Roaring out of Knoxville, Tenn., in 2009, this award-winning, Americana-styled, country-flavored, sweetrockin’ band hit the road hard, including shows at Bonnaroo, Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry and Four Corners Folk Festival. From the first record produced in his living room, founding member Cruz Contreras, the main songwriter and studio producer of the group, has kept The Black Lillies blooming with the support of his bandmates. An amicable leaving of two original Lillies during a successful PledgeMusic drive caused the group to reconfigure, but not to slow down or stumble. They effortlessly turned over producing reins to Ryan Hewitt to create 2015’s Hard to Please, a record of songs Cruz penned while being holed up in Knoxville during a winter storm. Charting well in the good places, the album propelled band members Conteras, percussionist Bowman Townsend and lead vocalist Trisha Gene Brady plus touring mates Mike Seal, Sam Quinn and Jonathan Keeney into a swirl of touring, charting, selling and doing well while making music. Long may they bloom.