SOU’WESTER EVENTS!

Jonah Sissoyev and Anna Hoone: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Andrew Victor: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Throughout his career Andrew Victor has shared bills in the U.S. and Europe with Sharon Van Etten, Alela Diane, Marissa Nadler, Tomo Nakayama, and Damien Jurado. He has been a core part of local scenes in Brooklyn, Seattle, Joshua Tree, and Rhode Island. His new studio album Recovery arrives 11/4/22. 

Zoe Winter: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Arran Fagan: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Praised for his introspective lyrics and vivid storytelling, Portland-based folk artist Arran Fagan has garnered a following in his native Oregon with his uncanny ability to weave the personal and universal. After getting his start in the grassroots music scene of Southern Oregon, Arran has spent the greater part of his life pursuing music, creating wistful and evocative songs that explore themes that connect us all—loss, addiction, change, and the endless passage of time.

With heartfelt lyrics and rich instrumentation that has garnered comparisons to Josh Ritter and Nathaniel Rateliff, Arran has spent years in the NW folk music scene, getting his start playing coffee shops and house shows for college classmates and eventually going on to open for Northwest favorites like Leif Vollebekk, HorseFeathers, Kris Orlowski, Matthew Fowler, and Jeffrey Martin.

In 2015, Arran recruited fellow University of Portland students Jack Pfeffer and Jonathan Wiley, and the three worked to perfect a sparse, melodic sound influenced by their individual backgrounds. Arran’s 2018 album “Weight of Time” debuted to a sold-out release show and was followed by a West Coast tour. Praised by outlets like half&half and Elsewhere for its powerful stories, cathartic songwriting, and ability to “[weave] concrete images and abstract feelings,” “Weight of Time” saw Arran establish himself as a surefooted and exciting fixture in the Portland folk scene.

Sama Dams: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Few bands command the unexpectedly fine line that divides tension and release like Sama Dams does. And it’s no wonder: songwriters Sam and Lisa Adams have been playing music together for over a decade – as long as they have been married – developing a creative forthrightness that sometimes feels voyeuristic. Taking cues from jazz, R&B, new wave, indie-rock, and classical art song, the alt-rock trio weaves a sensuous musical fabric that is distinctly theirs.

Much like the Dirty Projectors or Thom Yorke, Sama Dams’s high art sensibilities are wrapped around a subversive knotty core of uncompromised radicalism – like if Leonard Bernstein was signed to K Records. In that way, the DIY ethos of the Pacific Northwest has shaped much of the band’s path forward since graduating music school in 2008 and relocating to Portland in 2012.

Sama Dams’s fourth and most recent full-length album, ‘Say It’, surprises you with its gritty yet precise instrumentation, striking a keen balance between reserve and power, from wiley “Neil-Young-riding-a-rocket-sled” electric guitar riffs and mutant waves of organ to distorted ukulele and cut-up-on-the-spot breakbeats. The Portland Mercury said “‘Say It’ is an endlessly fascinating sonic concoction, and a confident step forward for Sama Dams.” What should be a series of stylistic contradictions results in each song firmly standing its ground as an interwoven compositional masterpiece, bending and twisting with eclectic abandon.

The band’s sprawling sonic footprint is held together by their dynamic vocal power – an alternate-reality vocal pairing of Kate Bush and Jeff Buckley. Sam and Lisa’s combined proficiencies and unique approaches to songwriting merge with the brilliant percussive work of drummer Micah Hummel, creating a matchless sound in live settings as well as in the studio.

Sama Dams can regularly be found gracing stages, music festivals, and living rooms across the United States and Central Europe, their music finding a place in the hearts of both music enthusiasts and general audiences alike with their intelligent arrangements, catchy melodies, and playful musicality.

The band’s support of their latest release Not Gonna Lie EP in February of 2020 was interrupted But they are happy to be back on stage, and preparing to record a full length record.

Faith & Majesty: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Faith & Majesty are an indie folk/alt sister duo/band from Gainesville, Florida. Their contemplative writing melded with hard-hitting harmonies make their music feel like a heartbreaking lullaby. Having started making music together in 2016, the duo are excited to release their first EP in 2023 following their string of single releases. 

Oh, Rose: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

The Olympia, WA based Oh, Rose has solidified their place in the PNW music scene through powerful, upbeat performances showcasing the emotive and unfiltered voice of frontperson Olivia Rose. Their catalog is both intimate and explosive; since forming in 2014, the band has released two albums and an EP, amassing a catalog that ranges from soft, synth-tinted love songs to full-on, painfully screamed ballads. Their latest release, While My Father Sleeps via Park the Van Records, tells the complex story of family, adversity, love, and friendship, while also serving as an homage to Rose’s mother, who passed away in January of 2017. Rose will be performing an intimate, stripped down version of previously released and new material at Sou’wester on February 25th, 2023.

Twin Bridges: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Twin Bridges is the solo work of Zach Gerzon, a Portland, Oregon based cellist. Twin Bridges is a blend of singer songwriter, cello driven songs, and live looped instrumentals.

Matthew Zeltzer: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

Matthew Zeltzer is a Portland based songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is best known for his work with MAITA (guitar, production), and has toured the US and Europe both as a solo artist and sideman. His work has been featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered, Spin, and KEXP. 

The Fourth Wall: Presented by Sou’wester Arts

The Fourth Wall was formed in 2011 on the island of Oahu. After releasing their first record (Motion & Rest), they quickly gained local notoriety, opening for visiting national acts like Andrew Bird, The Shins, and Menomena. In 2012, The band relocated to Portland, Oregon. Since their move, they’ve released two highly acclaimed records through Portland label, Bug Hunt. The Portland Mercury called their 2015 album (Lovely Violence) “something of a wonder: an engrossing, fully realized and vitalized record with no easy musical touchstone.” The band went on a few tours following the release of Lovely Violence and landed an opening spot with Band of Horses.