Friday: 8:15 p.m. Penobscot; Saturday: 2 p.m. Railroad; Sunday: 2:15 p.m. Heritage

Springfield Exit is a new band created by three veteran musicians who bring with them a rich variety of experience. Their sound stems from Appalachian roots and combines elements of bluegrass and country.

Much of Springfield Exit’s instrumental fire comes from David McLaughlin. A brilliant instrumentalist and high harmony singer, McLaughlin was a founding member of the Johnson Mountain Boys, a band that stormed the nation’s stages for 17 years. He helped create its critically acclaimed recordings, was nominated for two Grammys, and performed in an array of halls, from Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the White House to Brazzaville in the Congo and the Kala Academy in Goa, India.

Linda Lay began singing in church and on stages when she was 6 years old. She’s from Bristol, Va., and grew up in a family string band. Local influences included Ralph Stanley and the famous string band The Carter Family. Her show-stopping vocals have been heard from California to Ireland in recent years, and she is Springfield Exit’s lead singer on its new Cracker Barrel Old Country Store CD release.

Though traveling throughout the world, Lay remains close to her musical roots. “I have a Bristol sound,” she said. “I’m proud of the music that was given to me.” Her world-class voice recently was featured on a solo Cracker Barrel release titled “Linda’s Mercantile Store.” Her sense of timing on the bass is a gift that makes her a favorite in jam sessions among string band musicians in her native region.

A preacher’s son, David Lay grew up in the coal fields of Virginia and in the small towns of northeastern Tennessee. Along with holding a multitude of professions from plumber to electrician and keeping up his own vegetable garden in Tennessee’s Goshen Valley, David has always been a musician. He began singing in church at a young age and soon developed a keen ear for the traditional music of the region. Later in life, through Linda Lay’s doing, he picked up a guitar for the first time and quickly became an accomplished player. He sings the low harmony part in the Springfield Exit trio and rounds out the group’s sound with his rock-solid rhythm guitar.

Joining McLaughlin and the Lays at the festival are Virginia fiddler Rickie Simpkins and banjoist Jason Crawford.

Springfield Exit recorded its debut, self-titled compact disc as part of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store’s new Heritage Music Collection in the winter of 2003. This series, curated by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, celebrates a wide range of traditional American music and musicians. As part of this effort, Cracker Barrel is proud to support Springfield Exit’s performance at this year’s National Folk Festival.