Artist Category: Folk | Page 3

Thea Hopkins

A member of Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe of Martha’s Vineyard MA, performing songwriter Thea Hopkins calls her music – Red Roots Americana. She has been described as a “standout writer” by the Washington Post.

In Spring 2024, she was selected to attend the First Nations gathering and the ISPA Congress in Perth, Australia as a Western Arts Alliance artist delegate.

Thea was an official showcase artist at the International Indigenous Music Summit, held in Toronto in June 2023.

In January 2023, Thea received an artist award from the Newport Festivals Foundation in support of her new album, “Here In Our World” to be released in January 2025.

She was an Official Showcase Artist at Folk Alliance International in 2022.

Her program, “In The Roundhouse”, a celebration of traditional and contemporary Indigenous music, debuted in Providence RI in September 2021.

In May 2021, Thea was selected by Folk Alliance International as part of Team USA, for Global Music Match, an internationally artist led collaborative effort.

Thea’s song, “The Ghost Of Emmett Till”, from her highly praised 2018 EP, “Love Come Down” was awarded the grand prize by the Great American Song Contest in March 2021. There were over 1900 entries from forty three countries.

Her EP “Love Come Down’, was nominated for a 2019 Indigenous Music Award in the folk category, an international competition. She created, in just six tunes, an elegant and seamless song journey that begins with a gentle invocation (“Love Come Down”), ends with a lullaby (“Until Then”) and gracefully travels to a few dark American landscapes in between.  From love ballad to social history, every song is personal. The scope of the EP – touching upon Americana, folk and pop — can be seen by the choice of musicians. Jazz trumpeter Tom Halter (Either Orchestra) explores haunting new directions on four songs. “Mississippi River, Mississippi Town” features the electric “ebow” guitar of David Minehan (The Neighborhoods, The Replacements.) The pianist Tim Ray (formerly with Lyle Lovett) is prominent, and plaintive, on “Almost Upon a Time.” The song “Tamson Weeks” is sparked by violinist Mimi Rabson of the Really Esoteric String Quartet. It tells the story of Hopkins’ great-great aunt, a medicine woman of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Indian tribe of Martha’s Vineyard. On her timely ballad, “The Ghost of Emmett Till,” Noel Paul Stookey (the Paul of P,P & M) adds his quietly dramatic guitar and harmony vocals.

In June 2019, Thea was selected by the Western Arts Alliance as a 2019 Native Launchpad Artist, a three-year artist development program. To cap off 2019, Thea was selected for the Wichoie Ahiya Indigenous Singer Songwriter Intensive at the Banff Arts Centre in Alberta, Canada. Thea was a Native Arts and Cultures fellowship recipient in 2017.

She first came to wider public notice when Peter, Paul & Mary recorded her song “Jesus Is On The Wire” in 2004, and then again in 2010 with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. It is considered one of their later signature songs.

In addition to Aquinnah Wampanoag, Hopkins ‘ ancestry includes Nottoway (Iroquois), African American, Irish and Portuguese. In other words, Red Roots Americana.

Liz Simmons & Casey Murray

Born in San Francisco to musician parents, Liz Simmons (most well-known for her work with the band Low Lily) spent her early childhood traveling through the wilds of North America in a sky blue VW bus. Her parents were itinerant musicians, moving from California to Oregon to Alaska, and finally settling in New England. Inspired by her beginnings and after a brief foray into classical music, Liz found her way back to folk and roots music, founding the bands Annalivia and Low Lily with husband Flynn Cohen, as well as performing as a backing vocalist for Livingston Taylor, Tom Chapin, Melanie, and others. Embracing traditions of the past and discovering innovations for the future, Berklee graduate Casey Murray (of Corner House) forges a creative musical path as a rhythm and tune player on the cello.

Sarah Sample

Sarah Sample is an award-winning songwriter with a “raw, graceful voice” (Salt Lake City Weekly) and beautiful songs that weave a trail of stories through folk, Americana, and country and have garnered comparisons to Sheryl Crow, The Weepies, and Bonnie Raitt.

Redwing, Sample’s sixth album, features more of her cut-to-the-bone storytelling, framed with empathy and compassion, and told with the best singing of Sample’s career. Produced by Sample’s longtime producer Scott Wiley (Elliott Smith, Bonnie Raitt), Redwing came to life over a few weeks of sessions at June Audio in Provo, Utah.

