As one-half of Ellijay roots rock duo Surrender Hill, Afton Salmon has performed with husband and bandmate, Robin Salmon, at all the group’s Blue Betty Sessions — semi-regular shows at which the two partner with visiting singer/songwriters and musicians.
At the next Blue Betty Session, it will be Afton, herself, taking center stage as the show’s featured performer. Her original songs will be showcased at the George Link Jr. Gilmer Arts Playhouse concert scheduled for Saturday, April 1, at 7 p.m.
Afton, previously a professional dancer and choreographer in New York, and Robin, who fronted the hard rock band See No Evil prior to a solo career as a singer/songwriter/producer in Nashville, formed Surrender Hill in 2014 and released their first album that same year.
Afton said she grew tired of the “starving artist type of lifestyle” in New York and moved back to Arizona, where she’d grown up, in late 2010. That turned out to be a pivotal decision, as she soon began performing in Arizona venues as a singer/songwriter, and eventually met Robin.
“A lot of the subjects of my songs (have to do with) pursuing a dream,” she said. “I had written poetry all my life and, music had always been a big part of my life, but I never knew how to put anything down with an instrument. After I moved back to Arizona, my dad taught me some guitar chords and, once I had some songs (written), I did the whole open mic thing for a couple of years.”
Afton said her childhood in Homer, Alaska, has also provided material for songs. Her parents ran a water hauling business in Alaska and later a heavy construction business in Arizona. Part of the reason she and Robin settled in Ellijay was its similarity to her Alaska roots.
“I was born in Alaska, but we moved to Arizona when I was 5. We always spent our summers in Alaska, where my dad fished and worked,” she said. “When we first started coming up here, this town reminded me of Homer. It’s a little mountain town that just has that same feel.”
Afton’s warm, country-tinged singing style has been compared to that of Bonnie Raitt and Dolly Parton. When talking about he and Afton collaborating as songwriters, Robin described a lyrical balance the two have developed.
“Afton is incredibly positive in all aspects and very grounded. She’s brought a lot of light to our songs, whereas I was definitely on the darker side of things. I had written love songs, but they all had kind of an edge, a darker side, to them,” he said.
At the playhouse, Afton will be joined by Robin, also on vocals and guitar, and guest musician David Ellis.
“He’ll give a new spin and a little twist to some of these songs by playing mandolin, fiddle and dobro,” she said.
Afton said she hasn’t thought about doing an album or other live dates with the type of setup that will be featured at the Blue Betty show. It will provide a special opportunity to hear some of the songs she’s written for Surrender Hill reworked a bit and others for the first time.
“There will be some Surrender Hill songs and some new ones as well. I’ll be playing literally the first song I ever wrote up to some brand new ones that are pretty fresh,” she said.
Surrender Hill has become one of busiest bands in Gilmer County, particularly since live music options opened back up after being curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group performs several times a week at local and area venues including the county’s many wineries, where they’ve developed a following with enthusiastic local audiences.
“We have some amazing fans and some who’ve become really great friends. We love (the wineries) because there’s such a different flow and influx of people from all over the world who come through,” Afton said. “We’re able to kind of reach the masses with our music by playing there. Most musicians have to hit the road and play all these different venues where you have to really bring the people in. At the wineries, you’re able to share your music with so many more people because they’re coming and going all the time.”
A new Surrender Hill album is currently being worked on, and the two will play a string of dates in Texas later this year. In the meantime, one of Afton’s Surrender Hill songs, “Sunshine and Silver Linings,” from the recent album “Just Another Honky Tonk in a Quiet Western Town,” is currently a semifinalist in a yearly song competition held by American Songwriter Magazine.
“Thousands of people enter (the contest) each year, so winning is always a long shot. But it’s pretty cool that it was recognized,” Afton said.