Amy Petty

Prior to beginning her second album, Amy Petty was something of a nervous wreck. Her 2008 debut, Mystery Keeps You, is a breathtaking work, full of soaring vocals and haunting, longing lyricism. That was the problem.  The first record “was beautiful and perfect and exactly what I wanted it to be,” wrote Petty on her website. “I was pretty confident that I would never be able to create something like that again.”

She needn’t have worried. House of Doors, a record Petty celebrates this weekend with a release party at Boynton’s Taproom, shows Petty’s maturing musical skills. Like many great songwriters — Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos come immediately to mind — Petty finds power in self-doubt and fuel in her insecurities. 

The first line of the bluesy opening track, “Promise’s Demise,” perfectly reflects Petty’s dour mood. “I don’t do optimism,” she sings, “I do well, whatever.” On that and a dozen other songs, Petty channels confession, the search for meaning and a fierce determination to pull no punches into one of the most tuneful and fully realized efforts of the year. 

“I wanted to be more melodic,” Petty said recently by telephone from her home in Manchester. “It seemed like the first album was atmospheric, like I was trying to create a mood, not necessarily a melody.” The new effort ranges further musically as well, touching on guitar-driven rock, ethereal pop and raw, spare ballads. It’s the result, says Petty, of keeping an open mind in the studio with producer Jacob Detering.

“Jacob does so much and he’s got such a great ear for what works,” she says. “More often than not I’m sitting there worrying about the way something is going and he will just look at me and say, ‘You need to just settle down and know that this is going to be awesome.’ Four hours later I’ll be saying, ‘It sounds exactly right.’ It’s kind of nice not having to worry about that … because he will.”

Petty worked with mostly the same group who made Mystery Keeps You, with a key difference: Detering stayed behind the boards. “He really took himself out of the equation when it came to playing the instruments, so we had a lot more people coming in this time,” she says. St. Louis guitar legend Jimmy Griffin provided jangly licks for the most record’s most rocking track, “Spinning Plates.” Other guest guitarists included Don McMahon and Rockland, Ill., blues player Jim Peters.

One of the record’s standout tracks was shaped with help from keyboard player Dave Aholt. Petty wrote the loping ballad “Amelia” after a bout of insomnia one night during the sessions. She played it for Detering the next day, but they struggled with the arrangement — until Aholt heard it. “He said, ‘Well, I know exactly,’ sat down and played the track that you hear,” recalls Petty. “It was just the most beautiful … I’ve never really gotten that emotional in the studio, but tears came to my eyes when he started playing because it was just so perfect.”

Such collaboration was a departure for Petty. “It was very different than the first album in terms of how prepared I was,” she says. “Everybody did get to shine in their roles this way, instead of me feeling like I had to tell them what to do — because I’m not that great at it.”

Petty is a classically trained vocalist, and didn’t become a serious songwriter until only a few years ago. To be recognized for her lyrics is new and exciting. Reflecting on a well-received house concert she gave recently to a room filled with poets, novelists and other wordsmiths, she says, “I think now I’m in a place where … people really listen to the words … I didn’t know I was capable of doing that.”

For her Boynton’s Taproom show, Petty will bring a three-piece band — keyboard, bass and percussion. “I haven’t done anything with that band makeup yet, so that will be cool — and of course I’ll have my effects pedal,” she says. The latter allows for ad hoc incorporation of any number of instrumental and vocal elements into her performance, one of the reasons why her one-woman shows often feel like full band performances. 

In early December she and her husband Billy Petty will travel to New York City to take part in “Tim Janis: An American Christmas Carol” at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. She will sing on selections written by Janis and 9-year-old musical prodigy Emily Bear.

Following that, she has a few more regional dates, along with a short tour of the Midwest in support of the new album that will stop in Denver, St. Louis and her hometown of Detroit. Of her popularity beyond New Hampshire — she’s even done shows in the Pacific Northwest — Petty says with a laugh, “It’s super inconvenient. In St. Louis they are totally the people I’m supposed to be with; I even considered moving out there. But besides my record label, there’s not a lot happening musically. This is a much better place for me to be.”

