Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer

Last updated

Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer
OriginNorthwest Washington State
Genres Folk rock, roots rock, Americana
Years active2010 (2010)–present
Labelsindependent
MembersDave McGraw
Mandy Fer
Website daveandmandymusic.com

Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer are an American folk rock singer-songwriter duo based in northwest Washington State. McGraw & Fer had both been pursuing solo singer-songwriter music careers before they began their musical partnership in the summer of 2010.

Contents

During their live performances, McGraw sings and plays acoustic guitar & djembe. Fer sings and plays acoustic & electric guitars. Their music highlights intricate rhythms, close harmony, and the blending of multiple musical styles and genres (folk-rock, americana, singer-songwriter, roots rock to name a few).[ citation needed ]

Touring the U.S. from coast to coast since 2010, McGraw & Fer have performed in a vast array of venues from large theaters to intimate listening rooms. Individually and collectively, the pair has shared stages with fellow troubadours including The Swell Season, David Wilcox, Willy Porter, Peter Mulvey, Po' Girl, Tony Furtado, Gregory Alan Isakov, Jeffrey Foucault, and many others.[ citation needed ]

Seed of a Pine (2012)

The songwriters’ first official collaboration, Seed of a Pine, was self-released on February 15, 2012. Seed of a Pine itself was recorded in Chicago during the summer of 2011 with renowned producer Zach Goheen and includes contributions from a litany of acclaimed musicians, including Wisconsin singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey, [1] Po' Girl [2] songstress Allison Russell, and Chicago's JT Nero (of JT and the Clouds). [3] The album has been critically well received: "If you're a fan of modern folk and Americana, you can't go wrong with Seed of a Pine", [4] "an album that positively brims with excellent songs, fine playing and exquisite vocals" [5] , "a smooth and impressive slice of Americana", [6] "packed with emotive and beautiful songs which brilliantly showcases their talent". [7]

Maritime (2014)

The duo's second album, Maritime, was self-released in August 2014, funded by a Kickstarter campaign. [8] The supposedly difficult follow-up second album is a natural progression and step-up from their debut album, and "full of soulful songs and fine musicianship". [8] [9] The album charted at No. 1 on the EuroAmericana Chart for two consecutive months. [10]

Off-Grid Lo-Fi (2016)

The third album, Off-Grid Lo-Fi, was self-released in 2016. As suggested by the title, the album was a low tech production and recorded entirely with solar and wind power. With sparse instrumentation, no other musicians or producer involved, and "with no computers and no editing, the aim was to capture the emotional edge rather than technical polish". [11] The album was recorded on a remote, sparsely populated island in the San Juan archipelago, hence 'off-grid'. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralston Bowles</span> Musical artist

Ralston Bowles is an American poet, songwriter, producer, musician and singer from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kris Delmhorst</span> American singer-songwriter and musician

Kris Delmhorst is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Originally from Brooklyn, New York City, United States, she now lives in Western Massachusetts, is an active member of the Boston folk scene, and tours internationally. She has released eight full-length solo albums and two EPs on Signature Sounds Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Erelli</span> Musical artist

Mark Erelli is an American singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and touring folk musician from Reading, Massachusetts who earned a master's degree in evolutionary biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst before pursuing a career in music. Erelli has released nine solo albums and three collaborative albums. His self-titled debut album was released in 1999, the same year that he won the Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Award. His first recording for the Signature Sounds label, Compass & Companion, spent ten weeks in the Top Ten on the Americana Chart. Erelli has worked as a side musician for singer songwriters Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter. He has performed at various music festivals and shared the stage with John Hiatt, Dave Alvin, and Gillian Welch. Erelli's song “People Look Around”, which he co-wrote with Catie Curtis, was the Grand Prize winner at the 2005 International Songwriting Competition. His songs have been recorded by Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, Antje Duvekot, and Red Molly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lori McKenna</span> American musician

Lorraine McKenna is an American folk, Americana, and country music singer-songwriter. In 2016, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won Best Country Song for co-writing the hit single "Girl Crush" performed by Little Big Town. In 2017, she again won Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for writing "Humble and Kind" performed by Tim McGraw. McKenna along with Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey wrote the second single off the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Star Is Born called "Always Remember Us This Way.” McKenna performed backing vocals along with Lindsey and Hemby, and the song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Americana is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds that are emerged from the Southern United States such as folk, gospel, blues, country, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, bluegrass, and other external influences.

