She is primarily known for mixing American primitive guitar with various genres from throughout the United States and the rest of the world, and for her largely improvised compositions.
Anderson grew up in Sonoma, California, and after dropping out of college, travelled around the United States and Mexico for several years before settling in Portland.
[1] When she was young, she listened to church music and classical with her mother, and country – notably Doc Watson and the Oak Ridge Boys – with her father.
[3] In her teen and young adult years, she took lessons from fellow California guitarist Nina Gerber.
[3][8] She was a member of the country-folk band the Dolly Ranchers from 1997 through 2003, playing on both of their albums and at their four-sets-a-night gig at a cowboy bar in New Mexico.
[3][9] In 2014, she appeared as a guest musician on Sharon Van Etten's Are We There, playing guitar on its first track "Afraid of Nothing".
[17][18] Anderson had a cameo appearance alongside fellow Oregon musician Michael Hurley in the 2018 film Leave No Trace where they performed the songs "O My Stars" and "Dark Holler".
[22] Anderson has toured and played live with numerous artists, including her album collaborators Tashi Dorji,[23] William Tyler,[24] and Jim White,[25] as well as Yasmin Williams,[24] Giorgos Xylouris, Ed Kuepper,[25] Circuit des Yeux,[26] Emmylou Harris,[27] Godspeed You!
[35] On March 5, 2024, Anderson and White announced their second collaborative album, Swallowtail, and released its lead single "Bitterroot Vally Suite I: Water".
[38] She mixes in influences from various other genres such as gospel, country, Appalachian folk and blues,[39] jazz, circus music, minimalism, electronic, drone, and 20th century classical,[3] while also including global influences such as Tuareg and Latin music on Cloud Corner[40] and flamenco on Still, Here.