Rachel Marie, Owen Walsh, Jessye DeSilva

The concert will feature a solo set by each artist, followed by a round robin song swap. The show begins at 7:30 pm and there is a suggested cash donation of $15. The Armory Cafe is at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville. For more information call 617-718-2191 or visit artsatthearmory.org/spaces/cafe or www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions.

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at the Armory Cafe presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert, on the first Saturday of each month. The Armory Cafe features live music in an intimate setting, a menu featuring sandwiches, soups, desserts and coffees, and plenty of free parking. Our 2/4 performers:

Rachel Marie takes a straightforward and honest approach to songwriting in an effort to foster genuine human connection and encourage empathy through music, following in a tradition of unapologetically forthright women folksingers. The social awareness of folk meets the introspection, catharsis, and healing of the singer-songwriter tradition. “Add in a brilliantly woven, genuine, and sometimes silly banter and Rachel’s unique show will stay with you a long time.” Boston-based and Pennsylvania-raised, Rachel has played at prestigious folk venues including the me & thee (MA), Club Passim (MA), the Burren (MA), and Godfrey Daniels (PA). Her next full-length record is slated for release in 2023. More at https://www.rachelmarie.com/.

Owen Walsh has been telling stories and performing music his entire life. Born and raised on the banks of the Lackawaxen River in Honesdale, Pennsylvania—a small, historic coal-mining town that spawned the American railroad—Owen grew up surrounded by relics of 19th Century American life and imagery ripe for musical exploitation. Owen began playing violin at the age of three, studying formal repertoire like Mozart concertos and Bach sonatas. At 12 years old, he found his dad’s dusty, old Epiphone guitar tucked away in a closet and taught himself how to play. Soon after he learned his first few chords, Owen began writing songs. He’s followed in the long tradition of Americana folk music, in which lyrics are equal in importance to the melodies that bind them. His years of formal training combined with his zest for informal improvisation create a unique blend of musical expression that incorporates the many styles Owen loves. More at https://owenwalshmusic.com/.

Jessye DeSilva (they/them) beams when they sing out a secret. The Boston-based artist weaves tapestries of witch pop and folk rock with their empathetic moral fiber, strengthened by the radical honesty that grounds their buoyant melodies. Rich with resilience and compassion, DeSilva centers their craft around community, reaching out from behind the piano to share their uplifting spirit with listeners. Their newest LP Landscapes forges a path through the triumphant and trembling moments of their life, sun-soaked and vivid like the 70s folk rock that soundtracked their childhood. And even when themes of religious trauma and mental health peek through, DeSilva’s smile remains unshakable. As American Songwriter explains in 2021’s “10 LQBTQ+ Artists You Should Know,” “Pain hangs off their lips, fueling them to greater, more soaring heights.” More at https://www.jessyedmusic.com/.