Falcon Ridge Most Wanted: Grace Morrison, Phil Henry, Erin Ash Sullivan & Sam Robbins

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (now located at the Goshen, CT Fairgrounds) has a longstanding tradition of presenting Emerging Artists each year and the audience gets to vote for their favorite artists.  This year the "winners" are Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, Phil Henry, and Erin Ash Sullivan.

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Grace Morrison has spent most of her musical career seeking refuge from the spotlight. Whether it was singing backup for rock icons like Eddie Money and Joey Molland (of the band Badfinger), or trying to blend in with various bandmates, being the center of attention has never been comfortable for her. Fast forward to 2020, and just like for most of us, a lot of time was spent deciding what she really wanted after being told what she couldn’t do – in her case, play music for people.

With new album, Daughter, Morrison establishes herself as a confident, refreshing voice in country-pop. The 12-song collection is certain to find favor with fans of the storytelling and delivery of Jewel and Lisa Loeb, as well as with those who enjoy singing along with Boyz II Men on their car stereo.

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Sam Robbins is often described as an "old soul singer songwriter." A Nashville based musician whose music evokes classic 70's singer songwriters like James Taylor and Neil Young, Sam adds a modern, upbeat edge to the storyteller troubadour persona. An avid performer, he has gained recognition from extensive touring and as one of the six 2021 winners in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition, one of the largest and most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country.

Sam released his debut album, Finally Feeling Young, on May 14th, 2021. The album is reminiscent of his 70's singer-songwriter heroes, with a modern perspective. On the heels of the award winning opening single, 'Remind Me", Finally Feeling Young has already garnered radio airplay and critical acclaim. Two album tracks, Remind Me and Saying Amen, won him a place as one of the six Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk winners. Americana Highways writes: “He writes of subjects that others don't explore. Saying Amen has Robbins touching that special place Leonard Cohen went. This is brilliance." Fateau Magazine in the UK writes "One of the most promising new songwriters of his generation".

A multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Sam began learning drums and piano, falling in love with guitar at age 15. He then started writing original music, recording his first CD during his sophomore year of high school, while playing open mics in his hometown of Portsmouth, NH.

Over his career, Sam has performed countless shows across the country, in theaters, house concerts, biker bars, weddings, proposals, frat parties, and everything in between. Sam is able to tour full time, and feels at home in both intimate listening rooms and larger venues. Wherever he is performing, Sam builds an intimate, easy connection with the listener, naturally creating a feeling of closeness throughout the performance.

Sam is a full time troubadour, playing over 150 shows a year across the country, including the MainStage at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Festival, and as one of the “‘Most Wanted to Return” artists in the 2023 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

Since moving to Nashville in September 2019 following his graduation from Berklee College of Music, Sam has made a splash in music city - performing at the Bluebird Cafe within a month of moving, and sitting in again at the legendary venue with Liz Longley in February. Sam was also a winner at the Eddie's Attic Songwriter's shootout competition in Atlanta in early March 2020.

In 2018, Sam was able to audition and be aired on NBC's The Voice for Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Jennifer Hudson as the first artist to perform a Jim Croce song on the show.

Sam considers himself a student of songwriting, constantly searching and learning about why songs have the impact they do. A 2019 graduate of Berklee College of Music's songwriting department, he has hosted many songwriting workshops and masterclasses, including at the Harvard Music Department and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. In his performances and workshops, Sam explores the magic behind the craft of songwriting, and tries to help others express themselves through the unique and powerful medium of songwriting.

Sam released his second album, "Bigger Than in Between", to critical acclaim on August 5th, 2022.

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Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Erin Ash Sullivan’s initial foray into music was as one-half of the folk duo Edith O. with Amy Speace. After a hiatus to focus on her family and career as an educator, she returned to writing and performing. In May 2021, she released her debut solo album, We Can Hear Each Other, which reached #10 on the FAI DJ Chart; her single, “Fireflies,” reached #8. In 2022, she was selected as one of the “Most Wanted” performers from Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and was John Platt’s selection for the Folk DJ Showcase at NERFA. She was the recipient of the Mark Erelli Judge’s Choice Award in the New England Songwriting Competition and has been a finalist in the Great American Song Contest, the Rose Garden Performing Songwriter Competition, and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. WFUV’s John Platt describes Erin as having “a special talent that reminds me of early Dar Williams,” and Victor Infante of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette describes her music as “delicate and evocative” with songs full of “nuance and emotional resonance.”