Doug and Telisha Williams, the Nashville-based, country-roots musical duo known as Wild Ponies, have a mystical connection. Sweethearts and bandmates since high school, they have the sort of telepathy that makes both conversations and music come naturally (albeit to the constant bewilderment of their drummers). They finish each other’s thoughts, turning something special held inside into something beautiful, shared with both one another and with their community.

The Venn diagram between Doug and Telisha and Wild Ponies — the personal and the professional — has been close to a circle. In fact, their debut album, 2006’s Rope Around My Heart, was credited simply to Doug & Telisha Williams because their passion for their songs and for each other felt so in tune. Over the course of their 17-year career, they have released five albums, hosted the long-running “Whiskey Wednesday” radio show on Nashville’s WSM, led eight annual distillery tour Trail Rides for fans and friends, and garnered devoted musical audiences all over the world.

Their live shows, which have often totaled into the hundreds per year, are notoriously personal. No one is merely a spectator at a Wild Ponies show; there are only enthusiastic participants on a collective musical journey. Whether it’s Doug and Telisha with their acoustic guitar and upright bass, respectively, or a full rock ‘n’ roll outfit with drums and electric guitar, everyone is welcomed into the magic.