Basic Folk – Cristina Vane

Blues musician Cristina Vane has lived many lives. She grew up in Europe listening to an eclectic mix of emo, pop, and rock. She came to the U.S. to study comparative literature at Princeton before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her songwriting career. Determined to get her music out there on her own terms, Cristina embarked on a life-changing solo tour that took her across the United States. She slept in her tent, took in the majesty of the National Parks, and learned more about American culture than most Americans learn in a lifetime.

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Vane’s new album, Make Myself Me Again, is a sonic homecoming that showcases her remarkable talents as a guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist. Ever a student of the blues, Cristina pays homage to her forebears while telling her own stories with vulnerability. Some of the highlights of our conversation include central New Jersey deli memories, tour stories, Cristina’s approach to finding the perfect guitar tone, and a roundabout journey to identity.


Photo Credit: Stuart Levine

LISTEN: Jason Ringenberg, “Here in the Sequoias”

Artist: Jason Ringenberg
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Here in the Sequoias”
Album: Stand Tall
Release Date: February 7, 2019
Label: Courageous Chicken

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Here in the Sequoias’ during my time doing the National Park Service artist-in-residency program at Sequoia National Park. To be among those giant angels made it very easy to release the songwriting muse. Immediately after writing it I felt a bluegrass direction would be best for it. We recorded most of it live in the studio. I think we can hear the spontaneity in the track. Later we brought in Robert Bowlin (who was in Bill Monroe’s band) to add in fiddles and mando. I believe the track does capture the sublime beauty of the Giant Sequoias.” — Jason Ringenberg


Photo credit. Gregg Roth