On the other hand, says Petty, “People are taking me more seriously when I play all over. They’re like, ‘Wow, why are you playing in Seattle? You must be important.’”
- Hippo Press, Manchester NH

You may remember Amy Petty from her previous album “Mystery Keeps You”. A rare discovery who was able to combine the storytelling with true musicianship, with a conviction and sincerity that you don’t see all that often anymore these days.
She shows that same quality on her new release “House of Doors”. With an even better production than the predecessor and excellent contributions from guest and session musicians, Petty creates a perfect situation to deliver a follow-up that can deliver on the promises she made on her last release.
Right from the start you can hear the quality in the music and with Petty’s ability to vary between powerful, fragile and sentimental vocals which she uses to accentuate her more than excellent lyrics, you can hear a very complete singer/songwriter.
Songs like Amelia are sung and played so well that you actually start to relate to the character of the song. Other highlights like Skeleton Key, Sketches of Plans and Sleepwalking To Dreaming show you how remarkable it is that this artist hasn’t yet been discovered by a much wider audience. The way Amy Petty combines emotion, sincerity, and poetic lyricism, she hits the essence of songwriting. That’s exactly why her songs can become so powerful.
And songs like Get Over It, Spinning Plates and You Make Me Free have a current feel that would have a real shot on the radio. So in that aspect there is a real chance that the people may actually hear about this talented musician. Because if there’s any justice in this world, Amy Petty is on the verge of breaking through. “Mystery Keeps You” may have been a very good and very promising album, but on “House of Doors”, Petty steps it up a few more notches and I’m not exaggerating when I say that there aren’t many in the genre that can meet the same standard that Amy Petty does. “House of Doors” came in a little late to compete for album of the year, but it will most definitely carry over into the 2011 competition. It is just that good!
- Inner Ear Media

If you follow Popdose on Twitter (and you should), by now you’ve heard of Amy Petty. Several of the staff writers, including me, have also been known to praise the New Hampshire-based singer/songwriter in our tweets. Now you’re about to find out what makes a bunch of jaded music writers wax glowingly about an artist. Amy’s new album, House of Doors (Red Pill Entertainment), has just been released. Best of all, I’ve got three prize packages for lucky readers. To find out how you can win one, read through to the end.
It’s not easy being an independent artist. Not now, not ever. But today there are tools that can help, and Amy Petty knows how to deploy them. Some months back, she sought out Popdose Editor-In-Chief Jeff Giles (a fellow NH resident) on Twitter. Jeff listened to some of her music, and started spreading the word. Before you know it, a bunch of the writers here were hooked and making it their business to promote Amy at every opportunity. That’s the power of one little well-timed social media effort, but all of the social media in the world isn’t going to help if you don’t have the goods. Fortunately, one listen to Amy Petty reveals that she is one of the most promising singer/songwriters to emerge in quite some time.
First you notice the voice. It’s soulful in a way that I haven’t heard since the heyday of my beloved Laura Nyro. Then you get finely crafted songs that Amy describes as “honest, pretty grit.” That combination is on full display in“Skeleton Key”, the song from which the album draws its title:
You were a house of doors?Of plywood and hinges?Your plans hang neatly on racks?With dreams on the fringes
The stunning “Amelia” recounts the sad tale of troubled woman who “feels nothing,” and wonders “what’s wrong with me?” Heartbreak abounds as the song is delivered in a near whisper, but one overflowing with emotion. “Spinning Plates” builds up a a good head of steam courtesy of some nice guitar work by Jimmy Griffin, and on the stirring album closer “Through Grass,” Amy pleads her case to a lost lover (“you are stirring in my heart now, like you always do … and I miss you … I always do”), accompanied only by piano player Ryan McMillen.
House of Doors was produced, engineered, and mixed by Red Pill co-owner (with the album’s Executive Producer Lauren Markow) Jacob Detering, and he’s done a first-rate job. The St. Louis-based label has its own studio, which allows for a tremendous amount of freedom for their artists, and that freedom is evident in every groove (or whatever it is that CDs have) of this album. A solid group of backing musicians was assembled, led by drummer Joe Meyer, bassist Eric Grossman, and keyboard player David Aholt, and their sympathetic support provide just the right frames for the perfect paintings that Amy Petty has created. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, a preview if you will. House of Doors will appear on the Popdose Top 20 Albums of the Year list in early December, and as you might imagine, it’s in some pretty august company.
Now about that contest that I mentioned above. There are three prize packages, and each one includes an autographed copy of the House of Doors CD, a “Skeleton Key” keyring fashioned by Amy herself, and an edible surprise. It all comes in a handmade gift box that Amy created just for Popdose. Sounds great, right? To be eligible to win one of these three prize packages, please send an e-mail to ken with the word “Contest” in the subject line, and the answer to the following question in the body:
Amy Petty loves you all and loves many things, but what does she HATE?
The answer to this question is easily found. Hint: remember how Amy first found us. You have until 5:00 p.m. eastern time on November 24, 2010 (Thanksgiving Eve) to get your entries in. At that time I will choose three winners from all of the correct entries. This contest is open only to readers with a valid US mailing address. Good luck!
- www.popdose.com

