John Hartford, Gerry O'beirne, Joel Mabus, jerry douglass, Vässen, Björk, The Books, Taraf de Haidouks, Baby Gramps, progrock, JPP, Beausoleil, Nick Drake, Regina Spektor, Gillian Welch, flat foot dancing, Iron and Wine, Sufjan
Sounds Like
A tune. The strength of rain, and fierce of stomp. The song that your brother and grandmother are dancing to. Hands held, chest open. The notes that the first people sang. Something to run, something to grind, something to sway.
Laurel Premo shares a music full of life that draws from Appalachian, Scandinavian, Folk and Blues roots. From haunting old ballads to feverish instrumental compositions, her music is made for all ears.
Instrumentation
clawhammer banjo, guitar, violin, cittern and voice
Biography
Laurel was raised in the woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and is earning a degree from University of Michigan School of Music,Theatre & Dance, studying Performing Arts Technology with an emphasis on multimedia art forms. In 2008 she studied traditional Finnish music at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, adding to her already rich blend of musical influences.
Laurel began her musical career at age 7 with the folk and traditional group White Water, sharing contra dances and concerts at venues such as The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival in Finland, and the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival in Marquette, Michigan.
Drawing inspiration from those roots, Laurel has dug deep into solo artistry. She composes instrumental tunes with an emphasis on rhythm and a connection to traditional folk dance, and she writes songs with lyrics that reflect strong insights and sharp wordsmithing. In addition to her solo career, Laurel is an integral member of several musical ensembles, including Orpheum Bell, Red Tail Ring, Anna Ash and the Family Tree, and Red Arrow Highway.
Alongside her training at the University of Michigan, Laurel has sought out a wide variety of music and art education, by spending time with master musicians to study different traditional music and by keeping her ears wide open. Her skills in the fine arts lie in metalsmithing, video art, and fibers.
“I feel a great hunger to learn and to dig. My greatest inspirations are the oldest tunes, with melody and lyric that will ring and haunt for centuries more. I’ve got my steeltoes on, ready to stomp out a tune with ancestors.” -Laurel Premo
"In a time where MySpace is lowering the standard and expectations of what an artist should be, Laurel shows that taking the time to develop talent, songwriting, musicianship, and a message is still the most important thing in being a real artist!"
-PJ Olsson, CBS Records Recording Artist
Discography
Solo
Stung by the Nettle, 2009
Innertwine, 2008
Laurel's musicianship is featured on these
albums with collaborative artists:
Red Tail Ring
August Roads E.P., 2009
Orpheum Bell
Pearls, 2009
White Water
Steep Side of the Hill, 2005
Family Album, 2002
White Water Live!, 2001
First Snow, 2000
Four in Accord, 1998
All Strings Attached, 1995
PJ Olsson
American Scream, 2007
Anna Ash and the Family Tree
Hello Friend from Bird Above, 2008
My Oh My, 2009
Charlene Kaye
Things I Will Need In The Past, 2008
Past performance venues include:
Porcupine Mountain Music Festival
Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI
The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
The White Crow, Saginaw, MI
Folk on State, Madison WI
lookin' forward to seein' you at farmfest, i hope you check out our crazy little group,,,i'd love any feedback you have,,wild ukulele string band,,,have a great weekend,,,rod
Hey Laurel! Hows everything going? I heard you were in Finland this semester...are you really there? that sounds cool! Hows musicking going? I dig your music too! -u.
Hey Laurel! Well thank you. We had a lot of fun. Lets get together again soon and play more music! We're so glad you decided to come to Finland:) your friends, Jemina&Selina
Greetings Laurel! I am hoping all things are good with you... There was a tragedy here and I do not like these things... This is why I choose to be in the middle of nowhere! Please be careful when you have more fun later, ok? Thanks for being my new friend! Sincerely, Lawrence Mark MAGICMAD FAN CLUB WORLDWIDE
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