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Amber Rubarth
Amber Rubarth
Amber Rubarth
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Amber Rubarth is an American singer-songwriter. She has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea and South Africa.

Winner of the NPR Mountain Stage New Song Contest, her eighth album, ‘Wildflowers in the Graveyard’ is engineered and co-produced (with Rubarth) by Matt Andrews (Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Dawes) and is a concept album of self-penned songs around the cycles of life, death and rebirth as witnessed in nature and relationships. Rubarth’s earlier studio album, A Common Case of Disappearing, was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Jacquire King and debuted at No. 13 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts. It features duets with Jason Reeves, and Jason Mraz. Chesky Records released two binaural albums recorded live at St. Elias Church in which Rubarth collaborated with cellist Dave Eggar. The album received great acclaim and led to a performance with the full Ithaca College Chamber Orchestra. Rubarth has performed twice for TED Talks.[1]

In addition to her solo work, Rubarth is the co-founder of the Brooklyn-based indie band The Paper Raincoat with Alex Wong (as heard on Google and Aquafina commercials), and the U.K.-based harmony trio Applewood Road, named in The Telegraph's best albums of 2016.[2] Her original arrangement for the group of R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' has received over 1 million plays on Spotify, with her solo live performance video reposted by the band as a "beautiful rendition."[3]

Rubarth has composed songs and scored for films, including collaborations with Paul Brill for Sundance Film Festival winner Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and the end credit song for the documentary Desert Runners. Rubarth's arrangement of the traditional "My Dear Companion", performed by her trio Applewood Road, is on the 2017 BBC documentary Sisters of Country: Dolly, Linda and Emmylou and she can be heard with her band The Paper Raincoat on Disney's The Last Song soundtrack featuring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. As well as co-starring in the 2018 feature film 'American Folk,' Rubarth also composed 2 original songs and is featured heavily on the soundtrack alongside Joe Purdy, John Prine, David Grisman and Jerry Garcia.[4] In 2020 she produced the album Fantastic Fungi: Reimagine, featuring 24 artists (including her single "Everything I Thought I Knew) inspired by the film and mycelial kingdom.

Biography

[edit]

Rubarth was born in California. At age 17, she graduated high school and moved to Carson City, Nevada, to apprentice at a wood sculpture studio.[5] After three years, she quit the apprenticeship to pursue music.[6] She taught herself to play guitar and began performing at local open mic nights and coffee shops.[7] Phil Ramone in The Huffington Post describes her style as "part of the new old-soul generation."[8]

She tours with a 1956 Gibson ES-125 hollow body electric guitar and plays piano. In her band The Paper Raincoat she sings and plays keyboard, guitar, glockenspiel, and occasionally drums.[9] With Applewood Road trio, she arranges, sings, plays guitar and electric bass. She also toured with Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) as his support act and side musician on vocals, electric guitar, keys, and electric bass.

Tours

[edit]
Amber Rubarth playing at the Hotel Cafe in May 2016

Amber Rubarth has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, and Japan.[citation needed]

In May 2009 Rubarth joined Jason Reeves and Brendan James to create "The Vespa Experiment," a musical tour along the California coast in which the three artists traveled on Vespa mopeds, camped, and did community awareness activities for 13 days to support environmentalism. In September 2009, she toured America and Canada supporting Gary Jules and Joshua Radin.[10]

In 2017 Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket invited Rubarth to join his U.S. tour as the opening act as well as part of his trio for which she played bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, and vocals.[11]

The Paper Raincoat

[edit]

In addition to her solo work, Rubarth formed a band with songwriter Alex Wong, called the Paper Raincoat. Rubarth explained in an interview with The Boston Globe that her solo work tends to be more personal, whereas the Paper Raincoat's songs are more imaginative, involving fictional characters[12] Their debut EP (Safe in the Sound) was featured as an iTunes Indie Spotlight Artist[13]

In the fall of 2009, they toured the U.S. as support for Vienna Teng,[14] and their music was the subject of CNET's 'The 404' podcast[15] The album The Paper Raincoat was released in October 2009. The band was named "Best of What's Next" by Paste Magazine who said "We think the world might be a little better if everyone heard this record." Their songs have been featured in Disney's The Last Song, One Tree Hill and Google and Aquafina commercials.

