RED MOLLY

On a July evening in 2004, at their campsite at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner and Carolann Solebello harmonized for the very first time. As they sang their campmates off to sleep, they knew they had stumbled into something extraordinary. Audiences seem to agree. Since that summer night, Red Molly has garnered a devoted regional fan base, and has begun laying the groundwork for national touring. These ladies have a lot of fun on stage, and it’s contagious. Red Molly consistently brings concert-goers to their feet with stunning three-part harmonies, crisp musicianship, and a warm, engaging stage presence.

Red Molly in their 2007 show at the Rose Garden. Photo by Stephen Ide

The magic of Red Molly stems partly from the richness and diversity of each member’s “pre-Molly” experiences. Laurie (vocals, guitar, banjo) left a career in psychology to pursue her love of singing. She worked for several years as a backup singer, and also released two solo albums, These Old Clothes (1999) and The Things I Choose To Do (2004). Abbie (vocals, Dobro, guitar) has a background in jazz, bluegrass, classical and a cappella music. She released two solo albums, My Craziest Dream (2004), a collection of swing standards featuring her father Herb Gardner on piano, and Honey on My Grave (2006), a collection of acoustic originals. In May 2008, she released a duo album, Bad Nights/Better Days, with Anthony da Costa. Carolann (vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin) spent several years as a professional theater actor before releasing her solo album, Just Across the Water (2000). She went on to release two albums with power folk quartet CC Railroad, Smile Whatever (2001) and Black Horse Motel (2004).

In July 2006, Red Molly’s first full-length CD, Never Been to Vegas (2006), was released. Recorded on a December evening before a studio audience of fans and friends, Never Been to Vegas is a collection of fourteen carefully-chosen songs that span more than a century of great American songwriting. Never Been to Vegas quickly climbed into the Top 30 on the Radio & Records Americana chart, a rare accomplishment for an independent album. And listeners of WUMB radio Boston voted the CD one of the Top 10 CDs of 2006.

Red Molly's newest release, Love and Other Tragedies (2008), is their first full-length studio album. Produced by Ben Wisch, it finds the women of Red Molly adding a little spice to their winning recipe. The new album features a fuller, more “polished” sound than their previous releases, due in part to the contributions of guest artists Mike Weatherly (upright bass), Duke Levine (mandola, lap steel), and Jake Armerding (fiddle). In addition, the ladies incorporated more original songs into the mix this time. Songs written by Laurie, Abbie, and Carolann mingle admirably with songs by well-known contemporary writers Gillian Welch and Susan Werner, up-and-coming artists Amy Speace and George Wirth, traditional American gospel tunes, and standards from the bluegrass and jazz worlds.

ANTHONY DA COSTA

In 2008, Anthony da Costa — a 17-year-old, performing songwriter — released his sixth record; opened for Loretta Lynn and Dan Bern; was profiled in The New York Times; performed at the Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, Philadelphia and Woody Guthrie Folk Festivals; debuted in Europe at Denmark’s Tonder Festival and was nominated as Folk Alliance Emerging Artist of the Year.

He also recorded his seventh album with duo partner Abbie Gardner of Red Molly in just three days — a record that made the finals of the Independent Music World Series.

In 2007, Anthony: became the youngest winner ever of Kerrville’s New Folk and Falcon Ridge’s Emerging Artist Competitions; formally showcased at Tin Pan South and was a Mountain Stage NewSong finalist. A prolific songwriter and self-taught, multi-instrumentalist, Anthony’s writing and performing draw from a deep well of rich musical influences — from Bob Dylan and Dan Bern, to Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, to Ryan Adams and John Prine.

Now in his fourth year as a touring artist, Anthony is a strict adherent to Zimmerman’s Theory of the Never-Ending Tour, playing perpetually at festivals, theaters, clubs and coffee houses…everywhere.

Says Neil Pearson of Fish Records (UK): “Anthony da Costa — an important, emerging artist — has obvious links to modern day songwriters such as Jonathan Byrd and Dan Bern, but he’s a distinct talent and writer who knows how to connect with his audience in both the live setting and in his recordings. It’s obvious he will be leading a new generation of singer/songwriters in the near future.”