Samantha Crain's New Album, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree, is the One We've Been Waiting For

With her fourth album, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree, Samantha Crain has hit her stride.

Five years ago in the original RPM offices in Vancouver's Chinatown, a few weeks before the site launched, Ostwelve said to the team "do you know of Samantha Crain?" We stopped to watch the video for Santa Fe and all fell fast for her rich, almost husky croon, her sweet, inviting, folk style. We've all been fans ever since.

As a fan, while I've adored her vocal and musical style since that day, I felt as a songwriter she hadn't yet grown into her own - not something unexpected from a young artist. With her newest release, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree, and now with years of touring and performing and living this life, Crain has grown up and into her voice as a writer and recording artist. The result is not only her best album yet, but one of the best albums this year. I'm excited we can finally say so - RPM was lucky to get an advance listen of the record and we've been bursting to share our praise for it.

“I don’t write protest songs in the traditional sense,” Crain told The Guardian recently, “but I’m always listening to the voices of people around me. These stories are told from the perspective of the underdog, the 99% of us that are working people. They might not be literal protest songs, but the lives of the people within these songs speak at the same volume if you listen.”

Indeed, the songs showcase nimble, poetic lyrics that tell stories of bitter circumstances, the downtrodden, and broken hearts, with a knowing intimacy that comes from the pen of an adept listener. These stories are wrapped in folk and country stylings (with an occasional synth keeping the indie cred alive and well) and despite the sombre or sad stories, they are lifted by striking imagery and elegant musicality.

Samantha Crain serenades The Dakota Tavern, Toronto, Ontario

Crain is an artist who is seemingly always on tour. Earlier this year she did a number of dates opening for Buffy Ste. Marie, she has headlined her own countless shows, and played major festivals - she is at home in front of large crowds. It was a rare treat that her current CD release tour included a stop in Toronto at the legendary but small Dakota Tavern where Crain charmed the lucky, grateful few there.

There may not be another chance to be up close for a solo performance - Under Branch & Thorn & Tree has the makings of a turning point. Catch her live show soon and get the album even sooner. If you haven't fallen for her yet, you will now: this is the album and moody, sweet summer soundtrack you've been waiting for.

Stream the Full Album, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree, below:

The album is also available on Spotify:

Samantha Crain Premieres New Video for "Outside the Pale"

Watch an acoustic performance of Samantha Crain's new single, "Outside the Pale".

Although Choctaw singer Samantha Crain's new album, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree, isn't coming out until July, the anticipation is already building.

After premiering the lead single, "Outside the Pale", earlier this month (grab the audio here)—this week Crain premiered a new video of an acoustic performance of the song over at Diffuser.fm.

Crain's incredible voice easily carries the tune, accompanied only by her acoustic guitar work, alongside bandmate John Calvin Abney. Minimal, hypnotic, and moving, "Outside the Pale" is a very good sign that Under Branch & Thorn & Tree will be another stellar release from one of our favourite Indigenous artists.

WATCH: Samantha Crain - "Outside the Pale"

Samantha Crain's Under Branch & Thorn & Tree will be released July 17, 2015. Preorder the album here.

Samantha Crain Crosses the Pond

Choctaw singer-songwriter Samantha Crain's latest album of artful and thoughtful Americana tunes, "Kid Face," has been taking hold of ears and hearts across North America since its release last year. As of this month, the album is now available in the UK and lucky Brits are taking notice.

Samantha recently spoke with A Music Blog, Yea? about travel, writing and baking pies:

AMBY: Your new single Somewhere All The Time (taken from the forthcoming LP) sounds lovely. What’s the story behind the track?

Samantha Crain: I love to travel. I was born with the appetite deep in my bones. I am routinely asked if traveling so much and being away from home so often is hard. For some touring musicians, perhaps it is hard, perhaps this lifestyle isn’t something they desire, perhaps they just accept it as part of their lot in order to keep making music. For me, however, it isn’t hard. It is my obsession and my method. I am on the go for the better part of my year even when I’m not playing shows and despite the clunky, high mileage vehicles breaking down every once in awhile. Once in a blue moon though, I do need the rest and familiarity of Oklahoma.

