Somerville Songwriter Sessions

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (November): Derek Sensale

You've recently won the top Singer-Songwriter award in the New England Songwriting Competition (and been honored in other categories as well). Tell us about the winning songs! How do you decide what songs to enter into a contest?

I decided to enter some songs on a total whim. I see advertisements for song writing contests all the time; they're gimmicky, kind of bullshit (can I say that?) and frankly, those types of things go against the things I believe in about my art.

I saw this one, the New England Songwriting Competition and it just felt like it had more credibility being attached to a region and also it wasn't an instagram advertisement, it was just a post that a songwriter I really like (Rachel Sumner) posted on her band's instagram. She was a judge. So I decided I would give that a try with a full understanding that I would not win anything. Maybe I just wanted to force my music on some of the judges, I don't know.

I submitted five songs, some I chose because they are well received when I play them live and others I had to ask friends for advice. The song that actually won 1st in the singer-songwriter category, Violets, was a song I had the least faith in, but a friend of mine insisted I put that one into the mix. I was pretty shocked but it helped me see that song from a different perspective. I have extraordinarily low confidence in my songwriting at times, so it's nice that some folks thought it was noteworthy enough for a 1st place spot.

The other two songs that were honored were songs that I chose. When I first looked at the website on the day of the announcements, I saw that I had won a first place spot and was like "oh cool!" and then shut my phone for the rest of the day totally unaware that there was other recognition strewn about. Spinning the Wheels, is a wierd, apocalyptic, almost nonsense song that won 3rd place in the folk/americana category and then another song Colorful, was recognized with a "judges choice" award which gave me a free day recording with Jon Evans at Brick Hill Studio in Cape Cod which I still haven't managed to do. At any rate, this was a wonderful experience and confidence booster and the bottom line is that I am honored that these songs stood out enough to the folks running the competition. 

What's the singer-songwriter scene in Vermont like? Is there a music community where you live?  What are some of your favorite Vermont venues?

The singer-songwriter community in Vermont exists, they're out there, I just don't know very many of them. I long to be part of a little Vermont singer-songwriter community someday but I am quite the introvert and there are times when making connections feels impossible for me. I've made some great connections this year as I am playing out more frequently but it's a slow process. I'm learning to be a less awkward conversationalist so check back with me next year.

As far as Vermont venues, The Stone Church in Brattleboro feels like a second home. I've been lucky enough to play there, opening for some amazing artists like Sean Rowe, Ryan Montbleau and The Brothers Comatose. The sound people really treat you well and the patrons are really coming for the music so there's some real listening going on.

I'd be foolish to not mention Stage 33 in Bellows Falls. It's a tiny little listening room that feels like hanging out in your living room. I just recently did a gig at a bar named Midnight's in Brattleboro as well. I vowed to not play at any bars or breweries anymore but I agreed to do this show at Midnight's and was really apprehensive about it and I almost backed out if I'm being honest. But they have this whole separate room for music that is away from the loudness of the bar and it was so cozy in there and that venue has climbed the ranks. Other than that, give me a house concert any day of the week.

You're a bit of man of mystery on the internet: what's your music origin story? How did you come to be a songwriter, and who were your earliest influences?

To be clear. I am a bit of man of mystery on the internet because the self promotion it takes to be a musician is not something I am totally interested in and so I try my best to make my performances memorable in hopes that I can do less of that! 

My music origin story starts with Mark Hoppus’ seafoam green bass. I really wanted that as a kid. And so I went to a music store and my mom bought a bass guitar (not seafoam green) on layaway. I played that bass for many years until I realized I had some things I also wanted to say while I played.

So at one point I decided to borrow an acoustic guitar from a friend as a freshman in high school and taught myself some basic chords and started putting some words to them and writing  some pretty awful songs. At this time (long past the Mark Hoppus years) I was really only listening to artists like Elliot Smith and bands like Bright Eyes and Deathcab and I was trying my hardest to mimic that emotion. But I was young and didn’t have the emotional depth that I so badly wanted.

When I got into my college years, things changed a bit musically for me. I got really into the jam band scene but still was only interested in playing acoustic guitar so naturally fell into bands like Dispatch and went that route for a while. At some point in time, and I can’t remember when, I was introduced to Bob Dylan and the early, early folk scene and that all just rocked me and in some cyclical fashion I got back into the singer/songwriter world and found this artist named Ryan Adams who I really connected with emotionally while I was a college kid figuring out my place in the world. He’s an awful person today but at the time, his music meant a lot to me and that’s really where my love for storytelling through emotional connection derived from. There are probably 50 more early influences I have but I think that  is a roundabout way of how I got to where I am now. 

Derek be playing on Saturday, November 1st, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Dave Dersham and host Sam Bayer at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (November): Dave Dersham

You've played our series a couple times before. What have you been up to since the last time you graced our stage?

I'm working on another recording, probably an EP, entitled Farce, which discusses our current domestic political emergency.

You do an impressive job of integrating the personal and the political in your songwriting; how do you set about writing songs that have important political implications or undercurrents?

I listen to far too many podcasts, read the Atlantic, harvest a few phrases from shared FB posts, and re-read political philosophers such as Bertrand Russell, and Noam Chomsky.

