2018 Alaskan Musicians + Bands
At first glance, the word association of “Alaska” and “punk rock” might seem like something out of a cunning psychological method, but for singer-songwriter Michael Howard, they represent elemental forces that have helped form his creative voice.
Annie Bartholomew plays a dark, bawdy Blues inspired by the long nights and manic spirit of life in the far north. Drawing inspiration from the great blues singers of the 1920s, her smoky voice and sassy arrangements walk the line of American folk tradition.
A soul-shaking, infinitely charming band from the far north. Powerful, funky and alt-folky, the Super Saturated Sugar Strings have a very nostalgic, yet contemporary sound; rich with vocal harmonies, string melodies, and an element of carnival sideshow. Their gypsy-country vibe has won the group high honors and has stirred a fervent congregation of dedicated fans.
Laura Oden is an Anchorage-based Singer-Songwriter. After performing intermittently for nearly two decades, she reclaimed her guitar and her songwriting for good in 2010. Like the artist, her music is inspired, giving, compassionate, raw, courageous and honest. Laura’s music is an outlet for the emotion, experience and insights of someone willing to go deep. Her geographical journey has brought her to vastness and nature in it’s beauty and brutality
Based out of Anchorage, Alaska, this award winning bluesy folk-rock band has really gained ground since their formation in November of 2013. Carrying their roots in bluegrass, country, blues, and folk with them, they've traveled all over the last frontier playing shows in cafes and bars, and on outside stages.
Daniel Firmin
Daniel Firmin. Gwichin Athabascan songwriter Grew up between the village of Fort Yukon and Fairbanks, he has toured in the Alaskan alt-folk band Feeding Frenzy and with the punk band The Scurvies.
With a voice described on more than one occasion as "butter," Taylor can be found making music with anyone she can convince to let her join in..
The Forest That Never Sleeps is Kat Moore's ( The Super Saturated Sugar Strings, Two KatFish, The Chromies, Green Tara and Her Handsome Gents, Emma Hill and Her Callers, Slow Like Honey) solo project. Enjoy the ride as she takes you down an emotional wormhole through ballads and unique piano work.
Ryan Bowers and the Brain Trust
Ryan Bowers was born and raised in Alaska, and trained at Berklee College of Music and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He writes and performs emotionally complex and catchy acoustic songs full of wordcraft and devastation, with thoughtful storytelling and a beating dance heart.
Aurora Bowers is a classically trained fiddler that has been playing since the age of 6. She got her start in Fairbanks, Alaska, in a musical family with deep roots in the Alaskan traditional music scene. At a young age, she was mentored and inspired by the then-members of Alaskan-based band Bearfoot, who, in addition to her banjo-playing father, Pete Bowers, played an important role in showing her what a musical life should look like.
An encounter with Emily Anderson’s music is unmistakably a magical affair. And while she has no shortage of credentials to back the claim—a gifted multi-instrumentalist, prolific songwriter, and graduate of the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston—Emily has in tandem something arguably more important: something pure, distinct, and extraordinary to show us.
String of Lights is the musical project of Anchorage, Alaska-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Heather Stewart. Migration, String of Lights’ debut album, is a genre-blending collection of contemporary folk songs with influences ranging from classical to jazz to indie rock. The songs are lyrical and melodic, supported by lush, mostly-acoustic soundscapes.