Movies

[edit]

Rubarth played the lead role of Joni in the feature film American Folk, which was released in the U.S. through Good Deed Entertainment on January 26, 2018. The film was featured at film festivals around the world, followed by a US theater release, then picked up by Hulu and Amazon Prime. Amber Rubarth received an Ebertfest "Golden Thumb" award in April 2023.[16][17][18] [19]

Awards and honors

[edit]

Rubarth was awarded Grand Prize in the NPR Mountain Stage New Song Contest for "Letter from My Lonelier Self" (2010). The prize included recording with Jacquire King and a performance on NPR's Mountain Stage. The album was released on September 30, 2011 through the contest organizer Newsong Recordings.[20]

Rubarth's song "Washing Day", written with Adam Levy, won 1st Place in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition in the Lyrics Only category judged by Tom Waits, Brian Wilson, and Robert Smith. The music video was screened at the 2007 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas[21][22]

On May 8, 2008, Bob Boilen chose "You Will Love This Song" from her second album New Green Lines for his NPR show All Things Considered. He said he was "attracted by her honesty and humor".[23] On August 26, 2009, Tom Robinson featured the song on his BBC Radio show Fresh on the Net in the UK.[24] She was listed No. 16 in the UK "Music to Die For's Top 100 Favourite Female Vocalists of the Decade"[25]

Rubarth was awarded “Best Actress” for her lead performance in the feature film ‘’American Folk’’ at the 2018 Scruffy City Film Festival.

Recordings

[edit]

Something New (2005) - Full-length album recorded in Brooklyn, NY, produced by The Animators.

Unfinished Art EP (2007) - Limited edition handmade version of her "Unfinished Art" EP consisted of an original blind contour painting by Rubarth pressed onto a hanging handmade canvas with the album and liner notes inserted in the back.

New Green Lines (2008) - full-length album featuring "You Will Love This Song"

The Church EP (2009) - collaboration EP with Adam Levy, recorded upstate New York in an old church.[26]

Good Mystery (2009) [10] to sold out audience at Joe's Pub in New York City. The collectors edition is a hand-crafted birch wood box with red wax hummingbird seal on a sliding lid top. Limited edition of 1000 handmade boxes sold out almost immediately through pre-order. #1 Best seller on Amie Street on release day and for two additional weeks.[27]

The Paper Raincoat (2009) - collaboration with Alex Wong and Kevin Rice. Full-length album for the band the Paper Raincoat

A Common Case of Disappearing (2011) - "New and Noteworthy" release on iTunes, debuted at #13 on the Singer Songwriter charts. NewSong Recordings. Produced by Jacquire King, features duets with Jason Reeves and Jason Mraz. Band included Adam Levy (guitar), Marco Giovino (drums), Frank Howard Swart (bass) and Zac Rae (keys).

Sessions from the 17th Ward (2012) - Live HD Binaural recording featuring Dave Eggar (cello), Tim Snider (violin), and Chuck Palmer (percussion). Chesky Records.

Applewood Road (Applewood Road) (Feb 2016) Trio harmony collaboration with Emily Barker and Amy Speace, released on Gearbox Records (UK)

Scribbled Folk Symphonies (April 2016) Live album released on Chesky Records, featuring string and oboe arrangements. Includes string and vocal arrangement of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" among other original and cover songs.

Wildflowers in the Graveyard (September 29, 2017) Solo album self-penned by Rubarth on the theme of life/death/rebirth cycles as found in nature and relationships. Recorded analogue to 2" tape with Matt Andrews (Gillian Welch, David Rawlings Machine, Dawes) in Nashville. (Cambium Records)

Discography

[edit]
  • New Green Lines (Sounden, 2008)
  • The Church with Adam Levy (2009)
  • Good Mystery (2009)
  • A Common Case of Disappearing (Newsong, 2011)
  • Sessions from the 17th Ward (Chesky, 2012)
  • Scribbled Folk Symphonies (Chesky, 2016)
  • Applewood Road (Gearbox, 2016)
  • Wildflowers in the Graveyard (Cambium, 2017)[28]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Amber Rubarth