Amy Petty - Mystery Keeps You

Amy Petty is a fairly unknown musician from New Hampshire. But with "Mystery Keeps You" she has taken a very good step on the way to claiming her place in the indie singer/songwriter circuit. With craftful songs and passionate songs, specifically her wonderful and soulful vocals, she convinces.

The Prince's Daughter The folky Prince's Daughter opens the album. It immediately sets the tone. The melancholic singer/songwriter sound with specific melodic and harmonic qualities that accentuate the song are apparent.Amy Petty found a good middle way between her storytelling qualities and her musical talent on The Prince's Daughter.
Broken Record The strangely catchy song Broken Record has radio single potential. Amy has a very strong and distinct vocal sound, and I can't really think of anyone to compare her too really, except for maybe, sometimes, I can hear slight hints of Join Mitchell. The chorus is something that sticks in your head, even though it's not really all that much of an upbeat song. But the intense and passionate performance make you play it over and over again in your head.
Honey On The Skin The slightly lighter and more spiritual Honey On The Skin has a sensitive and intimate feel to it, but the rich sound and inspiring vocals give you a sense of belonging as well.Honey On The Skin is one of those songs that you really listen to. It's a song that, if you let it, can speak to you.
Long Way Down Long Way Down is the longest song on the album, with it's 6m08. But it doesn't feel long at all. Amy Petty shows her ability of writing, performing and 'being' a song. It probably is one of the best songs on the album, where the vocals take the spotlight, and on the exact right times the instruments either accentuate them or let them shine fully. The build up of the song is in the exact right tempo, and with the subtle influences from americana/folk in the melody, this song shows more diversity than one might notices the first time. Near the end, the song reaches its climax, and it feels just right.
Take It The more uptempo Take It has this sense of nostalgia or melancholy to it. The, sometimes almost begging, vocals are filled with passion and intensity, and the guitar, which creates most of the atmospheric sound of the song work together very nicely. Another example that this young singer/songwriter has what it takes.
Find Me Find Me is another song that I believe to have radio potential. It's not necessarily super catchy, but it has good tempo and great emotion. The lyrics are something that people can relate to, and Amy Petty makes this song work. (In a way it reminds me of early Dido)
Shine For You Shine For Me is a song that slowly grew on me. It has a bit of a 70s feel to it, which I really like. It also is a bit dark at times, which probably was the part that I had to get used to. The song tells a story, and Amy Petty's vocals have a bit of an opera/gothic kind of flair at times. The more and more I listen to this song, the more I can hear the subtleties, and the more I can appreciate the effort put into this song.
July This might well be my favorite track on the CD. It's pretty classic singer/songwriter stuff if you ask me, but it's so pure and so honest. It's the little guitar melody and the beauty of the vocals. Nothing fancy, nothing unnecessary. It's just the girl with her guitar and the music with its emotion. The pure essence of music, and Amy Petty does it well. Throughout the song, the sound gets a little richer and more instruments are added, and this transition/build up is worked out to perfection. This song shows talent, wisdom, passion and to me it proves how good this singer/songwriter actually is.
Superstition The compassion and emotion in Superstition is great. It's also a bit more uptempo which gives the song a bit of drive and energy. Once again, Amy Petty shows us she is very good in building up a song. The way she takes you on a journey throughout a song, leading up to the climax is amazing.And on Superstition she does that once again.
A Fine Line The CD ends with A Fine Line which is a very interesting song, because musically it has folky sound but the vocals have more classical flair to it. I think it would be interesting to hear this stripped down with just vocals & piano maybe, but then again, you'd miss the impressive layered arrangement of this song.

"Mystery Keeps You" is a collection of very well-written and passionately performed folk/rock songs, with influences ranging from various directions. Kinda like a modern-day Joni Mitchell. Amy Petty is a storyteller, but she's also a true musician. Especially harmonically she is very talented and she can accentuate her excellent lyrics that way and with her rich vocal sound. One of the more promising acts I have come across in this past year.

