New WyoFolk album unites over a dozen Cowboy State artists

The compilation features Teton County songwriters Aaron Davis, Michael Batdorf, Isaac Hayden and Inland Isle.
The album was captured and mixed at the Three Hearted Recording cabin in Hoback. (WyoFolk Project)

by | Apr 7, 2023 | Local Music, New Music

A new album from the WyoFolk Project is out today, featuring over a dozen songwriters from across the Cowboy State. 

The musicians recorded previously unreleased tracks in a cabin in Hoback thanks to funding from the Wyoming Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“This is really kind of a dream project,” said Aaron Davis, the Hoback-based musician who orchestrated the project.

Davis, a frontman of local bands Screen Door Porch and Aaron Davis & The Mystery Machine, has organized tours with other musicians for a decade through the WYOmericana Caravan.

This time, he said he wanted to produce something that’s recorded instead.

Aaron Davis & The Mystery Machine work the crowd into a frenzy during Treefort Music Festival in Boise. (Jack Catlin/KHOL)

“All of these songwriters are not trying to produce a product that’s going to be commercially viable,” Davis said. “They’re trying to produce something that they can be proud of, so that’s the bottom line for this project. It’s just coming from the heart.”

The 14 musicians featured on the album include Teton County locals Michael Batdorf, Isaac Hayden and Inland Isle. 

Davis said he hopes this is just the start for the WyoFolk Project, listing at least 70 artists around the state he wants to include on future albums. 

“Everybody brings a different vision,” he said. “I can honestly say everybody was so open and easy to work with, that it made the creative process so smooth and fun.”

The album is now streaming, with physical CDs available for purchase online.

KHOL Music Director Jack Catlin contributed to this story. 

Want More Stories Like This?

Donate any amount to support independent media in the Tetons.

KHOL 89.1 Jackson Hole Community Radio Membership Support Ad

[empowerlocal_ad localsavings]

About Hanna Merzbach

Hanna is KHOL's senior reporter and managing editor. A lot of her work focuses on housing and local politics, but also women's health — and whatever else she finds interesting. You can hear her reporting around the country and region on NPR, Wyoming Public Radio and community radio stations around the west. She hails from Bend, Oregon, where she reported for outlets such as the Atlantic, High Country News and Oregon Public Broadcasting. In her free time, you can find Hanna scaling rock walls or adventuring in the mountains.

Related Stories

Pin It on Pinterest