Ynana Rose’s latest album, “Under A Cathedral Sky,” released November 2023, reached #6 on the FAI Folk Chart, with the single “Redwood Holler” reaching #7 & “Midlife Walking Blues” #17. She was also the #2 most added artist for the NACC Folk Adds (December 2023).
Ynana Rose captivates audiences with her unique blend of the traditions of American roots music, penning songs threaded with folk, country, blues & jazz influences while reaching for new horizons in her writing. A versatile singer, Ynana sings of the joy and heartbreak of living in a rich, soulful voice. Ynana released her third full length album “Under A Cathedral Sky” in November 2023, an album about facing fear & creating beauty from it. These are songs written at the crossroads of midlife: songs of assessment, of crisis, of unraveling…and also dancing, whiskey & dating. Her last two releases, “Ynana Rose” (2014), & “Tea Leaf Confessions” (2018) earned international airplay and enthusiastic reviews. Ynana Rose’s writing has gained acclaim by her peers, including many first & second place tributes for her songwriting prowess. She draws inspiration from artists such as Norah Jones, Gillian Welch, Sarah Jarosz, Jason Isbell and more.
Ynana [pronounced Yuh-nah-nah] tours internationally & lives in San Luis Obispo, California. She wrote her first song at the age of 37, which opened up a world of creative passion. She says, “Songs are like puzzles of the heart that I have to solve in order to sleep well at night. I write about authenticity & the lack of it, longing, fear, love, everyday miracles & tragedies. Music invites an eternity of pursuit and I feel blessed to go chasing it down.” As a vocalist, she has enjoyed a wide background ranging from choral ensembles to folk, traditional Música Folklórica, western swing, blues and bluegrass.
Ynana was born in Mendocino, CA and grew up in rural northern California & Oregon. About this experience, she says, “I was an only child raised by a single mom, and we were totally off the grid. We lived on the side of a mountain with a pristine year round creek and wide open sky. Mendocino County boasts redwoods, giant oaks, the Pacific Ocean, and an untamed wilderness that thoroughly embraces the four seasons. When we had enough ‘C’ batteries, I was attached at the hip to a little black boom box that got one FM radio station, and it was country & western. The late ‘70s and early ‘80s were a wonderful time in country music, and I grew up serenaded by Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings & so many more. I knew every single song & sung them to the hills as loud as I could. I love how roots music allows me to expand from my country foundation into the fuller expression of music that I create today.”
