No Depression Sessions at Folk Alliance International 2024: Louisa Stancioff

Louisa Stancioff had been bouncing around the US for years prior to recently settling back in her native Maine, and we were beyond delighted to host her No Depression Session at Folk Alliance International 2024 as she bounced through Kansas City. All three of the songs heard in Stancioff’s session are on her debut record, When We Were Looking, out April 12 on Yep Roc Records.

The set starts with “Cigarette,” a reflection on a rendezvous with an ex sung over a light folk-pop arrangement. Many of the songs on When We Were Looking were written in transition, both physical as Stancioff moved from one state to another, and romantic after the windup of a relationship, looking forward to what comes next. While we would never wish the heartbreak of a relationship coming to an end on anybody, we can feel gratitude for the way Stancioff chose to process the emotions through her music, resulting in one of the finest albums of 2024 and an absolutely stunning artistic debut.

I realize them’s big words to claim “one of the finest albums of 2024,” and the song that tipped the scales for me and made me really dig into this record is “Alice,” the second song on When We Were Looking, and the second song in this ND session. The melody is so unexpected in relation to the instrumental bed, I’m instantly transported into the state of mind I feel when I listen to Chris Thile or Madison Cunningham, two artists I consider to be masters of melody. There is nothing “traditional” about the way this song unfolds, and I find myself physically leaning forward in anticipation of what comes next. I still feel it as I Iisten to Stancioff’s performance while writing this, despite the fact that I’ve heard the song at least a dozen times by now. Tip of the cap to you, Louisa, I look forward to this album’s reception and I will stay optimistically tuned for whatever you decide to do next!

Stancioff wraps up her No Depression Session with the song “Gold,” featuring her delightful vocals along with high harmonies from bassist Matt Gaydar. The brothers Kelly — Dan on lead guitar and Dave on drums — round out this acoustic arrangement of the band. Precise and intentional playing is on display from all involved; they truly understood the assignment in approaching this “acoustic or light electric” session environment.

This No Depression Session at Folk Alliance International 2024 is made possible by AEA Ribbon Mics. Find previous No Depression Sessions at Folk Alliance International 2024 here, and look for more in the coming weeks.