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Linton’s voice—best described as a slightly more tremulous female version of folk legend Nick Drake’s ear-catching pipes—has turned out to be one of her strongest musical assets.
There are throngs of female singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars, but only a select few—even on the local level—can hold an audience and build a following. When it comes to vocals, unique is not a liability. Unique is as good as it gets.
Audiences have been quite receptive to Linton’s warm acoustic music. Linton has built a sizable local fan base doing radio appearances and live performances in Salt Lake City and her hometown of Logan. She generally plays solo. However, she occasionally guests stars with a full band.
Linton has won many listeners by playing with touring acts at venues like Kilby Court. Technical knowledge of music aside, Linton’s aptitude for writing catchy, literate songs with a luminous bit of soul is what hooks listeners.
- Jenny Poplar
- City Weekly
Libbie Linton is to SLC what Laura Gibson is to Portland- an amazingly talented singer-songwriter who's voice will entrance and amaze you more and more with each listen. I can't really say much more than this album is beautiful and perfect in every way. - Slowtrain Music
There's generally not a lot of science in rock 'n' roll (unless you count anatomy -- there's plenty of anatomy). But for Logan singer/songwriter Libbie Linton, who is busily working to complete her graduate degree in Biological Engineering at Utah State, it's equal parts protons, neutrons, and major chords.
"Keeping a balance between science and art has never been a dramatic struggle," she says. "Research requires creativity and songwriting is benefitted by objective analytical reasoning -- and each one serves as a helpful break from the other."
The biggest challenge of having dual loves is just finding time for both. She recently snuck away from her studies long enough to record "Bird Wings in the Bleak," the full-length follow-up to her 2006 "Shackleton EP." The new album builds upon "Shackleton's" softly-strummed folk melodies, with fleshed out arrangements to match the grandeur of Linton's voice.
The record is filled with tales of life and death and the struggles in between -- narratives that don't fall too far from first person. "I seem to only be capable of writing lyrics that deal with subjects related directly to my life, my thoughts, and the people around me," Linton explains. "I'm not one for complete fiction, but at the same time, the words aren't completely straight-forward and don't always correspond to any specific story or event."
When pressed to pick favorite moments on the "Bird Wings," Linton points to the two-step "Dressing Up for Death" and the banjo-driven "Eventually You Have to Grow Up."
"These songs are two of the more complicated songs on the album and there was potential that the original idea of the song could be betrayed during production. Lyrically, these are two of the most important songs to me," Linton says. "As a whole, I'm very pleased with how the album turned out and think it's a good representation of what I initially intended to create."
Though Linton plans to be backed by a band at the upcoming show at Kilby Court, she's not afraid of recreating "Bird Wings" on her own. "I still play a lot of solo shows, which obviously means that the songs are quieter. But I've always tried to write songs in such a way that they are able to stand alone live."
"I am not a performer at heart. As a natural introvert, getting up in front of an audience was initially a very difficult and intimidating experience. But, the first time you force yourself to do something that you are uncomfortable with is the hardest, and performing is substantially more enjoyable now."
She may be a shy girl who feels more comfortable in a lab coat than behind a microphone, but her gorgeous voice never shows it. That's a scientific fact.
"Bird Wings in the Bleak" is available now at Slowtrain in Salt Lake (221 E. Broadway) or at libbielinton.com.
- Spencer Sutherland - In Utah This Week
Discography
Bird Wings in the Bleak (April 23, 2009): This is the first full-length release from Libbie Linton. Every song from the album has received some degree of radio airplay, but Dressing Up for Death and Eventually You Have To Grow Up have received the most radio attention thus far.
The Shackleton EP (2006): From this EP, all 7 songs received radio airplay on several folk and independent radio stations in various parts of the country, and the album has been praised in online journals and newspapers.
Photos
Bio
Libbie Linton is a mild-mannered, soft-spoken type who likes math and limeade. She learned how to whistle when she was 3-years old, sitting cross-legged on the floor of her bedroom. When she was in kindergarten, she started memorizing the words to popular songs and singing them quietly to herself. Around this time, she happened to catch the campfire scene from The Jerk in which Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters sing a lovely rendition of the old Billy Rose and Lee David classic, Tonight You Belong to Me. From this point forward, the dream was to sing this song for an audience, which has since been accomplished. Early influences led to a proclivity for progressive folk themes and for writing unique, memorable, and literate songs.
Linton began performing at overcrowded house shows while in her early college years. Eventually, this led to 2006 home recording of 7 songs, packaged one-by-one in sewn cases, titled The Shackleton EP. Since the Shackleton EP was released, Linton has further developed her own idiosyncratic style.
A debut full-length album entitled Bird Wings in the Bleak was released April 23, 2009. This record is a collection of 12 songs with admittedly somber leanings that range from bare guitar and voice to more complex arrangements of banjo, ukulele, piano, violin, electric guitar, harmonica, glockenspiel, bass, tuba, and percussion. Lyrically, the album is full of distinctive phrasing and unique lines. Regardless of the subject matter, Lintons strongest asset is an ability to sing like she means every word.
Lintons voicebest described as a slightly more tremulous female version of folk legend Nick Drakes ear-catching pipeshas turned out to be one of her strongest musical assets. There are throngs of female singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars, but only a select feweven on the local levelcan hold an audience and build a following. When it comes to vocals, unique is not a liability. Unique is as good as it gets.
- Jenny Poplar, Salt Lake City Weekly
TOUR HISTORY: Libbie has had the privilege to play at venues like The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and with many talented artists, like The Great Lake Swimmers, Jonathan Richman, Faded Paper Figures, Joshua James, Kalai, His Name Is Alive, Nomo, Sara Lov of the Devics, and more.
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