Tyson Motsenbocker

In 2013, singer/songwriter Tyson Motsenbocker walked up the California coast -- a nearly 600-mile trek that spanned 40 days -- in memory of his mother, who had recently passed away. When he arrived in San Francisco, he'd observed and processed enough for his debut album. Years before, in 2010, Motsenbocker released his first EP, Until It Lands, a delicate lo-fi collection that revealed a heart-rending vulnerability, a knack for storytelling, and a vocal purity akin to Sufjan Stevens, Conor Oberst, and Ben Gibbard. After the release of his follow-up EP, Rivers and Roads, he lost his mother. On his journey, he rediscovered his spirituality and found some peace, all of which he poured into what would become his debut LP, Letters to Lost Loves (Tooth & Nail). With plaintive piano, spacious atmosphere, and pastoral guitar to support his reflective and melancholy lyrics, Motsenbocker paired his bittersweet music with a collection of short stories released in conjunction with the album, which was set for release in March 2016. ~ Neil Z. Yeung