Cloudbelly is one of fourteen acts to appear at the 2022 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Thursday Night Music Stage.
Signature Sounds artist, Cloudbelly, makes their debut at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival this year. Music fans in New England may not know that this name is a new branding for the work of singer-songwriter Corey Laitman. I was smitten upon hearing Corey’s 2018 album called Seafoam, produced by Anand Nayak. Having presented Corey in the past, I was thrilled to see the recognition they received at the NERFA (North East Regional Folk Alliance) conference in 2019. It was validating to witness the warm reception of their music. There are many adjectives that could be used to describe Cloudbelly–intimate, imaginative, vulnerable, but I’d like to add life-afirming. Listen and see what you think!
Corey grew up in Westchester County, New York and spent some time in New York City, and now calls western Massachusetts home. Discovering that they are non-binary has proven to be an impetus to generate a whole new world of creative possibilities. Laitman’s honest evaluation of live performance gives a nod to the anxiety of being on stage and their attempts to break down the barrier between the musician and the audience is illuminating, to say the least. In a Basic Folk podcast with Cindy Howes, Corey suggests that “Music is a form of spellcasting.” That quote struck me as very profound and highlights the essence of Cloudbelly. The songs and atmosphere evoked from the songs is authentic and visceral to those who are open to leaning in and becoming part of the moment.
To learn more about Cloudbelly, visit the website.
Here’s a video of Cloudbelly’s latest single, “Unleavened.”
Here’s an interview that I did with Corey a couple of years back.
The Thursday Night Music Stage takes place as part of The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival on July 28, 2022 at the Goshen, CT Fair Grounds. This stage is sponsored by Harbortown Music and Scotten Jones Productions. Please consider signing up for email alerts to this blog for additional information about other artists.
Graphic provided by the one and only Peter Lehndorff.
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