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Stetson Presents: Parker Twomey

STETSON PRESENTS: PARKER TWOMEY

Talking songcraft, style, and Stetsons with the up-and-coming Dallas singer-songwriter. Plus: an exclusive performance of his new single

By Andrew Paine Bradbury
Photography & Video by Steven Visneau

Twenty-one-year-old Parker Twomey has a preternatural gift for crafting wise, worn tunes of innocence, grounded in experience beyond his years. His introduction to music began as a child with a guitar from his dad, and piano lessons from his grandmother and by his early teens, he was writing his own songs. Soon after graduating from Dallas’s arts-focused Booker T. Washington High School, Twomey hit the road, playing iconic venues like Colorado’s Red Rocks amphitheater and The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Twomey is described as equal parts country-folk songwriter and “Americana road warrior” who makes “timeless music for the modern world.” Currently on tour backing up country musician Paul Cauthen, Twomey is preparing for the release of his debut album. We recently caught up with him at Modern Electric Sound Recorders in Dallas, where he also gave us an exclusive performance of his new single “Counting Down The Days.”

You’re young, yet there’s a maturity to your writing. Have you always expressed yourself creatively and musically?

I was born an old soul. It was obvious to those around me when I was growing up. I started playing music and writing songs when I was ten and knew immediately that it was my calling. My dad taught guitar, and I learned piano by ear around the same time, watching my Grandma. Once I started playing, I never looked back.

What’s the inspiration behind “Counting Down The Days”?

Counting Down The Days is an ode to the patience of love and embracing all it means to be young, wild, and free. It’s about putting our faith in the universe, God, or whatever you believe in, trusting that it’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to.

 

You have great covers on your YouTube channel; songs by Elliott Smith, Jason Isbell, and others. What draws you to cover a song? Are there any covers you like to play by yourself, but you never play for anyone besides your closest friends?

[Smith] introduced me to the depths of emotion, and Isbell introduced me to the depths of writing songs. Both melodic kings. Over the COVID lockdown, I had a lot of time on my hands. So I figured I’d record a few videos of me covering some of my favorites. Sometimes I’ll sing a Lorde song at the house when I’m just kicking it. I think she’s great.

Tell us about the sounds and the songs on your new album “All this Life.” In terms of vibe, it’s not strictly “country.”

[It] definitely has folk-country roots. It’s very celestial at times, melodic and lyrical. My favorite songwriters obsess over their craft. I’ve taught myself a lot, trying to match that energy and obsession. But so much of writing is your experience and imagination, and it’s all unique to you.

PARKER WEARS THE EVILLA DE ORO STRAW COWBOY HAT AT CHIEF RECORDS IN DALLAS, TX.

Your own experiences are documented on your Instagram feed, which is pinnacle Texas Country Cowboy Troubadour Livin’: Honky tonks, cold ones, and camping under the stars. It also showcases your sense of style—jeans, denims shirts, and more than a few cowboy hats. And you mix it up with a little ‘70s rockstar flair. Has this always been your vibe?

I love tour life. I’ve experienced so much in the last few years. It’s been a wild ride so far. And I always love a night under the stars when time allows.

How would you describe your personal style and aesthetic?

I’m big on Stetson hats, denim, V-necks, trucker hats, and turquoise. Typically, I’d choose vintage over new, but cool clothes are still made today. Who knows…? Maybe one day I’ll launch a clothing company.

What is your history with Stetson as a brand?

Stetson’s have always been around in my life. There’s not a lot of things that are as classic as them. I gravitate towards hats with a slightly lighter bend than a taco shell. I also really like the “Jameson” hat series. Style’s purpose is to highlight sides of our personality we want to project to the world, and I’ve always felt that Stetson suits my personality well.

Listen to Parker Twomey’s latest song “Counting Down The Days”, catch him on the road with Paul Cauthen this Summer, or follow him on Instagram here.

