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“For women in the independent music industry”

Honorary Lifetime Members

Holly "Figueroa" O'Reilly ~ www.hollyoreilly.com ~ "...a fine new CD, How It Is, slays just about any big company songster product that has been coughed up over the past 12 months." -Los Angeles Entertainment Today, Paul Anderson, October 2002

After a recent performance at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Holly Figueroa was contacted by A&R at Elektra and MCA, both looking for copies of her latest record, "How It Is". One listen to her songs, and more importantly, her live performance, and you'll find out why she is a “major force to be reckoned with”. (Carla DeSantis, Rockrgrl Magazine)

Recently featured on NPR¹s “All Things Considered”, native Ohioan Holly Figueroa started playing guitar in July 1999, when during her first tour, her guitar player broke his hip while pitching the tent before their first festival show in front of ten thousand people. Not knowing a thing about playing guitar, she learned three chords in three days and finished her tour by herself.

In her first year solo on the acoustic music circuit, she was wowing national audiences in listening rooms from The Bitter End in New York City, to Club Passim in Boston, to the Tractor Tavern in Seattle and Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles. Seattle based Figueroa logged in over 1000 tour dates between 1999 and 2003, greeting fans everywhere with her knock down, drag out vocals and percussive solo acoustic guitar, usually with her now nine year old daughter in tow.

Holly recently had her second child and is sojourning close to home for now. "Being on the road alone is hard enough," says Figueroa. "Being on the road with a nine year old is really tough. Add a toddler into the mix, and what remaining sanity I have might just be destroyed." Having a new baby in the house hasn't stopped Figueroa from releasing new material. In June 2004, she released "Live in New York City", a live CD recorded at Makor in NYC in January 2003. "People have been asking me for a long time when I was going to make a live, acoustic record." says Figueroa. "Now that I'm taking a bit of a break from performing as much, they can listen to the live CD until I come back to their town again."

Holly was able to fund the recording of her latest record, "How It Is" solely through pre-orders from fans on her extensive mailing list. Her new record, released once again on Cake Records, will be distributed by Red Music, the indie arm of Sony/BMG distribution, in Fall, 2006. “How It Is” was produced and recorded by Evan Brubaker (Tennis Pro, Edie Carey, Skip Peri), and Troy Glessner at Spectre Studios in Seattle, WA. The record features mega talents Tony Levin and Jerry Marotta (both known for touring with Peter Gabriel), Danny Barnes, Dan Tyack, Sean Halley, and Skip Peri. “How It Is” is the follow up to her 2001 release "Dream in Red², which received great reviews from national, weekly and daily press all over the country. Holly is also the founder of Indiegrrl.com (a 2000 member international organization for women in the independent music industry).
Jamie Anderson ~ www.jamieanderson.com ~ 18 years and growing as the spirit of a true “Indie” artist. Touring nationally since the eighties, Jamie Anderson has played her warm and witty songs in hundreds of coffeehouses, concert halls, colleges and festivals all over the U.S. She's released seven albums including her newest, A Promise of Light, produced by Kiya Heartwood (Wishing Chair). Her music has been featured on the Dr. Demento radio show, Car Talk, and stations all over the world. Jamie has been involved with Indiegrrl for over 6 years.

