Sam Rae & Sharkk Heartt

Join us for a night of original music from local folk singer and looping cellist Sam Rae and Indie-Pop musician Sharkk Heartt of Tucson, AZ. Blending a degree in classical performance with an improvisational, jazz inspired past Sam Rae brings a sense of wonder to her now alternative folk music. Local musician, Sam Rae weaves cello harmonies in between songs that tell stories of life, loss and joy. With a sweeping alto voice, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Rae’s music will encourage you to consider the simple and complex parts of living. Sam Rae spent 2018-2021 on the road as a backup cellist and vocalist for Brandi Carlile and has three independently released albums; Ten Thousand Years (2020), Bring Us to New Islands (2017) and Stories from the Marrow (2014). Indie-Pop Singer/Songwriter Lara Ruggles performs simmering electronic-leaning pop anthems as Sharkk Heartt. Her dynamic and versatile vocals have been compared to Florence and the Machine, Sarah McLachlan, and Duffy, with an overall sound landing somewhere between London Grammar and Sylvan Esso. Ruggles has shared the stage with Grammy-winner LeAnn Rimes as part of her "Today is Christmas" tour, joined Colorado poet laureate Andrea Gibson on their "Right Now, I love You Forever" tour, and in 2023 she spent a month as the National Parks Arts Foundation's artist-in-residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Her music video for the song "Work Fires" won Best Music Video at Apex Film Festival and the Tucson Ideafunding Award in 2021.