Annalivia

Annalivia isn’t a person – it’s a Boston-based bluesgrassy, Celtic-ish quartet that pulled its name from James Joyce. Liz Simmons, Flynn Cohen, Mariel Vandersteel (Emerald Rae missed the fun) call their mix “new acoustic folk” – a blending of cultural traditions sparked by the spread of recorded music around the planet. This is music that is true folk, shared songs that the group started playing in local jams.

At the cutting edge of acoustic and traditional music, Annalivia fuses old and new world sounds to create an authentic new sound, both steeped in tradition and alive with new energy, innovation and originality. The members of Annalivia are all virtuosic on their instruments and have long histories with music ranging from bluegrass to Irish, Scottish, Norwegian and Old Time. These styles play a large role in the interpretations of their material, which include inventive, quirky fiddle tunes and lushly arranged songs. Their unique style has a distinctly American flavor, yet with the detail, precision and energy of their bluegrass and Celtic backgrounds.

Folk Alley’s Jim Blum welcomed Annalivia to Folk Alley’s studios in Franklin Hall at Kent State University for a chat about the oxymoron of contemporary traditional music. Hear the conversation, listen to songs and see video performances in Folk Alley Sessions.