Olivia Ellen Lloyd / Soul-R-Fusion / Evan Blackerby
Olivia Ellen Lloyd
Olivia Ellen Lloyd will try anything once. From flight attendant school in Dallas to producing theater in New York and teaching in Guatemala, Lloyd sought adventure but struggled to find a greater sense of purpose - until she found her way back to music. Channeling that restless spirit, she writes songs that dig deep for hope in the face of hardship.
Her debut album, Loose Cannon, has been streamed over 1 million times while she has been crossing the country playing shows, winning songwriting contests (like Kerrville in 2023) and generally eating life down to the rind. She also works as an in-demand side woman, singing backing vocals for the likes of Lizzie No, Emily Scott Robinson, and Renee Rapp during her 2024 performance at the All Things Go Festival in Forest Hills, Queens.
Lloyd has spent the past three years doubling down on her efforts to build community within the Alt-Country and Americana scene while deepening her working partnership with Mike Robinson, an in-demand sideman known for touring and recording with the likes of Sarah Jarosz, Railroad Earth, Teddy Thompson, Iris Dement, Lindsay Lou, Bella White, Zach Bryan, Jobi Riccio and Ryan Beatty. Mike served as her producer and primary instrumentalist on this project.
Together they crafted an album that refuses to be placed in a narrow genre definition, focusing instead on building songs that paint a picture of liberation from oppressive patriarchal and paternalistic forces.
She is also a newly inaugurated member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of more than 60 women, and non-binary singers, who join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance, and to uplift and center women’s voices.
Learn more at https://olivialloydmusic.com/
Soul-R-Fusion
Soul-R Fusion is Tim Koehler (acoustic guitar / vocals) and Alex Goodell (fretless bass). They started collaborating as a duo in 2015 and developed an original sound by blending diverse musical influences and unique approaches to their instruments and to songwriting. Perhaps best described as modern bluesy-folk with a touch of singer-songwriter storytelling, Soul-R Fusion’s music highlights ethereal fretless basslines and rhythmic acoustic guitar, that together complement intelligent, heartfelt lyrics.
Based in Wilmington N.C., the duo are focused on writing and performing their own original music. Soul-R Fusion’s music is optimistic and highlights the common experiences and connections people share. Their songs and live performances are uplifting, positive experiences that will draw you in and make you feel good.
Soul-R Fusion’s large repertoire of original music ranges from the humorous Slack Cat Blues to the elegant Simple. The duo has three studio album recordings, all recorded in Wilmington, NC: their eponymous debut Soul-R Fusion, (2016) with drummer Roger Manning, a double CD Like a Circle ‘Round the Sun, (2019), and their newest release, Everybody Knows, (2023). And they have a whole new batch of songs that they are currently recording!
The duo performs regularly at their local listening room, Live at Ted’s, and at the Beale Street Barber Shop, Wilmington NC's Elvis themed barber shop / original music venue. They have been featured in local original music showcases and festivals, including Voice and the Pen Songwriters Showcase, the Hope Concert Series, Alt-Zalea Fest, and local NPR radio station WHQR's Soup to Nuts Live! program. They also play regionally at festivals around North Carolina, including Flush Fest in Hillsborough, NC and Little Big City Festival in Greensboro, NC, and have been featured on Hillsborough radio station WHUP's Pass the Hat live radio show. Soul-R Fusion also performs in original-music friendly venues beyond North Carolina, and has recently played for audiences in Delaware, South Carolina, and Tennessee. They look forward to continuing to share their music and connect with audiences everywhere!
Learn more at https://soulrfusion.wixsite.com/website-2