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Abraham Alexander: Building Bridges

ABRAHAM ALEXANDER:
BUILDING BRIDGES

FROM GREECE TO TEXAS, BLENDING CULTURES & GENRES IN THE LONE STAR STATE

By Andrew Paine Bradbury
Photography by Rambo

ABRAHAM ALEXANDER AT HIS FAMILY’S RANCH IN TEXAS.

Driving from Fort Worth to Dallas, singer/guitarist Abraham Alexander sounds every bit like the laid-back Texan you’d expect, though his origins are a bit more exotic.

“I was born in Athens, Greece,” he says, “but I didn’t have an identity in Europe because I don’t look like a typical Greek person. My parents were immigrants from Nigeria, but I wasn’t essentially close to that culture. So, I was in this limbo. But Texas truly gave me a space to discover myself. I owe a lot to Texas.”

He’s giving back by adding to the state’s rich musical legacy. And it all kind of happened by accident.

Alexander played soccer at Texas Wesleyan until an ACL injury closed the door on his athletic career. His window to music opened when his ex-girlfriend dropped off a guitar for him to pass the time. Like many self-taught guitarists, he developed a style all his own, taking elements of blues, soul, and folk and phasing them through the lens of hip-hop and modern R&B. He cites a high school bus trip hearing Kanye West’s Late Registration as his first musical influence and being struck by the blend of old R&B and new sounds. “And then when I started playing guitar,” he says, “and seeing YouTube videos of Gary Clark Jr. playing blues in such a fresh way…I became a student.”

ABRAHAM ALEXANDER WEARS THE STETSON OPEN ROAD ROYAL DELUXE IN COGNAC.

“Between cultures, races, and musical styles, I want my life to be a bridge.”

ABRAHAM ALEXANDER WEARS THE STETSON SHASTA 10X IN SILVERBELLY.

A chance meeting with Leon Bridges’ producers led to him singing harmonies on Bridges’ soul banger “Coming Home,” which led to a tight friendship between the two. Since then, Alexander has released his EP, has a debut LP on the way, and has collected rock-and-roll passport stamps performing and recording at legendary spots like Red Rocks, the Ryman Auditorium, and Abbey Road Studios. All while looking, and this is being objective here, incredibly stylish. But like with most things about Alexander, there’s much more to his style below the surface.

“As a way to bypass racism and prejudice, my parents always dressed us very well from a young age,” he says. “So that was always on my mind, that I was sharp and presentable.” Like in his music, his looks combine vintage and contemporary elements…and he’s always on the lookout for a statement piece. “One of the best ways I can do that is with a hat. And when I think about the history and culture of hats for African-Americans and what that meant for Black people trying to present themselves…for them wearing a hat was heavy. Really heavy. And I know there were people in front of me who opened the door, and I want to honor that,” he says, “and open the door for the person behind me.”

Still relatively new in his career, Alexander is still amazed to see fans connect to his music, but he knows it’s exactly what he wants to be doing. “Between cultures, races, and musical styles, I want my life to be a bridge,” he says.

Catch Abraham Alexander on the road with Ani DiFranco this summer and follow him on Instagram and Spotify.

Andrew Paine Bradbury is a writer and musician based in New York City.

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In their Element

IN THEIR ELEMENT

Riding shotgun with three vintage Land Rovers
(and a few well-chosen Stetsons) in the backwoods of Vermont

Written by Jayme Moye
Photography by Maaike Bernstrom
Video by Ian Deveau

There are vintage 4x4s—and then there are vintage Land Rovers. The iconic British brand (now owned by the India-based Tata Motors) has been venturing off-road since 1948, and proud owners go to great lengths to keep them operating as long as possible. It’s not uncommon to see a Landy do what a Landy does best—in the jungle, in the desert, or straight through a stream—even after multiple decades of use (and abuse).

Stetson hats lined up on vintage Land Rover.

COLLECTION OF STETSON OUTDOOR HATS ON THE HOOD OF THE SERIES 88 LAND ROVER. PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: EXPLORER, STARGAZER, BOZEMAN, GALLATIN, KELSO, DUNE 5X.

