Nancy Dwight Seiters

“Nothing is allowed to die in a society of storytelling people. It is all—the good and the bad—carted up and brought along from one generation to the next. And everything that is brought along and colored by those who bring it.” Harry Crews

In his anthology, A Childhood: the Biography of a Place, Harry Crews writes about the influences of people and place. These whispers of lives—both past and present—color his perspective and enable him to create a timeless story. Like Crews, Nancy Seiters’ songs do the same. Somewhat isolated by her upbringing on the plateau of Sewanee, TN, her lyrics and insights are not akin to influences of the MTV generation. Instead, educated in that poetic fog, she became more of a student of the folk and roots genre of music. Her storied musical quilt resonates with the language of human experience. Seiters says that she sometimes writes her songs in the car. “For awhile I had a rear tire that made a slow clicking sound and for the longest time I wrote waltzy songs to that rhythm. I finally took the car to the shop. When they lifted the car, the tire fell right off. Not only did I get scolded by the mechanic and a stiff bill, I had writer’s block for a month. While I sometimes miss that driving ‘click track’, the tune-up freed my writing.” Due to the nature of their origin, these songs could be coined as “driving songs”. In her sets you may hear the steely turmoil of proselytized souls, the bluesy criticism of road-sign messages, and the ballads of shy lovers.

More music: Website

Entry song: Cherry and Chimes

Entry #2: Gold Dust

Final entry: Never leave the Room

Interview with Chattown Stages: YouTube