South Austin Song Circles: Couples Edition
The Watters
With nearly twenty years of musical collaboration together, husband and wife duo Daniel and Jenna Watters embrace a sound they call “Americana Soul.” Seamlessly blending Soul, Rock and Jazz, they have been described as “Fleetwood Mac with a horn section” after developing their unique but accessible sound across seven different albums together under various monikers and releasing their debut record as their current band, The Watters, in 2016. Now an acclaimed mainstay of the Austin music scene, they have garnered a devoted fan base through their stirring vocals and road-weathered musicianship and have opened for artists like Michael McDonald, The Revivalists, Allen Stone, and Devon Gilfillian.
Before settling in Austin, The Watters developed their eclectic sound in part by living in several dramatically different cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, but their story began in Sedona, Arizona. They met on the pee wee football team in 6th grade, though it wasn’t until their high school graduation ceremony when they first sang together, performing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The spark of chemistry they felt as much as the audience did led the two to start writing together and performing at local coffee shops around northern Arizona and Los Angeles during their summer and winter school breaks. Four years of long distance writing and performing later, the two moved to Denver in 2009 to formally start their first band, “The Oak Creek Band.” Their romantic relationship was born soon after, and they married in 2011. After years of cutting their teeth in the mountain towns of the Colorado Rockies and then a stint in Nashville, the duo felt geographically aimless and uninspired, and on a fated drive back to Sedona in 2015, they took a long detour to Austin. They saw one show at The Continental Club Gallery and, falling instantly in love with the city’s music scene and vibe, decided that night to make it their new home.
Since then, they have released two full length LPs (The Watters, Intuition) one EP (Mellow), and played nearly every venue in Austin. They’ve been awarded several grants from local-non profits for their artistry including Sonic Gud Major Grant and the Long Center Live Music Grant and won four national John Lennon Songwriting Contest Awards for tracks from 2021’s Intuition. The Watters’s third full-length album, Duality, slated for release in late 2023, is a culmination of their nineteen years of creating and performing together and reflects all the challenges, learning, and growth they have evolved through as individuals and a duo. For The Watters, life and music are one, their journey together being their greatest muse.
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Gritty Sunset
From NYC to Austin, Courtney and Eli of Gritty Sunset electrify with raw soulful pop energy. This dynamic duo blends an organic sound with catchy lyrics that resonate. With a combined experience of global arena tours with top artists, musical theater stages, and TV appearances, these two seasoned artists bring their magical x-factor to every show. Their self-titled debut EP was released in November of 2024 and they look forward to releasing new music later this year.
Courtney Gayle is an Austin-based singer/voiceover artist/actress/vocal coach. Known for her powerful-yet-intimate vocal style, she frequently performs solo and with groups throughout the country in the live and session music scene. As an actress, her one-woman show, “The Blurred Lines,” made a splash in NYC shortly before her musical theater debut at The Fulton Theatre. She is also a voice-over artist who has worked with brands such as Jared Jewelry, Pantene, and Rinvoq just to name a few.
Eli Menezes is a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer known for his exceptional versatility and self-taught talent. After moving to NYC in 2000, Eli has traveled to over 50 countries and collaborated with a wide range of international artists such as Lauryn Hill, Richard Bona, Rita Ora, Faith Evans, Common, Ashanti, Estelle, Thalía, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp, David Bisbal, Trey Songz, and many others. Now based in Austin, Eli continues to work globally with renowned musicians while also maintaining a strong presence in Austin's vibrant live and session music scene. He regularly joins forces with notable local artists, including David Grissom, JoJames, and Andrea Magee, among others.
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Jennifer Foster, vocalist and bassist as well as songwriter, lyricist, and arranger of an all-original catalogue inspired by Motown, funk, R&B, blues and rock greats like Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, The Meters and Chaka Khan and Grand Funk. Featuring Robert Parker Jr., a sweet and spicy spoonful of the good stuff; guaranteed to hook you with the first note and keep you until the last.
