SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
See what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
Weezy Ford & Brittain Ashford: Presented by Sou’wester Arts
“…There is a profound sense of artistic and spiritual liberation throughout Sugarcane; Ford’s talents for recognizing them and using them to her advantage make for an engaging follow-up to her debut EP.”
-Ryan Prado, Portland Mercury
“On “Shakey Knees,” Weezy Ford introduces herself to the world through a wall of distorted guitar and a shroud of vocal reverb. It’s a striking sound, reminiscent of the grimy rockabilly from her native North Carolina (think Flat Duo Jets with a hitch in its step). But the track isn’t without a few surprises, as Ford literally tap dances her way out of the song. It’s a risky and playful choice that ultimately pays off and leaves the listener wanting more.”
-Jerad Walker, OPB Music
TODD DAY WAIT
Official / Instagram / Facebook
Todd Day Wait is a Missouri native with an easy-going, good humored nature that will have you singing along faster than you know the words. We originally met while I was on a trip to New Orleans, and reconnected at Santa’s Pub in Nashville one Sunday evening. We talked of this and that, drank cheap beers and had a good time. He even mowed my lawn the next day. That’s Todd’s secret you see; he’s a good guy.” – GemsOnVHS
KRISTINA MURRAY
Official / Instagram / Spotify / Facebook
Georgia-bred, Nashville-based songwriter Kristina Murray plays Americana and country music rooted and steeped in troubadour storytelling, southern-rock grit and the footsteps of country queens of yesteryear. Kristina’s songwriting springs from a deep and personal desire to share her truth, her opinions and convictions, and the simple joys and tragedies of life. Her songs adhere to the adage “write what you know,” and her delivery is as fluid, rhythmic, and steady as her right hand on her 1963 J-45, a beloved companion whom she endearingly calls Lil’ Sister in a nod to an early musical hero, one Elvis Presley.
Kristina currently lives in Nashville, where she is active in the underground independent country and Americana music scene that pays homage to the jangle of an acoustic guitar, the sting of a Telecaster, tight harmonies and a walking bassline—the sweat and grime and heartache of country legends—rather than, say, the synth and drum machine of contemporary pop country. One listen and you’ll believe every word that drips from her honky-tonk hewn, honeyed vocal style.
Released on her own label, Loud Magnolia Records, her second full length album, Southern Ambrosia conveys a fierce and witty perspective on southernisms, hard truths, heartbreak, and the eternal magical mystery and saving grace of melody, music and song.
Pat Hull : Presented by Sou’wester Arts
Pat Hull is a singer-songwriter from Connecticut currently based out of Chico, CA. His music
intertwines a melodic, soulful, counter-tenor vocal range with a unique finger picking style,
creating a dreamy landscape with unpredictable hooks and turns. Pat’s newest release ‘St. Clare’
showcases his delicate yet raw ability to compose, sing, write, and perform. Prior recordings
include ‘Light’ and ‘Shed Skin,‘ recorded and produced in Bennington, VT with engineer, JJ
Beck and vocalist, Michael Chinworth. This collaborative effort brought a vocally and lyrically
charged center to Pat’s songwriting, and displayed a collection of songs with a detailed and
complex configuration of supporting instrumentation.
Blair Borax is a Portland, Oregon based singer-songwriter, who writes raw and honest lyrically-driven folk songs that are as powerful as they are vulnerable; songs that make you think and feel and laugh and cry; songs that make you feel a little less alone. Blair Borax released her debut EP ‘everything is light work’ in May 2021 and is working on her next. You can find Blair writing in her bedroom, recording at Groundswell Studios, and performing on stages across Portland and beyond.
With rich lyrics and a voice like molasses, Blair Borax makes music that moves you to the heart of being human, offers you a warm cup of tea, and invites you to stay a while.
The Sou’wester Lodge is hosting a full weekend of in-person performances, music and installations, free and open to the public*, on Friday 5-10pm and Saturday 12-10pm April 1st and 2nd as part of the 3rd Annual Sou’wester ARTS WEEK.
