If You Never Go Away - BettySoo

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BettySoo stops by the show to discuss her latest release, If You Never Go Away, Childhood trauma, Life, inspiration, and more. 

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BettySoo’s vocal prowess is a thing of wonder. A world-class instrument of deft phrasing and purity, a voice that knows when to hold back and when to dive in. At her own live shows, taking a verse onstage with friends or singing harmonies in sessions with Austin’s finest, BettySoo sings with consummate loveliness and self-assurance. A voice that knows the roots of American music inside and out; coming from a most unexpected place –a diminutive Korean-American with a deceptively girl-next-door demeanor.

They call it the live music capital of the world. Austin, Texas, is a city where the musical bar is set high. Since exploding on the Austin scene a decade ago, BettySoo has carved out an enviable niche among the very best the city has to offer.

BettySoo is as Texan as they come.Raised outside Houston by first-generation Korean immigrant parents, educated at UT, she grew up listening to the Great American songbook and country radio. Older sisters led her to the world of singer/songwriters, and nights spent at The Cactus Café and Hole In The Wall turned her on to the legacy of Texas song.

Her 2007 solo disc, Little Tiny Secrets, garnered heavy regional airplay; 2009’s Heat Sin Water Sin produced by Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard), provided building blocks to a national (and international) audience. In 2014, When We’re Gone, co-produced with cellist Brian Standefer (Alejandro Escovedo, Terry Allen) placed her firmly in the first rank of songwriters working today.She’s won the requisite awards: New Folk at Kerrville, Songwriter of the Year at Big Top Chautauqua, The Dave CarterSongwriting Award at Sisters Folk Festival, Mountain Stage's New Song.

She’s played the festivals –multiple South by Southwests, Kerrville, Calgary and more. And the radio shows –E-Town, Mountain Stage, WoodSongs, BBC 2 with Bob Harris.Her singing has been heard on Riverdale and Girl Boss, and her songs formed the musical backbone to Christine Hoang’s 2017 play A Girl Named Sue, singled out by Austin360.com in their review as “gorgeous, moving ballads comment(ing) on the themes of the scenes they punctuate.”The future looks auspicious for BettySoo.

In the Time of COVID-19, BettySoo cut a unique path through the broad streaming landscape --and as with everything she does, she approached it in a way that invites authentic connection, encourages compassion, and merits listening. Her weekly Nobody's Happy Hour via Zoom fostered an intimate and meaningful community and were hailed by many as one of the most creative streamed residencies anywhere.“In her own words, ‘I guess Asian-American songwriters aren’t that common. At least, not in Texas.’ Well, songwriting and singing of this caliber aren’t that common anywhere." - No Depression

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