Authenticity is a difficult thing to measure in American roots music. It’s not in the hat you wear, or the twang in your voice. It’s in how well you understand that the music comes from the land, and that its roots run deep. Americana songwriter Amber Cross understands this, and on her new album Savage on the Downhill she makes music as beholden to the landscapes of Northern and Pacific California (where she lives and travels) as to the visually-rich songwriting she crafts around it. Her songs hang heavy with the yellow dust of dirt roads, plunge deep into the soft loam of the forest. As a woman of the backcountry, she knows the countryside well, and has a deep respect for the honest work that makes you a steward of the land.
Upon first hearing Amber Cross you might think you are listening to an archival Smithsonian recording. Her old-time voice is clear and captivating, like a strong muscle, fringed in lace. She's a singer and songwriter who writes from her own life’s struggles and experiences, delivering her stories with unforgettable power and emotion. She is joined by her husband James Moore on guitar and mandolin. Moore’s skillful picking adds rich texture to the fabric the music and his vocal harmonies support for the depth of the songs themselves. James tour with Amber extensively. They make their home near Los Osos, California.
