this week’s opener (9/13) is:

Sierra Ferrell

🔮the vibe…

folky roots music with a touch of country, and an ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Though?’ vibe

🏡the roots…

Charleston, West Virginia📍

📩the word…

spread it - and forward this email to one friend 🫡

📖 the story…

• Born on August 3, 1988, in West Virginia, Sierra grew up in a trailer with little to no electronics, she spent her time outdoors exploring 🌲

• Despite her folk music today, her early influences were cassette tapes of Tracy Chapman and 10,000 Maniacs, which her mother owned

  • Sierra’s musical journey began with school choir and clarinet. She later picked up guitar and sang Shania Twain covers at local bars

  • In her late teens, she joined a Grateful Dead cover band but left when she felt creatively limited, wanting more freedom to express herself

• In her twenties, Sierra embraced a nomadic lifestyle, hitchhiking, living in a van, and busking in cities from Seattle to New Orleans

• During this time, Sierra struggled with drug addiction, surviving, as she says, “five overdoses”. She later turned her life around, focusing on her music and health

• Soon after this turn around, she self-released Pretty Magic Spell (2018) and Washington by the Sea (2019) while busking

• After her performances at Nashville’s Honky Tonk Tuesdays, producer Gary Paczosa helped her sign a three-album deal with Rounder Records in 2019

  • Sierra’s breakthrough album Long Time Coming was released in 2021, featuring bluegrass talents like Billy Strings.

  • It reached #15 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart 🌟

• Collaborations followed with artists like The Black Keys, Ray LaMontagne, Shakey Graves and Zach Bryan, broadening her audience

• In March 2024, she released her fourth album, Trail of Flowers, which continued to showcase her evolving sound and artistic vision 🌸

  • It feels like Sierra is on the precipice of becoming a household name within the folk world

🎙️ the 🔝 performance…

Sierra Ferrell - NPR Tiny Desk (2024) ⬇️

• tiny desks have been known to catapult music careers, or at least add fuel to an already strong fire

• I expect this to happen after Sierra dropped her powerful tiny desk 4 weeks ago

  • she has a powerful voice, a story to tell, and a bright floral (literally) presence 🌸

🎧 the 🔝 songs…

dollar bill bar - spotify / apple music

jeremiah - spotify / apple music

ready or not (shakey graves track) - spotify / apple music

📇 the rest…

• touring rn - I saw her recently open for the avett brothers

• IG

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