Sparks & Wiry Cries and Source Song Festival
present the
SongSLAM is a unique competition for composer/performer teams to premiere new art songs. In the poetry-slam tradition, audience members vote on their favorite performances, and $1,500 in cash prizes will be awarded.
Chris Koza is a composer and performer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both solo and with his band Rogue Valley, he has supported and shared the stage with artists such as Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, The Jayhawks, and Neko Case.
The music Chris produces is rooted in Americana but heeds its own spirit. Born out of folk, country, storytelling and rock ’n roll, Chris both honors and builds on Americana traditions by incorporating a unique pop-music sensibility, subtle synthesizers, rich harmonies, and imaginative production choices. But despite late-night deep dives in the studio, Chris never strays from the core of the song itself and isn’t afraid to let a raw vocal and woodsy acoustic guitar deliver the story. Chris performs solo, as a duo, and with a band of almost any other configuration
