BELLOWS FALLS — Singer/songwriter Mark Erelli will appear Sunday, March 20, at Readmore Inn for a special afternoon concert.
He will offer selections from his upcoming new CD, For a Song, as well as a range of songs that draw from more than 15 years of original and memorable work. The new CD was financed in part through a “Kickstarter” fundraising campaign, and will be released on April 8.
For a Song, his 10th album, came together gradually, from songs written “wherever I could find the time to write them: in airports, during an ice storm in the Great Plains, around campfires, on school playgrounds,” Erelli said. “Much of what I've experienced personally in recent years, from the birth of my second son to turning 40, went into the mix.
“Everything I've done professionally as of late, from playing in a rowdy bluegrass band, to backing up Josh Ritter and Paula Cole, producing Lori McKenna albums, and paying tribute to Bill Morrissey, informed the writing, recording, and production of this batch of songs.”
Erelli has tackled everything from western swing and protest songs to lullabies and murder ballads. Erelli has traveled from church basement coffeehouses to the main stage of the Newport Folk Festival, stopping briefly along the way to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park.
“I don't know anyone who likes just one type of music,” Erelli said. “There are so many people that would jump at the chance to play music for a living. I'm lucky enough to actually get to do it, and I intend to follow it wherever it leads me.”
In recent years, Erelli has become known as a multi-instrumentalist sideman, accompanying artists everywhere from Nashville's Grand Ole Opry to London's Royal Albert Hall.
“Every time I accompany a great songwriter, I have the best seat in the house,” Erelli explains. “I see how these amazing artists connect with their songs and their audiences from a unique vantage point. For me, every sideman gig is a Master Class, and it makes me a better musician and songwriter.”
In Bellows Falls, Erelli has been a popular addition to the Roots on the River Music Festival, and has played a number of venues in the village including Onna's, Boccelli's, and Popolo's.