Hayley Reardon returns to Marblehead on September 21

Marblehead’s own Hayley Reardon makes another return appearance at the me&thee on Friday, September 21. Hayley has been playing at the me&thee since she was twelve years old. Now at 22, she’s a seasoned professional on the acoustic music circuit around the country and abroad. Ben Higginbotham opens the show. The me&thee coffeehouseis at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead. The show begins at 8:00 p.m.

When Hayley Reardon first picked up a guitar in July 2008, this young songstress uncovered both a deep passion and an obvious natural talent, unleashing a flood of beautifully constructed, delicately phrased songs. Hayley’s latest release, Good, was entirely fan-funded and shows how far she has progressed since her early days in front of a mic or in the recording studio. Good represents a confident musician, one most capable and commanding of her talents. Lorne Entress (Lori McKenna, Catie Curtis, Erin McKeown) produced the album with beautiful arrangements that highlight the powerful messages in her songs.

Reardon’s sterling debut album, 2012’s Where the Artists Go, achieved widespread acclaim in New England. In fact, Reardon was named a Bostonian of the Year by Boston Globe Magazine in 2012 in celebration of not only her music but her work to use as a vessel for empowerment, especially for young girls who found inspiration in her lyrics. With a voice as distinctively rich and a contemplative sincerely in her songwriting, Reardon has more in common with Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams, and Tracy Chapman than many of today’s young pop singer-songwriters. Her lyrics are wise beyond her years. Hayley’s 2014 release Wayfindingsexpanded her international footprint via syndicated public radio show “Art of the Song,” and praise from Paste, Performer Magazine, Americana UK, and American Songwriter who referred to its first single, “Numb & Blue” as a “melancholy little masterpiece.

Berklee College of Music graduate, Ben Higginbotham originally from Dallas opens the show. He lives in Boston but splits his time between New York and Nashville co-writing and gigging. He has played venues such as The Bitter End in NYC, and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, as well as countless places in and around Boston. Ben’s music can best be described as Alternative Folk. He is inspired by a wide range of artists, from Bon Iver and The Staves to Ben Folds and Randy Newman to Kurt Elling and Al Jarreau.

Tickets for Hayley Reardon with Ben Higginbotham opening are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Student tickets are $10. Tickets are available online at www.meandthee.org and can be purchased in person at the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery in Marblehead. As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including homemade pastries, coffee, and teas. The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom is a smoke-free environment and is easily reached by MBTA bus.

The me & thee is one of the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouses in New England, and probably the country. It has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead. For information and directions, call 781-631-8987 or check the website at www.meandthee.org.

Next concert: Friday, September 28, 2018: Star of stage, screen, and Hollywood, John Davidson brings his musical talents to Marblehead.