Edge Rewrite
pun Source code View original
Jump to content

// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Margo Cilker? A singer with a cilker voice?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Margo Cilker
Margo Cilker by Jon Moore
Margo Cilker by Jon Moore
Background information
Bornc. 1993 (age 32–33)
OriginSanta Clara Valley, California, United States
GenresCountry, Americana, Folk
Instruments
AwardUK Americana Music Awards nomination for International Album of the Year

Margo Cilker (born c. 1993) is an American singer-songwriter based in the Pacific Northwest. She is known for blending classic country and western folk traditions and has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams.[1][2][3]

Cilker has released two full-length albums via Portland-based record label Fluff & Gravy, both produced by Sera Cahoone: Pohorylle (2021) and Valley of Heart's Delight (2023).[4] The latter was nominated for International Album of the Year at the 2024 UK Americana Music Awards[5] and named one of the 50 Best Albums of 2023 by NPR Music.[6]

Biography

[edit]

Margo Cilker was born in California and raised in the Santa Clara Valley. She later moved with her husband to a ranch in eastern Oregon and then to Goldendale, Washington.[3] During the COVID-19 lockdowns, she worked on her ranch with her husband, sometimes doing local live shows.[7]

Cilker released her Sera Cahoone-produced debut album Pohorylle via Portland, Oregon label Fluff & Gravy Records on November 5, 2021. According to Metacritic, the album received an average score of 84/100, reaching "universal acclaim."[8] Pitchfork gave it a 7.7 out of 10 rating, saying, "Cilker recorded these songs far from the country mainstream, which allows her to put her own stamp on the music."[1]

Cilker's second album Valley of Heart's Delight was also produced by Cahoone and released on September 15, 2023 via Fluff & Gravy.[9] It was nominated for International Album of the Year at the 2024 UK Americana Music Awards[5] and named one of the 50 Best Albums of 2023 by NPR Music.[6] It was also included among the Best Country Albums of 2023 by Rolling Stone,[10] Bandcamp Daily,[11] Stereogum,[12] and Paste Magazine.[13] American Songwriter wrote that her "physical and psychological distance from the pressures of Nashville seems to be at least partially tied to her artistic triumphs.”[14]

In 2026, Cilker and fellow musician Avery Hellman (aka ISMAY) launched independent record label Fossil Records, focused on writers and artists from the American West.[15]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Deusner, Stephen M. "Margo Cilker: Pohorylle". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  2. ↑ Salmon, Ben (2023-10-04). "The Best Country Music on Bandcamp: September 2023". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  3. 1 2 "How Margo Cilker Became One of the Best Old-Soul Singers in the Pacific Northwest". Willamette Week. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  4. ↑ Bernstien, Jonathan (11 September 2023). "Margo Cilker's First Album Was a Sleeper Hit. Now What?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  5. 1 2 Whitfield, Mark (2024-01-26). "2024 AMAUK Awards winners announced". Americana UK. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  6. 1 2 Powers, Ann (2023-12-05). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". NPR. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  7. ↑ Siegler, Kirk (12 June 2022). "Rural singer-songwriter Margo Cilker's pandemic hustle is paying off". NPR. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  8. ↑ Pohorylle by Margo Cilker, retrieved 2024-06-17
  9. ↑ Spencer, Neil (9 September 2023). "Margo Cilker: Valley of Heart's Delight review – more engaging, minimal Americana". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "The 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone. 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  11. ↑ "The Best Country Music of 2023". Bandcamp Daily. 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  12. ↑ "The 10 Best Country Albums Of 2023". stereogum.com. 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  13. ↑ "The 30 Best Country, Folk and Americana Albums of 2023". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  14. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (2023-09-13). "Review: Margo Cilker Can't Go Home Again on the Stirring 'Valley of Heart's Delights'". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
  15. ↑ Anderson, Martin. "Tuesday 5/26: ISMAY – Half Truth". WNCW. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Margo_Cilker&oldid=1367917222"