Caitlin Mae's single "House Sitting" slid into earshot less like a shiny Nashville calling card and more like finding a faded letter tucked inside a secondhand book. It’s labelled country, and the soft rock structure gives it shape, but the atmosphere? That’s pure, unadulterated heartache, distilled. Mae possesses one of those voices – technically brilliant, sure, but more importantly, emotionally transparent. You hear the...

The songs of Stephanie Phillips' music have a clear sense of connection to her. There is a sense of affinity in these songs as she talks about the ups and downs of life. Her style of music, which she calls "progressive folk," Stephanie writes songs that stay with you and make you feel intense emotions long after the last tune is played. Andrew Bird, Cat Stevens, and...