“They’re often broken, but almost never broken down”

“I have people call up who have had the same Rover Series vehicle for 40 years. And they’ve been driving it that long as well—which is insane,” says Zack Griswold of Vermont parts purveyor Rovers North. “I think it’s because they have so much personality. They’re quirky, just like people, and they grow on you.”

4x4 action photography

Griswold would know. He drives a 300Tdi swapped 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 and works for Rovers North, America’s closest thing to a Land Rover dynasty. The Vermont-based, family-owned business has been supplying Land Rover parts and accessories since 1979 and has a unique relationship with Land Rover in that they deal directly with the mother ship in the UK. Everyone else in the U.S. must go through the dealer network.

Land Rover crossing mountain stream.

Rovers aren’t just vehicles—they’re drivers of culture, with an archipelago of clubs, publications (including Rovers Magazine), and events all over the U.S., like the legendary Winter Romp in Maine.

“It’s in February when it’s knee-deep snow, and people are out there off-roading for like four days in anything from mid-30s to negative 20 degrees,” Griswold says.

Aiming for a slightly less…intense experience, we recently followed along with Griswold and a couple of his friends—plus a few backwoods-appropriate Stetsons—on a weekend jaunt through the hills of Vermont.

4x4 action photography

ZACK GRISWOLD WEARS THE STETSON RACING CAP, WHILE HOOKING UP A TOW ROPE BETWEEN THE 1972 SERIES III AND HIS 110 DEFENDER.

As you’ll see from the video below, fun was had, mud was kicked up, and, yes, a rear differential was blown on the 1972 Series III. But that’s just part of the fun, Griswold says. A vintage Rover is “often broken, but almost never broken down.” It was a relatively simple fix to removing the shafts, and the rig was able to get home in 2WD under its own power.

Three vintage Land Rovers.

Griswold even goes so far as to put a sustainability spin on his vehicle of choice. “The most eco-friendly car you can get is the one you’re already driving,” he says, “because putting a new vehicle on the road is way worse than keeping yours running.”

Regardless of where you come down on that argument, one thing is certain:

These trucks will be on the road

(and off it) for many years to come.

Stetson trucker cap.

Man wearing Stetson felt hat.

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Mother-daughter duo behind some of America’s best Wagyu beef

MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO BEHIND SOME OF AMERICA’S BEST WAGYU BEEF

Continuing the family tradition at
Skagit River Ranch

By Jayme Moye
Photography by Sara Forrest

In verdant northwest Washington, down a rural road named “Utopia,” hundreds of cattle graze in a riverside pasture. Hogs happily snort around in the sod near a historic wooden barn, free-range chickens cluck and coo. Just beyond, a densely forested hillside rises to touch a cerulean blue sky. Welcome to Skagit River Ranch, a landmark organic farm owned and operated by Nicole Hoffman and her mother, Eiko Vojkovich.

Nicole & Eiko portrait

“Running a business together with my mom is incredibly special…we have a strong bond that unites us.”

Together, the mother-daughter team runs Skagit River Ranch according to its founding principles: organic production, humane treatment of animals, and sustainability. Their organic meats, particularly the 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef, are highly sought after and sold to notable farm-to-table restaurants like Restaurant Marché on Bainbridge Island, retailers including Seattle’s premier organic grocer PCC, and local farmers’ markets including Ballard and the University District Seattle, as well direct to local families.

Vintage photo of mother and child

“I wholeheartedly believe in what we do and how we do it,” Nicole says. “Not many people get to say they are truly proud of what they do every day.”

Nicole was a toddler when her parents started Skagit River Ranch 25 years ago. They achieved organic certification from the USDA in 1998 and were, for a time, Washington’s only certified organic beef producer. Since then, the farm has received numerous awards from Skagit Conservation District for its soil, water, and environmental conservation.

