DIANE ZEIGLER: BIOGRAPHY

"Over the years, I have been introduced to the music of hundreds of songwriters. Few have impressed me more, however, than the haunting lyrics, captivating melodies, and crystalline voice of
New England's Diane Zeigler."
- Performing Songwriter Magazine (TN)

BIOGRAPHY

The winner of 8 national songwriting awards, Diane Zeigler is established as an important voice in acoustic music. She is also a skilled performer with a quick laugh, and her live shows offer a full spectrum of entertainment and inspired musicianship. She combines a crystalline vocal style with distinctive open-tuning guitar work, crafting songs that have earned her respect among songwriters and critics as “one of the most talented singer-songwriters New England has produced.” (The Music Matters)

Her recordings have been consistently lauded by critics and she has been a three-time winner at the the Just Plain Folks Music Awards in Hollywood, CA (2006 Best Holiday CD, 2004 Best Folk CD, 2002 Best Folk CD). Every one of her CDs have charted #1 on national folk radio playlists published at www.folkradio.org.

Despite the acclaim Zeigler has received as a songwriter, her career has taken an erratic path that reflects the multiple challenges facing a mother trying to choose between career and family.

Her 1995 debut CD on Rounder Records, ‘Sting of the Honeybee’, was a favorite among critics of acoustic music, but before she could hit the road to support it, Zeigler learned she was pregnant with her first child. The CD, produced by Artie Traum and featuring musical guests such as banjoist Tony Trishka and drummer Jerry Marotta, was nominated for a Boston Music Award, and placed on Top 10 album lists at both The Boston Globe and WUMB Radio.

Globe critic Scott Alarik called it ‘a star-maker debut’ but later dubbed it ‘the sleeper of the decade for the New England folk community’, as Zeigler’s choice to stay off the road certainly affected CD sales. She took a 3 year hiatus from music, gave birth to two children, and re-emerged on the national folk scene in 1999, picking up where she left off by winning awards at Kerrville, Rocky Mountain Folks, and Telluride festivals. Since then she has released three award winning CDs and has toured both regionally and nationally as her schedule permits. A third child was born December 2006.

Zeigler’s songs capture a sense of place and community, informed as they are by the unique landscape of Vermont. Her work is also rooted in her experiences with death and loss. Her 1995 debut CD was dedicated to her brother Jimmy, who died of cancer in 1984 at age 21 - while on “Paintbrush” she writes of the death of her sister’s husband in “It Grew In Front of Me”. Zeigler’s songwriting reflects a personal life where the focal point is on family, and highlights the universal emotions we all work through. Says the Boston Globe, "She has a gift for penning reflective personal anthems that turn hard truths to life-affirming purpose".

Zeigler’s work has been also been featured on many compilation projects for both major and independent labels including Rounder Records, Sony Music, National Geographic Magazine, Yankee Magazine and others. She performs both as a solo act and with bandmates: husband/bassist/co-producer Geoff Sather and dobroist Adam Frehm.