Rj Cowdery writes the kind of songs that sneak up on you—quiet, honest, and armed with just enough wit to keep you on your toes. A late bloomer in the music world (she didn’t dive in until most people are taking up Pickleball), Rj has been making up for lost time with award-winning albums like In This Light, produced by Billy Crockett and What If This Is All There Is, produced by Amy Speace.

 Hailing from southeastern Ohio, with Appalachian roots woven into her stories, she balances heart-tugging ballads with a sly grin and the occasional perfectly timed zinger. Along the way, she’s earned top honors at Mountain Stage NewSong, Kerrville New Folk, Sisters Folk Festival, to name a few. 

Fellow musicians call her “the real deal,” audiences call her music “a warm blanket,” and she just calls it “medicine.”

QUOTES

 "Rj plays a clean guitar, flat picking or strumming and stringing chords together to build melodies built like a proverbial brick house and pours over it all with a voice like butter. Her lyrics are sincere and plainspoken, as one might expect from someone who grew up in small town Ohio."  
Vancouver Island Music Festival 

“Every Rj Cowdery song is a quiet thrill-a shotgun seat on a ride of the heart. I am so impressed by her unfiltered emotion, set in haunting lines of melody and guitar craft.  She’s rare, and I’m proud of this album we made.”  Billy Crockett, Producer
 

“Well-crafted songs, a natural yet confident stage presence, and a beautiful voice that perfectly complements her guitar playing."                
Gar Ragland, Director of Mountain Stage NewSong Festival
 

“Gentle without having to prove anything. No pushing, no forced emotion, just an honesty that leads to genuine songwriting and playing.”
David Austin Sky, Six String Concerts Volunteer
 

“Rj Cowdery’s music and lyrics bring you into her life story and as you listen you find yourself asking, “How’d she know that about me?” You’ll welcome her into your living room as an old friend.”  
Sue and Bruce Andrews, Cot and Crackers House Concerts

Awards and Recognition

Sisters Folk Festival/Dave Carter Memorial Songwriter Contest Winner - Sisters, OR
Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Winner - Kerrville, TX
Wildflower! Music and Arts Performing Songwriter Winner - Richardson, TX
Mountain Stage NewSong Winner - New York, NY
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase Finalist  - Lyons, CO
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase  -  CT
Tucson Folk Festival Finalist -  Tucson, AZ
Solar Fest Finalist - CT
Telluride Troubadour Finalist - Telluride, CO

 

OFFICIAL SHOWCASE ARTIST -  FAI, FARM, NERFA, SERFA, SWRFA
 

 

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