Pieta Brown

press release: An artist does not work alone. She may travel with her guitar and strum new songs into being by motel light, but an artist is a collaborator, a seeker of inspiration, a communicator of ideas. This is especially true of Pieta Brown and her 2017 release Postcards.

Brown took a collection of bare-bones songs, written on the road, and recorded them in a neighborhood garage studio. These were the beginings of her audio postcards. Each song was carefully considered and noted. She then sent the individual pieces out to musician friends, asking them to add to the framework she created. In return, Brown received a bevy of responses from artists such as Mark Knopfler, Calexico, Carrie Rodriguez, and The Pines, among many others. Postcards is a cohesive, magical anthology of voice and musicianship strung together by Brown’s lyricism and the mixing of B.J. Burton at April Base Studio just outside Eau Claire.

“Taken as a whole, the tunes tend towards a similar ballad quality and, even with the eclectic guest list, blend together,” says Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter. “Brown sounds committed and melancholy throughout, a natural extension of the solitary circumstances that created this moving, emotional music. And even though most of the accompaniment was mailed in, the result feels surprisingly organic and natural.”

Hailed as a "self-styled poetess, folk goddess and country waif" by the BBC, Pieta Brown first came to international attention with her 2002 self-titled debut. The daughter of Grammy-nominated folk musician Greg Brown, Pieta has since been recognized by NPR for her "moody, ethereal" songwriting, applauded by The Boston Globe for her "mercurial voice,” and has continued to gain widespread critical attention for both her singing and songwriting with each release.

She has shared stages with artists from Emmylou Harris and JJ Cale to Neko Case and Richard Thompson, in addition to performing at major festivals like Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam. Continually revealing new layers as both a songwriter and performer, Pieta is being recognized as one of modern Americana's true gems.

Pieta Brown will be appearing at the STOUGHTON OPERA HOUSE on Saturday, March 10 at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.stoughtonoperahouse.com or by calling (608) 277-4400.