Margo Cilker
Biography
Hailed as “the future Lucinda Williams of the West” (Bandcamp Daily), Margo Cilker writes country-classic songs that hum with ancestry and expanse, turning grief — both personal and collective — into something restorative. Cilker, a fifth generation Californian, is now based in the Pacific Northwest and making music rooted in a deep reverence for the land and those who came before. The release of her stunning 2021 debut Pohorylle saw Rolling Stone proclaim, “Cilker shows that she is as interested in reinvigorating Southern country-folk storytelling tropes as she is in exposing their flaws,” and Pitchfork deemed her a “country artist who pushes against conventions of the genre.” Her highly acclaimed sophomore record Valley of Heart’s Delight landed on Best Albums of 2023 lists across the U.S. and UK, with NPR Music praising: “Cilker’s sound is classic cowboy country, but her sensibility is totally now.” As she readies her next project, Cilker draws on the deep tradition of Texas singer-songwriters, having traveled to Lockhart to record with Bruce Robison — the writer and producer behind work by Charley Crockett, Lee Ann Womack, George Strait, and The Chicks.
Video & Press
Stereogum Album of The Week: Margo Cilker Valley Of Heart’s Delight
[Stereogum] BY CHRIS DEVILLE Before the computer scientists, marketing agencies, and self-described “disruptors” had their way with it, the Santa Clara Valley used to be known as the Valley Of Heart’s Delight. The Northern California region was so nicknamed because its abundance of orchards, plants, and flowering trees made it a leading exporter of canned fruit […]
Margo Cilker Premieres ‘With The Middle’
[Holler.] Maybe it’s the weight of the world holding us all down, but just getting through a whole day without giving up and going back to bed is difficult these days. It’s often the middle of the day that feels like the hardest part of it. Those hours between your dwindling early morning enthusiasm and […]
Margo Cilker Hunts for a ‘Lowland Trail’ in First Release From New Album
The singer-songwriter is poised to have a breakout year with the upcoming Valley of Heart’s Delight [Rolling Stone] BY JON FREEMAN Margo Cilker is keeping an eye out for an easier patch of ground in “Lowland Trail,” the first offering from her new album Valley of Heart’s Delight. The follow-up to Cilker’s acclaimed 2021 album Pohorylle, the […]