On April 28 at The Ark, located in Ann Arbor, Ireland-based artist Gráinne Hunt will make her Ann Arbor debut, performing alongside Jules Stewart, a 25-year veteran drummer and vocalist from San Diego, CA.
Hunt, often noted for being a compelling vocalist and commanding stage presence, is an artist who possesses imaginative storytelling, captivating melodies and emotionally in-depth songcrafting. As a queer, nu-folk singer-songwriter, Hunt has captured the heart and attention of the world for the better part of two decades, and in late April, she said her Ann Arbor debut, as part of her “On Tour From Ireland” tour, will be one where “People can expect to hear heartfelt songs and stories, with rich harmony and dynamic percussion. There will be laughter and maybe some tears, and lots of genuine connection.”
“We are really excited to play at The Ark!” Hunt said via email, “When I started booking this tour, The Ark was one of the first shows I confirmed, and I worked the tour in the area around that one. The Ark has such an amazing history of music, and we’re delighted to be part of the programming for The Artist Spotlight Series. We love community and connecting with people. It’s great to see Ford Philanthropy support these shows, so that they’re free to the public, and we love that the shows are an opportunity for people to donate food to Food Gatherers.”
As an artist, Hunt’s style of artistry combines the imagination of your favorite childhood book, as her lyrics, matched by the warm sounds of folk guitar, express a musical haze of memories lived through the perspective of someone who yearns for those times to return, yet appreciates a good life worth living. This is most prominent in songs like her 2024 single “Magnets,” which details the highs and lows of the all-too-familiar patterns of on-again, off-again relationships.
“The idea for ‘Magnets’ came to be a long time ago—long before I was a songwriter, before I played in bands and was performing original music,” Hunt said. “I loved the fact that when magnets are the ‘wrong’ way around, they repel each other. I filed that idea away in my brain and thought, if I ever write a song, I’d like to write a song that includes that idea.”
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As a songwriter, Hunt is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, noting that she found her place within it later in life. However, she says her performances on stage always feel like an opportunity to represent the community.
“We’ve been told it’s inspiring, which is really lovely to hear. We’ve just come back from Folk Alliance in New Orleans, and there was great representation of the LGBTQ+ community there, and we’ve just played Port Fairy Folk Festival, and their lineup was really diverse too,” Hunt said. “It’s so important for young people to be able to see examples of what they can be—and it feels good to be part of that. As a songwriter, I do write about my own experiences and life, and that feeds into this too—I want to be authentic and real, and for me, it feels like if I can do that, then people will connect with it.”
For her visit to Ann Arbor, she said there’s a laundry list of places she wants to experience while in the city, including a visit to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Graffiti Alley, Literati, and “sample some great food. We do compile a list of ice cream places while we’re on tour, so we’ll definitely be heading for Milk & Froth.”
“We’re currently in Australia on tour, and coming back to the US at the beginning of April to start a tour on the East Coast of the US for almost six weeks.” Hunt says, “We’ll have 27 shows across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri—my biggest tour to date! I’m really grateful to be supported by Culture Ireland for this tour—they’re a government body in Ireland that funds the export of Irish Arts internationally, and I’m very proud to be in receipt of this financial support.”
Performing alongside Hunt is veteran musician Jules Stewart, a relationship she says began on the set of a folk musical written by a mutual friend.
“When we would soundcheck or have some downtime in rehearsals, Jules and I would jam on my songs, and we noticed we clicked musically right away,” Hunt said. “When the show was touring Ireland in 2023, Jules and I secretly fell in love with each other, and eventually told each other, and we’ve been together since.”
Regarding the upcoming show, Hunt wants everyone to enjoy the show and continue supporting live music.
“As an independent artist, having people come to shows and support live music is really important, and we really appreciate that—it’s what makes it possible for us to continue bringing our music on the road, and playing around the world. Thank you.”
For more information on the upcoming performance visit Theark.org or contact The Ark at (734) 761-1818.
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