- www. freewebs. com/innerearmedia/reviews/mysterykeepsyoureview. html

Commenting on (exploding over, actually) a CD like (Mystery Keeps You) is at the very HEART of why I'm doing everything I'm doing creatively. It's the closest thing to a calling I have. Finding, recognizing, creating, helping and promoting GUT WRENCHINGLY POWERFUL music. All these "vehicles" I'm involved in are to serve the one mighty purpose.

What has music become? To many, a distraction, some background music to keep from really thinking, a rebellion, a stereotype creator, an identity, a trivial token of mediocrity. To others, though, it remains a life giving force of passion, joy, pain, darkness, light, hope, sorrow, faith, love and survival. A means of sharing the deepest stuff of life.

What (Amy Petty has) created, with Jacob and others, is a true masterpiece of spirit, art, music. As Peter Mayer said when we were driving from the airport to his show at The Maple Room, the highest hope for music is that it bears a kinship to the "word" that preceded the foundations of this world. That's a paraphrase. "Pain and beauty are constant bedfellows" - who coined that phrase? I feel deep longing, sorrow, nostalgia, hope, love, joy, perspective and wisdom when I listen to these songs. It scrapes some scabs off, but brings healing in the aftermath of the wound. Isn't that what art is supposed to do, as opposed to entertainment? It's "the perfect storm" of (Amy's) wisdom, gifts, vulnerability, sense of purpose, craft and inspiration intersecting with a team that knows how to capture perfection in sound and production. Holy you-know-what. I hear textures that are reminiscent of some of my favorite teams of artists and producers... Sarah McLachlan/Pierre Marchand, Marc Cohn/John Leventhal/Ben Wisch, etc. But this is so much more than a pretty and clean sounding recording. There is SUBSTANCE to the art, to the music, to the words. These are songs that deserve to be heard by a lot of people.

This was an epic event in my journey as a listener of music. The last 3 times I encountered something this epic were:

"Plumb" by jonatha brooke (10 years ago)
"Jigsaw" by john mcvey (4 years ago)
"lux aeterna" by morten lauridsen (8 years ago)

I'm so grateful to be some microscopic part of the soil that (Amy's) art is growing in... as a listener and as a musical entrepreneur. - Taylor Mesple

My friend Taylor Mesple told me last night "You will not believe how incredible this debut album from this NH artist Amy Petty is!". She certainly had some inspiring players (& a kickass producer) on this debut, I asked her if I could post a track here for my contacts to sample and when you do listen remember this is a DEBUT release recording. Amy's "Mystery Keeps You" is masterful & brilliant , songs like great paintings you want to sit in front of for a while. I know we all will be hearing much more from Amy Petty and she is well on the way to becoming a household name certainly across the States & Canada.
The only other debut recording that really knocked me off my feet was
David Francey's "Torn Screen Door"
Debut discs this good are not the norm but the very, very rare exception. - http://ctd3.posterous.com/

"If there is a heaven, it sounds like Amy Petty. The most naturally gifted singer I've heard on our stage in 10 years. Her guitar playing and song writing take her voice to all the right places. A generous and sincere performer."
-Shep Abbott, director - Venue

Amy Petty
Mystery Keeps You
Red Pill Entertainment RPE010807
****1/2
Daughter of soundman, this graduate from New Hampshire has taken America by storm. With a degree in voice performance, this debut showcases Amy’s talent just the way it should… in leaps and bounds and not once does it fail to prove through and through that she has an excess of creative talent running through her veins. Produced and engineered by Jacob Detering (Bonnie Raitt) MYSTERY KEEPS YOU is the full package.
The opening song, The Prince’s Daughter, sees Amy Petty open with gritty vocals full of sorrow and melancholy and holds the soulful essence of vocals by the likes of Joss Stone. Pretty at times and at others tastefully reserved, the dreamy connection of this song provides an instant comparison with artists like Sarah McLachlan in her performance of the song. The writing of this album is impeccable and seems to go full circle if you listen to the album through without interruption. The overall sound is oppressed rock with folk overtones, where you’re often left waiting for the rock flourished finish to a song and it never comes—instead you’re left focusing on the compelling lyrics and wistful vocals. It works, it works extremely well and in fact, I must say I’ve never heard anything quite like this. The second track, Broken Record, displays her songwriting style with deliberation, as she adopts a repetitive, continuous motion to the song and the songwriting. With stunning imagery and building a full picture of the idea behind the song, it’s again encompassing a rock infusion with folk-influenced writing. A lot of this is Amy—in the sense that she can be seen exploring herself and her ways, her reasonings and her relationships. There is balladry here, awesome percussion, fantastic lyrical development and wonderful vocal management. An album to be had by one and all. LB - Laura Bethel

