Meet the BIG RED Nominees: Favorite Local Female Songwriter
Allysen Callery- “Her lilting voice and heartfelt lyrics are eerily close to the work of the late British songstress Sandy Denny, the highest compliment I could hand down to this brilliant artist.”- Paste Magazine
Allysen Callery is self taught folk artist from Rhode Island, USA , with an intricate & unique finger style, & a voice that has been called mesmerizing & angelic. Growing up in New England, she was heavily influenced by her parent’s British Isles Folk Revival records of the late 60′s early 70′s . http://allysencallerymusic.com/
Hayley Sabella – Hayley Sabella is a singer-songwriter / local farmer / independent woman / dork. She is a child of the nineties who plays a children’s guitar from the sixties. Standing 5’2”, she bellows “I’m big on the inside!” Her voice is described as “honeyed, but with a mild rasp” and it’s the first thing you may notice. But with the learned ability to combine finger-style picking with rhythmic strumming patterns, she hollows out the space for her careful lyrics to resonate, making you feel both earthbound and untethered. http://hayleysabella.com/
Jenee Halstead – Halstead grew up in the high desert of Spokane, Washington, the daughter of hippie parents who let her find her own direction. She spent her childhood exploring her mother’s garden and singing along to records with her Dad. In middle school, she transformed into the rarest of birds; an athletic choir geek who sang medieval choral works, but loved Led Zeppelin and Dolly Parton. She wrote quietly on her own for years, moving from place to place – Spokane to Seattle to nowhere Alaska, before moving to Boston in 2007. She collected all of her songs into what would become The River Grace. Raised By Wolves reclaims the careless freedom of her childhood with a sense of wonder that is unique and fiercely engaging. http://www.jeneehalstead.com/
Sarah Blacker- Her heart-felt version of songwriting has been coined, “Sundress rock,” and she was recently called “one of the brighter artists to grab our attention recently,” by national Roots publication, No Depression. The Boston Herald’s Jed Gottleib said of her, “Sarah Blacker makes some of the most interesting folk music in Boston — mostly by making folk the starting point and reaching out toward rock, Americana and prog.” She is a prolific singer/songwriter currently in the studio recording her 3rd full-length album, (Blacker has penned 2 full-lengths and 2 EPs in just 4 years) her previous currently receiving airtime on local NPR station, WUMB, and Emerson’s WERS as well as many other AAA and college stations worldwide. Blacker is regularly recognized throughout New England since she won the Radio 92.9 / Boch Subaru contest and became the face and voice of their New England ad campaign for “ooh ooh it’s love,” NE Subaru. http://www.sarahblacker.com/
Danielle Miraglia- Danielle Miraglia (murr-Ä L e a) comes armed with a strong steady thumb on an old Gibson, an infectious stomp-box rhythm and harmonica. Her tunes range from heart-felt to socially conscious and will move both your heart and hips. Danielle’s latest release “Box of Troubles” a bare-bones expression of all these attributes, explores the highs and lows that life has to offer and has already received rave reviews. Alternate Root says “Danielle Miraglia’s guitar work keeps Delta traditions alive. Her steady thumb and playing style trace a direct line to the blues of the field and chicken shacks. Vocally, Danielle’s voice digs in, twisting within the delivery, seeming to break but more likely soaring before the fall. ‘Box of Troubles’ balances good times with the bad, her characters roles’ defined and believable.” http://www.daniellem.com/
Susan Cattaneo- Cattaneo has been a songwriting professor at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music for 13 years. She’s written songs covered by numerous artists in Nashville, and her tunes helped launch the careers of Jillian Cardanelli and Erica Nicole. Cattaneo, the singer-songwriter, has released three albums of mostly upbeat, catchy pop-country music, “Brave and Wild,” in 2009, “Heaven to Heartache” in 2011 and “Little Blue Sky” in 2012. You’ll hear a blend of country, rock and soul with sparkles of blues and folk – music that would slide into the comfort zone for fans of Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter or Sheryl Crow.http://susancattaneo.com/
Eva Walsh- Eva Walsh is a fun-loving folk-pop singer, fiddler and songwriter from Boston who delivers a heartfelt performance of catchy original songs and smiles. Her debut album “Storybook” is the product of a diverse and lifelong exploration of music and tells the stories of the heart with undeniably sweet sincerity.Hailing from 17 years of intense training and classical violin performance, Eva originally picked up the ukulele and a collection of other instruments as a stress-relieving hobby. Her musical curiosity grew into a passion and soon she began performing bluegrass, old-time, folk and jazz music around Nashville, all while slowly working up her courage and signature sound as a folk-pop songwriter. http://www.evawalsh.com/
Abbie Barrett-Abbie Barrett writes songs, sings, and plays guitar. Before she started doing music, she was a defensive linebacker for the Chicago Bears. Barrett seems completely unafraid to tackle genres far out of what is expected of her…Abbie Barrett is your classic good hang. She’s funny as shit and what’s more has a top notch rock & roll band to back up one of the strongest singing voices in town. http://www.abbiebarrett.com/Home.html
Molly Pinto Madigan- Hailed for her angelic voice and haunting compositions, Molly Pinto Madigan won first place in WUMB’s Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest and was named “Artist of the Year” at Salem State University, her alma mater. Since her debut as the lead singer for the teen bluegrass band Jaded Mandolin, Madigan has submerged herself in the dark, luscious world of ballads, drawn to their magic, and her original songs echo with the whisperings of the American and European traditional music. www.mollypintomadigan.com.
