Craig Bickhardt & Jesse Terry – A Night of Song and Story Swapping from Two Masterful Singer-Songwriters Blending Folk, Rock, and Country Influences

A Night of Song and Story Swapping from Two Masterful Singer-Songwriters, Craig Bickhardt and Jesse Terry!

Join us for an extraordinary evening as Craig Bickhardt and Jesse Terry take the stage for a Song and Story Swap at Godfrey Daniels on Friday, April 11 at 8PM. These two celebrated singer-songwriters bring a wealth of experience, weaving together captivating melodies and rich storytelling drawn from their remarkable careers. Craig Bickhardt, known for his heartfelt songwriting and virtuosic guitar work, has written for legends like Johnny Cash and Alison Krauss. Jesse Terry, a road-seasoned troubadour with a gift for both introspective ballads and rousing anthems, continues to win audiences with his warm vocals and evocative lyrics. Set in our intimate listening room, this show promises an unforgettable night where music and stories come to life. 

CRAIG BICKHARDT
facebook.com/CraigBickhardt

Craig Bickhardt is a masterful singer-songwriter whose music is steeped in vivid storytelling, heartfelt emotion, and hard-earned wisdom. From his early days in Philadelphia’s bustling club scene to fronting the country-rock band Wire and Wood, his journey has taken him from the East Coast to Los Angeles and Nashville, shaping a career rich in experience. His ability to craft songs with depth and sincerity has led to recordings by legends like Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, The Judds, and Alison Krauss, cementing his place as a respected voice in American music.

Blending folk, blues, and country influences, Craig’s intricate guitar work and poetic lyrics reflect the profound and the everyday. Whether exploring love, longing, or life’s simple moments, his songs carry a timeless quality, reminiscent of troubadours like Gordon Lightfoot and Paul Simon. His music isn’t just for listening—it’s meant to be lived in, resonating with audiences who find pieces of their own stories in his melodies.

A seasoned performer, Craig’s live shows are as engaging as his songwriting. With a mix of humor, personal anecdotes, and powerful songs, he creates an intimate experience that draws listeners in. His performances have taken him from Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café to opening for icons like Judy Collins and Kathy Mattea. Each show is a testament to his belief that music should move people, making them laugh, reflect, and feel deeply.

Returning to his Pennsylvania roots, Craig has embraced his role as a solo artist, delivering songs with the warmth and wisdom of a storyteller who has lived every note. “I think people come to my shows to be reminded that there’s something profound in the small stuff we experience every day,” he says. With every performance, he invites audiences to see the beauty in life’s details, sharing songs that linger long after the last chord fades.

JESSE TERRY, Arcadia Album
jesseterrymusic.com

Rooted in rhythmic rock & roll and sharp songwriting, Arcadia marks a turning point in Jesse Terry's career. It's the seventh original album from an award-winning musician who's spent much of the past decade on the move, playing 150 shows annually, bouncing between solo performances and full-band gigs. Arcadia captures both sides of that musical personality, finding room for amplified anthems one moment and intimate moments the next, showcasing just how wide Terry's reach can be. 

"There are so many different parts to all of us," he explains. "For me, I have the husband part, the father part, the songwriting part, the touring part… and I like embracing all those different sides with my music, too. I listen to just as much Tom Petty as I listen to James Taylor. As much acoustic Neil Young as electric Neil Young. There's a rock & roll side of me that's been waiting in the wings for some time now, and this is the first album to capture that side and present me as a whole artist."

Arcadia is layered with dueling electric guitars, stacked vocal harmonies, and heartland hooks, all supplied by instrumentalists like Ethan Ballinger (Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack), Ross McReynolds (Katie Pruitt, Becca Mancari), Sam Howard (Molly Tuttle, Joy Williams), Juan Solorzano (Ruston Kelly, Parker Millsap), and Danny Mitchell (Rodney Crowell, Anderson East). It's a big, bold sound — the sort of record that begs to be played in the car, windows rolled down, driving down the fast lane toward some new horizon. At the center of that sound is the craft Terry has been sharpening since his years in Nashville, back when he composed songs for others as a staff writer on Music Row. A grand-prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Terry established himself as a top-shelf songwriter and storyteller even before he built his audience as a solo artist, landing performances at bucket-list events like Bonnaroo and AmericanaFest along the way. Nearly a dozen albums later, Arcadia captures him at his articulate, energetic peak.

"I started to look at my journey and career path in a different light," he says, thinking back to the years that inspired Arcadia's creation. It was a time of change and challenge. He'd recently become a father for the second time, but a genetic disorder threatened his son's health, resulting in a year's worth of doctor's appointments and medical tests. Meanwhile, he'd grown exhausted by the concept of "content creation" — the need to constantly market himself to the digital world — and he chose to take a step back, focusing his priorities on family, music, and his own mental health instead. "I unsubscribed from most music business newsletters and, instead, focused on reading great literature," he remembers. Newly inspired, he left town for a series of immersive songwriting retreats, spending his weekends in isolated cabins or quiet rooms at friends' homes, dedicating himself to music for 14 unbroken hours a day. He also teamed up with co-writer and longtime mentor Craig Bickhardt, the man behind songs for legends like Ray Charles, The Judds, and The Highwaymen. Bickhardt pushed Terry to reach even deeper, and the result is an album that's both personal and universal, stocked with songs that turn details from Terry's own life — the joy of fatherhood, the anxiety of protecting a sick child, the nostalgic reflection upon his own childhood — into rallying cries for anyone looking to turn the challenges of the past into fuel for a better, brighter present.

"I don’t enjoy writing songs that wallow in the past," he explains. "I'm really excited about songs that reveal the truth and help us process complex emotions and situations. Songs like 'Poison Arrow,' 'Gunpowder Days,' and 'Waiting Out The Hurricane' dig deep into my childhood and have helped me process various traumas so I can move forward. Sometimes, songs express the person you wish to be, not the person you are."

And who, exactly, is Jesse Terry? On "Burn The Boats," he's a man caught between heartache and personal transition, his gorgeous vocals sharing the spotlight with jangling guitars. On the Springsteen-worthy title track, he finds his own "Arcadia" — a creative utopia, named after the historical region in Greece but imbued with mythic qualities — in the songwriting process itself. And throughout the album, he pulls triple-duty as singer, songwriter, and co-producer (a role he shares with Dylan Alldredge), crafting a record that's as distinctive as it is diverse.

"I'm more obsessed with music than ever before," he says. "I love the idea of bringing something beautiful into the world."

 Beautiful, indeed. With Arcadia, Jesse Terry reaches a new peak.