Born and raised deep in the hills of southern West Virginia, Jimmy Lykens grew up in a small coal camp in Raleigh county called Eunice, playing in the same hills and creeks that his family had called home for many generations. Living with the songs and stories that told so well of the struggles and joys of life in coal country and Appalachia, at large, have left a lasting impression on Jimmy, whose songwriting has been likened to that of Townes Van Zandt.
Reared on Flatt & Scruggs, Hank Williams, and Lefty Frizzell, Jimmy started his life in music on his mother’s old Harmony guitar around age six. Since then, music has taken Jimmy out of that holler and around the world, playing across Europe and the United States, including the Jazz a Juan and Montreux Jazz Festivals, Mountain Stage, and historic venues like Cain’s Ballroom.
When he’s not on the road, Jimmy spends most of his time writing and recording in Nashville, TN, where he now lives with his wife and daughters.