Sparrow Blue to Premiere Debut Album Mabel

South Shore based Americana and acoustic Roots duo Sparrow Blue premieres their debut EP, Mabel, at an album release concert on Sunday, November 22, 2 pm, at South Shore Conservatory’s Ellison Center for the Arts, 64 St. George Street, Duxbury. The album will be available for download on iTunes and at the band’s website, www.thesparrowblue.com. Guitarists David DeLuca and Steve Latanision open, and accompany Sparrow Blue in their performance.

A chance meeting just over a year ago sparked a new songwriting duo in Katy Boc, (fiddle, ukulele, mandolin, vocals) and Todd Nickerson (guitar, harmonica, vocals). A mutual love of American Roots music inspired their unique version of Americana, blending traces of bluegrass, folk and classic country, rising to a collection of six original songs. Their poetic sound resonates to distant prairies, honky tonk, and an era past, comforting and authentic, stirring and sentimental.

The title track, “Mabel”, is inspired by traditional bluegrass murder ballads with a contemporary spin placing it in modern Americana. “Everybody’s Going to Texas” is a throwback to the music of classic country greats echoing Hank Williams and Loretta Lynn, while “Next to Nothing” draws from contemporary influences like Jason Isbell. Recorded in part at 37’ Productions in Rockland, Mabel features Josh Kiggins on drums, Paul Dilley on upright bass, Steve Latanision on pedal steel, lap steel, banjo, and mandolin, and Catie Flynn on vocals. The album was recorded by Zack Bloomstein and Todd Nickerson, produced and mixed by Drew Townson, and mastered at Dirt Floor Studios.

As a fiddler and violinist, Boc has performed across the nation for more than twenty years after receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the University of Texas at Austin. With years of classical training to her credit, she explored performing diverse styles of music, honing in on American roots and bluegrass, while experimenting with singing, songwriting and arranging. She frequently performs with other Americana, country, and bluegrass bands throughout New England including Girls, Guns and Glory, Crabgrass Bluegrass Band, and 6 East.

Nickerson is a founding member of the Americana band 6 East and has been performing in Eastern Massachusetts for a decade. 6 East released two full length albums of original songs (‘Living the Dream’ - 2011 and ‘Rising’ - 2013), both of which received significant radio airplay in Americana and Jam Band radio formats, as well as international radio play. As a songwriter, Nickerson pulls inspiration from life experiences and surroundings to craft songs of love, loss, and universal commonalities.

Admission to the Sparrow Blue album release concert is free, space is limited to capacity. The album will be available in November on iTunes, and on the band’s website. To learn more about Sparrow Blue or to order the EP, visit www.thesparrowblue.com.