Folk singer-songwriter Tomberlin (real name Sarah Beth Tomberlin)’s 2018 record At Weddings was one of the most assured debuts of the year. She’s a huge star on the rise, with a stunning voice and songwriting full of haunting detail.
Tomberlin made her late-night debut with a three-song set on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Tomberlin is an incredible performer — and while “Seventeen,” “I’m Not Scared,” and “Any Other Way” sound gorgeous on the record, they come alive onstage. Tomberlin sings with reverence, like she is honoring the ghosts of the people she used to be, serious but also seriously fierce.
A late-night television performance is a huge career milestone, and Tomberlin shared a post on Instagram celebrating just how huge it was in her small hometown.
When my family moved to Illinois I was 12. The 5,200 population town was very flat and bare, not like the hills of Kentucky where I grew up playing in the woods all day long. I was bored and wanted a job so I decided to walk into the local newspaper office that was a short walk from my house. I was told they had a paper route I could try out as long as I got permission from my parents. I got the job and kept it until I left for college at 16. I passed the route down to my little sister and she kept it for a few years too. It was my first job and one of my favorites. I made practically no money, but that little job meant a lot to me. In the rain, sun, and snow I would run each block to make sure the papers would be on the customer’s porch. Today my parents texted me this clip from the paper. Made me smile.
Watch Tomberlin’s performances on Kimmel above.
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