AMBY: Which lyric off of Kid Face is your favourite?

Samantha Crain: I’m not mad, I’m conflicted

You’re not bad, you were lifted

From yourself with your lamb-like heart

And I’m your clone, that’s what makes it hard

—from “We’ve Been Found”

AMBY: What’s the funniest thing to happen to you while at a gig?

Samantha Crain: Once my band at the time played a joke on me where they got a whole bunch of other musicians (string players, horn players, percussionists, etc) like 10 people, to learn the end of this song called “Lions” and without me knowing they just had them all come out at the end for this really triumphant finale from backstage. It was really beautiful and hilarious too. I wish there was video of it.

AMBY: Music stimulates a variety of senses; which senses stand out as triggers to inspire your music?

Samantha Crain: I guess sight plays the biggest part, I’m usually writing about visual observations. But aural senses are huge too, silence is one of the best things for me and can be so inspiring. I need silence to think and create.

AMBY: What’s the best release of the year?

Samantha Crain: “In the Throes” by John Moreland

AMBY: And lastly, what’s something about Samantha Crain that nobody knows yet?

Samantha Crain: I feel like people know enough about me, more than I’d like, so there won’t be any shocking super personal detail here. But I will tell you that I’m awesome at baking pies and I collect thimbles.

Read more: Gimme Your Answers: An Interview w/ Samantha Crain

The Best Indigenous Music of 2013

2013 was a very good year for Indigenous music. Here are our favourite reasons why it's an incredible time to tune in. We're still here—and we're still making amazing music.

Look around you: from the front pages of websites, magazines and the news, to the halls of art galleries, centre stages, and dancefloors, clubs, festivals and playlists, Indigenous artists are at the forefront of almost every form of art and culture. And although we love all kinds of creative expression at RPM, this is a particularly inspiring time for Indigenous music.

In a year that began with the sound of the drum, and in the #RoundDanceRevolution that followed, our music has continued to keep us in time and on beat as the world marches ahead—with our people leading the charge.

As we spin back around for #Revolution2 here at RPM, we asked our Indigenous community to weigh in with their picks for the Best Indigenous Music of 2013.

Mohawk radio host, writer and artist Janet Rogers always knows what's up. At the top of her best album list is Derek Miller's Blues Vol. 1. Why? "Hot, rough, sexy, blues." Other top album picks from Janet are The Johnnys' Rock - "A generous offering of the Thinking Man’s Metal Music" and Patrica Cano, Songs from Tomson Highway’s the (post) Mistress, for her "sultry vocals with perfect pitch."

Anishinaabe broadcast journalist and writer Waubgeshig Rice just posted his Top 10 albums of the year, which includes the doomcore metal grind of Biipiigwan's Something for Everyone; Nothing for Anyone, and Leonard Sumner’s Rez Poetry, which Rice praised as "a riveting portrayal of the unique struggles and triumphs of Anishinaabe people. It’s the album I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear."

The other Wab (Wabanakwut Kinew, that is), also picked Sumner's Rez Poetry along with Inez Jasper, Winnipeg Boyz, and powwow group North Bear as some of his favourites. Anishinaabe musician, scholar and organizer Melody McKiver listed some interesting additions, including Northern Voice's "Dance of the Moon" and shouted-out the Aboriginal 'Australian' MC K-Otic One's righteous hip-hop compilation the "Idle No More (Invasion Day)" mixtape.

Indigenous Waves radio host Susan Blight echoed many of our choices, and also shouted-out the latest from Quese IMC "Handdrum" for bringing "it all back to the roots; the importance of the sacred fire, the ceremonies, and the sound of the drum" and a unique collab between Just Jamaal and Lena Recollet "What's It All About" that was "released in solidarity with Idle No More--referencing broken treaties, environmental racism, and issuing a call for resistance all over slick production from Hyf the GypsySun".

And, of course, a certain Polaris Prize-nominated Indigenous crew seemed to pop up everywhere we turned and at the very top of everyone's 'Best of' list. But more on that later.

