Gaelynn Lea Performance at Seasick Records

When Gaelynn Lea won NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, her two decades as a hardworking and talented Duluth musician finally crystallized in a beautiful moment of national recognition. It was also just the beginning of a grand adventure. With the wind of her award at their backs, Gaelynn and her husband Paul sold their house, quit their jobs, bought a van, and hit the road.

Since then, Gaelynn has played over 425 shows in 42 states and seven countries, adding nearly 100,000 miles to their Ford Econoline’s odometer. The singer-songwriter and violinist has graced the stage of renowned venues like Nashville’s Music City Roots, The Kennedy Center, House of Blues and even BBC World News. This June she was featured at arts festivals in both Iceland and Switzerland, and then went on to play Winnipeg Folk Fest in July, Travelers Rest Festival in August and Halifax Pop Explosion in October.  

Yet somehow between this perpetual blitz of performances, Gaelynn also managed to release her third full-length album in September. Learning How To Stay is an 11-song collection that runs the gamut sonically from pensive and luscious to aggressive and intentioned, from folk to decidedly pop, and even includes a couple of traditional fiddle tunes. Undoubtedly the connecting thread of this album is Gaelynn Lea herself. With her singular voice and deeply-affecting violin, she guides the listener through a journey that explores the contrasting nature of existence: dark and light, birth and death, anger and forgiveness, sorrow and joy. Learning How to Stay encourages the listener to stay present for it all. “Learning How To Stay is Gaelynn Lea’s finest moment to date and shows a true artist developing right in front of our eyes.” (Simon Tucker, Louder Than War)