By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Iona Sky
If you heard about a British band from Cambridge with four veteran male musicians and a female singer in her mid-20s, it would be logical to assume that it was a group of British folk musicians fronted by a student or grad from Cambridge University.
Your assumption would be way off target.
Iona Sky, which is based in Cambridgeshire, features Lead Guitarist Simon Jupp, Vocalist/Guitarist/Keyboardist (and Newcastle United F.C. fan) James Malone, Bassist Matt Worthington, and Drummer Scott ‘the Dark Lord’ Wilson. The Lead Vocalist is Anna-Sophia Henry.
“I’m from Kansas,” said Henry, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Cambridgeshire.
“The rest of the band is from Cambridge. Matt is 35 and the rest of the guys are in their 40s.”
As for British folk music, that would be another erroneous assumption.
“I’d say our music is alternative indie,” said Henry. “Or you could call it pop rock. It’s a blend of strong female vocals with nice guitar riffs and a powerful bassline.”
This weekend, Iona Sky will make their American debut with a show in Skippack, two shows in New York City, a concert in Wildwood and a show in Bridgeport.
The show in Skippack will be on August 2 at the Stray Dog Tavern in Skippack. The tour’s final show will be on August 5 at the Bridgeport Ribhouse.
“My family is from Wichita,” said Henry. “My dad had a job over here in England for three years. I worked at an Air Force base and found a way to get a visa. So, when my family went back to the states, I stayed here.
“When I was young, I performed in musicals and took voice lessons. I went to the College of the Ozarks in Missouri and had a band for a while.”
Meanwhile, the guys in Cambridge were looking for a vocalist.
“I posted on Facebook to do music,” said Henry. “They said – we have a band already and we want a female lead. They were called Shambertans and they wanted to re-brand.”
Shambertans were a British indie pop band that formed in Cambridge in 2019. They were featured on “BBC Introducing” and the single “Wallflower” from their debut EP was “Uploader of the Week” in 2020.
In 2021, they reached the finals of the esteemed Cambridge Band Competition and were nominated for an award in “Best Indie Group” category at the NMG awards. In 2022, they released their second EP, “Symptoms of the Fear,” followed by two new summer singles, starting with “Electrified.”
“We had our first meeting in February 2023,” said Henry. “It was a dodgy conversation on a farm. They’re more indie – Oasis, Stones, Foo Fighters. I was more pop and electronica – Charlie XCX, Lights, Willow.
“As it turned out, our indie-pop, rock sounds blended well. I’ll write an idea and they’ll add to it.”
The first official Iona Sky gig was as the opening act for an American Air Force July 4 gig with headliners, X Ambassadors.
“Our first recording session was last June,” said Henry. “It was our first time working in the studio. We used a studio in Cambridge.
“Our first two singles were ‘Better’ and ‘Savior.’ Then, we made an EP with five songs.”
The five-song EP – “Homeschooled” – was released this year as was the singles, “Never Be the Same” and “Locked the Door.”
In March 2024 they released “Homeschooled.” The first single from the EP, “Never Be the Same Again,” was featured on international radio, including BBC Radio One. The EP has been described as “crafted with heartfelt lyricism and irresistible beats” and featuring “anthemic sing-alongs and dreamy melodies” (Voice Magazine, April 2024).
“We have two new singles ready to be released,” said Henry. “The first is ‘Rinse and Repeat’ on August 2. We’re probably going to do another EP early next year.”
Now, Iona Sky is making its first trip across the pond.
Norristown’s Rotation Records, along with its sister company Rotation Productions, are hosting Iona Sky for their U.S. debut. The Cambridgeshire-based group will perform a series of shows along the East Coast this August in support of their EP “Homeschooled.”
Iona Sky is ready to add its name to the list of notable Cantabrigians that includes Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. On a music note, Cambridge was home to Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and David Gilmour – and to the late great Olivia Newton-John.
Iona Sky recently finished a U.K./Ireland tour and performed in several U.K. festivals this summer, including Tramlines Fringe, Equinox, Strawberry Fair, and St. Ives Music Festival.
“My day job is working in outdoor recreation,” said Henry, who was named after world renowned German violinist Anna-Sophie Mutter. “The rest of the band work in science and computer tech.
“It’s hard to tour because of our jobs. We’ve played a lot around Cambridge in the last year. We also did a few shows in London earlier this year.
“For our shows in America, we’re doing a 60-minute set with nine or 10 songs — including a lot form the EP.”
Video link for Iona Sky — https://youtu.be/TECA2-gXz6Y.
The show on August 2 at the Stray Dog Tavern (3911 Skippack Pike, Skippack,
610-584-5005) will start at 9 p.m.
The show on August 5 at the Bridgeport Ribhouse (1049 Ford Street, Bridgeport, 610-279-1275) will start at 7 p.m.
Ava Della Pietra
Another young artist performing locally this weekend is also living in Cambridge – America’s Cambridge.
Ava Della Pietra was born and raised in Stony Brook, Long Island. For the last year, she has been living in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Della Pietra wears a lot of hats.
She is a veteran actress who has performed on Broadway and in national tours of Broadway shows.