Shout-outs to these stellar releases:

K-otic 1 - "Idle No More Invasion Day Mixtape" PozLyrix - "Chicago Native" Impossible Nothing - "Alchemy" Derek Miller - "Blues, Vol. 1" Tara Williamson - "Lie Low" Rebel Diaz - "Radical Dilemma" The Johnnys - "Rock" Inez Jasper - "Burn Me Down" Kinnie Starr - "Kiss It" Eden Fine day - "Things Get Better" Fawn and Dallas - "Blessings"

The Top 10 Indigenous Albums of 2013

STREAM OUR BEST INDIGENOUS MUSIC OF 2013 PLAYLIST BELOW

10. Frank Waln - "Born Ready EP"

Ascending to the hip-hop pedestal with a calm, collected confidence and wisdom beyond his years, Lakota MC Frank Waln turned the heads of almost everyone this fall when he dropped the powerhouse video for his NDN rap anthem "AbOriginal". With its massive "when I rise / you rise" hook, overflowing lyrical pride, and his obvious love for his people and nation, Waln brought some much-needed realness and a refreshing dose of youthful warriorism back into the Indigenous hip-hop game. Oh and The 1491s' Dallas Goldtooth directed a video for him. And did we mention that Waln composed, recorded and mixed all the tracks himself? And that he writes honorific rap dedications to his mother and grandmother? Yeah, good luck to the rest of you. Frank Waln is walking the talk. And raising the bar. Listen/download: http://frankwaln47.bandcamp.com/album/born-ready-ep

9. Cris Derksen - "The Collapse"

A now-ubiquitous fixture on the contemporary Indigenous music scene, Métis musician Cris Derksen's soaring cello melodies and effects-laden staccato bursts, beats and wailing cries, are a haunting, soaring, cinematic soundtrack to our peoples' burgeoning resurgence that give you chills and the increasing sense of possibility that so much is yet to come... Highly recommended. Listen/Download: http://crisderksen.virb.com/the-collapse

8. Kristi Lane Sinclair - "The Sea Alone"

Speaking of Cris Derksen, you can hear her cello stylings on Haida singer Kristi Lane Sinclair's latest grunge-folk album that, as its title invites, carries you across waves of solitude, heartache, reflection, fierceness and vulnerability.  Kristi’s voice ranges from a low growl to a sultry spell (including one of the best musical deliveries of the f-bomb in recent memory) and her style is not for the faint of heart, which is to say there is a frankness, darkness and richness on The Sea Alone that pulls you deeper into her world with each listen. Dive in. Listen/Download: http://kristilanesinclair.bandcamp.com/

7. Shining Soul - “Sonic Smash”

Shining Soul burst onto our playlists with their commanding album Sonic Smash just in time to make an appearance on the #NationHood Mixtape with their lead-off single "Get Up". But the whole album goes deep with soulful hip-hop anthems that strike back against oppression wherever they find it and find root in the strength and vitality of their creative expression. Listen/download:  http://shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-smash

6. Tall Paul - “Birthday Present EP”

The remarkably consistent Anishinaabe MC from the Twin Cities, Tall Paul, keeps up his stellar record of releases with a head-knocking EP of assured, intelligent hip-hop that made its place on the list just for the standout storytelling track, "Taurus the Bull" (ft. $kywalker). The rest of the record rocks too. This is everyday rap responding to the real highs and lows of trying to survive and thrive in the game. And judging by the sounds of it, the struggle is in good hands. Tall Paul's got bars and keeps it moving, one beat at a time. Listen/Download: http://tallpaul612.bandcamp.com/album/birthday-present

5. City Natives - “4 Kingz”

The dynamic mic skills and boom bap-inflected east coast production of rising hip-hop stars City Natives bangs all the way through. Barely a year into their collaboration as a crew, City Natives brings together the multi-talented forces of Beaatz, IllFundz, Gearl, and BnE, like a young Native rap Voltron. Featuring incredible beat production from Juliano, the pass and trade flows of this crew sounds hungry for respect, recognition, and social change in equal parts. If this is just the beginning, there's no limit to where things can go from here. Listen/Download: http://citynatives.bandcamp.com/album/city-natives-4-kingz

