Wisconsin singer/songwriter, Mary Beth Cross, is no stranger to Americana music. Her most current CD, Beyond Good And Evil, is a folk Americana collection of original and cover tunes, and earned her the Rural Roots Music Commission Folk-country CD of the Year in 2014.
Mary Beth’s rural Wisconsin upbringing and the Rocky Mountains where she currently lives make for a vivid backdrop for many of the songs she writes as she heads back to the studio for her new CD due out later this year.
Her musical career began in the 70s and has been influenced by artists Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Kate Wolf, Jackson Browne, Judy Collins, and Emmy Lou Harris. Dave Bechtel, Nashville producer who produced her CDs, In My Right Mind, and Beyond Good And Evil, said, “What is so compelling about Mary Beth’s music to me is that it both educates and moves me. Her love and understanding of the struggles of the people for whom this great country was founded creates compelling stories. For her to tell these stories that so few have ever heard gives a voice to those who were born in a time when not everyone was treated as equal. This reveals Mary Beth’s compassionate heart.”
“I enjoy the creative process,” she said. “Not that I need to be in charge, but I love being a part of helping put it all together. And I enjoy telling the back story behind these songs – where the inspiration comes from.” Mary Beth has this uncanny way of putting herself into the shoes of those she’s writing about and imagining things from their perspective.
“This next CD will be about where I make my home here in Colorado. Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous String Dusters will be at the helm for this one, so of course there will be plenty of banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar,” she said. “Not a lot of news events in this one,” she chuckled. Feels Like Home, will be the title, and Cross says, that it will indeed feel more like home.
To find out more, visit
www.marybethcross.com