As a child, Mairead Guy (they/them) was surrounded by Celtic and old-time musicians, learning
decades-old songs and spending Thursday afternoons watching their parents play music in
Richmond’s local Irish pub. At a similar time, though hundreds of miles away, Maddy Simpson
(she/her) was falling asleep to The Essential Simon & Garfunkel in her mom’s car, internalizing
the duo’s close harmony vocals and dreaming of making music of her own.
The two met in Boston during college, when they quickly discovered their voices fit together in a
way almost familial. Sweet Petunia was born after a few hours of sharing songs and old stories.
The name was a no-brainer, taken from a nickname that Mairead’s great-grandfather called all
his grandchildren. In no time at all, Simpson and Guy were playing anywhere they could –
opening for hardcore bands in Allston basements, taking to the stage of festivals such as
FreshGrass (2019) and In Between Days (2023), and most recently touring as much as possible
in Mairead’s Honda CRV.
Sweet Petunia, composed of Mairead Guy and Maddy Simpson, is an alt-folk duo based in
Boston. Over the last five years, the duo has grown into their own as both powerful songwriters
and harmonizers as well as lightning-quick players, beginning every set with explosive double
banjo action. Unapologetically queer and unafraid to get loud and angry, they craft music that is
informed just as much by their contemporaries in Boston’s punk & DIY scene as it is steeped in
rich folk tradition.