Rita Bliss is a folk musician from Rochester, New York and is now based in Austin Texas. Though a Rust Belt native, Rita’s melodies are rooted in familiar old-time banjo sounds that evoke travels along the backroads of the South. Influenced by John Prine, Joni Mitchell, and Nanci Griffith, Rita’s songwriting weaves together timeless love stories with long drives, porch gatherings, and letters between loved ones. The love stories are unabashedly queer, the porch gatherings are sometimes rowdy, and the conversations often touch on true-to-life mental health challenges.