To whomever this letter finds: I wanted to say hello in there and tell you that I appreciate you for caring enough to sign up for this update. Thank you for every show you got out to see this year and every record you’ve ever purchased. You make the world go ‘round for artists like me. 

This Friday, October 23rd 2026,  I will have the honor to warm up the stage for Jason Isbell at the famed Ryman Auditorium. Am I nervous? Naaaaa… mostly I'm grateful to have been in this game long enough for an opportunity to have something of a personal redemption story. See, I actually had the honor of performing there once before and I TOTALLY CHOKED. It was 2009 and it was the Americana Fest Awards.  I was nominated for ‘Emerging Artist’ that year. (I rightly lost to the Avett Brothers). Legendary music producer Jim Dickinson was receiving a lifetime achievement award that night for his contributions to music and for his many years as a music producer. I had the privilege of writing and delivering the speech for his award and presenting it to him onstage. This part of my Ryman debut went smooth as gravy but later in the program I got to perform a song from my new record that Jim produced. The song chosen was “Pointless Drinking," written by my then drummer Paul Taylor. The performance included my full band plus Jim featured on a big grand piano. A few days before the performance at our brief rehearsal it was decided that we should change the key of the song down a step or two from the recording because my voice was struggling with a lingering cold. Well, on that big historic stage my nerves got the best of me and I started the song in the old key and the band was in the new one. I never recovered. My hands searched around the fret board of my upright bass in a panic, never quite finding their rightful place . As for my vocals, well… let's just say my pitch was “otherworldly” and not in a good way. I never found my way into that mess of notes. Time slowed way down and I had something of an out of body experience as my eyes darted about the perplexed audience and my bandmate’s wide-eyed confusion. Somehow, by the end of the song, which felt about two years long, we all landed on the same ending note to polite applause. It haunted me for years. My heart is actually quickening a bit as I recount this story to you now. 

Many, many moons later, singing and bass playing feels like swimming in warm cream to me. My awareness of nuance allows me to create such tonal detail that when performing songs, specifically the ones I’ve written, it is now a deeply personal reward and not a means to an end. I feel prepared and deserving this time around and I’m really looking forward to being on that big beautiful stage once again and having the opportunity to hypnotize the crowd with my own unique musical folk-art, soft rockin’ along with my super sonic collaborator and partner in craft, Will Sexton. 

So thank you many times over for cheering me on and for your part in keeping the van on the road with your attention and support. 

We’ve recently signed with Atomic Music Group and look forward to another busy year on the road. You can reach our agent at Aggie@atomicmusicgroup.com should you have a show for us. 

And If you want to be sure to catch a show, check in at every now and then to amylavere.com where tour dates will be added as they confirm. Please sign up to my email list for the random newsletter and if you want show alerts, join BandInTown for the upcoming tour date near you. We’d love to see you,
Sincerely,

Amy LaVere