NYS Music 20​16

Category: Folk/Americana

  • Hearing Aide: The Honeycutters “On the Ropes”

    HoneycuttersOnTheRopesBigCov

    A follow-up to the chart-topping breakout album Me Oh My (2015), the Honeycutters’ latest release, On the Ropes, brings a breezy soundtrack for Sunday driving down that lonely country mile.

    Frontwoman Amanda Anne Platt (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) comes on strong in the record’s opening title track, before lulling listeners along in “Blue Besides.” It’s the third song, “Golden Child,” that demands full attention, with its bluesy vocals, relatable lyrics and soul-bending composition.

    Throughout 12 original songs, Platt shares personal stories from the battlefield that cover the spectrum of love, loss and learning, writing “I’ve been a stranger here before, I’ve been a soldier, I’ve been the war, and I’ve done my time on the wrong side of the door, I’ve been peaceful, I’ve been wild, I’ve been a Golden Child.” She’s down-to-earth in her delivery of tell-it-like-it-is advice (“hang up that halo and get by with the rest of us, let those wings go to rust…you’re not taking any chances, you’re looking for that easy answer”) from one strong-headed woman who’s “not hanging up my spurs, I’m just telling you I’ve learned.”

    Although not as mountain as Gillian Welch, the Hastings-On-Hudson native and Skidmore College graduate’s sweet, natural vibrato is a refreshing sound coming out of the songstress’ current base of Asheville, NC. And accompanying bandmates, Rick Cooper (upright, electric bass), Josh Milligan (drums, vocals), Matt Smith (pedal steel, electric guitar, dobro) and Tal Taylor (mandolin), are the perfect mixer for a polished concoction of rock and country elements with a sprig of rural Appalachia.

    From swingy, borderline pop-twang in “The Handbook” to steady rock in “Back Row,” highlighted by harmonica (played by Platt’s father, Mark) and electric guitar, to the slouchier slide and mandolin in “Useless Memories” to the trimmer distortion in “Ache” that makes the raw emotion feel real, and a jaunty, shimmery cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” it’s all here, before the record is capped off with a dusty picture of gunslingers and barroom girls in “Barmaid’s Blues.”

    The Honeycutters have surely made something out of nothing with their fourth studio album, On the Ropes (out now through Organic Records); it’s alternative Americana at its finest, and Platt’s sincere songwriting is the gravy on the biscuits.

    Key Tracks: Golden Child, Back Row, Ache, Hallelujah

    https://soundcloud.com/user-123099651/sets/on-the-ropes

  • Family of Woodstock Announces Bob Dylan 75th Birthday Celebration

    With the exception of perhaps the Band, no other musical act is as synonymous with Woodstock as the legendary Bob Dylan. It is only fitting that a celebration of his 75 years on Earth be celebrated with music in the iconic town.

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    On Sunday, May 29, Family of Woodstock presents the eighth annual Bob Dylan Birthday Celebration at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. The event includes esteemed folk guitarist Happy Traum, who played with Dylan in his Woodstock days of the late ’60s and early ’70s. John Sebastian, Arlen Roth and Larry Campbell also join the list of musicians who’ve played with Dylan in the past who will celebrate him at this birthday celebration.

    Other noteworthy musicians on the bill include blues guitarist Bill Sims Jr., Kate Pierson of the B-52s, up-and-coming harpist Mikaela Davis and Jared Samuel of the Invisible Familiars.

    Local guests include NeeNee Rushie (The Big Takeover) and Kenny Siegel and Blueberry of Johnny Society. Returning guests include Eric Redd, Doug Yoe and Carme Senski, Marc Black, Jules Shear and Robert Burke Warren.

    In addition to the music, there will also be a raffle of two classic Elliott Landy Dylan portraits. Proceeds of the event go to Family of Woodstock’s 24-hour hotline and the John Herald Fund, which helps local musicians with small financial needs. The event is sponsored by Radio Woodstock – 100.1 and the Bearsville Theater Complex.

