[Cover photo credit to Sean Reel]

Americana singer/songwriter Katie Powderly recently released her five-track sophomore album, Live by the Song, Die by the Song, via Red-Winged Blackbird Records, including five bonus live recordings on the CD and vinyl of the project. Live by the Song, Die by the Song is a stripped down, acoustic EP with Bluegrass influence.

Powderly explains about the songs on the album:

…each…is an allegory. On the surface, they’re love stories, but the deeper universal ideas explored are loyalty, passion and regret. Each song tells one chapter of a broader narrative. I rely on metaphor and symbolism to reveal my commentary on the subject like a puzzle you have to put together as you listen.

“Tobacco”, the opening song on the EP, earned Powderly the title of semi-finalist in the Tennessee Songwriters Week competition in Bristol, VA at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in February of 2023.

“Revolving Door”, another single from the project, went on to win first place in the qualifying rounds of the contest this year (2024), awarding her the same honor exactly one year later.