Stone & Snow

Description

"If Florence + the Machine made folk music, it might sound a little like Stone & Snow." –Katie Anastas, NPR Music

Stone & Snow is an alt-folk pairing of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, Karen Bridges and Clint Thomson. In 2012, they began a collaboration filled with close harmonies and thoughtful lyrics. They gave it a name that gives nod to the mountain landscapes of the West– Stone & Snow.

Stone & Snow has self-produced and released four full-length studio albums to-date: We Were Made For These Times (2021), Love is a Weapon (2019), Devil That I Know (2016), and These are the Hills (2014). 

Work Sample

This is a live recording of our song "Cruel" with our full band. This recording was named one of the best entries of the 2020 NPR music Tiny Desk Contest by NPR and All Songs Considered. 

This is a live recording of our song "Wait". This song was named as a winner of the 2021 Eagle Creek Folk Festival songwriter's challenge. It was written a month before the pandemic hit in 2020 and has felt like it has become our anthem for the pandemic as we, as musicians, were forced to wait (and wait we did, for a very long time). 

This is a live recording of our song "Love is a Weapon". This video was named one of NPR Music's outstanding entries from their 2018 Tiny Desk Contest. This song was also the recipient of the 2019 John Lennon Songwriting Contest award - NAMM edition, and was the title track from our 2019 studio album of the same name. 

The work samples submitted showcase how a live performance by Stone & Snow might sound. Being multi-instrumentalists, Karen and Clint have a variety of sounds at their disposal including guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and percussion to compliment their vocal stylings. The result is a collection of songs that move seemingly effortlessly through and around multiple genres of American music including folk, blues, and soul. 

History

Winner of the 2019 John Lennon Songwriting Contest--NAMM Edition for their song "Love is a Weapon", Stone & Snow is an alt-folk pairing of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, Karen Bridges and Clint Thomson. In 2012, they began a collaboration filled with close harmonies, led by Bridges's classically-trained voice, and thoughtful lyrics. They gave it a name that gives a nod to the mountain landscapes of the West– Stone & Snow. "Their rich vocal harmonies and warm vibe will leave you wanting to see more from this Illinois-based duo." —American Songwriter Magazine

Artistic Vision

Karen and Clint desire to use their talents in performing and songwriting to connect personally with the listener as well as to encourage social change through honest critique and storytelling from personal experiences. They seek to elevate women in music by partnering with other women-led artists in their performances, and through data gathering in their local community on the gender balance in their local music scene (see http://www.makethemarquee.com). 

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

Karen is capable of giving workshops to teens and young adults on finding their singing voice as well as songwriting, having started her classical vocal training and songwriting as a teenager. Aside from our original music, Stone & Snow can also perform a program aimed at older adults called "Forever Folk" which consists of a tribute to the folk music of the 60s & 70s. 

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

Folk music has a long history of personal storytelling and activism. Many of Stone & Snow's songs connect to social issues including the protest song "Burn This House Down" and critique of white apathy in "Rally & Cry". Bridges often times writes about her personal experiences navigating the music industry as a woman (an underrepresented community) in songs such as "Break Me Down", "Goodbye", and "Walk Away".