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from Grokipedia
Amber Rubarth is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress known for her poetic songwriting that blends folk, acoustic, and indie elements, as well as her extensive international touring and contributions to film. She began her music career after leaving a job as a chainsaw sculptor in Nevada, teaching herself guitar and earning early recognition by winning the Grand Prize in NPR's Mountain Stage New Song contest, which led to her debut album produced by Jacquire King. Rubarth has toured across North America, Europe, Japan, South Africa, and beyond, performing at venues including Carnegie Hall and Glastonbury Music Festival, and opening for artists such as Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, and Dr. Ralph Stanley. Her work often explores themes of life, nature, and human connection, as seen in solo albums like Wildflowers in the Graveyard (2017) and the environmentally focused Cover Crop (2023), which she self-produced. Rubarth has collaborated in various projects, co-founding the band The Paper Raincoat and the trio Applewood Road, the latter earning critical praise including a five-star review from the London Sunday Times. She made her acting debut and contributed original songs to the feature film American Folk (2017), which received acclaim as a heartfelt homage to American folk music. Additionally, she has composed for documentaries and co-produced compilations inspired by environmental themes, while continuing to perform and organize folk events.

Early life

Childhood and background

Amber Rubarth was born in 1982 in California. She spent her childhood and teenage years in California. At age 17, she left home and moved to Nevada.

Education and apprenticeship

Amber Rubarth left home at age 17 to apprentice as a chainsaw sculptor in Nevada. She moved to Carson City, Nevada, where she began a chainsaw carving apprenticeship. She spent three years working as a chainsaw-carving apprentice in Carson City before quitting to pursue music. Other accounts describe the apprenticeship as lasting approximately three and a half to four years, during which she worked under a mentor sculptor. At age 21, she left the apprenticeship, traded her chainsaw for a guitar, and taught herself to play while beginning to write songs. This shift marked her transition from sculpting to a full-time focus on music.

Music career

Beginnings and early releases

Amber Rubarth began her professional music career in 2004. After leaving a chainsaw sculpting apprenticeship at age 21, she started writing songs and teaching herself guitar. Her self-taught approach on guitar marked the beginning of her transition into music as a singer-songwriter. Her debut self-released album, Something New, appeared in 2005. This was followed by the Unfinished Art EP in 2007. In 2008, she released New Green Lines, which included the track "Washing Day". Her next project, Good Mystery, came out in 2009. In 2006, Rubarth and Adam Levy won first place in the Lyrics Only category of the International Songwriting Competition for their co-written song "Washing Day".

Breakthrough albums and awards

Amber Rubarth gained major recognition in 2010 when she won the Grand Prize in the NPR Mountain Stage NewSong Contest for her song "Letter from My Lonelier Self". The award provided the opportunity to record with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King at Saint Claire Recording Company, resulting in her breakthrough album A Common Case of Disappearing, released on September 30, 2011. The album, expanded from an initial five-song EP to nine tracks featuring duets with Jason Mraz and Jason Reeves, debuted at #13 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts. She followed this success with Sessions from the 17th Ward in 2012, released on Chesky Records and recorded using the label's Binaural+ technique with collaborators including cellist Dave Eggar, violinist Tim Snider, and percussionist Chuck Palmer. Rubarth continued releasing music with Scribbled Folk Symphonies on April 15, 2016, a collection blending original songs and covers such as R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion". Her next album, Wildflowers in the Graveyard, arrived on September 29, 2017, exploring themes of life, death, and rebirth through analogue recording to 2-inch tape. During this period, Rubarth toured extensively across the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Africa, performing hundreds of shows worldwide. She presented her work at TEDx events multiple times, including TEDxWomen in 2012, and performed orchestral arrangements of her songs with the Ithaca Chamber Orchestra.

Collaborations and bands

Amber Rubarth has participated in several collaborative music projects, notably as a co-founder of the indie band The Paper Raincoat alongside Alex Wong. The duo released their self-titled debut album in October 2009, featuring imaginative songwriting that evokes a colorful fictional world through indie folk arrangements. In 2014, Rubarth formed the folk trio Applewood Road with British-Australian singer-songwriter Emily Barker and American artist Amy Speace after meeting in Nashville and quickly writing their first song together. The group recorded their self-titled debut album live-to-tape at Welcome to 1979 Studios with minimal production to capture raw harmonies and spontaneity, releasing it on February 12, 2016, through Gearbox Records. The album earned recognition as one of the best of 2016 by The Telegraph, which highlighted its harmonies and retro appeal in both general and country music categories. Rubarth has also contributed duets to her own work, including "Starts to Bloom" featuring Jason Reeves and "Mirror" featuring Jason Mraz on her album A Common Case of Disappearing.

