Sweet Petunia

As a child, Mairead Guy (they/them) was surrounded by Celtic and old time musicians, learning decades-old songs and spending Thursday afternoons watching their parents play music in Richmond’s local Irish pub. At a similar time, though hundreds of miles away, Maddy Simpson (she/her) was falling asleep to The Essential Simon & Garfunkel in her mom’s car, internalizing the duo’s close harmony vocals and dreaming of making music of her own.

The two met in Boston during college, when they quickly discovered their voices fit together in a way almost familial. After a few hours of sharing songs and old stories, Sweet Petunia was born. The name was a no brainer, taken from a nickname that Mairead’s great grandfather called all his grandchildren, and in no time at all Simpson and Guy were playing anywhere they could – opening for hardcore bands in Allston basements, taking to the stage of festivals such as FreshGrass (2019) and In Between Days (2023), and most recently touring as much as possible in Mairead’s Honda CRV.

The duo have grown into their own as both powerful songwriters and harmonizers as well as lightning quick players, beginning every set with explosive double banjo action. Unapologetically queer and unafraid to get loud and angry, they craft music that is informed just as much by their contemporaries in Boston’s punk & DIY scene as it is steeped in rich folk tradition.