She is also a pop star who will be performing at The Foundry (Fillmore Philadelphia, 1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, www.thefillmorephilly.com) on August 1.
Della Pietra is a rising star in pop music with over 16 million streams, a half-million social followers, and eight million YouTube views.
She recorded her first original song at the age of 10, and has since written more than 130 songs, and released 14. Ava has won recognition from numerous songwriting competitions, collaborated with renowned producers, and achieved chart success in multiple formats. She has been highlighted as an artist to watch in 2024.
“I started doing community theater productions when I was younger,” said Della Pietra, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Cambridge. “My parents found a child agent and I was booked for the National Tour of ‘Les Misérables.’ That was back in 2012. I played Young Cosette.”
That tour brought Della Pietra to Philadelphia in January 2013 for a one-week run of the “Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Tour” at the Academy of Music.
“I was seven years old,” said Della Pietra. “We played 27 cities in nine months. Later, I did the National Tour of ‘White Christmas.’ I also spent two years on Broadway with ‘School of Rock.’
“I recorded my first song with the ‘School of Rock’ special when I was 10. When I was 12, I started recording more music.
In 2019, I recorded my first single, ‘Optimist.’ It came out during COVID. It was a way to keep people’s spirits up during the pandemic.”
In addition to being an actress and a singer/songwriter, Della Pietra is also a university student.
Again, she is wearing many hats.
Della Pietra is a student at Harvard University.
“I just finished my freshman year,” said Della Pietra. “I’ll start class again on September 3.”
Della Pietra is enrolled in the Harvard University/Berklee School of Music dual program, Class of 2027.
“At Harvard, I’m majoring in pre-med and biology/neuroscience,” said Della Pietra, who plays violin, piano, ukelele, guitar and electric bass.
“At Berklee, I’m a music major and also majoring in songwriting. I have four courses at Harvard and two at Berklee. I’ll probably follow a songwriting track there.
“My most recent single is ‘Rearview Mirror,’ which came out on June 14. It’s a departure in style from my previous singles. It has a little rap in there.
“I think that with all my songs, I try to stay extremely true to myself. Through my songs, you can see how the topics of my life are changing.”
Video link for Ava Della Pietra — https://youtu.be/lOoXZyen4WY.
The show at the Foundry at the Fillmore Philadelphia on August 1 featuring Ava Della Pietra opening for Madilyn Dei will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $34.25.
On August 3, Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) is hosting a concert by Laura Cheadle. It’s a musical love affair. Cheadle is an act Jamey Reilly books several times a year.
“Jamey’s is my favorite spot,” said Cheadle, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Philadelphia. “It’s a great place to play.”
Cheadle has a new album to support – “Mannequin.”
“I signed a deal with Sony Music,” said Cheadle. “I released a Christmas album with Sony on their Orchard label two years ago. ‘Mannequin’ is my first full Sony album featuring my music.”
For Cheadle, Christmas came a little early last year.
“I won a game show on CBS,” said Cheadle. “The game show was ‘Raid the Cage” and the final aired last December.”
“Raid the Cage” is a television game show hosted by Damon Wayans Jr. and Jeannie Mai that premiered on CBS on October 13, 2023. It is an adaptation of the Israeli television series of the same name.
Two teams of two contestants compete on each episode to earn time to retrieve prizes from a giant cage, with the team having the highest total keeping the prizes and playing the bonus round.
“I won $91,000,” said Cheadle. “And having all the people see me on national TV in the finals will be a real boost to my music career. This has been my best year ever.”
When Cheadle was asked if she blew through the $91K yet, she offered an affirmative reply.
“I took the money I won from the show and bought a house in Philly,” said Cheadle.
A new house and a new album—Cheadle has definitely been very busy.
“I recorded ‘Mannequin’ at Papa Cheadle’s studio,” said Cheadle. “I’ve been writing songs for four years. It’s my best album yet – with a lot of emotions.
“When the COVID shutdown arrived, I started writing and couldn’t stop. I just relaxed and enjoyed it.”
One of the results of her writing outburst was her 2021 holiday album, “Let’s Get Together for Christmas.”
“It was a family affair,” said Cheadle. “I recorded it at my dad’s studio with my brothers and him. My dad was the producer.
“I did a Christmas album before – in 2010. It was more of a jazz album. This one is definitely bluesier.
“It’s a Christmas album but it’s a real sexy, sultry album – very R&B. I really got a chance to showcase my voice.
The music on my new album is also very R&B-based.”
Cheadle has a band that features blues, soul, funk – and a lot of Cheadles.
Her four-piece group features her brother Jim Cheadle on guitar and her father James Cheadle on keyboards along with Ben Smith, the only non-Cheadle, on drums.
James “Papa Cheadle” has played and recorded with Don Cornell, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Four Aces, Grover Washington Jr., The Soul Survivors, Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine.
Cheadle has played with her family ever since she was a young girl.
“My father has influenced me so much,” said Cheadle. “He’s a seasoned jazz musician who used to be a music professor at Rowan University. So, I’ve always been involved with music.
“He has his own recording studio in South Jersey called the Swedesboro Music Studio and he records a lot of different people. He and I are both devoted to music. His influence on me is blues and jazz – but I make it modern.”
