Kerrville's Grassy Hill New Folk
2024 Award Winners Tour
11.16.24 Saturday
Fischer, TX
(Mini New Folk Old Folk Concert)
2024 New Folk Award Winners
Each year the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation invites songwriters to submit two original songs for Kerrville’s Grassy Hill New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. From more than 1100 entries in 2024, 24 finalists were selected and invited to present their 2 songs at the 2024 Kerrville Folk Festival. A panel of professional touring songwriters selected 6 award winners who will perform a series of concerts around Texas in Fall 2024. Thank you to Grassy Hill and All our supporters who help make this program possible.
(Boston, MA)
Lennon Award-winning singer-songwriter Rachel Sumner is thrilled to announce the release date for her highly anticipated sophomore album. Heartless Things - a captivating collection of ten original songs came out May 10, 2024.
Sumner unveils the next single, "Katie," (out now) offering listeners a glimpse into the rich storytelling, whimsically lush instrumentation, and thematic ties that define the album. Heartless Things marks a significant evolution in Sumner's studio sound, stepping out from the acoustic string band framework of her 2022 debut album Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light. This new record blends elements of chamber-folk and indie-pop with Sumner’s love of Appalachian balladry and bluesy hooks, resulting in an immersive setting that highlights the top-notch narrative writing we’ve come to expect. With this album, Sumner continues to push the boundaries of folk music while staying true to her own unique artistic vision.
LILA BLUE (all pronouns) is a twenty-four year old non-binary and queer folk musician, singer-songwriter, playwright and performer based out of Brooklyn.
They have been performing and composing professionally since early childhood in communally devised theater with the likes of Bread and Puppet Theater and the Lake Lucille Chekhov Project, as well as developing a solo music career. Their projects navigate themes of grief, joy, being queer as the day is long, and collisions with a ghost or two. They have composed music for film and television, most notably for MTV and Lifetime. They released their fourth LP, “Sweet Pea,” on Nov. 10th, 2023, on MOXE. It’s garnered much critical praise including Ann Powers of NPR, “they bring an incredible authority to songwriting and singing...enormous fearlessness and panache….” They’re currently developing an original musical about the life and work of artist Hilma af Klint.
(NYC, NY)
(Birmingham, MI)
A writer, musician, educator, lecturer and community member, Lily studied comparative literature and ethnomusicology during her undergraduate years at the University of Michigan. A metro-Detroit native who now resides in Brooklyn, New York, she released her second full-length album, "Hope is the Whore I Go To," on July 29th, 2022. She is a teacher during the spring at the University of Michigan’s New England Literature program, and has taught as a guest lecturer through U of M’s Residential College and Performing Arts Technology Programs.
With a voice described as ethereal, and lyricism as wistful as it is cutting, Lily credits the likes of Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Gillian Welch and Leonard Cohen for her beginnings as a songwriter, and various odds and ends for her development as a musician and instrumentalist. Her hope is not to be tied down by genre, but rather to engage with "folk music" as it is most loosely defined-- that is, "the music of the people."
Two dinosaurs rusting at roughly the same rate. The left most is UT math professor Sean Keel. He writes lyric dense folk/country (and sometimes jazz) music both solo, and in collaboration with his family and friends band, Bill The Pony.
Keel is not your ordinary outsider. In his 60s, the long-time University of Texas professor, is well-known in the world of research mathematics. He has written a sword and sorcery novel, lots of short stories and poetry. He’s made three folk/jazz records with his family band, Bill the Pony, and one album of “super bare-bones folk-country music.” There's an almost religious zeal in his reverence for the small things, as if you could put up a magnifying glass to a softball and see the whole universe.
(Austin, TX)
(Chicago, IL)
Robin Bienemann is a singer & songwriter from Chicago. His wickedly funny and poignant original songs mix contemporary themes with old musical styles. He combines dry humor and sophisticated songwriting with a deep sense of history. At his musical core is a reverence for the guitar as an instrument to accompany songs and as a vessel to express the American psyche in all its strange beauty and complexity.
