Saturday October 14, 2023

Karyn Oliver is part Joan Osborne, a touch of Janis Joplin and a bit of Emmylou Harris – effortlessly oscillating from bluesy to country and back. Her musical inspirations come primarily from the eclectic mix of music to which she was exposed while growing up in the musically diverse culture of Washington, D.C. Her influences include Duke Ellington, Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Eva Cassidy, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack among several other DC native artists. In 2020, Oliver moved to Texas in the middle of a pandemic and waded into the great Texas songwriting tradition. The fruits of that move are “Cherchez La Femme” a new collection of songs to be released in September 2023. The first single, “Cry Hallelujah” has already gotten critical acclaim and song awards. "The fire of a Folk musician is at the heart of the stories on 'A List of Names.' (The CD) shifts sounds, blending diverse styles guided by the vocal drive of Karyn Oliver." - The Alternate Root