Margaret Glaspy has been added to the lineup of the 2017 Newport Folk Festival! Glaspy boasts a diverse musical background with influences ranging from Bill Withers to Elliott Smith, from Weezer’s Pinkerton to Rage Against the Machine, the 26-year-old songwriter focuses her talents into fiercely raw, guitar-driven pop songs. Glaspy expands on her influences saying, “Joni Mitchell’s Blue set the bar in my mind that I’m always striving for.”
Originally from Red Bluff, California, Glaspy headed to the east coast after high school. From competitive fiddle to marching band trombone, she exercised her music abilities any way she could. Her talents earned her multiple honors early on in her career, including scholarships and opportunities to refine her craft. “I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston for a semester and paid for it with money I got from the YoungArts Program.” She continues, “I wasn’t able to afford school after that semester, so I snuck into workshops and master classes at the school and started to write songs more seriously.” For three years, she lived in Boston, working odd jobs whilst fine-tuning her songwriting skills.
Throughout the development of her solo career Glaspy has performed with numerous acts, primarily performing back up vocals. She has toured with artists including modern indie pop voices like Rachael Yamagata, bluegrass legends like Ricky Skaggs and folk icons like Del McCoury, Tim O’Brien and Aoife O’Donovan. She now resides in the Upper West Side in New York City. WNYC confesses her “croons and minimalist folk guitar have a knack for sending shivers down any spine.”
Glaspy will play the 2017 Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 30th.
