Female folk

Linda Thompson (born Linda Pettifer) started her singing career in the 1960s, doing advertising jingles for money and singing in folk clubs for enjoyment. She changed her name to Linda Peters, and was romantically linked to Martin Carthy before working with Richard Thompson, whom she married in 1972. As part of Richard & Linda Thompson she sang on a string of critically acclaimed albums until a bitter split in 1982.

Rose Cousins is a Canadian bluegrass/folk singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, she is currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Beginning in 2002, she released two EPs prior to her full-length debut, If You Were for Me, in 2006. The album garnered her a nomination for best solo artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. She was also a winner in the 2007 Mountain Stage Newsong Contest, as well as winning best folk recording from both the Nova Scotia Music Awards and the PEI Music Awards, and Female Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards in 2008.

McKisko is the name used by Australian singer-songwriter Helen Franzmann. Her first album, 'Glorio' was released in 2009 to national acclaim. She received the Grant McLennan Memorial Fellowship for song writing in 2009. She has played with jose gonzales, bon iver, tom cooney and juana molina.

Shawn Colvin (born January 10, 1956 in Vermillion, South Dakota) is an American musician. Best known for her hit single "Sunny Came Home" from the album "A Few Small Repairs". Colvin's formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age of 10. Her first public concert was at age 15 at the University of Illinois campus. Colvin cites Joni Mitchell as a primary influence on her music, and her initial performances closely mirrored Mitchell's inflections and guitar tunings.