You've spent a lot of time in the Pioneer Valley; what's the singer-songwriter scene like there? How has it changed over the time you've been there?

The scene is not as communal and talent-tiered as it used to be. In the mid / late 90s, 5-6 open mics existed -- in Northampton alone -- as well as several dive bars, and coffeehouses which developed solo folk performers as well and bands, ranging from regional to national, of all shapes and sizes.

Almost all of these spaces (The Calvin, Pearl Street Nightclub, the Basement, Hugo's, The Eleven's, The Bay State, Fire and Water) have morphed into boutique clothing joints or dispensaries, or have remained closed, due to a synthesis of COVID and a non-committed real-estate tycoon.

On the other hand, the Iron Horse finally reopened about a year ago, with a distinctly community-oriented vision -- perhaps more so than ever. The Parlor Room, a "feeder stage" to the Horse, has recently suffered somewhat from a lack of oversight; the Parlor Room Collective -- which now owns The Iron Horse -- has been entirely overwhelmed during this ambitious transition.

Of late the PR has improved. My sense is that it will continue to do so.

Dave be playing on Saturday, November 1st, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Derek Sensale and host Sam Bayer at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (October): Schuyler Kitchin

Your newest album has been described as covering your "experiences of loss, fear, and love." That covers a lot of ground! Is there a thru-line or anything else you want to tell us about the album as a collection?

Yes, that is a lot of ground! The focus of the album was my experiences of those things over the last ten years of my life (let's loosely call them my angsty twenties), which is still a lot to cover, but it helped give some thematic and chronological boundaries to the project.

I think the thru-line really is the slow way in which the album turns from the fear and loss to the experience of love. The middle of the album has songs covering fear of death, God, others, and self, but the turning point, "karamazov receives an onion," is about how love was present in my story all along, slowly drawing me out of fear. I still have fears, but I feel much more rooted in love at this point in my life. This album is essentially a memorial of thanks for the growth and grace given to me in that decade of my life; as I say in the opening track: "we've come a long way, but we've got a long way to go."

You have worked as a minister at the Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. How did that come about? What's it like ministering to a group of dedicated and talented young musicians?

I'm really grateful for the chance to walk alongside college students for the past five years. College can be an isolating, challenging, and heavy experience while also being very formative. To listen to students' stories and processings and offer words of hope and good news along the way is such a joy for me.

Having that happen at music schools has been a great fit for me as an artist myself, enabling common language, experience, and even collaboration on music! I feel especially invested in these students as I see some of the toxic effects of the music industry: the pressures of competition, the factory-like mindset of modern content creation, and the lack of rest in such an environment--things that I don't think fully serve the artistic process, let alone human flourishing.

How did you get your start in acoustic music? Who do you think of as your musical or songwriting influences?

During the lockdown, two friends left their guitars in my dorm at seminary, so I spent a lot of time playing along to various songs and fleshing out my basic skills. In 2021, I was given a guitar to help with music at my church, which coincided with a deeply painful season of my life that I wrestled with on my first album, "solstice," my start in songwriting. In that time period, music flowed out as a gift from God, helping me process the pain I was experiencing.

In terms of influences, key ones that peek out of my music are Simon & Garfunkel, Fleet Foxes, early Coldplay; two of my favorite artists who have formed me as a person and as a musician are Noah Gundersen and John Van Deusen. Schuyler be playing on Saturday, October 4th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Susan Levine and host Beth DeSombre at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (October): Susan Levine

You've played this series a number of times (we love your music!). What have you been up to musically since you last graced our stage?

Thank you!  I’m so excited to come back.  I love SSS!  Musically, in the past year I’ve mostly been gigging with my partner, Doug Kwartler, in our duo, The Lied To’s.  We’ve played some cool shows, including one this past summer at The Bitter End in New York City.

I’ve also written a lot of new material, some of which we’ve recorded (at Doug’s Hollow Body Studios in Chelmsford, MA). Doug & I have been contemplating going back to our solo roots and each doing a solo record, and then possibly another Lied To’s record. But it’s hard to know in these days of streaming whether making full records makes sense. It’s a challenging time to be an independent musician!

You've won a lot of songwriting awards. Recognizing, of course, that competing in songwriting is a strange thing, are there certain types of songs you're more likely to enter into a contest? Or observations you have about which of your songs have done well when competing?

Well, I’ve never actually ‘won’ a contest in the sense of coming in ‘first.’ But I’ve been lucky enough to be a finalist/runner-up in several (I joke, “Always a finalist, never a bride!”).  And yes, competing in songwriting is a strange thing. It’s incredibly subjective. I mean why do we respond to certain songs and not others? For me it’s visceral and emotional. 

For some people, it’s craft. Songs of mine that have done well tend to be ones that are a little more concrete - tunes with images or stories or even musical hooks that are more readily grasped right out of the gate.  But it depends. Sometimes I’ll enter a song and think it’s “the one,” but then crickets. I’ve also discovered that I don’t like contests where I have to perform – I get way too nervous. 

