Antje Duvekot solidified her reputation as one of America’s top emerging singer songwriters with Big Dream Boulevard, her debut studio release. That release was voted “#1 Folk Release of 2006” by the Boston Globe and was named to the “Top 10 Releases of the Year” by National Public Radio’s Folk Alley. Antje has won some of the top songwriting awards including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the prestigious, Kerrville (TX) “Best New Folk Award” and in one of the nation’s top music markets, she won the Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Folk Act” — three of the top prizes in the singer-songwriter world. Her 2009 album The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer was voted WUMB’s #1 album of the year 2010.

Antje has extensive touring experience, criss-crossing the US and Europe several times. She is a compelling live performer and has been invited to play some of the top festivals, including the Newport Folk Festival as well as the Mountain Stage, Philadelphia, and Kerrville Festivals. Internationally, she’s headlined the The Celtic Connections Festival in Scotland and the Tonder Festival in Denmark. In December of 2007, The Bank of America featured Antje’s song “Merry Go Round” in a national TV advertising campaign seen by millions, including (for all you Patriot fans) the 2008 Super Bowl audience.

Photo by Gregory Wostrel

. . .

On paper, Caleb Hawley’s resumé reads as the standard Who’s Who for up-and-coming songwriters. Then you hear him sing, and you realize there is only one word needed to describe this artist: extraordinary. From his ability to write intricate lyrics with cutting-edge chords to his lightening fast licks and ear for taste and style, there is absolutely nothing average about this shaggy-haired, blue-eyed, multi-­faceted musician.

Receiving top honors in the prestigious New York Songwriters Circle Contest (2008 and 2009), the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (2009), the Telluride Festival (2010) and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (2010), Hawley is as aggressive as he is persevering in advancing his art and impressing audiences with his unique and catchy approach to music. This diverse songwriter has written and produced three albums and toured all over the country playing sold-out venues and nationwide festivals. Though his initial passion simply began with a guitar and a love for a wide variety of music from Metallica to Martin Sexton, it was shortly after graduating Berklee College of Music with a degree in jazz composition that Caleb discovered a knack for song writing. He quickly made his way to New York City to pursue his newfound ambitions and he’s been touring ever since.

Photo by Matt Harwell

• Duvekot has gotten hotter, faster than any local songwriter in recent memory. Her songs feel at once fresh faced and firmly rooted, driven by the whispery sensuality of her voice. She believes in the redemptive power of the shared secret; and is utterly unafraid to mine the darkest corners of her life for songs that turn fear into resilience and isolation into commu­nity. The Boston Globe
• Antje is the rare artist that can write about the social and the personal in the same breath. She is as understated as she is wise and her songs go down mentally as well as soulfully. Her voice has a sound of innocence and naivety which makes razor sharp insights into the human condition. Ellis Paul
• . . .
• As a bright young talent, Caleb Hawley has created an excellent new album with incredible songs that range through a variety of genres. He does not pin himself down at all on this album, showing off his incredible vocal abilities with a soulful delivery. The highlights of the album are reggae song “Real Vacation” and the folk rocker “My Own Two Feet.” The biggest surprise is a cover of the song “The Way It Is,” which Hawley interprets in such a way that it keeps its classic appeal while still feeling new and fresh. Caleb Hawley is one of those special unknowns that you love discovering, and his latest album is definitely worth discovering. thisismodern.net