Chicago songwriter Heather Styka is not afraid to go where others fear to tread and to get a little messy on the way. Beneath sweet, soulful vocals (Portland Press Herald) and nimble fingerpicked guitar (Dispatch Magazine) lie narratives of vulnerability, strength, and wanderlust, drawn from her extensive touring. These are the sort of songs that take you on a journey and haunt you all the way home.
Styka started writing and performing as a teenager, honing her craft among Chicagos folk community. At the age of 28, Heather Styka has performed for over a decade, released four full-length albums, and toured from coast to coast. She was a 2015 New Folk Finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and has performed at the Folk Alliance International and FARM conferences as an official showcase artist.
Heather Stykas 2011 release Lifeboats for Atlantis hit #3 on the FOLK-DJ charts. After moving to Maine for two years, Styka released While This Planet Spins Beneath Our Feet (2014), which charted for four months on FOLK-DJ.
Stykas latest release The Bittersweet Tapes (2016) was recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma on a four track recorder with sparse, ethereal production. In this raw and intimate portrait of life, disguised as a collection of songs, Heather Styka has truly created a masterpiece (Chris Darby, Independent Melody).
John L Keck is a Kansas City songwriter who writes lyrics with the intent of capturing emotion and depicting a moment in time, much like a photograph can define the light. With roots in the South and the Midwest, John's music is a modern blend of traditional american and a willingness to be undefined.