Recent work and initiatives

In 2020, Rubarth co-produced the companion albums Fantastic Fungi: Reimagine, a two-volume project inspired by the documentary Fantastic Fungi and the mycelial kingdom, featuring reimagined music to raise awareness about the healing benefits of mushrooms. Volume I, released on September 18, 2020, includes her single "Everything I Thought I Knew," which she recorded in Portland, Oregon. Her eighth solo album, Cover Crop, was released on June 2, 2023, consisting of 15 reinterpreted cover songs that explore themes of disconnection from and remembrance of interconnectivity with nature, using the agricultural concept of cover crops—plants grown to nourish and regenerate soil—as a central metaphor. Rubarth self-recorded, performed, produced, and mixed the album at her home in the Hudson Valley woods, with final mixes transferred to analog tape for mastering. Rubarth founded Cover Crop Music, a community initiative partnered with the 501(c)(3) non-profit Unmanageable Arts, which presents immersive concerts at local farms to deepen connections with the environment through song, story, seeds, and CSA food shares, while fostering conversations around sustainability and reciprocity with the land. She co-hosts and co-produces the annual Rancho La Puerta Folk Festival with Carissa Stolting, with the second edition held June 15–22, 2024, and the event continuing into 2025.

Acting and film contributions

Acting roles

Amber Rubarth has made limited appearances as an actor, with her primary on-screen work centered on her debut in the independent feature film American Folk. She starred as Joni, one of the two lead characters, in American Folk (2017), directed by David Heinz. The film follows Joni, a folk musician, and Elliott (played by Joe Purdy) as they undertake a cross-country road trip in the days following the September 11, 2001 attacks after their flight is grounded. Released theatrically and on demand in January 2018 by Good Deed Entertainment, the project marked Rubarth's first acting role and drew from her background as a singer-songwriter. Rubarth's performance in the film earned recognition at festivals. She received the Jury Prize for Best Actress at the Scruffy City Film & Music Festival in 2018. The film itself received the Golden Thumb award for Best Film at the Scruffy City Film & Music Festival in 2023. The film screened at Ebertfest in 2023, where Rubarth attended, performed live on stage, and participated in a post-screening discussion and Q&A. No other acting credits are documented for Rubarth.

Soundtrack and composition credits

Amber Rubarth has made notable contributions to film and documentary soundtracks through composition, songwriting, performance, and production. Her band The Paper Raincoat, a collaboration with Alex Wong, featured on the soundtrack for the 2010 film The Last Song, with their song "Brooklyn Blurs" included. She co-wrote original songs with Paul Brill for the 2010 documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, where the official soundtrack credits multiple tracks to Paul Brill with Amber Rubarth, including the opening theme, end credits, and various incidental pieces reflecting her collaborative role in the score and songs. Rubarth wrote and performed the end-credit song "The Edge" for the documentary Desert Runners. Her trio Applewood Road's arrangement of the traditional "My Dear Companion" appeared in the 2017 BBC documentary Sisters of Country: Dolly, Linda and Emmylou. For the 2018 film American Folk, Rubarth composed two original songs and contributed heavily to the soundtrack through performances on numerous tracks, alongside her lead acting role in the project. In connection with the film Fantastic Fungi, she produced the companion album Fantastic Fungi: Reimagine in 2020, which included her original song "Everything I Thought I Knew" inspired by the documentary.

Personal life

Residence and lifestyle

Amber Rubarth resides in a cottage in the woods of New York's Hudson Valley, where she has lived consistently since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the first time in her life she remained in one place for an extended period, allowing her to volunteer on a local farm and attune herself to natural rhythms, including lunar phases, stream flows, wildlife births, and distinct owl calls. The experience deepened her relationship with the natural world, rewiring her sense of simplicity and interconnection with the environment. She self-produced her 2023 album Cover Crop at this home, creating an intimate meditation on humanity's interconnectivity with nature through 15 reinterpretations of beloved songs viewed through the lens of environmental sustainability. Inspired by this work and her immersion in the Hudson Valley landscape, Rubarth developed Cover Crop Music, an episodic video series that brings music performances to small-scale sustainable farms across North America. Each installment combines concerts—often with guest musicians—with conversations featuring farmers discussing their practices, offerings, and challenges, aiming to foster generosity, community connection, and long-term sustainability through food, music, and engagement with local agriculture. Rubarth frames her contributions as acts of reciprocity, offering music as a means of giving back to the environments that nourish her and encouraging audiences to weave similar connections into their own lives. This lifestyle integrates her creative work with sustainability-focused initiatives, such as immersive farm-based experiences that promote balance with the natural world.

