Sonya Kitchell featuring The Slip- Released when she was 15, "Words Come Back to Me" established singer Sonya Kitchell as an artist to watch. She had been performing since age 11 and had already amassed an impressive resume - including winning the "Best Jazz Vocal" and "Best Original Song" from the 2003 Downbeat Student Music Awards with her song "Romance." Now 19, the Massachusetts native has released "This Storm." Produced by Daniel Lanois cohort Malcolm Burn, the disc shows off Kitchell's smokey voice on tracks ranging from folk to rock and pop. Kitchell is being backed by The Slip, a New England trio that has won praise from the likes of My Morning Jacket's Jim James and "The New York Times."
The Alternate Routes– This rootsy, power pop quartet from Connecticut takes a melodic cue from the Beatles while drawing on the propulsive energy of bands like U2.The zine "Ink19" picked the band's debut "Good and Reckless and True" as one of the top 19 independent releases of 2005. Now signed to Vanguard Records, the group's current release is titled "The Watershed.”
Judith Owen- In the words of fellow singer Julia Fordham, "Imagine the classic writing of a Carole King, add a dash of Annie Lennox flair, wrap it up in a soul as big as Aretha's, add a unique bright and witty bow and you would have a rough picture of the many original and innate gifts of Judith Owen." Songs from Owen's CD "Limited Edition" have been featured on numerous television shows and Owen appeared (in animated form) on "The Simpsons." She also landed a role in Richard Thompson's "1000 Years of Popular Music" tour, CD and DVD, which takes a journey from the 13th Century through medieval ballads, Gilbert & Sullivan, Julie London, the Beatles and Britney Spears. In 2004, she and husband Harry Shearer toured supporting her "Christmas In July" CD, which included an interpretation of Spinal Tap's "Christmas With The Devil." "Lost & Found," released in 2005, featured cameos by Cassandra Wilson, Keb Mo, Tom Scott and Richard Thompson and includes originals alongside covers like Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water." Her eighth release is titled "Mopping Up Karma" and includes material she began recording in 1998 for Capitol Records.
Joe Pug- After studying to be a playwright at the University of North Carolina, Joe Pug's career took a different turn when he quit school in his senior year and moved to Chicago to pursue songwriting. Using ideas originally slated for a play he was writing called "Austin Fish," Pug began writing the songs that he would include on his debut, "The Nation of Heat." The EP garnered critical acclaim and led to opening slots for Todd Snider, Susan Tedeschi, Kasey Chambers, and James Hunter.
Matthew Ryan - Over the course of his 10-plus year career, Pennsylvania-born Matthew Ryan has slowly become one of the country's premier alt-country singer/songwriters. After playing in a number of bands in Delaware, Ryan signed with A&M Records in 1996 and released his debut "May Day" the following year. Garnering comparisons to Tom Petty, Dylan and Tom Waits, Ryan's current release, "Matthew Ryan vs. the Silver State," debuted at No. 3 on the iTunes "Folk Songs" chart. Ryan was tapped by "One Tree Hill" creator Mark Schwahn to score episode 3 of the sixth season of the CW drama.
Katie Herzig - After eight years as the lead singer for popular Boulder, CO, progressive acoustic band Newcomers Home, Katie Herzig has now focused all her energy on her burgeoning solo career. Her second solo CD, "Weightless," was released in 2006 and, thanks to song placements on television shows like "Grey's Anatomy," created a significant buzz. Meanwhile, a version of her song "Heaven's My Home" performed by the Duhks, was nominated for a Grammy in 2007. Her current release is titled "Apple Tree."