Photo Credit: Felix Bird
~ What Folks Are Saying ~
“Mare Wakefield & Nomad remind us of what it means to feel the sweetness in a song and hear the smiles and the tears in shared stories. Skilled in varied musical styles, they keep an audience engaged and delighted.” ~ Dalis Allen, Producer Kerrville Folk Festival
“There are a great many artists that play music and too few that actually make it. Mare Wakefield and Nomad are among the best of the latter. They are honest and straight to the heart.” ~ Craig Huegel, host “Our Kind of Folk” WSLR-FM Sarasota, FL “The Waking Hours” WMNF Tampa, FL
“One of the best we’ve heard. Four Stars!” ~ Maverick Magazine, UK
“Musically sophisticated, weaving elements of jazz and bluegrass into their compositions. Don’t pass up the opportunity to see them perform.” ~ San Francisco Bay Guardian
“Lovely vocals and even lovelier songs. Mare Wakefield and Nomad are a little bit old country, a lot contemporary folk a la Dar Williams or Patty Griffin.” ~ New York Times
“Cozy brilliance… The merger of Natalie Merchant, Shawn Colvin and Dolly Parton.” ~ Louisville Eccentric Observer
“Wonderful musicians and friendly souls” ~ ACMA (Americana Community Music Association) Ft. Myers, FL
“Oregon cafes, small Texas towns and twangy Nashville rolled into one.” ~ Cranky Crow
“Simply Amazing” ~ Skope Magazine
“You’ll be astounded!” ~ Maverick Magazine, UK
“What sets Wakefield’s contemporary folk apart is her serenity, her centerdness, both as a singer and a songwriter, while Nomad provides perfect backing” ~ John Conquest, Third Coast Music, Austin TX
“At times soft and soulful, at others riotous and rowdy… Mare and Nomad serve up silliness, angst and twang, all delivered with a delightful stage presence.” ~ Americana Tonight, Nashville, TN
“A true poetess … Take Dolly and Emmylou and add Paul Simon into the mix. Wakefield turns words into magic.” ~ Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
“Mare stories her songs with characters that garner immediate sympathy. With few words, she gives the folks that walk her tales flesh and blood.” ~ The Alternate Root
“The songs, the voice, the music is just plain good! A voice a bit reminiscent of early k.d. lang, poignant story-telling, diverse scenarios. Wakefield’s humor and technique shine from a powerful voice that reaches both ends of the scale.” ~ Nicki Ehrlich, Victory Music Review Magazine
“Lovely voice and vivacious delivery.” ~ Third Coast Music, Austin TX
“Cozy brilliance … Could she be the merger of Maria McKee, Natalie Merchant, Shawn Colvin and Dolly Parton? Wakefield and her guitar fill a musician’s space as if an inherent extension of her soul. There is volume and symmetry that is as untainted as it is simple. This most elegant component is indeed a rare find and decrees strength and depth. Feel this music. It absorbs like thirsty skin.” ~ Michelle Manker, Louisville Eccentric Observer, Louisville, KY
“Take Me Home is Wakefield’s fourth album, and her first in four years. She relies on both acoustic and electric arrangements, and even strips things down to one voice, one guitar on “Lullaby.” The piano also adds an extra element to many tracks. Take Me Home sounds great, and Wakefield is an expressive singer.” ~ Sing Out Magazine
“Why you aren’t a national figure already can only be chalked up to the music business. Your voice, the sublime intelligence of your lyrics and production are first rate.” ~ George Maida, DJ WCVE FM, Richmond, VA
“I enjoyed your album [Factory]. I liked your singing, and the songwriting is unique. I loved the one about the sewing machine … Well done in all” ~ Gail Davies, producer and RCA recording artist, Nashville, TN
“More than your typical fly-by-night coffeehouse folk artist [Wakefield is] musically sophisticated, weaving elements of jazz and bluegrass into her compositions. Her lyrics read like stream-of-consciousness short stories. Don’t pass up the opportunity to see her perform.” ~ Cheryl Eddy, San Francisco Bay Guardian
San Francisco, CA
“Wakefield’s songs are old school in the best possible way: they have an honesty and directness that nowadays are hard to find. With her lyrics she is able to make you think and make you smile … she even managed to reincarnate the Ghost of John Denver, what more can you ask for?” ~ Ruben Jonas Schnell, NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) German Public Radio, Hamburg
“A wonderful singer-songwriter. I’m glad the rest of the country can be introduced to her talent.” ~ Martin Anderson, Music Director and Host, WNCW-FM, Spindale, NC
“Well-written songs, beautifully sung … top notch instrumental accompaniment.” ~ Doug Dick, WVGN, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
“An arresting collection of folk pop.” ~ New Times, San Luis Obispo, CA
“[Mare and Nomad’s] new record is so excellent it was moved up to heavy on our playlist.” ~ Liz Wise, KLCC, Eugene, OR
“Wakefield is Oregon cafes, small town Texas and twangy Nashville rolled into one. Her guitar and vocals ache in all the right places. She resembles an early Billy Bragg, you will want to be in the front row at her next concert.” ~ Cranky Crow Music Reviews