Nicole enjoyed growing up on the farm and partaking in the bounty of healthy, organic meat and vegetables from the family garden but wasn’t initially interested in the family business. Instead, she studied political science at the University of Washington in Seattle, intending to work in the field of national security. By the end of her degree, Nicole felt differently.

“I didn’t like the city as much as I thought I did,” she says, “And being in college, you realize that not everyone eats the way you do—I was passionate about food much more than I thought I was.”

Mother-daughter

In 2019, when her father had to retire due to health reasons, Nicole stepped into his shoes as Operations Manager. Nicole’s mother continued in her role managing the business side of things. At 65 years old, Eiko says she loves the work and will keep doing it as long as she can. “I consider myself very blessed to be able to do this with my very own daughter,” she says.

Portrait of Nicole

This spring, Nicole and her husband sold their home in the nearby town of Sedro-Woolley and moved to a home on the farm about a mile from her parents’ place. She’s pregnant with the couple’s first child and can’t think of a better place to raise him than at Skagit River Ranch.

Stetson hat

Stetson hat

Stetson hat

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Art & Memories with painter Shane Miller

ART & MEMORIES WITH
PAINTER SHANE MILLER

By Jayme Moye

Photography by Brent Whaley

Nashville-based artist Shane Miller paints landscapes the way they appear in human memory, in fleeting thoughts, or in the recollection of dreams. On his canvas there’s a focal point, but then the opening in the forest, or the bend in the stream, begins to blur and fade. “I feel like that’s how a lot of memories and dreams are,” Miller says. “There’s always one little part that’s in focus, but everything else you can’t really grasp.”



Shane wears the Dune 5X Gun Club Hat in Silverbelly.

“A lot of people will say they bought it because it reminds them of home, or a particular memory.”

Miller, 30, grew up in western Maryland, in the foothills of the Appalachians. His mom homeschooled him for most of his education. He started drawing in early childhood and painting in high school, although playing guitar was his greatest passion. Miller moved to Nashville a couple of years after graduating college, lured by close friends living there and by the music and art scene. He soon got a gig playing guitar for a country music artist, which left his daytime hours open for painting. And once Miller started doing it regularly, he couldn’t stop.

“You know that Picasso quote?” he says, “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.’ It’s really applicable to me. The act of painting, of producing these works, is what keeps me feeling good.”

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While he still enjoys making music, in 2017, Miller officially traded the guitar for the paintbrush as his full-time job. Now, after five years of proving he can earn a living from his landscape painting, Miller’s turning his attention to the pursuit of mastery. “I think it’s important to always try to push yourself to be better,” he says. “I’m hoping to achieve a higher level of discipline with my craft and to keep understanding my painting more and more.”

For Miller, the dream appears to be very much within his grasp.

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Dorset Maple Reserve

Dorset Maple Reserve:

The secret to world-class maple syrup and a better quality of life

By Steve Schwartz

Photography by Maaike Bernstrom

In the Green Mountains of Vermont, the transition from winter to spring means one thing: sugaring season, when the trees are tapped, the sap is boiled, and turned into some of the finest maple syrup in the world.

On a 500-acre piece of land in southern Vermont, Austin Felis II and Lauren Felis are drawing their life and passion from the land, quite literally. As the husband-and-wife owners of Dorset Maple Reserve, they’re producing 5,000 gallons of maple syrup every year, by hand, and operating the entire business by themselves. We headed north to pay their farm a visit and learned the secret to creating a top-quality product while also building a better life for generations to come.



“The quality of working in the woods, taking something from nature, and then refining it into a finished product is pretty rewarding, in my opinion. There’s a lot of self-satisfaction in it. It’s a different world from most and I prefer this one,” Austin said.

AUSTIN FELIS TAPS A MAPLE TREE ON HIS FAMILY’S 500-ACRE MAPLE SYRUP FARM IN SOUTHERN, VERMONT.