    Seats are available for $45 and standing room tickets are $25. Tickets can be purchased via radiowoodstock.com/concerts. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show is at 8:30 p.m. The event also includes a special champagne reception for $100 and $65 Golden Circle ticket holders at 6:30 p.m.

    Lineup includes:

    Happy Traum
    Connor Kennedy & Minstrel-
    Larry Campbell
    John Sebastian
    Kate Pierson
    Jules Shear
    Arlen Roth
    Doug Yoel & Carmen Senski
    Marc Black
    Robert Burke Warren
    Eric Redd
    Bill Simms, Jr.
    NeeNee Rushie (The Big Takeover)
    Jay Collins
    Jared Samuel (Invisible Familiars)
    Brian Hollander
    Kenny Siegel & Blueberry (Johnny Society) –
    Mikaela Davis

  • Tedeschi Trucks Band Pulls Into Syracuse and Leaves It All On Stage

    As the buses made their way down Montgomery Street towards the Crouse Hinds Theater, The Tedeschi Trucks Band began to prepare for an evening of what would become an epic night of music to a sold out venue in Syracuse.

    Opening the evening to the packed crowd was Amy Helm.  Amy hails from Woodstock and with music in her bloodline, from the moment she took the stage, she began to play and sing and own the crowd.  With her trio of Handsome Strangers, made up of guitarist Daniel Littleton, bassist Byron Isaacs and drummer David Berger, this most talented group of musicians played and sang like a well oiled machine.

    Amy’s style of music can best be described as contagious.  As you watch her perform, it’s as though the music is progressing from her toes, making its way through her body and pouring out with full emotion and electricity.  The versatility of sound she displays is also noteworthy.  Her music fluctuates from soulful and moody to a rockabilly jive with a seamless transition, providing a tantalizing variety of tastes pleasing to everyone. As Helm’s delivery drew the audience in, the rest of the band delivered a one-two punch of a percussive background beat, a funkadelic bass line and sick guitar solos that brought the audience to their feet.  Just as they finished their solos, Amy stepped back up to the mic and hit everyone with a knockout vocal punch, sealing people’s fates as fans forever. To say she is amazing doesn’t seem like quite enough.

    It was the moment she dedicated “Gloryland”, a song taught to her by her father who passed in 2012, to those waiting on the other side that really moved me most.  This acoustic number, in perfect harmony with her Handsome Strangers, sent chills down my spine and left not a dry eye in the audience.  Levon Helm, your daughter is amazing and you taught her well.

    As Helm exited the stage for the main act to appear, the audience grew with anticipation before the lights dimmed and Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) took the stage.  This large ensemble took up the whole stage and, although a large production, each member is a specific ingredient within a recipe of musical genius.  With the husband and wife team of Derek Trucks on guitar and Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals out in front, they surrounded themselves with some of the most talented musicians in the business.  On keyboards and flute was Kofi Burbridge, drums and percussion featured Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, bass guitar work was provided by Tim Lefebvre and on harmony vocals was the trio of Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers, and Alecia Chakour.  The horns rounded out the team with Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Elizabeth Lea on trombone and Ephraim Owens on trumpet. This amazing group of musicians are one in themselves talented and together they blended seamlessly, but not overpoweringly, as they accompanied Tedeschi and Trucks on their play out front.

    Never having seen this amazing band before, the bar had been set high from all the hype I’ve heard.  Although eager to see what all the fuss was about, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I purposely didn’t listen to any music beforehand so that my initial response was pure and in the moment.  As they began to play, I was mesmerized by Susan’s voice.  Her no nonsense approach to attacking each note was confident and strong.  She was a woman that knew what she wanted to sing and play and that she did.  As her husband Derek accompanied her on his guitar, the strings would sing.  Together they melded into one sound.

