Author: Michael Witthaus

April Cushman and Brad Myrick team up

On paper, the pairing of April Cushman and Brad Myrick is unexpected. At the recent New England Music Awards, she won for Best Country Act, while he was nominated in the jazz category. Over the years, however, they’ve connected a lot, at area open mics and through bookings done by NH Music Collective, an agency co-run by Myrick.

Recently, they tried playing together informally and found a strong musical connection. So, when Cushman got an offer to open for Scotty McCreary at Keene’s Colonial Theatre, she reached out to him to see if he’d be interested in making her solo act a duo for the show.

It turned into a heady night, as the sold-out crowd responded thunderously to their first song, a rarity when most fans are typically trickling in when the opener is on stage. That gig led to a headlining date for Cushman’s band at the intimate Colonial Showroom on Dec. 9, with Myrick joining the group; it sold out. Over the past several months, they’ve played many shows together, in big and small rooms.

“Brad and I have always been booking with each other and playing a lot of the local places,” Cushman said in a recent co-interview with Myrick. “It just came about that we should collaborate and come together. I’m a rhythm guitarist and Brad is amazing at everything he does. We’re both huge advocates of original music. I regret not doing it sooner than we did.”

Though his recorded output points in one direction, “I gotta say, I’m decisively a rock and pop guy,” Myrick offered. “It’s funny, when I moved back to New Hampshire after being away for a decade, the first project that got some traction was a quintet, so everybody around here started thinking of me as a jazz guy.”

Cushman concurred. “A lot of country music stuff is really rooted in rock and bluegrass,” she said. “When you think about taking Brad and me separately and combining them together where we are both so rooted in rock … country music is very pop these days, and bluegrass … it just worked very well.”

Myrick is especially excited by working in the studio; the two connected in a big way there. Cushman’s debut, The Long Haul, was made in Nashville with session players, and Cushman was looking for a change, both in approach and venue. In November, she and Myrick recorded two of her songs at The Greenhouse Studio in Gilford, for release next year.

“Smoke” is a both aching and sweet ballad that alludes to the trap of social media. “Do you feel like you have to use that filter?” Cushman sings. “Are you stuck somewhere in between who you are and what they see?” Myrick’s fingerpicking guitar perfectly complements the all-acoustic track. The treasure-every-moment “Borrowed Time” is equally intimate and includes a Myrick harmony vocal.

“I wanted to come out of the gates with the first record … radio-ready,” Cushman said. “But at the end of the day, I never played on any of those tracks. I tracked all the vocal work myself … but any of the acoustic guitar on The Long Haul, it’s not me. Playing with Brad in the studio and keeping it local, I think is very important.”

“It was really easy for me to share music with April because she’s got songs; the lyrics are relatable,” Myrick said. “As a side man, I’m listening to the singer, I’m thinking, ‘How do I support that and give it a second voice?’”

Their next duo show is opening for Joe Nichols in Boston Dec. 15. Locally, they’ll do an apres-ski set at Sunapee Resort on Friday, Jan. 6, and share the stage with Houston Bernard Band at the Press Room in Portsmouth on Jan. 20. Both are keeping busy solo schedules. Myrick has a few holiday shows upcoming, including one at Café One East in Warner on Dec. 17 and another at Contoocook Cider Co. on Dec 21.

He spent last summer in Italy, recording a soon to be released record with longtime musical partner Nicola Cipriani. “I think it’s my masterpiece, the best thing I’ve done in 41 years of being alive; I’ve never been so excited about music,” he said, adding, “the last few months have been great playing with April; she’s on such a great trajectory right now. I’m so proud of her, she’s just killing it.”

Death, Seventh Son, Nights of the Dead and Somewhere in Time. When it sells out, there are other items that headbangers will love, like a Pantera set, along with standalones of Ronnie James Dio and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider.

Featured photo: April Cushman and Brad Myrick performing at NEMA2022. Photo Credit: M. Allen Photography

Music fan gift guide

From modest to massive, local to legend, light fun to heavy tomes, there’s a great gift for the music fan in your life. Here are some ideas sure to bring a smile this holiday season.

Rocking Horse Music Club’s Circus of Wire Dolls (rockinghorsemusicclub.com) is one of the best records to come out of New Hampshire in years, an ambitious rock opera of memoir and anthropomorphism that could very well be on Broadway one day. Its lineup includes area talent and progressive rock legends, led by creator and producer Brian Coombes — available on vinyl and CD.

Speaking of local acts, several released great albums this year. Couple Gravity and the Stars Above, the moody pop-punk sophomore release from Donaher (facebook.com/donahertheband), with a cool T-shirt. Go country with April Cushman’s NEMA-winning The Long Haul and a bull skull hoodie (aprilcushman.com), or gift Faith Ann Band’s raging In Bloom with a piece of their leader’s handmade jewelry (thefaithannband.com).

Concert tickets are a gift that pays off now and later, when the shows actually happen. The two-day Northlands Festival (northlandslive.com) is returning next June, this time with The String Cheese Incident and Phish’s Mike Gordon topping the bill at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey. The long-awaited Nashua Center for the Arts finally opens in April, with Suzanne Vega, blues polyglot Grace Kelly and ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro all on sale, along with other shows (nashuapac.org).

For the gadget-minded, there are some great options. If you’re feeling really generous, the Beolit 20 from Bang & Olufsen is a perfect gift. It’s a portable Bluetooth speaker that runs around $500, which is entry level for the Danish sound company. Along with pristine output, the unit’s top doubles as a magnetic charge base for mobile phones.