Recognition

Awards and honors

Amber Rubarth has received recognition for her songwriting and acting contributions across music competitions and film festivals. In 2006, she co-won first place in the Lyrics Only category of the International Songwriting Competition for the song "Washing Day," written with Adam Levy. In 2010, she earned the Grand Prize in NPR's Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, which included opportunities to record an EP with producer Jacquire King and perform on the syndicated radio program. For her lead role in the 2017 film American Folk, Rubarth won the Jury Prize for Best Actress at the Scruffy City Film & Music Festival in 2018.

References

  1. https://www.amberrubarth.com/
  2. https://www.amberrubarth.com/pages/bio
  3. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8061823/american-folk-townes-song-premiere
  4. https://rancholapuerta.com/2023/02/28/singer-songwriter-amber-rubarth-interview/
  5. https://www.npr.org/2011/10/03/141017669/amber-rubarth-on-mountain-stage
  6. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/amber-rubarth-sessions-from-the-17th-ward
  7. https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/hangin-sangin-amber-rubarth/
  8. https://sive.rs/amber-rubarth
  9. https://www.discogs.com/artist/2557564-Amber-Rubarth
  10. https://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/album/new-green-lines
  11. https://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/album/good-mystery
  12. https://worldmusiccentral.org/2006-international-songwriting-competition-winners-announced-grand-prize-package-including-25000-goes-to-scott-leger/
  13. https://acousticmusicscene.com/2010/10/23/amber-rubarth-wins-2010-mountain-stage-newsong-contest/
  14. https://www.newsong-music.com/2011/09/a-common-case-of-disappearing-the-grand-prize-album-from-2010-mountain-stage-newsong-contest-winner-amber-rubarth-releases-on-itunes-this-friday-september-30/
  15. https://www.last.fm/music/Amber+Rubarth/A+Common+Case+of+Disappearing
  16. https://chesky.com/pages/amber-rubarth
  17. https://rubarth.bandcamp.com/album/scribbled-folk-symphonies
  18. https://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/album/wildflowers-in-the-graveyard
  19. https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/stream-amber-rubarth-wildflowers-in-the-graveyard/
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyK9Tpqp2iQ
  21. https://www.last.fm/music/The+Paper+Raincoat
  22. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-paper-raincoat/the-paper-raincoat/
  23. https://open.spotify.com/album/4YdizoNAjBZJPZm7kOIW9v
  24. https://glidemagazine.com/155394/video-premiere-applewood-road-emily-barker-amber-rubarth-amy-speace-play-bring-car-round/
  25. https://thebluegrasssituation.com/read/stream-applewood-road-applewood-road/
  26. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/the-best-albums-of-2016/
  27. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/best-country-music-albums-of-2016/
  28. https://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/album/a-common-case-of-disappearing
  29. https://www.amberrubarth.com/blogs/news/fantastic-fungi-reimagine-vol-i-ii-co-produced-by-yours-truly
  30. https://open.spotify.com/album/0rZ3qDinY7jpugmCJOCqzj
  31. https://fantasticfungi.bandcamp.com/album/fantastic-fungi-remimagine-vol-i
  32. https://www.amberrubarth.com/blogs/news/new-album-cover-crop-out-now
  33. https://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/album/cover-crop-2
  34. https://rancholapuerta.com/2024/03/06/connecting-with-amber-rubarth/
  35. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5371668/
  36. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4998222/
  37. https://www.americanfolkmovie.com/
  38. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5371668/awards/
  39. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4998222/awards/
  40. https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/ebertfest-2023-day-two
  41. https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/music-in-the-movies-at-ebertfest-2023
  42. https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-paper-raincoat/284564480
  43. https://www.tunefind.com/artist/amber-rubarth
  44. https://paulbrill.com/joan-rivers-a-piece-of-work/
  45. https://paulbrill.bandcamp.com/album/joan-rivers-a-piece-of-work-official-soundtrack
  46. https://www.eomega.org/people/amber-rubarth
  47. https://rancholapuerta.com/2024/03/06/connecting-with-amber-rubarth
  48. https://www.unmgmt.org/blog/current-projects/cover-crop-music
  49. https://amberrubarth.bandcamp.com/album/free-sampler
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