East Tennessee’s Sweethearts: The Young Fables by Alyssa Martin
If you’ve lived in East Tennessee for any amount of time and haven’t heard of The Young Fables, you’ve likely been living under a rock.
This Modern Traditional Country duo is composed of Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford, and they have steadily been stealing hearts all across the United States for the last seven years. Before I get ahead of myself, let’s start from the very beginning.
Ever since Laurel was a little girl, she was a star. Always performing for friends and family, a light burst from her every time she began to sing. When she decided she wanted to make music her life, it didn’t take her long before she could pick up her guitar and play along with the radio.
For Wes, music became a big part of his life when his mom bought him a guitar. To say he couldn’t put it down is an understatement. If you’ve ever heard him play, you would think he’s been playing since diapers.
About eight years ago Laurel had a scheduled gig at Barley’s in Downtown Maryville with her band, when her guitar player at the time bailed on her. Her drummer recommended a guy named Wes to play and the rest is history. Kinda.
After that night something stuck between them. Their chemistry on the stage was undeniable and after nearly a year playing together they decided to join forces to become The Young Fables and move to Nashville.
They’ve released three records since getting together, the most recent being March of this year. This record is one of the most emotional and heartfelt of the three with songs paying homage to Laurel’s sweet sister and dad, who both unfortunately passed away in 2018. Each of these songs beautifully articulates Laurel’s relationships as well as the struggles she has overcome.
Naturally, like any journey, Wes and Laurel experienced many beautiful moments and also many difficult moments. However, through every setback, they’ve taken it one day at a time and pulled through because of the hard work and dedication they each share. Which is part of why they’ve created a documentary titled “The Fable of a Song.”
“The feature length documentary chronicles the songwriting process behind The Young Fables' song "Daddy's Girl" and the unimaginable events that followed the release,” according The Fable of a Song website.
The documentary recently won the 2021 Nashville Film Festival Audience Choice Award.
With each passing day, the Young Fables are becoming more and more popular and loved. In 2018, they appeared on USA Network’s Real Country and stole the hearts of country legends like Shania Twain, Keith Urban and Travis Tritt. With Laurel’s soulful and melodic voice and Wes’ incredible guitar skills-and background vocals-along with their incredible story, this duo is undoubtedly the next best thing for Country Music.
If you’d like to listen to The Young Fable or follow along their journey, you can find more information at www.theyoungfables.com or @theyoungfablesofficial on social media. Plus, they’re touring! Find a full list of scheduled tour dates on their websites under “Live.”