4. Leonard Sumner - "Rez Poetry"

Speaking of realness, you just can't get around the raw authenticity of Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Leonard Sumner. Landing right near the top of almost everyone's year-end list, Rez Poetry, offers a clear-eyed personal take on choices and consequences, struggles and love, and the complexities of contemporary Indigenous life—all spun through Sumner's unique brand of Native roots music that is deeply infused with acoustic guitar hymns, hip-hop rhythms and cadences, and just enough country and rhythm & blues to rep the urban, rez, and everywhere-in-between Indians with equal power. Tune in, kick back, and dream of that open, prairie sky. Listen/download: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/leonardsumner

3. Leanne Simpson - "Islands of Decolonial Love"

Bridging many worlds, storylines, generations, and forms of creativity with effortless poetics and heartbreaking, deceptive simplicity, Leanne Simpson was the only Anishinaabekwe that we know of who dropped a full-volume of published stories and poetry in tandem with a collaboratively composed album of the same, set to the expansive sonics of many of Indian Country's rising stars (including Tara Williamson, Cris Derksen, A Tribe Called Red, and Melody McKiver). Halfway between story, song, and verse, Simpson's poems flow through you like long-forgotten dreams suddenly remembered. Inspiring, strong and swift, these are the currents of sound that surround each island of decolonial love. All that, and it's available digitally and as a beautifully bright orange analog cassette release. So go dig up that tape player from the basement and rewind into Simpson's hypnotic spell. Listen/download: http://arpbooks.org/islands/

2. Samantha Crain - "Kid Face"

Choctaw singer Samantha Crain is three albums deep, at twenty-seven years young, and her music already echoes and twists through generations of greatness. With her urgent, accomplished and irresistible craft on its finest display to date, Kid Face offers up Crain's melancholy-infused melodic brand of Americana with a suite of songs that navigate pain, love, loss and growth with an aching resonance of unvarnished truth. Samantha Crain is the real deal. The rest are just pale imitations. Listen/download: http://thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/album-stream/samantha-crain-kid-face-album-sampler-premiere-142954

1. A Tribe Called Red - “Nation II Nation”

What other praise can be given to our brothers from ATCR that hasn't already been said? Since dropping their plaintive instrumental "The Road" exactly one year ago today, in honour of Chief Theresa Spence and the Idle No More movement, A Tribe Called Red has continued their stratospheric rise from the booming dancefloors of the electric pow-wow to the forefront of the world's musical consciousness. Seemingly overturning every false colonial conception about being Indian in the 21st century with each kinetic set of party-rocking, this three DJ crew blows the roof off everywhere they go, while always reppin' for the people. With their second full-length album, Nation II Nation, ATCR single-handedly dropped the revolutionary soundtrack that we all knew we needed, while elevating and expanding the possibilities of contemporary Indigenous music culture and pushing their electronic/Indigenous aesthetic hybrid forms to new heights and levels of power. Raise your fist up and get ready. The Tribe stands with us—as we rise together. Listen/Download: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/listen-to-a-tribe-called-reds-new-record-nation-ii-nation

 STREAM: The Best Indigenous Music of 2013

Samantha Crain: Music, Poetry and Stolen Gear

Choctaw singer-songwriter Samantha Crain chatted recently with Indian Country Today about her path as a musician, life on the road and her upcoming new album Kid Face. This week, Samantha's getting more press but for the sad news that her guitars have been stolen!

On November 16th, Samantha posted a plea on Craigslist that her two workhorse guitars, the ones she uses for touring, writing and recording, were stolen from her home in Shawnee, Oklahoma. For a musician, losing the tools of one's trade is heartbreaking much less a huge expense and threat to their livliehood.

"These are my life and blood" Samantha wrote in her post and her community was quick to respond with ways to support her. A donation campaign is now online to help raise funds to replace Samantha's Martin acoustic and Jagstang electric - check it out at donatesamanthacrain.blogspot.ca.

