About / EPK
Debra Griner’s passion for music began in her childhood home in Bergen County, New Jersey, where her father’s guitar and record collection filled the house with country, folk, and Broadway classics. She picked up the guitar at 12 and later found her greatest inspiration in Joni Mitchell, whose songs and chord voicings shaped her songwriting style.
Drawn to both music and theatre, Debra studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, performing in Off-Broadway productions and cabaret venues. Her work in educational theatre led her to teaching, but songwriting ultimately pulled her back, taking her to Nashville in 2022. There, she quickly connected with the songwriting community and worked with respected writers including Buddy Mondlock, Rory Bourke, and Grammy-winners Steve Leslie, Don Henry, and Jon Vezner, who appear on her latest project, A Place to Start.
Her music has been featured on WMOT’s Finally Friday, WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, and other outlets. Folk legend Tom Paxton once said of her work, “This is what a smile sounds like,” a sentiment echoed by Relix and Americana Highways, who praised her warm, distinctive voice.
Live Performance videos
Debra Griner • A Place To Start
Peers & Critics Comments
“A welcome voice, a careful and thoughtful writer. This is what a smile sounds like!”
– Tom Paxton
“Debra Griner’s lilting vocal dazzles musical watercolors (with)” the country-inflected voice of a calico angel. She digs into the past for her influences yet comes up musically fresh each time.”
– John Apice / Americana Songwriter
“With a keen, on-point voice, Griner’s songs remind us a touch of Nanci Griffith’s writing, generally uplifting but never unaware of the dark challenges we all face. A Place to Start is a diverse collection of high-calibre songs…that would sound just dandy within an Americana radio show.”
– Donald Teplyski / Fervor-Coolee Roots Music
“Debra brings a truthfulness and humility to her songwriting that is refreshing.
Her songs speak from the heart to the heart and offer a deeper healing after every listen.”
– Steve Leslie / Grammy-winning Songwriter
"At the end, we get the sounds of celebration, like we are at a hoedown.
Griner's music reflects the better side of humanity."
– Michael Doherty's Music Log
