Passim Monday Discovery Series

KORA FEDER

Kora Feder (Feder rhymes with cedar) is a rising voice in the new generation of songwriters up to the task of confronting the times we live in. Spring of 2019 brought the release of her first full length album, In Sevens, produced by Rich Brotherton (of Robert Earl Keen, Mary Gauthier, Eliza Gilkyson, etc.) in Austin, TX. The record has already received critical acclaim, drawing comparisons to Pete Seeger’s writing (Roots Music Report) and Iris Dement’s voice (Americana Highways, Minor 7th). With features on numerous top picks and playlists, a highlight thus far has been the song ‘I’d Be a Maria’ making its way past 390,000 Spotify streams thanks to its placement on three Spotify editorial playlists in Europe.

A self proclaimed “songwriter and concerned citizen”, Feder has already gained international recognition for her craft: from winning second place in the International Songwriting Competition in 2019 (19,000 entries from 140 countries), to being featured for her writing at the Kerrville Folk Festival and Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2018. In response to Feder’s Tiny Desk submission that received an All Songs Considered feature, NPR’s Pilar Fitzgerald described her song Automatic Times as carrying “an emotional weight that can stop you in your tracks, even long after the song has finished…a skillfully structured and impassioned plea for an end to gun violence.”

Although originally from Northern California, Feder spent that past three years living in New York City and recently moved to Philadelphia.

BELLA WHITE

Bella White is a Calgary-based acoustic roots musician. She grew up around bluegrass and old-time music, and it was very clear to her at a young age that she wanted to play. She has cultivated a sound drawing influences from country, bluegrass, old-time.

EG VINES

Having burst onto Nashville’s bustling Americana scene with his debut EP in 2018, E.G. Vines is preparing for the release of his first full-length album as a solo artist. Produced by Jordan Lehning (Kacey Musgraves, Robert Ellis, Rayland Baxter), Family Business is a deep dive into Vines’ broad-ranging roots rock sound paired with lyrics that relate themselves to the human condition. As its title suggests, at its core lies a focus on what makes us, as a collective society, family. With lead single “The Salesman” already in rotation at regional taste-maker Lightning 100, Vines is poised to break out on a national scale.

GRACE GIVERTZ

Out November 1st, Year of the Horse is Grace Givertz’s debut studio album. Two years after her first EP The Light, Grace has turned her wit to grit to create her most vulnerable release yet. Working closely with good friend Max Grazier (Grazier Audio), Grace has turned tragedy into a triumphant record. She writes openly about living with chronic illness and how it has affected every aspect of her life.

With a large voice packed into a tiny body, Grace Givertz is a multi-instrumentalist who uses her honest lyrics to bring a refreshing sound to folk. Born and raised in Jupiter, Florida, Grace has been writing songs and performing since she was eleven years old. Grace has performed at many Boston venues including Great Scott, Club Passim, ONCE Ballroom, The Red Room and The Burren, opening for favorites like Lucy Dacus, Neyla Pekarek (The Lumineers), and John Paul White (The Civil Wars), and Erin Rae.

Year of the Horse showcases Grace’s ability to turn lemons in to lemonade. “…The only real option is to smile at how much she packs into a tiny punch of a song,” Nina Corcoran writes in digboston.