    I would classify TTB as a multi-genre act.  They were funky, bluesy, rocking, and soulful.  They encompassed sounds and transitioned from one sound to the next without effort or pause.  I found Susan Tedeschi’s vocals real and raw. She has the ability to reach in and grab your soul while she sings and plays. As they played “Sky Is Crying” , it was as though she and Derek were making love with their guitars right in front of you.  They matched note for note with a fervor that grew and exploded into one of the most moving pieces of the evening.  I almost felt as though I was intruding on their moment and witnessing something meant for just the two of them. It was spectacular.

    It was apparent all night that as they played, these fans in the audience were just as in love with them as I was.  My favorite moment of the night was when Tedeschi asked her singer Alecia Chakour and Amy Helm to join her onstage for “Color of the Blues”, an amazing acoustic number.  There was so much talent in that group that it blew me away.

    It was an honor to cover this show and now I get it.  I get the hype, the build up and the all the legends I had heard.  The show was amazing and definitely lived up and surpassed my expectations.

    Setlist Tedeschi Trucks Band: Laugh About It, Anyhow, I Want More, Midnight in Harlem, Just As Strange, Right on Time, Let Me Get By, Sky is Crying, Color of the Blues (joined by Amy Helm and Alecia Chakour), Keep on Growing, Going Down to Mexico, Bound for Glory, Idle Wind. Encore: Don’t Let Me Slide, I Cannot Make It

  • Larkin Square Announces 2016 Summer Concert Series in Buffalo

    Music lovers in Buffalo have more options for free music this summer. Larkin Square will return for a fifth summer season showcasing 38 Buffalo-bred musical acts including Aqueous and Savannah & the Kings during their weekly 2016 Wednesday night concert series.

    Live at Larkin offers a free, family-friendly event packed with music, food trucks and community groups. The concert series will run through Aug. 31. The free series is made possible through sponsorship with First Niagara and Independent Health.

    The series will kick off on June 1 with a six-act opening night headlined by annual favorites John and Mary & the Valkyries, with each of the acts representing at least one local music nonprofit organization.

    The series also host theme nights. This year will include an evening titled “Buffalo ’66: Cash & Stones Revisited,” marking the 50th anniversary of the week in which both legends performed in Buffalo. “Latin at Larkin” will feature complete dance lessons before each band, while “Sinatra’s Second Century” will feature music from Frank Sinatra.

    “We’re excited to welcome the public to a new chapter of Live at Larkin with this most ambitious lineup to date for our original flagship event,” said Larkin Square Director of Fun Leslie Zemsky in a press release. “We continue to be amazed at the depth and quality of the Buffalo music scene – We can’t wait to hula hoop to these sounds of summer!”

    Live At Larkin

    June 1 John and Mary & the Valkyries w/ Fredtown Stompers, Freightrain, Verve Dance Studio, Carol McLaughlin & Magnitude, French Quarter Hounds

    June 8 Aqueous w/ Jettison

    June 15 Outer Circle Orchestra w/ Tiger Chung Lee

    June 22 Unity Band w/ Will Holton, 4 B-Lo, Buffalo Concertina All Stars

    June 29 Stoneflower w/ A Band Named Sue ft. Ring of Fire Cast Members

    July 6 La Krema w/ Sol y Sombra, Salsa Sarah Dance Lessons

    July 13 Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields w/ Savannah & the Kings

    July 20 Miller & The Other Sinners w/ Preach Freedom & Connect

    July 27 Reign of Kindo w/ The Tins

    August 3 Brian Higgins & The Exchange Street Band w/ The Stone Bridge Band, Keith Shuskie ft. John Higgins

    August 10 Dive House Union w/ Jony James Band

    August 17 Rear View Ramblers w/ Uncle Ben’s Remedy

    August 24 Nelson Starr & The Franciscans w/ Joey Giambra Jazz Orchestra

    August 31 The Buffalovebirds w/ The New Good Neighbors

  • Canalside Announces Annual Summer Concert Series 2016

    The free summer concert announcements are keeping music fans in Buffalo excited. The city’s popular and free Canalside series announced its Thursday night concert series this week. Canalside is hosting 12 concerts starting June 9 and running through August 25, 2016.

    canalside 2016This year’s lineup includes a variety of acts that span over a wide variety of musical genres. The Buffalo Philaharmonic Orchestra will take the stage once again in “A Tribute to David Bowie.” Other highlights of the lineup include Public Enemy, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Claypool Lennon Delirium.

