THE GUEST HOUSE Question: How long does it take to make the best album you’ve ever made? Sixteen months? Five Years? A lifetime? Answer: All of the above. “This year’s brought a lot of change... A birth, a death, two wedding rings... joy and sadness swinging on a swing.. .together forever Amen” (from I’m On Fire). Motherhood, five funerals, and legal marriage after 17 years together all made for great material for songs. Between touring folk festivals and raising her now 5 year-old daughter, Ellis recorded her ninth full-length album in two states; starting with Kevin Bowe in Minnesota & completing the record with Ben Wisch in New Jersey. Four songs feature string arrangements by Rob Mathes. The Guest House title was inspired by the Rumi poem of the same name. Like the poem, her songs cover the joys and pain of life and death, inviting them all in as guests with a hopeful spirit. ABOUT ELLIS A gifted songwriter and performer, Ellis is known for her stirring lyrics, open-hearted performances and contagious laughter. She got her start at coffee shops and now tours the folk circuit. She has been a repeat guest on A Prairie Home Companion. Ellis has won more than a dozen songwriting & performance awards and she has been teaching songwriting at the Rocky Mountain Song School for ten years. Her loyal fan base supports her with monthly contributions via Patreon.