The Folk Collective at Passim empowers, amplifies, and celebrates artists and voices who have historically shaped folk music and will continue to inspire its future.Through a two-year cohort model, the program provides artist development, mentorship, performance opportunities, and collaborative space—creating pathways to uphold folk music as vibrant, open to all, and reflecting the rich tapestry of its voices, traditions, and communities..
For more information about The Folk Collective, contact shea@passim.org.
Supported in part by a generous donation from Nine Athens Music.
Upcoming Folk Collective Events
The Folk Collective Annual Concert
Saturday, May 3rd, 7pm
Mayfair featuring The Folk Collective
Sunday, May 4th, 12-6pm
2025 Cohort
Alma Vatya
Alma Vatya is a twenty-one-year-old guitarist, singer, and banjo player who performs American vernacular music inspired and informed by a lifelong exploration of pre-war country blues, ballads, and spirituals. ALMA grew up in the high desert of Bisbee, Arizona. Her love for country blues began when a neighbor gave her a small handmade fretless banjo along with cassettes of Mance Lipscomb and Mississippi Fred McDowell. During formative travels to Mississippi, she learned the Bentonian blues style from Jimmy “Duck” Holmes at his Blue Front Cafe, and the trance blues of Robert Belfour in Clarksdale juke joints. Her polyrhythmic guitar and banjo stylings and nuanced vocals have been honed through hundreds of performances to national and international audiences.
Anand Nayak
Anand Nayak is a Grammy-nominated producer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist living in Florence, Massachusetts. Anand has been the guitarist for folk band Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem since 2000, performing all over North America on stages large and small. He also performs and has toured with many artists including Polly Fiveash, May Erlewine, Jeffrey Foucault, Lui Collins, Alastair Moock, Heather Maloney, Pamela Means, Cloudbelly, Jim Eagan, Wishbone Zoe, and PBS Kids host Steve Roslonek (aka Stevesongs), along with other acts from the pioneer valley. Anand has produced, tracked or mixed for Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, The Pixies, Alastair Moock, Stevesongs, Lui Collins, Judith Avers, Adam Dunetz, Maria Sangiolo, Wishbone Zoe, And The Kids and many others.
Chris Walton
Chris Walton is a jack of all trades. Walton is a singer, songwriter, and producer based in Boston. He’s equally comfortable writing intimate introspective love songs or upbeat retro pop tracks, which is evident throughout his 2021 EP, Fade. He released his debut album, Ruminating Thoughts, in January 2023. This album is a culmination of his music up to this point, including recent releases “Soon” and “Cravin’,” which left fans eager to hear more from the chilled-out crooner. Inspired by the likes of Stevie Wonder, early John Mayer, and Daniel Caesar, Chris has created an album of smooth, jazz-kissed songs that tug at the heartstrings of listeners with effortless relatability on love and loss of love. Walton attended Berklee College of Music and is now a Professor of Songwriting at the very same institution.
Grace Givertz
Hailing from the sunshine state of Florida, Grace Givertz captivates audiences with her indie folk compositions, blending earworm melodies with heartfelt storytelling. As a multi-instrumentalist, she infuses her music with a diverse array of sounds, weaving folk, Americana, and indie rock into a tapestry uniquely her own. Drawing inspiration from her personal journey living with chronic illness, Givertz's music resonates with raw emotion and introspection. Her experiences infuse her songs with depth and authenticity, inviting listeners to explore themes of resilience and vulnerability. She has also been heavily involved with the Black Opry, an organization dedicated to highlighting and supporting Black musicians in the country music industry.
Mercedes Escobar
Fluctuating between aggressive and sweet, Guatemalan singer-songwriter Mercedes Escobar’s raw, guttural vocals dominate any stage. Her voice has been likened to a mix between Linda Ronstadt and Howlin’ Wolf. She’s created a unique genre which blends the rawness of old blues and country vocals and guitar, with the intensity of magical realism lyrics and the sonic traditions of her home culture; All while staying true to her modern values against prejudice in music, race and gender. She calls this “Latin Americana.” Her upcoming full-length album is currently being produced by 2024-Grammy-winning producer and artist Gaby Moreno, with whom she’s also shared the stage before. Mercedes also received a nomination for Latin Artist of the Year at the 2024 Boston Music Awards.