    Canalside‘s weekly events will include a variety of food trucks and vendors. All of the concerts are free and open to the public, and all start at 6 p.m. VIP packages are available.

    Event organizers will be offering local area musicians the chance to open this summer’s concerts through a Battle of the Band contest held in conjunction with local arts magazine The Public.

    Canalside Thursday concert series lineup:

    • June 9: Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries
    • June 16: Frank Turner with special guest July Talk
    • June 23: Public Enemy
    • June 30: Frankie Ballard
    • July 7: Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa
    • July 14: Shakey Graves and Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Wild Child
    • July 21: The Arcs and Mariachi Flor De Toloache
    • July 28: BPO “A Tribute to David Bowie”
    • August 4: Tritonal
    • August 11: Lowest of the Low and Serena Ryder
    • August 18: Coolio
    • August 25: Claypool Lennon Delirium

  • The Human Experience/Gone Gone Beyond Thrive at House Of Yes

    From his recent performance at House of Yes in Bushwick, David Block (The Human Experience) brought a night full of heartfelt, new music with his live endeavor, Gone Gone Beyond. The event opened with the artists asking all in attendance to momentarily pause, hold the hand of the person closest to you and have a moment of gratitude; this task was quite easy as House of Yes seems to engender a feeling thankfulness any time I find myself there.

    The combination of The Human Experience and House of Yes is essentially a no-brainer; a musical artist that combines ethereal, tribal sounds with heavy, grooving bass and an amazing venue that feels as if a Burning Man camp was transplanted to Bushwick makes for a wonderful experience. The name of the event was “The Vibe” which was quite fitting as there certainly was an understanding and sharing of similar emotional and musical platitudes amongst all in attendance.

    Opening with “Ain’t Giving up on Love” from their self-titled album Gone Gone Beyond, Danny Musengo’s gratifying vocals and Block’s melodic piano chords had the crowd swaying and singing along to the chorus. Horns were brought out for “Back Swing” whilst an aerialist performed on some silks in the middle of the venue and I felt like I was in a circus tent in New Orleans, certainly a sight to behold. Closing with “Carnival” was proper as it got the crowd moving, dancing, and smiling as an entire aerial performance was occurring above the band on stage invoking carnival vibes tenfold. Following Gone Gone Beyond, was David Block himself as The Human Experience. Block’s ethereal, world sound were in full effect as many patrons were moving intently with their eyes closed as if to truly feel the music. As mentioned, the blend of The Human Experience and House of Yes is like no other; Block’s celestial sounds with HOY’s vibe and performers is an unparalleled experience.

  • NYS Music Presents Friday Nights at Nietzsche’s

    Fridays in April at Nietzsche’s, Buffalo are presented by NYS Music. Get a taste of the Queen City’s favorite venue for rising acts and indulge in Nietzsche’s first ever JazzFest, providing you with an array of jazz, funk, R&B and Dixieland.

    April 8 – Grace Lougen and The Leftover Pancakes with Jacob Peter Band and Blue Rootz

    Grace Lougen & The Leftover Pancakes are a Blues/Rock group from Buffalo, NY. The band features Grace Lougen on vocals and lead guitar, Caleb Saathoff on drums, Ben Saathoff on bass, and Linnea Cremean on vocals and viola. The LP’s grew up listening and playing to a lot of classic and contemporary artists including Led Zeppelin, John Mayer, and Joe Bonamassa. Their original music encompasses the soul of old school blues and rock with a fresh modern flare. They have developed their musical chemistry learning covers, writing original music, playing shows in the Buffalo area. Grace Lougen and The Leftover Pancakes also have shared shows with many renowned local and national artists including Will McFarlane, Doug Yeomans, David Michael Miller, and Alligator Recording Artist Selwyn Birchwood.

