Lauren Calve has a lot to say. But not in an in your face way but subtlety, coolly. Her lyrics, intonation, and songwriting resonate with the listener leaving them to ponder what they’ve just heard and wanting more. On her latest EP, Wildfire, out June 23, 2020, Calve delves into interesting territory as she uses memorable imagery and meter to write about complex issues too little found in popular music today. Her thirst for knowledge and understanding about the human condition feeds her creativity in a way that she can’t get enough of. Her musical compositions find their ground in the sounds of blues and Americana, guitar and lap steel, but their strength lies in how they go beyond tradition into innovative melodies, structures and arrangements that define their originality. Calve wrote “Better Angels” after listening to an interview with Jon Meacham who cited Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address as inspiration for his book, The Soul of America: The Battle For Our Better Angels. “Meacham applied Lincoln’s message of ‘the better angels of our nature’ to the courage of the American people who dealt with the unprecedented crises of their era,’” says Calve. “Lincoln's words still held a powerful resonance, and they gave me a deep hope that I hadn’t felt in years. ‘Better Angels’ came from that surge of hope and optimism. It was a reminder that we would always rise to the occasion, no matter what.

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Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nicole Saphos’ musical identity can be categorized somewhere between jazz and indie rock. With a stylistic nod to artists like Dirty Projectors and Fiona Apple, her most recent album "Takoma Sessions" delivers a sequence of groove-heavy, pop-friendly originals, complimented by bold vocal harmonies.