“Reminiscent of Dar Williams, conjuring up the ghost of Johnny Cash. Her voice is sweet without being saccharine, familiar without sounding like anyone else, and extremely pleasing to the ear. The fiddle drew me in, the story line kept me from leaving.” ~ Theresa Hogue, Gazette-Times, Corvallis, OR
“Unbridled tenacity pours out of her. Through her songs she evokes a passion for music and life on the road.” ~ Ashland Daily Tidings, Ashland, OR
“Mare Wakefield has concocted a mellow, likable country-folk sound on Take Me Home. The opener, I’ll Drive, lays down a backdrop of piano, acoustic guitar and drums that works well with Wakefield’s warm vocals. A sad, country-flavored dobro sets the mood for Pack Up Your Stuff, an emotional downer with a little vocal help from Amelia White. Both songs have strong melodies and, especially in the latter case, unwind at their own pace. Given this pacing combined with low-key arrangements and a simple production (very little reverb, etc.) these songs are imbued with a back-porch quality. Another intriguing quality of Take Me Home is the addition of Nomad Ovunc’s piano in the midst of the fiddles and dobros. It is never intrusive as in bad country-pop, but is woven into the texture of Texas and Cold River, adding a nice, unexpected touch. Wakefield is helped along this path considerably by bassist Jim Thacker, drummer Justin Amaral, fiddler Brian Arrowood, dobroist Kim Gardner and several others. These players, whatever their individual histories may be, fall into a comfortable groove here, offering an attractive, spare soundscape for Wakefield’s vocals. Things get a bit funkier on Love vs. the USA, a rockin’ bit of gospel complete with a backing choir. Non-pretentious with a mellow, country-folk sound, Wakefield’s Take Me Home offers a solid group of songs on its own terms. 3 and 1/2 stars.”
~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
AllMusic.com
“Rootsy, country-tinged folk … [Take Me Home] showcases Wakefield’s talents beautifully.” ~ Vanessa Salvia, Eugene Weekly, Eugene, OR
“Sweet voice, sensitive lyrics … with a hint of twang.” ~ John Larson, Tacoma Weekly, Tacoma WA
“Introspective and intelligent mix of contemporary folk and Americana.” ~ Jeff McDonald, Cascade Arts and Entertainment, Bend, OR
“Refreshing and versatile.” ~ Mail Tribune, Medford, OR
“Wakefield wins over audiences with her Gillian Welch-like voice and intelligent lyrics.” ~ Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, CA
“A beautiful merging of the simplicity of the best folk and country music with all of the complexities of human relationships. The combination of desire and resignation that comes through on the title cut is particularly moving. I am actually looking forward to my commute to work tomorrow, so I can listen again!” ~ Mark Stepakoff, singer/songwriter, Boston, MA
“Folky enough to rock a coffee shop near you, rural enough for her to perform the songs at a state fair.” ~ Cooper Lane Baker, Weekly Planet, Tampa, FL
“Introspective yet very much alive … there’s a lovely sense of the upbeat, even in Wakefield’s most brutally personal moments.” ~ Andre Hagestedt, Statesman Journal, Salem, OR
“Mare is sultry, cozy and funny; her voice slips somewhere between sweet maple sugar and cognac. Mare’s songs are personal but not agonizing; intimate, but not ponderous. She seems to hold a laugh behind even her more serious lyrics, a laugh and another lighter step.” ~ The Arcata Eye, Arcata CA
“Wakefield has a clear, energetic and confident voice that bounces off the band’s thick walls quite well and even holds humor.” ~ The Rocket, Seattle, WA
“Sweet and clever folk-pop.” ~ Willamette Week, Portland, OR
“Great …I liked Wakefield’s mix of humor and angst.” ~ Bob Doran, North Coast Journal, Eureka, CA
“Tender songs and a clear voice.” ~ The Oregonian, Portland, OR
“Expressive vocals & poetic writing.” ~ The Daily Triplicate, Crescent City, CA
“Back by popular demand.” ~ Tacoma Weekly, Tacoma, WA
“Wakefield’s voice can snake through a venue like an invisible conga line, grabbing listeners and pulling them along with a well-placed rhyme or pointed insight.” ~ The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR
“Stirring vocals.” ~ San Francisco Bay Times, San Francisco, CA
“Wakefield was the hit of the show. She delivered a strong set¦and stuck around to sing harmony with just about every performer on the bill. She has a beautiful voice, endearing stage presence and writes with humor.” ~ WOW Hall Notes, Eugene, OR
“Her original songs blend humor and insight about everyday events with tenderness and strength. Wakefield’s laid-back performance style instantly put the audience at ease, making her shows feel like a circle of friends rather than a concert.” ~ Tanya Igancio, The Source, Bend, OR
“[Wakefield’s] folk and pop songs are steeped in the everyday with humor and poignant insight.” ~ Auburn Journal, Auburn, CA
“Mare’s stronger playing [on Factory] is matched by her maturing voice. The notes come out easy … she’s enjoying herself.” ~ Aria Seligmann, Eugene Weekly, Eugene, OR
“Each song draws the listener in to a sort of sacred communion with the band. Wakefield opens her world to the listener, as each songs evolves into a charming story.” ~ Rebecca Shala, The Daily Barometer, Corvallis, OR