James Tutson, Jeni Grouws, & Annalibera in the round
ICSF 2026 will feature daily showcases at The Black Angel featuring songwriters ‘in the round.’ Three songwriters will take turns sharing songs and anecdotes with the audience. All Black Angel shows are free and open to the public, but get there early, since the venue fills up quick.
James Tutson
Iowa City’s James Tutson and his 5 siblings were the entirety of the church choir growing up. He was raised singing southern gospel every Sunday in a tiny chapel in front of a 10 person congregation. This heritage of soul music permeates his vocal stylings and anchors his songwriting even as he crafts his current work telling stories of the modern world and his life journey. He is known for emotive/”raw” vocal performances, tight musical arrangements, and resonant songwriting, which has been described as a “gift for exploring the intersection between joy and sorrow”. James’ career has taken him to local backyards, dive bars, theater stages, music festivals, and NBC’s The Voice. James was named one of the 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Iowa Fellows and has had the privilege of performing with great artists like Lake Street Dive, The Dip, The War and Treaty, Marc Broussard, Joanna Connor and more. He has recorded seven studio albums including his most recent “Fool For You”.
Jeni Grouws
Jeni Grouws is an American roots musician and songwriter, known for her powerful voice and deep connection with audiences. What began as a personal journey into songwriting evolved into a flourishing career, beginning with the 2008 release of her solo EP Scenic Route. Since then Jeni focused on writing for and performing with Avey Grouws Band, including two top ten Billboard Blues charting albums—The Devil May Care (#10) and Tell Tale Heart (#7).
Jeni’s songwriting has also gained recognition as well, winning top honors in the 2020 Unsigned Only Songwriting Competition and the 2021 International Songwriting Competition.
In September 2024, in an effort to expand her songwriting and solo performing, Jeni relocated to Omaha, Nebraska when awarded a songwriting residency at The Music House through the Catalyst Foundation, lead by Jeff Davis, founder of Playing With Fire. And after almost 10 years fronting Avey Grouws Band, Jeni is stepping into an exciting new solo chapter, with her debut album Music House slated for release September 4, 2026. With all songs penned by Jeni and recorded at Purple House in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer Casey Wasner (Keb’ Mo’, TajMo, Robben Ford), the album brings together Grouws, Wasner, Brian Allen, Mike Hicks, Johnny Duke and a list of exciting special guests, including Drew Smithers, Emmanuel Echem, Roy Agee, Evan Cobb, Matt Fuller, Nick Vasquez, Kyshona and Anne Harris.
Annalibera
Annalibera is the musical project of singer Anna Gebhardt. Blending pop, folk, chamber music, improvisation, field recordings, and experimental sound, she creates immersive musical worlds that explore inner and outer landscapes.