After only three months into 2014, Leif Vollebekk has already had a stellar year with the release of his US debut North Americana and a successful showcase at the SXSW Music Festival. Now Vollebekk has been tapped to play the Newport Folk Festival, which takes place Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI between July 25th and 27th.
Vollebekk will perform on Sunday July 27th alongside artists such as Mavis Staples,Conor Oberst, Trampled By Turtles, Lucero, and Hurray For The Riff Raff. You can find additional information at www.newportfolk.org.
Leif Vollebekk’s SXSW showcase at St. David’s Bethell Hall was featured as a highlight from NPR Music’s Bob Boilen, who said “I love the songs and spaciousness of Leif Vollebekk. He had a way of phrasing that was somewhere between Van Morrisonand Andrew Bird or Patrick Watson.”
Ann Powers of NPR Music included the album on her “Under-The-Radar Albums Preview of 2014” list and said “Vollebekk also openly borrows from Jeff Buckley – always a daring move. With a grit-and-honey voice and a way of opening up his own confessions until they become universal, Vollebekk pulls it off.”
Paste Magazine premiered the music video for Vollebekk’s “When The Subway Comes Above The Ground,” which you can watch HERE.
The Onion’s A.V. Club premiered the album on their website and said it features a “unique take on warbling Americana, a la Ryan Adams or A.A. Bondy.”
The ten songs that comprise North Americana were performed by Vollebekk (vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, a little rusty fiddle), jazz musicians Hans Bernhard (bass) and Philippe Melanson (drums), Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld (violin), Joe Grass (pedal steel) and Adam Kinner (tenor sax).
On April 15th, Leif Vollebekk will hit the road for a national U.S. tour supporting William Fitzsimmons.
U.S. Tour Dates:
