Bio & Press — Ali Dineen

“[What You Know] is one of my favorite songs of the past few years and has been a real balm to me. I think the chorus of it speaks to our moment perfectly. It's one of the rare songs that I listen to and think, 'God, I wish I'd thought of that.' ... If I'm alone on that island, I'd pick Ali Dineen because it would give me hope."

—Lin Manuel Miranda

Ali Dineen is a songwriter, visual artist and teacher born and raised in Queens. Ali has performed at the Museum of Art and Design, the Caramoor American Roots Music Festival, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Folk Festival, among other wonderful venues, and was awarded the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency in 2020. Ali is also the music director for local puppet troupe extraordinaire The Boxcutter Collective, arranges music and sings with Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir, and is part of a duet with the inimitable Feral Foster. Ali released a third album, Hold On, in 2020, and is currently working on a new piece about Joan of Arc.

Email ali.dineen@gmail.com for booking or other requests.

“Ali’s songs are serious, without any concessions to pop trends, but they are sung with compassion and joy, and I was stunned in rapt attention...She doesn’t follow the structure of resolution and build-up that chord progressions are “supposed” to have, but manages to draw expertly contoured phrases anyway. Joni Mitchell said once in an interview: “...Music is when you pull the chords from your inner core, whether they sound weird to people or not, and anyone adventurous is doing that.” Ali Dineen is adventurous. Her songs show that she is following a heart she has practiced listening to…I’m not sure I’ve seen a more compelling, creative, and impressive musician so steeped in the history of folk music culture, and so truly herself. Watching Ali perform felt like witnessing something absolutely timeless.”

—Elizabeth Varnado, “We Saw Music”

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, 2020

Bronx Botanic Gardens, 2020

Brooklyn Folk Festival, solo, 2020

American Folk Art Museum, solo, 2019

“The Amazing Story Machine” with Doppleskope Productions at The Tank Theater, 2018

Caramoor American Roots Music Festival, 2018

Savannah Music Festival, with Moira Smiley, 2018

Brooklyn Folk Festival, with The Crimson Ragdolls, 2018

The Museum of Art and Design, with sculptor Julianne Swartz, 2017

Washington Square Park Folk Festival, solo, 2017