Eliza Gilkyson to Play McCabe's Guitar Center, 2/21

Eliza Gilkyson will be playing a concert in support of her new Red House Records release, The Nocturne Diaries, the first new album in three years from Grammy-nominated, Austin Music Hall of Fame member. Produced and recorded in her hometown of Austin with her son, Cisco Ryder, The Nocturne Diaries is a restless contemplative work inspired by the converging forces of her highest hopes and darkest fears. The songs range from roots rockers to a haunting version of the folk classic "Fast Freight" written by her father, Terry Gilkyson.

Never one to shy away from politics and social issues, she writes about an adolescent on the verge of a rampage ("An American Boy") and looks through the eyes of an abused teenage girl ("Not My Home") with the characteristic empathy and insight that have made her one of the most beloved folk artists today. "The Red Rose and the Thorn" features her first big electric guitar solo ever, set up beautifully by world class Hammond B3 player Ian McLagan and bassist Chris Maresh (Eric Johnson). She closes the album on a hopeful note with the intimate "All Right Here," a gentle ballad about finding the most valuable things close at hand in family and home.

Over her decades-long career, Eliza has appeared on NPR, Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, eTown, Sirius XM Radio and more and her haunting, thought-provoking songs have been covered by such notables as Joan Baez, Bob Geldof, Tom Rush and Rosanne Cash. Her song "Requiem," originally written for the Asian tsunami victims, has become a choral standard and is used as a spiritual prayer by churches and communities worldwide, notable the choral group Conspirare (their album with song was nominated for two Grammys).

"The songs that come in the night are very different than the daylight songs," she says of the collection. "Usually the big themes crop up in the dark -- thoughts of mortality, the state of the world, the plight of mankind, one's failures, losses and fears -- the things we are all too distracted to notice during the day. But the backdrop of shadows also can highlight the faces of the loving people who share your life with you, who care about the world, nature and humanity, who keep the fires of hope, humor and hearth burning bright in this time, who make your life meaningful and worthy of your best intentions.

Musically rich and lyrically thought-provoking, The Nocturne Diaries is a journey through the dark night of the soul that ends at the light of dawn with a sense of gratitude, a renewed commitment to care, and a stubborn little ray of hope.

For more info go to: http://elizagilkyson.com/