"Her song's landscapes evoke the similar worlds of artists like Bruce Springsteen or Gillian Welch. And like them, her language alternates between the poetic and blue collar." John Dworkin/BLURT Kerri Powers spent most of her early childhood listening to music, reading, painting, and writing stories. One of her favorite things to do was to sit and listen to her mother’s record collection. “I would sit in a wicker rocking chair by the record player and sing along to the songs. I remember hearing John Prine’s, Hello in There for the first time and felt something magical happen; a momentary yet memorable trip to a sad but hopeful place of lonely old faces.” Kerri says listening to songwriters like John Prine, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan were a way for her to overcome shyness. She learned how to play guitar and wrote her first song at age 9. Years later, she worked up the courage to start performing in local coffeehouses throughout New England, and at that time, fell in love, got married, and had a son. Taking care of family set precedence and emotional support within the marriage wasn’t available for her to realistically pursue her music so Kerri put the frequency of performances on hold to take care of family. After enduring and overcoming the hardship of divorce, and her son entering adulthood, Kerri says she had no choice but to remain true to herself and her art. She has recently started performing again and has finished recording a self-titled album consisting of 8 self-penned songs as well as a cover of Janis Ian’s, “Jesse,” and The Bee Gee’s, “To Love Somebody.” “The recording was a last minute decision, an idea to go into Dirt Floor Studios in Connecticut and cut a couple of tracks just to see how it would go.” The result is a beautifully imperfect album; homespun, sparse and understated, showcasing Powers’ intimate and sometimes sassy songwriting. Powers has appeared at many prestigious venues and folk festivals including The Boston Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Telluride Bluegrass Festival. She has toured throughout the United States as well as overseas making appearances in The Netherlands, Belgium, and The UK with Canadian songwriter, Fred Eaglesmith. Although she still enjoys a quiet and solitary environment for writing and painting, Powers has come a long way from the days of being bashful about performing her songs and music. Kerri’s strong smoky voice and commanding stage presence will seduce you from the moment you hear her music. www.kerripowers.com