Press & Reviews
“I have watched Jane Kramer work diligently, patiently and persistently on her songwriting over many years, refining her natural ability with words to the level of songwriting mastery. She has composed a new collection of songs that beautifully serve the bold, confident intensity of her voice and I could not be more excited about it. Bravo!”
Mary Gauthier
January 3rd, 2019
“Jane Kramer is a true folk singer. I dig that.”
Malcolm Holcombe
“There are many talented singers out there in the world right now, but if Jane Kramer isn’t on your radar or if one of her albums isn’t in your regular rotation, then you need to change that fact and go pick up her newest album, Valley of the Bones.”
Melissa Payne
March 7, 2019
“For a singer-songwriter, Kramer has presented the holy trinity of brilliant and affecting songwriting, divine vocals that crackle with emotion and high class backing and accompaniment. That the result is a beautifully produced album that is a joy to listen to perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise.”
Pete Churchill
February 14, 2019
“Thought-provoking, honest, emotionally sung in an enticing world-weary stance of experience, Kramer has scored a bullseye here.”
Mike Greenblatt
March 20, 2019
"Kramer is a natural and you’ll find that in her music, as the songs take you down quiet, gravel country roads, beautiful forests of peaceful mountain retreats, and the sometimes lonely nights of motels and truck stops on the road of life."
Sheryl Craig
February 7, 2019
“Waffle House Song proves that while Kramer may be eighteen years into her journey, she is solidly serving up a sizzlin’ hot and delicious portion of nourishment for one’s soul…kinda like that yellow-signed plate she sings about.”
Tara Joan, The Daily Country
January 16, 2019
“Waffle House Song” Premiere here:
“The North Carolinian’s third album is packed with memorable acoustic led tunes, an expressive and attractive voice with autobiographical stories that leave you staggered at the breadth of topic and profundity.”
Tony Ives
February 25, 2019
“Valley Of The Bones is a release of all those things that burrow. It’ll leave you light enough to dance. That’s a good thing, these songs are kick-up your heels good. These are old timey string band tunes with a modern feel, songs that will appeal to traditionalists and Americana fans alike. Turn it up!”
Viola Krause
February 28, 2019
“If Kacey Musgraves or Ashley McBryde can find success in this wacky roots world and beyond, so should Jane Kramer. Damn, her writing and performance are honest and true.”
Donald Teplyske
March 3, 2019
“Jane Kramer Valley Of The Bones – Warm, easy storytelling paired with rich, spiritual, humanity.”
Kelly Doyle
April 23, 2019
“A strong vocalist since her days as part of Asheville, N.C., trio The Barrel House Mamas, Kramer’s songwriting soars with her third solo effort. Whether delivered like a left hook to the jaw as in the above example or something a bit more fun such as ‘I need a smothered, scattered, covered, all the way love’ in’“Waffle House Song,’ Kramer takes the listener on an emotional journey through each of the 10 original songs.”
Tim Jackson
March 11, 2019
“She appears to be more comfortable and confident in herself and her songs than ever.”
Billy Phoenix
February 10, 2019
With deep roots in the musical traditions, culture and lore of her beloved Appalachia, Kramer’s songs are introspective, gracefully gritty and fiercely memorable… Kramer’s live performances are equally as poignant and engaging; rich with accessible, warm, often hilarious storytelling and gracefully lifting the veil between audience and performer.
February 28, 2019
“A lovely down home voice, a sharp pen and great taste in musical pals make this organic/back porch set a high water mark for Americana that'll just drive friends of owners of this album crazy since said owners won't stop playing it.”
Chris Spector
February 15, 2019
“There is something so pleasing about Jane Kramer’s voice, which has a friendly, bright, honest sound. It’s a voice you want to spend time with.”
May 5, 2019
"Asheville's Native songbird Jane Kramer has gone global, garnering fans from Scotland to the West Coast with melodies sweeter than red clover and bucolic musings Joni Mitchell would drool over. But Kramer's heart and music remain firmly rooted in Appalachian clay: bittersweet lyrics wrapped within the homespun humor of the Southern Highlands."
Asheville Mountain Xpress
Max Hunt December, 2017
"Jane is an excellent vocalist and songwriter. She is squarely within the roots singer-songwriter canon from Patty Griffin to Emmylou Harris to Bob Dylan and John Prine. Her album production is lovely as well. It's nice to hear a young, rising female artist within this tradition who is doing it right."
