Sankarshan Das
- Austin, TX
- Singer/Songwriter
Amol L. said “Recently, I attended a seminar on "Managing stress in the corporate world" presented by Sankarshan Das in my organization. The speaker highlighted…”
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I play original indie folk/americana music featuring guitar and banjo, and I often perform as a duo with cellist/harmony vocalist Diana Burgess. We play an eclectic mix of originals, standards, and covers from artists like Patsy Cline, Townes Van Zandt, and Willie Nelson. We perform both vocal tunes and instrumentals. The inclusion of the cello makes us a little more sophisticated than a typical folk rock or country band, and gives us more dynamic range. If the event/budget is larger, I can hire additional musicians up to a five piece, which consists of drums, upright bass, cello, trumpet and guitar.
We hired Curtis for our volunteer appreciation event and could not be more pleased. His communication was excellent and prompt. He arrived right on time, even a few minutes early. Played a wonderful set and was gracious when we asked him to lower volume as acoustics in our venue amplified the sound quite a bit. His music was the perfect choice for our Sunday afternoon gathering everyone really enjoyed his sound. I would recommend him and will definitely reach out to book again if the need arises.
Price Range: $400-$3000
Languages: English
I typically perform as a duo with cellist/harmony vocalist Diana Burgess. Our sound as a duo has drawn comparisons to Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange), and The Civil Wars, which is to say we play indie folk/chamber pop/americana music. If you like male/female vocal harmonies and guitar and cello together, there's a good chance our sound will be something you'd like!
Curtis McMurtry is a singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Austin, TX. Influenced by Fiona Apple, Billy Strayhorn and Tom Waits, Curtis' songs combine sinister lyrics with sophisticated orchestration. His most recent release, Toothless Messiah (February 2021) is a multifaceted indictment of authoritarianism, a dark and dystopian concept album that continues to garner critical acclaim. Curtis' music has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, and his song "Wrong Inflection" was included in the soundtrack for comedian Tig Notaro's Amazon Prime series One Mississippi.
Curtis was born and raised in Austin, Texas and grew up surrounded by local musicians. He studied music composition and ethnomusicology in college, primarily writing contemporary chamber works for banjo and strings. After graduation, Curtis moved to Nashville to sharpen his songwriting by co-writing with elder statesmen including Fred Koller and Guy Clark. He has since moved back to Austin where he performs as a trio with cellist Diana Burgess (of Mother Falcon) and upright bassist Taylor Turner. Curtis' goal in songwriting and composition has been to integrate the Classical and Jazz orchestration techniques he learned in college with the lyric-driven, Texas singer-songwriter style he absorbed growing up.
"Two things about McMurtry up front: Nobody in Austin is doing anything quite like his music right now, and his talent as a lyricist is well above the vast majority of young songwriters in town."
- Peter Blackstock, (link hidden)
"Delivered against the most sinister registers of cello and banjo, and often punctuated by muted horns and booming percussion, the songs evoke the feel of a near-future dystopian novel, a preparation for battle in something uncomfortably close to end times.”
- Stacy Chandler, No Depression
McMurtry deploys biting critique across the political spectrum, from would-be tyrants and sycophants ("Around My Neck," "Praise Caesar") to hollow-promising reformers and shallow resistors ("Food on the Table," "Lion on a Leash").
- Doug Freeman, Austin Chronicle
We need a PA to perform, and the size of PA required depends on the size of the venue. We are capable of renting a PA for an event. If a PA is provided, we need at least five channels (two for vocals, one for guitar, one for cello, one for banjo). If the event is larger and we are able to add more band members, the number of channels required will go up.
April 23, 2023 • 4:30pm - 6:00pm | Personal Occasion |
Curtis McMurtry | Front person vocalist, guitarist, band leader |
Diana Burgess | cellist, harmony vocalist |
Fiona Apple, Andrew Bird, Chet Baker, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett, Norah Jones.
Amol L. said “Recently, I attended a seminar on "Managing stress in the corporate world" presented by Sankarshan Das in my organization. The speaker highlighted…”
Ellen M. said “Greg was great at my corporate event. He was very go-with-the-flow. He arrived on time & was a hit. I definitely recommend!”
Brent W. said “Kanstantin was friendly and easy to work with from first contact until after the performance. He played an hour-long set with a handful of favorites we…”
Brandon B. said “Sarah did an amazing job at our company holiday party! She provided incredible music for the event that made it that much better. Thanks again Sarah!”