Party: Sofia Talvik & Anna Laube

Party: Sofia Talvik & Anna Laube

Sofia Talvik - Sofia Talvik is the next rising star from Sweden. She has emerged like a lady of the forest, bringing a new interesting side to folk music. She’s playing a unique blend of folk-pop (someone said Neo-Folk). This American genre filtered through her Swedish heritage, becomes something totally unique, a blend that has attracted attention from American reviewers, blogs and music lovers, allowing her tour the US several times. In 2008, she became the first Swedish female singer to play the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.
Sofia Talvik was born on an island just off the west coast of Sweden. At the tender age of eighteen she left behind the comfort of home for the bright lights and lonely nights of Stockholm where every experience, good and bad, would soon take the form of a beautiful, funny or heartbreaking story destined to capture the hearts and minds of all who would hear the words when set to Sofia’s gentle, melodic acoustic guitar and minimalist back up of cellos, double bass and soft percussion.
Sofia’s debut album Blue Moon was released in 2005 to much critical acclaim followed by Street of Dreams in 2007 which features a duet with indie pop icon Bernard Butler from British band Suede, released on her then newly formed record label Makaki Music. Continuing a steady pace of releasing albums Sofia released her album Jonestown, named after the tragic 1978 event in Jonestown, Gyuana, 2008, and was the first Swedish female artist to play the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, that same year.
US indie distributer CD Baby wrote “It’s not often that an album takes your breath away, and I hate to sound hyperbolic, but “Florida” actually has several “Oh my god!” moments of sheer beauty.” about Sofia Talvik’s 2010 release Florida, and album inspired by spending a few hot summer months in Florida in 2009.
Sofia who toured the US several times from her first success at the Lollapalooza festival in 2008 has been invited to officially showcase at SxSW 3 years as well as to The Folk Alliance International Conference in 2012, is now on a two year tour of the US promoting her 5th release The Owls Are Not What They Seem. She’s been noted in media all over the US for her impeccable live performances and captivating stage presence, and recently released her first Daytrotter session.

http://www.sofiatalvik.com/

Anna Laube - Anna Laube's second studio album, a roots-pop-Americana collection entitled Pool All the Love * Pool All the Knowledge (Ginkgo), builds upon the sound that she cultivated on 2006’s critically acclaimed debut, Outta My Head.
“Her voice is an alluringly warm, friendly instrument—sweet without becoming cloying, tender and heartfelt and rich from just a hint of a soft husky purr from time to time,” writes Todd Lavoie of the San Francisco Bay Guardian. “Fans of Sarah Harmer's easygoing indie folk or the Be Good Tanyas' front-porch-and-a-beer tribute to old-timey sounds will find much to love in Laube's material, as it shares many similarities with those artists.”
Born in Iowa City, IA, and raised in Madison, WI, Anna Laube (pronounced “Lau” like “now” and “be” like “to be or not to be”) played piano, saxophone, and violin during her formative years and later studied oboe at the Académie de Musique Grétry in Liège, Belgium, on a Rotary scholarship. She picked up guitar along the way.
After moving to San Francisco, she started performing her own songs at a cafe on Castro St., Le Bon Gateau, while recording herself in her apartment as well with Jason Quever (Papercuts) at his Pan American Recording Studio a few miles away. She finished up the album with Mark Whitcomb at DNA Studios in Madison, WI. NPR reviewed the result of this debut record, declaring, “Anna Laube makes intimate, heartfelt songs rooted in traditional Americana. With a strong voice reminiscent of Neko Case or Jenny Lewis, Laube sings with a slight but refreshing country twang over a mix of blues, country and folk.”
She’s toured extensively, curated an art and music event in downtown San Francisco entitled The Love Show (I, II, & III), and has been heard on XM Satellite Radio and The Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. Anna has appeared at festivals including SXSX, The Midwest Music Festival, the Monterey Blues Festival, Rootstalk, The WI State Fair, and Folk Alliance International. Songs from her two studio albums, Outta My Head and Pool All The Love * Pool All The Knowledge, are receiving airplay worldwide.

http://www.annalaube.com/

Invited: Christina Geller, Jonas Westin, Andreas Wolfgramm-Berlin