Thursday, Aug. 13
PITTSFIELD -- "Is my life ambition to gain recognition/or to keep tradition and define definition?" asks Amy Petty in her song "Superstition."
The lyrics, she says, encompass a lot of the issues she has asked herself about as she became a singer/ songwriter, questions she knows a lot of women ask themselves as they're coming into their own.
Petty is one of 10 female musicians performing on two stages this Saturday at the Berkshire Women's Muse Festival from noon to 8 p.m. at Wahconah Park.
"'What am I doing this for?' That's what women are asking all the time," Petty said.
The lineup for the event is a Who's Who of the best female voices in the business of soulful music: Cheryl Wheeler, Suzanne Vega, SONiA of Disappear Fear, Amy Petty, Gretchen Peters, Nervous But Excited, Pamela Means, Lindsay Mac, Melissa Ferrick and Sarah Bettens.
Each one brings a different style and wisdom to the project of self-expression.
The event is the work of the Boston Baseball All-Stars and Move the Muse Productions, which collaborated to put together the festival at one of the All-Stars' venues, Wahconah Park.
Lynn Holdsworth, artistic director of the festival and founder of Move the Muse Productions, selected and brought in the musicians.
"I'm looking for messengers that are advocates for women," she said. "I wanted uppity women, powerful musicians, gifted artists, and I wanted a lot of energy on that stage.
"It's really important to me when I book people that they are not only great artists but wonderful human beings who will connect with the audiences."
Holding the festival in Pittsfield assures Holdsworth that the musicians will have no trouble clicking with audiences, she explained.
"What I found exciting being out in Western Mass. is that there is already such a large, visible, politically active women's community," she said. "Western Mass. has a wonderful music community, the venues out there are spectacular, people are used to great music and great indie artists, and that's a lot of what we're brining to the table. I felt it was an area that would really appreciate the lineup that we're presenting."
Although she is still an emerging artist, Petty fit the high standard that Holdsworth was looking for. Originally from Detroit, Amy Petty lives outside of Manchester, N.H. Her debut album, "Mystery Keeps You," came out in 2008.
"I always say I'm a singer/songwriter, but under that umbrella I get a lot of people calling it soul -- funky pop rock soul," she said. "Someone described me as a ‘sad white girl,' which is funny but accurate."
Petty received classical training in voice and was on the vocal performance path until she realized that she was more than a singer.
"I've always written poetry; I just never really dabbled in writing music," she said. "I realized that if I continued on this path of classical training then I wouldn't get the opportunity to be creative outside of singing someone else's music."
Many of the other women Petty shares the bill with are well-established icons in the music world.
Originally the lead singer for the group K's Choice, Bettens boasts an international solo career with her albums "Never Say Goodbye," "Shine" and "Scream."
She named women such as Mindy Smith, Shawn Colvin, The Indigo Girls and Tracy Chapman as musical influences, as well as Muse and Death Cab for Cutie.
"I'm drawn to music that has a high ‘realness' factor real music made by real people that talks about real things," she said.
Bettens is no stranger to women's music festivals.
"There's a special vibe there that you don't find at most other festivals," she said. "We feel like we can all relate on some level, and a day like that feels a little bit like a celebration of what binds us together as women.
"When you see how few woman-fronted rock bands there are out there that are truly successful, it's safe to say something's not quite even. Hopefully, time will change that."
- The Pittsfield Eagle

