Californian turned Minnesotan, Cassandra Cole is a songwriter, visual artist, actor, athlete, and mother. Cole specializes in songwriting that showcases life’s rich tapestry - and refines each thread, creating a canvas that gives us a look into her soul. In her latest release, Steps, she writes about the human experience.
Steps dives into some heavy subjects in Cole’s life - including years of depression, anxiety, heartache, and faith. Inspired by her favorite songwriters, such as Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, and Ella Fitzgerald, she uses her songwriting to tell stories. The album ebbs and flows - the last track, “Mornings High”, is about taking emotional, mental, and physical steps out of the darkness.
Recorded during the COVID-19 crisis, Steps was produced by Jason Hafer at his studio in Portland Oregon. Due to health and travel restrictions, the musicians that are featured on the album recorded their parts separately, and were later masterfully woven together.
Cassandra’s songwriting is a blend of raw energetic passion with an eclectic modern edge. Her sound is a reflection of her own experiences and stylistic inspirations like “...Annie Lennox, Tori Amos, and even Janet Jackson.”-Erica Rivera
Amanda performs as a solo artist, a member of a women's contemporary folk band called Wildflower, and with her Amanda Grace band. Amanda does not claim a particular genre of music, and in doing so enjoys variety in her music and audiences. She has produced music drifting between folk and rock. With roots as a pianist her writing is thematically varied with an emphasis on melody and ballads wrapped in warm vocals. She’s released 7 albums. In 2016 she received a “Front Of Line” pass from The Voice but got wrapped up in a conversation, and then ‘froze’ when they pulled those chosen artists forward. Not normally considered shy, she thinks of that moment as something that was meant to happen; as she fully enjoys releasing and performing original music while also raising a family in the beautiful Mississippi river valley.
She has performed at The Mid West Music Festival at its inception. In 2015 and in 2018, she performed on the first day of the Wisconsin music and art festival, Ashley for the Arts. Wildflower joined the Boats & Bluegrass Festival in 2017 and her self named rock band played for Big Turn Festival. In 2019, her band performed at Big River Theater, Red Wing Arts Festival, and She Rocks Festival. With the great changes in the live music industry with Covid-19, she worked to move her music services online and joined forces with Land Of 10,000 Streams Festival in 2020.