    April 15 – JazzFest Day 3, featuring Cinnamon Jones, THE TRUTH, Toney Rhodes, Houston Gardwell Collective, and Sammy Miller and the Congregation

    9pm: Cinnamon Jones
    10pm: THE TRUTH
    11pm: Toney Rhodes – A well-accomplished and internationally known musician, Toney began establishing his respected reputation and credentials as early as 14 years of age. As with many successful artists, Rhodes traces his earliest influence to his familial gospel roots, particularly attributed to the tutelage and musical talents of his mother; along with the opportunity of being front and center as a young organist in his father’s Pentecostal church.
    12am: Houston Gardwell Collective – improvisatory funk and everything else, featuring a collective of improvisers.
    1am: Sammy Miller and The Congregation
    A native of Los Angeles, Sammy Miller has become known for his unique maturity and relentless focus on making music that “feels good” as a drummer, singer and bandleader. Upon completing his Master’s at The Juilliard School, Sammy formed his ensemble, The Congregation. As a band they are focused on sharing the power of community through their music—joyful jazz. While independently the band members have performed/recorded with notable artist including Wynton Marsalis, O.A.R, Iron and Wine, and Lee Fields at venues including The White House, Lincoln Center, and the Hollywood Bowl, The Congregation has opted to stick together and create globally conscious music with the intention to spread joy throughout the world.

    April 22 – Funktional Flow (Matt Lester’s Birthday Celebration!)

    Buffalo’s own Funktional Flow is a multi-genre quintet heavily rooted in rock and reggae, with a funk foundation. Over the past six years, the band has released three albums and played hundreds of shows throughout the Northeast and beyond. With the release of the newest album Time Will Tell on March 5th 2016, Flow is poised to take it to the next level and branch out nationally. Flow is heavily influenced by Sublime, Umphreys McGee, Moe, and Blind Melon but maintains a fresh, high energy sound that results in a diverse catalog of music.

    April 29 – Midnight Snack, Our Friends Band, Dashuri

    Based in Asheville, NC by way of Boston, Midnight Snack blends masculine rock tradition with a distinctly feminine delicacy. The 6 piece integrates elements of psychedelic rock, indie-dance and baroque pop. Originally the childhood attic project of brothers Jack Victor and Michael Johnson, the duo developed their sound while attending Berklee College of Music. Featuring Jack Victor (vocals, drums), Michael Johnson (guitar, synthesizers), Katie Richter (vocals, trumpet), Peter Brownlee (bass), Zack Kardon (guitar) and Meryll Davis (vocals, percussion), Midnight Snack tours nationally, charming audiences with prominent vocal harmonies, lush instrumentation and introspective performances. Currently, the 6-piece is working on their third studio album and will be touring the Northeast April-May 2016.

  • Bearsville Theater Announces Spring Schedule

    It’s no surprise that the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock released an exciting schedule for the spring.

    This unique venue draws a variety of world-class artists throughout the year. This April and May will feature familiar names from several genres including folk, jam bands, reggae, funk and DJ sets.

    Bearsville Theater sits in a wooded area about one minute outside of Woodstock. Guests can enjoy the Bear Café next door while checking out the Sawkill Creek. Radio Woodstock 100.1 WDST FM also shares the property. Fans of the venue return time and again for both the music and the incredible atmosphere.

    Next week features rising stars Pink Talking Fish on April 7 followed by a funky treat a few days later on April 10: Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett of Little Feat with special guest the New Orleans Suspects featuring members of Neville Bros., Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Radiators, James Brown and the Meter Men.

    Grateful Dead fans can get their fix on April 15 with the Garcia Project and April 16 with Skeleton Keys featuring Todd Stoops of RAQ (formerly Kung Fu) and Alex Mazur of Gratefully Yours.

