Rebecca Pronsky

Brooklyn, NY native Rebecca Pronsky continues to impress with a terrific new record and countless live performances across the US and Europe. NPR says Rebecca's music is "personal, anecdotal and emotional [and] her voice conveys the wisdom of experience." All Music Guide says "Pronsky is an allusive, poetic lyricist" and Time Out NY says her songs are "literate, passionate and wry."
Rebecca Pronsky may be Brooklyn born, raised, and based but the twangy folk she creates on her Nine Mile Records sophomore disc 'Viewinder' sounds more at home in the deep woods and green pastures of Parsonsfield, Maine where it was recorded. Rebecca spent two weeks holed up with her band at Great North Sound Society with engineer Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, John Prine, Langhorne Slim) creating the sweeping soundscapes that dominate 'Viewfinder'. The songs convincingly range from broodingly ambient to upbeat twang.
'Viewfinder' has received loads of accolades on both sides of the Atlantic. UK's R2 gave it 4 stars saying she's "head and shoulders above most of her contemporaries, an outstanding lyricist with the ability to stop you in your tracks" and Common Folk Music calls the album "one of the finest singer-songwriter records of 2011." NPR chose track one "Hard Times" for their Song of the Day program.
Rebecca has been touring heavily for the past five years with lead guitarist Rich Bennett who "puts the trimmings on the music with a battery of echo drenched, twangy leads." (Blurt) The duo has shared the stage with Shawn Colvin, Freedy Johnston, Patty Larkin, Peter Case, Josh Ritter, Erin McKeown, Loudon Wainwright III, Caroline Herring, Sarah Bettens of K's Choice, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, The Everybodyfields, Shannon McNally, Catie Curtis, The Bowerbirds, Eilen Jewell, Tracy Grammer, Carrie Rodriguez, Wayne Hancock, Steve Forbert, and many more.
Rebecca's musical life began early. As a child, her strong voice and musical talent stuck out and she was encouraged to pursue vocal training in New York City. But it wasn't until she was 16, after many years of singing other people's songs, that she picked up the guitar and began to write her own. At Brown University, Rebecca discovered ethnomusicology and jazz singing and recorded her first demo of original music. Demo and diploma in hand, Rebecca moved back home to Brooklyn. Soon she met guitarist and composer Rich Bennett who helped her record her first EP and has been her musical partner and co-producer ever since. When not on the road, they are at home in Brooklyn with their three cats Basil, Cybele and Sven.