19 year-old Singer-songwriter Sawyer Fredericks, hailing from his family's farm in central New York State, is quickly establishing himself as an authentic and original Americana artist with a story to tell. His raspy vocal might remind you of Paolo Nutini, but the slow cadence of his latest track Turning the Shoulder (Live on Windrake Farm) gives echoes of a soul-inflected, artistic core that feels close to the philosophical grit of Cat Stevens.

As a folk/blues singer-songwriter, who cut his teeth at local farmers markets, open mics, and iconic New York venues like Caffe Lena, the Towne Crier Cafe, and The Bitter End, Sawyer seemed an unlikely match for reality TV, yet his genuine delivery and unique arrangements of classic songs snagged him a win for season 8 of NBC's The Voice. Fredericks soon followed up with the release of his major label debut A Good Storm on Republic Records: an impressive blend of soulful Folk, blues, and rock, entirely written or co-written by Sawyer.

After a highly-anticipated release of his 2018 follow-up recording Hide Your Ghost, Sawyer is back with a new single. Sawyer's connection with fans is very important to him - he reaches out regularly to his followers on socials, and it is no secret that the energy from #TeamSawyer is unstoppable. The world will be hearing more from this young man very soon.

This song is featured on our Roots collection playlist.

photo credit: holly tutor photography