Yesway

Yesway is the creation of best friends Emily Ritz and Kacey Johansing. In a live setting, their voices melt together and the performances are intimate yet expansive. They are often backed by Vibraphone player Andrew Maguire, who also plays with Will Sprott, Thao, and Mirah. Although their instrumentation is centered around vocal harmonies and two guitars, “folk” seems like a inaccurate description as many of their songs are in odd time signatures and do not follow a traditional song form. The result are songs that are truly celestial, shapeshifting across different moods using their creative styles.

Emily and Kacey first crossed paths in the San Francisco music scene in 2006. They became close friends and admirers of each others’ music from the start. Kacey has a budding solo career while Emily is an active member of the band DRMS. Four years ago, the two began playing music together in the experimental folk ensemble Honeycomb, which initiated their path toward growing and weaving their creative songwriting and soulful expression into a power duo. The name “Yesway” is itself a variation on the country that really sparked their collaboration, Norway. Yesway is also the name of their debut full length album, set for release on June 3rd.

While the Bay Area has proven to become their home after many years in Oakland and San Francisco, city living no longer satisfies. Now the two inhabit sleepy beach towns on the coast north of San Francisco, soaking up the beauty and drawing inspiration directly from their surroundings. Both Emily and Kacey have always felt close to nature, whose colors bleed through into their sound and lyrics. Having grown up in upstate New York and Colorado respectively, the wilderness provides a familiar backdrop and acts as a canvas for their creativity.

With Yesway, their creative process happens as naturally as the ebb and flow of the tide or the growth of the forest. Their sisterly bond and creative intuition make for an exquisite illustration of a rare and powerful connection shared by two potent songwriters