With elements of folk, gypsy, jazz, and blues, South for Winter’s varying sound is united by delicate harmonies, intricate guitar-work, and earthy vocals. Within its first year, the trio quickly developed an impressive resume – releasing two EP’s, completing both a 15-state national and an international tour, and receiving recognition from Lightning 100 Radio as a top rising artist in Nashville.
Personally, I’m a big fan of South For Winter’s sound, vibe and overall aesthetic. Twine has been playing on repeat while I have been formatting this article and the song just isn’t getting old.
…and this is coming from a Hip Hop Head who just happens to appreciate authentic roots music.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with this rising crew of talent about their new single (Twine), challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Dani Cichon (vox, mandolin, acoustic gutiar) has graced these pages before. Find my previous article about her music here.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Nick is from New Zealand, Dani is from Colorado, and Alex is from Michigan – but all three of us are based in Nashville. We consider ourselves folk/roots, but (like every other band) we have a hard time defining our sound because each of us brings such different musical influences to the band. Dani tends to bring folky storytelling/metaphors and pop melodies to the table, Nick adds a lot of blues and jazz elements, and Alex brings in classical components with his cello parts. It’s always cool to hear how each member’s addition to a song can mold the music in a different direction, and that’s why our sound as South for Winter is so varied.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Two of us (Nick and Dani) were actually pursuing separate songwriting projects when we met on a volunteer trip in Peru in 2014 and wrote out first song together. We just clicked, and realized our individual songwriting strengths really complemented each other. When we both moved to Nashville and met Alex, it kind of felt like fate – all of our personalities, music ideas, and personal goals fit so well together. Now, we’re motivated by the magic we feel when we’re playing, writing, and recording together as a band, and also from getting positive reactions from listeners. It makes us feel like this is what we were meant to do, and every time we get another musical opportunity or write a new song we’re excited about (like our new single, Twine!), it encourages us to continue the project.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
“Twine” is the first single off our debut album, which was a huge choice to undertake. When we released our first two EP’s in 2018 it felt like those were mostly us trying to find our true recorded sound. This single, Twine, is the final point of us really honing in on who we are as South for Winter. Part of this final sound is due to our producer, Matt Leigh, who worked with us on our last EP and really helped us take our music to another level. He’ll be producing our entire album, which we’re stoked about, and we’re also very proud of the songs we’ve written that will be on it – overall, we have high hopes that this single, and our album, will be the start of a new and even more exciting chapter for South for Winter.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
As a pretty new band (less than two years old), and one that does not writeTop-40 music, it can sometimes be hard to get a foot in the door for things like larger venues and festivals. We don’t have the millions of Spotify plays or Instagram fans that they are looking for, which can be frustrating. However, technology really has helped us in so many ways. For example, Instagram has introduced us to musicians we’ve played great shows with in different cities during our tours, and Facebook advertising has helped us reach new fans and bring more people out to our shows.
What was the last song you listened to?
Dark, Dark, Dark by Gregory Alan Isakov – so good! Also, a tune named Black Diamond by an Aussie artist, Jordie Lane, that we met at Folk Alliance this year (who, as it turns out, also lives in Nashville. Of course). Absolutely incredible song, and one that deserves way more airplay.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl. We can’t wait to do our first run once our album is done!
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Unfortunately, this is a tough one to answer after the recent movement by Spotify, Amazon Music, and others to appeal the Music Modernization Act. As an artist, we’ll answer Apple Music, because of their decision not to appeal an act intended to help more musicians make a living wage.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
We post regularly on Facebook and Instagram (and we have a really cute band dog named River, if you need more incentive). We’re also on all the regular sites – Spotify, Apple Music, etc – and our website is southforwintermusic.com.
Anything else before we sign off?
We’ll have a lot more music coming out soon – our next single after Twine will be out this July!