When Jamie isn't touring, she's teaching songwriting, guitar and other classes at Duke University, arts centers, privately in Durham, NC and at festivals all over the country. She has a chapter in Songwriting and the Guitar, a book that also includes Paul Simon, The Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell and others. Jamie is a freelance writer whose articles and CD reviews have appeared in Acoustic Guitar, SingOut! and more. In her spare time - she must have a clone -- Jamie is director for Women in Harmony, an annual music camp in the mountains near Asheville, NC.
Vicki Blankenship ~ www.spottedkivaproductions.com ~ In September 2003 Vicki Blankenship released her debut solo CD “Don’t Forget To Breathe” to great reviews and followed up with her sophomore release “Horizons” in January 2005. Both projects received airplay in numerous radio markets. In May 2005, Vicki founded Indie Music For Life, Inc. (www.indiemusicforlife.org) a non profit organization that raises money for cancer research and cancer awareness programs through working with Indie artists in benefit concerts and yearly compilation CDs. In October 2005 Vicki took over the lead role in Indiegrrl giving Holly Figueroa O’Reilly a much deserved rest and began doing volunteer work to set up showcases and events for the organization. Indiegrrl is now a division of Indie Music For Life, Inc along with Laughs For Life the division that works with comedians to raise money in the fight against cancer. Vicki presently sits on the board of the non profit as an advisor. Vicki has devoted her life into supporting Indie music and singer songwriters of all genres and to raising more awareness for the need of cancer research.
Tret Fure ~ www.tretfure.com ~ One of the most prolific artists in the contemporary singer-songwriter arena, Tret Fure is extraordinarily talented. In 2004 she won the prestigious South Florida Folk Festival Songwriting Competition in two out of three categories, Best Up-Tempo and Best Overall, as well as the Phyllis Schliessman Award for Outstanding Contributions to Women’s Music. In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Fure possesses an uncanny mastery of musical technology. Over the past 30 years, Fure has engineered and produced countless recordings by a variety of artists, including her own work.

This writer, producer, engineer, vocalist and gifted instrumentalist has navigated her career with integrity and determination. After releasing her premier album on MCA records in 1973, titled Tret Fure, and becoming one of the first women sound engineers in the US, she left the mainstream music industry. Armed with a fierce desire to retain full artistic control, Fure began exploring the independent side of the industry and soon discovered the blossoming genre known as Women’s Music. She has been a major player in that field ever since. Now after 3 acoustic releases on her own label, Tomboy girl Records, she has re-established herself in the folk world. Tret is a true inspiration to "Indie" women singer songwriters.

Her CD credits include:
1970 - Mousetrap
1973 - Tret Fure
1984 - Terminal Hold
1986 - Edges of the Heart
1990 - Time Turns The Moon
1993 - Postcards from Paradise
1999 - Between The Covers
1999 - Radio Quiet
2001 - Back Home
2002 - My Shoes
2005 - Anytime Anywhere
Laura McLean ~ www.guitarheel.com ~ known as the "Guitar Guru of the Lower Cape Fear", is a native Wilmingtonian, (Wilmington, NC), and wears many hats including radio host, producer, guitar/recording instructor, concert promoter, professional musician, song writer and published writer. She has a B.A. in Creative Arts from UNC Wilmington and is the NC Ambassador to the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance as well as a member of the NC Writer's Network. She earned her name early on as an acoustic singer-songwriter, and later as the fluid lead guitarist/vocalist for indie-rock mainstays, CALAMITY.

Laura is the creator and co-host of The Magnolia Fatback Folk Hour on WHQR public radio and features many of the Indiegrrls and other Indie artists on her show. She teaches digital music production and guitar at the Dreams Center For The Arts, a cutting-edge downtown afterschool arts program. Laura is the musical chair of the Airlie Arts Festival, and founder-producer of the Cape Fear Folk Festival, now in its 16th year. Laura is very active with Indiegrrl setting up showcases in her hometown of Wilmington, NC featuring performers as they tour the US and was one of the very first members when Indiegrrl came to life in 1998. In her own words "I was 'Indie' before 'Indie' was cool".
Cris Williamson ~ www.criswilliamson.com ~ is now an "Honorary Performing Member" of Indiegrrl for her long time commitment as an Indie artist. Decades before indie labels were the norm, and years before women had any real access in the industry, in her own way, Cris Williamson was busy changing the face of popular music. She hasn't looked back since.

For nearly 30 years, Cris has toured incessantly, performing in Russia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. One of the most sought-after performers on the acoustic circuit, she continues to criss-cross America, selling out Carnegie Hall three times, and headlining among others, the Newport and Kerrville Folk Festivals.