    Folk group Elephant Revival from Colorado will play on April 30 and rising jam band stars Formula 5 take the stage on May 13.

    A full schedule is available below. Please visit www.bearsvilletheater.com for details and tickets.

    April 1 – The Mountain Goats

    April 7 – Pink Talking Fish

    April 10 – Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett of Little Feat with special guest the New Orleans Suspects featuring members of Neville Bros., Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Radiators, James Brown, and The Meter Men

    April 15 – The Garcia Project

    April 16 – Skeleton Keys with Todd Stoops (Kung Fu) & Alex Mazur (Gratefully Yours)

    April 23 – Ladies Night with DJ Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite and DJ Lady Verse

    April 30 – Elephant Revival

    May 6 –  Feast of Friends (Doors Tribute)

    May 7 – Tangoman & The Latin All Star World Beat Dance Band

    May 13 –  Formula 5 with Hayley Jane and Justin Hancock of Hayley Jane and the Primates

    May 14 – Gary Nest Pine (former lead singer of The Wailers) & The Big Takeover

  • Lets Fool Around in Saint Augustine

    Hurry! Lettuce and Griz will be headlining the inaugural Fool’s Paradise April 1st and 2nd! The festival will be celebrated at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre which is located in the oldest city in the United States  and is famous for its Spanish style architecture. Located just an hour from Jacksonville and Gainesville and just two hours from Orlando, Fool’s Paradise could not be in a more picturesque and ideal location. The festival is hosted by Purple Hat Productions and Live For Live Music and is sure to be an amazing two day  funk filled event.  So pack your dancing shoes and come be part of the beginning of something spectacular!  The music begins Friday at two’olock on the Shipwreck Stage.

    There will be two stages, one of which is the Amphitheatre and the other is The Shipwreck Stage. There will also be late night sets by Vulfpeck and Break Science at the nearby Elk’s Lodge on Friday then Goldfish and a Fools of Funk Superjam on Saturday. Tickets to the late night sets are sold in a limited quantity and as a separate from the main event. There is also more late night music just two miles away at “Fool Moon” which is a staple in the St. Augustine music scene. Featured late night artists are Jacksonville’s own Herd of Watts, on Friday and Saturday,  Gainesville’s Morning Fatty and Manyfest will play Saturday and Orlando’s Groove Orient will close out the night.  Camping is available in an offsite location but all passes are limited.  There are also a select amount of  vip hotel packages. Which are available on the “Fool’s Paradise” website.

    This festival is reminiscent of Jam Cruise  because it offers fun excursions with the performing artists. There will be mini golf with Lettuce’s Adam Deitch and Jesus Coomes on Saturday at one o’clock, Sailing with The Shady Horns and Shmeemans at noon and also a zipline adventure with Break Science’s Borhahm Lee at twelve-thirty. All excursions are sold separately from the main event and the tickets are going fast!!  There will be limited parking but fortunately there are many cab companies and Uber available.

    Now that the basics have been covered, let’s get to the fun part, the music! Yes! finally Lettuce and GRIZ will be collaborating during the second half of GRIZ’s Friday night set in the ampitheatre. The remaining line-up also promises exciting funky fun times for everyone. There’s Chris Robinson’s Soul Revue  featuring featuring George Porter Jr of The Meters, with Ivan Neville, The Nth Power, Goldfish, Corey Henry of Snarky Puppy, Marvel Years, Brasstracks, Herd of Watts. The Groove Orient, Morning Fatty and Love Chunk.

    So pack your gear and prepare yourself for an awesome two days of music, and good times! Tickets are available on the website, and The St. Augustine box office.

  • New York Minute: Troy Native Niki Lee Returns to Scene

    niki-leeNicole Suto aka “Niki Lee” is an indie singer/songwriter living in Troy, NY who is returning to the live music scene after taking a hiatus to have and raise a child. Her first show in a self-admitted long while will be this Friday, April 1 at the Dinosaur BBQ. She opens up for fellow Lansingburgh natives, The Lawn Sausages, at 9 p.m. The show is free.

