The WyoFolk Project
Presented by Center Presents
Center Presents
The Center Theater
September 19 | 7:00 PM
Distinct sounds permeate each region of the world, and the Wyoming community of performing songwriters is exceptional. Likened to the Lomax Recordings for the U.S. Library of Congress in the 1930s, the significance of Wyoming’s regional sound was documented with the critically acclaimed release of a compilation album, The WyoFolk Project (2023). A monumental recording endeavor, the album was produced and mixed by Aaron Davis from July to September 2022 at Three Hearted Recording Studio in Hoback, Wyoming—ultimately becoming a collection of 14 previously unreleased works by 14 of Wyoming’s celebrated songwriters.
Now, in a first-ever live jamboree of WyoFolk artists on a single stage, The Center Presents The WyoFolk Project concert—songs from the album and beyond performed by artists Jalan Crossland, Aaron Davis, Inland Isle (duo), Isaac Hayden, Shawn Hess, Alysia Kraft, Bob Lefevre, Low Water String Band, J Shogren, Jordan Smith, and Christian Wallowing Bull. Experience the triumphs and tribulations of some of Wyoming’s most cherished troubadours, with stories behind the songs and a historical snapshot of contemporary, Wyoming-grown music.
“Wyoming has never sounded this good. WyoFolk delivers more than an assortment of high-quality folk songs—it’s also a catalog of Wyoming’s musical footprint, one that’s intended to stand the test of time.” —Wyoming Tribune Eagle/Yahoo News
Recorded, produced and mixed by songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Aaron Davis of bands Screen Door Porch and Aaron Davis & The Mystery Machine, The WyoFolk Project was made possible by grant funding from the Wyoming Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature. The compilation was released April 7, 2023 to all major streaming platforms, is physically available on CD, and was mastered by Jim Wilson (Dan Auerbach, Widespread Panic).
Each WyoFolk songwriter and/or band spent a separate day at Three Hearted Recording’s remote cabin studio in Snake River Canyon to capture a single song. Thirty-four musicians contributed to over 200 hours of sessions that were whittled down to 55 minutes of music. The recordings range from complete takes of live-in-studio performances to layered, multi-track textures built one performance at a time. Each song on The WyoFolk Project exemplifies an honest, heartfelt lyrical story.
“Songwriting is so personal and recording is even more vulnerable, so it was a true privilege for me to access that emotional space with the caliber of these artists,” said Davis, who had initially made a list of over 70 Wyoming songwriters for the project. “This album has been the project of a lifetime, and hopefully a Volume 1.”