When I was in the Kerrville New Folk Competition, I was the first person to play on the very first day of the contest, which was bad enough.  But my first song was very finger-picky. My hands were shaking so badly that I could barely play. It was awful. So I guess one piece of advice: if you are entering a performing songwriting contest, make sure you are able to play the songs you submit – even when nervous!

Your "day job" is as a music therapist. What does that entail? Does it intersect with your songwriting life at all?

Music Therapy is the targeted application of music to work on non-musical goals.  I work with young children with developmental disabilities and their families. The actual work entails live music-making with the kiddos to address their developmental needs (e.g. communication, motor, cognitive, social-emotional – or all of the above).

Music is unique in that it has the capacity to work on all these areas, often all at once; it is a whole-brain, multi-sensory experience that can be targeted to each child’s needs and preferences. On top of that, it is inherently meaningful and relational. To the kids it feels like play, and to the families, their child is having fun, and doing stuff that any other child would do. 

Over the past 25 years, I have had the privilege to be with children and families in some of their hardest as well as their most joyful moments.  I have been with families when their child says their first word, takes their first steps, lifts their arm for the first time to strum the guitar or hit a drum. I also have been with families when they receive difficult diagnoses, when they are in crisis, when they are struggling personally or financially. 

So I think where it intersects with my songwriting is in the bearing witness to a range of human experience and emotion, that deep relational piece, emotional truth, connection, and empathy that you can only get from really being present with another human being. My songs can’t help but be informed and inspired by it all. Sometimes I do write directly from experiences I’ve had, but most often it’s the emotional elements that find their way in. I just hope that the songs do it all justice because obviously right now we need human connection and empathy more than ever.

Susan be playing on Saturday, October 4th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Schuyer Kitchin and host Beth DeSombre at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (September): Lindsay Foote

Your songwriting combines a variety of musical styles across the americana-influenced world; who were your earliest or strongest songwriting influences?

I have so many influences! I really am not a genre specific person, I just love good songs. In the folk-world, Joni Mitchell and Anais Mitchell have been big for me. For Americana- Sarah Jarosz and Rose Cousins. And then a whole smattering of rock, indie, and pop artists: Pinegrove, Sabrina Carpenter, and Role Model, to name a few!

You've spent time in Toronto and are now living in the Boston area; what brought you here? How do the music scenes of these two cities compare?

Yes! I actually grew up in Boston, and moved to Toronto for college, and ended up staying there for almost 10 years! Both cities have great music scenes, and there's actually a lot of overlap between the Canadian music scene and Boston musicians! It's tough to compare the two, but Toronto has a super active indie songwriter scene, and Boston I think can lean a little folkier (especially because of the strong bluegrass scene here).

Some of your songs have been used in television. Cool! How did that come about? Has that kind of placement earned you new fans?

Yes it's been super cool! My tv agent has a really strong connection with the soap-opera, "The Young and the Restless," so I get the opportunity to write a lot of music for the show. It's awesome. And yes, even though it seems no one my age watches that show, I have earned new fans from it! A couple actually came to my last show at Passim who had discovered my music on the show! 

Lindsay will be playing on Saturday, September 6th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Christine Bilé and host Rachel Marie at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (September): Christine Bilé

Your music appears to nod to many different musical traditions. Who are your biggest influences?

When it comes to my music, I pull from a lot of different traditions and influences. Some of those influences include pop, folk, rock, and R&B artists like John Mayer, Beyoncé, Tina Turner, and Paramore. Another big influence on my music has been choral music.

From elementary school through high school, I was in chorus and voice classes, and I loved exploring how different melodies, rhythms, and instruments could come together to make these beautiful harmonies. I’ve always kept that with me when I write my own music, and it definitely shapes the way I create songs now.

You're based in Pittsfield -- what's the singer-songwriter scene like in that area?

Pittsfield, Massachusetts, my hometown, is in the Berkshires, and there are a lot of singer-songwriters here. There are definitely some great venues that host open mics and give artists a chance to perform for the community and beyond. Some nights, you can catch multiple singer-songwriters, bands, and other performers all playing around the Berkshires. The area also hosts some really prestigious stages, like Tanglewood, The Colonial Theater, and more.

The songs you've released are so lushly and beautifully produced -- where and how did you record them? What is the arranging and recording process like?

I’ve recorded some songs at home and some in professional studios, like Clubhouse Studios in Rhinebeck, NY, Frank Kennedy’s studio in Hancock, NY, and my friend Rees Shad’s studio in the Berkshires. Arranging and recording is really fun and so fulfilling—it’s amazing to hear the sounds in your head come to life.

For my song The Guru, I started writing it on my iPad in GarageBand, just thinking about the chorus and a drum beat. In the studio, I was able to create the drum beat on a MIDI keyboard, drop vocals, guitar, and harmonies, and get production help from Rees Shad and Shubham Mondal, with bass recorded by Jeff Link.

Christine will be playing on Saturday, September 6th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Lindsay Foote and host Rachel Marie at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (June): David Thorne Scott

You're no stranger to the Armory Cafe stage, hosting the twice monthly Songwriters in the Round series. What's your favorite part about hosting songwriter shows?

