Honey in the Lions Head

Greg Brown

The word "indie" is generally associated with young hipster bands and quirky lo-fi pop. Yet few artists are as truly independent as singer-songwriter Greg Brown, whose rootsy music has garnered a large, faithful following, critical acclaim, and even a Grammy nod without any major label support. Known as a songwriter's songwriter (he's written for artists like Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana), Brown has been churning out albums that feature observant lyrics sung in a gritty no-nonsense style, over solid country- and blues-tinged folk backing since 1980. He tours relentlessly from his home base in Iowa, and in 2002 married fellow indie-folker Iris DeMent.