Sample’s last album, ‘Til The Morning, paired her with songwriter Edie Carey as the two sang their favorite lullabies and songs of comfort, both wanting to bronze a bookmark for their years as mothers of young children. And that instinct proved to be inspired, as the collection won Best Children’s Album in the 2014 Independent Music Awards, the 2014 Parents’ Choice Gold Award (highest honor), and 2014 NAPPA Gold Award (also highest honor).

Sample has played several prominent festivals—Merlefest, Cayamo, Folks Fest, Sisters, Telluride, Kerrville (not to mention winning songwriting contests at most of them). She has also warmed up stages for artists like Darrell Scott, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, Marketa Irglova, and Over The Rhine.

As a kid she bounced across the country, from Santa Barbara to Austin to Salt Lake City, and that experience and wanderlust has seeped into all six of her albums. She’s also a founding member of the folk-gospel collective The Lower Lights, who take on gospel classics from old hymnals as well as Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and even Stevie Wonder. She lives in the welcoming, wild wide open of Wyoming with her husband and two daughters.

Sons of Town Hall

Introducing Sons of Town Hall, the theatrical-folk duo of Ben Parker — celebrated British singer/songwriter/producer and David Berkeley — beloved American singer/songwriter/author. Dressed in threadbare Victorian outfits and armed with old, weather-beaten Gibson guitars, their show is part concert, part performance art, and unlike anything you have ever seen. Whilst crossing the Atlantic on a raft of their own making, Sons of Town Hall crafted songs of wonder and woe, heartbreak, and hope. Their harmonies are sublime. Their stories are hilarious.

In late 2024, Sons of Town Hall will release their sophomore album and an accompanying podcast series. Hosted by British actor Oliver Maltman, the podcast, entitled “The Adventures of the Sons of Town Hall,” is produced in the style of old radio theater — complete with beautifully scored music and lush soundscapes. Each of the fifteen globe-spanning episodes tells one of the duo’s many adventures drawn from their mythic lives together and features a brand-new song from the forthcoming album.

Garrison Starr

Garrison Starr is the quintessential musical triple-threat, singer, songwriter, Grammy-nominated record producer, and her soon-to-be-released latest full-length album, Garrison Starr and The Gospel Truth, reveals her at the height of her powers. Starr calls the new collection of songs, “Swamp Gospel Hymns for Humans,” the next chapter inher story of recovery and healing from her Evangelical Christian upbringing. Her previous album, “Girl I Used To Be,” released during the pandemic in March 2021, launched herexploration of deconstruction on the path towards self-love and forgiveness. “Girl I Used To Be” is the story of saying goodbye to what was, and The Gospel Truth is the story of the journey over the bridge to freedom.
Starr has been releasing singles from the new record over the last several months, following a number of TV placements on Monarch, Bull, and most recently, Walker: Independence, a consistent pattern for Starr throughout her remarkable career. Starr is a celebrated singer of such remarkable reputation that music icons go out of their way to praise her. Glen Phillips declares, “Garrison’s voice goes straight to the gut. She reminds you of what it means to be human.” Mary Chapin Carpenter adds, “She just writes and sings her heart out. In the American Idolized landscape that constitutes today’s music business, she is someone to be thankful for.” Her frequent collaborations with other artists have been both in the studio and on stage–Starr has toured with the likes of Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Cockburn, Patty Griffin, Mindy Smith, Glen Phillips, and The Indigo Girls, to name a few, logging hundreds of thousands of touring miles across the country and around the world.

“A Lucinda Williams for Gen X’ers”- NPR

Amis du Teche

Amis du Teche: Translation, ‘Friends of the Teche’. Simply named because its members are friends who grew up living on the historic Bayou Teche in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Amis du Teche is steeped in the Louisiana Cajun music culture. Their rich connection with their hometown of Breaux Bridge and growing up along the banks of Bayou Teche have brought each member together. The bayou is where they met, jammed, performed, and now recorded.

Now 22 years of age, Adeline Miller has been playing fiddle since she was 5. She has performed Cajun musicwith her younger brother, Robert, as far as Portland, Maine and Nova Scotia, Canada, for their Festival Acadien de Clare at a ripe age of 16. Adeline has attended the Sainte Anne University French Immersion Program in Nova Scotia three times to find the true meaning of the songs she sings. She later pursued a minor in French at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the heart of Acadiana. She is a graduate from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette as part of the Cajun Ensemble, Bluegrass Ensemble, and String Ensemble where she has transitioned to mandolin, guitar, and singing other genres of music. This past summer was the bands’ first international tour in Canada performing throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Even sharing their unique cultural connection headlining in front of the Church at Grand Pré, Acadiens’ National Historic Site. Because of these efforts, Amis du Teche was selected as a member of Louisiana Tourism’s Music Ambassador Program.

