Saturday July 20, 2024

Singer-songwriter acoustic duo Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel’s performances resonate deeply with audiences listening for well-crafted songs, skillful instrumentation, and gorgeous vocals. The alchemy of their interlocked voices with the warm, spare loveliness of Dan’s handmade guitar deliver the goods — that indescribable feeling that is part joy, part longing; a deliciously sweet ache haunting the darkest corridors of the heart. Kristen continues to earn national recognition for her songwriting, most recently showcasing at SXSW on the USA Songwriting stage; winning Common Ground on the Hill’s Acoustic Roots songwriting contest and on Hope Rises II, a tribute to excellence in social change songwriting curated by Noel “Paul” Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary. Kristen was named, alongside Brandi Carlile and Dolly Parton, one of the Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack by The Bluegrass Situation. She has won or been a finalist in national songwriting contests at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Wildflower, Merlefest, and Kerrville Folk Festival. Before becoming a full-time musician, Kristen served as vice president of Willamette University and speechwriter for two Oregon governors. An accomplished singer-songwriter who toured nationally as a solo artist, Dan Wetzel is also a luthier who handcrafts musical instruments, including those used in performance, that look and sound beautiful. His superb skills as a vocalist and on guitar, both flat-pick and finger style, give True North’s songs their warm sound and driving groove. For more than 20 years, Dan was CEO of Wetzel Homes, Inc., builders of gorgeous custom homes all over Oregon and beyond.