My favorite part of hosting shows at the Armory is to see people in the audience interact with each other and with the performers. Some fantastic conversations happen every single night, and people make friends. You can't get that on social media.

Your music has hints of many genres; what have your biggest musical influences been?

My biggest musical influences are jazz singers. Bobby McFerrin, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Carmen McRae, and so many others. These singers manipulate melody and prosody to make even familiar songs fresh.

Rumor has it you're writing a new musical about economist John Maynard Keynes. Tell us more! How did you come to be writing a) a musical, and b) on this topic? Do you have plans for staging it? Are we going to get to hear a song from it at the Somerville Songwriter Sessions performance?

My original compositions have always had a strong storytelling element. It's just how I express myself. It was a big leap from individual "story songs" to an entire musical story lasting over two hours, but I was casting around for a challenge that would engage all my skills and passions. I'm planning a staged reading for this fall. I will probably throw a song from the musical into the Somerville Songwriter Sessions performance - for variety, if nothing else!

David be playing on Saturday, June 7th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Rupert Wates and host Sam Bayer at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (June): Rupert Wates

You were born and raised in the UK and began your music career there. What prompted your move to the U.S.? How do the acoustic music scenes in the two countries compare?

I left England in 2000, and went first to Paris, France, then to America in 2006. Initially my leaving the UK was simply to get away - I was making no progress there - and I chose Paris as a destination because it's a city I've always loved; but after some years it became clear to me that I was just stagnating there. By that time I'd met my soon-to-be wife, Stacey, who is from Colorado. We agreed that America held out the promise of a better life for us both and that the opportunities which we were both looking for were most likely to be found there. So we came to the US, first to Seattle and then to New York.

In the years since, America has lived up to its promise. There are many more opportunities for musicians here than in England, and not just because America is so much bigger. People in America generally respect and support hard work in any field - whereas the English tend to be cynical about it, and suspicious of success. In England, too there is the class barrier which predisposes audiences either for or against you, and I find this barrier doesn't exist in America. I have been welcomed into the folk community in America in a way I would never have been in the UK. 

Lots of other folks have covered your songs. Are there any songs most frequently covered? Any cover versions of your songs you're most excited about?

My good friend and fellow singer-songwriter Kray Van Kirk has recorded my song 'Days Of Mercy' and he includes it at most, if not all, of his live sets. He is a very accomplished singer and player and his version of the song gives me a lot of pleasure. At my own shows, this song also happens to be the one that audiences who know my writing inevitably want to hear more than any other.

You have received an astonishing number of songwriting and performing awards. Congratulations! What have you learned about what types are the most promising ones to play for or enter in contests? Is there any honor you're especially proud of?

Actually, the greatest honor I've ever received was not an award. Three years ago a man in Lawrence, Kansas, was recovering from treatment for Leukemia, and it wasn't sure that he would survive. He was in the hospital, severely debilitated and struggling to regain the will to live. Some days he would listen to local radio; and one day the station happened to play one of my songs (called 'The Dance Of Joy'). The man told me that on hearing that particular song he made up his mind that he would survive.

Some weeks later, after he'd returned home, he contacted me via Facebook and invited me to play a private house show for himself and his wife. It was then that he told me the story, giving me to understand that I, through my music, had saved his life. I feel I can claim only part of the credit: it was music itself that performed the miracle, and the man heard something in my music that even I didn't know was there. Even so there is surely no higher reward or accolade for a songwriter, or for anyone. 

Rupert will be playing on Saturday, June 7th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with David Thorne Scott and host Sam Bayer at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (May): Dennis Brennan

You've been active in the greater Boston music scene for decades. What has changed over that time? What's your favorite aspect of the music scene in this area?

Regarding "The Scene" itself? As far as the musicians go I would say it is basically healthy, although it takes a lot more DIY these days. And that is something I value. There are no record companies to speak of left and I actually think that is ultimately a good thing. They were/are essentially clueless anyway so better to find your own way then to rely on them for anything other than distribution, and they can screw that up too!

One of the shining lights is Rick Berlin. Rocking hard and celebrating his 80th birthday. Still vital, prolific and in our faces in the best way possible.

You often perform with a bands. Tell us a bit about your current band. What do you do differently when performing solo?

I play in 3 different bands.

Every Monday I play with The White Owls. A blues band that succeeds in keeping it real. To me this music is about (as Charlie Parker reportedly said) "the stories". Lyric driven. Not many, if any, endless/pointless harmonica or guitar solos. And playing to people's hips. Making them shake em'!

I also work with a new band called The TrueVines. New material in a Garage Rock vein. Is Garage Rock a genre ? I hope not. It would be just another another thing fans could argue about. Hmmm...maybe that's a good thing? Our EP release party is Friday, May 9th at The Lizard Lounge. Don't miss that!

And I still play with The Dennis Brennan Band when the stars align. We played together every week for almost 30 years and each time we play it's still an adventure. 

And solo, like this show at The Armory on Saturday May 3rd. That's really going to be an adventure. You never know what's going to happen when I'm up there all alone.

Your songwriting combines a variety of styles: who are your songwriting heroes and influences?

