Songwriters in the Raw
Modern Art is excited to step in and host Songwriters in the Raw on Sunday, April 13
— an in-the-round concert series curated and hosted by Jessica Smucker with special guests Andrew Pauls and Sadie Gustafson-Zook.
Sunday, April 13
7pm, $12-$20 sliding scale
Seating is limited! Get your tickets here so we know how many chairs to set up!.
Bios:
Sadie Gustafson-Zook
“Sadie Gustafson-Zook is a songwriter with that enviable knack of being able to take a very specific moment in her life and somehow imbue it with universality and a common thread. Listening to her songs, you find yourself thinking about your own existence as you learn about hers.” - songwriting magazine
Every time Sadie Gustafson-Zook carves a linoleum block, sews a pencil case out of scraps, or admires the way the ink in her Pilot G-2 glides over her journal, she thinks, “I should be doing this all the time.” The act of creating something tangible is the air Sadie breathes. Her songwriting is the same- weaving an internal dialogue, the stories she tells herself, warm melodies and clever chords into something real, something she can physically feel with her hands and her throat. And chances are that you’ll be able to feel them too.
Sadie’s songs have been endorsed by some of the most respected songwriting contests in the country, winning Kerrville Folk Festival’s 2022 New Folk Contest (as well as placing as a finalist in 2020), earning second place at the Rocky Mountain Folk Fest’s Songwriter Showcase, and winning first place at the NewSong + LEAF Songwriting Contest. Sadie has been featured on the Basic Folk podcast and on Folk Alley.
On Sadie’s May 2024 album “Where I Wanna Be,” she takes the listener along on an intimate journey as Sadie decides where to call home. Recorded on an 8-track reel to reel, this stripped-down album isn’t hiding behind anything. Over the course of 10 delightful tracks the listener gains insights into Sadie’s middle school crushes on gay boys, a desire to call the weatherman to ask for some guidance, and the nerve-wracking experience of meeting your idols and feeling small. Throughout the album Sadie’s agile vocals and intricate guitar playing shine while her thoughtful lyrics capture the immensity of potential and the complexity of history that emerge during times of life transition.
Following closely on the heels of “Where I Wanna Be” is Sadie’s fall 2024 EP entitled “What I Pushed Below,” out November 13th, 2024.
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Andrew Pauls writes songs about everything from rainy days to Spain to space travel. But all of his songs have one thing in common: they’re about the relationships we have with ourselves, each other, and the places we call home.
Rooted in the American folk tradition, Andrew’s lyrics dance with his banjo and guitar to forge relatable songs about everyday joys and tragedies. In his music, listeners will hear the influence of songwriting veterans like John Prine and Joni Mitchell swirled with the flavors of contemporary artists like Watchhouse (FKA Mandolin Orange), The Tallest Man on Earth, and Hiss Golden Messenger.
Raised amidst the fertile farmland of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Andrew grew up on a steady diet of Mennonite four-part hymn singing and Paul Simon. Soon after receiving his first guitar for Christmas at age 11, Andrew realized he wasn’t satisfied with singing other peoples’ songs – he needed to write his own. Now, Andrew has been writing and performing for over fifteen years, drawing audiences in with his wordsmithing and authenticity.
In addition to his work onstage, Andrew is passionate about building up Lancaster, PA’s music community. In 2024, Andrew founded the Lancaster area Songwriters Circle, a community of local songwriters that gathers to give feedback on each other's songs and support one another. Andrew also helps organize Songwriters In the Raw, a concert series performed “in the round” bringing talented songwriters from around the country to Lancaster. Andrew also started the Lancaster Country Cabaret, a variety show showcasing local talent performing classic country music, dancing, and skits.
When he’s not focused on music, Andrew works as an independent consultant, supporting organizations with research and project management related to climate change adaptation. In this work, too, Andrew brings his creative spirit, blending his passions for music and the environment by facilitating collective songwriting workshops.
Andrew enjoys commuting by bicycle, exploring his walkable city, cooking, reading, learning new things, and getting his hands in the dirt. He lives in Lancaster, PA with his spouse and a Chihuahua named Pinto.
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Jessica Smucker
“Jessica Smucker is an original; a real artist with a cohesive message, a drop-dead gorgeous voice that is all her own. Her background in poetry gives her lyrics a specificity and depth. Each time I listen to ‘When I Was the Weather’ I hear something new, the way I do when I listen to Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan. She is that good.” – Nerissa Nields (The Nields)
"An original take on the world, which is truly rare to find." – Ellis Paul
Jessica Smucker believes that the best way to change the world is to channel our pain into connection. Her songs have a way of reaching deeply into people’s souls and inviting the kind of reflection that feels both reassuring and unsettling. Wrapped in catchy melodies, her lyrics appear simple and relatable on the surface, but each listen will uncover more hidden pockets of nuance. She’s the kind of writer and performer who can lull a noisy room into a hush with a single line.
Based in Lancaster, PA, Jessica was raised in the Mennonite faith tradition by a family full of storytellers, activists, adventurers, and pranksters. She has toured nationwide and performs regularly throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. Her discography spans from 2008-the present and includes two EPs, three full-length albums, and a collection of singles released between 2021-2024 that she plans to release as a compilation album in 2025.
Jessica has won or placed in several national songwriting contests including SolarFest’s Singer/Songwriter Showcase Competition, the Connecticut Folk Festival Song Competition, and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. In her life beyond music, Jessica is a published poet and essayist, a social justice warrior, a freakishly good Scrabble player, and mother to two of the smartest people she’s ever met in real life!
