CHERYL RODEY "It takes less than a minute... to understand why singer/songwriter Cheryl Rodey’s been increasingly buzzed about in the Chicago music scene — to be exact, it takes about 40 seconds. That’s when the big, breathy hook of “Gone,” the kickoff track of Rodey’s debut solo effort, comes in and effectively announces that Rodey has the songwriting and harmonic chops to transcend the crowded scene.

Even in the stripped-down, self-produced format of Rodey’s inaugural six-song platter, simply titled “Cheryl Rodey: Acoustic EP,” musical influences both contemporary and classic shine through; the blues-tinged folk of Tracy Chapman (“Lettin’ You Go”), the emotional honesty of Sara Bareilles (“One Look at You”), and the trenchant lyricism of Cat Power (“Tasteless Fruit”) all come together to make Rodey’s additions to the canon both recognizable and unique.

By the time the EP reaches its homestretch, it’s clear that Rodey has built on her life’s favorite sounds to develop a memorable style of her own. The haunting “Rule Me” drops in a subtle curveball with Rodey adding flugelhorn work to counterpoint a wistfully wandering guitar pattern, and closer “A Lazy Day” opens sparsely but slowly and confidently builds in more instrumentation, eventually revealing itself as the EP’s most fleshed-out composition.

Rodey’s been busy throughout Illinois and the surrounding areas promoting “Acoustic EP” through gigs; she’s played popular venues such as Debonair Social Club, The Foundation Room at House of Blues, Hollywood Casino and Uncommon Ground.

Away from her solo work, Rodey branches out by providing lead vocals and occasional trumpet for Chicago rock band Hyperplane, veterans of the stage at venerable Chicago venues like Cubby Bear and Metro. In 2016, Rodey debuted as part of the melodic-folk trio of Allison, Bowman and Rodey at Chicago’s historic House of Blues.

While playing with her previous band, Ophelia Grey, Rodey opened up for big names like rock band Daughtry and Nickelodeon star Drake Bell in Illinois, Indiana and New York.

CARA DUNNING Cara Dunning is a local visual artist, singer and songwriter that continually blows away listeners with the beauty and power of a amazingly natural voice. Whether she's singing her own songs or someone else's they never fail to pluck the heart strings!