I love and admire:

Cole Porter, Arthur Alexander, Harlan Howard, Lorenz Hart. Carol King , Andy Partridge, Iris DeMent, Merle Haggard, Johnny Mercer, David Champagne...I could go on and on.

Dennis will be playing on Saturday, May 3rd, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Kemp and host Terry Kitchen at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (April): Alice Di Micele

You're based on the West Coast; what is the singer-songwriter scene like where you live and mostly tour? Are there parts of the country you particularly enjoy playing music in?

I live in Southern Oregon where there is a lively and vibrant music scene. I was running a showcase for songwriters that was sweet and intimate. I wanted to create a safe listening space for folks to workshop their new songs or hone performance skills. I would love to continue that but I’m touring a lot right now and also in the middle of making a new record, so I had to take a break from it this last year.

There are some singer songwriters around and also lots of other styles of music. I have a side rock and roll project at home called “Petty Thievery,” we do all Tom Petty, all the time. It’s a super fun band but we only play about once a month when I’m not touring. Since it’s a small area and I don’t want to play my original music at noisy wineries and bars to make a living, I do more touring than anything mostly on the west coast and I absolutely love the San Juan Islands in Washington and the Northern California Coast.  

I used to travel to the midwest often and just did a tour back that way in the fall. I have some great friends and fans in Wisconsin and Minnesota particularly so it’s always special to go back that way. I’m looking forward to this Northeast run of shows as I haven’t been back that way in many years. 

Connection to the environment is an important part of your identity. How does that connect to your songwriting (or vice versa)?

I like to say my music has roots in the natural world. I’m an outdoorsy kind of gal and have always felt an affinity with nature and all things wild. I spent time as a raft guide on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River in the 2000’s when I needed a break from the road. Nature is a muse for me for sure. I enjoy swimming, kayaking, rafting, paddle boarding, and hiking and these are the things that keep me grounded along with my yoga practice. Nature finds it’s way into my lyrics and imagery more often than not.

You've been a singer-songwriter for a long time. How has your music, or your experience as a touring singer-songwriter, changed over that period?

I started writing songs as a very little kid. I was always singing little melodies and it felt like the world was singing to me so I would just sing back. When I first started playing guitar and writing  songs with my instrument when I was in high school I would write constantly. I feel like I had to write a lot of songs for practice back then. I’ve written so many songs that no-one will ever hear, just because I needed to write them for myself.

After so many years of writing, one thing that has shifted is that I write less often, but I do feel like when I’m inspired and want to write about something it takes less tries to get to the heart of what I’m trying to express. My music is all about expressing emotion for the collective. It’s not just for myself though once in a while I still write songs just for me or for a specific person. It feels like my work in the world is to express these collective feelings to give folks a safe place to really feel and transform. We humans go through so many different things in our lifetimes from joy to grief and everything in between.

The other side of my work is encouraging compassion and empathy. I know that’s a bit of a buzz word right now, but for me those things are what will make it possible to create a better world for all of us. I have a 3 year old granddaughter and I sure would like most of her life to be in a culture that is far more loving and compassionate. However small my contribution to this end might be, I’m committed to it wholeheartedly.

Alice will be playing on Saturday, April 5th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Phil Henry and host Beth DeSombre at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

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Interview with upcoming artist (April): Phil Henry

You write a lot of songs that aren't obviously about you. Can you give us an example of such a song and tell us a bit about your writing process? How do you come up with the subject and where do you go from there?

I do write most of my songs from different characters' perspectives. The subjects are varied: a bank robber, a coal miner, an aging wrestler, the thief of the Mona Lisa in 1911, the accused woman in a Vermont witch trial. Usually it starts with a kernel of an idea of a story, whether it's a true story, or a flash of a character or situation. Very quickly, I'll try to find the emotion in the story as my way in. A good example of this is a historical subject, Phineas Gage, who survived an accident on the railroad in the 1800s. The angle I found was to tell the story from the point of view of Phineas' mother, to find emotion and humor, rather than just regurgitate historical fact.

You've collaborated on some excellent songs (most frequently with Aaron Nathans). What is the co-writing process like for you, and how does it differ from writing solo?

I have not done a whole lot of co-writes, and only with a small handful of other people, including Philadelphia area songwriter Aaron Nathans, and a former student of mine, Nick Grandchamp. I almost can't outline the process, because it seems to be different every time, and different considering which co-writer is involved. Mostly, this has been done in different places, sending lyrics and musical ideas over email, even when the other writer is in the same town. I find it intimidating to offer ideas face-to-face! Collaboration involves a certain amount of "yes, and," which is borrowed from the process of improv comedy. I think that attitude helps my own solo writing, too, to be less critical of initial ideas, and to let them develop more freely.

What are you currently working on musically? Has your songwriting or producing evolved over time? 

I'm working on a new album of songs now, and collecting up a new batch of songs and trying to find ones that work together. I used to be much more inconsistent in my writing, letting long weeks and months go in between new songs. And then I'd produce lots of songs together during February Album Writing Month and then develop them the rest of the year. Recently, though, I started a songwriter group in my town, which involves monthly song prompts and a get-together to critique each other's work. I've been finding this is helpful for more consistent output, having something new every month.

