Slaid Cleaves in Austin

Slaid Cleaves is an American singer-songwriter born in Washington, D.C., raised in Maine and long based in Austin. His folk, country and Americana writing is best known through the album Broke Down and its title song; his catalog also includes “One Good Year,” “Horseshoe Lounge,” Wishbones and Ghost on the Car Radio. In 1992, Cleaves was selected as a New Folk winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival, an early milestone after his move to Texas. He later documented his small-room live work on Sorrow & Smoke: Live at the Horseshoe Lounge, recorded at the Austin bar that also gave its name to one of his songs.