Nora Meier
Nora Meier is a diehard music fan, a frequent moviegoer, a daughter of two English majors, an Oregonian at heart, a verbal processor, a big reader, extremely stubborn, and always writing. She was raised on her dad’s curated mixtapes and epic vinyl collection, which cultivated her deep love for the format of The Album and an obsession with Bruce Springsteen. Her very own debut album, Outfield, was born during a full moon / lunar eclipse on a farm in Connecticut with the help of some of her favorite musicians. Ten songs were tracked in seven days, interspersed by basketball scrimmages, deli trips and walks around a big field. The album was produced and mixed by Charles Dahlke (The Brazen Youth) and mastered by Andrew Goldring (Olivia Barton, Katie Lynn Sharbaugh). Outfield was released on October 2nd, 2024.
Pamela Means
Pamela Means is a Easthampton MA-based Out(spoken), Biracial, independent artist whose “kamikaze guitar style” and punchy provocative songs have worn a hole in two of her acoustic guitars. With razor wit, an engaging presence, elegant poetry, irresistible charm, plus jokes, Pamela Means’s “stark, defiant songs” (New York Times) set the status quo and the stage afire. Pamela has performed on three continents and across the country, gaining fans and rave reviews from Anchorage to Amsterdam, Sydney to Stockholm, San Francisco to Honolulu to New York, breaking album sales records at national festivals and sharing stages with Pete Seeger, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Gil Scott-Heron, Adrian Belew, Violent Femmes, Holly Near and more.
Photocomfort
Photocomfort is the platform for Boston-based artist Justine Bowe’s careful, expansive pop. Photocomfort is the distillation of the exacting songwriting, production and performance craftsmanship she lends to other recording projects like Hex Girlfriend, Anjimile, and Cliff Notez. She borrows as much from 90s radio heroes like Alanis Morissette and Dido as from Joanna Newsom or Radiohead. Huge vocal hooks soar over nimble arrangements, presenting the self-doubt and isolation born from the pursuit of “the dream” of being an artist as harrowing, irresistible and irresistibly catchy. Stepping away from moody and humorous self-reflections, her latest album, “Patron Saint,” is a collection of platonic love songs.
Rachel Moberg
Rachel Moberg is a singer/songwriter, whose developing sound reflects a wide variety of musical influences. Originally a classically trained pianist, she has found a home for her own artistic endeavors in the Folk/Americana community. Inspired by artists such as Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell, Sarah Jarosz, and others, she strives to write and interpret songs that reflect her present truths. Rachel is a recent recipient of the AMERICANAFEST grant awarded through the Salt Lick Incubator, which allowed her to travel to Nashville to take part in the annual AmericanaFest conference. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College in 2022, majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics. Rachel is currently working towards recording her debut EP.
Zia Amador
Zia Amador (He/Him) is a trans voice actor, treeman-in-training, and generally creative human. In his Voiceover work, he’s passionate about projects that benefit the LGBTQ+ community, as well as Museum audio guides, tours and accessibility audio. He is currently recording his first full length audiobook; a young adult trans and queer romance novel. As a treeman-in-training, he’s learning about trees, knots, chainsaws, and how to stay warm in all kinds of weather (among many other things). Creatively, Zia is a bit of a jack of all crafts, but currently he is currently enjoying a cottage core phase consisting of baking, crocheting and candle making. Zia also writes songs and creates textural soundscapes using bass guitar, voice and a loop pedal.
