Winner of the 2026 MerleFest Band Contest, Pressley Laton is an independent alternative-country and roots-rock artist based in Boone, NC, whose music is shaped by Appalachian culture, small-town stories, and a lifelong love of outlaw country and rock and roll. She blends bold, soulful vocals with gritty music and unfiltered storytelling to create a hard-hitting sound that’s raw and real, which Terry Hudson of rBeatz Radio described as “Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Jo Dee Messina.” She and her band leave a lasting impression with high-energy performances that connect just as strongly at festivals as they do in intimate listening rooms.