Rita Bliss & Paul Kotheimer

Rita Bliss is an Austin-based songwriter and banjo player. Her writing is honest and endearing; brought to life with just a banjo and harmonica. Bliss will take you from Arizona to London and from heartbreak to elation with her lyrics, all while merging Old-Time melodies with Bluegrass moments. A New Yorker by birth and a Texan at heart, she sings with occasional omission of vowels and consistent Southern charm.

Rita Bliss is a folk musician from Rochester, New York and is now based in Austin, Texas. Though a Rust Belt native, Rita’s melodies are rooted in familiar old-time banjo sounds that evoke travels along the backroads of the South. Influenced by John Prine, Joni Mitchell, and Nanci Griffith, Rita’s songwriting weaves together timeless love stories with long drives, porch gatherings, and letters between loved ones. The love stories are unabashedly queer, the porch gatherings are sometimes rowdy, and the conversations often touch on true-to-life mental health challenges.

Her debut album, "Peaches and Apple Pies", was met with glowing reviews from Americana Highways, Bluegrass Today, and more.