Cheadle’s music career began when she was four years old. Her father created the “Appreciation Choir” for the Persian Gulf War troops in the early nineties and created a music video that was aired on VH1 and MTV. Along with her two older twin brothers and various other children, Cheadle toured around the United States singing for audiences.
When she was 11, she enlisted her father to teach her how to play drums. From her “tween” to “mid-teen” years, Cheadle was in a band with her brothers called Sibling – a pop group that played at local restaurants, churches, music venues, private parties and parades.
“I’ve been in the Philadelphia/New Jersey music scene for quite some time,” said Cheadle. “I’ve been doing acoustic stuff since I was 16 and then put my band together later. Sibling was a blend and I morphed into my music. Songwriting comes very naturally for me. Sometimes, I wake up with a melody in my head. It’s just there.
“I’ve always been a super fan of old soul. My biggest influences are Aretha Franklin, Tower of Power, James Brown and Stevie Wonder. I love real drums and all the organic instruments. Some of my songs are rock. Some of them are blues. It’s hard to classify me – maybe pop/rock with soul influence. I just do what I feel.”
The Cheadle Family has built a strong reputation nationally.
“We were on an NBC television show called ‘The Next Great Family Band’ in 2013,” said Cheadle. “That got us a lot of interest in being booked for tours. They actually came to our place in Swedesboro. The exposure was great.”
Fans will get plenty of Cheadle’s music – old and new, R&B and soul – this Saturday night at Jamey’s.
“It’s an evening of soul,” said Cheadle. “It will be all my soul stuff – and there will be stuff from the new album.”
Video link for Laura Cheadle — https://youtu.be/D0o0H7Zqw74.
Video link for Laura Cheadle on “Raid the Cage” — https://youtu.be/nkThnKBGijQ.
The show at Jamey’s on August 3 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Livestream tickets are $15.
The show on August 2 at Jamey’s will feature The Organization.
The Organization is a Jazz and Funk based organ trio (and occasional quartet) created in the spring of 2022. Organist Josh Klamka, guitarist Jake Miller, and drummer Greg Masters joined forces while studying jazz performance at Temple University.
The show at Jamey’s on August 2 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Livestream tickets are $15.
Jamey’s features either “Thursday Jams at Jamey’s” or “Open Mic” on Thursdays featuring the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians.
“Jazz at Jamey’s” will be presented every second and fourth Thursday, and “Open Mic” every first, third and fifth Thursday.
Every Sunday, Jamey’s presents “SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM” featuring the Philly Blues Kings. On the second Sunday of each month, the featured act is the Girke-Davis Project which features club owner Jamey Reilly, Roger Girke, Glenn Bickel, Fred Berman and Colgan-Davis.
The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) will started its run of the hit musical “The Fantasticks” on July 13. The show will close on August 24.
“The Fantasticks” is a magical journey, part fairy tale, part fable and entirely enchanting. With book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, it features such memorable songs as “Try to Remember” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and has the distinction of being the longest-running musical in the history of theater.
“The Fantasticks” is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play “The Romancers” (“Les Romanesques”) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud.
The show’s original off-Broadway production ran a total of 42 years (until 2002) and 17,162 performances, making it the world’s longest-running musical. The musical was produced by Lore Noto. It was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1991.
The poetic book and breezy, inventive score, including such memorable songs as “Try to Remember,” helped make the show durable. Many productions followed, as well as television and film versions.
“The Fantasticks” was revived Off-Broadway from 2006-2017. The musical has played in all 50 U.S. states and in at least 67 foreign countries.
The main characters in the Candlelight productions are Shawn Weaver as The Mute, Isabell Hartzell as Luisa, Nigel Grant as Matt and James Ofalt as El Gallo.
Weaver, an Upper Darby High alumnus, spent his college years in Chester County and graduated from Lincoln University in 2020 as a vocal performance major. He is an active actor, voice coach and director.
“The Fantasticks” is running now through August 24 at the Candlelight Theatre with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees.
Tickets, which include a buffet meal, beverages, dessert, and free parking, are $70.50 for adults and $35 for children.
“Somewhere Over the Border” is running now through August 11 at People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, www.peopleslight.org).
The musical by Brian Quijada is directed by Laura Alcalá Baker with Music Direction by Michael Meketa Sanchez.
The musical is billed as “A musical odyssey by rising star Brian Quijada.”
As the allure of the American Dream beckons, Reina Quijada travels along a very different yellow brick road from El Salvador to the United States.
Along the way, she makes friends, dodges imminent danger, and searches for the almighty “wizard” in this nod to Oz.
With onstage musicians weaving together cumbia, Mexican mariachi, boleros, American rock, and hip hop, up-and-coming writer and composer Brian Quijada honors his mother in a fantastically true tale of determination, family, and friendship.
This co-production takes to the People’s Light stage following a critically acclaimed run at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre.
Video link for “Somewhere Over the Border” — https://youtu.be/D6Wepwgjs5U.
“Somewhere Over the Border” will run now through August 11 at the theater in Malvern. Ticket prices start at $47.