Starting in mid-January, he and Lauren clean out 137 miles of tubing around their land to prepare for tapping the trees, where they then strategically drill a 6/10th-inch hole to prevent harming the sugar maple. Then, they put the entire system under a vacuum, which triggers higher production from the tree throughout the tapping process. Then, after reverse osmosis, aeration, and evaporation, they come away with a finished bottle of Dorset Maple Reserve Syrup.

“It’s a different world from most and I prefer this one.”

As Austin explained, the beauty of the syrup doesn’t necessarily come from the process, but moreso from the trees themselves. Much like grapes to wine production, a sugar maple tree is the keystone of a syrup’s flavor, color, and richness. Dorset sits atop a natural marble deposit (it contributed materials for The New York Public Library and many monuments in Washington D.C.), as well as a limestone belt, which gives Dorset syrup a “very soft, almost buttery flavor.” A product from Ohio or Canada may be wildly different from one in Vermont or even neighboring New York.

In other words, every tree and every bottle of syrup is unique, and the same could be said for the people who make it. As for Austin, he opted to return to the farm, which has been in the family for more than 40 years and create the entire syrup operation from scratch. After earning a degree in Management of Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston and owning a custom motorcycle shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, a severe motorcycle crash—along with the birth of his children—prompted Austin and his family to move to Vermont to enjoy a change. “As a younger man, I had zero responsibilities and a lot of freedom. I loved it. As I became a family man and had some real responsibilities when my children came along, my attitude shifted,” Austin said. “I wanted us to live basically a better quality of life.”

Lauren Santagata CHECKS THE GRADE OF THE MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCT. it can only be one of four: Golden, Amber, Dark or Very Dark.

And now a decision for change is the foundation for Austin’s work at Dorset Maple Reserve, something that’s reflected in the product itself. Throughout the course of a season, maple syrup will shift from very light and sweet early on to something much darker and richer and more vibrant in later months. It’s never the same, always taking on more complexity and flavor. This personality and unpredictability is something that Austin and his family have fallen in love with over the years. You could say they’re maple evangelists at this point. One of their most pointed efforts: Giving maple syrup a place beyond the breakfast table. 

“When we first started going direct to the consumer, I noticed that I was having a problem. I would always offer a sample and people would respond, ‘Oh, I don’t eat pancakes.’ My wife and I decided that in order to get to expand people’s ideas, we were going to have to come up with recipes and show people other ways to use it,” Austin said.


If you browse through Dorset’s website, you’ll see recipes for everything ranging from maple-roasted garlic to maple chia pudding and this incredible Cast Iron Bourbon Apple Crisp. They’ve even introduced a bourbon barrel-aged syrup and smoked and spicy syrup, which make up more than half of their total sales. Austin and Lauren see maple syrup as much more than an alternative to sugar, though. As something that’s loaded with zinc, magnesium, and riboflavin, maple syrup is a vegan-approved way to boost your immune system, much like honey. There are even some studies that link maple syrup with a reduction of heart disease and certain cancers, Austin said, and it all comes from a 6/10th-inch hole drilled into a tree. 

MORE MAPLE RECIPES

It seems that the world at large is beginning to take notice, too, as Dorset has seen steady growth since opening its doors in 2013. Call it a farm-to-table movement or just people recognizing a great product when they see one, but a change for the better seems to follow Austin and Lauren. Now, with their three children getting older, Austin said he hopes this 500-acre maple syrup farm will be something he can share with generations to come. 

“I want to build a future for my kids. This farm is one of the most beautiful pieces of property I’ve ever seen. I want my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren—I want everybody—to enjoy it,” Austin said.

Until then, they’ll keep drawing inspiration from the land. As of March, Austin and Lauren were hard at work, preparing their maple syrup for their growing customer base. Each bottle represents something new and unique, a flavor growing more rich and complex with each passing week, much like the lives of the people who are producing it. And soon, after hours of hands-on production and attention, people around the world will get a taste of this positive change for themselves, one bottle at a time. 

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