April 26th, 2023 6pm Stage 1
Marley Hale
Marley Hale’s self-reflective songwriting invites her listeners to explore the complications of heartbreak. She is a true folk lover with a wide range of inspirations: the biting voice of Karen Dalton, the deadpan delivery of Norma Tanega, the virtuosic and expressive guitar playing of Elizabeth Cotten. She also finds herself drawn to the drama and magic in the music of the artists she grew up listening to: Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and Kate Bush. The result: a siren drawing her audience further and further out to a space where swimming in sadness becomes comfortable, even pleasurable.
Hale has lived all over, from Austin, TX to San Mateo, CA to Portland, OR to New York City, where she currently resides. Her transient years give her songwriting a soft, somber, and mature edge, while dealing with the loss of friends, memories, and time. Her introspective and curious nature balances the gut-wrenching heartache so deeply ingrained into her music. Her new single, “Cowboy Blues,” is a playful, country ballad, evoking jealousy, competition, and internal conflict all at once.