Celebrate the season, community and togetherness with lots of dancing, friends and the “soul-baring” voice of May Erlewine.
Artist
Folk favorite May Erlewine, premiering and promoting her new EP
How she got her start
Erlewine grew up in a musical family in Big Rapids. In 2003, she met Samuel Seth Bernard at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, and they discovered they were both musically and personally compatible. They married and she soon became part of the Earthwork Collective, a group of like-minded artists and musicians affiliated with Earthwork Farm in Lake City. She recorded her first album, Daisy May, for the collective’s affiliated label, Earthwork Music. The title came from a nickname she’d had since childhood. She and her husband frequently record and perform together, as do the other members of the collective, such as Joshua Davis (who is performing at the Barn December 9).
Style
Folk with rock and blues influences
Influences and Inspirations
Breathe Owl Breathe, Pete Seeger, Peter Paul & Mary, Judy Collins
Additional Background
Elrewine’s “Winter Dance Party” tour celebrates her new EP, The Little Things. She sees the recording of six originals as both a celebration of the season and an antidote to the stresses it can bring. The songs were born out of conversations she has had with dear friends over the years. They are about the struggle to feel part of a community or family, the challenge of squeezing intimate connections into a few days once a year, feeling uncomfortable with how the consumer culture creates expectations that can extinguish genuine feeling or connection. “This album is a groove record about the pain and stress that comes with the holiday season,” Erlewine says. “These shows are dance parties, it’s all about coming together and celebrating community and friendship. We all put so much pressure on ourselves during the holidays, we re-experience loss, and it’s not an easy time for so many people.”
Erlewine sees the performances on this tour as an opportunity for attendees to come together and celebrate the season in style (make sure you’re wearing your dancing shoes!) and come out for a celebration of community and togetherness. The band will be playing original soul-inspired songs as well as some favorite classics.
Quotes
“Lean Into the Wind combines fetching vocals, inspiring lyrical messages and straightforward arrangements that enhance rather than bog down the gorgeous songs.” – LocalSpins
“May Erlewine has the sort of soul-baring voice that moves the Alan Lomaxes of the world to abandon the ivory tower for the back roads of rural America.” – The Harvard Independent
Venue, Date & Time
Red Sky Stage, Petoskey, December 2, 8 p.m.
The Historic Barns, Traverse City, December 3, 8 p.m.
Ticket information
Tickets for the Petoskey show are $25, but very few remain. Go to Blissfest.org. Tickets for the Traverse City show are $15 & $25 at MyNorthTickets.com.