Photo credit, Tony Nelson

Sawyer Fredericks, Americana singer-songwriter best known as winner of The Voice Season 8, will be performing a show at Open Chord in Knoxville, TN on Friday, October 24. Fredericks will be touring with his band, Jerome Goosman (dobro/electric guitar), Gannon Ferrell (bass/banjo guitar), and Chris Thomas (drums), in support of his independent full-length album, No Need to Wonder, a timely Folk Rock record that explores themes of home, environmental responsibility, and social change. Get tickets HERE.

2025 marks ten years since Fredericks won The Voice at age 16. Hailing from a farm in central New York, Sawyer began playing local farmer’s markets, open mics, and iconic New York venues at age 13. With his deep, beyond-his-years original lyrics and melodies, soulful vocals, and powerful live performances, Sawyer seemed an unlikely match for reality tv, but he charmed audiences to become the season 8 winner of NBC’s The Voice.

Fredericks has intentionally chosen an independent path rooted in authenticity, activism, and artistic freedom. After years of touring and a pandemic-induced pause, Sawyer chose to spend 2024 writing, recording, and building a community close to home. That time at home resulted in this personal collection of songs that express things he deeply cares about. Fredericks now returns to live performance to spread his message all over the country.

In April, Steve Barnes of Times Union profiled Fredericks from his home in Troy, NY, discussing how his life has changed over this decade and giving a glimpse into his daily life away from the spotlight. Read it HERE.

Fredericks’ new album was conceived as a literal “folk rock” album. No Need To Wonder is structured in two halves: the first grounded in acoustic folk and the second shifting into a blues-infused rock sound connected by the instrumental bridge “A Full Life.” The title track, “No Need To Wonder,” expands the concept of home to include our natural world and is one of several songs on the album that address Fredericks’ concerns for our planet.

“This song was written with the idea that people could sing it together,” Fredericks says. “But as it goes on, the lyrics get heavier—it sets the tone for everything that follows.”

To achieve the bluesy-rock half of the album, Fredericks taught himself to play acoustic bass and learned different vocal effects to better match the emotion of the messages he wanted to share with his songs.

“No Need to Wonder” reflects the ten years of maturity gained after being thrust into the national spotlight at age 16. “At one time, I would create a story and present it in the best way possible. Now I write songs from my experiences,” Fredericks shared.

Fredericks and his band will be performing songs from his decade-long career on this tour as well as songs from No Need To Wonder.