WMOT Finally Friday at 3rd and Lindsley

Claudia Nygaard’s captivating storytelling delivered by a voice like amber honey, takes the listener on an emotionally fearless journey with stories that expose a rare vulnerability and tenderness one moment, then a quick wit and an outlandish, irreverant sense of humor the next. Her songs move from heartfelt to humorous and from scrappy to sensual. A former Nashville Music Row staff songwriter and a winner of the Kerrville, TX Folk Festival songwriting competition, Nygaard has learned her craft well. Her latest CD “Let The Storm Roll In” rose to the coveted #1 position on the Roots Country Chart and #8 on the Folk DJ Chart - with every one of her self-penned compositions receiving airplay. The album received glowing reviews from the press that included five stars from Americana benchmark “Maverick” magazine. The legendary Folk music magazine “Sing Out” claimed her songs “rival the likes of Guy Clark or Ian Tyson in their plainspoken, memoir-like quality, rich with personalized images and a resonant point-of-view.” Claudia’s earlier recording “Somewhere Else To Go” was not released in the states but did receive critical praise and extensive airplay overseas. Released by European record label Round Tower Music, the first single “I’ve Already Seen This Movie” climbed to the #4 position on the EMS (European Media Services) chart. It was also chosen the #1 Song Of The Summer by the Country Roads Radio Show in Marseilles, France. The follow up single “I Don’t Need A Man, (I just Want One)” went to #11 on the EMS chart, while yet another song from the CD “What Her Girlfriends Say”, climbed to the #9 position in Spain. The CD has also gathered wonderful reviews, both in North America and in several European music magazines including Country Music Roundup, Country Music International, and Southern Country. As a performer, Claudia's earliest gigs were playing bars and restaurants, where she learned that she could slip one of her own songs into the set if she could come up with an introduction interesting enough to capture the audience's attention. By the time she started playing fairs, her repertoire was half original songs and she had refined her stage patter to an art. 150 fairs later, and now a concert performer, her quick wit & relaxed stage presence is as much a part of her show as the songs themselves. She was chosen one of the Emerging Artists of 2009 by the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Claudia has performed at over 200 fairs and festivals in the United States and 9 foreign countries. Endorsements from merchandisers attest to her strength as a guitarist, and s