Robin revels in the delicious history of Chicago music. He combines Blues, Jazz, Country and Latin music with fingerstyle guitar to create a playground for his lyrical musings on science, animals and the whole scope of human experience. His songs are poetic, comical and educational. A flow of images ranging from vampires, insects, dinosaurs, dodo birds, work and romance.
Lucy Clearwater was born in a bathtub in a cookie factory in California, USA. This "sweet" and slightly granola nature-lover is an acoustic singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a background in classical violin. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2016, she's released a beautiful range of singles, a 6 track EP called "Feel Again", a self-produced EP called "Casual", and sold out shows at some of LA's most beloved venues such as The Hotel Cafe, and School Night at Bardot. While touring North America in Spring 2024 with Victoria Canal, Lucy released yet another EP, "April", and has since toured Germany and the UK with Philine Sonny, appeared as support for Luca Fogale, and performed at Kerrville Folk Festival as winner of the 2024 New Folk Competition. An old soul and world traveler, Lucy's songs are incredibly emotive, vulnerable and move people from all walks of life. Hot tip: when attending a Lucy Clearwater concert, don't forget tissues ;)
(Lafayette, CA)
TOUR SCHEDULE
- November 2024 -
Friday, November 8, 2024
Austin, TX
8:00PM - Click HERE for tickets and more information.
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Saturday, November 9, 2024
Dripping Springs, TX
7:00PM - Sycamore Creek Concerts are by invitation only. If you are on the Sycamore Creek email list, you will receive an invitation one month before the concert (Oct. 9th). If you are not on the Sycamore Creek email list you can sign up on their website: www.SycamoreCreekConcerts.com. Suggested minimum donation is $30 and it is “pay at the door.”
Sunday, November 10, 2024
New Braunfels House Concerts
New Braunfels, TX
5:00PM - NB House Concerts are by invitation only. You can receive an invitation by contacting Elaine Hayden at: NBHouseConcerts@gmail.com. Suggested minimum donation $30/person paid in advance. To receive an invitation and make a donation, either send Elaine an email or go to the website at www.NBHouseConcerts.com. There will be two sets of music with a potluck supper in-between.
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Monday, November 11, 2024
Milagro Springs House Concerts
Wimberley, TX
7:00PM - Milagro Springs House Concerts are by invitation only. You can request an invitation by contacting Candy Spitzer at: candy@spitzerassociates.com. This is an outdoor concert; however, they are able to move the concert indoors in the event of inclement weather. Suggested minimum donation is $30 per person.
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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Houston, TX
6:30PM - Tickets are on sale for $30/person, or you can stream the concert for $30. Click here for more information and tickets.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Kerrville, TX
6:00pm; free show with tips welcome. Pint & Plow is a brewpub-shaped engine of community in our little Hill Country micropolis. Organic coffee/espresso, house-crafted beers, fresh food, and a chill inclusive atmosphere in our hometown. Beer, Food, Coffee, Sittin'. www.pintandplow.com
Saturday, November 15-17, 2024
The Donkey Shack, Fischer, TX
With an onsite camping option beginning Friday afternoon, this weekend of concerts will feature a variety of artists. The 2024 New Folk Award Winners will play 1PM - 5PM on Saturday afternoon. Weekend tickets are $70, Saturday only is $50. Click here for more information, schedule and tickets.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
San Antonio, TX
4:30PM - Bowman Backyard is a laid back venue with shows in their backyard under the stars during the Spring and Fall. (Shows go on rain or shine; we have the space to move indoors if needed). Doors open 1-hour before each show allowing time to socialize with one another and also mingle with the artists before the music starts. Remember to bring your favorite adult beverage and anything else you would like to enjoy during the show! We have the tables and chairs! https://bowmanbackyard.org
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