Over the past 9 years we have held an event around this time of year to highlight the creative process and the experiential nature of the Sou’wester Residency Program. Each year this event brings amazing artists to this neck of the woods and shines creative light into the darkest heart of winter.
Performances, Installations and Events
Free and Open to the Public*
Friday April 1st
5:00pm – 10:00pm
and
Saturday April 2nd
12:00pm – 10:00pm
All are invited to pick up map and schedule at The Sou’wester and tour the grounds, experiencing in-person what 33+ artists and artist collectives have created after their week-long Sou’wester Artist Residency.
*The entirety of this event will be held in a manner that meets all state mandates and Covid-19 precautions. This event is free and open to the public within safety guidelines.
book a stay at The Adrift or Salt Hotel using promo code “artsweek”
Arts Week 2022 Artists and Art Collectives
Anthony Alvarado & Jason Walker
Kaitlyn Nelson / The Gyer V Project
Bobbie Robinson & Jordan Badger
Fox Whitney / The Gender Tender Experiment
Kate Dinsmore is a singer-songwriter based in Seattle, WA. A dynamic performer and vocalist, Dinsmore brings her songs to the stage with an undeniable presence. She found her passion for songwriting when she returned to the Pacific NW after almost a decade spent in Oklahoma.
Her music is powerful and emotional, with influences ranging from Jazz to Rock to Americana. Dinsmore’s performances quickly gained a following in Seattle, allowing her to open for notable artists such as Colin Hay and the Dip.
Her voice is at one triumphant and intimate. The perfect soundtrack to dropping off the last of your ex’s stuff and driving off into the sunset.
Lucas Benoit : Presented by Sou’wester Arts
Born in McMinnville to an extended family of blue-collar musicians, Lucas Benoit is an inveterate song-maker and a founding member of the NW folk-rock favorites, The Hill Dogs.
Troubadour to the life sick, sidewalk prince of an invisible garden. Peter Pan meets Bob Dylan, they split a Mountain Dew. Donnie falls for Tina and it’s happily hardly after. Artful Dodger, a Midwest wanderer, stealing moments from a day, Lucas’s sing along choruses, jangling melodies and lyrics are junk drawers of metaphor and sweet treasures from the pockets of careless lovers. Tokens of wisdom scratched onto napkins by old friends. Lucas is at home with his arms wrapped round an old wood guitar and with paint and engine oil under his nails. His crooked smile and honest voice are doors and windows to the world.
Forest Veil : Presented by Sou’wester Arts
Forest Veil is the solo work of Portland multi-instrumentalist/producer Monica Metzler. Following the echoes of her elusive muse, Forest Veil makes mystical psych-folk that maps the emotional terrain of humanity and its place in the cosmos. Melding a voice that sounds like smokey quartz with psychedelic guitar riffs and enigmatic lyricism, Forest Veil’s sound evokes a haunting nostalgia for other worlds. Though she primarily writes on her own, Forest Veil records and performs with others. An avid guitarist for over 20 years, Forest Veil’s music showcases virtuosic guitar shredding and dynamic musicality.
Forest Veil’s newest album, Solita, will be released on Spirit House Records on June 7, 2019.
Solita, in Spanish, means “little lonely one” or “little alone one”. Forest Veil’s sophomore album is an anthem to just that; to finding your inner strength and standing alone. Recorded over the course of 2 years, Solita was arranged with dynamic intention that showcases the depth of Forest Veil’s musical landscapes and intricate artistry.
Metzler recorded the bones of Solita as a trio with Luke Hall (who also engineered and mixed the album at MVM Studios) and Chris Johnedis before overdubbing additional parts on her own. When Forest Veil was snowed in during the infamous Portland snowapocalypse of 2015, she challenged herself to write one song, everyday, for 10 days; the majority of these ended up on Solita. Forest Veil’s fierce guitar playing and potent lyricism are supported by a compelling interplay of drums and bass that give force to the honest storylines of love, loss and self-empowerment.