In her own words, Amy Petty, a relative newcomer to the folk-rock scene, is "amped" for the Berkshire Women's Muse Fest, set for Saturday, Aug. 15, at Pittsfield's Wahconah Park.
Petty will be performing at the music festival alongside iconic singers/songwriters Suzanne Vega, Melissa Ferrick and Cheryl Wheeler, as well as a slew of other performers who have been playing on stage for years.
"It's definitely going to be the highlight of my summer," Petty said.
The eight-hour festival, sponsored by Lynn Holdsworth's Move the Muse Productions, Boston Baseball and Gloss Productions, features "two stages of girl-powered music, with solo artists and female-fronted bands in the spotlight."
Holdsworth describes the music festival as an event "for everyone who wants to come out and enjoy the art of female musicians."
"I felt as if this would be a really great way to bring some really great music to the Berkshires and bring in some great musicians," Holdsworth said.
Other musicians scheduled to appear at the Pittsfield venue include Gretchen Peters, Sarah Bettens, Lindsay Mac, Pamela Means, SONiA of Disappear Fear and Nervous But Excited. Their music will range in style from folk to pop to rock, and, according to Holdsworth, the musicians are as diverse as the styles of music they will perform.
"They each come with different strengths. Some are new and emerging, and some, like Suzanne Vega and Cheryl Wheeler, are wonderfully accomplished artists," she said. "It is an amazing collection of remarkably talented women."
'The best in us'
Belgian-born alternative-rock singer Sarah Bettens is no newcomer to performing. She emerged as a musical force to be reckoned with in the mid-1990s as the lead singer of K's Choice, which earned gold and platinum records in continental Europe.
Now living in the United States and performing as a solo artist, Bettens said she is no stranger to the festival scene, either, and has performed at a variety of music festivals, including Lilith Fair and the Michigan Womyns Music Festival. Bettens is excited to be performing in the Berkshires for the first time and to be a part of a festival that celebrates female musicians.
"There's something about when a group of women come together," Bettens said during a recent phone interview while vacationing in Hawaii. "When you take the men out of the equation ... it just brings out the best in us."
Having been a part of other female-dominated festivals, where she said "the quality of music was amazing," Bettens is grateful for the opportunity a festival presents to watch other musicians play and to challenge herself as an artist.
"It's an opportunity to play in front of others who are not necessarily there to see me and hopefully winning them over," she said.
Accomplished singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters should have no problems winning the audience over, especially for those familiar with her songwriting credits.
Probably best known for writing Martina McBride's hit song "Independence Day," Peters has had a very successful career as a solo artist. She said there's nowhere she'd rather be than on stage performing for a crowd.
"It's really what I've always set out to do. My career as a songwriter with songs being covered by other artists was really an accident," Peters said. "It was a byproduct of my trying to find my way as an artist."
Although Peters probably will break out a few of her well-known hits written for other artists at the Pittsfield festival, the folk singer also will perform some tracks from her newest "American West" concept album with Tom Russell, "One to the Heart, One to the Head," but will also wait to gauge the audience's mood at the festival before she creates an entire set.
"I'll wait until the spirit moves me when I'm there. It's a lot more fun for the audience that way," Peters said.
Peters, who has taught a songwriter workshop at Kripalu in Lenox for the last two years, said she can't wait to return to the Berkshires, not just to perform, but for the weather, too. It's been stifling in Tennessee, Peters said, and she just can't wait to play outdoors.
"I love playing music outside. ... It just feels great," she said. "Just the experience of people being outdoors, enjoying the mountains and the fresh air, it's just a wonderful thing."
'Go and have fun'
And what type of wisdom would an accomplished singer/songwriter like Peters give to emerging artists performing at the festival like Petty?
"If I was going to impart any advice to new artists, then it is to relax and be themselves," she said. "If you are enjoying yourself, then the audience will, too."
And this is exactly what Petty intends to do.
"I'm just going to go and have fun," she said. "I'm going to do the stuff I know people like and try some new things, too."
Some of those new things include using a loop pedal and actually creating new music on stage infused with that signature "Amy Petty" sound.
"Somebody recently told me I have 'sad white girl music.' It's funny and pretty accurate," Petty said.
As for representing female musicians alongside the string of accomplished artists in the Muse Fest lineup - "It's so overwhelming" - Petty couldn't be happier.
"My mother raised me to be independent and to think for myself, and to try and make a difference when and where I can," she said. "The music industry can be very male-dominated, but when a bunch of chicks get together, it doesn't matter who you are. It's just the music that matters."
The Berkshire Women's Muse Fest debuts on Saturday, Aug. 15, from noon to 8 p.m. at Wahconah Park on Wahconah Street in Pittsfield. Advance tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at bwmusefest.com. Tickets can be purchased at the gate the day of the event for $35. Children under 10 are free.
- The Advocate