“Review: 5 of the best local releases in 2016 " “Raising the Barn,” Coyote Willow (November, self-released): Katherine Hilst and Tim Coffey’s first album under the name Coyote Willow is both a statement of intent and a bold push into uncharted territory. The intricate acoustic guitar/cello interplay and challenging arrangements Hilst and Coffey are known for dominate about one-half of the record; the other half is dedicated to electric experiments that enhance, rather than dilute, the couple’s introspective writing."”

“Coyote Willow brings "a technically bracing mix of Celtic and folk influences they’ve alternately dubbed “progressive acoustic Americana” and “beautiful music with grit” .... The album [Raising the Barn] starts out deep in the duo’s wheelhouse with the instrumental title track, which adds violin from Bethany Willis, and the sublime “Grey Lady,” perhaps the best example of the duo’s knack for shifting arrangements, featuring mandolin from Bill Powers.... Without changing the fundamental DNA of what makes Coyote Willow, Hilst and Coffey have taken their sound to the next level — and left multiple musical doors open to explore at their whim in the future."”

“Coyote Willow has "a penchant for making the personal universal in their songs"”

"Sometimes, it seems like making (and listening to) music in the 21st century means navigating a sea of studio trickery. But the sound of great musicians expertly playing real instruments will always endure. The debut album from the popular local duo is aptly named; the acoustics and attention to detail that surrounds its creation at Lonely Grange Recorders in Sisters are as important as the bright plucks of Tim Coffey's guitar, the deep, gorgeous timbre of Kat Hilst's cello and the Celtic-flavored chamber-folk-pop they make when they're together."

“Coyote Willow, an artful duo made up of Tim Coffey and Kat Hilst, is an eclectic combination of rock, blues, folk and contemplative instrumentals based primarily around Coffey’s soulful baritone voice and acoustic guitar and Hilst’s powerful cello work. Musically and lyrically, their tunes range from rockabilly to the lyrically-moving folk style, as well as a smattering of instrumentals and even gypsy jazz.”

“The result is an album, “The Lonely Grange Sessions,” that draws out the natural warmth of Hilst & Coffey’s earthy folk, blues and Celtic music. Packed with his percussive acoustic guitar and the rich textures of her cello, the record courses with the chemistry that has made the duo one of the busiest bands in Bend over the past few years. ... And throughout, the intangible interaction between wood, strings, hands and well-placed microphones in an acoustically sublime environment is on full display.”

“After months of writing — both songs with vocals and instrumentals — Coffey began recording his new music with Joe Schulte at String Theory Music and Franchot Tone, a Bend-based producer. The result, “Strings Unbound,” is a collection of elegant, effortless folk songs about everyday life. Coffey's tunes are sometimes a bit jazzy and sometimes classically influenced, but always warm and inviting, like a well-worn, favorite chair. The album features performances from lots of Coffey's friends in the local music scene, most notably cellist Kat Hilst, who has since become his full-time partner in a live setting. The duo goes by the name Hilst & Coffey, and you can usually find them playing for the fine folks at local hangouts like Brother Jon's, Jackson's Corner and Velvet. Coffey was also approached by the Breedlove Guitar Co. to become a part of its stable of artists, an honor he calls “absolutely amazing.””

“Busy local singer-songwriter Tim Coffey and his partner in cello, Kat Hilst, will play with a whole bunch of folks Thursday to celebrate the release of Coffey’s album “Strings Unbound.” I spoke with the man about how he blossomed from a struggling lyricist and veteran of cover bands into a full-fledged singer-songwriter relatively late in life. “I always wanted to play my own music, (but) I could never write any lyrics that I didn’t think were stupid,” he said. Then, one day in the summer of 2009, it hit him while hiking on Broken Top. Words popped into his head. “I didn’t know if they were any good, but they didn’t sound stupid,” Coffey said. “For the first time, they didn’t sound stupid. So I wrote ‘em down and that turned out to be the song ‘Already There.’ And it just started snowballing. All of a sudden I started writing songs.””