Phil will be playing on Saturday, April 5th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Alice Di Micele and host Beth DeSombre at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (March): Sarah Grella

You studied classical voice but then hit the road as a folk singer; how did that transition come about? What did you learn in the process?

I’ve always loved the technical side of classical singing—the discipline, the breath control, etc —but I found myself craving a more personal connection with music. Folk felt like home to me because it allows for raw emotion, imperfections, and real human stories. After I graduated, I decided to take a break from classical music and on a whim answered an ad for a folk band looking for a singer. Hitting the road with them taught me resilience, adaptability, and the impact of connecting with an audience in intimate settings. You learn quickly how to hold a room with just your voice and a guitar, and that’s a powerful thing.

You're now a solo performer and solo-writer. What do you like about solo performing? What do you miss about being in a band?

I appreciate the freedom of solo performing. There’s something deeply personal about standing alone with your songs; there’s nowhere to hide, and that vulnerability makes the connection with the audience even stronger. When I'm performing songs I wrote by myself it feels like I'm sharing a real part of me.

That said, I do miss the camaraderie of a band. There’s something really special about locking into a groove with other musicians, feeding off each other’s energy, and building something bigger than yourself. It’s a different kind of magic. But at the end of the day, whether solo or with a band, it’s all about telling stories that resonate.

Tell us a bit about your solo album: is there a theme or thru-line? What inspired the songs on it?

This album came out of the breakup of my band—it was a huge loss, and writing these songs was my way of processing that grief. It was more than just the end of a musical project; it felt like losing a family, a way of life, and a version of myself I had grown into over the years.

The songs explore that heartbreak, the uncertainty that followed, and ultimately, the lessons and growth that came from it.There’s a thru-line of letting go, finding independence, and learning to stand on my own. Some songs are raw and reflective, while others have a kind of defiant energy—almost like reclaiming my voice. Musically, I kept the production intimate and honest, because this record is really about stripping things down to the core. In a way, it’s a farewell to what was, but also a step into what’s next.

Sarah will be playing on Saturday, March 1, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Kelvyn Koning and host Rachel Marie at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (March): Kelvyn Koning

Much of your composing and performing involves choirs. What's it like performing as a solo songwriter? What should we expect?

I love getting to write for choirs and as a solo songwriter. I actually started writing songs for myself to sing and play in high school, and was pursuing that route well into my undergrad at Calvin University. I started arranging some music for choir in undergrad because I was very involved with the choral program at my school, and then after that I REALLY dove deep into the choral composing end of things. It's nice to get to come back to my singer-songwriter roots every now and then, and there's definitely lots of genres influencing my work. You can expect to hear a mix of styles in my "boy soprano" voice, but definitely lots of stuff about love, queerness, and faith/religion.

You also play a musical role in a church; does that influence the type of music you write or perform?

I've been involved in church music my whole life. Church is the place I first fell in love with music and experienced the power of singing together, the delight of harmony, and my interest in piano and voice. I am currently the Music Minister at St. Paul's in Natick, which has been a huge support and inspiration to me in my musical endeavors. My faith and how it interacts with my queerness shines through in a lot of my writing, and I love all the styles that can happen in church - folk, gospel, spirituals, classical, contemporary, pop/rock, etc. This definitely comes through in my writing, especially in my album, The Veil is Torn, which is a setting of what I believe to be inclusive and loving scriptures, reclaiming queerness as sacred.

Tell us a bit about your composition for musicals -- how do you conceptualize a musical? What led you to write in that form?

I moved to Boston from my home state of Michigan to attend Boston Conservatory mostly in order to pursue composing musicals. I had been told numerous times that the music I wrote sounded like musical theatre, and I think this is because of the blending of all the genres I like, including musical theatre, and because I love stories. I wanted to see more queerness, more fantasy/sci-fi, and more classically-informed contemporary musicals, and so I figured I should write them! The full-length (adult) musicals I've written have been with collaborators, and so the conceptualizing has been a tag-team situation, usually originating with and led either by myself or one of my writing partners. I've also written several shows for (and often with) the theatre kids I work with. This usually starts with a theme or setting and then develops as the kids imagine their characters and stories, which myself and sometimes another adult then turn into a cohesive story with songs. The music always reflects and adds to the story and the lyrics for me, and each part of the story is working towards the main "thesis" that the musical is trying to communicate.

Kelvin will be playing on Saturday, March 1, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Sarah Grella and host Rachel Marie at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (February): Bailey Harris

You're from LA and currently in Boston; how do the singer-songwriter music scenes differ in those two cities?

It's been a while since I've been part of the scene out in LA but when I was there, there were a lot of "pay to play" spots especially in West Hollywood where I was gigging. It definitely forces you to become your own manager, promoter, and marketer in order to get people to buy tickets so you can make up that venue cost. I think Boston has more spots where music programming is built into their budget which is really nice!

You've also been a teacher of music. What do you enjoy about that? Does your teaching influence your songwriting? (Does your songwriting influence your teaching?)

