Hailing from Nashville, Tenn.’s rollicking roots-rock scene, Tristen has established herself as a prolific, versatile musician over the past decade, be it by touring in Jenny Lewis’s Voyager-era band, collaborating and touring with artists like Vanessa Carlton and Robyn Hitchcock, or releasing three solo albums to critical acclaim.

Her folk-oriented 2011 debut Charlatans at the Garden Gate earned her praise as “Nashville’s best-kept secret” (The Boston Globe), while 2013’s CAVES, co-produced by Stephen Hague, saw her recast as a hypnotic “synth pop siren” (SPIN).

Her most recent album, Sneaker Waves, was released via Modern Outsider in 2017; Rolling Stone described it as having “Nilsson-worthy power balladry,” while NPR’s Ann Powers called it “bursting with great melodies and hooky arrangements that tickle the ear and won’t leave your brain alone.”

A serenade with a bite, Tristen's live band features her husband and collaborator, Buddy Hughen — who co-produced Sneaker Waves — on shredding electric guitar, as well as rotating cast of Nashville's finest as her rhythm section.

With an eclectic, genre-bending catalog, Tristen consistently delivers the unexpected, always zigging when we think she’s about to zag. Things are never quite what they seem; jaunty pop melodies pull you into darker, more contemplative lyrics just below the surface.

Modern Outsider Discography

Salty Tears

A Case Of You

Sneaker Waves

Glass Jar

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