People sometimes ask us, “do you keep Songwriters in the Round going throughout the summer?” The answer is an unequivocal YES. Why don’t we take a break? The answer is simple. If we want you (the audience) to be there for us, then we (the performers) need to be there for you. We don’t want you to have to think about it, or check your email, or check your social media accounts. Your only thought should be, “Is it a first or third Wednesday?” Then, yeah, we are going to be at the Rooted Armory Café bringing surprising, moving, new music for your enjoyment and edification. Let’s keep it rolling.

This will be your last chance to hear the gently stunning voice of Emily Sangder for a while, as she is relocating to the West Coast soon. We welcome the soulful debut of bass-playing singer/songwriter Cilla Bonnie, who is a local legend as a collaborator with Alisa Amador, Ali McGuirk and Jen Kearney. Sam Bayer is familiar to Armory Café audiences for his Saturday night songwriter series, but this is your first chance to hear him in our little corner of the world. And powerhouse art-rock/classical-grunge vocalist Hayley Thompson-King returns to our stage after more than a year.

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Our songwriters this week

Cilla Bonnie is a working bass player, singer and songwriter. Over the past 15 years she’s performed, toured and recorded in numerous projects across the country. In 2020 she released her fourth recording project, ‘August’ and is gearing up to record her next project in 2024. Cilla Bonnie’s music is a blend of R&B-inspired groove and structure similar to Radiohead. In addition to her solo project, Cilla currently plays bass for the 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner, Alisa Amador and Boston-based soul artist Ali McGuirk. Check out Cilla’s most recent recording project ‘August’ and follow her on Instagram @cillabonniemusic to keep up with her performances and upcoming projects. https://www.cillabonniemusic.com

Boston musician Sam Bayer is your literate, exuberant guide to an imaginary world where housewives win the Nobel Prize in physics, poker-playing children gamble over their bedtimes, and metaphorical elephants pirouette in the den, four and a half minutes at a time. His latest studio CD, The Great Indoors, brings 11 gems from his universe to yours. https://sambayer.com

“…a voice that can do anything” (Americana UK)
Hayley Thompson-King is mezzo-soprano, composer/songwriter, and performing artist. Her work explores a broad range of sounds and vocalities drawn from Americana, psych, garage-rock, and art music. Her solo debut, Psychotic Melancholia was lauded as “an explosive display of vocal prowess” (PopMatters); “a poetic and measured critique of life as a woman in the 21st Century” (Noisey); and “a positively jaw-dropping exposition that celebrates the entire canon of rock ‘n’ roll’s energy, and should be considered an upping of the ante on the gritty sonic real estate of garage, punk, country, and Americana…” (Paste Magazine). Hayley’s most recent album, Sororicide, accommodates Hayley’s diverse musical influences, including her re-arrangements of operatic arias by Samuel Barber and Maurice Ravel. In performance, this work explores storytelling and multi-sensory composition, incorporating vivid video projections created by her collaborator Ann Kraus. www.hayleythompsonking.com

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Emily Sangder knew that she wanted to make music that feels the way being outside makes you feel: understood, authentic, and vulnerable. Emily has spent a lot of time in nature focusing on what is really going on around her, and helping her to realize the things that matter the most. Her lyrics come from a place of hope and heartache, brought to her by her past adventures. Whether it’s a long drive home or a walk through the wilderness, Emily hopes that her songs can bring you some much needed peace and understanding. Some career highlights include performing with artists such as Halie Loren, Evynne Hollens, Tony Glausi, and David Wilcox, and performing at world-renowned venues such as the Beacon Theater in New York, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle, and Club Passim in Cambridge, MA. She is also thrilled to announce her recent collaboration with the renowned nonprofit organization WhyHunger as an Artist Ambassador. https://www.emilysangder.com

1st & 3rd Wednesdays at ROOTED Cafe at 7 PM

Four songwriters take the stage, seated in a comfortable semi-circle. They take turns playing songs, occasionally joining in with each other on harmony vocals or guitar licks. The format encourages conversation between the writers, which gives the audience an opportunity to hear these creative people talk as if in their own living rooms. Inspired by the “guitar pulls” of the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville.

You might hear a young up-and-coming pro, an established mid-career performer and mentor, and a cherished elder of the scene — all sharing music. The growing relationships will warm your heart and enrich your soul. Come every week as the lineup shifts and new friends are made.

Hosted by Somerville singer/songwriter David Thorne Scott. Held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Donations welcome.

Part of the ROOTED Armory Café Series. Café menu is available here. Beer and wine also available!

1st & 3rd Wednesdays at ROOTED Cafe at 7 PM

Four songwriters take the stage, seated in a comfortable semi-circle. They take turns playing songs, occasionally joining in with each other on harmony vocals or guitar licks. The format encourages conversation between the writers, which gives the audience an opportunity to hear these creative people talk as if in their own living rooms. Inspired by the “guitar pulls” of the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville.

You might hear a young up-and-coming pro, an established mid-career performer and mentor, and a cherished elder of the scene — all sharing music. The growing relationships will warm your heart and enrich your soul. Come every week as the lineup shifts and new friends are made.

Hosted by Somerville singer/songwriter David Thorne Scott. Held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Donations welcome.

Part of the ROOTED Armory Café Series. Café menu is available here. Beer and wine also available!