Chicago singer-songwriter Heather Styka's songs are as fresh as they are rooted in the folk and Americana tradition, delivered by a warm and soulful voice. Also a poet and writer, Styka has an instinct for lyrics that are smart and unexpected but never cryptic, analyzing the importance of moments, places, and relationships. In addition to numerous songwriting awards, her 2011 release Lifeboats for Atlantis received critical praise, hitting #3 on the national FOLK-DJ charts. As "one of the more original of the many contemporary singer-songwriters touring the US" (Tom May, River City Folk), Styka stands at the forefront of her generation of songwriters.

When Styka began touring full-time in 2010 after graduating with a degree in creative writing, she was not a newcomer to music; she had been writing and performing for almost a decade in Chicago. Since then, Lifeboats for Atlantis has brought her to national attention, ending up on a number of radio DJs' "best of the year" lists, m