Ken Pomeroy

Ken Pomeroy began writing songs at age 11, but the songwriting seed had been planted much earlier: “I heard [John Denver’s] ‘Jet Plane’ when I was like six, and I became infatuated with it,” she says. “My stepmom burned a CD of just that song playing 18 times in a row, and I listened to that for years… I didn’t know you could feel a certain way listening to music. And ever since then, I’ve wanted to do that for other people.”

Indeed, Pomeroy has been doing just that with songwriting that is deeply personal, embracing her traditions, yet understated and expansive as the plains. 

Raised in Moore, Oklahoma (the tornado capital of the United States), Pomeroy is a member of the Cherokee Nation. Her songs are infused with nature: coyotes, horses, and cicadas work their way into your imagination while stray dogs and rodeo clowns dance the dusty streets between Americana and alt-country. 

Pomeroy began playing gigs at 13 years old. At 16 she opened for Wanda Jackson at the Oklahoma Rodeo Centennial Opry. Two of her songs, “Pareidolia” and “Cicadas,” were featured on the Hulu show Reservation Dogs. She partnered with Wilderado and James McAlister to cover Richard and Linda Thompson’s “Wall of Death” for the 2024 film Twisters, further boosting her profile.
Pomeroy’s latest album, 2025’s Cruel Joke is rich with raw spacious songs full of hurt and hope that establish her among the freshest new voices in contemporary folk. – LP

SUNDAY 1:55 – 3:00pm East Stage
SUNDAY 10:30 – 11:50pm Rise Up and Sing South Stage