West End Junction is a folk-rock duo from St. Louis, MO, comprised of Cara Ristau (vocals, keyboard) and Dan Ristau (guitar). The pair met in 2014 in a south St. Louis apartment jam session through mutual friends. Unable to stay away from the music that brought them together, they created West End Junction in 2019. Their music, heavily influenced by folk, Americana, and indie country, has been described as “haunting” by Gesso Magazine and “ethereal” by Grateful Web. Lyricist Cara Ristau’s words often reflect themes around social justice and spiritualism with a particular focus on climate change. Known around St. Louis for their onstage chemistry, they play often at a variety of local venues including listening rooms, breweries, and farmer’s markets.

Their first full length album, Out Here in the Plains, will be released on April 9, 2023. A year in the making, the album tells the story of Dan and Cara’s journey’s throughout the Midwest and the political turmoil of current middle America. Dan and Cara, aided by producer Don Bailey, gathered a cast of the greatest musical talents in the St. Louis area to provide a colorful array of song styles and genres. Join them with a full band at The Focal Point on April 21 for a walk through the album, its stories, and a showcase of the incredible musical talent St. Louis has to offer.

Goldberry (composed of Sarah Freihaut, Amy Huff, and Erin Prinster) released their debut EP, Liminal Space in 2020 after writing and playing music together for almost ten years. They are inspired by artists like The Staves, Rachel Sermanni, and Jon Foreman.