By any measure, Claire Lynch is high on the bluegrass world’s A-List, with accolades that include three International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Female Vocalist of the Year awards and two Grammy nominations for Best Bluegrass Album, and recently, Lynch won the 2012 USA Artists $50,000 Walker Fellowship. Now, on the heels of the prestigious award, Lynch has prepared her highly awaited Compass debut DEAR SISTER.The album showcases Lynch and her razor sharp band (Mark Schatz – bass, Matt Wingate – guitar, mandolin, Bryan McDowell – fiddle, mandolin, guitar) on a rock-solid, 10 song set of bluegrassy folk and Americana. Standouts include “Doin’ Time” (with Tim O’Brien on vocals and bouzouki), the title track “Dear Sister”—an anthemic ballad of the Civil War written by Lynch and Louisa Branscomb based on recently discovered historic letters written by a relative of Louisa’s on the eve of the battle of Stone’s River—and the Pierce Pettis penned “That Kind of Love.” Taken as a whole, the songs constitute what is possibly Claire’s most personal record to date and certainly one of the most broadly accessible albums of her storied career. “A sterling, silvery vocal presence and a gift for supple, emotional ornamentation…Lynch’s talent is a diamond…gorgeous voice and sense of purpose, supported by (a) superb ensemble.” —The Washington Post“[Claire Lynch has a] gift for molding lyrics to melody...lovely, deftly austere” —The Boston Globe
