Sierra Hull


If ever the “child prodigy” label did Sierra Hull justice, its usefulness has completely fallen away and a distinctive new identity emerged. What you hear on her new release Daybreak is one of bluegrass’s few full-fledged virtuosic instrumentalist/singer/songwriters, and one who’s gracefully grown into her gifts. While her mandolin playing has always possessed clarity and fleet-fingered precision, here she attacks her solos with newfound spontaneity and depth of feeling; she calls it “playing with a point to prove.”

Boundaries — age, genre or otherwise — don’t hamper an artist like Sierra. She’s already earned considerable respect in the bluegrass world. The IBMA’s voting members having nominated her for no fewer than five awards over three years. But as a player, a singer and a songwriter, she also has remarkable range, the potential to win over ears unfamiliar with Bill Monroe and give performances of broad cultural importance, as she’s done at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the National Prayer Breakfast. Matt Glaser—head of Berklee’s American Roots Music Program—put it this way: “She has no limitations as a musician.” Daybreak is certainly a noteworthy arrival; you can’t help but feel it’s also just the beginning.

Sierra Hull's Web Site