Details
A 17x Grammy-nominee, CMA Award-winner and Tony-nominee, Brandy Clark is one of her generation’s most esteemed songwriters and musicians. In the midst of yet another landmark year, Clark released her widely acclaimed self-titled album this past spring and is nominated for six awards at the upcoming 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards: Best Americana Album (Brandy Clark), Best Americana Performance (“Dear Insecurity” feat. Brandi Carlile), Best American Roots Song (“Dear Insecurity”), Best Country Song (“Buried”), Best Country Solo Performance (“Buried”) and Best Musical Theater Album (Shucked).
Produced by 9x Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile, the album features Clark’s most personal songwriting to date and landed on several “Best of 2023 So Far” lists including the Los Angeles Times, The Tennessean and Variety, who praises, “one of the year’s best…further clarifies that she’s one of America’s treasures,” while Forbes calls the album “an Americana Masterpiece” and Billboard declares, “Clark continues to convey her inexorable talents as both a song-crafter and vocal interpreter.”
In addition to her work as a solo artist, Clark has written songs such as “A Beautiful Noise,” the Grammy-nominated duet performed by Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys, and Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.” She also composed the music and lyrics for the hit musical comedy, Shucked, alongside her longtime collaborator, Shane McAnally. With the show, Clark won Outstanding Music at the 67th Drama Desk Awards, while Shucked was also nominated for nine Tony Awards earlier this year.
Sistastrings
Milwaukee bred sisters, Monique and Chauntee Ross, spent their entire music education not quite fitting any particular mold. Raised by two ministers, enrolled in conservatory at young ages, Monique and Chauntee embraced what made them different. Their art is meant to reflect their varying musical interests in a way that draws the listener in. Music becomes a journey and SistaStrings invites you to find your path.
Collaboration has been at the forefront of SistaStrings’ art. The sisters grew up playing their instruments in the church which is where their love of harmonies and improvisation was cultivated. Their entire childhood was immersed in music and making music with their peers in many different settings. It wasn’t until 2014 when both Monique and Chauntee moved back to their hometown, Milwaukee, WI when they began this project. They began exploring their sound as SistaStrings and collaborating with a variety of Milwaukee artists and found a strong creative community. In 2019 they released their first EP, LIFT and began touring.
During their “discovery phase”, SistaStrings met and began to collaborate with fellow Milwaukeean Peter Mulvey. They’ve recorded two albums together, one of which is being released in 2022. 2021 opened a new chapter for the duo as they relocated to Nashville. They quickly found a sisterhood with Allison Russell and toured with her in 2022. Monique and Chauntee began working with Brandi Carlile around the same time. They can be found touring with BCB in 2023. It’s no coincidence that collaboration is a strong point for the sisters. They believe that music and the arts reflect life and use their music to create opportunity for others and promote love and acceptance.