For decades, Mountain Stage has served as West Virginia’s sonic postcard to the world. But on February 22, 2026, the postcard is being mailed from a very specific zip code: Huntington.

As the show sets up shop at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, it brings with it a lineup that bridges the gap between global institution and local heartbeat. At the center of that bridge stands Corduroy Brown.

A mainstay of the Huntington music scene, Brown has traded the “middle child” energy of his early days for the mantle of a hometown hero. Fresh off a sweep at the Born & Bred Awards, which saw him take home both Pop Artist and Song of the Year, he is bringing his signature “Wellness Pop” to the airwaves. It’s a sound defined by radical joy, therapeutic vulnerability, and the kind of high-energy authenticity that refuses to be contained by a radio signal.

In this sit down, we talk about the long road from daydreaming in 2015 to the literal stage of 2026, the weight of a “permanent record,” and why giving yourself grace is the ultimate West Virginia legacy.

Read the interview below and check out his upcoming performance on Mountain Stage when it airs on NPR.

BB: Mountain Stage is a global institution, but this specific show is taking place at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center in Huntington. As a local artist who has championed the Huntington music scene for years, how does it feel to represent your hometown on a stage that will eventually broadcast your story to the entire world?

Corduroy Brown: When I was in a band called The Dividends back in 2015 or so, I can remember daydreaming about Mountain Stage one day. It’s finally here. Huntington, WV has an eclectic music scene that needs to be showcased. I always feel like sort of a middle child as far as the scene goes. I was just getting the hang of things when bands like Ona, Sierra Ferrel and Tyler Childers were starting to really gain steam. Now, it’s so cool seeing newer bands like Grace Campbell, Kindred Valley, Becks!, and Abbie McCallister carving their own paths and really bringing incredible music to the world. 

BB: “‘Cross Your Mind’ has clearly become a hit for you as, evidenced by your recent Born & Bred wins of Pop Artist and Song of the Year.. When you’re performing a song that has been so heavily ‘validated’ by your peers and fans, does the performance feel different? Is there a sense of responsibility to deliver that specific message of connection on a stage as storied as Mountain Stage?

Corduroy Brown: It really does blow my mind that people care about my music at all. I just know there’s so much in the world to care about. I don’t ever take it for granted. When fans send messages about how our music has helped them in some way, that means more than anything honestly. Getting to do a song like that, especially with Kindred Valley was a dream come true. They are all top notch humans and bring so much to the table musically.

BB: You’ve successfully branded your sound as ‘Wellness Pop,’ which feels like a radical act of joy in a region often defined by its struggles. How do you prepare your headspace to translate that high energy, therapeutic vulnerability to a live radio audience that can’t see your stage presence but has to feel your energy through the speakers?

Corduroy Brown: It really comes down to authenticity. We smile and laugh alot of stage, and honestly i think it comes across on any medium that we truly feel joy to get a chance to do what we do here on the Earth. You can hear it and feel it all nonetheless. 

BB: Mountain Stage is known for its ‘immortality’—these recordings live on in archives and broadcasts for decades. Knowing that this performance will be a permanent part of the West Virginia musical canon, what is the one specific feeling or ‘truth’ about your journey that you want to leave behind on that tape?

Corduroy Brown: I’m gonna go deep for a minute here. Subconsciously, I think we all want to be remembered in some way. I struggle with this thought alot…You know, one day we’re all going to leave this earth. That’s an incredibly liberating idea but also a terrifying one. It feels good knowing that we’re able to put our stamp on history. Maybe I can look back at this one day while Chris and Jacob are in a rocking chair and reminisce about when we could do what we’re about to do on Feb 22, 2026. If i can leave behind a legacy or truth it would always be a reminder to let go of things. We’re all on the earth for the very first time. Give yourself grace. Enjoy the little things. Give it your all. Don’t forget to laugh, cry, and enjoy every second. It’s all worth it. 

Follow Corduroy Brown on Facebook and Instagram.

Photos by Hurricane Media, Lisa Sullivan, and Alan Brown