Somerville Songwriter Sessions at McCarthy’s presents singer/songwriters Ray Marie Johnson, Mary Leissinger and Rachel Marie on Sunday afternoon November 8. The show begins at 4:00 pm and admission is $15 in advance ($12 with promo code SSS), $20 at the door. McCarthy’s is at 1920 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, across from the Porter Square Red Line T station. For advance tickets visit https://tickets.24hourmusic.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=1866. For more information call McCarthy’s at 617-945-1887, visit https://www.mccarthystoad.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleSongwriterSessions or email SomervilleSongwriterSessions@gmail.com.

Somerville Songwriter Sessions at McCarthy’s presents contemporary folk singer/songwriters in concert on the second Sunday afternoon of each month. Each performer will do a solo set, followed by a round-robin with all three performers. McCarthy’s features live music in a comfortable, listening room setting, and features a full menu and bar. Our 11/8 performers:

Ray Marie Johnson (he/they) is a folk singer-songwriter-musician, actor, audiobook narrator, meditation guide, and visual artist based in Brooklyn, NY and born in Roanoke, VA. They’ve released 4 folk EPs (2025-2026) and 1 original instrumental piano album (2015), and have written dozens of songs as a way to process life as a queer person with CPTSD. With acoustic guitar, piano, and layers of ethereal vocals, his music lyrically explores both deep struggles and deep healing. With recurring themes of nature, mindfulness, and inter-being, Ray invites the listener to look more deeply at their inner-life and the world around them. More at rayjohnsonartist.com/music.

We saved you a seat! An evening of songs with Mary Leissinger feels like cozying up around the campfire. Mary delivers captivating storytelling with a heaping dose of Southern charm. From soulful ballads to lighthearted narratives, her acoustic performances resonate with authenticity and warmth. A native New Orleanian and Cambridge transplant, her work builds and borrows from multiple genres (folk, country, musical theater), all in service of the story, the audience, and our shared connection. So come out and warm your heart by the fire – like s’mores, stories are made for sharing. More at youtube.com/@mlmedia4155.

Rachel Marie (she/they) follows in a tradition of unapologetically forthright femme folksingers, with songs that hearken to “overstuffed lines of Tori Amos, philosophical turn of Indigo Girls, and lilting vocals like Joni Mitchell” (Victoria Farmer, The Christian Humanist Podcast). The social awareness of folk meets the introspection and healing of the singer-songwriter tradition, featuring the emotional catharsis and dynamic vocals of a Broadway show. With a songwriting approach as raw and honest as it’s always been, Rachel Marie is making a return to live performance after an unintentional hibernation hiatus, ready to reconnect with a real live audience. More at rachelmarie.com.