Kasey Anderson

There’s an indefinable, rough-around-the-edges quality that well-seasoned country, folk, and Americana musicians have. You can hear in their voices the life experiences that give the music authenticity and make them believable and relatable. Though this typically comes only with having lived a hard life, every once in a blue moon a young person has that je ne sais quoi that draws you in. Though he sounds young and smooth, Kasey Anderson manages to pull it off, with a Ryan Bingham-like air, only cleaner. His latest album is heavy in sentiment, fitting his timbre. Though you may expect someone like this to come out of the South, Anderson’s roots are in the Pacific Northwest, and his most recent material comes out of frustrated circumstances and discontent with his environment — something Arizonans easily relate to. “For almost a decade I lived in this insulated little community,” he said. “I woke up one morning and just knew it was time. I was numb all over. I spent a decade setting fire to everything around me and then wondered why I smelled like smoke. I had to get out.” Now that he’s out, it’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say.