WMR2503 Kate MacLeod, an award-winning songwriter, composer, and vocalist, has long been a celebrated presence in folk and roots music. Performing on guitar, fiddle, and mountain dulcimer, her work has been embraced by artists in bluegrass, old-time, Celtic, and other roots traditions, and featured in recordings and documentaries across the United States and Europe. Known for her finely crafted songs and steadfast commitment to the music community, MacLeod brings decades of artistry to her ninth full-length album, Perennial.



Recorded live in concert at the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association’s series in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, on January 3, 2025, Perennial features longtime collaborators Mark Hazel, Mandy Danzig, and Dylan Schorer. The album also includes a track from MacLeod’s appearance on WFMT Chicago’s nationally syndicated program Folkstage. The performances draw on inspirations from river journeys, star-filled nights, sailing metaphors, Western landscapes, and a rare Jean Ritchie composition, all delivered with the ensemble’s measured, yet exploratory interplay.

Standout tracks include “A Storm on the Desert,” written during an Artist-in-Residence program at the Entrada Institute and inspired by a lightning storm and the transformative power of love; “Beneath the Night Sky,” a musical painting composed on the banks of Utah’s Green River; and “Fair Winds and Following Seas,” written at the Pendle Hill Quaker Center in Pennsylvania and now used in memorials for sailors in the UK.

With Perennial, Kate MacLeod reaffirms her expertise, craftsmanship, and dedication to the enduring spirit of the folk tradition.