Tristan Prettyman Performs w/ Special Guest Chris Kasper at Bridge Street Live, 8/15

With her first three recordings, 2003's 'The Love' EP, 2005's breezy 'twentythree' and 2008's 'Hello,' Tristan Prettyman parlayed her smoky alto voice and laid-back surfer-girl-from-San-Diego charm into an eight-year career studded with highlights that included 'Hello's' No. 2 position on the iTunes Digital Albums chart and headlining tours across the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

But instead of capitalizing on the attention and immediately making plans to record a third album after wrapping two years of touring in support of 'Hello,' Prettyman took an extended break during which she traveled the globe, had surgery to remove polyps on her vocal cords, got engaged to her long-term boyfriend, dealt with the pain of his ending the engagement, and eventually questioned whether she even wanted to be a musician at all.

Prettyman chronicles the experience on her new album, the raw, emotionally charged 'Cedar + Gold,' which finds her sifting through the wreckage of her relationship and emerging stronger on the other side. "I started writing songs from a place that was so deep and honest, where I didn't hold anything back," she says. "It felt so good. I was like, 'This is what music is about - being able to release what is trapped inside of you.' Whenever anything ached or caused me pain, I'd tell myself, 'Save it for the record.'"

'Cedar + Gold' (whose title refers to both the cedar walls and ceilings in the home where she recovered from her heartbreak and the gold she spun from her situation in the songs) is an album that manages to be both deeply personal, but highly relatable to anyone who's had the ground collapse under them and fought their way back to healing. "It's actually a very hopeful album in a lot of ways, which I think is a common theme in all my records," she says. "The idea that 'things may be a bit crappy right now, but let's make the most of it' is very reflective of me as a person and my outlook on life. I always try to look at the bigger picture of why something is happening. And I love that I was able to go so deep and dig around in places I never thought I could access and still remain hopeful at the end of the day."

Chris Kasper is an American songwriter with a distinct "timeless" sound that has gained him a loyal fanbase in his hometown of Philadelphia and around the country. He has released 3 solo records since living in Philly (FlyingBoy '06, Chasing Another Sundown '09, The First Hundred Years are the Hardest '11) and 1 collaborative effort with Bluegrass/Folk ensemble, The Lowlands (Bark and Twine '07). With his 3rd solo record now available, you may rethink your idea of "singer-songwriter". Having toured with, and opened for, local heroes Amos Lee and G. Love, as well as a ton of other national acts, Chris is setting his sights on touring full time.

"...Chris Kasper knocks me out with the quality of his themes, his lyrics and memorable melodies. Chris is a heavy hitter and his new album proves it. -Gene Shay / WXPN, Philadelphia