Date Signed: November 2025
Label: Righteous Babe Records
Type of Music: Indie-Folk
Booking: Melissa Ferrick, Paladin Artists
Publicity: Karen Wiessen, Righteous Babe Records
A&R: Invasion Group
Web: sweetpetuniaband.com
Boston indie-folk duo Sweet Petunia recently signed with Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. The pair of musicians—Madison Simpson and Mairead Guy—describe their artistry as, “driven by a deep love of music, a need to express their loud and unapologetic queerness, and an unwavering commitment to strong political and moral values.” Therefore, a deal with Righteous Brain was a no brainer.
It’s been a long road to get here though. “I’ve been singing and playing instruments for most of my life, starting in elementary school with violin lessons and school choirs,” says Simpson. “It wasn’t until late high school that I even discovered contemporary folk music was being made, or that there were people continuing to play in traditional styles. Around that time I started writing my own songs as well, and taught myself to play the ukulele and the guitar. In college one of my dorm-mates was a banjo player, and after a few lessons with him I was hooked. I performed a tiny bit before college but mostly started playing out once Mairead and I started Sweet Petunia.”
“My mom likes to brag that five days before she gave birth to me she was up on stage singing with the Irish American Pub band Uisce Beatha that she and my dad were in,” adds Guy. “As far as I know, I’ve always been singing. I started playing the guitar when I was 12… When I got to college, I was determined to find someone who loved harmony singing like I did and had the passion for songwriting that I did, and I still think that fate put Maddy and I in a class where we sang together.”
The pair describe their sound as, “contemporary, original music influenced by both the old time tradition and the DIY community we participate in here in Boston, more specifically Allston/Brighton. There’s a lot of queer punk music happening here, as well as a lot of indie rock, shoegaze, and other newer genres people our age are excited about right now.”
The deal with Righteous Babe came out thanks to friend and mentor Melissa Ferrick, who eventually became Sweet Petunia’s agent.
“Pretty soon into working together, they suggested that Sweet Petunia and Righteous Babe might have quite a bit in common,” they say. “She put us in front of Ani and the RBR team, and really helped us facilitate this collaboration. As a band that came up in the DIY scene, when looking at a label something artist focused, community oriented, and independently run was a top priority.”
Their first release for Righteous Babe is the “Good Part” single, and then they have plenty planned for 2026, including a lot of tour dates. Check their website for details.
