The Songwriter Diaries

Corsicana's influences are as diverse as they are intentional. Lyrically rich artists such as Sufjan Stevens and The Antlers tend to inspire 21-year-old Ben Pisano's own literary approach to songwriting, while the experimental and electronic tendencies of artists like Bon Iver and Radiohead inform the more subdued instrumentals. Despite the somewhat minimal, guitar-driven sound, Pisano also draws from genres such as R&B, soul, bossa nova, and hip hop to round out the production and arrangement of his music.

In their time as a band, Corsicana has opened for national act Hippo Campus twice, as well as Devotchka, Wye Oak, and NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Gaelynn Lea. The band have received airplay and recorded a live session at CPR’s OpenAir/Indie 102.3, and have played local venues such as The Bluebird Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Boulder Theater, Fox Theater, Levitt Pavilion, Larimer Lounge, and Lost Lake Lounge. Corsicana has toured the West Coast, and have released two EPs and two full-length records.

Follow Corsicana!

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/corsicanamusic/

Bandcamp - https://corsicanamusic.bandcamp.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/corsicanamusic

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If you are a person for the people then you will LOVE Anthony Ruptak. His songs convey the anger that we all carry about the current state our political climate is. 

Anthony Ruptak is a Denver-based musician who composes, writes and performs his original work with a simple mission: to connect us all to the human condition. Through his lyrics, community cultivation, and activism Anthony advocates for positive, inclusive progress in our society. Anthony Ruptak aims to be a voice for the lost and disaffected, a midnight friend for those with nowhere else to go, a sounding board when you need a place to put your voice, and a safety net for the misshapen, the abandoned, and the eccentric because everyone’s a freak and he is so okay with that.

Follow Anthony!

Bandcamp - https://anthonyruptak.bandcamp.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/anthonyruptak/

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Welcome back to a new season of The Songwriter Diaries! This season holds within its episodes some of the best songwriters in Denver, CO. We will dive deep into mortality with our first guest Andy Thomas and his project Dust Heart. 

After years of a folky, almost alt-country approach, he’s pulled a hard left turn to catchy hooks, snarling riffs, and big choruses. Don’t be alarmed, though – if die-hard fans are confused by the lack of pedal steel on the first go-round, they won’t even notice by the second listen when they’re singing along with their friends.

And that’s what it really comes down to. It’s not that the band has changed by getting better or tighter, or that Thomas has changed his songwriting approach, or even that he himself has changed. What Thomas wants to change now is his musical journey. He’s definitely been around, so why not give the unknown a shot?

If these two new songs should tell us anything, it’s that whatever Thomas has learned, he’s ready to share it with the world – and maybe have us sing some of it back to him.

Follow Andy!

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DustHeartCO/⁠

Bandcamp - ⁠https://dustheart.bandcamp.com/

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New Mexican is the solo project of American folk rock musician Matt Hoffman, who was born in Las Cruces, NM, and whose family history extends through southern New Mexico.

The music on the debut album Take It On Our Shoulders (2018) is dusty, sandy, a little tired, the characters simple, honest, and quietly desperate. New Mexican is a new version of something old, somewhat territorial and disagreeable.

In various projects Hoffman has shared the stage with such acts as Chris Stapleton, Langhorne Slim, Old 97's, Shakey Graves,  Jeffrey Foucault, Sean Rowe, Guided By Voices, Water Liars, Cory Branan, and Marco Benevento. 

Follow Matt!

Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠http://www.newmexicanmusic.com/⁠

Website - ⁠https://www.strangeamericansmusic.com/

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/strangeamericans/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/newmexicanmusic/

Spotify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/614oBHkY1af4MxgRo96ghE

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Spencer LaJoye is a folk/pop singer songwriter and vocal loop artist who believes everyone is made of the good stuff. A classically-trained violinist raised on jazz and musical theater, they make music to remind themselves what it means to be human...to find connection in a time of disconnection, and to feel something in a world gone numb. Their most recent album and third studio project, "Altars," was released in February 2018.

