Margo Cilker’s sophomore album, Valley of Heart’s Delight, refers to a place she can’t return: California’s Santa Clara Valley, as it was known before the orchards were paved over and became more famous for Silicon than apricots. Margo is the fifth generation of Cilker’s born there, and in this 11-song collection, family and nature intertwine as guiding motifs, at once precious and endangered, beautiful and exhausting. The trees here are family trees, or they’re apricot trees, but suburban sprawl isn’t looking good for either. Cilker moved from California to the Pacific Northwest in her mid-twenties and wrote much of Valley of Heart’s Delight while living in Enterprise, Oregon, a small town near the Snake River and powered by the river’s massive, publicly-funded hydroelectric dams. The dams (part of the same system Woody Guthrie was hired to write about) provide clean electricity to much of the western US but make it extraordinarily difficult for anadromous fish (such as Steelhead Trout) to return from the ocean and spawn in their native streams. Valley Of Heart’s Delight feeds off of this tension – how we live in and off of nature, how we live within and without family, and why we return to the places we were born.

Cilker and producer Sera Cahoone’s work on her critically acclaimed Pohorylle debut earned its accolades for lyric-focused production and understated musicianship. The pair maintain this approach on Valley of Heart’s Delight, bringing back the same crew to the same studio in Vancouver, Washington: Cahoone (Sub Pop, Carissa’s Weird, Band Of Horses) drums and produces, John Morgan Askew (Neko Case, Laura Gibson) engineers, Jenny Conlee-Drizos (The Decemberists) provides piano, organ, and accordion, Rebecca Young (Lindsey Fuller) plays bass, Kelly Pratt (Beirut) on horns, and of course, sister Sarah Cilker contributes harmonies. Those in need of more twang will appreciate the addition of Paul Brainard’s (M. Ward, Richmond Fontaine) pedal steel and telecaster work, Annie Staninec’s (Mary Gauthier) fiddle, and the mandolin and high lonesome harmony of Portland country standard-bearer Caleb Klauder. Cilker also branched out in her song-collecting, reeling in a cover (“Steelhead Trout”) by Idaho native Ben Walden, ostensibly because of artistic and thematic reasons, but also because, in Cilker’s words, “it’s a damn good song and I wanted to record it.” Walden also sings and plays harmonica on the track.

Cilker’s debut record was released in late 2021, a year swinging wildly between cloistered days of lockdown, social engagement roaring back to life like the former ‘20s, and the Greek alphabet entering the vernacular to turn us inwards again. This tumult was echoed in the artistic life of Margo Cilker, trying in vain to predict what kind of a world her first record would be released into while writing what would become her second. As it turned out, the world was welcoming of Pohorylle. The unpronouncably-titled, darkly-jacketed, quietly-released record ended up a darling of critics and fellow songwriters and notably ended up on albums-of-the-year lists in two different years (strange times indeed). The debut was also nominated for UK Americana Album of The Year alongside Brandi Carlile and Robert Plant, and earned Cilker a slew of festival performances and tours supporting American Aquarium, Hayes Carll, and Drive-By Truckers. Between tours, Cilker made time to record Valley Of Heart’s Delight, and its release on Fluff & Gravy Records (Loose Music in the UK/EU) will be followed by a US headline tour with her longtime road band.

Margo Cilker currently lives near the Columbia River in Goldendale, Washington with her husband, songwriter and working cowboy Forrest VanTuyl, as well their dog and some horses.

On their upcoming record Missouri Folklore: Songs & Stories From Home, My Politic dig deep into the soil of their home state, shining a light on the complexities and dichotomies of those who plant their roots within it.

Part autobiographical, part conceptual, every song on Missouri Folklore is set against the backdrop of the Ozark Mountains, which served as the landscapes of longtime friends and bandmates Kaston Guffey and Nick Pankey’s early years. Through reflective, imagery-driven songwriting, the pair honestly examine the tangled webs we weave, often overshadowed by the doldrums of everyday life in small-town America.

Missouri Folklore is a thematic shift from the band’s previous record, 2020’s Short-Sighted People in Power, which directly responded to the political climate that permeated every aspect of American culture during that chaotic year. That project earned acclaim from a range of outlets, including the Nashville Scene, American Songwriter, and The Alternate Root, bringing a much-deserved and long-awaited new spotlight onto their well-honed artistry.

Missouri Folklore: Songs & Stories From Home marks My Politic’s 10th album, but also serves as a thoughtful introduction to Guffey and Pankey’s blend of sincere, candid storytelling that echoes the spirit of greats like John Prine, who the band cites as their most significant influence.

Most Recently, Guffey & Pankey have been touring the U.S. extensively. Playing house concerts & listening rooms as well as larger venues opening for folks like Adeem The Artist & Margo Cilker. They have been showing up at festivals as well including The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Home Sweet Home Festival & the Rock House Music Festival.

Guffey and Pankey’s engaging slice-of-life storytelling, expertly-crafted characters & sibling-like harmony, shape a collection of songs that are as intimate and engaging as they are unforgettable. With Missouri Folklore, My Politic pay homage to the people and places that raised them while highlighting the work needed to cultivate a better environment for themselves and those who come next.