Girl Fest Songwriters Luncheon

Celebrating NW female artists

Join us for an afternoon of music as we kick off Girl Fest 2020 with three of Portland's favorite songwriters!

Girl Fest NW is proud to return to for its sixth annual event. This three day, festival-style event was founded in 2013 as a way to celebrate the talented, female artists currently making noise in the NW. The Girl Fest Songwriters Luncheon will include performances by Robin Bacior, Clara Baker and Tara Velarde. Girl Fest NW will also include a comedy happy hour, benefit brunch and an official show throughout the weekend.

For a full Girl Fest NW schedule of events, head to girlfestnw.org!

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Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/girlfestnw

Website:

http://www.girlfestnw.org

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/girlfestnw

Tara Velarde

Diva Folk

Diva Folk artist Tara Velarde combines commanding vocals and thought-provoking lyrics into a genre distinctly her own. Part soul, part singer-songwriter, part blues-rock, and with a splash of the theater, Velarde takes the stage with charm, sass, and a quest to find the far reaches of her vocal abilities.

Listeners liken her performance to Adele, Brandi Carlile, and Carole King - great female powerhouses with a lot to say. Glide Magazine says: "While rooted in folk and pop, the [new] album finds Tara tapping into a more soulful sound, which suits her well as she definitely has the vocal chops. It also displays a young artist with a soaring sense of confidence who isn't afraid to step outside her musical comfort zone and take risks for the sake of the song."

With the recent release of "Rise" (EP, 2019) following her freshman “Get Out and Walk” (LP, 2016), Velarde stays active on the road and in the studio. She tours both solo and with her full band throughout the Western US, and in 2018 made her European debut with a 3 week tour of Italy.

VIDEOS:

"Feel Like a Human" Live (2018)

"Touch You" Live (2018)

"Such an Island" Live (2017)

PRESS

“Tara Velarde embodies that elusive combination of swagger and sensitivity. She writes songs with a sharp sense of poetics and vulnerability, and then steps up to the mic to her deliver words and vocal melodies with powerhouse pipes.” — Screams Media

Website:

http://taravelardemusic.com

Facebook:

http://facebook.com/taravelardemusic

YouTube:

http://youtube.com/taravelarde

Clara Baker

Indie Americana songwriter

Clara Baker is an indie-Americana songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Portland, Ore. Her sophomore release, Things To Burn (2019), was recorded live to tape in a Wisconsin living room with Grammy-winning engineer Brian Joseph (Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver) and avante-folk experimentalist Shane Leonard. Atwood Magazine called it “soul-stirring,” and East Portland Blog called it a “must-hear… destined to be one of the best albums of 2019.”

Indeed, 2019 has been a good year for Baker -- her songwriting, singing and masterful guitar playing recently earned her a fourth place finish at the Telluride Troubadour Competition in Colorado. When she’s not busy in the Portland scene as a frequent instrumental collaborator, she tours nationally with her own music and with harmony-folk trio Five Letter Word, all the while attempting to keep her vegetable garden and houseplants alive.

Website:

http://www.clarabakermusic.com/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/clarabakermusic

Robin Bacior

Songwriter

Robin Bacior is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Her work has received praise from NPR’s All Songs Considered, Vh1, MTV, NYLON, L Magazine, CBS, Mother Jones Magazine, among other media platforms. She is the recipient of a Regional Arts and Culture Council Grant, a nominee for the Independent Music Awards, and a member of the Recording Academy. Bacior is also an arts & culture writer and has contributed to magazines such as Spin, Under The Radar, Portland Mercury, among others. She is the creator and columnist for "New Eyes", a series on photographers within music for Berlin-based Majestic Journal. She lives with her husband in Portland, OR.

Website:

http://robinbacior.com/