Suzanna Choffel

”

Known for her distinct voice and reggae-inspired guitar technique, Austin native Suzanna Choffel’s music has been described as “a unique sound equal parts Beat poetry, smoky soul grooves and indie-pop eccentricity.” (Jim Derogatis). Having made appearances at ACL Music Fest, SXSW, Voodoo Fest, as well as on screen in movies like “Catfish” and NBC’s The Voice (earning singular praise from Rolling Stone as “the only artist you’d want to listen to a complete album from”), Choffel feels equally at home singing in a dimly lit club as she does front and center in front of (literally) millions.

Over the course of her two decade career Choffel has shared the stage with a diverse array of artists like Buena Vista Social Club, Suzanne Vega, Crystal Gayle, Solange, Carrie Rodriguez, Davíd Garza and many others. As a songwriter she has won multiple awards in both the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the International Songwriting Contest and her albums have appeared on top 10 lists across Texas.

Choffel was born and raised in Austin and cut her teeth as a teenager singing in beloved hometown haunts like Saxon Pub and Broken Spoke. She moved away to Santa Fe to study music at a small “hippie college” as she likes to call it, improving her guitar & songwriting chops, moved back to Austin & recorded her first album Shudders & Rings and hit the clubs hard, developing a following at places like Momo’s, Strange Brew, (both have closed) and Cactus Cafe. She started to appear on many “one to watch” lists in Austin & in 2009 won Best Indie Band at Austin Music Awards.

Since that time life has had huge changes for her; she did a short stint on reality tv (NBC’s The Voice), moved to New York, toured in France, gave birth to two daughters, recorded & released two more albums, toured internationally and became a radio personality/DJ on Austin’s Sun Radio (100.1FM). Her unique “radio” voice landed her a gig as the voice of Whataburger in 2023.

Choffel released her fourth studio album Bird by Bird on Sept 27th, 2024. Choffel teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Davíd Garza for Bird by Bird, which was recorded in both Los Angeles and the Sonic Ranch studio complex outside of El Paso. The album does keep its Austin bona fides: Adrian Quesada, of the Black Pumas and Grupo Fantasma, and fiddle phenoms Carrie Rodriguez and Warren Hood play on the album.”

-SuzannaChoffel.com

Deer Fellow

“Deer Fellow is an indie pop/folk duo with “comforting yet bold musicality.” Based out of Austin, bandmates Matt Salois (vocals, guitar) and Alyssa Kelly (vocals, violin, keys) have built a cross-genre sound that “stirs hearts with each carefully crafted note.”

“It’s hard to tell where the duo behind Deer Fellow ends and the other begins. Matt and Alyssa’s voices, like instruments, interchange, blend, rise and fall in ways that few duos can achieve. If listeners are lucky enough to catch a live show, they’d be forgiven for mistaking the pair for a full band upon first note. Matt’s guitar looping techniques, skillful chord progressions, and percussive elements, along with Alyssa’s synth backgrounds and bell-clear violin, produce a fulsome sound that is far from the typical duo most listeners have come to expect.” – EASTside Magazine

The two’s intricate vocal harmonies and unique guitar-violin blends have earned them Official SXSW status, a Sonic Guild grant, and features in Earmilk and Austin-American Statesman.”

-DeerFellow.com