Karen Wheelock was raised in Delavan, attended Beloit College and now resides in the Madison area.

Madison’s New Artist of the Year Wheelock burst into the local folk and americana scene in 2013, armed with a guitar and a ukulele. A Wisconsin farm girl from the small town of Delavan, Wheelock’s gentle heart and forthright nature are surprisingly disarming to even the most jaded audience.

Romantic at its core, Wheelock’s music has a sound all its own, but one could draw connections to A Fine Frenzy, Lisa Loeb, Cat Power with just a hint of the Moldy Peaches’ spirit. Hidden within her songwriting is a deep love for the Foo Fighters and other hard rock bands. Wheelock’s repertoire ranges from light-hearted ditties to deeply profound ballads; these are clearly the result of personal reflection, the stuff of all good art.

She recently won Madison Area Music Association (MAMA) Awards for Folk/Americana Album of the Year (Imaginary Girl) and Non-Genre New Artist of the Year. She has a music contract with Dartboard Records, and she released her debut EP, “Imaginary Girl,” in December 2014. You can hear her music at reverbnation.com/karenwheelock