NEWS

Salem songwriter on stage, Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Kristen Grainger

Salem singer/songwriter Kristen Grainger performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colo., Thursday. She was one of 10 finalists in the 2014 Telluride Troubadour competition, a contest aimed at emerging and independent performing songwriters.

All 10 finalists performed today. The top five will perform again Friday, then one will be selected winner and perform on Saturday.

According to her Facebook page, Grainger did not make the final five, but she feels great about her performance.

She will be performing a "tweener," a set between national acts, 1:45 p.m. Friday on the main stage.

Grainger is the songwriter and lead singer with local Americana/bluegrass fusion quartet True North. A couple months ago, her band released a new album featuring 13 songs, eight of which are originals written by Grainger.

When Grainger gets back from the Festival, she will return to her day job as the vice president and executive assistant to the president at Willamette University.