CABIN FEVER NW BIO
If friendship had a soundtrack, this would be it.
No matter where you live, it’s likely that you’ve experienced cabin fever. You’ve been stuck where you are for way too long. You need to get out, you need something good to happen. Immediately.
Now consider the M word: Magic. If you believe in magic, people may think you’re crazy. They might roll their eyes or excuse themselves from the table as fast as they can. But our definition of magic doesn’t include wands or incantations…it is simply that mystifying thing that happens if you’re really lucky. Music, friendship, and love are all magical experiences. And when these three things all come together in one place, we call it Cabin Fever NW.
Cabin Fever NW at its core is Dianne Wood Bochsler and Tara Lynn Caldwell , a genre-bending singer-songwriter duo who blend a brew of musical flavors including folk, bluegrass, pop, alt-country, blues and more. Whatever you call it, audiences agree, these gifted performers step on stage and create music that lifts your heart and soul, helps get you out of the doldrums, and takes you on a trip to feel good town.
Their original works have received recognition by national media, including NPR's Car Talk, and SING OUT! Magazine. In recent years they were honored as recipients of the "People's Choice Award" at the 2008 Winter Folk Festival in Florence, OR, and won "Best Song in the World" in Gary Allen’s May ‘09 Nashville Songwriting Contest.
History: Tara and Dianne’s unusual route to music is a juicy inspiration for late bloomers everywhere. Their paths first crossed in Bellingham as they neared the age of 40: Dianne arrived from the Navajo Reservation and Tara from San Francisco. While playing hooky from their everyday lives, they stumbled upon a delightful discovery: their beautiful harmonic blend. They resolved to set aside fear and doubt and explore their musical possibilities. As they began to sing and play, crowds formed. Babies stopped crying. People held hands in the streets and smiled at one another. The sun came out. Flowers bloomed.
Tara’s foray into songwriting began at age four on a train trip across Canada, then took a forty year hiatus while she pursued a singing career that took place mostly alone and in moving vehicles. She picked up the banjo at age 44 and rediscovered her talent for songwriting. As a girl, Dianne began singing and playing guitar with her father, a consummate musician in his own right. She adopted a piece of his life philosophy: happiness is playing and singing with friends. When she saw the music scene in the Pacific Northwest, she realized she had to be part of it. She followed her heart's desire and jumped into the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, where she found a bottomless well of inspiration. To help them hone their crafts, Tara and Dianne both studied under the legendary John Malcom Miller.
With a friendship that harmonizes in a myriad of ways, Tara and Dianne create a love-filled music party everywhere they go. When asked, they confess freely that music has made their lives and their hair so much better! Discover it for yourself: Music is magic.
The Short List of Influences: Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams, Pete Seeger, Neil Young, and John Prine
Dianne plays a Martin 000 Cutaway guitar
Tara plays a 1923 Whyte Laydie banjo
Cabin Fever NW: Bio
Discography
"The Door Is Always Open" delivers delicious original tunes, fresh takes on traditional favorites, luscious harmonies and elegant guitar and banjo accompaniment. Tara and Dianne are joined on this recording by guitar master John Miller.
The second Cabin Fever NW release "Spring Thaw" (2004) is a collection of 15 covers, exploring a bluegrass sound, backed-up by notable musicians including John Reischman on mandolin.
The self-titled four-song demo “Cabin Fever” (2003) was their first foray into recording and was noted as one of the year’s best local recording by the Bellingham Herald.
We love to do house concerts! If you or a friend are interested in hosting us, this site gives more information. You can search us on their artist list, or just contact us directly (see our contact page!).
