Musician Kimaya Diggs navigates her world with stories. Penning her first one-woman show as a little kid, she’s published fiction, earned a Callaloo fellowship for poetry, and works days as a speechwriter—not to mention the accolades her songwriting’s earned, including a New England Music Awards nod, gigs at legendary folk haunts like Club Passim, and appearances at Green River Festival, Rubblebucket’s Dream Picnic, and the Emily Dickinson festival.

“I’ve always thought of my writing and music as one thing—connective storytelling,” Diggs explains. But while her mother was sick with a twelve-year illness, Diggs felt unable to share the whole truth. Her first LP, 2018’s Breastfed, was largely about her mom, but it wasn’t until her passing that Diggs was free to use songwriting to process. “Sharing my grieving experience has resonated with people; they’re excited to hear something that’s not all good,” notes Diggs. To help cope, Diggs and her husband Jacob Rosazza—also her musical collaborator—rescued an ex-racing dog, Quincy. Though they shared only two years together, caring for the traumatized animal helped Diggs find purpose. “Having him was challenging, but at the same time, he’s why we survived the first year without my mom,” offers Diggs. “It was special to get to love a creature so much—because of, in spite of, and in addition to the challenges he came with.” Losing Quincy gave her greater insight on heartache, so she named her newest album after him.

Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Diggs boasted an expansive musical résumé when she was just a teen. She grew up playing piano and cello, and sang in a trio with her siblings, the Diggs Sisters. Only a high schooler, she learned a range of vocal techniques—choral singing, musical theater, and improvisation among them. “Western Mass has given me a lot of the primary figures in my life who put me on this path—people who pushed me out of my comfort zone,” acknowledges Diggs. After touring internationally with polyphonic singing group Northern Harmony, Diggs left Massachusetts to study opera in Philadelphia. When she moved home in 2015, she began performing her own songs on guitar, falling in with a diverse crew of musicians: contemporary folk artist Wallace Field, psychedelic electropoppers Sun Parade, and LuxDeluxe, an eccentric, beloved rock outfit featuring Rosazza, who helped to record Breastfed. …continue reading

If needed, the rain date for this performance will be THURSDAY, AUGUST 7.