Country traditionalist Trace Nixon is a singer/songwriter from a small, central Virginia town just outside of Charlottesville. He was brought up on the sweet sounds of a crying steel guitar, three-part harmonies and honest storytelling. Raised by two professional musicians, Nick and Michelle Nixon, Trace grew up backstage — watching, listening, and learning. His parents met while performing at the Old Dominion Barn Dance in the early ’90s and played all over the Virginia honky tonk scene by the time Trace came along in ’95. Music was always a big part of their family, not for fame or fortune — but because it’s what they loved.

It’s hardly surprising that Trace found a ready source of inspiration from the very beginning. As a young boy, he was heavily drawn to the sounds and styles of legends like Alan Jackson, George Strait, Ronnie Milsap and Keith Whitley. It was through listening to their music he learned that Country music wasn’t about trends — it was about truth. “The artists and writers I’ve always admired didn’t have to say much to say a lot and be impactful,” he says. “That always stuck with me.”

Along with music, Trace also developed a love for baseball and football at an early age. Many weekends during his middle and high school years were spent traveling around the country playing in showcase baseball tournaments. Eventually, Trace was recruited by a number of colleges for both sports, and wound up playing baseball at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. During his time at SU, he leaned heavily on music and spent much of his free time honing his skill as a guitar player and songwriter. After graduating college in 2017, he returned to his hometown and quickly started performing as a solo artist. While there were some promoters who encouraged him to shuck the old-time traditions that influenced him early on, he decided instead to stay true to the classic country sounds he appreciated while growing up. In early 2023, he formed a Country band, aptly dubbed ‘Gone Country’ with fellow musicians Chip Hale, John Holden and Corey Marshall. Later that year, he recorded his first single, “This One’s For Alan,” which he released independently in April 2024. "This One's For Alan" garnered positive reviews, including from Joe Markowski of The Nashville Sound Radio Show, who described the song as “a nod to legends of the past, and a step into the future of Country Music. Trace Nixon's ode to Traditionalists marks the beginning of a new era in the genre - one with strong roots to the 1980s and ‘90s." 

After two years of running up and down the road every weekend and performing at nearly every bar and music venue in Virginia, Trace was presented with an opportunity to record his debut EP, HAND ME DOWN NAME, in early 2025. Produced by William Gawley, executive produced by Michelle Robertson-Gawley, engineered by Bryce Roberts, and recorded at Dark Horse Recording Studio, it features Trace in the role of writer, singer and performer on acoustic guitar. In addition, it includes an assortment of exceptional players — drummer Shawn Fitcher, guitarist Dave Flint, Deanie Richardson on fiddle and mandolin, bassist Dave Francis, Tony Paoletta on steel guitar, Chris Nole on piano, and back-up vocals by Billy Thomas and Dani Flowers-Richardson. The music comes on with a sturdy stride and decided determination, from the drive and deliberation of “Love Lost Has Been,” the easy ambling and celebratory sound of “This One’s For Alan” and the good-natured description of love at first glance shared in “Secondhand Hold On Me,” to the quiet devotion expressed in “Hand Me Down Name” and the beautifully beguiling “Ready For The Takin’ (When You Are).” 

“Carrying the torch” and doing his part to keep traditional Country music alive will always be at the forefront for Trace. “These five original songs reflect the music that influenced me growing up and that made me who I am today," says Trace. “I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out, so all I can hope for is that the EP will resonate with the folks who listen.”