Young Cape singer-songwriter Gabriella Simpkins working on debut
On a livestream she did in the middle of the pandemic, Gabriella Simpkins got a few questions about Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and Pink Floyd’s “Money.” Simpkins was 19 years old at the time.
She spoke about Anderson’s flute chops and the curious time signature of “Money,” then she dropped back into performing her often-complex, always-compelling solo music — just her songs, voice and guitar finger-picking. The virtual commenters could have asked her about late folk-hero Nick Drake or the second movement of Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 and Simpkins probably would have had something interesting to say.
“I’ve always been a music lover and I think, in terms of my style and performances, that I give away that I am a classic musician at heart,” Simpkins told the Herald from her home on Cape Cod. “I do spend many, many hours of the songwriting process fine tuning little things. But I love the fluidity of jazz and the raw emotion of folk so my music is a true blend of all the things I’ve been doing since I was 9 years old.”
Now 20 and an undergraduate at Salem State, Simpkins has performed on the flute with Cape-based jazz and classical ensembles (she graduated from Barnstable High School at 16 while also taking classes at Cape Cod Community College). But over the last two years, she has dug deep into her singer-songwriter side. And she’s been rewarded for her work and art: In 2020, she won an Iguana Music Fund grant and this summer won the inaugural Eastern Front Songwriter Grant (both administered by nonprofit music organization Passim).
“Last summer I played a virtual open mic at Club Passim and after that (managing director) Matt Smith asked me if I wanted to come back and play their Campfire Festival,” she said. “I then heard about how the Iguana Fund was taking applicants and I was very, very blessed to receive the grant. … I used it to update my recording and streaming equipment and it’s been such a blessing because I’ve had gigs all throughout the summer. If it weren’t for that equipment, I wouldn’t have been able to play any of them.”
Now Simpkins plans to use the Eastern Front award to work on her debut. And to be clear, that debut will be centered on her singersongwriter side. With Simpkins, it’s an important distinction because she explores so many musical avenues.
Despite her diverse talents, she says she keeps her musical worlds pretty separate.
“When I’m writing (popular music), I’m usually practicing something on guitar first, start noodling for 20 or 30 minutes until I hit on something I like, then I start brainstorming, and I can finish a song within a few hours,” she said. “But with (classical) composition, I really treat it like homework. I sit down, I make sure I have a cup of tea, open my computer and work through it. It’s a much more regimented process.”
Simpkins feels comfortable within music. But she has less experience with performing solo in front of people in the flesh. Hopefully her summer gigs and work with Passim change that.
“To be able to play for a real crowd is so exhilarating,” she said. “To see smiling faces and not a bunch of comments on my computer was great. Provided everything is safe, I want to continue to add in-person shows to my schedule. … It’s been incredibly surreal to have only been actively performing for about 15 months and suddenly be at the Passim club connecting with people.”