Initially posted for Nippertown
Based out of Fultonville, Sawyer Fredericks and his haunting singing and songwriting skills have been in the nooks and crannies of “the 518” for a while. He was singing open mics and farmer’s markets long before he earned a four-chair turn during his “I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow” blind audition on season 8 of The Voice. Several weeks before he later claimed the prestigious title of the winner that season, being the youngest one to win at that point at only the age of 16, he repeatedly achieved spots in the Top 10 of the iTunes charts. His vocal prowess led to his strong covers of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris,” May Erlewine’s “Shine On,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” and Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” taking top ten spots in the charts in positions ten, four, three, three, and two respectively. Republic Records later stated that Sawyer broke many sales records for The Voice, selling nearly one million downloads on iTunes during his run on the show.
Since then, Sawyer has been carving out his own path in indie music in a genre self-described as “free range folk.” Like alchemy, Fredericks fuses elements from blues, roots rock, jazz, and folk to form his own distinct sound. Give a quick listen to this gentleman, and let Fredericks’ sand-textured vocals and honest lyrics whisk you away to the illusion of a simpler time.
Continue reading “Sawyer Fredericks: Growing His Own Roots in Folk”