S.R. Laws

I approach songwriting with a fiery passion, my heart into every word, melody, and chord progression. My inspiration comes from the incredible storytelling abilities of artists like John Hiatt, Rodney Crowell, Neil Finn, Chuck Prophet, and Ron Sexsmith. Their music has shaped my own artistic journey. Growing up in Northern California, I had a unique connection to music from an early age. My father worked as a trash collector, and I would spend hours sifting through bags of discarded 45 records. It was like stumbling upon hidden treasures. Some were covered in dirt and grime, while others were in pristine condition. The anticipation of discovering new sounds was exhilarating, and I couldn't wait to drop the needle and immerse myself in the music. Years later, I embarked on a pilgrimage to Texas with just two suitcases and $500 in my bank account. I wanted to immerse myself in the vibrant music scene and learn from fellow songwriters. Austin, known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," provided me with countless opportunities to grow as an artist. The open-mics and songwriters' nights became my training ground, and I soaked up every moment, listening to others share their stories through music. Now, residing in Sonoma County, California, I stay busy as a touring artist and singer-songwriter for my band, The Heartsleeves. I invite you to join me on this musical journey, as I share my songs one person at a time in this vast and unpredictable world we live in. I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest album, "A.M. Sessions." It's a collection of songs that I am incredibly proud of, crafted with the help of old friends and some new collaborators. I would love to tell you more about it sometime. You can grab a copy at one of my shows or find it online. Thank you for your support. - SR LISTEN UP! HOUSE CONCERTS How did all of This Start? Claire and I have been supporters of LIVE music ever since high school, but we’ve both often found the normal venues to be less than ideal for actually LISTENING to music. We were looking for a better way to experience music and provide musicians a place where they are actually HEARD. In 2017 I started a local Facebook group called Listen Up! House Concerts that is geared toward a few simple objectives. 1) Provide a forum for like-minded property owners who are interested in hosting house concerts. 2) Provide an avenue for music lovers who are looking for opportunities to attend house concerts. 3) Provide an avenue for musicians looking for a more intimate experience with smaller audiences who are actually there to listen! In addition to that Facebook group, we invested time, energy, and money into redoing the side yard at our house so that it could be a cool space for shows and we refer to it as The P-Court Patio. ​ The artists who have played so far have LOVED the experience. We've hosted Lo & Behold, Jimbo Scott, The Riverside, Kyle Williams, Hannah Jane Kile, Pat Hull, Mawd, Tom Freund, Berkley Hart, Savannah King, Sunday Iris, Samaria, Veronica May, Becca Jay, The Gnarly Pints and The Winterlings. We do these concerts completely out of our love and respect for those who have the gift of music and are willing to share it with the world. The shows are donation based (we typically suggest a $20/person minimum) and the bands typically end up with a respectable pot of gold at the end of the evening. We take NO $$ ourselves for hosting, it's truly out of love for music and a desire to connect musicians with a listening audience. Guests show up around 7:00 pm and stake out their seat...many will bring a blanket or a low-back chair if they have a favorite, but we also have seating available. Bring your favorite beverage...we have ice chests available (one marked for sharing, one marked for NOT SHARING...if you bring something special and want to enjoy it yourselves). ​ We look forward to having you join us at one of our shows. This is truly a unique and special way for artists and audiences to connect and we feel super fortunate to be able to be a part of the magic that happens!! I put together a photo album on Facebook that shows the evolution of the P-Court Patio https://tinyurl.com/P-CourtPatio (scroll down for today's view...the early ones are an ode to the evolution of the space over time) :)