Deeply rooted in the Americana traditions of bluegrass, western swing, cowboy tunes, and all-around folk, Ula's sky-reaching harmonies and thoughtful lyrics will dive deep into your soul. Based in San Francisco, Ula's founding members Erin Lashnits (guitar, banjo, vocals) and Sarah Hipkens (guitar, vocals) both sprouted from the sandy East Coast soil, germinated together at Yale University, and then decided to hop the westward train to foggy California. After a year as a duo, they joined their picking and yodeling with the booming bass and soaring fiddle of Sam Hoffman and Mary Dougherty (respectively), blossoming into their current foursome.

All of Ula's songs, both those they've written and those written by others, tell a story. Some conjure up a tiny moment in someone's life, others bring to life a moment in history, one that often seems both long-gone and startlingly immediate. The songs Ula sings, old and new, have emerged out of ...