Less lofty is JBL’s Charge 5, a (totally) tubular speaker that’s waterproof and quite powerful. Apple AirPods are always a safe pick; the third-generation ones pack a big bass wallop. For the extravagant, there’s the sleek and powerful over-ear AirPods Max. Just as beautiful is the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame, which does not require user assembly, a rarity for that store. It works with Sonos, AirPlay and Spotify Connect.

How thoughtful is the clever offering from Vinylify, a bespoke vinyl album containing a playlist of choice and customized cover art? The site also offers gift cards, a safer choice that will allow your music lover’s imagination to run wild. You can give them some ideas with Easton Press’s voluminous Rock Covers book, which collects more than 750 sleeves from Elvis and onward, organized by artist and spanning rock’s 40-year “golden era” at a pricey $176.

More down to earth are books about classic rock favorites. Bob Spitz, whose past works include an encyclopedic look at The Beatles, has a biography of Led Zeppelin that does a great job with the band’s early days, when its four members were scrappily climbing the ladder and learning the ropes. U2 front man Bono’s Surrender looks back at his life through 40 of his band’s songs.

If fiction is more to your favorite fan’s liking, a good choice is a hardcover copy of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six with a “She just seemed so fearless” bookmark. The novel traces the rise and fall of a band that sounds very much like the Stevie Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac.

Given the recent passing of Christine McVie, now’s a fine time to spin “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun” — or marinate in McVie’s own music. There’s a Glyn Johns remaster of her Songbird: A Solo Collection that’s a good choice there. Or go further back in McVie’s career: For the hardcore fan, there’s a limited white-vinyl edition of the 1970 record she made as Christine Perfect on Amazon — an import, naturally.

Everyone loves toys for Christmas, especially music fans. One of the best (and hardest to get) is Funko Pop! Rocks: Iron Maiden Glow In The Dark Box Set (popmarket.com). It includes four 4.5-inch Eddie figures of the English heavy metal band: Live After Death, Seventh Son, Nights of the Dead and Somewhere in Time. When it sells out, there are other items that headbangers will love, like a Pantera set, along with standalones of Ronnie James Dio and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider.

Featured photo: A bespoke vinyl album containing a playlist of choice and customized cover art through Vinylify.

Amanda McCarthy duos for hometown show

On a Thursday afternoon in late October, Amanda McCarthy played a set at Bobby’s Idle Hour, a no-nonsense bar nestled at the edge of Nashville’s Music Row. The busy performer had another gig scheduled later that evening, but this one was special, marking the release of “Lifeline,” a song that takes a healthy look back at a long-gone relationship.

“When I finished that song in the writing session, I was like, ‘Well that’s all I have to say,’” McCarthy recalled in a recent phone interview. “I think there’s something really cool about that feeling.” Begun a few years ago and completed with the help of her fiancé, Tom Shubsda, and Martin Butter, its finality shares common ground with Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.”

At her side that day was Sam Ferrara, a singer-songwriter she’d worked with a lot since leaving New Hampshire just over two years ago, lately singing backup on Ferrara’s own ex-boyfriend burn, “Get Out of My Town.” The two will be making a trip North in early December, with dates at NYC’s Cutting Room and Over The Moon Farmstead in the Granite State.

“I played in New York City before, but she’s from there, so it’ll be really cool to meet her people and be with her in her home environment,” McCarthy said. “Then I’ll get to bring her to New Hampshire.”

The bond with Ferrara is one of many McCarthy has formed since her 2020 leap of faith to Music City. She’s been a part of several songs that have been recorded, co-writing Benn Park’s “Mountain Steep” and penning “Unwrite Every Song” with Emily Myers. “That was a special one,” McCarthy said. “She’s also one of my best friends.”

Though written years ago, “The Long Haul” recently helped April Cushman win a New England Music Award for Best Country Act. McCarthy still hews to the song’s message of tenacity in the face of challenge. “I’ve kept my expectations low but my work ethic high,” she said. “I’ve always been kind of an underdog in a way, and I have no problem working harder day by day, trying to figure it out.”

Her biggest success isn’t one song or even the award she received from Young Entertainment Professionals Nashville for being its most active member. “Being able to quit my job was certainly validating because it let me say I’m stable enough, I’m getting enough work that I can do this,” she said.

She’s aware it’s a crucible that’s not for everyone. “I was always a full-time musician up north and the big question was can I do this in Nashville,” she said. “I was able to, and that really gave me a confidence boost and let me know I’m on the right path, no matter where it’s going. Every time someone records a song I’ve helped write is validating, because it shows me that other people see the value in what I write, not just me.”

The move also helped her growth as an artist. “I’ve learned so much about songwriting from being here, and it hasn’t even been from anyone telling me that I was doing anything wrong. I think just being around so much of it, you absorb a lot, you get inspired by a lot. I’ve kind of become in tune with knowing how to really pull out my inner voice. But I can also become other people’s voices, which is a very cool way to switch things up — and my voice has gotten stronger.”

McCarthy looks forward to seeing friends and family and doing some tax-free Christmas shopping during her brief visit, which also includes a solo show at The Bar in Hudson on Dec. 4. Beyond that, performing at Moonlight Meadery’s home base is about more than music for her.

“The owners, Michael and Bernice, are my best friend’s father and stepmother, and she’s my maid of honor,” McCarthy said, noting that the bridal shower for her wedding next spring happened at the facility. “So not only are they part of an amazing music venue, but I have a very personal connection with them…. I’ve known them since I was a kid, so it’s very cool to be playing there.”

Amanda McCarthy & Sam Ferrara
When: Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m.
Where: Over The Moon Farmstead, 1253 Upper City Road, Pittsfield
More: amandamccarthy.com

Featured photo: Amanda McCarthy. Photo Credit Nash Bash Collective.