“Folk music on fire with worldly rhythms and a Latin pulse.” - Margaret Moser
— The Austin Chronicle
Bio
Eclectic, bilingual songwriter and nonprofit founder Vanessa Lively brings passion and fire to her heart-centric writing style and way of living. She has an activist heart and a compassionate attitude that is front and center. “It is music that needs to be heard, shared and experienced” -Gabino Iglesias, The Austin Post.
Her latest release Truth Is chronicles a difficult chapter in her life and showcases her resilience and unbreakable joy. Lively’s vocals are the thread weaving her songs together – they are soulful, smoky and lush. She writes poetically and brings a rhythmic beat to the folk songs she composes. Margaret Moser of The Austin Chronicle describes Vanessa’s music as “folk music on fire with worldly rhythms and a Latin pulse.”
In 2017, Lively started a music-based non-profit in Austin called Home Street Music. The program holds music circles with people who have experienced chronic homelessness. In addition to running the non-profit, Lively is a painter, graphic designer and mother of two young boys.
“Music has always been an integral part of Vanessa Lively’s life. She has used it as a means of self-expression and to process the world around her.” – Anna Lassmann, Austin Woman Magazine. Truth Is has been listed as the #1 New Release in June for Kansas Public Radio, and #13 on the Folk Radio charts in May.
SHORT BIO (100 words)
Vanessa Lively is an eclectic, bilingual songwriter and nonprofit founder who brings passion and fire to her heart-centric writing style and way of living. Margaret Moser of The Austin Chronicle describes Vanessa’s music as “folk music on fire with worldly rhythms and a Latin pulse.” Her latest album Truth Is has been listed as a #1 New Release by Kansas Public Radio, #13 on the FAI Folk Radio charts, a #1 New Release by Crossroads Radio in the Netherlands, and named one of the Top Albums of 2022 by Tom Coxworth - Folk Routes (Alberta, Canada). (vanessalively.com)