You don’t need to be queer to enjoy music being made by queer artists.
When Mercy Bell and Myles Goulart perform acoustic sets of their songs this Sunday at the Interwoven gallery and maker space, it will be a bill featuring two queer artists with local connections. Located at 634 Pleasant St. in downtown New Bedford, these solo performances are part of the ongoing concert series, “Unexpected Music,” a grant-based project that puts on concerts in rooms not usually used for musical performances.
The show begins at 4 p.m. and will last until 6 p.m. It is free.
“I’m excited to have Mercy playing, because she’s such a great singer and songwriter,” says New Bedford’s Scott Bishop, curator for the Unexpected shows. “She doesn’t play around here very often because she lives in Nashville, so to get her in a room like Interwoven, which is really intimate but has a very lively sound, is going to be a real treat. We don’t get to hear Myles perform often enough, either, so that’s the cherry on the sundae.”
Both artists released their most recent albums in 2021, adding to their catalogs of previous recordings, available on all of the major streaming services. These will be their first public shows since the onset of COVID-19. Bell grew up in New Bedford and earned a History degree from UMass Dartmouth, before moving the music capital of Nashville 10 years ago. Goulart is a Fairhaven resident and is the proprietor of the Hewn clothing store in downtown New Bedford.
A queer artist of Filipino descent, Bell’s brand of Americana has earned her national recognition. She has been compared to her “heroes,” such as Patti Griffin, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, and Linda Ronstadt.
Bell says that queer artists are on a trajectory of acceptance throughout America.
“Queer artists are making leaps and strides, the current status of queer artists is thriving,” she says. “But my music is for people of all identities, I strive to write for people of all persuasions. I particularly like playing in the northeast part of the country because it’s so liberally-minded and the people are incredibly accepting. The shows are always packed.”
And Bell says that in addition to the growing acceptance of queer performers, modern songwriters are exploring new thematic territory such as mental health issues.
“Musicians have always talked about mental health in a roundabout way,” she says, “But now it’s accepted in a straight-forward way. In the past it may have made people a little antsy, but it’s definitely something that is being explored and experimented with. You see people relating to themes like anxiety, depression and mental wellness.”
During COVID Bell made a discovery that has had significant benefits for her – becoming a “custom songwriter.” Partnering with the company Songfinch, Bell has written more than 30 songs for people who provide her with information about a certain person, which allows her to craft a song specifically for that person.
“I’m really enjoying doing these songs,” she says. “It’s really fun and it puts your lyricism to the test. You take somebody else’s ideas and words and craft it into something they can present to their husband or wife, mom or dad. It’s a unique gift.
“I love writing songs and during the shutdown it was hard to play shows, so this allowed me to keep writing music and have some income.”
If you’re interested in having Bell write a custom song for you, she can be contacted through Songfinch at www.songfinch.com.
Bell’s set at Interwoven will include a “sneak peek” of her latest project – songs from “Leather Daddies,” a musical she is writing about gay history for a Chicago-based theatre company..”
Bell describes the Interwoven show as a “full circle moment.” Her first public performance took place at an Open Mic night at Café Arpeggio’s in downtown in her early teens.
“It’s going to be great to get started up again,” she says. “I’m looking forward to seeing many friends and family, especially because this is the week of my birthday.”
Sonic SouthCoast 