Samantha Parton

It’s always a thrill when Samantha Parton drops by to play at the festival! Vancouverite Samantha first came to prominence as a founding member of award-winning Canadian alt-folk/bluegrass group The Be Good Tanyas. A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Parton formed the group in the late ‘90s with Jolie Holland, eventually adding Frazey Ford and Trish Klein. Parton’s distinctive voice and poignant songwriting were among the group’s greatest strengths. Their song “The Littlest Birds” became a folk anthem that highlighted their signature soaring harmonies.

While on hiatus from The Tanyas in 2012, Parton was involved in two serious car accidents, which left her with injuries that made it difficult to play music. After being sidelined for several years, she reunited with former bandmate Jolie Holland in 2017, and they released Wildflower Blues, an album that wove together influences spanning jazz, blues, country, folk, rock, experimental, and the great history of American song into their distinctive original songs.

Since then, she’s expressed her love for roots music by recording a gorgeous version of The Grateful Dead’s “Attics of my Life”, which lead her to collaborate with Steve Dawson on last year’s tribute to the Grateful Dead and the upcoming reimagining of Neil Young’s classic album, Harvest.

When not creating music, Samantha can be found teaching songwriting workshops at Hollyhock where she continues to inspire a new generation of singers and songwriters.

– DH