Folk-leaning Texas Americana artist Stephanie Sammons writes songs because she must: Driven by a deep sense of calling and a genuine curiosity about the world around her, her songwriting blends natural imagery with rich, narrative reflection and stirring melodic lines. Sammons was recently selected as a 2024 finalist for the prestigious Grassy Hill New Folk competition at the legendary Kerrville Folk Festival. She joins a long list of compelling songwriters who have previously held this honor, including Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, and Mary Bragg. Influenced by a mix of idiosyncratic folk and country icons (Willie and Waylon, Tanya Tucker, Joni Mitchell) and contemporary folk and folk rock acts like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Indigo Girls, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and David Gray, Sammons has developed a uniquely catchy style of down-to-earth Americana that’s both moody and fiercely intelligent. “I’ve been writing and recording my music over the years while balancing a career as a certified financial planner,” she says. “But I made a serious commitment to this art in recent years because I knew I had to get the songs out there.”  Now poised to release her first full-length album, Time and Evolution, Sammons has played Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Cafe and WMOT Roots Radio Finally Friday show at 3rd and Lindsley. She has shared the stage with some of her favorite artists and mentors, including Mary Gauthier, Jonatha Brooke, and Mary Bragg. “For me, songwriting is about sharing my truth and seeking connection. I want to make people think as well as feel something,” she says. 

Sammons released her debut self-titled EP in 2010, recorded with producer and drummer Jeff Howe (former Max Stalling drummer) and engineer Paul Williams (co-founder of State Fair Records of Texas). The tracks explored themes of repression, relationships, and ultimately leaving the corporate world (see “Set Myself Free”), laced with folky melodies and sage observation in the vein of Shawn Colvin and early Sheryl Crow.  Sammons’ 2017 sophomore EP, Who I Am, was co-produced with Jon Niess and recorded at Austin Signal Studios with sound engineer Charlie Kramsky (Willie Nelson, Bobby McFarrin), showcasing a signature mix of gritty wisdom, smooth vocals, and agile storytelling. Sammons has been frequenting Nashville for the last seven years to attend Performing Songwriter Creative Workshops, where she has studied with local favorite Mary Gauthier as well as Emily Saliers, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Jonatha Brooke, Suzy Bogguss, Verlon Thompson, and Gretchen Peters. “My songwriting has evolved working with such brilliant mentors, most of whom are GRAMMY-nominated or winning artists. I’ve learned how to hone my craft, explore deeper themes, and own my voice,” she says. “Getting to a good song is like carving a sculpture in stone: You keep working at it because you see what it could be, and you want to get your hands on what’s at the core.” 

Sammons’ full-length debut, Time and Evolution, offers an elegant recounting of personal growth through melody and narrative. “Everything takes time, and everything changes. We either resist or embrace change. I’ve also experienced a lot of shame in my life, and that’s a recurring theme you hear on this record.,” says Sammons. Produced by Mary Bragg at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio B and released in May 2024, the ten-song collection begins with a journey and ends with a reckoning. The album is part teardown of harmful church doctrine and part beautiful homage to the ongoing rediscovery of faith. These songs explore shame, vulnerability, and the complexity of being queer in a conservative, Southern religious culture. Moments of melancholy are balanced by acquiescence, embracing reality in deft, searingly poetic language woven with rich emotional insight. (See lines like “Blood isn’t always thicker than love” from “Billboard Sign” as well as potent images of surrender and redemption in “Faithless.”). Producer Mary Bragg, the late Ingrid Graudins, and noted songwriter/Guy Clark collaborator Verlon Thompson are featured on Time and Evolution.  In Sammons’ words,  “Authenticity matters. I don’t want to shrink because I’m worried about what others may think of me. It has taken me years to find the courage to be myself and write the songs that make me feel vulnerable to the core.”