Luke Redfield
Luke Redfield has the heart of a gypsy and the soul of a poet. In just 32 years, he has experienced more than most, both professionally and personally. Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, by way of everywhere, he has spent the past decade on the road, playing shows, drinking whiskey, and grinding out a cult-like fan base while accumulating enough stories to fill an adventure novel. From being put up by Kesha in Nashville to being billed as “Jake Redford” in Santa Fe, wherever Redfield goes, an entertaining story seems to follow. Don’t mistake him for just another “dude with a guitar.”
There is nothing mundane about Redfield the man, and one could say the same about his music. He’s been writing songs his whole life, having been born into a lineage of Norwegian-American musicians, which includes his rock & roll preacher dad, country-western grandfather, and fiddle-playing great-grandfather – who died in an avalanche while bootlegging whiskey.
Initially, and perhaps surprisingly, Redfield gravitated toward making rap music, but switched genres in his late teens, citing Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and Gillian Welch’s Revival as albums that inspired him to get back to his Midwestern roots: like Bob Dylan, he was born in Duluth, MN, and grew up in small North Country towns before setting sail as a vagabond folkie in search of a dream.
While opting for a stripped-down live set, Redfield’s records feature members of Bon Iver, Joanna Newsom, Midlake, Peter Wolf Crier, and Andrew Bird – resulting in lush, textural atmospheres in which gritty vocals shine like polished coal. With literate influences ranging from perennial philosophy to beat poetry to American history, Redfield draws from a deep well of wisdom in crafting songs like “Sand Hills” and “West Texas,” songs with a sense of place.
Recognized by A.V. Club, Paste, No Depression, Daytrotter, and Minnesota Public Radio for its Americana-leaning stylings and “ragged-but-right” lyrics, Redfield’s music is both constant and current – influenced by classic songwriters of the 60s, alt-country pioneers of the 90s, and the indie-folk bands of the aughts. Luke Redfield is on tour this May in the American Southwest.
Mississippi Jake
Mississippi Jake is storytelling, working-class folk music from the Midwest. Not the kind of folk that lulls you to sleep, the kind with teeth.
Dang Felton
“Dang Felton is a songwriter from Des Moines, Iowa. His writing is Influenced by artists like Nick Drake, Conor Oberst, and Bob Dylan. He is a teacher, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, and performing artist who enjoys working with music full time. He is often accompanied by his harmonist Amanda Lowe who adds beautiful harmonies to the music he writes.”
Ben Schrag
Ben Schrag is a singer-songwriter with punchy vocals, intimate lyrics, and big heart. Ben’s music has been described as “Mason Jennings Meets Ben Folds”. Ben is a relatively recent transplant to Iowa and has loved getting to know other songwriters in his new home state. Read Ben’s interview on songwriting in the Iowa Informer.