Official Showcase Artists FAR-West 2026
Mary Flower’s immense finger picking guitar and lap-slide prowess is soulful and meter-perfect, a deft blend of the inventive, the dexterous and the mesmerizing. Her supple honey-and-whiskey voice provides the perfect melodic accompaniment to each song’s story.
Drawing inspiration from the time-honored tradition of folk storytelling, our music marries the soulful intimacy of acoustic vocals with the warm, resonant tones of cello and guitar.
Each song is a lyrical journey—exploring themes of love, loss, hope, and the relentless search for belonging—that evokes the raw emotion and reflective spirit of classic folk. This is folk music for those who wander and wonder, a heartfelt companion for the road ahead.
“Mary Scholz’s stunning voice and evocative songwriting have made her a live circuit favorite for over a decade. Much of Scholz’s material considers how transitions color the human experience, as well as the side effects of love and loss. Known for her calming presence and assuring words, Mary’s music has become a beacon of hope and a safe port in the storm for fans worldwide.”
Sprig of That is a tabla, fiddle, and guitar trio playing a hearty Midwest-raised and globally inspired acoustic stew. Drawing inspiration from the work of cross-genre pioneers like Zakir Hussain, Chris Thile, and Béla Fleck, they play music that is at once both steeped in tradition(s) and thoroughly modern. Though this combination of instruments might seem unexpected at first glance, Sprig has left an immediate and lasting impression on all who have heard and seen them.
The future of music is a wild unknown, yet there's one woman with the grit and passion to take us there together, with a guitar, road-hardened signature rasp, and a wild, wild heart.
"There's no one who sounds like you, that's what I love"- Kelly Clarkson
It is the alchemy of a pure yet earthy voice that can silence a room, tickled strings and floating harmonies, hammered riffs and belted requests. She sings these stories where Americana meets folk and steeps into soul, where fingerpicking builds and swells and gets slapped back to silence. The Woven Collective calls it “an unforgiving tuggin’ at your roots, no matter where you come from, her lyrics wash over you like gentle reminders of another life you haven’t had yet,” She calls it full-bodied folk.
Combine one of Alaska’s premier mandolin players & tenor bluegrass harmony singers with a rising songwriter, whose lyrics speak to the heart of what it means to be raised in Alaska, and you’ve got The Heists.
If you like John Prine, Bob Dylan and Neil Young you should listen to John Hewitt. If you dig Tom Petty, Van Morrison and the Beatles you should listen to John Hewitt. If you get off on folk, Americana, Rock n' Roll you should listen to John Hewitt. If you are human, you should listen to John Hewitt.
“Katie Dahl’s songs aren’t just melodies and words, they’re journeys that are firmly grounded in a sense of place—beautiful, real landscapes that help you feel places that you may have never been before. That’s the very best kind of songwriting.”
—Dar Williams