Eli Wolf, Senior Director of A&R Blue Note Records
September, 2013
Carnival of Hopes world premiere on The Bluegrass Situation
“Her connection to Appalachian music is also enigmatic… Though her current album moves beyond those roots, adding poetic verses, catchy melodies and the kind of personal insights that feel universal."
Alli Marshall February 23, 2016
“[Jane] embraces songwriting that runs through a gamut of emotions, with heartache, regret, fear, and hope resounding deeply in her lyrics, and each tune is delivered with a voice that only be described as one of the purest in modern Americana.”
Dave Stallard February 24, 2016
“The ‘voice’ is there once again, living her songs and breathing life into lyrics that demand and hold attention. The themes move from the highs to the lows of life with the smoothness of shadows on silk. Kramer has an enviable ability to reflect feelings that mean something to the artist in a way that makes them mean something to all of us. These are personal emotions shared and understood.”
Tom Franks December 7, 2015
“I’ve got this feeling about 2016; any year that starts with an album as beautiful as Jane Kramer’s Carnival of Hopes can’t really go wrong. This is a stunningly good album where every detail is right; the arrangements are varied, the melodies are powerful and Jane’s vocal delivery moves effortlessly from pure and clear to cracking with emotion. As for the songs, they’re raw, honest, self-deprecating and poetic…”
Music Riot (UK) 5 Star Review
January 9, 2016
“Both celebratory and introspective, Kramer takes a good long look at her failures and fears on Carnival Of Hopes, stares them down and finds a core inner strength … and hope. That self-examination is underpinned by some wonderful bluegrass and New Orleans influenced playing, and Kramer ’s own heaven, but earthy sent vocals."
Pete Whalley November 18, 2015
“Kramer writes with an awareness of our (female) imperfections; realistically and refreshingly painting us as multi-faceted individuals who make mistakes, experience insecurities, regret and worry.”
Tara Joan February 5, 2016
“Jane Kramer is writing and playing classic folk with mountain influences, her strong voice lilting through honest expressions of life, love and the human condition.”
Asheville Citizen Times
Carol Rifkin February, 2016
“Her honey-smoked voice is especially distinctive; in as much as I can’t really compare it to anyone else; and that’s meant as a huge compliment.”
December 8, 2015
“In these torrid times a new year can indeed feel like a carnival of hopes. But North Carolina singer-songwriter Jane Kramer mixes sweet good feeling with bitter regret in this charming collection of string band Americana and tear-shaped memory.”
Joe Breen December 31, 2015
"North Carolina singer-songwriter Kramer's second solo album delivers a feast of subtly memorable Americana which provides an ideal vehicle for her exquisitely expressive brand of music-making. The Appalachian balladeer reflects on the vagaries of the human condition with grace, honesty and charm in the process..."
Kevin Bryan November, 2015
“Kramer is a brilliant lyricist; while much is made, understandably, of her vocal abilities, Kramer is one of those songwriters who draws the listener into her stories with her lyrics. When paired with the unforgettable melodies that Kramer seems to effortlessly pluck out of the air to complete the picture, it makes for compelling listening. Even if you’ve never lived the life that Kramer explores in her songs, you’ll feel some affinity; the melodies alone are irresistible and there’s always that voice. While artists from Alison Krauss to Nanci Griffith have been mentioned in the past when Kramer’s vocals and songwriting have been considered, Kramer has a distinctive voice of her own. Hints of most of the major players in her field can filter through on occasions but for the most part those vocals are pure Kramer.”
Malcolm Carter May 2, 2016
“It takes no time at all to settle into this… From the count in at the beginning of Half Way Gone, a tasty slice of Western Swing packed with the sweeping fiddle runs courtesy of Nicky Sanders, the North Carolina songstress delivers ten original songs, whilst pointing out that her own carnival of hopes is ‘busted and hideous and rusty and somehow still brave and sparkly’, an image illustrated by the cover artwork, particularly the abandoned fairground ride.”
Northern Sky 4 Star Review
Allan Wilkinson, 2015
“Steeped in tradition, while showcasing her talent for creative, personable songwriting, Kramer’s songs are poetic and illustrative; speaking of ruin and heartache, but also reminding us that beneath the scars, there is hope, faith and ultimately redemption.”
Jane Roser February 26, 2016