At this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, six artists were paired up and tasked with a herculean feat: to create a fully realized song, from concept to fully produced recording, in just one day. The collaborative challenge was based on the popular web series SongCraft Presents, produced by Dubway Studios in New York City, and is presented in partnership with Acoustic Café, an independent syndicated radio network program.

In this edition, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Erin McKeown and cellist Ben Sollee wrote a song inspired by a story told by George Saunders in The New York Times, and aptly called “Know.”  With Sollee on cello/vocals and McKeown on guitar/vocals, their impressive, richly musical talents shine through with a little help from SongCraft producer, Ben Arthur:

About Erin McKeown:
Over the last decade, singer-songwriter Erin McKeown has spent an average of 200 nights onstage each year. She has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Later…with Jools Holland, NPR, BBC, and has had her music placed in numerous films, television shows, and commercials. She just released her seventh studio album, Manifestra. www.erinmckeown.com

About Ben Sollee:
Ben Sollee is an American cellist, singer-songwriter, and composer known for his innovative playing style, genre-bending songwriting, electrifying performances, political activism, and wide appeal. Sollee first gained major notice with his 2008 debut, Learning to Bend, which led NPR’s Morning Edition to call him one of the “Top Ten Great Unknown Artists” of the year. Later, All Things Considered called his debut “an inspired collection of acoustic, folk and jazz-flavored songs, filled with hope and the earnest belief that the world is good.” www.bensollee.com