The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Seattle-based musician Tekla Waterfield will be performing her original songs Monday, December 2, at 6 p.m., at The Open Door Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Waterfield is originally from Alaska and grew up surrounded by music. Her mother used to play folk festivals around Alaska. From a young age, Waterfield was getting on stage with her mother and sister to perform harmonies and sing. In the 1990s, her family moved to California, near Sacramento, where Waterfield discovered many other genres of music that she loved.

“I listened to almost all folk and Americana music growing up, then discovered hip-hop and R&B and soul in the 90s and loved that style,” said Waterfield.

Waterfield credits her own style and sound to the music she grew up with.

“My music is mostly indie-folk with a touch of rhythm and blues, soul and Americana roots,” said Waterfield.

Singing and performing was always a constant in Waterfield’s life growing up and into high school.

“Singing was a constant for me in high school and I knew I loved it,” she said.

Waterfield studied art in college, also after her mother. She taught art classes, and continues to teach some beginner classes today.

“After college I still wanted to sing and thought about going into musicals, but I didn’t have a dance background so I ended up joining a band,” she said.

Blvd Park was an indie band she played with for four years, and she moved with them to Seattle, where she currently resides.

“It was a really eye-opening experience and I started then, to test out my own written songs,” she said.

Waterfield had written poetry but never thought to write songs until she was in the band and she began to test them out on the band. In Seattle, after her experience with Blvd Park, Waterfield broke out on her own and began performing her own songs and writing her own music.

“The elements I combine in my own sound come very naturally to me, from what I grew up with and melded together into my own style,” she said.

Waterfield says she doesn’t really have a formula or box she fits into, every part of music for her comes naturally and it comes out in the moment.

Waterfield is on a West Coast tour around Northern California, Oregon and Washington. She tours with a part-time band, and other times with fellow singer-songwriter and former bandmate Elise Suttie.

“We have a very stripped-down style and vibe,” she said.

Waterfield plays guitar and performs her own written songs during her shows.

Waterfield came about playing Sisters after hearing about The Open Door as a music venue from fellow Seattle-based musician Bradford Loomis, who had performed in Sisters before. Waterfield had put a call out on Facebook for venues for performances during her West Coast run and he suggested Sisters.

“It worked out great to have a show on a Monday night, because most places are closed and we don’t have performance places those nights,” said Waterfield.

Waterfield released an album last year entitled “The Curtain Falls” and it is featured on her website (https://www.teklawaterfield.com). as well as Spotify. She is currently working on an album coming out in the spring, which she worked on with the Cultural Arts Center Grant in Seattle.

The Open Door event features dinner and music, so reservations are strongly encouraged. The Open Door is located at 303 W. Hood Ave .; at http://www.opendoorwinebar.com; 541-549-6076.