B. Sterling, Singer/Songwriter | Austin-Based Folk/Americana
B. Sterling is a songwriter that truly draws you in with his dynamic vocals and refined, compelling lyrics…not to mention great stage banter. His music pulls from different styles; but, he’s always focused on carefully crafted words. A seasoned songwriter and performer, he’s toured extensively throughout the country playing large venues, listening rooms, festivals, and house concerts over the past decade. He’s always eager to hear and share a stirring song or a captivating story.
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Biography
Austin-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist B Sterling writes lyrics that celebrate the direct connection audiences seek from acoustic performers. Fall 2021 finds him releasing his fourth recording, “All My Time is Spoken For.” Solidifying that connection, each song offers the openness of a one-to-one conversation with the listener.
Unapologetic and achingly vulnerable, the lush and spacious “Something That’ll Last” beckons with both hope and longing.
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“It’s smokin’ from the engine and oil’s in the street
And all these plastic fittings they just can’t take the heat
Now I’m stranded and I’m reelin’, flyin’ lower than half mast
I’m just looking for something that’ll last…”
Produced by Brian Douglas Philips and featuring Chip Dolan, the instrumentation on the record provides the perfect setting for the lyrics. B Sterling himself contributes acoustic guitar, trumpet, upright bass and cello. “Pictures” is an energetic confession full of bold humility.
“But still you call me in
I feel my heart has grown so thin.
There’s my picture still up on your wall
but it’s me right now, yet without my many flaws….”
The call and response between vocals and Jacob Hildebrand’s electric guitar evokes Neil Finn.
Some of the best musicians rely on a worthy foundation of academics and hard work. B Sterling fits right in. After receiving his degree from Chicago’s Wheaton Conservatory, he taught music in Budapest. The Texas native returned to his home state to contribute to its musical story, and formed the B Sterling Band. The group’s 2009 “Time Has Come” received considerable acclaim, including praise from the venerable Dallas Morning News.
Folk Alliance and the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition later gave B Sterling opportunities to perform solo. And he thrived. Realizing that the intimacy of acoustic performance aligns with the precision of his lyrics, he pursued the folk scene and released “Searching Through the Changes” in 2013.
Now a veteran of the Kerrville festival main stage, B Sterling tenders “All My Time is Spoken For” to nourish the bond a folk performer has with his audience.
Press Quotes
- B. Sterling is my new favorite…his music has made its way into my heart-it’s that simple. - Eliza Gilkyson, Singer/Songwriter
- B. Sterling cranks out a batch of thoughtfully crafted original songs on Time Has Come…B. Sterling doesn’t pen saccharine lyrics. Instead he encapsulates the power of real emotions with a bit of poetry and plenty of heart. - Mario Tarradell, The Dallas Morning News
- His scratchy vocals are poignant, sweet and grainy like the first bites of a Bosc pear. B. Sterling is a little bit indie, a little bit singer-songwriter and whole lot of soul. - Crystal Roberts, The El Paso Times
- This is solidly convincing material, in which no song is inferior to the others…One hope that the duet with Eliza Gilkyson on the final track Brave New World will generate, for him, much positive publicity. In my opinion, all of this is an excellent sign of things to come as reviewers will surely pay attention to his talent. - Johan Schoenmakers, www.altcountryforum.nl
Accolades
- 2017 Kerrville Folk Festival Main Stage Performer
- 2016 Kerrville Folk Festival Main Stage Performer
- 2015 Texas Songwriter Serenade Winner - 3rd place
- 2014 Psalmwriter Competition Winner - 1st Place
- 2013 Kerrville New Folk Finalist
- 2013 Texas Songwriter Serenade Finalist
- 2012 Winner of International Songwriting Competition (Show Me the Music) Americana Genre
- 2011 Kerrville New Folk Finalist