MR Fest Artist Profile: The Cover Letter

By Hannah Wisterman
Music Journalist

The Cover Letter has been widely praised by publications like the Austin Chronicle and Music Connection Magazine for being one of the best rising stars of the Austin indie folk-rock scene. The band formed in 2013 when college roommates Jacob Shipman and Jarrod Nall decided to take on a musical fresh start, and the two soon began finding new additions, which now amount to the current lineup: Trevor Van Stanfield, another founding member; Angie Vanegas, Evan Runyon, and Jake Lehman. While each specializes in something, they change instruments every song, which makes performances vibrant and lively.

They released their first self-titled EP in 2015, and the band has since collected a local following with their nostalgia-inducing Americana sound and absolutely charming use of multi-instrumentation. Already a bigger band with six members, The Cover Letter manages to sound even bigger still—a hallmark of great folk.Their most recent EP, Cities Made of Sand, went up for streaming and purchase in February, full of foot-stomping rhythms and the kind of folk-rocky goodness that makes you want to toss your hair around (think Edward Sharpe and Mother Falcon but more organic, more heart-of-Texas).

Still not sold? Check out this quick clip of a 2014 performance:

The Cover Letter will be performing for MR Fest at The Hitch at 4:00 on Saturday, April 29.

Photo courtesy of The Cover Letter.