Hand-Built Song Fest - one night celebration of regional LGBT+ songwriters!

Hand-Built Song Fest
“A one-night celebration of queer and trans songwriters”
Friday June 6th
Doors: 6:30pm Show: 7 pm
Tickets: $10- $20 Choose the option that works for you

Workshop 13 welcomes four regional songsmiths for an evening of captivating, subversive, genre-spanning music.  

Silvie’s Okay      Olivia Nied      Roath      Bitter Grasses

Silvie’s Okay silviesokay.bandcamp.com The ache-y country project of Vince Thompson, Silvie’s Okay is a return to his roots of blasting pop country through the AM radio of a tractor.

Raised on a cattle ranch in the High Desert before moving to Boston, he now calls Western Massachusetts home. With a serious knack for weaving enticing melodies and catchy hooks portraying the complexities of grief and euphoria, heartache and sexual liberation, shame and gratitude – Thompson’s poignant songwriting and resonant voice rings out steamy heavy hitters that manage to feel timely and nostalgic, as if you’ve already known them for years.

Olivia Nied olivianied.com A twenty-seven year-old American singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and multi-instrumental performer and session musician. Trained at Goldsmiths London University, the Berklee College of Music jazz program, and the Vermont Jazz Center, Olivia toured in the US, performed at music festivals in the UK and played clubs in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Olivia also composed for modern dance, recorded solo and with various bands and ensembles, incorporating rock, new-grass, punk-pop, and jazz influences.

Olivia’s latest solo album “Just Enough” is a collection of original songs that cross genres blending elements of folk, rock and roll, pop-punk and R&B and lyrically drawing from her lived experience as a neurodivergent, transgender young person pursuing radical joy against all odds. Olivia sang lead and harmony vocals and played and arranged all guitar, bass, piano, synthesizer, violin and percussion parts on the record as well. Songs from “Just Enough” have been included on group playlists in the UK and the Netherlands.

Roath roathmusic.com A project by Massachusetts based artist and multi-instrumentalist Zach Harris. They craft dark folky pop songs about personal apocalypses, religious trauma, and queer longing. Their self-produced EP Like I Knew You was released in 2023.

Bitter Grasses bittergrasses.bandcamp.com Folk-ish guitar songs of Lizzie (Lu) Merrick. Their debut album, Rows, was self-recorded on a 4-track in Matunuck, Rhode Island, and released in 2023.

Limited seating, strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online below, then just give your name at the door for entry.

Beer & Wine are available for purchase, as always we will be featuring Tree House Brewery! Complimentary popcorn.

We continually strive to bring phenomenal talent to the Grand Hall at Workshop13. We hope you will support not only Workshop13 but also the entertainers and artists who are so excited to perform!