In happier news, Samantha Crain recently spoke with Vincent Schilling (host of Native Trailblazers) for Indian Country Today. In Singer-Songwriter Samantha Crain Talks Music, Poetry and Neil Young Samantha shared her now established career got started a bit by happenstance:

I started playing music as a means to travel, actually. I started this as an afterthought that I grew to love tremendously and found an identity. I started touring and writing when I was about 18 or 19. I didn’t take any time to hone it, I wasn’t one of those people who started playing really young and then it eventually turned into this. I naïvely jumped into it all at once.

I wrote six or seven songs and then I said I can go play these in a coffee shop wherever I want to go. that’s kind of how I started, I just started booking shows for myself all over the place or wherever I thought I might want to go spend some time and then I realized, “Well I should probably make a record so I have something to sell to the people while I’m playing there.” I said, “Well I guess you should probably write some more songs…” I learned about it as I was in the business.

I grew to love and appreciate the art of songwriting—that has become my main focus of it now. I still do a ton of touring, but songwriting is something that is super special to me and I love meeting other songwriters and hearing about the other ways they write songs.

When I was in college, I was a creative writing major. I studied poets and how there were all of these different movements and poetry. I feel like there is that same sort of thing and songwriting, it’s just not so cut and dry and talked about as much. I find the same thing in studying different songwriters in different areas of songwriting. I think there can be the same thing said about the movements there were for poetry and art.

Samantha goes on to reveal the poets she's been most influenced by, how her new album Kid Face represents a shift in her songwriting style, and why she just wants to be Neil Young. Read the complete interview here and be sure to check out the fundraiser to replace her instruments too.

DOWNLOAD: Sayani - "Sayani"

Mother Jorie and daughter Christie West make up the duo Sayani (meaning Zion). Together, their heartfelt and spiritual music shares their family stories of the past and present.

NAMMY winners in 2010 for Best Gospel/Inspirational Album, they are Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Irish and English and their work reflects their cultural blend, with a strong traditional Native influence. That blend is featured in this track with both the hand drum and sampled percussion under their rich, building and beautiful vocal harmonies. Close your eyes and listen.

DOWNLOAD: Sayani - "Sayani"

Samantha Crain Living Life on the Road

RPM's Marika Swan caught up with Choctaw singer-songwriter Samantha Crain mid-tour to talk about the art of packing, what it takes to keep healthy on the road and what's changed for her in the six years since she started this job.

I interviewed Samantha Crain a few weeks ago as she was just setting off on her spring tour - by now she's all finished up and back home. Her Choctaw father introduced her to the guitar and at the age of 25, she has been touring for the last 6 years. So since she was 19 years old she has toured for at least 6 months of the year and sprinkled the other half with one-offs, festivals and mini-tours. I managed to catch this busy veteran after she finished doing a spot on a local radio show:

Marika Swan: How did your interview on the radio go?

Samantha Crain: It’s one of those things about interviews because everyone wants me to tell them how exciting my life is. But it’s just as normal as anybody else who has a 9-5 job. Well not just like it because it is very different but it's not overly exciting. I am doing what I like to do which is traveling but also I’ve gotten used to it. It’s the routine that I get into.  Driving to the city that I am going to play at, do whatever radio stuff or interviews that we do. And then we play the show and then we talk to people after the show. Then you go to sleep then you wake up and you do it again. It's not like a road trip. It can be if you want it to be. Which sometimes we want it to be. But sometimes it's exhausting to do that. This time around, we are all mellowed out a little and just want it to be a business trip. As you get older in life you need some routine in your life or you kinda go nuts. And that’s where I am at right now. We are going to cities we are really familiar with. We know where we like to go and people that we’re going to see. Its really enjoyable and satisfying because you are working for a paycheck and you want to be working for it.

MS: Probably the way you feel about it all now is very different than when you were 19.

SC: Oh yeah definitely. I mean also when we go to new places I get a lot of the excitement that I felt when I was first starting. When I go to Europe now and do shows I am very excited to see the cities. Anywhere in the States though is pretty much familiar. There are lots of cities that I have played over and over and over. I really love that too though, it's really nice to feel like they are your home away from home since I am not home a lot. I also have different resources available to me now. I wont happily sleep on the floor every night like I used to. Being six years older, you need a mattress under you once and a while. Just to be healthy you need some sort of routine. Get a good sleep, have something good to eat and maybe go jogging every once and a while. It’s just the things that become important to you as you get older. It’s probably that way for anybody who has a job. For me I just need to fit it into a day that’s otherwise pretty strict.