    With the help of her friends Gary Levitt and Erica Quitzow of New Paltz, she recorded five tracks found on Reverbnation. She plays the guitar and loops her own backup vocals. “Accelerate” is a fun tune that shows off her playful, rocker side and incorporates the organ. Her sound is similar to Liz Phair and other 90s female musicians in the similar genre. Her style however is unique. Instead of your typical chord progressions, Niki often slaps the strings to create both percussion and notes.

    “Faith” represents a darker side of Niki. This expression of negative emotion is something she says drives her to write music. Her live performances are a balance of both upbeat positive songs and those that are melancholy.

    While performing live is something she intends to do, her real goal is to continue to write, produce and record music.

    We recently chatted with Niki about her music and living in Troy.

    niki lee

    After listening to your tracks on Reverbnation, we kind of get a Liz Phair vibe. Is that what has influenced you?

    I first started really heavy in the singer, songwriter, kind of folksy vein, listening to Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, really growing up with the 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant stuff. But I think it was really PJ Harvey who kind of hooked me into the electric guitar, not just playing acoustic. Then Liz Phair – I think I’ve probably listened to Exile in Guyville like a million times. I probably can sing the whole album from beginning to end, so yes, that’s a definite influence for me.

    What inspires you?

    I feel like a lot of the music that I’m playing now has been inspired by relationships, questioning the world about why things are the way they are and how you have an emotional reaction to that. A lot of my songs, I write when I feel upset about things so it’s very hard for me to write upbeat songs. When I’m happy, I’m not in the writing kind of mood, it’s so hard to write a happy song. But I know people don’t want to just hear bitching and moaning when they see me perform so I’ve worked in some positive ones as well.

    So your show on April 1 will be the first one in a while, and a hometown show?

    I’m opening up for the Lawn Sausages. A lot of us are from Lansingburgh, born and raised there. So it’s a lot of old time friends. I haven’t really played a gig in a long time and one of the members of the Lawn Sausages put this gig up so I asked if I could open for them. It’s going to be a very hometown, packed crowd. It will be a special gig because all my friends and family from years and years, being a Troy native.

    I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve lived and played in San Francisco and New York City but I had to come back home. Something about being home it’s hard to get away from sometimes.

    Do you have a favorite spot to hang out in Troy?

    I really enjoy going down to the Farmer’s Market. It’s one of the best and the fact that it’s all year round is really great. My daughter loves Famous Lunch – we like greasy food in our family.

    So I understand you had friends from New Paltz help you with your recordings. Did you go down there to do it?

    Yeah. Gary Levitt and Erica Quitzow who I met in San Francisco but were from New York. After we all moved back I reached out to them because they are just amazing engineers and musicians. I asked them if they could record a few songs for me. I had done a few recordings in the past but never ones I felt proud of. I felt OK about them but they just didn’t represent how I wanted my songs to sound in a studio recording. These guys really nailed it. I like Imogen Heap and Tori Amos, people who pull in a lot of different elements and layered harmonies into their music. Unfortunately I can’t recreate that on stage so it will be kind of like a PJ Harvey four-track demos kind of feel at the show (laughs). I like pushing the boundaries of the singer-songwriter into the different musical sounds that you can play with and layer. It’s one of my favorite things about the music that I’m drawn to.

    What else do you like to do when not songwriting or recording?

    I work for the state as a budget analyst. I really like spreadsheets! (laughs) I do a lot of work with spreadsheets, tracking or spending. It’s nice because it’s really easy, it either adds up or it doesn’t. Plus, I don’t make the decisions of how it’s being spent In my free time I am a 4H Club co-leader for a dog training club call the Clover Paws. It’s something I do with my daughter. We have two dogs, so when I’m not making music or taking care of my daughter, I’m playing with my dogs.