I love teaching the next generation, especially when a student is passionate or even shows the slightest interest in a concept. My songwriting has definitely influenced my teaching style with piano. I focus a lot more on "practical piano" than just sight reading (also a great skill to have). I have a few students who have started writing their own compositions because they have the tools and theory to know how to build chord progressions and understand harmony. It's really exciting to see!

You're currently involved in music management. How did you get into that? What have you learned about being a singer-songwriter from working on that end of the business (or vice-versa)?

I got involved with music booking because I had been in the Boston music scene long enough and a venue manager that I was friends with needed help finding bands. It definitely fell into my lap but I started really loving it. I feel like being a performer myself has helped me develop a bridge between the "venue side" and the "artist side". I'm able to build on my relationships with other artists and help negotiate for both sides. I'm still learning a lot but it's all about finding a happy marriage between art and business.

Bailey will be playing on Saturday, February 1, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Talia Rose and host Jack Byrne at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (February): Talia Rose

Your guitar work is intricate and compelling -- how did you learn to play, and how did you develop your style?

Thanks! I started taking lessons when I was ten, and after a year or so got really into modern fingerstyle guitar – people like Thomas Leeb, Andy McKee, and Michael Hedges. That was my first big obsession within the world of music – I would watch their videos on YouTube and do my best to copy the techniques. This style had me playing in a lot of open tunings, using extended techniques, and developing the ability to play solo. Later, I started taking lessons with a Jazz teacher and getting more into ensemble playing. This new turn developed my sense of rhythm and time feel, and emphasized the importance of strong melody writing. I got really into Jazz composition in college, and was only writing and playing Jazz for a while. Part way through college, I started writing songs with lyrics, which eventually brought me back to many of the same fingerstyle guitar techniques I’d learned way back when! Revisiting this style nearly ten years later with a broader musical foundation from studying Jazz, it was a totally different ballgame. 

Your songwriting seems to span jazz and folk-y genres; what songwriters do you consider role-models or influences?

My first big songwriting influence came years before I wrote songs with lyrics. When I first heard Jon Gomm play, I was totally obsessed. I’d never seen anyone incorporate vocals into fingerstyle guitar playing before. At that stage – I think I was about fifteen – I’d only written instrumental guitar pieces, and wouldn’t be writing lyrics for another five years. But the seed was planted! 

For the most part, my biggest influences are my peers. Back in college, I used to go to the 55 Bar to hear my classmate Mark McIntyre play. He was a few years older, and had started writing songs and singing, and he had his own band. I thought, hm, maybe I could do that! 

I don’t have a ton of strictly Jazz or strictly folk songwriter influences. My music often comes out sounding folk-adjacent because fingerstyle guitar takes a lot of influence and inspiration from folk music. I didn’t really start listening to folk until a few years ago, when I moved back to Boston and was surrounded by incredible people in that scene. Growing up, I listened to bands my uncle showed me – Bombay Bicycle Club, Frou Frou, and Prefab Sprout to name a few. Listening to those bands now, I can see how elements of their music have crept into my own. When you listen to music as a kid, you’re like a sponge.

You also teach: what's your approach for teaching music? What do you enjoy most about teaching?

My common thread across all my students is just doing my best to listen. Everybody comes in with their own musical interests, their own reasons for learning guitar, and their own hurdles. Everybody’s going to need a slightly different approach. Sometimes it’s a thirteen-year-old boy who needs to play Radiohead – loudly. Sometimes it’s a mother of three who’s finally doing something for herself, and coming back to the guitar for the first time in twenty years. Sometimes it’s a six year old who’s just starting to learn how to sit still and focus on one thing for ten minutes at a time. I love teaching because I love all of these people. I never know what I’m gonna get when someone new walks into my studio, but I do know that I’ll always see parts of myself in my students.

Talia will be playing on Saturday, February 1, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Bailey Harris and host Jack Byrne at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (December): Brian Theoret

You have soon-to-be-out album, Early Morning Firefly. Tell us a bit about it, please! 

Early Morning Firefly is a culmination of songs and stories, some fictional, and some autobiographical in nature, many of which have grown and matured over the last nine years since my debut album Chasing Daylight in 2015.  It's my first full length album since then and is slated to be released in early 2025.  

I find solace and beauty in nature and draw much inspiration from the world around me.  The title track is full of imagery, introspection, hope, renewal, and growth, and reflects on the topics of inner doubt and finding one's voice in the dark.  These themes are interspersed throughout the album along with tales of struggle, redemption, sinking into literal and emotional depths in “Into the Grain”, authenticity and living in the moment in “Fishing for Carpe Diem”, and finding purpose and courage, and trusting in the unseen.

I’m incredibly excited and proud of this album, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.

You've studied songwriting with a number of folk luminaries. What are a few things you've taken away from those experiences? 

I have been truly blessed to have attended the New England Songwriter’s Retreat year after year, which is put on by Ellis Paul.  I’ve been lucky to study and learn from some of today’s great folk songwriters including Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, Tracy Grammar, Antje Duvekot, Sam Baker, Abbie Gardner, Molly Venter, Steve Poltz, Dan Bern, and Seth Glier, just to name a few.

