Upstate Melancholia: A trip w/ Ginger Winn at her record release show in Woodstock!

Words by Willa Rudolph / Header photo by Brooklyn Zeh

Just a hop, skip, and/or jump from NYC, Woodstock, New York is a delightful place to visit during Summer (and all seasons, of course)…but during summer, it’s particularly fairy-esque.

I was invited by Keep Good Company Records, the founders of which also founded Nourish, a magazine we collaborated with for our Mag Fair in April. They put on an event in collaboration with another awesome music publication, Atwood Magazine. Keep Good recording artist, alt-folk singer/songwriter Ginger Winn, just released her impressive sophomore album Freeze Frame on June 13th.

The venue, Woodstock Way Hotel, is at a gorgeous little hotel in Woodstock, highly recommended for your weekend getaway needs–especially if you’re a music fan. We sat in the grass and overlooked a waterfall. 

I wrote up Ginger’s song “Escape” a little while back when it came out on May 1st, and I don’t want to be repetitive, so I’m not going to repeat too much background, but Ginger’s performance was truly moving.

The LP was produced and engineered by A.J. Yorio–who also accompanied Winn on stage with guitar as she sang from her heart about topics like suicide, grief, and anxiety– and had post-production and mixing by Tomás Tomás, with additional mixing by GRAMMY® winner Justin Guip.

Personally, the emotion I felt the most from Ginger’s performance was the uplifting edge of grief. Grief is inevitable, and weighs heavy, which is felt in the music. However, her words and voice leave you with a hopeful feeling, like an unexpected gratitude for that grief—since with loving anything or anyone, grief will be a part of it. 

The 14-track record takes you on a journey through different stages of grief, and Ginger wrote the songs deeply steeped in the loss of her father. “Escape,” the first track on the album, begins with a little whisper of a voice until it opens up wider and Ginger’s voice ascends to a louder volume—like she is luring you sweetly into her world. A couple of my favorites come next, “Pants on Fire” and “Hyperallergic”. 

“Pants on Fire” live was so poignant. Ginger laughed before delving into the song, “This song’s about what happens when you tell someone you’ll be with them forever, and one day realize you think that was a lie.” Sonically, Ginger references the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Snail Mail, but she has her own sound completely with production that’s flat out orchestral at times, incorporating trumpets and synths and more. 

Atop a wall above the waterfall, an older man sat behind the stage, casually playing the trumpet along with the band. Okay, that makes it sound like he just showed up there–no, he was supposed to be there–but he really was sitting off to the side casually. No mic necessary. 

“Hyperallergic” is one of my faves because it has a grungy vibe to it. I also absolutely love the lyrics to this one:

One thing that stood out about seeing a show at this particular venue was how incredible the sound was even though we were outside and near a waterfall. But what stood out about Ginger, was how clear and strong her voice was. The band was tight even though they mentioned they’d never all played together before that evening. 

“Scenes From a Wake,” was a really touching moment in the night. Ginger mentioned her father throughout her set, and she kept reiterating the importance of appreciating those you love while they’re here. She sang, “Your blood is my blood / Your blood is my kin / Your flesh is my flesh / Your skin is my skin / Your pain is my pain / I’m feeling it within / One kiss / Was never enough to say goodbye…” She sounds like an angel, helping you through a painful time. 

A last favorite of mine, because I’ll let you decide for yourself when you listen to the record, is “Main Character Syndrome.” It had an almost Sheryl Crow-esque vibe while she was singing it. Which I love, obviously. A slow but military-style drum beat backed her soaring voice while guitar twinkled on top, high pitched and shimmering. 

Ginger covered a couple songs, too–Mazzy Star‘s “Fade into You” stood out the most, as it, too, encapsulates the grief that comes with love. I took this artistic, highly professional video of it. 

Overall, the experience was wonderful. Concert goers included friends, family, little kids, older folks, basically all types of different people, and the mood in the air was familiar and kind. Highly recommend visiting Woodstock Way Hotel AND of course, checking out Ginger Winn’s new record Freeze Frame. You might just learn something…about yourself!