Cris and her business manager Judy Werle are honored to be a part of Indiegrrl and to help continue the tradition of building "Indie" women singer songwriters into a more recognized force in the music industry.
Rachael Sage ~ www.rachaelsage.com East Village songstress, poet and multi-media maven Rachael Sage has been making gutsy pop music in one form or another since she was three years old. Her latest offering of "lovely and literate folk-pop-rock" (The Village Voice), THE BLISTERING SUN, is devoted to the topics of vision, clarity, and facing life head on.

During the release of her first few albums, advice and support from the likes of Suzanne Vega, Ani DiFranco and Eric Burdon (The Animals) encouraged Sage to stick to her musical roots and "just keep doing what I loved and not think a whole lot about what was going on in the music industry." As a songwriter, she was energized by the sensibilities of Elvis Costello, Patti Smith and Laura Nyro; as a visual artist (Sage also paints, decorates instruments and designs much of her vibrant stage-wear), pop-art pioneers Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring were ongoing visual muses. After receiving the 2005 Independent Music Award for Best Folk/AAA artist and the 2005 OutMusic Award for Best Songwriter for her previous CD BALLADS & BURLESQUE, Sage headed back into the studio and emerged with her newest full-length work, THE BLISTERING SUN. The 15 song album "focuses on the rare moments where action follows instinct, without procrastination." Fittingly, the cover-art depicts a colorful, super-heroine-esque image of Sage staring unflinchingly at the sun.

Her awards and honors include:
2006 Indiegrrl Song Contest 4th place
2005 Independent Music Award (Folk)
2005 Outmusic Award (Outstanding Songwriter)
2005 International Acoustic Music Award
2005 Featured MIDEM Artist (Sonicbids-sponsored Indie Showcase)
2005 Finalist, VH-1 Song Of The Year for "Surprise" (Gospel category)
2004 First Prize, CSN Producers Project
2003 Finalist, Newport Folk Fest New Artist Search
2002 Billboard Songwriting Contest (R&B)
2001 Grand Prize, John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Rock)
2001 First Prize, Great American Songwriting Contest (Acoustic)
1999 NY Lilith Fair Talent Search Winner/Performer

Her CDs include:
Morbid Romantic (1996)
Smashing The Serene (1998)
Painting of a Painting (2001)
Illusion's Carnival (2002)
Public Record (2003)
Ballads & Burlesque (2004)
The Blistering Sun (2006)
DeDe Vogt - www.cowboyenvy.com - DeDe Vogt is a musician/singer/songwriter and owner of Sound & Fury Recording Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. She has two solo releases, Willing Suspension of Disbelief and Cartoon Flat as well as the Cowboy Envy releases, all of which were recorded at Sound & Fury with Vogt as producer and engineer. She is a guitarist as well as bassist with bass being her primary interest. She received a gold record for her work on two cuts of The Indigo Girls debut Epic Records release. She appeared last year at Lincoln Center with recording artist Elise Witt and now appears regularly with Cowboy Envy and the Atlanta-based country rock band Gracie and the Slipcovers. She has produced and engineered over thirty independent releases and appears as a musician on nearly one hundred. Her compositions have appeared in various documentaries and films, one of which stars Jim (Ernest) Varney - a very "B" film but a nice walk to the mailbox if ya know what I mean. She is responsible for helping to nurture the Atlanta music scene and has led the way for folk musicians for quite some time. As a multi-instrumentalist, her wide range of influences and provocative style help to create magical albums.

"She has been my idol for so long. I used to sneak into her shows at The Harvest Moon Saloon when I was 16 and then I'd come home and try to play her songs. She is the backbone of the acoustic scene. DeDe is God and everybody knows it." -- Michelle Malone

The idea for Cowboy Envy was conceived by Vogt sometime in the early '70s when playing in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She ventured into a small club named Cat's Cradle and witnessed the flawlessly entertaining and musical performance of Riders In The Sky and said to herself, "I want to grow up and be like that someday." Well, the growing up part didn't happen, but years later, after a few phone calls, Cowboy Envy did.