The Nields

• Folk Rock

With their unparalleled ability to blend pop craftsmanship, folk sensibility, and the influences of ’60s classic rock and ’90s alternative, The Nields have created a distinctive musical style that defies categorization. Their songs, imbued with intelligence and occasional humor, offer poignant observations on life’s unexpected twists and turns. Apple Music describes their sound as “equal parts The Beatles, the cranberries, and Joni Mitchell,” a testament to their unique fusion of melodic sensibilities.

Having earned their stripes with 21 albums, major and independent record and publishing deals, and performances alongside luminaries such as 10,000 Maniacs, The Band, James Taylor, and the Indigo Girls, The Nields have unquestionably paid their dues, paving their own path, forging a remarkable musical legacy that continues to captivate audiences around the world.

The Nields’ most recent record is Circle of Days. An homage to the calendar––and really, time itself––this collection of songs is a testament to the band’s enduring creativity and unwavering commitment to their craft.

During the pandemic, Nerissa and Katryna Nields, the band’s frontwomen, took a daily walk with their beloved dogs, Greta and Hudson. The destination was a nearby lake, where Katryna would take a daily photo. Inspired by the ever-shifting seasons, they came to realize that each of Nerissa’s new songs could be intimately connected to a particular time of year, forming a musical cycle.

Circle of Days resonates with those twinned states of mind––hope and fear––that come with living through quite a number of circles of days. From the anxious yet hopeful musings of the winter solstice in “Darkest Day of the Year” to the qualified optimism of summer’s bounty in “Angel on the Roof,” the album weaves together a vibrant tapestry of melodies and narratives that encapsulate the ebb and flow of life.

Among the album’s standout tracks are “Brigid,” an Imbolc song paying homage to the ancient celebration of the pagan goddess who gave her name to what became St. Brigid’s Day–-or what we in the US know as Groundhog’s Day. “When I Was a DJ” explores the losses we all experience in careers that becomes increasingly irrelevant as Big Business takes over, leaving so many of us voiceless. “Death & Resurrection” addresses our current epidemic of so-called deaths of despair, while “That’s What We Do” serves as a stirring graduation anthem, celebrating the triumphs and aspirations of artists and activists.

High Tea

• Indie Folk

High Tea, the folk-punk duo hailing from Massachusetts, is the explosive creation of a story-spinning blues guitarist and a harmony-obsessed punk. Isabella DeHerdt and Isaac Eliot have come together to fill spaces with homegrown storytelling and raucous, booming vocals. Their songs are ripe with existential angst, weaving tales of growing up, going wild, and always coming back to the ones you love.

Their previous releases, Scuba Diving, Old Cowboy, and The Wick And The Flame were featured on playlists, radio shows, and publications like The Boston Globe, The Greenfield Recorder, and WBUR (among others). The title track of Old Cowboy led them to be chosen as one of WBUR’s top 4 Massachusetts Tiny Desk entries of 2022. They toured The Wick And The Flame on the West Coast, in New England, the Midwest, and received write ups from Atwood’s Magazine, The Boston Herald, and more. They were nominated for the New England Music Awards Best Americana Act in 2023, and were selected to perform in the Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2025. High Tea has toured with Heather Maloney and Raye Zaragoza, and opened for artists such as Brandy Clark, Erin McKeown, The Whisky Treaty Roadshow, Mark Erelli, The Oshima Brothers, and others.

Despite its name, there’s nothing little about High Tea’s new album, A Small Notion. Listeners are led through an inspiringly personal journey, from the disoriented yearning of loss, to an appreciation of the brutal realities of rough living, to tender reflections on past mistakes, to an ultimate acceptance of the all-too-human need for community and care. As ever, the Massachusetts duo is heavily committed to marrying intensely beautiful lyrical storytelling with congruent and energetically contagious instrumental arrangements. Without a doubt, A Small Notion is some of High Tea’s most honest, eye-opening, and cathartic work yet.