Past Folk Collective Events
Roots Revival Roadshow featuring The Folk Collective
Thursday, April 10, 7pm
Chris Walton opening for Louie Lou Louis
Friday, March 28, 8pm
Folk & Femme in Full Bloom @ 2nd Shift Music Series
Thursday, March 27, 8pm
The Folk Collective at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse
Saturday, March 15, 7:30pm
A Musical Conversation with The Opening Doors Project
Saturday, February 22, 1 PM
Nora Meier+Brady Dallas Jones+Breachway
Thursday, February 20th, 7pm
We Black Folk Fest presents Griot Gatherings
Saturday, February 1st, 7pm & Sunday, February 2nd, 7pm
Alastair Moock's Pastures of Plenty
Friday, November 8 :: 7 PM with Stephanie McKay, Peter Mulvey, Paul Kochanski, and Maxfield Anderson
Peter Mulvey presents The Lamplighter Series
Monday, November 4, 7 PM Songs For The Day After Tomorrow with Peter Mulvey, Alastair Moock, Kim Moberg, Stephanie McKay, and Lydia Harrell
Folk, the Next Generation
Friday, October 18 :: 7 PM with Darren and Aidan Buck, Stephanie McKay and Ezra Schwarz-bart, Erin Ash Sullivan and Emma Frances, and Kim and Rachel Moberg
Indigenous Peoples Day Festival
Saturday, October 12 :: 7 PM With Kim Moberg, Maxfield Anderson, Thea Hopkins, Mwalim Daphunkee and the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers
Re-imagining Lilith Fair
Saturday, September 14 :: 8 PM
CranFest in the Courtyard
Thursday, August 8 :: 6:30 PM at the Harwich Cultural Center, Harwich, MA
Inaugural Pride Month Event
Saturday, June 22 :: 8 PM
Folk Collective May Fair
Sunday, May 5 :: 12 PM-6 PM outside stage, intersection of Brattle Street and Church Street
Folk Collective Annual Concert
Saturday, May 4 :: 8 PM
2nd Shift Music Series
Thursday, April 25 :: 8 PM Charles River Museum of Industry, Waltham
Almira Ara- EP Release!
April 23
Fabiola Méndez with special guest Olivia Soler Espinosa and opening act Gabriella Simpkins
March 1
We Black Folk
February 4 & 11
Kim Moberg opening for Pamela Means
February 1
Opening Doors
January 14
2022-'24 Cohort
Alastair Moock
Alastair Moock is an award-winning singer-songwriter; a Grammy-nominated family musician; social justice and Songwriting educator for all ages; and co-founder of The Opening Doors Project, an anti-racist music organization. The Boston Globe calls him "one of the town's best and most adventurous songwriters," and The Washington Post says, "every song is a gem."
Almira Ara
Almira Ara is a singer-songwriter intent on becoming the bridge between rock and r&b. With influences from contemporary r&b artists such as Kehlani and Syd, and rock influences from Willow, Lenny Kravitz, and Nirvana, Almira takes the rarest parts of rock and R&B to wield their sound.
Anju
Anju is a singer, songwriter, producer, and performer shaped by the people and places in Minnesota and Massachusetts. Their music conjures imaginary lovers, scents of citrus, and visions of hairy brown skin under the sun. Anju was highlighted by NPR's All Songs Considered as an outstanding Tiny Desk Contest entrant. They are currently teaching piano, violin, and guitar to young musicians and working on their debut full-length album.
Audrey Pearl
Audrey is an indie/folk songwriter and artist from Jericho, Vermont, with a passion for writing lyrics that foster imagination, empathy, and wonder for the world around us. She's currently based in Boston, MA, pursuing a major in Songwriting and a minor in Global Studies at Berklee College of Music. When she isn't sitting on her bedroom floor with a guitar and pad of paper, you can find her in the kitchen trying out new recipes or going for long walks in the woods.
