Songwriter/storyteller/farmer ISMAY released their emotional new track “The Window Shade,” the latest offering from their upcoming album Desert Pavement, out January 26. Desert Pavement is a tapestry of alternative American roots music, full of alt-country textures and lush folk songs that transcend traditions and blur boundaries.
ISMAY is Avery Hellman, a Bay Area native who draws inspiration from the rural California land. On “The Window Shade,” ISMAY shares their need to value independence over safety, realizing it was time to move on from the family ranch they deeply loved. ISMAY says, “When I first moved there I had thought that I’d never leave. It was paradise. But I changed and found that I needed to find my own life and place to be and stand on my own.”
Hellman grew up attending Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the music festival launched by their grandfather, Warren Hellman, and incorporated the melting pot of sounds that is California into their being. Desert Pavement evokes the landscapes of rural land and days of yore. “I create music that’s informed by older traditions and makes you feel the way old folk music does,” they say, “but it doesn’t sound like something you’ve heard before.”
After supporting Watchhouse on the road, ISMAY has a number of performances in the works, including an official showcase at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City, MO. Additional tour dates will be announced shortly.
ISMAY 2024 U.S. Tour Dates
January 28 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Mill Valley
January 29 – Elko, NV – National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
February 9 – Ojai, CA – Deer Lodge with Kelly McFarling
February 10 – Big Sur, CA – Fernwood Resort with Kelly McFarling
February 11 – Kelseyville, CA – House Concert
February 21-25 – Kansas City, MO – Folk Alliance International Official Showcase Artist
What do you think of ISMAY’s latest single?
