2014 Performers
Due to the events at O'Hare Airport, Alix Olson was unable to make it to IWMF, but CC Carter will perform in her place.
Kiya Heartwood |
Kiya Heartwood ( Stealin Horses, Wishing Chair ) is "an award-winning American singer-songwriter who writes smart, funny and poignant songs about the famous and not-so-famous legends of America". Dirty Linen writes that Kiya's music " serves up a lively batch of original songs that follow on to two of the oldest traditions of folk music: storytelling and political broadside." Her latest recording is the live acoustic CDÂ "The Living Tree." Kiya makes her happy home in Austin,Texas.
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"Rae and the Honeybees are, in a word, delightful...(Rae is a) nakedly honest storyteller and has a silky-smooth voice that’s more than capable of handling the emotional swings in her songs."
- Cityview rae found a great backing vocalist and lead guitar to support her individual brand of acoustic rock back in october 2007. rae recorded her first ep (Faders Up) for her band before the end of winter, and it was released last fall (2008). for most of 2008, rae added a full drum kit to fill out the sound as she started to play larger venues. currently, rae is writing new material after a month-long hiatus and will be back playing gigs at a venue near you this fall... |
All Female - Mostly Folk
Galena, Illinois ~ rooted in the Driftless area
Indie folk meets barn-burning old time. Carry a Lantern is the debut album of three gals who love barns, trains, and lanterns. Each of the three songwriters brings a different element to the table, creating an ideal recipe for a modern indie sound with rustic roots. With diverse instrumentation and tight harmonies, each song is as unique as the musicians themselves. This marks just the beginning of their path. Riley Schultz (fiddle, mandolin, guitar) Lily Sprengelmeyer (banjo, guitar, harmonica, percussion) Pearl Olson (upright bass, guitar) Find us on Facebook! |
North Carolina native and Virginia resident Crys Matthews has been performing professionally since 2008. She has shared the bill with artists ranging from the Indigo Girls and Dar Williams to regional favorites like Xenia Sky and Mission South. Matthews just released her third full-length album called Come What May. A departure both musically and lyrically from her earlier works, this album bridges the gap between contemporary folk and Americana with simple, honest storytelling set to great music that helps you feel every word. From the title track (a love song, sparked by a furlough) to “You Remind Me” (three love stories rolled up into a history lesson), Come What May is a beautiful and heartfelt commentary on the belief that the personal is political and the political is personal.
In 2012, Crys Matthews released her sophomore album, A Lesson Learned, as well as an EP called The Izzle Ballads. In the September issue of Curve magazine, Rachel Shatto wrote: "A Lesson Learned sounds like how a glass of iced tea tastes: familiar, comfortable and refreshing...Fans of Tracy Chapman and Ani DiFranco will find plenty to love with this album, as Matthews shares their gifts of telling simultaneously intimate and relatable stories, all while continuing to refine her own unique brand of R&B folk." |