Cliff Notez
Award-winning multi-digital media artist, musician, organizer & filmmaker Cliff Notez's art is a continuous exploration of the black mind. Rooted in hip-hop, their art tackles the political and the personal, exploring the intimate consequences of a society where black bodies are easily ignored, forgotten, or disregarded. In 2018 they took home Best New Artist at the Boston Music Awards, and in 2020, Cliff became the first musician to be named "Musician of the Year" for Boston Magazine's 100 Most Influential Bostonians. Cliff's Second full-length album, Why The Wild Things Are, was released on September 11th, 2019.
Gabriella Simpkins
Gabriella Simpkins is an award-winning singer-songwriter, composer, and musician hailing from Cape Cod, MA. Informed by her experiences across genres and performance settings, her music exists at the intersections of folk, classical, jazz, and indie rock. While simultaneously independently managing her career, Simpkins currently attends Salem State University in the BA Music program and focuses specifically on classical composition. She regularly performs her singer-songwriter material in and around Boston and hopes to establish herself as a freelance composer in the coming years.
Kim Moberg
Award-winning Tlingit artist Kim Moberg was born in Juneau, Alaska, and currently calls Cape Cod, MA home. Kim began playing guitar at age 14, but severe stage fright kept her from becoming a professional performer. In 2014 Kim set out to overcome her stage fright and wrote her first song. Kim teamed with Grammy-nominated producer Jon Evans to record two albums: "Above Ground" and "Up Around The Bend." Both have received worldwide airplay, charting on the Folk Alliance International Folk DJ charts and the NACC Radio charts. Kim and Jon are collaborating on her third album, which features songs that tie ancient prophecies to our current social environment. Kim's recognitions include the 2021 Rocky Mountain Songwriting Contest Finalist, the 2021 Great American Songwriting Contest Folk/Americana Finalist, and the 2020 CT Folk Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition Winner.
Lydia Harrell
Lydia "LovelySinger" Harrell is one of Boston's musical treasures. Her sultry, soulful voice and evocative songwriting have garnered her the attention and respect of the nation's finest musicians and venues. Jazz and soul are where her heart is; however, Harrell has shown an unbreakable ability to mold herself into any musical situation. Whether performing with the Boston Pops, serenading NBA fans with America's national anthem, or lending her vocal talents to chart-topping deep house singles by British record label Reel People Music, Harrell's dedication to extracting the pure essence of the song is unmatched. In addition to her accomplishments as a musical artist, Lydia is a film/TV, voiceover, and theatre actress.
Maxfield Anderson
Maxfield Anderson is an American roots multi-instrumentalist, teacher, writer, and music director living in Somerville, MA. As an artist, Maxfield aims to bring new light to honored traditions and to share the joy of making music with others.
Naomi Westwater
Naomi Westwater (she/they) is a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter and producer from Massachusetts. They weave in and out of Folk music, flirting with rock and jazz. Naomi holds a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music. She was nominated for a 2021 Boston Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter. Naomi's 2021 EP Feelings was featured in Under The Radar, WBUR, Vanyaland, WGBH, Allston Pudding, and The Bluegrass Situation.
Peter Mulvey
Milwaukee native Peter Mulvey dove into the deep end of all of this in 1989, on Grafton Street, in Dublin, singing with all the buskers. Those nights ruined him for any other kind of life. From then on out, it was bicycles, poetry, guitars, living humans in an actual room, coffee, more poetry, trains, the Kennedy Center, a cowshed in the West of Ireland, a cave in West Virginia, and every other digression on this, the road to somewhere.
Stephanie McKay
Stephanie Mckay is a recording artist, arts educator and advocate whose work lies at the intersection of music, education and community. Stephanie has toured over 35 countries playing her original music at major festivals, appearing on TV and major radio stations in five continents. Her music fuses soul, folk and is inspired by legends such as Tracy Chapman, Odetta, and Mavis Staples. She is a founder of We Start With Art an arts education and community building organization, whose mission it is to impact children's lives by nurturing their self expression through the arts. Stephanie brings her years of performing experience as an international touring musician into her community work as an artist in Boston. Whether in the classroom or on the stage, Stephanie aspires to deeply connect to people through her art and find meaning across cultural divides.
