MJ Lenderman, Indie Rock’s No. 1 Prospect, Goes Pro

Five years ago, War on Drugs bassist Dave Hartley moved to Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and young daughter. He’d lived in Philadelphia for 16 years, but his band had spent time recording and touring in the small Blue Ridge Mountains city. “We always had this impression that there was a music scene there, but it was mostly bluegrass and jam bands, and there wasn’t much homegrown,” he says. “People would move there from other places because it was a vibe-y town.”