Follow Spencer!

Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.spencerlajoye.com/

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/spencerlajoye/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLaJoye

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After a 40-year hiatus from performing, Uncle Barnaby, aka: David Stumph, has returned to music following a successful career in business. 

Although away from performing, songwriting remained a constant for Stumph. Now performing throughout the Denver area, Uncle Barnaby has earned a reputation as a “storyteller“ through his music.

A Vietnam veteran, Stumph’s music chronicles his service as well as life’s experiences. Together with fellow vet, Rich Raitano, he formed the band, Uncle Barnaby, in Chicago after returning from Vietnam. The band became part of the Chicago folk music scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s that spawned the likes of John Prine, Steve Goodman, and others. Stumph carries on the band’s legacy and the name. He and Raitano continue to collaborate as songwriters today. 

With music never far from mind and always prominent in the Stumph home throughout his performing hiatus, Stumph’s son, Patrick, picked up were he left off in the mid-1970’s to become the voice of the band, Fall Out Boy.

Uncle Barnaby’s debut CD released in May 2018, Uncle Barnaby: On My Way Home, is available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, YouTube video and other online resources. 

Follow Uncle Barnaby!

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/uncle_barnaby/

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In the project Bellhoss, Becky sits in a purgatory between folk and DIY punk, writing sad songs for herself and for people who keep secrets. With Bellhoss, Becky specializes in puppy birthday parties (alongside run-of-the-mill sad dog birthday clowns) and government acronyms. 

Follow Bellhoss!

Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.bellhoss.com/

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bellhoss/

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Bob Barrick is an American folk singer and poet best known for his highly-literate songwriting and captivating stage presence. He first gained notoriety as the front man for Coyote Armada and Kingdom Jasmine, releasing 5 albums between the two groups. One viral performance of John Prine’s “Paradise” with members of Kingdom Jasmine put his face in front of over 1,000,000 viewers worldwide.

In 2017, he stepped out on his own and signed with In Store Recordings. Soon thereafter, he released Wildflower Runner, a 5-track EP recorded in one afternoon. Despite its brevity, it cemented Barrick as a force to be reckoned with in the indie folk world. 

Today, he lives on the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, performing and preparing for his forthcoming solo album.

Follow Bob!

Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bobbarrick.co/

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bob_barrick/

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Britt Margit is singer-songsmith and avid advocate for women in music. She holds a Bachelor’s in Music Business from the University of Colorado Denver, with past experience in artist management, event planning, & marketing. She now works in marketing, both for Second Star to the Right Books, and as a consultant for music & lifestyle brands. When she’s not planning #WomenCrush Music events or seeking out opportunities in her local music scene, Britt can be found curled up with a book and a 11-year-old Blue Heeler rescue named Tick (@coloradobluetick) at her feet.

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Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/brittmargit03/

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Morning Bear is an orchestral indie folk project based in Denver, Colorado. The nom de guerre of singer/songwriter John Runnels, the project formed in March of 2014 when Runnels quit his job as an engineer and took a one-way flight to Seville, Spain. Runnels spent six and a half months traveling Europe with just a guitar and a backpack, playing on the streets for change. Morning Bear’s music features songs written during these travels, taking listeners on a candid and emotional journey through battles with self-doubt, the challenges of risk taking, and of growing up.

Characterized by highly dynamic compositions, Morning Bear’s music is a synthesis of the calm and delicate stylings of artists like Bon Iver and Jose Gonzalez with the complexity and depth of the Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens. Featuring soaring vocals and atypical arrangements including cello, violin, piano and more, Morning Bear provides a textured landscape behind pop-influenced hooks. 

Follow Morning Bear!

Website - ⁠http://www.morningbearofficial.com/

Instagram - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/johnmorningbear/

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