I just try to think of it like instead of me trying to get out of being a part of society this is how I fit into society. I think that everyone is there own cog in this machine that we live in and this is what I do. It's my job and it's because I love traveling and that’s very much a part of me. I love to play music. This is me contributing to society. We all work in our own ways so everything can move together so I don’t like to think of it as me trying to get out of being a normal person.

MS: You must be an expert packer.

SC: I’m actually not good at it. Its one of those things where I wish I had that skill and I feel like I’m getting better at it. When I first started touring the situations that I was traveling in were like we were in a really small vehicle and we could all bring one backpack full of stuff for two months. But I was also 19 years old so two weeks without showering, I didn’t care. Then we started traveling with a trailer so we had more room so I would literally bring everything that I wanted. Two giant suitcases full of stuff and like a bicycle. Just all sorts of books and tapes. And now I am doing more Europe stuff and I have to cut back on what kind of stuff that I can take. I pretty much take a small suitcase for however long I am going to be over there. Now I am trying to relearn the art of packing. You’d think I’d be good at it but I never bring what I need. And I bring everything that I don’t need.

MS: When you get full of doing what you do now, do you have other things that you dream for yourself?

SC: I don’t want to think about it. It would just be worrisome to think about all the things that you’d rather be doing other than what you are doing. It doesn’t seem very healthy. I think that you should focus on what you are doing and then when your path isn’t working out and you need to change the path of your life then you can think about that. Anytime that I feel unhappy it's probably because I am thinking too much on the "grass is always greener" mindset. So it makes it more sense to me to think about what I am doing now and try to focus on that as much as possible.

MS: So you try to live as much as possible in the present?

SC: I try to because I don’t think its something that comes to me very naturally. I think naturally I am a very futuristic thinker and so it’s better for me to kind of live where I am at for my own mental health.

-

Here's a lil' video of Samantha Crain's Churchill with Penny Hill, Brian and Laney of O Fidelis and Daniel Foulks, by VDub Sessions who documents Oklahoma musicians on the move.

The Indigenous Artists of Rolling Stone's Top 100 Guitarists of All Time

Among the greatest of guitar legends in the history of Rock N' Roll - according to the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine - are a number who are of Indigenous ancestry.

Rolling Stone's list "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" includes Robbie Robertson, the legendary creator of the electric distorted power chord Link Wray, and Kiowa legend Jesse Ed Davis.

From Indian Country Today's Rolling Stone Picks Hendrix, Robertson, Wray—and Jesse Ed Davis:

Davis was one of the great guitarists for hire in the late 1960s and early 1970s, playing on records and on stage with true rock royalty. After touring with Conway Twitty and playing on Taj Mahal’s first three albums, he went on to work with George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Leonard Cohen, and Keith Moon, among many others. When it came time to record his own albums, the friends who showed up to play along told the story of just how essential Davis had become: Contributors to Jesse Davis (1971) included Eric Clapton, Gram Parsons and Leon Russell.

Indeed, each of these three of our guitar-slaying brothers are iconic in their own right and are well-deserving of the recognition!

Here's Robertson's classic Somewhere Down the Crazy River:

VIDEO: Doc feat. Spencer Battiest - "The Storm"

Latest video from Unconquered Media for "The Storm", the debut single by Doc feat. Spencer Battiest, showcases great filmmaking that helps tell the story of the colonial history of the Seminole people.

Kiowa/Choctaw director Steven Judd of Unconquered Media brings us a stunning visual look into the history of the Seminole people of Florida with "The Storm", a debut video  by Doc feat. Spencer Battiest of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Mixing history with digital media, Rap and R&B, this video proves to be a great medium for the translation of their message of strength and solidarity for Indigenous people.

The director Steven Judd is a successful writer and director who brings much experience to this project, having worked with the likes of Disney & ABC in addition to film festivals such as Univeral/NBC's Comedy Shortcuts Diversity Film Festival & imagineNATIVE.

