“An enchanting new Appalachian voice wraps her rambling mind around a dream; it sounds like the soul child of Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton.” - NPR Music Alexa Rose was born in the Alleghany Highlands of western Virginia, raised in the tiny railroad town of Clifton Forge. Though no one in her immediate family played or sang, she inherited a deep musical legacy. “Growing up I would hear stories of my great-grandfather Alvie who, for a time, lived and played with [bluegrass great] Lester Flatt when they were both young men,” says Rose. “Apparently, Lester tried to get him to move to Nashville and pursue a career. But my great-grandfather decided to stay in the mountains with his wife on their farm.” That sense of place and storytelling spirit became woven into Rose’s voice and songwriting. In 2019, she released her debut album “Medicine For Living,” the title track of which won MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Her 2021 sophomore release, “Headwaters,” was featured in American Songwriter and Rolling Stone, among others. Perhaps following in the steps of her great grandfather, Rose’s songs feel like oil paint landscapes of her own life in the mountains, often wringing out the beauty in mundanity and exploring timeless topics.
