"Songs that rival the likes of Guy Clark or
Ian Tyson" Sing Out Magazine
The daughter of a California rancher and his city slicker wife, Claudia Nygaard grew up believing that cowgirl boots are appropriate footwear under a ball gown. She has straddled that fence between ranching and urban life ever since, and her brand of western music, with its roots in the adobe clay of California’s San Joaquin Valley, is unlike that of any other western artist. Claudia inhales contemporary life, and exhales western metaphors.
This unique point of view, and a job as a salaried staff songwriter on Nashville’s Music Row, has made Claudia an award-winning songwriter and a chart-topping artist. She is a winner of both the Kerrville Folk Festival and Tumbleweed Music Festival songwriting competitions, and her last album “Lucky Girl”, comprised of 13 original songs, rose to #3 on the Folk Alliance Radio Chart. Her previous recording “Let The Storm Roll In”, rose to #1 on the Cashbox Roots/Country chart, and both albums received high praise from the press:
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REVIEWS...
And then, there’s the matter of her songs-- that rival the likes of Guy Clark or Ian Tyson in their plainspoken, memoir-like quality, rich with personalized images and a resonant point-of-view.” Gary Von Tersch, Sing Out Magazine
"One of the finest singer/songwriter/storyteller collections in recent memory... 'His Left Side' is utterly brilliant."
Wildy Haskell, Wildy's World
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"Nygaard’s got a scrappy side to her as well. Her sympathetic homage to Miss Kitty of TV’s “Gunsmoke” fame is absolutely hilarious and her plea to a reticent lover in the song simply titled “Say It” conveys both desperation and desire without resorting to self-pity. Nygaard is a knowing soul and Let The Storm Roll In offers a torrent of wisdom and reflection." Lee Zimmerman, No Depression
“Claudia Nygaard turns back the clock to black and white television’s longest running unrequited love, telling the tale of “Miss Kitty” and those damn cold out door showers the lady had to take while courting Marshall Dillon in Gunsmoke… With a voice that wiggles into narrow spaces, Claudia Nygaard opens up and lets in a lot of love and hope.” Alternate Root
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CLAUDIA'S SONGS tell stories about TV western heroines, wide open spaces, well-loved horses and even better loved cowboys. She is a charismatic performer with a quick wit and a twinkle in her eye, who has frequently been compared to Will Rogers for her ability to make everyone in the audience feel like she is talking to them alone. With a voice once described by a DJ as “amber honey”, Nygaard delivers songs that are heartfelt, humorous, scrappy, and sensual. And so are the captivating tales she tells in between them.
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LIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS...
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Claudia tours tirelessly, and has torn up the highways of all 50 states and ten foreign countries. She has performed at over three hundred festivals and gatherings including the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Cimarron Cowboy Gathering, and the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering. At the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in New York she was recently chosen an “Emerging Artist”. Here is what the venues have said about her shows:
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“By the end of Claudia’s performance at Cimarron she had everyone on their feet. She received the only standing ovation we ever had at the gathering!” Dennis Russell, Cimarron Cowboy Gathering, Cimarron, NM
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“"I have not enjoyed any ‘Evenings With The Songwriter’ as much as this. This elegant lady has so much class she wears her radiant smile as casually as the manure on her boots. Her songs come from the heart, with the help of a watchful eye, and a mindful soul.” Fletcher Clark, Evenings With The Songwriter”, Lockhart, TX
“Few solo artists can capture a festival crowd and instantly turn them into an attentive audience. Claudia Nygaard is one such singer/songwriter. Her songs range from heartwarming to whimsical, and are woven into an engaging performance hard to match (or equal)”. Tom Barrett, Black Hawk Folk Festival, Wautoma, WI
THE NEW CHILDREN'S SHOW!
Claudia is proud to now be able to offer festivals her new children's musical adaptation of "Little Red Riding Hood"! The play was premiered by The Academy of Performing Arts in Massachusetts last fall with a full cast, but she also performs it solo as a storytelling feature . To sample some of it click here.
SHE'S NOT JUST A SOLO ACT!
Claudia performs solo, but when budget allows for a fuller sound she tours with some great Nashville musicians. She can also be booked as a duo with Jim Jones (winner of Western Music Association's Male Performer of the Year and Song Of The Year). New for 2024, Claudia has formed a package show called "Women Of The West" featuring a rotating roster of Western Music's best female artists. Email her here for more show information.
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NEW ALBUM OUT THIS SUMMER!
Claudia is currently in the studio recording a new album titled “To Race The Wind”. The buzz around this recording will mean extra press for your show! Due to release next summer, it will be a collection of songs that prove that while you can take the girl out of the west, you can’t do it the other way around.
