Bio

Annie Guthrie is the middle daughter of folksinger Arlo Guthrie and artist Jackie Guthrie, and had many options for inspiration growing up. At a young age she saw a picture of her grandmother Marjorie, a Martha Graham dancer, which motivated her to become a dancer. Her stubborn personality meant nothing was going to stop her. Eventually a knee injury slowed her down; that’s when Annie’s mother put a guitar in her hands and taught her a few chords. It didn’t take long for Annie to reinvent her love — she still dances, just a little differently now. She recalls her dad teaching her how to finger-pick Elizabeth Cotten’s song ‘Freight Train’. “My dad started off showing me the chords and saying, ‘Okay do this with your thumb,’ and he’d go away for a few months. He’d come back and ask me if I practiced. I was in love and couldn’t put the guitar down, so of course I practiced. Once he realized I wasn’t giving up, he kept adding a new finger and another string.”

Guthrie is a prolific songwriter and versatile musician who primarily plays acoustic guitar, bass, percussion and autoharp. Annie’s songs are honest, ranging from light and funny to gut-wrenching heartbreak (mostly gut-wrenching heartbreak); as her grandfather Woody Guthrie said, “You can only write what you see,” and she has taken that to heart, writing songs that tell it like it is. 

Making her recording debut on Arlo Guthrie’s Someday album at the age of four, Annie went on to contribute vocals on Woody’s 20 Grow Big Songs (1991), More Together Again (1994) and joined her father Arlo & family on All Over The World, a track included on Occupy This Album (2012) in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

Dragonfly is Annie Guthrie’s long-awaited solo debut released in July of 2016. This collection of songs penned by Guthrie showcases her gift for directness and going straight for the heart. Annie’s honest approach to songwriting coupled with her soulful delivery makes Dragonfly a compelling and notable solo premiere. 

Annie's single Feistier Than Gin, released December 2017, features Annie’s fierce wit and dark humor. Don’t ask her how she really feels—she will tell you! Feeling angry after the passing of her mother in 2012, Annie penned Feistier Than Gin in early 2013. “I was trying to lighten my mood, this is what I got. Music is the soundtrack to life. I was pissed that my mom died, and in love at the same time. When I put those feelings together with my guitar, Feistier Than Gin surfaced.”

 “I’d like to thank you [Annie], for adding a whole new dynamic to folk music. One where we are not all sitting around reading our vegan cookbooks.” — David Amram