This song is also up for some NAMMY awards such as Best Rap Hip Hop Recording, Debut Artist of the Year, Song/Single of the Year.

For more information on Doc and Spencer Battiest check out thestormsong.com

Do you have a favorite Indigenous music video?  Or maybe you're releasing a video soon? Let us know by commenting below or drop us a line to: info@rpm.fm 

Samantha Crain Fall 2011 Tour Dates

Fresh from her email newsletter, we have an amazing list of Choctaw artist, Samantha Crain's tour dates for Turtle Island and beyond over to the United Kingdom.

Samantha Crain has been out on the road from her homeland of Shawnee, Oklahoma and updated her fans from Bozeman, Montana where she traveled from the Winnipeg Folk Festival and on her way to the Vancouver Folk Festival. She announced a bunch of dates including the Southern Fried Festival in Perth, Scotland as well as some recording news.

If you happen to be out in the United Kingdom from October on through November, be sure to check out Samantha Crain's live shows.

Here's a list of tour dates for Samantha Crain:

Canada, U.S. and Scotland Dates:

07/16/11 07/17/11 VANCOUVER FOLK FESTIVAL 07/24/11 PERTH SCOTLAND - SOUTHERN FRIED FESTIVAL 10/08/11 JOSHUA TREE, CA - JOSHUA TREE ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL

United Kingdom Dates:

10/27/11 SOUTHAMPTON UK - THE BROOK 10/28/11 BRISTOL UK - BRISTOL FLEECE 10/29/11 LISKEARD UK -  CARNGLAZE LISKEARD 10/30/11 EXETER UK - EXETER PHOENIX 11/03/11 BIRMINGHAM UK - BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 11/04/11 GLOUCESTER UK  - GLOUCESTER GUILDHALL 11/05/11 MORCAMBE UK - THE PLATFORM 11/06/11 HEREFORD UK - HEREFORD COUNTY THEATRE 11/09/11 COLCHESTER UK - COLCHESTER ARTS CENTER 11/10/11 NORWHICH UK - THE WATERFRONT 11/11/11 STAMFORD UK - STAMFORD CORN EXCHANGE 11/12/11 DERBY UK - DERBY THEATRE 11/13/11 HARPENDEN UK - HARPENDEN PUBLIC HALLS 11/17/11 MANCHESTER UK - BAND ON THE WALL 11/18/11 LEEDS UK - LEEDS VARIETIES 11/19/11 GATESHEAD UK  -THE SAGE 11/20/11 HULL UK - HULL TRUCK 11/23/11 BRIGHTON UK -  KOMEDIA 11/24/11 FARNHAM UK - FARNHAM MALTINGS 11/25/11 FOLKESTONE UK - THE QUARTERHOUSE 11/26/11 LONDON UK - UNION CHAPEL

Be sure to check out Samantha Crain's website for more details.

Have you seen Samantha Crain's guitar?

Samantha also announced in her newsletter that her guitar went AWOL in Winnipeg—by all accounts it looks like it was stolen.

If you want to help her buy a new guitar, you can donate by visiting the "Feed The Muse" page set up for her tour van fund and leave a comment saying you're helping out with the guitar fund instead.

Check out Samantha's song "Equinox" streamed on our Music page and our profile of Up and Coming Indigenous artists.

Also check out Samantha's amazing video for Santa Fe directed by Sterlin Harjo.

Got any tour dates you know about? Or maybe you are going on tour...we want to promote you to Turtle Island. Check out our Get Involved page.

STREAM: Samantha Crain - "Equinox"

Choctaw artist Samantha Crain’s husky, emotive, visceral vocals will immediately draw you in to her music. You’ll come for the voice, you’ll stay for the mix of musical styles Crain collects under her Folk umbrella, from slightly grunge to blues twinged to a wistful bounce. Her sophomore full-length release “You (Understood)” is getting a lot of attention and when you sign up for her mailing list, you get this track as a free download. Do it – she’s an artist you’ll want to keep up with. Stream: Samantha Crain - "Equinox"