photo of Emilie Marie Basez

Emilie Marie Basez

Ley Line

Four voices coalesce, rooted in rhythm. Raised on the North American traditions of blues, folk, and soul and inspired by their world travels, the four women of Ley Line transcend genres and languages. Ley Line creates a global soundscape; blending influences from Brazil, Latin America and West Africa. Dynamic harmonies run like a current through textures of stand up bass, guitar, ukulele and world percussion. With strong ties to world folklore traditions, Ley Line’s multilingual compositions evoke the beauty of the human experience through our connection to nature and each other.

Ley Line was created in 2016 as the merging of two duos. The band was born during the completion of their premier album Field Notes, and their self-managed tour from Texas
to New York. From that point on, Ley Line has been touring nationally and internationally, performing at music festivals, facilitating educational programs for youth, recording original music and collaborating with other artists. Ley Line has performed at
Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, The Northwest String Summit, Kerrville Folk Festival and alongside Bonnie Paine of Elephant Revival at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Ley Line is acknowledged by their hometown of Austin, Texas as nominees for the
Austin Chronicle’s 2020 Band of the Year and Album of the Year. In 2019 they won a major grant through the artist development program Black Fret and have been featured as “artist of the month” on KUTX.

Ley Line is inspired by a deep appreciation for folk music and the way it travels and evolves across borders and generations. The members of Ley Line draw influences from
Brazil, Latin America, West Africa and beyond and seamlessly connect it to the roots of American folk music. Their multilingual compositions prove the point that music is a universal language that connects us all. In addition to live performances, Ley Line
offers educational programs that cultivate dialogue about cross cultural understanding and explore self expression as a tool to connect across differences.

In 2020 Ley Line released their sophomore album “We Saw Blue” and received local and national recognition. The Austin Chronicle called their newest album, “a healing wash,”
stating that, “In a time of isolation and turmoil, Ley Line’s sound soothes with a promise of deeper connection.” In 2021, the band completed the accompanying visual EP that illuminates the inspiration of the album, a three month journey through Brazil. Songs
weave from traditional Brazilian “Coco” to American blues and folk. The accompanying visuals, filmed and edited by Ley Line, explore an innate connection to the earth and the role that cultural art plays in personal and collective transformation.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

Events featuring Emilie Marie Basez
Events featuring Emilie Marie Basez