Tom May, musician and host of River City Folk: “Heather Styka is a fine chronicler of the vast American prairies, and the people who live on them.”

DJ Lilli Kuzma, of WDCB's Folk Festival: "Heather's songs capture moments, impressions, feelings, and thoughts, in a way that connects with the listener, a lyrical wave that can carry one to shore with a solid conclusion, or go way out onto the ocean, searching for an answer, insight, or direction."

Dave Humphreys/Two Way Street Coffee House: "Her entertaining songs share insight beyond her years... Lots more good stuff to come from this engaging new artist. Stay tuned."

Chicago songwriter Heather Styka might be young, but she has deep roots. Her melodies will follow you for days, but her songs also show depth through surprisingly insightful lyrics. Heather's tendency to seek out truth and meaning beneath the ordinary has drawn has created lyrics that are often likened to those of Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Ani DiFranco, and Josh Ritter. Delivered by a sweet voice full of raw emotion, her songs are heartbreaking in their relevance. She weaves her own tale as it connects with those around her, referencing city life while remembering her rural Midwestern ancestral roots. Heather Styka's songs convey the pain of ordinary people, illustrating the hope and strength that we must find to make sense of it all.

Growing up in Chicago's suburbs, Heather first got involved in music when her family bought a $125 piano at an auction down the street. She began taking lessons and playing Mozart and Chopin. Heather was raised on a diverse diet of church music, jazz, Talking Heads, Carole King, and whatever was on WXRT. While most of her contemporaries were drooling over Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, Heather was listening to classical, Celtic, blues, punk, and folk. At thirteen she started writing, and by fifteen she was playing solo gigs throughout Chicagoland.

Heather has come a long ways since then. Now living in Chicago, Heather is making a name for herself throughout the folk/rock scene. From Chicago's Uncommon Ground and Old Town School to the Two Way Street Coffee House, this young performer is astonishing people with her songwriting and voice. Her songs, like her performances, are difficult to forget.

Heather's most recent recording, the Golden Light EP, has received airplay from Alaska to Australia, California to her native Chicago. You may have heard her interview on Tom May's nationally syndicated program, River City Folk, or on podcasts such as Chicago Acoustic Underground. DJ Lilli Kuzma plays Heather's songs regularly on her show Folk Festival, on WDCB 90.9. Heather also hosts the open mic at the Fixx Coffee Bar on Sheffield, every Wednesday around 8:30.