Anyone who has to stop talking to dance onto the stage and perform a whole set is the kind of person I want to be around. In case you couldn’t tell from the title or pictures, I’m talking specifically about Tristen. The Nashville native is an adorable little songstress with a huge voice. She looks like a 60s Ellen Page but commands the stage like Dolly Parton. Her southern accent isn’t as strong as the southern icon’s (then again, whose is??), but her voice has the same musical quality that we all know and love. All of this just adds to Tristen’s warm, inviting, and absolutely charming persona. I mean, she wore tights with runs in them under her skort and described her own set at “ditties, just ditties back to back.” How could you not love that? Tristen has been releasing music on her own since 2009, and all 4 of her albums have been fantastic. Listening to them in order allows you to follow her progression as an artist and musician, which to me is one of the best ways to get to know someone. Her most recent release, Sneaker Waves, is like a rock and roll fairy tale. Each song tells a clear story, with some being about relatable one night stand-induced regrets and others about psychic vampires, all backed up by strong instruments. It’s the kind of music you could put on when you’re hanging out with your friends at a certain time in the afternoon and just dance to. Even sitting down for most of the show with a bad knee, I couldn’t help but sway along. Taking photos was difficult, not because of the lighting or setup of the stage, but because I didn’t want to stand still. As endearing as her music is, Tristen is even more so herself. She’s hilarious and engaging, two of the most important qualities that an artist can have on stage. More than once, she invited the crowd to come across the empty “horseshoe of death” up to the front of the stage, then went into the space herself when no one came closer. She made jokes about dueling, booty calls, and teaching new dogs old tricks. She’s a true individual who united the crowd in the “fringe of society who comes to see relatively unknown live music.” I sat down with Tristen before her show to ask her a few questions and get to know her. Listen to our interview below to get a little taste of what she’s like! [audio m4a="http://kanm.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Tristen.m4a"][/audio] Keep up with Tristen on social media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tristenmusic/ Twitter: 

@tristentristen