After a few years on hiatus, Hank Sinatra—the high-octane rock-n-roll racehorse of the North Carolina music scene—is officially back in the stable and ready to run. The band has announced an upcoming performance in Chapel Hill, marking a bold new chapter featuring a refreshed lineup of Triangle music veterans and a gritty, reinvigorated sound.
Known as pillars of the “twang-core” scene, Hank Sinatra has spent years blending hard Southern rock with a signature double shot of sarcasm. This return to the stage isn’t just a reunion; it’s a rebirth. With a brand-new collaborations alongside such artists as Lenny Kaye and Tan and Sober Gentlemen, the band is set to debut music that fuses their classic edge with an exciting new energy.
“There’s a different kind of fire in the room with this lineup,” says founding member Jeff Holshouser. “We’ve taken the time to sharpen the sound, and we’re ready to bring that electricity back to the fans who have been waiting.”
Based in Central Virginia and with family roots in South Texas, Ramona and the Holy Smokes represent a new generation of honky tonk music. With powerful female vocals that cover an emotional range from determined to comic to vulnerable, and a talented backing band steeped in classic country and western styles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the band exhibits a “clarity and sincerity that bring Patsy Cline to mind” (Nashville Scene, 2025). Fronted by Ramona Martinez, whose songwriting has earned her recognition from Wide Open Country as one of the “15 Latino Artists Shaping Country Music,” this Charlottesville, Virginia-based band is rooted in the traditional sounds of country music but unafraid of pushing boundaries and highlighting the connections across border cultures. They have appeared at several Americana festivals including Red Wing Roots (2024), Rooster Walk (2025), and Bristol Rhythm & Roots (2025), and has opened for touring artists like Margo Cilker, Colby Acuff, Willi Carlisle, Redd Volkaert, Joshua Hedley, Donna the Buffalo, and Kashus Culpepper. Their self-produced debut album, Ramona and the Holy Smokes, a collection of original songs about heartache and resiliency, was released on September 26.
Charles Latham is a singular voice in the North Carolina music scene — a bold and imaginative songwriter whose sharp wit, emotional depth, and magnetic performances have earned him comparisons to legends like Bob Dylan, John Prine, and Robyn Hitchcock. After years of crisscrossing the U.S. and U.K., Latham put down roots in Durham, NC, in 2014. His 2017 album, Little Me Time, highlighted his talent for pairing razor-sharp lyrics with compelling melodies and expansive production. To bring his songs to life on stage, Latham formed The Borrowed Band, an ensemble of some of the region’s most respected musicians, including former members of Ben Folds Five, Shooter Jennings, and 6 String Drag. Together, they deliver a captivating blend of ballads and barnstormers, drawing on the chemistry of vintage duets like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris while adding a modern twist.
