The Nashville-based Americana band South for Winter will light up the stage of the Lancaster Elementary School Theater Saturday, November 15. The show, hosted by the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA), begins at 7:30pm at 191 School Street, Kilmarnock. Doors open at 7pm.
“South for Winter will warm your soul with their earthy vocals and delectable harmonies,” declares the music and culture website Musical Notes Global. “The group shimmers and shines through a blend of folk, gypsy, jazz, and blues music, creating carefully crafted stories that draw listeners into their glowing depths.”
RFA board president Jamie Tucker knows that sensation well. “I am really happy we could get these musicians to perform for us. Check them out at www.southforwintermusic.com and get your tickets soon. You’ll see why they are perennial festival favorites.”
When New Zealander Nick Stone and Coloradan Dani Cichon met as volunteers building greenhouses in South America, they never expected their light-hearted rooftop jams to evolve into an internationally touring Americana band, although one of their songs, “Fallen Seeds,” did germinate in Peru. Years after meeting, the two musicians settled together in Christchurch, New Zealand, and forged what is now South for Winter’s characteristic blend of dark, bluesy ballads and light, harmony-filled duets. They named their debut album Luxumbra, which is Latin for “the light and the shadow.”
After moving the project to Nashville in 2017, South for Winter hit the road—Cichon, a gifted singer and lyricist, on mandolin, acoustic guitar, tambourine and shaker; and Stone, with his intricate guitar work, on both acoustic and electric as well as resonator and stomp box. The duo played hundreds of shows across the United States, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, England, Poland, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, turning heads as they went. Joining them on stage is classically trained Michael Murphy, who hails from Wisconsin, on cello, banjo, and vocals.
South for Winter recorded both their debut album and sophomore concept album, Of Sea and Sky, in Nashville alongside multi GRAMMY award-winning producer Matt Leigh. The new album has received an outpouring of support from listeners far and wide, surpassing the band’s goal in crowdfunding donations for its independent release, gaining the band over 50,000 online followers in the year after its release, earning shoutouts from sites like No Depression Magazine and Americana Highways, landing on three Spotify editorial playlists with album singles, and having worldwide airplay from stations such as Lightning 100 (Nashville), Radio New Zealand (New Zealand), WFUV Radio (NYC), Asheville FM (Asheville, North Carolina) and WFMT (Chicago).
The band has landed accolades such as Official Showcase Artist at Folk Alliance International in 2024 and 2022, Semi-Finalist in the 2023 and 2022 International Songwriting Competitions, Official Artist at South by Southwest Music Festival in 2023, Finalist for “Best Group/Duo” in the 2023 International Acoustic Music Awards, Top DJ Pick by John Platt of NYC’s WFUV in 2021 and “Most Wanted” Emerging Artist at Falcon Ridge Festival in 2019.
The website AmericanaUK declared South for Winter’s music “an ethereal, dreamy journey...a journey well-worth taking.” What could top that? Taking the journey with them live.
RFA’s 2025-26 season continues December 13 with Kings Return, a GRAMMY-nominated a cappella quartet. For details please visit rappahannockfoundation.org. Single tickets for each of the shows ($45) are available at 804-438-5555. Tickets at the door will be $50. The RFA season is sponsored by Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Wealth Management. Series Sponsor: Susan G. Moenssens, Attorney at Law, Lighthouse Real Estate, Inc. Program Sponsors: Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, Sebra Corporation, Tri-Star Supermarket, and Two Rivers Communications.
