Culture

NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) – Sycamore Sessions Executive Producer Josh Antonuccio welcomed Charlotte Cornfield and her band onto the Creekside Stage by introducing them to the audience as “Canada’s best kept secret.” Cornfield lived up to the description, moving the audience with her masterful musical storytelling during her Sycamore Session set.

Cornfield’s music journey began in 2011 with her debut, self released album, Two Horses. Her sophomore record, Future Snowbird, came five years later via Consonant Records. In 2019, her third album, The Shape of Your Name (Next Door Records) caught the attention of critics, with Pitchfork noting her authentic, conversational style. Her breakthrough came in 2021 with Highs In the Minuses, (Polyvinyl Record Company/Double Double Whammy), setting her up for the release of her most recent full-length, Could Have Done Anything (Polyvinyl Record Company) in May.

For her Sycamore Session, Cornfield provided lead vocals and guitar; Steven Foster was on drums; and Sam Gleason was on bass. Their set consisted of songs off Cornfield’s most recent records: Could Have Done Anything, Highs In The Minuses, The Shape of Your Name, as well as In My Corner, the title track for her 2020 EP of the same name.

Cornfield has named Joni Mitchell, Elliot Smith, and Lucinda Williams as some of the artists and songwriters that inspire her music, and her work has been compared to Courtney Barnett, Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, and fellow Nelsonville Music Festival performer Big Thief. With an impressive collection of music and artists that inspire her, it is no wonder why “Canada’s best kept secret” has gained the reputation she has as an amazing story teller.

The Sycamore Sessions are presented by the Nelsonville Music Festival in collaboration with WOUB Public Media and the Ohio University Scripps College of Communication’s School of Media Arts and Studies. The performances were recorded and produced by Media Arts and Studies students under the supervision of Host and Director Josh Antonuccio and Associate Producers – Director of Photography Andie Walla (Media Arts and Studies Associate Professor of Instruction), Audio Supervisor Adam Rich (WOUB), and WOUB’s Arts and Culture Editor Emily Votaw. All performances took place during the 2023 Nelsonville Music Festival, which is a production of Stuart’s Opera House.