The Monkey House presents
Gemma Laurence w/ Aida O'Brien & Low Echo
Friday - September 30th
Doors 8:00pm / Show 8:30pm
$5 for 21+ / $10 for 18+
Gemma Laurence is a Brooklyn-based indie folk singer-songwriter from the coast of Maine. Categorizing herself as “Sapphic folk,” Laurence takes inspiration from poets and songwriters from the past and present: Sappho, Adrienne Rich, Mary Oliver, Joni Mitchell, Ralph McTell, Elizabeth Bishop, and Frank O'Hara to name a few. Having grown up on the coast of Maine and the hills of Oxfordshire, Laurence’s time on both sides of the Atlantic influenced her unique sound: a fusion of foot-stomping Americana with a hint of English folk. The lilt of Laurence’s vocals and the poetic lyricism of her music has drawn comparisons to artists like Adrianne Lenker, Laura Marling, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Haley Heynderickx. Crafting a lush soundscape of rich acoustic textures, dreamy harmonies, and found sounds, Laurence’s timeless tracks call her listeners home to the people and places left behind for new beginnings.
Hello! I'm a session musician, music educator, and singer-songwriter from Belchertown, Massachusetts. In June of 2020, I released my first original EP 'Girl in the Blue Dress', which chronicles my evolution as a trans woman and singer-songwriter. My gender transition has greatly impacted the way I approach my music and allowed me to be my whole self in my songwriting and teaching. I'm currently living in Burlington, Vermont, where my active projects include writing and producing a single with American Idol Season 16 finalist Jonny Brenns.
My musical journey began at the age of six at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY. There, I fell in love with the sounds of old time stringband music, zydeco, country, blues and everything in between. I've been lucky to have performed with many of my heroes including Donna the Buffalo, Sim Redmond Band, Richie Stearns and Crow Greenspun.
My past projects include the indie soul band Paint, which has opened for Donna the Buffalo at Pearl Street Ballroom and headlined Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA. I've performed throughout New England in groups including Bench Clear, Flame n' Peach and the Liberated Waffles, Rocky Hill Revival and Cold Spring. Over the past decade, I’ve worked with popular YouTuber Joel Haver, composing the soundtrack for two of his feature films.
In 2020, I graduated with a B.A. in Music from Middlebury College, where I studied old time fiddle with Pete Sutherland. Our work culminated in an independent project exploring the shared heritage of old time music between black and white musicians. While studying abroad in Madrid, I also studied flamenco guitar with Jose Manuel Montoya at the Casa Patas School.
Low Echo are a rock/alt folk band based in Burlington