“Sills' voice sounds effortlessly - and wondrously - like Kitty Wells or Patsy Cline winging over the airwaves from a vintage Grand Ole Opry show.” - Vintage Guitar Magazine
"Powerhouse Carolyn Sills is the real deal of throwback country music. She has enough soul, heart, style and swag to convince audiences and listeners that they may have been transported to an era where country swing rules the waves, juke joints were the place to be, and heartache had a kick like a mule... all the lonesome wails, tongue-in-cheek humor, and late night reflection you'd expect from a classic country gem." - Good Times Magazine
“Anyone who can write a brilliant song about pencils is a badass.” - Jody Bird, Southwest Biscuit Company
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Hailing from Santa Cruz, CA, Carolyn Sills' unique take on American roots music is driven forward by stellar musicianship and sharp songwriting, which has kept her busy on dive bar stages to the Monterey Jazz Festival and everything in-between. She's released five albums, one doughnut and countless videos to date, all brimming with twangy guitar, non-pedal steel and her unforgettable vocal delivery. Her witty lyrics on unexpected subject matters has gained her a loyal following, as well as publication in the ‘Lyrics as Poetry’ book series and free Dixon Ticonderoga pencils.
"I love writing story-driven snapshots where every word counts," says Sills, a Sacramento Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee. After paying tribute to country legend Marty Robbins with her 2019 release, Return to El Paso — a critically-acclaimed concept album that earned Sills the title of "Western Swing Female of the Year" from the Academy of Western Artists — she widened her focus with 2023’s On The Draw. "We've received some wonderful award recognition for western swing, but our sound is bigger than that and continues to evolve."
Carolyn Sills is a classic American roots musician for the modern world, nodding to her old-school favorites one minute and exploring new ground the next. Whether she’s performing with guitarist (and husband) Gerard Egan in the wildly original western/Hawaiian steel guitar project Poi Rogers or swinging with her ace combo, she’s simply doing her part to keep these vintage American roots music styles alive and well.
2024 & 2018 Ameripolitan Award Winner, Western Swing Group
2024 Academy of Western Artists Award Winner, Western Swing Album of The Year (On The Draw)
2021 Academy of Western Artists Award Winner, Western Swing Female Vocalist
Sacramento Western Swing Hall of Fame Inductee