2017 30A Songwriters Festival: Korby Lenker

Korby Lenker’s deliberate approach to music is the mainstay of career now tipping into its third decade. Along the way there have been numerous songwriting awards, including first place wins at the 2016 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Showcase and festival appearances at Sasquatch and Bumbershoot, amongst others.

For his 7th album, Korby hatched an ambitious plan. He purchased some recording gear and a high-end battery typically used in climbing expeditions, and drove out to Idaho to see what would happen. He recorded the heart of each song – the guitar and vocal – in different places important to him personally. He recorded during the day and slept in a tent at night. He spent the next several months driving around the country, recording his friends where they lived – in backyards and hotel rooms – in Seattle, Portland, LA, Austin, Madison, Boston and more. ‘Thousand Springs’ was recorded in seven states and features almost 30 different artists from the young folk scene.

Lenker sat down with Folk Alley at the 30A Songwriters Festival to perform songs from the new album and talk about his musical journey.