Carnegie Hall and WFUV 90.7 FM Welcome Valerie June Tonight

Tonight, February 13 at 10:00 p.m. in Zankel Hall, singer-songwriter Valerie June performs songs from her critically acclaimed debut album Pushin' Against A Stone (Concord Records) as part of the tenth annual WFUV Live at Zankel series. NPR describes June as a "force of nature" with a "voice that's now stopping traffic: a keening soprano that shows off its twang yet sounds totally contemporary."

The album--which brings together the talents of acclaimed producers Kevin Augunas (Edward Sharpe, Florence + The Machine), Dan Auerbach, and Peter Sabak, along with an all-star cast of musicians ranging from Booker T. Jones and Jimbo Mathus-is a blend of rural roots and country that bridges Alan Lomax's acoustic field recordings with biting, electric indie-blues. It includes the traditional spiritual "Trials, Troubles, Tribulations"; the stark, acoustic "Workin' Woman Blues"; the haunting and melancholy "Somebody To Love"; and the recollection of her home, "Tennessee Time".

The annual WFUV Live at Zankel concert series celebrates the art of singer / songwriters, highlighting the eclectic nature of their music with WFUV's Program Director Rita Houston curating the concerts with Carnegie Hall and serving as host. Grammy-Award winner Shawn Colvin performs as part of the series on Saturday, April 11 at 10:00 p.m.

The series, which began in October 2005 as City Folk Live at Zankel, is based on WFUV's pioneering music format which blends adult rock, alternative rock, singer-songwriters, and roots music. Artists who have performed as part of the series include Rosanne Cash, Citizen Cope, Cowboy Junkies, Alejandro Escovedo, Richie Havens, Indigo Girls, Nick Lowe, Shelby Lynne, Aimee Mann, Nellie McKay, Joan Osborne, Jane Siberry, and Suzanne Vega, among others.

WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org), New York's source for music discovery, is a noncommercial, member-supported public media service of Fordham University for more than 65 years. WFUV has received national recognition for its award-winning weekday format of adult album alternative music, award-winning local news and sports, and a diverse weekend lineup. WFUV's robust website has extensive audio archives, videos, song playlists, an events calendar, blog and other resources.

Prior to all WFUV Live at Zankel performances, beginning at 9:00 p.m., concert-goers are invited to enjoy a laid-back pre-concert experience with drinks in the Zankel Hall lounge where they can meet others who share their passion for music. For more information please visit: carnegiehall.org/latenights.

By the time she released her debut album Pushin' Against A Stone in 2013, Tennessee native Valerie June had already performed on Later... with Jools Holland, sung a stunning duet with Eric Church at the ACM Awards, toured with Jake Bugg, and had spreads in top music and fashion magazines. Ms. June moved to Memphis after finishing high school and considered attending art school, but ultimately settled on singing in a band, quickly making the leap to solo artist. She not only taught herself guitar, but also banjo and ukulele, developing a distinctive style inspired by her heroes from a century before. The nurturing musical community in Memphis embraced Ms. June's timeless songwriting from the outset, and she went from coffee house gigs to touring across the South and beyond. She cut a homemade record in a friend's 1800s farmhouse to sell at shows, and followed that up with a disc she recorded in eight hours at the famed Arden Studios, where she earned a free day of recording as payment for a gig. Shortly after this, she opened for Old Crow Medicine Show at Rhodes College, and the band was so enraptured that they invited her back to Nashville to record an EP, Valerie June and the Tennessee Express.

Since Valerie June did not have a studio album of her own, she launched a Kickstarter campaign in which her fans helped her to raise more than $15,000. Around this time, producer Kevin Augunas, taken with her music on first listen, connected her with The Black Keys's Dan Auerbach. Pushin' Against A Stone was recorded at Auerbach's new Easy Eye studios in Nashville, as well as Fairfax Recording in Van Nuys, California, and Studio H in Budapest and is a collaboration between producers Kevin Augunas, Dan Auerbach, and Peter Sabak, along with fellow musicians ranging from Booker T. Jones and Jimbo Mathus to some of Hungary's top session players.