Signature Sounds Recordings is an independent record label specializing in Americana and modern folk music. Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer founded the label in 1995 to promote acoustic musicians who were playing in Northampton, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Isbell</span> American singer-songwriter

Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won four Grammy Awards.

<i>Shotgun Singer</i> 2008 studio album by Kris Delmhorst

Shotgun Singer is an album by American singer/songwriter Kris Delmhorst, released in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Townes Earle</span> American musician (1982–2020)

Justin Townes Earle was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut, EP Yuma (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009 and for Song of the Year in 2011 for "Harlem River Blues". His father is alternative country artist Steve Earle.

Krista Detor is a singer-songwriter and pianist from Indiana whose music has been featured on NPR and with Mike Harding on the BBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allison Russell</span> Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and activist

Allison Russell is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Loebe</span> American singer-songwriter

Rebecca Ann Loebe is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. She has performed and toured with such recording artists as Shawn Colvin, The Civil Wars, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Ellis Paul amongst others. In 2011 she made her international broadcast television debut on The Voice . In addition to being a solo singer she is a founding member of Austin-based band Nobody's Girl.

Jack Harris is a Welsh-born folk singer-songwriter, musician, and poet. He is multi-award-winning, most notably winning the 2005 New Folk Songwriting Competition at Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, the first non-American to do so. Jack Harris has been described as "a priest of song" by singer Anaïs Mitchell.

Ed Romanoff is an American singer-songwriter, corporate story-teller and entrepreneur. His first album, Ed Romanoff, was a Roots Radio Top 100 Album for 2012. He is also the founder of PineRock, a global brand communications company based in New York City. He has co-written numerous soft-rock songs and toured with artists such as Rachael Yamagata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Cobb</span> American singer-songwriter

Brent Cobb is an American country music singer-songwriter and artist. Cobb has released six studio albums and one EP. His most recent album, Southern Star, was released on September 22, 2023. Providence Canyon was his second major-label LP with Low Country Sound, an imprint of Elektra. His previous album Shine On Rainy Day peaked at number 17 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Cobb also received a 2018 Grammy Award nomination for this album. Cobb has written songs for a variety of country artists, including Luke Bryan, Kellie Pickler, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys as well as many others.

<i>The Good Stuff</i> (Peter Mulvey album) 2012 studio album by Peter Mulvey

The Good Stuff is an album by American singer/songwriter Peter Mulvey, released in 2012.

Birds of Chicago is an Americana/folk band founded in March 2012 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The band is led by husband and wife, JT Nero and Allison Russell. Russell is formerly of the Canadian roots act Po' Girl. The duo-fronted band refers to their music as "secular gospel".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Goldsmith</span> American musician

Taylor Dawes Goldsmith is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He serves as the lead singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter of American folk rock band Dawes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redbird (band)</span> American singer-songwriter

Redbird is an Americana / folk trio, comprising Jeffrey Foucault, Kris Delmhorst and Peter Mulvey. All three are artists on the Signature Sounds Recordings label and have regularly toured together. Foucault and Delmhorst are married.

Luke Jackson is a British singer-songwriter from Canterbury. He started playing guitar when he was ten, and made his first public performance at his primary school's leaving assembly He recorded his first album More than Boys, produced by Martyn Joseph, when he was 18.

References

  1. "Home". Peter Mulvey. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  2. Ben Sidelinger. "Po' Girl – Allison Russell, Awna Teixeira, and Mikey "Lightning" August". Pogirl.net. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  3. "JT & The Clouds". Jtandtheclouds.com. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  4. Fitz (January 30, 2012). "Music Review: Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer – Seed of a Pine". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  5. Kerr, Paul (February 18, 2012). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer. Seed of a Pine". Blabber ‘n’ Smoke. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  6. Chilton, Martin (November 17, 2012). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer, Seeds Of A Pine, album review". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  7. Walker, Craig (October 24, 2012). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer – Seed of a Pine". Folk Radio UK . Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Chilton, Martin (September 9, 2014). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer, Maritime, album review". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  9. Gregory, Helen (August 19, 2014). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer – Maritime". Folk Radio . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  10. Elkins, Stephanie (April 17, 2015). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer". Wisconsin Public Radio . Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  11. Davies, Mike (June 29, 2016). "Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer – Off-Grid Lo-Fi (Dave and Mandy Music)". Folking.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  12. Kerr, Paul (July 20, 2016). "Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer Off-Grid Lo-Fi". Folk Radio . Retrieved July 24, 2018.