WITNEY: Fat Lils

Thursday 17th May, 2018

7:30pm

Event information

Carter Sampson, the ‘Queen of Oklahoma’ is an Okie-born singer/songwriter with a big voice and is blessed by a musical family legacy that includes talents like Roy Orbison. Her journey as a naturally independent, free-spirited musician has seemed almost predestined at times. At age 15 she began experimenting with sound as a way to pass the time; now her creativity has matured into the dedicated and passionate performance that makes her a favourite female vocalist.

Though she travels for the love of making music, she’s no stranger to awards. She was named a Top 12 Finalist in the 2012 Mountain Stage New Song Contest and performed at Lincoln Centre in New York. This year, she won first place in the general category of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, N.C. – with her song “Wild Bird”, which was additionally released by Pinecastle Records.

Her third album, ‘Good for the Meantime’, was released in 2008. Then in 2011, she launched a Kickstarter project for ‘Mockingbird Sing’, in which she gave supporters rewards to help secure adequate funds within 30 days. Her fourth full-length studio album, ‘Wilder Side’, was released on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016. Like ‘Good for the Meantime’ it features the heady handiwork of producer/multi-instrumentalist Travis Linville, who, like Sampson, has a unique sound all his own.

As many took to the larger venues and stages for the revelry of the Halloween weekend, Santa Fe got a special treat on one of the smallest stages it has. Billed as Sweet Folk, solo artist and most recently bassist in the Pearl Charles Band, and Jesse Aycock, slide extraordinaire of the alternative roots jam rock band The Hard Working Americans, brought their brand of folk music to the local watering hole,

As they both tour independently, each have big things turning in their wheelhouses. For Lauren, her first album is set to release in 2017 and although this will be her freshman album, these tunes resound an old-soul edge and define this lady in black as much more than newcomer to the scene.

Jesse’s gig in the Hard Working Americans is on pause at the moment, with many members being called to their day jobs, but this aspect of his career does not keep him still. He currently also tours with his own band and a number of “Tulsa Sound” guitar aficionados, Paul Benjamin and Dustin Pittsley to name a few. He also tirelessly writes his own material and contributes to, as he puts it,” the family chemistry” of writing new music for Todd Snider’s penned lyrics with his fellow HWA band mates.