Folk music. These two words tend to conjure up images of coffee shops, acoustic guitars, and songs in the round. But Michelle Lewis is a far cry from these kumbayah visions. Lewis’ music tells stories of love, loss, and relationships which puts her somewhere in the folk/singer-songwriter genre, but her personal style and sense of humor makes her a rare breed. Fashionable, funny, talented, and always willing to have a cocktail (or two), Lewis is definitely the type of woman you want for a friend. Michelle answers a few questions about music and shows us how she wears the Fit and Flare below:

A: As a teenager, I was very inspired by the folk singers of the 60’s and 70’s, and also the influx of female singer/songwriters of the late 90’s (Lilith Fair was my jam back in the day). That’s when I started learning guitar and writing songs, and realized it was the only thing I could imagine doing for a living.

Q: What does a typical day look like as a professional musician?

A: It varies a lot. If you asked me that question on June 13 I would have told you I woke up in South Dakota, drove 7 hours across the state of Wyoming and played two back-to-back gigs that night. If you had asked me on August 17 I’d say I did a photo shoot and then got drunk on a yacht while sailing under the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Both good days.

Q: What inspires you to write and create new music?

A: Anything worth laughing or crying about. So, cupcakes

Really, it’s my personal experiences or the struggles of people close to me that make me want to write. Sometimes ideas just come screaming at you and other times you have to really coax them out of their hiding place. It’s not always easy to know if something is a good idea or not. I try to write in a way that is honest and relatable, so people can think about their own stories when they are listening to my songs.

Q: We’re friends, so I know you always look so put together. How do you describe your personal style?

A: Fashion Folk – chic but simple. I tend to wear neutral basics (white, black, navy), but make them pop with a great shoe, a colorful scarf, or shiny jewelry. I love a good zipper.

Q: We can all agree Stevie Nicks really “gets it” when it comes to on-stage outfits. How do you pick what you’re going to wear on stage?

A: Whatever is clean. I live in a car.

I’m usually going for pretty with just a touch of rock and roll. These days that usually means a pair of dark skinny jeans, peep-toe booties, a silk tank and a light beige leather jacket I got in Italy. I have only so much room on my tour bus – a 2013 Honda Civic named Swervy Lu – so every item I bring has to be able to mix and match to make new outfits. LBDs are great to have on tour (wink wink!).

Follow Michelle on the road & listen to her music here. She also wants to be your friend, so head on over to Facebook.

Top photo courtesy Anthony Shea. All other photos courtesy of Nathan Laver.