Biography

As the lead vocalist of the doom metal band Windhand, Dorthia Cottrell adds a mysterious, ethereal quality to the thick, distorted soundscapes of her bandmates, and as a solo artist she creates compelling, powerfully atmospheric music that's as quiet and introspective as her work with the band is thunderingly loud. Blending elements of folk and vintage country with spare, primarily acoustic arrangements on her 2015 self-titled solo debut, Cottrell's solo work takes her fascination with love, death, and the American south and presents it in a more subtle and dynamic context. 2023's Death Folk Country offers richer production with electric guitars and keyboards without overpowering the meditative tone of Cottrell's singing. Dorthia Cottrell was born in King George County, Virginia, a rural community of less than 5,000 residents, on March 11, 1986. Her home was filled with a variety of music -- her father played guitar and enjoyed classic rock while her grandmother favored classical music and played the piano. Cottrell also grew up listening to country, but by the time she was 13, she discovered heavy metal and was learning to play guitar. The few metal bands in King George County had no interest in a female guitarist, but when she relocated to Richmond, Virginia, she began searching online listings for musicians seeking bandmates. In 2008 she saw a post for a band influenced by Sleep, Kyuss, and High on Fire. Cottrell answered the ad and was introduced to Windhand, who had been rehearsing but hadn't begun playing out. Cottrell signed on as their lead singer, and after releasing a demo in 2010, they issued their self-titled debut album in 2012. Windhand were signed to the adventurous metal label Relapse Records for their second LP, 2013's Soma, and became rising stars in the doom metal community. Cottrell contributed vocals to a cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Our Mother the Mountain" for Songs of Townes Van Zandt, Vol. 2, a mostly acoustic collection of songs from the Texas songwriter performed by Nate Hall of U.S. Christmas, John Dyer Baizley of Baroness, and Mike Scheidt of YOB. In 2015, the same year Windhand released their third album, Grief's Infernal Flower, Cottrell issued her first solo project, simply called Dorthia Cottrell, a set of moody, low-key songs accompanied by acoustic and steel guitars. Windhand's recording and touring schedule kept Cottrell occupied for the next several years, but in 2023 she released her second solo effort. Death Folk Country was more elaborately produced and arranged than the debut, with the addition of electric guitars, bass guitar, and keyboards, but it maintained the spare dynamics and ominous undercurrents of her previous solo work. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi