7 performers talk about playing in a time when local music is center stage
In the midst of live music’s strangest season — with most national acts having canceled their tours — local talent is getting a lot of love.
“From farmer’s markets to on stage gigs, everyone has been so attentive and so appreciative,” Paul Driscoll said. “I’ve gotten some of the best and most generous feedback this year.”
MB Padfield, a Granite State native who heads home from L.A. every summer, agrees.
“People are bored of being bored and I think they’re far more receptive now that they’ve had this time to really reflect on priorities in their life,” she said. “Quarantine was a really big pause button.”
Here’s a look at seven performers currently playing around the state.
Gabby Martin
Performing since 2017, Gabby Martin is from Rochester and currently lives in Thornton.
What should people know about your music?
First of all, I see myself as a local kid — I really do love the state of New Hampshire. I love the venues and just being able to meet members of the community that I normally would not interact with. … Musically, I love performing covers. I do write music as well but there’s something really special about recreating music that people know and love in my own way.
What did you do during quarantine?
One thing that makes me unique from some of the other artists is that I’m also in grad school so that keeps me busy. During quarantine I did a live concert every Sunday and also learned some new equipment, played with some software. I am not one of those that wrote an entire album or anything like that.
When did you start playing out again?
May 22 at Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton.
How’s your summer going so far?
It’s going well. The biggest challenge would be the weather. I’ve been playing at Schilling Brewery in Littleton about once a weekend and that’s been a good addition, something that I didn’t have on the books before the beginning of the summer. It’s going well and it’s very nice to be back out with people.
What are some of your favorite venues?
Schilling Beer … the Copper Doors, Kettlehead Brewing, and I love Hart’s Turkey Farm — it’s a classic New Hampshire venue.
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
I’m finding it’s going very quickly compared to last summer.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
I’m pretty active on Facebook and Instagram and I also have a YouTube page.
Typical set list
“Bennie and the Jets” – Elton John
“Bobbie McGee” – Janis Joplin
“Big Yellow Taxi” – Joni Mitchell
“Valerie” – Amy Winehouse
“Angel from Montgomery” – John Prine
“Wish I Knew You” – The Revivalists
“Love Song” – Sara Bareilles
“Put Your Records On” – Corrine Bailey Rae
“Sunrise – Norah Jones
“Ironic” – Alanis Morissette
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 7 – Lone Wolf Brewing, Wolfeboro
Aug. 8 – Tumbledown Café, Sanbornville
Aug. 9 – Ore Mill, Warren
Aug. 11 – Common Man, Ashland
Aug. 13 – Sea Dog Brewing, Exeter
Aug. 27 – Revolution Taproom, Rochester
MB Padfield
Performing since she was 16, MB Padfield is originally from Manchester and is now based in North Hollywood, California. She comes back to New England to perform from the end of June to Labor Day since she moved to L.A. in 2017.
What should people know about your music?
The elevator pitch is I’m a pretty versatile live performer but my original music is grounded in pop and songwriting, so I’d like people to know that I’m a songwriter and that I write original music as well as play it in addition to live performances.
What did you do during quarantine?
I was just writing. I was songwriting and working on recording. I’m prepping, I want to do a record and I’m in the place I think mentally now where I’m really ready to do that, and I have the songs. So I spent the entire quarantine time just writing and making good music and then learning new stuff — spending time on, you know, things that I think were on the to-do list but I haven’t gotten to yet. … I wanted to learn a new computer program, I wanted to learn more about bass, and I think I was able to have that time so I could really dive in.
When did you start playing out again?
June 24 at Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester [a weekly residency for the summer].
How’s your summer going so far?
Everything has honestly been really great other than the fact that I lost more than half of my work — shows that I booked at the beginning of 2020 and canceled and then rebooked and then with the shutdown they canceled again. … But crowds want to be entertained and they are a bit more receptive. … In a world of background noise, I feel like now has been the time where we’re able to really step out from that.
What are some of your favorite venues?
I love playing at Bernie’s Beach Bar, it has a big stage, and at Wally’s; Hampton Beach feels like the Las Vegas strip.
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
I’m still taking requests for private parties and events and I’m still looking to book new venues and more venues. For the most part things have been status quo, or they have been in the past couple of weeks. Hopefully the Covid numbers will continue to decline and we’ll be able to start really moving past this.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
All my shows are on my website, mbpadfield.com
Typical set list
“Give Me One Reason” – Tracy Chapman
“Pretty for a Living” – MB Padfield
“Whole Lotta Love” – Led Zeppelin
“Havana” – Camila Cabello
“Into You” – MB Padfield
“The Real Slim Shady” – Eminem
“War Pigs” – Black Sabbath
“Full Throttle” – MB Padfield
“Can’t Take My Eyes off of You” – Lauryn Hill
“The Cat Song” – MB Padfield
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 8 – Bernie’s Beach Bar, Hampton Beach
Aug. 9 – Wally’s, Hampton Beach
Aug. 10 – Bernie’s Beach Bar, Hampton Beach
Aug. 12 – Murphy’s Taproom, Manchester (Wednesday residency)
Aug. 13 – Stumble Inn, Londonderry
Brad Bosse
Brad Bosse, originally from Milford, has been performing full time for eight years. He currently lives in Hooksett and has a summer place in Wells, Maine.
What should people know about your music?
I’m upbeat. I bring a good time. I do everything from Sinatra to Notorious B.I.G. to Sublime to Kenny Chesney. I kind of do it all, but I kind of make it into my own style.
What did you do during quarantine?
I was super bummed just because I’m a driven guy [and am] used to working all the time. The first couple of days, it was nice to have some time off, but I forecast my schedule six to eight months out and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I have no income.’ … I went on unemployment [so] I was making some money. I did a couple of livestreams … I called them Pajama Jams … but sitting in front of your phone in your bedroom playing guitar just doesn’t have the same effect as playing live. Then I said, when have I had this much time to just relax and write music, to not have to perform? Just picking up my guitar … it was nice to just do it for the pure joy of music again.
When did you start playing out again?
The first Monday that New Hampshire opened up outdoor dining May 20 at Penuche’s, then I played Wednesday at Stumble Inn in Londonderry, then Thursday at Tuscan Kitchen in Salem.
How’s your summer going so far?
It’s been really good. I was worried about the weather, because you just never know, and I personally super lucked out … every [time] it’s rained it was either before or after my gig. I’ve only gotten rained out twice. In regards to people coming out it’s a sense of normalcy that’s nice. … I love my job. It’s work, but at the same time I like that with music I get to forget anything else in life for three hours and just get lost in the music. I missed that, and it’s nice to have that again.
What are some of your favorite venues?
Instabar — that’s a new and really fun place. Stumble Inn is great … and Tuscan [Market & Kitchen in Salem].
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
More of the same. … I was doing Friday, Saturday and Sunday doubles every single week last summer, and I decided to stop, but when somebody offers me a gig, I have such a hard time saying no even though I know the day is going to kick my ass. This summer … I picked up a couple, because I had gigs set up before Covid hit, then I booked all these new dates.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
My Brad Bosse Music Facebook page is the best place.
Typical set list
“Steal My Kisses” – Ben Harper
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – “Rolling Stones
“No Diggity” – Blackstreet
“Franklin’s Tower” – Grateful Dead
“Fly Me to the Moon” – Frank Sinatra
“Humble” – Kendrick Lamar
“Danny’s Song” – Kenny Loggins
“Give Me One Reason” – Tracy Chapman
“Closer to the Sun” – Slightly Stoopid
“Small Worlds” – Mac Miller
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 7 – The Oven, Epping
Aug. 8 – Community Oven, Hampton
Aug. 9 – Instabar, Hampton & Cheers, Concord
Aug. 11 – McGuirks, Hampton Beach
Aug. 14 – Stumble Inn, Londonderry & The Oven, Epping
Aug. 15 – Community Oven, Hampton
Aug. 16 – Instabar, Hampton
Aug. 18 – McGuirks, Hampton Beach
Paul Driscoll
Paul Driscoll, who was born in Stoneham, Mass., grew up in Everett, Mass., and spent most of his life in Colorado, is now based in Milford and has been performing for three and a half years.
What should people know about your music?
I always want to give people something new, whether it’s my original music or something that I know that they probably haven’t heard yet. … If it’s one of my own songs and it goes over that’s something I’ll always come back to, because it’s just the best to be able to, like, make someone bob their head or get up and dance to your own song.
What did you do during quarantine?
That first month or so I think like a lot of people I was just wishing that it was just kind of going to blow over really quick. I was stuck in a place of not really being motivated besides doing online shows. I wasn’t writing a lot and my head was a little foggy. Over the past few months I’ve really come out of that and I’ve started writing more from different points of view. I feel like I’ve become a lot more thoughtful as a songwriter and as an entertainer.
When did you start playing out again?
May, at Trombly Gardens in Milford.
How’s your summer going so far?
I’ve been playing a lot. … There are some places that I’ve never played before that reached out to me just because they need local music in some capacity.
What are some of your favorite venues?
Fresh Chicks Market in Peterborough is really awesome and the farmers always tip well with baked goods and all that stuff. So that’s really cool. And definitely Trombly Gardens in Milford.
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
The shows have picked up exponentially so now it’s pretty much back to a normal schedule, just playing outside pretty much instead of all the indoor shows. I’m also three songs into my second album as far as writing and I’ve got a little bit of a concept going. So a lot of writing and a lot of playing. Just trying to stay creative.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
My Facebook page, Paul Driscoll Music.
Typical set list
“Hold On” – Tom Waits
“Thirteen Silver Dollars” – Colter Wall
“Lenny’s Song” (original)
“Old Paint” (traditional)
“Dancing in the Dark” – Bruce Springsteen
“Whitehouse Road” – Tyler Childers
“Million Pound Man” (original)
“These Days” – Black Keys
“Poor Man’s Son” – Noah Gunderson
“Ain’t Nobody’s Problem” – Sawmill Joe
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 8 – Moonlight Meadery, Londonderry
Aug. 10 – Fresh Chicks Local Outdoor Market, Peterborough
Aug. 22 – Concord Arts Market
Sept. 6 – Trombly Gardens, Milford
April Cushman
Originally from Brookline and now living in Swanzey, April Cushman has been playing guitar since she was 5. As an adult, she’s been performing for five or six years and is now a full-time musician.
What should people know about your music?
As a songwriter I feel like I’m really trying to stay on my own path and … to know that my music is telling stories that are true to me, telling stories that other people can relate to…. I grew up with a lot of country, folk and rock, and I’m trying to stay on the Southern rock side of things versus the country pop scene that’s really popular right now.
What did you do during quarantine?
I lost almost four months’ worth of shows, so I tried to try to keep as much contact with my fans as I possibly could. Thank goodness for social media. I was able to do a bunch of online shows, going live across the country. … My husband, my daughter and I do a lot of fishing and four-wheeling, so we tried to stay outside and enjoy life as much as we could and just kind of hang tight until things started to open again. It was a difficult time.
When did you start playing out again?
My first was an acoustic show at a venue I never played before in Hampton called WHYM Brewery. It was nice to sit there and play for three hours and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, people are real!’
How’s your summer going so far?
Great. I had recorded and released my first single about a month ago … got that all out of the way and came back home. I started gigging again, and it has been rolling.
What are some of your favorite venues?
I’ve been hitting up the craft brewery scene really hard, because all these places have really great patios and little stages away from everyone [like] Backyard Brewery in Manchester [and] Smuttynose in Hampton.
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
I’m really looking forward to playing Fletcher Murphy Park in Concord on Aug. 8 with my band. It will be the first time we’ve been on stage together since the beginning of February.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
The best way is through my website — aprilcushman.com. A lot of people follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
Typical set list
“Walking In Memphis” – Mark Cohn
“In A Small Town” – Original
“Soundtrack to My City” – Original
“Dust On The Bottle” – David Lee Murphy
“Fire And Rain” – James Taylor
“Once Upon A Time” – Original
“Come To My Window” – Melissa Etheridge
“Ain’t No Stopping You” – Original
“Skin And Bones” – Liz Longley
“Humble and Kind” – Lori McKenna
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 6 – Village Trestle, Goffstown
Aug. 7 – Murphy’s Taproom, Bedford
Aug. 8 – Fletcher-Murphy Park, Concord
Sept. 4 – Murphy’s Taproom
Ryan Williamson
Ryan Williamson, who grew up in Concord and still lives there, has been performing for almost three years.
What should people know about your music?
I tell everyone from the beginning that all the sounds I’m going to play are going to be played live. I use a lot of looping stuff but I don’t use any pre-recorded sounds; I make all of it myself. I play all kinds of genres … anything from Lee Brice country to Taylor Swift and Usher. Stuff that you wouldn’t expect to hear out of a solo guitarist.
What did you do during quarantine?
For the first couple weeks I just enjoyed not playing gigs all the time and kind of decompressed — I actually really liked that for a while. I started messing around with GarageBand, recording my original stuff, working on a range of different things trying to stay creative. I did a couple of online shows, which was really weird, because I’ve played at places where there are no people in the crowd, but this time there were definitely no people … but I got some good feedback on it. It was fun to try new stuff. That went on until the gigs came back.
When did you start playing out again?
End of May, at Backyard Brewery in Manchester.
How’s your summer going so far?
The last couple of weeks I have been really busy, and the next couple of months are really busy too, so I don’t feel like I’ve lost a whole lot. A lot of places have done a really good job creating outdoor seating areas for their patrons, and on the off chance that it’s raining, some places are still doing inside seating if people are comfortable with that.
What are some of your favorite venues?
I love Backyard Brewery and little places like Firefly in Manchester. Fratello’s in Nashua — the city has done a really good job opening up the Main Street area to have outdoor seating. You’re like hybrid busking out there. I’m on the street corner playing to patrons of a restaurant and to anyone who’s walking down the streets. That’s a new experience for me.
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
I’m going to be just playing gigs; I can’t go anywhere. Normally my family and I would go to our house in Canada, but we’re not allowed to go there, so I’m just going to be here playing gigs at various places around New Hampshire.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
I’m pretty bad at Facebook, but I try to keep my website up to date — ryanwilliamson.com.
Typical set list
“Moondance” – Van Morrison
“Hard to Love” – Lee Brice mashup with “Learning to Fly” – Tom Petty
“I Don’t Care” – Ed Sheeran
“Rhiannon” – Fleetwood Mac
“Slow Burn” – Kacey Musgraves
“Dancing in the Dark” – Bruce Springsteen
“Delicate” – Taylor Swift
“Faithfully” – Journey
“Die a Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett mashup with “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer
“Watermelon Sugar” – Harry Styles
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 7 – Cactus Jack’s, Manchester
Aug. 8 – Backyard Brewery, Manchester
Aug. 11 – Murphy’s Taproom, Bedford
Aug. 14 – WHYM Brewery, Hampton
Aug. 15 – Cactus Jack’s, Manchester
Aug. 16 – KC’s Rib Shack, Manchester
Aug. 17 – Homestead, Merrimack
Aug. 18 – Fratello’s, Nashua
Aug. 20 – Firefly, Manchester
Maddi Ryan
Maddi Ryan of Methuen, Mass., who has been performing since she was 16, just finished her senior year of college at Boston University and moved back to her home town.
What should people know about your music?
I always want to be genuine and honest with listeners and I want to do something people resonate with, like, yeah, I’ve gone through that. I want to connect with people and be that friend through my music. I usually lean toward more of the pop country realm, because I love the attitude behind it. Singers like Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood — I feel the emotions.
What did you do during quarantine?
I was finishing up my senior year of college, which was interesting, but I was also writing, writing, writing all the time. I annoyed my parents with the loud sounds coming out of my room. Me and the drummer I play with, Charles Greenwood, we were playing some livestreams and writing, reflecting and thinking of the next steps of where I want to be when this is all over.
When did you start playing out again?
June 27 was my first gig, at Liberty & Union Ale House in Taunton.
How’s your summer going so far?
It’s going pretty well. Most of these gigs are outside so it’s very dependent on the weather, which luckily has been holding up.
What are some of your favorite places to play?
Bonfire in Manchester is always such a fun time. All the places I play are awesome; it’s hard to pick a favorite.
What’s the rest of your summer look like?
Playing shows of course, and it looks like a lot of recording — I’ve put all my energy into [working in] my basement, trying to get some writing done and make demos. Looking forward to putting out some music in the near future.
How can people keep up with your shows and projects?
My Maddi Ryan Music Facebook page and my website too.
Typical set list
“Free Fallin’” – Tom Petty
“Stuck Like Glue” – Sugarland
“Folsom Prison Blues” – Johnny Cash
“Lonely” – Maddi Ryan
“Come Together” – The Beatles
“Hotel California” – Eagles
“Chicken Fried” – Zac Brown Band
“Tennessee Whiskey” – Chris Stapleton
“Zombie” – The Cranberries
“My Church” – Maren Morris
Upcoming appearances
Aug. 7 – Bonfire, Manchester
Aug. 28 – Old School Bar & Grill, Windham
Featured Image: MB Padfield. Courtesy photo.
