OXFORD – Several years have passed since performer Rod Picott last took the stage at Oxford's 6 On the Square, but a recent swell in popularity in his brand of Americana has brought him back. A local favorite, Picott is slated to perform beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, for the 6 On The Square's Oxford Lions Club FUNdraiser event.

Nearly two decades ago, Picott laid down his work belt in his home state of Maine, picked up an acoustic guitar, and put a permanent end to his gig as a sheet rock hanger. He'd been writing music in private for years, but it was 2001's Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues — a debut album that bridged the gap between folk and Americana — that officially introduced him as a singer/songwriter, kick starting one of the more acclaimed careers in modern-day roots music.

Since then, Picott has focused on a different kind of construction: building a catalog of songs that spin stories of hard work, heartache and the human condition.  They are what the Boot says are “poignant, blatantly honest and emotive.” And while there’s no doubt that Picott is a gifted songwriter, crafting songs that are vibrant and mesmerizing, he continues to look at life with an eye to the sometimes darker and realistic emotions lurking in the shadows.