“The purity of Dori Freeman’s voice and the directness of her songwriting reflect not only her Appalachian hometown — Galax, Va. — but also a determined classicism, a rejection of the ways modern country punches itself up for radio and arenas.” – Jon Pareles, The New York Times

“A strong contender for Americana debut of the year” —Rolling Stone Country

Dori Freeman grew up in a family of bluegrass musicians, raised on a diet of Doc Watson and the Louvin Brothers. But by driving age, she’d cruise around her hometown of Galax, Virginia (pop: 7,042), windows down, breeze riffling her cropped strawberry-blonde hair, and harmonize with the pop melodies of singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson playing on her CD player. “I always thought that our voices sounded nice together,” Freeman says in a rough-edged, Appalachian twang. The feeling stuck with her, and at one point,Freeman did something odd for a 22-year-old single mom working at her family’s frame shop: she recorded a video of herself playing Thompson’s “Everybody Move It” and sent it to him via Facebook, with a note saying how much she liked to sing with him.

Three days later, he wrote back.

Two years after that, The New York Times named Freeman’s self-titled debut—an honest and achingly beautiful collection of folk and country songs produced by Thompson and recorded in three days—one of the best albums of 2016. She has gone on to open for Mandolin Orange, Loretta Lynn and others. Her live shows are beautiful and mesmerizing, shining light on a singer and songwriter in her musical prime.

About Letitia VanSant
Letitia VanSant is a singer-songwriter known for her distinctly intimate voice and sincere stage presence. Whether she is performing solo or backed up by a three-piece band, VanSant's sound ranges from stripped-down indie folk to gritty Americana. Her lyrics ask spiritual questions about human nature and justice.