While the Tahoe Sierra is world-renowned for its natural beauty, it is the special culture of the mountains that often turns frequent visitors into full-time residents. Over time, what first appears to be a region of small towns full of hardcore outdoor enthusiasts reveals a tightknit community of dedicated creatives. Nowhere is this truer than within the medium of music.
As local musician that’s a member of The Space Heaters and owner of Tahoe City Kayak, Andy Laughlin, noted in our November issue, “Honestly, I’d pit our music scene against any small town of our size in America and I think we’d stack up pretty well.”
Surrounding our beautiful mountain lake are scores of dyed-in-the-wool musicians who spend their hard-earned time outside of work writing and recording original compositions. Some are professional or semi-professional, but for many it is simply a passion they can’t ignore. It makes sense in a region known for attracting those who choose to follow their muse and live the life they love.
Read our features on these local musicians
As the holidays near, we wanted to feature a handful of local artists who have released new music in 2020. While these folks used to earn extra income performing at our once-plentiful live venues, this revenue stream has all but shut down due to the ongoing pandemic. In that light, consider supporting a local artist by purchasing their music online as a way to share some of the astounding creativity that helps make the Tahoe Sierra so exceptional.
Miki Rae
Even in the darkest of days, music can shine a light. South Lake crooner Miki Rae’s debut EP, “Of Myself,” was released in June. It is an uplifting mix of sunshine reggae and acoustic indie folk reminiscent of surfy songwriters like Ingrid Michaelson and Jason Mraz. Her simply blissful music offers a vision of hope during confusing and complex times.
“Music is love, so we have to keep going,” says Rae. | mikirae.com
Gary Lynn Floyd
For some, music provides a purpose for being. Spiritual artist Gary Lynn Floyd of Tahoe Vista put out an album of new songs, “My 88 Keys Vol. 2: Quarantined,” in July as a follow-up to the stripped-down voice and piano bliss of “Vol. 1: Unplugged”.
“When I sing what I sing, it’s about uplifting music that reminds people who they are,” says Floyd. “Now more than ever we have to remind ourselves that we are human beings.” | garylynnfloyd.com
Sierra Bohnet
Truckee native Sierra Bohnet is one of our most prolific recording artists. She released her debut EP, “Ëradøn,” in May, followed by provocative singles “Machine,” “Walls Down” and “Monster.”
Her self-produced emo-indie pop evokes other young independent female artists of day such as AURORA, Grimes and Allie X. A slew of professional music videos created by her father, Stephen, represent a high-water mark for the art form in our region. | sierrabohnet.com
Eric Lundholm
Folk rocker Eric Lundholm of Northstar dropped his debut EP, “Broke Ass,” in November. The eclectic assortment of alt-rock, traditional Hawaiian and ambient music represents the life’s journey of fanatical snowboarder who learned to play ukulele as a young boy growing up on Oahu. | Eric Lundholm Music on Facebook
Darren Senn
Songwriting troubadour Darren Senn of Stateline, Nev., shared two excellent folk compositions this summer, “Gone are the Days” and “Winnemucca.” The exquisite story-filled songs deal with innocence lost, good times remembered and world that’s ever changed.
“What makes a good song is a very subjective question,” says Senn. “But to me, if it’s relatable and hits you in the abdomen, then you done good.” | darrensenn.com
Melting Elk
Genre-bending trip-hop trio Melting Elk of Kings Beach released “Quarantine Dreams: Live from the Shibuya Underground” in September. Their singular style is anchored by Collin Wright’s lucid, bizarre and ingenious lyrics full of non-sequiturs, obscure pop culture references and endless visions of cosmic hypocrisy.
“We definitely have a little bit of political angst to us,” says Wright. “We get frustrated about the state of affairs and we feel like [music is] a really nice way to speak on it. … It’s about paying attention to the spaces in between.” | meltingelk.com
Dead Winter Carpenters
Tahoma’s Americana darlings Dead Winter Carpenters put out their latest EP “Sinners ‘n’ Freaks” in April just as the reality of coronavirus was fully setting in. While they weren’t able to promote the album with a national tour, the new music spread their acoustic love to fans spread far and wide while exploring vulnerable themes of family, fate, love and loss. Of their five studio albums, it’s easily the most honest and authentic work to date. | deadwintercarpenters.com
The original music of these local artists is available to purchase of most major streaming platforms including iTunes, Amazon Music and others.
