Eliza Gilkyson, the two-time GRAMMY™-nominated (2006/2014) folk singer, songwriter and activist is one of the most respected musicians in Folk Roots/Americana music today. In keeping with the idea of folk music as an instrument for change, Gilkyson is announcing her new release, 2020, a collection of politically charged anthems designed to motivate, reflect and inspire action during what she believes will be "the most important USA election of our lifetime." She is sharing the song "Sooner or Later" today at Billboard, which writes "the bluesy, biting 'Sooner or Later' is intended as a rallying cry and a statement of purpose." Gilkyson examines the inequality in our world right now and warns that sooner or later we're "gonna rise up, gonna take all back."
Produced by Eliza's son, Cisco Ryder, 2020 features songs that are designed to be audience sing-a-longs in the Pete Seeger tradition of motivational political anthems, from the call for unity of "Peace in Our Hearts," to blistering condemnations of the current regime's policies with "Sooner or Later" and "My Heart Aches." Along with these new songs (including two co-writes with students from her summer songwriter workshops in Taos, NM), she has recorded two folk favorites: Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." Gilkyson's timely new song, "Beach Haven," was drawn from a letter written by Woody Guthrie in 1952 directed to Beach Haven Apartment's landlord Fred Trump (POTUS' father) regarding his racist, segregationist renter policies. The song is Woody's joyful invitation to Trump to "open your doors" and "rip out the strangling red tape" that keeps the apartment from embracing all races.
"May human decency prevail."
Go to http://elizagilkyson.com for updates.
Listen to "Sooner or Later" below.
SAT, Apr 4 Silver City, NM - Mimbres Arts
TUE, Apr 7 Seattle, WA - Royal Room
THU, Apr 9 Vancouver, BC - Rogue Folk Club
THU, Apr 16 Bainbridge Island, WA - Treehouse Café
THU, Apr 30 Exeter, NH - Word Barn
FRI, May 1 Boston, MA - Community Church of Boston
SAT, May 2 Canton, CT - Roaring Brook
SUN, May 3 Cambridge, MA - Club Passim
TUE, May 5 New York, NY - CITY WINERY Pier 57
THU, May 7 Sutton, MI - Sutton Bay Theater
SAT, May 9 Boyne City, MI - Freshwater Concerts
FRI, May 15 Houston, TX - Mucky Duck
SAT, May 16 Austin, TX - Cactus Café
FRI, May 29 Denver, CO - Swallow Hill Presents
WED, Sep 9 Berkeley, CA - Freight & Salvage
SAT, Sep 19 Los Angeles, CA - McCabes
SUN, Sep 20 Huntington Beach, CA - Huntington Beach Loft Concerts
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