Arran Fagan : Presented by Sou’wester Arts
Arran Fagan is a folk musician based in Portland, OR. A product of the grassroots music movement of Southern Oregon, Arran has spent the greater part of his life pursuing music, creating wistful and evocative songs that explore themes beyond his age – love, loss, divorce, and the endless passage of time.
Often compared to artists like Joan Shelly, Josh Ritter, and Nathaniel Rateliff, Arran Fagan has been working his way into the northwest folk scene for some time, getting his start playing countless coffee shops and house shows for college classmates and eventually opening for northwest favorites like Leif Vollebekk, HorseFeathers, Kris Orlowski, and Jeffrey Martin. Praised for his introspective lyrics and vivid storytelling, Arran has garnered a following in his native Oregon with his uncanny ability to weave the personal and universal.
In 2015, Arran recruited fellow University of Portland students Jack Pfeffer and Jonathan Wiley, and the three worked to perfect a sparse, melodic sound influenced by their individual backgrounds. Fueled by introspective lyrics and nostalgic melodies provided by the intimate combination of viola, bass, and acoustic guitar, his music explores themes of loss, growth, and the passage of time with fresh eyes. Arran’s third album, Weight of Time, debuted in January of 2018 to a sold-out release show and was followed by a tireless West Coast tour. Praised by outlets like half&half and Elsewhere for its powerful stories, cathartic songwriting, and ability to “[weave] concrete images and abstract feelings,” Weight of Time saw Arran establish himself as a surefooted and exciting fixture in the Portland folk scene.
The “Warmth / Death” EP was released in early 2019. For the duration of 2019, Arran was on hiatus while conducting a Fulbright Grant working as a secondary English teacher in a rural school in Sarawak, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Returning to Portland in January 2020, Arran can now be found playing shows around the Portland area and is working on his next solo musical project.
Currently living in the beautiful small village of Joshua Tree, CA. The death place of Graham Parsons and birth place of many artistic visions! Just a couple hours away from Los Angeles, Annachristie has been writing and recording her newest EP “Sibling Rivalry” while soaking up the mountain views.
She was born outside of Philadelphia, PA in a suburb called Downingtown some might know as home of the blob diner. Annachristie grew up in a two bedroom red brick house with 7 home-schooled siblings, ironically just a couple blocks away from an elementary school. As the kids would walk home from school, she and her brothers and sisters would sing songs, do cartwheels, ballet and try to sell toys to the other kids. Her father Dennis Sadler (founder of Songwriter’s Conspiracy) supported all 8 children as an antique dealer. Annachristie followed in his footsteps in the trade of buying and selling in order to dedicate more time to her real passion, music.
Annachristie is musically emerging from a life long project with her sisters, Sisters3 who successfully released “Coruscate at the Meadow Gate” (2012 NYC release recorded at The Cutting Room) under Modern Vintage Recordings. They also recorded “Star Spangled” (2009) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in the same church Feist had recorded her early albums.
The latest, light-hearted release “Sibling Rivalry” will be her fourth release to date and her first solo release since her premiere album “Elixer for the Human Heart” (2005). Currently, she is in the thick of booking a release tour both in the USA, as well as in Europe.
She has shared the stage with artists such as Amos Lee, First Aid-Kit, Langhorn Slim, and Hoots and Hellmouth. As luck or hard work would have it. Annachristie and Sisters3 sang all the backup vocals for Sharon Little on her tour with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. She has made appearances on Mountain Stage, NBC Ten Show, Good Morning New York, Philadelphia Folk Festival and Bliss Fest.
She is as hard working as a donkey and as magical as a unicorn.
Annachristie has had a long romance singing in the subways of NYC sharing her music with the transient city traveling relentlessly with a vigor for adventure that you can taste when she sings. She is a true minstrel looking to sing you a song on the way, a siren luring you to look at the ocean.
Will you come along?