Margo Cilker

Biography

Margo Cilker, born around 1993 as the fifth generation of her family in California's Santa Clara Valley—once known as the Valley of Heart's Delight for its orchards before becoming Silicon Valley—began writing songs early, starting guitar lessons at age twelve and drawing initial influences from Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and Gillian Welch. A former nomad who traveled the US and world, playing covers of Neil Young, CCR, and Lucinda Williams (including in a tribute band in Spain's Basque country), she recorded her first EP in Bilbao while a student there, often skipping classes to pursue music. After her grandfather's death in 2017, she toured Europe before returning to California, working on a dairy farm in 2018, which inspired songs for her debut.[1][2][3][4]

Cilker released her critically acclaimed debut album Pohorylle on November 5, 2021, produced by Sera Cahoone, featuring understated lyric-focused production that earned universal acclaim (Metacritic 84/100), NPR profiles, year-end lists from Stereogum and No Depression, and a UK Americana Album of the Year nomination alongside Brandi Carlile and Robert Plant. She followed with extensive tours supporting American Aquarium, Hayes Carll, Drive-By Truckers, and a 44-show run across the US, UK, and Scandinavia in 2022, plus Texas dates with Hayes Carll in 2023. Her sophomore album Valley of Heart's Delight arrived September 15, 2023, on Fluff & Gravy Records, again produced by Cahoone, exploring family, nature, and her lost California roots amid Northwest landscapes, with similar acclaim and headline tours.[1][2][5][6]

Her rustic Americana style blends classic country, folk, and The Band's influence, marked by deep narratives of rugged people, places, and the urban-rural divide, performed with affable joy. Now settled near the Columbia River in Goldendale, Washington, on a sheep ranch with husband Forrest VanTuyl—a songwriter and working cowboy—plus their dog and horses, Cilker continues as a powerful voice from the Pacific Northwest, having lived in Enterprise, Oregon, during COVID lockdowns where she wrote amid ranch work and local shows.[1][2][3][7]

Fun Facts

• Fifth-generation native of Santa Clara Valley, her album Valley of Heart's Delight mourns its transformation from orchards to Silicon Valley.
• Recorded her first EP in Bilbao, Spain, while skipping university classes as a student.
• Worked on a dairy farm in California in 2018 after European burnout, sparking songs for Pohorylle.
• Played in a Lucinda Williams tribute band in Spain's Basque country during her nomadic phase.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Sera Cahoone - Primary producer and key musical collaborator who shaped her debut and sophomore albums with lyric-focused, understated production (Pohorylle (2021), Valley of Heart's Delight (2023)) [2021-present]

Key Collaborators

• Sera Cahoone - Producer, drummer (Pohorylle, Valley of Heart's Delight) [2021-present]
• Jenny Conlee-Drizos - Keyboardist (piano, organ, accordion) (Pohorylle, Valley of Heart's Delight) [2021-present]
• Sarah Cilker - Sister providing harmonies (Valley of Heart's Delight) [2023]
• Ben Walden - Cover song contributor (sings, plays harmonica) ("Steelhead Trout" on Valley of Heart's Delight) [2023]
• Forrest VanTuyl - Husband, songwriter, working cowboy (Shared ranch life influencing themes) [Present]
• Caleb Klauder - Acclaimed Northwest traditionalist contributor (Valley of Heart's Delight) [2023]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #alternative-country, #country-folk