Susan Werner with Pat Byrne

Over the course of her twenty-five-year career, Susan Werner has earned a reputation as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today” (Chicago Tribune). With formidable chops on guitar (she began playing at age 5) and piano (she was a guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz), along with a graduate degree in voice performance, her shows are a one-woman master class in musicianship. Although best known as an acoustic songwriter that came up through coffeehouses and folk festivals, the Chicago-based artist has written songs in the style of Gershwin and Cole Porter (I Can’t Be New, 2004), gospel music (The Gospel Truth, 2007), traditional Cuban “son” (An American In Havana, 2016), and New Orleans junk piano (NOLA, 2019). In 2014 she composed the music and lyrics for the musical theater show Bull Durham, A New Musical (MGM). Her songs have been recorded by Tom Jones, Michael Feinstein, and Shemekia Copeland, and her latest recording of originals, Halfway to Houston, took flight in March 2024.

Pat Byrne migrated from Ireland to Austin, Texas, in 2017. Since then, he has melded two musical cultures known for introspective lyricism and raw, from-the-heart emotion—with spectacular results. In 2019, Pat had breakout performances at the 30A Festival, SXSW, Kerrville Folk Festival, and the Americana Festival. His 2021 release, Into the Light, was named a top 10 album of the year by the Austin American Statesman. Pat takes the listener on an emotional journey with lyrics both touching and agonizing—heightened by his dynamic vocal style.

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