When singing, the human voice carries much more than just the words it speaks. It carries the land it grew up on, the people it grew up with, and the accent it was born into. A voice can speak to the sound of the land. On his new Americana album, One Shot, Texas songwriter Josh Halverson beautifully channels the wide-open vistas of his home roots in the Texas panhandle. His luminous voice rings clear over these audio landscapes, resonating with unusual clarity and honesty. It’s a voice you’ll remember, from a young songwriter poised to move into the national spotlight. “Just gimme one shot/to show you who I am” he sings on the title track, and after listening to Josh Halverson’s new album, you will feel like you know him.

Growing up the son of a Dakota Indian and cattle rancher, Halverson’s a true native son of Texas. Although he had played piano since the age of five, he had no plans to pursue a career in music until he was captivated by a Al Green performance while attending college. Years later, Halverson still clearly remembers the epiphany he experienced that night: “Green was so transparent onstage, as if he put his heart and soul on the table for the audience to see. I thought to myself, ‘This is what I’m supposed to do with my life.’” The day after the concert, Halverson began teaching himself the guitar and started writing his own songs. Now living in Austin, Texas, Halverson’s proved himself to be an uncommonly adept songwriter. Charting the bounds of the human heart, he approaches time-honored topics like heartbreak and devotion with a sense of hard-won innocence. And that’s the seeming paradox at the core of his music: the tension between bitter wisdom and the need to preserve a sense of wonder at the world.

There’s a full band sound behind the songs, but it’s still Halverson’s voice that rings out over the band. At times his voice soars above a bed of roots instruments, as in “Comfort Me,” and at times he sings in a hushed croon, as in “Miss Ruth,” a song written for his beloved grandmother. It’s the kind of voice that cuts through the usual noise that surrounds us. Like the open vistas of The Plains, Josh Halverson’s voice invites quiet contemplation. That’s the sound of his roots.

Recently Halverson has signed with Spectra Music Group. He also has received “Artist of the Year” & “Best Folk Recording” at the 17th Annual Native American Music Awards, was named “Artist of the Year” at the Country Music Awards of Texas for 2018, and was a finalist on NBC’s The Voice Season 11.

Josh Halverson Official Website

Kate Schell is an independent Chicago-based electro-folk/pop musician who is pleased to announce the launch of her new solo album, Past Present Future.

She is formerly known as the lead singer, songwriter, pianist, and trumpet player for the band Paper Thick Walls, who was named one of Chicago’s top five emerging artists by both Deli Chicago and Chicago Magazine. Since the band break-up, Schell has been crafting her new album alongside her producer, Stefan Clark, and sound engineer, Mat Lejeune, from Chicago Recording Company.

Her style mixes folky vocals layered with electronica production pulling from influences like Bat for Lashes and Bjork. Schell started playing piano at the age of 6, writing at the age of 13, and has continued to write and perform ever since. Past Present Future is a compilation of her best songs written over the past decade. It is about her personal growth through a series of events from her past that have shaped who she is as an artist today.

Our past and present blend to create our future, much like a phoenix dying and then rising from the ashes with a new life. This concept is captured by having some untouched old songs, some untouched new songs, and some that fall between the two. Because this structure captures years of her growth as an artist, you can hear the transformation of Schell’s songwriting style change, often within a single song. Hear her new music on May 30th at Burlington Bar in Chicago!

Kate Schell Official Website

Music 8-10pm

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$7 cover charge will be added to your tab.