Princess June doesn’t fit neatly into the folk genre, and that sense of quiet independence feels distinctly Rhode Island. Formed and rooted in the Ocean State, the trio’s sound reflects the places that shaped it — salt air, back roads, old houses, and a music scene where artists know each other by name. Folk sits at the foundation of their work, but it’s shaped by 1970s songwriting, modern indie, and jazz influences that mirror the state’s blend of tradition and experimentation.

“It’s kind of hard to describe our music,” guitarist and songwriter Griffin Keeffe says. “We take folk in different directions than a lot of artists do, but we look to both classic and modern folk for inspiration. We try to blend sounds that feel older with sounds that feel fresh.”

That blend took its final shape at Stable Sound Studio in Portsmouth, where the band recorded their debut album — released on Thanksgiving Day — with Rhode Island producer and engineer Steve Rizzo.

A steady presence in the state’s music community, Rizzo brought a grounded, collaborative approach that allowed the band to slow down and lean into the emotional weight of their songs. Working with someone so deeply connected to the local scene helped the record feel personal rather than polished for polish’s sake.

Throughout the album, Rhode Island seeps into the songwriting. Songs like “Beyond the Fence” draw on coastal imagery and seasonal shifts familiar to New England — late autumn light, changing weather, and the quiet pull of home. Themes of nostalgia, spirituality, and Americana unfold through that lens, making the record feel less like a debut and more like a reflection of a place, a moment, and the community that helped bring it to life.

Chance — and a little bit of fate

The story of Princess June begins in Rhode Island, where Keeffe and vocalist Telli Quinn first met after the band Quinn performed in moved next door to Keeffe’s family home. Later, Keeffe left for Nashville to study songwriting at Belmont University, where he met Myah Strauser — Montana-born, a painter, a multi-instrumentalist, and now his partner.

The three eventually converged in Rhode Island after Keeffe and Strauser decided the pace of Nashville was no longer fulfilling. Looking to form a new project, Keeffe anticipated Quinn would be the right collaborator.

“I had a pretty strong feeling Quinn would be the person even before I asked her,” he says.

The first time they rehearsed together, the trio felt an immediate connection. “We realized, oh, this is something special,” Strauser recalls. “We felt this power I’ve never felt with any other group.”

The cinnamon roll, and the frosting

Each member contributes a distinct musical sensibility. Strauser describes the dynamic with a metaphor: “Princess June was originally just Keeffe and me. That version is like a cinnamon roll. Really good, but missing something. Quinn is the frosting.”

Quinn’s background in band performance and choral training brings a smooth, controlled vocal tone that complements the more raw textures of Keeffe and Strauser’s voices. Her voice often anchors the trio’s intricate three-part harmonies.

“Quinn’s voice feels like another instrument on the album,” Strauser says. “She has this presence that makes everything feel more whimsical.”

Keeffe contributes guitar work and songwriting, while Strauser brings arrangement ideas informed by synesthesia and visual art. She often incorporates environmental sounds — bird calls, family recordings, and atmospheric textures — to create what the band describes as “painterly” compositions.

Their live shows involve constant rotation of instruments, from piano to percussion to guitar, resulting in performances the group describes as playful, intimate, and theatrical.

The debut album

The album did not begin with a prescribed theme. Instead, it took shape gradually from songs written over several years and during different chapters of the band members’ lives.

As the track list came together, a shared focus emerged — not as a storyline, but as a set of questions. Many of the songs explore how ideas of belonging change over time, how distance can enhance perspective, and how personal beliefs evolve as people grow. The record moves between reflection and discovery, allowing meaning to surface naturally rather than forcing resolution.

“ ‘Beyond the Fence’ is about leaving home only to understand it better when you return,” Strauser explains. The closing track, “Heaven is a House,” extends that idea further, suggesting that home can be something carried — shaped by relationships, memory, and inner life, rather than a single place. Listeners often tell the band that the lyrics articulate feelings they hadn’t yet found words for.

“That’s so powerful,” Quinn says. “To have a song make you question your own beliefs—that’s art.”

Looking ahead

Following the release of their debut album, Princess June is closing out the year with a seasonal release: an original Christmas song titled “Picture Storybook,” which continues the band’s tradition of storyQuinnng through warmth, memory, and atmosphere.

Looking further ahead, Princess June’s goals include performing at the Newport Folk Festival, a landmark event for Keeffe and Quinn, who grew up attending. They have already taken a step toward that dream with an invitation to a Newport Folk Festival-hosted songwriting workshop this January.

Other desired stops include Club Passim in Boston, Levitate Festival, Big Sky in Montana, and venues in Canada.

Locally, they recently performed at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport, a venue the band had long hoped to play. A full album release show is planned for early 2026 following a short winter break.

A place that chose her

Though Strauser is originally from Montana, Rhode Island has become a place of unexpected familiarity. She was drawn to the state’s close-knit creative community and its sense of proximity — both geographically and emotionally.

“There’s such a strong sense of community here,” she says. “Everything is close. You can get to Boston or New York so easily.”

Later, she learned she has ancestral roots in Rhode Island, a discovery that gave the connection deeper meaning. “It felt like I’d been here before,” Strauser says. “Like it was in my blood.”

As they continue to grow, the band hopes to expand their audience while staying rooted in what brought them together: close harmonies, shared vision, and a commitment to storyQuinnng shaped by place and connection.