Adeline has enjoyed performing at many local festivals as well such as Festival Acadien, Festival International, BlackPot, and Celtic Bayou Festival just this past year. She and Amelia are regarded as upcoming young women of Cajun Music,and are passionate about carrying the torch of Cajun Culture throughout each generation.

Cathryn Hanks (21), is a guitarist and singer with a long-instilled love for Cajun music. She grew up playing with her father, Ryan Hanks. The beloved Cajun musician passed on his love for the culture to her and it only continues to grow. She is a music business major at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has been involved with the traditional music program there, participating in the String and Cajun ensembles on mandolin, fiddle, and vocals. She is also an employee at KRVS Radio Acadie which has fed her interest in the Louisiana culture from arts, music, language and more. While she loves the business side of the music industry
and is ecstatic about her internships lined up with Louisiana Folk Roots and Le Grenier Musique in Moncton, her first love is playing music and performing.

Michael G. Ronstadt

Musician Michael G. Ronstadt has traversed a wide range of musical styles from singer-songwriter, folk, jazz, classical, Americana to new age. Ronstadt displays genre-blending explorations on cello and guitar in complement to thought-provoking lyrics, as well as instrumental work. In addition to his solo and group recordings with Ronstadt Brothers, Trotta & Ronstadt, Serenity Fisher & The Cardboard Hearts, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, he is a much sought-after studio musician, who has appeared on more than 200 albums in the last 20 years. Michael has recorded in studios across the United States in Philadelphia, Tucson, Phoenix, Nashville, New York City, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Germany & North Wales (UK).

His versatile work has been tapped for studio and concert work by such artists as David Bromberg, Linda Ronstadt, Murial Anderson and Craig Bickhardt (SKB). He has opened up for artists like Ruthie Foster, Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane), Steve Katz (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Neil Young, Death Cab For Cutie, Smashing Pumpkins and Josh Groban. He has toured and performed with the late, great Rick Rosas (Crazy Horse) and Dave Krusen (Pearl Jam). His performances have been heard at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Elko, NV), Philadelphia Folk Festival, San Diego Sail Festival, Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), Common Ground On The Hill Music Festival, and Tucson Folk Festival to name a few.

Michael holds a Master of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Yehuda Hanani. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Arizona under Nancy Green and Nelzimar Neves. Michael regularly premiers new works by modern composers such as Bjørn Bolstad Skjelbred, Kenneth Stewart, Michael Ippolito, and his own compositions. He is co-founder of Shaken Earth Media, which sells instrumental sheet music and original instrumental recordings.

Yoona Kim

Yoona Kim is a Boston based ajaeng player, composer, and improviser. Her performances are deeply rooted in the richness of Korean court and folk music, juxtaposed with delicate noise, the soulful depths of traditional blues, and the dynamism of contemporary music. As a creative force, Yoona’s evolving style weaves together the threads of tradition and innovation, forging a path that explores radical, non-linear temporalities. Her ajaeng stylings are both assertive and intuitive, honed over countless performances that have resonated with national and international audiences.

Valerie Thompson

Valerie has enjoyed an active freelance career in the Boston area with chamber performances, recording session work, and sharing the stage with such notable artists as jazz pianist, Fred Hirsch; rock-icon, Amanda Palmer; multi- media artist, Christopher Janney; and with pop-chamber ensemble, Vitamin String Quartet (including a television appearance on Warner Brothers’ Gossip Girl.) She has toured nationally and internationally with ensembles that range from art-rock to chamber folk such as Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, Long Time Courting, Fluttr Effect, and Goli. In the winter of 2014, Valerie performed and taught on a cultural diplomacy tour of India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Bangladesh sponsored in part by the U.S. State Department and American Music Abroad.

Cecilia Zabala

Cecilia is guitarist, composer, singer and singer-songwriter. She combines the interpretation and creation of music, with guitar and voice, throughout her entire career, mixing sensitivity, expression, technique and intuition. In her music, styles as different as Argentine folklore, contemporary language, jazz, tango, and Brazilian music intersect.

She was the winner of the First National Prize for the Arts 2018 awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Argentina in the “Jazz and Melodic” category.

After twenty five years of career, she has released eleven independent albums, one single and one EP published in Argentina Germany and the United States.

She has been touring internationally for more than fifteen years, teaching Master Classes and presenting her work at Festivals, Concert Halls and Art Markets in Europe, North America and Latin America.