One of the Midwest’s most prolific and passionate songwriters, May Erlewine has a gift for writing songs of substance that feel both fresh and soulfully familiar. Her ability to emotionally engage with an audience has earned her a dedicated following far beyond her Michigan roots. She shows us her heartbreak, but she also shows us her empowered and emboldened spirit. In her quest to find her most authentic self, May gifts each listener with a powerful, emotional experience that immediately connects us.

Raised in a home full of art and music, she began writing songs at a very young age. As a teenager she hitchhiked across the country, honing her skills as a performer and absorbing the kind of stories and landscapes that would inform her music. Her songs show a very real connection and concern with everyday folk.

Erlewine uses her music as a platform for positive change. She considers her job a service-oriented one and carries the torch of the singer activist. Her voice on stage encourages connectedness and stresses the importance of environmental advocacy, social justice, creative empowerment and community building as necessary work for all of us.

With her electric new album, What It Takes, May delivers powerful anthems of resilience with empowered grit and fire. Some might call it a departure from her previous work, but for her, it’s coming home.

What It Takes, produced by Theo Katzman, was recorded in the Northwoods of Michigan, live in a small room at Cinnamon Ranch. Erlewine invited her bandmates to dig in, unleashing a level of fortifying energy to accompany her vulnerable writing. Captured and mixed by Nick Nagurka, the band features Theo Katzman on drums, Phil Cook on piano and keys, Packy Lundholm on guitar and Joel Gottschalk on bass. The end result is a satisfying, tone filled offering from some very tender humans. 

Erlewine’s music has touched people all over the world. Her words have held solace for weary hearts, offered a light in the darkness, and held space for the pain and joy of being alive in these times. She is a true artist, an anthem, and another example of why we need to listen to women. We need to hear these stories. When she starts to sing, there’s no way around it: The time is now.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2OCklJbxEeL54I1EQOlbxW?si=IcNUcLLeREmemssNB4Ce2A


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