If Lake Street Dive had a soul baby with Jewel, and Brandi Carlisle occasionally babysat, you'd get close to the sound of Ingrid Avison. The Nederland-based singer-songwriter blends soul-pop sensibilities with Americana roots, and she’s bringing her deeply emotive and often playful music to Cortez for the first time.
Avison performs at the ZU Gallery on April 10, joined by her multi-instrumentalist bandmate and longtime friend Jeff, who she credits with helping her songs evolve far beyond their acoustic beginnings.
“He plays upright bass, trumpet, keys, electric guitar, acoustic guitar—sometimes all in one show,” Avison said. “When it’s just me and an acoustic guitar, it stays more in a folk-Americana lane. But when we team up, the songs take new shapes. It becomes a lot more fun—more soul-pop, but still grounded in those roots.”
Music isn’t Avison’s only calling. She also works as a therapist—and sees surprising similarities between holding space in a therapy session and performing live on stage.
“Both roles involve creating a container,” she explained. “As a therapist, you make space for someone to feel whatever they need to—grief, anger, even something silly. And on stage, I do the same through songs. When that kind of magic happens, time just disappears. It’s honestly the coolest thing I can think of.”
While this is her first performance in Cortez, Avison is no stranger to the region, having previously lived in Durango. As she expands her touring footprint into southern Colorado, she’s been surprised by the warmth of the communities she’s encountered.
“I had this fantasy that touring would be lonesome and hard,” she said. “But the towns I’ve never been to, where I don’t know anyone? Those have been the most magical.”
Avison brings what she lovingly calls her “tears to laughter pipeline” to every show—a mix of vulnerable ballads and cheeky crowd favorites. Her songwriting touches on everything from desert landscapes to reproductive health.
“One of my most popular songs is about how much I love my IUD,” she laughed. “But I also write about death, loss, the land, and all the emotional terrain in between. I like to take audiences on a journey and let them feel the full spectrum.”
That sense of connection and catharsis is something she hopes will resonate with Cortez listeners.
“At the end of the day, it’s about being human together,” she said.
Ingrid Avison performs at the ZU Gallery in Cortez on Wednesday, April 10 at 6pm.
For more information, visit zugallery.com or follow Ingrid Avison on Instagram at @ingridavison.
