Kimberleigh Rose, a Jim Thorpe singer-songwriter, will preview her in-the-works first album during a performance Sept. 14 at Wild Elder Wine & Cider Co., located on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.

During the afternoon show — also set to feature a duet set with friend Dee Dasher and a Dasher solo set — Rose will perform all 12 songs that she has fully written. The tracks will appear on Rose’s debut album, “By the Fire,” which she aims to release in early 2027.

The guitarist, who classifies her music as indie-folk with rock, jazz and blues influences, thus far has shared five demos with the public, “so other creatives and listeners can find me early on the journey.”

The demos — “Grey,” “Ain’t Up to Me,” “Float Away,” “Spirals” and “Let Go,” the latter the first song she wrote, in 2016 — will appear on the album in their fully realized versions.

Rose, who for the most part plans to self-produce the album, has demos for nine of the 12 songs ready to bring to the studio.

Starting young

Born in Abington, Rose recalled one of her first memories as a toddler: “my tiny Fisher Price piano on the floor. I was enamored by sounds right out the gates.”

Though no one else played instruments, “I was always surrounded by music, especially classic rock,” she said. “My mom always had 99.9 The Hawk on the radio, and I loved singing along.”

Rose, who moved to Jim Thorpe in 1996, knew she wanted to pursue music while in high school.

“I wanted to be a band director first, but realized I am meant to create and share songs. Music, both performing and listening, was a refuge for me during some dark and difficult times. If it weren’t for music, I would have been found shaking in the fetal position in a corner somewhere multiple times.”

Musical influences include Pink Floyd, Gillian Welch, Nick Drake and Vashti Bunyan, plus Ella Fitzgerald, Astrud Gilberto, Michael Kiwanuka, Hermanos Gutierrez and Eddie Vedder.

School inspiration

Growing up, Rose played trombone in school bands from elementary school through college. The singer, a 2011 Moravian College graduate, earned a bachelor’s degree in music, with an education concentration. Rose was required to pass a guitar proficiency exam to earn her degree.

Rose, who played trombone for 20-plus years in classical, big band and jazz settings, played in two ska/punk/reggae/rocksteady bands throughout her 20s.

In addition, she taught private music lessons for several years and had some training on choral and string techniques and orchestration.

After graduating from Moravian and busking with the guitar, Rose hopped into open mics in downtown Jim Thorpe and played covers. Initially, the musician thought songwriting “was something others did.”

Rose, who started playing her original songs “as soon as they came to me,” regards “the limited amount of time I have to make moves” as the biggest challenge in her music career.

“I work a day job I am grateful for, but music itself can easily be a full-time job. ‘Admin’ stuff takes up a large chunk of time and energy: navigating the industry, social media, paperwork, etc.”

performances

Rose, slated to perform Oct. 5 during the Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival, marvels at the number of area artists on a similar musical journey. They include Joshua Finsel, Jess Corbin and Dasher, the latter with whom Rose performed in the female acoustic trio That’s What She Said.

Recently, Rose gathered with fellow tunesmiths in the first two Songwriter Rounds held at Hairy Guys Brewing in Jim Thorpe. Six songwriters performed at each event and discussed the creative process.

Though her “memories with music are a fantastic blur,” Rose recalled some notable moments. One came about 15 years ago, when she sang jazz standard “Autumn Leaves” at an open mic in Bethlehem.

Having never considered herself a “real singer,” Rose “could feel myself cross a threshold as I started singing into the microphone.”

Her career: past and future

Another highlight came several years ago, when Rose performed “Let Go” at a full-moon campfire at Stonehedge Gardens in Tamaqua. An attendee expressed a desire for Rose to record the track.

“I had never considered recording songs before, but it planted a seed in me,” said Rose, who later for the first time played all of her songs — about 10 at that point — during an Allentown solo set in 2023.

When Rose thinks about the future, “the album comes to the forefront. These songs help others, as many others’ songs have helped me.”

Rose, upon releasing the album, would love to perform the songs live with a full band, collaborate with musicians who inspire her and, someday, play the Mauch Chunk Opera House.

“This is a lifetime journey,” she said. “More songs will come in time. Maybe a second album will come to fruition. More stages and adventures. There is no limit.”