Brandy Zdan, Van Darien

The dark, sad song of the White Throated Sparrow can be heard just about everywhere on the Canadian prairie around Winnipeg, the wind-swept hometown of Brandy Zdan (Zuh-dan). And like that bird's melancholy melody, Zdan's voice echos that similar theme, and has guided her on a musical migration across Canada, The States, and Europe.
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Emerging for the first time as a solo artist, Lone Hunter seems an apt description for Zdan's first record. Through each song Zdan picks up her past, looks to her future and explores some of life's harshest yet most beautiful truths. Poetic at times, her fearless desire and experience unfolds into the songs, creating something for the listener that tempers heartache and hope into one stronger emotion.

"This is a very impressive collection of simply recorded, uncluttered, quality songs that are all quite confidently satisfied to have their fragile bruised cores on display, and all the better for it."- Americana UK

?Richly-textured vocals stand foremost in each song and then are tightly bound to rich guitar tones, solid drums and subtle electronic melodies. The simple arrangements add powerful thunder to the beautiful lightning storm of vocals. This is especially evident on tracks like I Remember When You Used To Love Me' , the lap steel/pedal steel duet of 'Does Everything Break' , or the confessional 'Lone Hunter.' A departure from standards and perfect genres, Lone Hunter fits into a space all it's own.

" it's a one-woman tour de force"- Richard Skanse for Lone Star Magazine

?Recorded & Produced by George Reiff (Ray Wylie Hubbard, Band of Heathens) in Austin, TX, Lone Hunter features guest musicians as members of The Trishas & Ricky Ray Jackson on pedal steel guitar (Phosphorescent, Alejandro Escovedo), with Zdan holding it down on all the other instruments. Zdan will be on tour in support of the EP in Europe in the late fall.
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In 2011, Zdan was recruited as a triple-threat side woman by Austin-based female super-group The Trishas for her six string, lap steel, and accordion skills. Zdan also co-founded Twilight Hotel with Dave Quanbury and together they recorded 2 juno-nominated albums (Canada's Grammy equivalent) --2008's Highway Prayer and 2010's When the Wolves Go Blind-- forging a sound that critics likened to "old leather, worn and soft" and earned them the handle "rulers of their own genre."


Vanessa Darien is a hard-bitten lyricist with a flare for Americana Folklore. But Americana is not just an imagined theme for Vanessa, but something she has been strongly rooted in since a young age. Hailing from Weatherford, TX, Vanessa was raised in a home which also functioned as her father John's machine shop; it was in this shop Vanessa would become well versed in some of the finest American Roots music. From a junkyard of rusted cars, and a cast of characters both eclectic and eccentric, this Southern upbringing would lay the foundation for Vanessa's future in songwriting.

Vanessa has spent the past several years playing across Texas, from dusty beer joints to theater venues and everywhere in-between. In her travels, she has shared the stage with many artists including Uncle Lucius, Mike McClure, John Fullbright, Ian Moore, Cody Canada & The Departed, and Johnathan Tyler.

Apart from solo writing and works, Vanessa has also established many musical friendships and collaborations, with writing partners Joey Green, Maren Morris, Steven Cooper, and Ryan Michael of The Roomsounds. With a tight-knit group of musicians, and the help of producer/musician Beau Patrick Bedford, Vanessa has just completed a 6 song EP of new material entitled "Silent Sparrow" which is set for a June 3rd, 2014 release.