Salomé Songbird, an eclectic, free-spirited acoustic trio originally from Miami, Florida, will soon bring their stories of the underbelly of the human experience to the Roaring Fork Valley, with one free performance at the Basalt Regional Library on Nov. 14 and another ticketed one at Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale on Nov. 15. Composed of Bryan Dubrow, Dr. Joy Adams and Ariele Macadangdang, the trio is excited to bring their project, “Scathing Lullabies,” to a new audience.
“The whole Valley has a reputation around [Colorado] as being a real arts and music-friendly Valley,” Adams told The Sopris Sun. “There’s a lot going on with the size of the zone and how many people live there. I’m not sure what’s in the water over there, but we appreciate that. I love every time I go out to Carbondale and that whole area.”
Adams recently took to Thunder River Theatre’s stage with her friend and collaborator, VOICES Executive Director MinTze Wu, for a performance of “Death of The Pugilist” on Nov. 3.
“Scathing Lullabies” is named as such, according to Macadangdang, to serve as a vehicle for the trio to explore sensitive topics such as religious trauma (something that all members of the trio mentioned having personal experience with), social justice and mental health in a whimsical and palatable way. When discussing inspirations behind their entrancing sound, they say that they draw from musical artists like Nathaniel Rateliff and Rebecca Sugar, and cartoons like “Adventure Time” and “Steven Universe” — one of Sugar’s most notable works.
Dubrow also cited Nickel Creek and the Punch Brothers as musical influences, but the real sound of Salomé Songbird comes from each individual’s musical background blending together in sync.
“That’s stuff we’ve all listened to a lot. It’s a collective thing; the collaboration [we share] with the arranging is a big part of the band’s sound,” Dubrow stated.
Having all come from different backgrounds, the bandmates came together while studying music at the University of Miami. Adams and Macadangdang first played a songwriter set together at a café in 2015, and there Salomé Songbird was born.
“We felt like our songwriting and vocal styles complemented each other,” Macadangdang said. “After we did that café set, we played each other’s songs together, which lasted a couple of years in Miami. Then Joy moved to Colorado and the band took a hiatus for a few years.”
She and Dubrow moved to Colorado roughly three years ago and the band was revived. Macadangdang recalled that shortly after her and Dubrow’s arrival, Adams and her husband caught COVID. At the time, the pair was staying with them, leading to the four being quarantined together and having a pseudo-musical retreat.
“We were camping on their porch, so we decided to quarantine with them, giving us time to launch the band again,” Macadangdang continued. “We were sort of forced into this musical retreat, but it did propel us forward as a trio.”
Discussing their upcoming performances at the Basalt Library and Steve’s, the trio shared their excitement for being back in the Valley after playing a private event over the summer.
“I’m excited to create the space to connect with a new audience and potentially see some folks we met at the private event,” Macadangdang stated. “I’ve also heard such wonderful things about Steve’s Guitars and the library series. I’m looking forward to being in those physical spaces and sharing what we do.”
Dubrow piggybacked, “If [folks] can come to one or both of the shows, that’s awesome. We hope that they will appreciate the music and want to have us back.”
In a Nutshell
Who: Salomé Songbird
When: Nov. 14, Basalt Regional Library, 5:30pm
Nov. 15, Steve’s Guitars, 8pm
Tickets: www.basaltlibrary.org/music, www.stevesguitars.net