While now recognized for his keenly observant lyrics, Kolmar spent a good part of his early musical life focusing on instrumental music as an electric guitarist in Rock and Jazz bands, or composing contemporary instrumental works while earning an MA in Music Composition from NYU. These experiences provided the foundation of the rich and varied tonal palette that helps distinguish Kolmar's contemporary folk songs. Since moving to Maine in 2002, he has been a regular performer around Portland and southern Maine, has been a 2nd and 3rd place winner in the Maine Songwriters Association song contest. His song So Said Life was one of the winning songs selected for Hope Rises II a compilation of songs of Social Change by Music to Life Foundation (co-founded by Noel Paul Stookey, the song also was Runner Up in the Best Group/Duo category of the 19th International Acoustic Music Awards. Doug's latest album, So Said Life, was released in 2022 and reached #34 on the FAI folk charts. It is available on Bandcamp, as well as all the streaming services - along with his 3 other solo albums. He also currently performs and records with Arcadia Band.