Artist Information
At the top of 2026, singer-songwriter Meels released Across The Raccoon Strait, a seven-track EP that builds on the promise of her 2024 debut, Tales from a Bird’s Bedroom, which introduced her as a striking new voice in indie folk. More confident and deeply personal, the new project finds Meels settling fully into a sound she can call her own, one that feels both timeless and distinctly hers.
Raised among the redwoods of Mill Valley, Meels (born Amelia Einhorn) grew up immersed in music. Influenced early on by artists like John Denver, Iris DeMent, The Beatles, and Peter, Paul and Mary, she later studied at Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. There, she began shaping her signature style, a blend of folk, country, and bluegrass she affectionately calls “Critter Country,” where nostalgia meets honesty and every song feels like home. Drawing inspiration from Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Paul McCartney, and John Prine, Meels writes with the warmth of an old soul and the curiosity of a new one.
Across The Raccoon Strait marks a creative turning point. “By the end of recording, I finally felt like I had arrived at a sound that was truly my own,” Meels says. “This EP is more confident, more personal, and more Meels than anything I’ve made before. It feels like both a reflection of how far I’ve come and a signpost for where I’m headed next.” She wrote all seven tracks and co-produced the project alongside collaborators Peter Groenwald and Mark Campbell, expanding the sonic palette she first introduced on her debut.
The EP opens with “Out West,” a freewheeling introduction to Meels’ “Critter Country.” Its accompanying video nods to mid-century Western television, playfully referencing Hee Haw, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza. Elsewhere, “Old Mill Valley” reflects on the changing spirit of her hometown, once a haven for artists like Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, Janis Joplin, and Jerry Garcia, while “Praise the Sheep” celebrates pastoral simplicity and “Marsha June” offers a tender tribute to her unconventional grandmother.
The EP also includes her 2025 singles “The Wizard” and “Willow Song,” both of which further illuminate her world. “The Wizard” transforms her lifelong experience with OCD into something whimsical and poetic, while “Willow Song” encourages stillness amid life’s chaos. Together, they highlight Meels’ gift for balancing vulnerability with charm and depth with playfulness.
To celebrate the release, Meels brought her music to the stage with a trio of headline shows, including a hometown performance at Sweetwater Music Hall, an iconic venue revived in 2012 by Bob Weir. Her live performances, rich with storytelling, humor, and a sense of communal nostalgia, have quickly earned her a reputation as one of folk’s most endearing new voices.
Momentum continues to build as Meels recently opened for Margo Price and Carter Faith on select dates and hit the road with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for their All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour. This follows a breakout 2025 that saw her share stages with Old Crow Medicine Show, Molly Tuttle, and Kaitlin Butts.
With Across The Raccoon Strait, Meels continues to build the world of “Critter Country,” a place rooted in memory, shaped by storytelling, and carried forward by a voice that feels both familiar and entirely new.