It has influenced and shaped the songwriter that I am today.  One concept that has stuck with me is the idea of the snow globe, as taught by Ellis Paul.  The idea is to imagine your song as a snow globe and your goal is to get the listener inside this metaphorical snow globe, which is a tiny world where every detail of the song is chosen to immerse the listener in the little scene you’ve created.  You focus on the sensory details of the story that transport the listener into that world.  This concept has made a big impact on my writing and has given me the tools needed to create storylines and paint pictures with my words.  

Alongside songwriting, another key takeaway was from a class taught by Vance Gilbert on performance.  He was able to take that moment between when your name is announced as the next performer, to the moment you begin strumming your first chord, which is about 15 to 20 seconds, breaking it down into a 30 minute presentation that blew everyone’s mind in the class.  He’s a wizard and since then I’ve learned how to plug my guitar in without looking (which is something you don’t really think about) and I’ll always be looking for ways to get rid of all the erroneous “ands” and “buts” in my songwriting thanks to him.

You have your own studio and record for others (as well as yourself). What have you learned about music from being on the engineering/producing side? 

The name of my studio, “Dirty Paws Studio”, is a tribute to my late dog, Ella, who was a beloved member of our family, and a constant presence in our lives and in the studio.

Regardless of whatever side of the microphone I’m on, in that moment when I hit record, there’s a very special feeling I get that’s a combination of adrenaline, vulnerability, and fear.  I get a natural high from it.  I’m sure I’m not alone in having that feeling of unbridled joy when I’ve recorded the perfect take.

Being on the engineering/producing side has really deepened my understanding of the creative and technical aspects of music.  It’s very important for me to create a space that allows for the emotional connection to the music.  You must have the mindset of a songwriter because you are responsible for capturing the audio vision the songwriter has in their mind.  You have to think like a songwriter and anticipate what they are thinking.  I help the artist’s intentions shine through their music.  I’m lucky in that I get to capture these timeless moments that continue to live on forever every time you hit play.

My songwriting influences how I record and produce music, and my producing and recording of music influences how I write.  They both take up equal space in my mind at any given time.

Brian will be playing on Saturday, December 7th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Nick Carter and host Rachel Marie at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)

[somervillesongwriters]

Interview with upcoming artist (December): Nick Carter

You have a new album -- Carved in the Bark. Can you tell us a bit about the album? (And especially where the excellent name comes from!)

I chose the title “carved in the bark “ as a way to say “we were here”— a very loose reference to  ancient carvings in the natural world that prove that others were here before us.   In the album liner notes I wrote a thank you note to everyone who played some role in my journey creating this album. I end it, by saying “ I’ve called this collection of songs “Carved in The Bark”, which is to say we were here. Inviting listeners to “just follow the tracks.”    

All the songs were recorded in a live room, recorded in real time; my microphone would pick up the sounds of the other musicians and singers in the room,  and their microphones would pick up my voice and instrument too.  My producer, Seth Glier and  I wanted the songs to feel live and warm, we believed the sound would be better with everyone together in the room, than if musicians has recorded remotely or met in studio separately with overdubbing or use of isolation booths.

You address social and environmental issues in your songwriting, something that is hard to do well. What's your approach to taking on topical issues?

Well, first of all, the less artful part of this process was researching the different subjects that I wanted to write about.  Regarding climate change, the song “We Saw It Coming” is drawn on a true story about out-of -season tornadoes that ripped up the Mississippi Valley, and killed scores of people. And “Standjng By The Fire” came about after I’d studied numerous opinion pieces and essays about the threats to our democracy and the hypocritical and illogical decision-making by our leaders regarding issues like reproductive rights, gun control, and race.  Then out would come my legal pad and I’d write until the story  felt right and original for my voice and playing style, while trying to find something as close as possible to a less-traveled road, harmonically and lyrically.  

You became a songwriter later in your musical journey -- what inspired you to take it up?

Great question. I once told my wife that I don’t want to die with the music left inside. I really don’t mean to sound so overly heavy about it, but I guess there’s some small element of truth in that.  A friend once asked me, “if you could give advice to your 21 year old self, what would you say” and my answer was: grab that guitar and hit the road and see how the world reacts to your your musicianship. We all know now that I never did that, but these days I like to say that when I grab my guitar and sit down and write a song, and especially when that song is finished and I get to share it with others, it’s like I turned 21 again. 

 A wise person once said writers live twice, so here’s hoping. 

I don’t imagine my experience is unique, but to me song writing is the hardest work I’ve ever loved doing. It’s a lot of solitude. It happens that most of my songs I’ve written by myself. But that’s not to say that I always want to work alone, it’s simply how things have worked out thus far. I enjoy observing and trying to attach some kind of meaning to what I see, and then coming up with the lyrics that might create some connection for the folks who hear the song. I write on the chance that my music — on a good day--might actually give somebody sanctuary in a song.  Plus, it’s just plain fun to get immersed in the process, something I'm grateful for every time I sit down to start mining for that new idea. Never easy, but always fun.

Nick will be playing on Saturday, December 7th, 7:00 p.m., in the Somerville Songwriter Sessions, along with Brian Theoret and host Rachel Marie at the Somerville Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville MA. (Great music, great food, free parking.) $15 at the door (cash, please!)