An Evening with Alma Russ

Alma (say it like Alamo) is a vocalist, songwriter, and musician out of Western North Carolina. She plays patchwork music: country, folk, and Appalachian roots sewn together to make something unique.

When she’s not on the road, she lives in Whittier, North Carolina. Songwriting is cheaper than therapy, and old songs make her happy.

As a kid she’d spend summers in the Great Grandma’s mountain  house in Western NC. Her English teacher Mama took her to historical book readings and heritage events, and she fell in love with mountain culture and heritage – especially the music. She was the kid frolicking arounud the yard singing Scotch-Irish murder ballads, passed down through generations; songs about old-true loves and murders.

Music has taken her lots of places, from the hometown bars, to church, to the highway. She spent a while performing as an entertainer on the passenger train in Bryson City, NC, and once she wound up getting 3 yeses from ABC’s American Idol Judges on Season 1 and being sent to Hollywood, CA. Music continues to give her stories to tell. 

She started taking fiddle lessons around age 12, practicing old-time tunes outside because of the dying-cat noises, and then she went on to learn clawhammer banjo and guitar. She learned about songwriters like John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, and she fell in love with the art of songwriting. She’s played in lots of bands, but she’s mostly a solo act these days. She spends a lot of time on the road playing in bars, listening rooms, restaurants, cafes, and the occasional street corner.

          Her musical influences include country gold, bluegrass, folk, old-time, and americana. She attributes inspiration to artists such as Allison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Bobbie Gentry, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, and so many more.  She’s thankful to be doing what she loves!