A musical duo continues on its successful road to recognitions with its newest album making headlines.

After Weary Ramblers with Chad Elliott and Kathryn Severing-Fox won the International Blues Challenge for Best Solo/Duo Band, as well as Elliott named the Best Guitarist, the ensemble has picked up a few more honors. According to Elliott, they were nominated for Acoustic Act of the Year and Entertainer of the Year from the Midwest Country Music Organization and the two were finalists in Americana and Song of Note by the Indie Acoustic Project. 

The 2026 Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Elliott talks about enjoying the ride that he and Severing-Fox are currently on, as he continues to have new experiences in his long career.

“It’s really amazing feeling to work all these years, but also just to see new things, it gives me more ideas for songs and to know that the audience base is widening and that gives me a lot of hope. But also, there’s this shared thing with Kathryn that we’re just creating all the time and we’re adjusting. But to be doing it all these years and have all these new opportunities, it just is this affirming feeling.”  

Elliott shares that even though their group, the Weary Ramblers, are mostly considered Americana, they can show that they fit in a multitude of genres, with a staple being an International Blues Challenge winner.

“It’s kind of one of those where people like you to stay in your lane, but so then people (were) scratching their heads going, ‘Oh, the Weary Ramblers (and) blues, what?’ But there’s so many varieties of the blues music, like the peamount music fingerpicking stuff is my favorite. And that often is considered country blues or folk. But that’s the kind of style that we play, a little bit of some shuffle blues, but mostly it’s just this kind of merge of country and blues.”      

Elliott points out an additional prize for winning the International Blues Challenge is getting to perform on the sold out Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise this fall, as part of 20 artist acts on a cruise ship that goes from San Diego, California to Mexico. He details yet another notable prize is going on the Durango Blues Train, where they will get to play on railcars that go through the Rocky Mountains in August.