Today, Boston indie-folk duo Sweet Petunia (Mairead Guy and Maddy Simpson) releases “Grub” from their Righteous Babe Records debut album Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown, out March 13. Infused with melodic twang and sharp harmonies, “Grub” is a heartfelt banjo tune about longing and the comfort of community. Watch the creative “Grub” video below and listen via DSPs HERE. Pre-save Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown HERE.
Sweet Petunia’s Guy shares their thoughts on “Grub” and the profound need for inclusion and acceptance. “‘Grub’ is a cry for belonging and community. It showcases a yearning for comfort in one's own skin and a desperate desire for a feeling of safety both internally and externally. If only a person could burrow down into the ground like a grub and be free of the watchful judging eye of society. Now more than ever people are longing for the deep community and tangible love that ‘Grub’ expresses.”
Sweet Petunia craft music that harnesses both righteous anger and deep tenderness, connecting Boston’s DIY grit with Appalachian soul. After meeting as students at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in 2018, Guy, raised in the thick of Richmond's Celtic and old-time music scene, and Simpson, who cut her teeth on radio harmonies in the backseat of her mom's car, quickly bonded and created something fierce together. They kick off every set with explosive double banjo fury, their lightning-fast playing and razor-
sharp harmonies equally informed by punk basements in Allston and centuries-old ballads.
Sweet Petunia channels that musical intensity into Foggy Mountain Mental Breakdown, a collection of songs born from a period of growing pains, reflecting on breakups, outgrown friendships, destructive cycles that needed to end, and the process of self-discovery. The title plays on Flatt & Scruggs’ classic bluegrass tune, signaling the album’s roots in the traditional folk that shaped the duo, while incorporating influences from their local punk and DIY scene to give it a modern edge. Sweet Petunia has been named as an official showcase artist at the renowned Folk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans, with a performance on January 22 at 8pm.
Sweet Petunia Tour Dates
January 14 – Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic
January 16 – Nashville, TN – Lipstick Lounge
January 19 – Birmingham, AL – Spring Street Firehouse
January 21-25 – New Orleans, LA – Folk Alliance International
January 28 – Buffalo, NY – Babeville
January 29 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
January 31 – Takoma Park, MD – Square in the Circle
For more information please contact: Karen@righteousbabe.com