters, among others. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow also recorded one of Mark’s songs for her movie “Country Strong.”  Mark’s latest cuts have been recorded by Ben Gallaher and Lainey Wilson. He is prominently featured in the Bluebird Café documentary “Bluebird” 

SJ McDonald is a rising country artist from the rolling hills of Rockbridge Baths, Virginia, where she grew up working on her family farm and shaping a sound that blends grit, heart, and 90s-country nostalgia with modern storytelling. 

A first-place winner in American Songwriter’s Traditional Country category and the NASCAR Nashville Superspeedway Headlining Artist, she’s been featured in Billboard’s “Must Hear New Country Songs.”

A true farmer’s daughter, SJ cut her teeth on stages across the Southeast from a young age, fronting bands for years and playing over 75 shows annually. Her breakout single “Honky Tonk Pie” captures the grind of chasing a dream as a woman in country music, drawing from her years singing for tips on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. Whether in an intimate acoustic set or a full-band high-energy show, she delivers performances that leave a lasting impression.

She’s currently on tour with Emily Ann Roberts, John Anderson, and Cooper Alan, with her debut EP “Sweet At First” produced by Andy Sheridan released in December 2025, and new music released January 2026 with her punchy & fun single “You Say Vegas”. SJ McDonald is carving her own lane in contemporary country — bringing authentic stories, blue-collar charm, and a bold new energy to a new generation of listeners.

Maxwell Sadler writes songs in search of understanding, pairing a reserved wit with elegant, arresting storytelling. Known for quieting even the rowdiest Nashville barrooms with a single song, he performs with a calm intensity that draws listeners in. A lifelong musician, Sadler grew up listening to his father’s piano and spending Saturdays at Mark’s Guitar Shop in Spokane, where he unknowingly tuned guitars later bought by his heroes - Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Myles Kennedy. By high school, he was recording two albums and opening for Allen Stone with his band, Late for the Parade. Chasing a career in music, he moved to Nashville to study under Grammy‑nominated songwriter Thomm Jutz at Belmont University. There, he launched “Maxwell & The Shakes,” winning Belmont’s 2023 Country/Americana Showcase and Best of the Best, debuting at the Bluebird Café, and earning radio play across the Pacific Northwest. Now 25, Sadler writes and performs his own music while also playing for artists like Troubadour Blue, Josiah Queen, and Catie Offerman — with whom he has opened for Parker McCollum, Ian Munsick, Ashley McBryde, and even George Strait. From makeshift stages to the Grand Ole Opry, he’s gathered a lifetime of stories, often told with the grin of someone who knows he got away with something. He continues to chase songs that might change just one mind — a treasure he considers worth more than gold.

 CMA, ACM & Grammy nominee and Dove Award winner, Bobby Tomberlin, was raised in Luverne, Alabama, where he was a disc jockey at the age of 11, interviewing icons like Johnny Cash, Waylon and Keith Whitley. Bobby just celebrated his 30th anniversary with CURB Publishing. He co-wrote the #1 Country and Crossover Pop hit, "One More Day", recorded by Diamond Rio, Darryl Worley’s Top 10 hit, "A Good Day To Run” and the 2023 Grammy nominated Dolly Parton/Bill Anderson single, “Someday It’ll All Make Sense”. Bobby has also had songs recorded by Blake Shelton, Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand, Faith Hill, Josh Turner, Kenny Rogers, Uncle Kracker, Joe Nichols, Vince Gill, Rodney Atkins, Joe Diffie, The Issacs, Pam Tillis, Mo Pitney, Jamey Johnson, Cory Asbury, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chris Young, The Oak Ridge Boys, Deana Carter, Craig Morgan, Lee Greenwood, Terri Clark, Neal McCoy and others. He was a cast member of the CMT hit series, The Singing Bee, and has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Country’s Family Reunion and Opry Backstage. Bobby has also been featured in several films including Wheeler. His project, Out Of Road, features guest vocals by Vince Gill, Bill Anderson and Bobby Bare and his new memoir, I’ve Lived Country Music is in the Top 10 on Amazon’s Country Music book ranking. 

  You don’t have to be around Karyn Williams long before one word rises to the surface: real. Her faith runs deep, her joy is contagious, and her heart shines through everything she does—from the stage to everyday life.

Named one of Billboard Magazine’s “Best Bets” in Christian music, Karyn has spent over a decade touring with artists like Michael W. Smith, We The Kingdom, Natalie Grant, Big Daddy Weave, Mandisa, Third Day, Chonda Pierce, and Steven Curtis Chapman. She is a #1 songwriter, nine-time marathon finisher, and bestselling author with a passion for encouraging others in every season of life. The eldest daughter of Pat Williams, longtime NBA executive and Orlando Magic founder, Karyn comes from a diverse family of 19 children—14 adopted from around the world. She has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, Fox & Friends, Good Morning America Radio, and in many Christian films. When she’s not on the road, Karyn is pouring into women as a health and fitness coach through Faithful + Fit, helping them step confidently into the healthiest version of themselves. Karyn lives in Nashville with her husband, award-winning songwriter and producer Brian White.