Claudia Nygaard - 2004 Kerrville Music Festival "New Folk" songwriting competition winner November 21, 2009

Claudia Nygaard's long legs hang over both sides of that same fence between country and folk music that Guy Clark and John Prine have straddled. Her sound is acoustic, and while her songs find their roots and rhythms in the Americana storytelling tradition, the melodies are passionate and emotional and the lyrics are vivid and descriptive.

A former staff songwriter for Greenwood Music on Nashville’s Music Row, Nygaard found that writing formulaic “radio friendly” love songs for the country music industry was not for her. Instead she chose to buy back her contract and songs, and write what was in her heart. She writes about real people and real life. "J.C.," the song that won Claudia the 2004 Kerrville Music Festival "New Folk" songwriting competition, explores racisim through the eyes of a child. In "Edna" the listener feels a protective tenderness for the mentally challenged woman with "hugs that don't let go". The steamy lyric of "What Her Girlfriends Say" paints a picture of the sensual desire a young woman feels for a working class man her girlfriends don't approve of. The title cut of her CD, "Somewhere Else To Go", pulls the listener into that aching loneliness created by a love gone bad. Her music is also rampant with irreverent humor. In "I Don't Need A Man (I Just Want One)" and "Dumped By A Dweeb", Claudia delightfully pokes fun at the gender gap. She crafts songs that range from heartfelt to humorous, and she does so with a quick wit, and an articulate point of view.

“The real strength of the material lies in the lyrics. Each song is a distinct and individual story...” Paul Moser, Music Connection Magazine, Los Angeles, CA

“There is a womanly warmth in her tone that suggests some sentiments are based on experience... what comes over is a refreshing individuality...” Richard Kirk, Country Music Round-Up, UK

http://www.claudianygaard.com/

Official Website: http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com