Submitted by Orcas Center.

A prolific songwriter for nearly 20 years, Laura Veirs has forged a career as a musical storyteller exploring themes of romantic intoxication, vignettes of daily life and social commentary. She will perform on Friday, Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m. on Orcas Center’s main stage. Tickets range from $15-$47 at www.orcascenter.org.

Veirs’ vocal prowess has been celebrated by noted artists such as k.d lang and Neko Case, with whom she shared top billing on the acclaimed album “case/lang/veirs.”

Veirs proves the depth of her musical skill on her 10th solo album, “The Lookout,” produced by Grammy-nominee Tucker Martine. Veirs’ melodies and vocals rapidly weave up and down her wide vocal range sounding nearly angelic, while wrapping the listener in comforting aural warmth. Her latest album is influenced by our current chaotic times and makes a strong case for self-protection as well as the protection of others.

“ ‘The Lookout’ is about the need to pay attention to the fleeting beauty of life and to not be complacent; it’s about the importance of looking out for each other,” says Veirs. “I’m addressing what’s happening around me with the chaos of post-election America, the racial divides in our country, and a personal reckoning with the realities of mid-life: I have friends who’ve died; I struggle with how to balance life as an artist with parenting young children.”

With familial ties to the San Juans, Viers has been visiting the area for over two decades, and recorded her first album in 1999 with former Orcas Center Executive Director Jim Bredouw. Most recently she was a featured artist in the 2019 Orcas Island Lit Fest, discussing her children’s book, “Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten,” a winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award.