We are fortunate to live in an area where we can experience all types of music, and when it comes to singer-songwriters, we are fortunate to have so many talented ones living among us. Any given weekend, you can head out to one of the local breweries or music venues and discover a musician playing acoustic guitar and sharing their stories in song — stories that sound like they could be your own.

If you’re seeking a unique singer-songwriter experience this weekend, look no further than Eric Phelps and Let it Rain at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, performing Friday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m. Phelps, a native of Greenfield, will be accompanied by the Let it Rain band, a collective of some of the Valley’s finest musicians. The show will kick off with The Secret Chord, a Leonard Cohen tribute band, setting the stage for an unforgettable evening.

The Let It Rain band includes Chris Devine (Minstrels of the Gallery) on various instruments, Joe Fitzpatrick (Big Yellow Taxi, Minstrels of the Gallery, Galvanizer, Gaslight Tinkers) on drums, Paul Kochanski (Lori McKenna, Stomp Box Trio) on bass, and Devin Griffiths (After The Rain, Wildcat O’Halloran Band) on electric guitar.

Phelps has recently been working on new material and plans to play some of his new songs at this show. In addition, he will be playing some favorites from his 2022 album, “Let it Rain,” and offering up his interpretations on a handful of covers. He recently released the single “Letter to Myself,” a somber song about quieting the critical voices in our heads. Seth Glier plays keyboards on the track, adding nice texture and enhancing the overall haunting mood of the music. Phelps has another new song, a sweet melodic love song, “Glad That I’m With You,” that recently won the Adult Contemporary category of the New England Songwriting competition.

Does this mean we can expect a new album from Phelps soon? The answer is not no, but not yes.

“I’m not making a new album per se, but releasing songs as singles,” said Phelps in a recent email. “I’m finding the album model isn’t working well for my material because of the many genres I write in.”

Opening the show will be a relatively new band, The Secret Chord. The group is the brainchild of Gordon Kramer of Leverett, who was so deeply moved by the 2021 documentary “Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” that he was inspired to form The Secret Chord early in 2023 to help bring the healing power of Cohen’s music to new audiences.

In addition to Kramer, who plays guitar and sings, the band features vocalists Ruth Critcher and Jody Spitz, Ray Grigonis on bass, Jesse Sprole on keyboard and Patrick Kelly on drums. They all have extensive experience playing on the local music scene and beyond. There have been countless covers of Cohen’s most famous song, “Hallelujah,” but there fewer musicians out there digging into his vast catalog, so hearing The Secret Chord’s take will be interesting; the band puts their own spin on the music by incorporating elements of folk, jazz and rock into their sound.

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Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show, and are available at hawksandreed.com or by calling 413-774-0150. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Last month, Lisa Bastoni of Northampton released “Under the Water,” a collection of 12 songs that brilliantly capture the details of everyday life while exploring the deeper emotions surrounding them. Bastoni has performed locally for a few years now and won a series of prestigious awards, including a 2019 win at the Kerrville Folk Festival competition. Chances are you heard the melodic “Waxwing” on the radio, as it’s been getting some strong airplay.

Sean Staples produced the album that features a variety of guest vocalists. Mark Erelli lends his voice to the touching “Only Goodbye,” a slow, sad song about missing someone, further enhanced by some subtle pedal steel. Kris Delmhorst lends harmonies to “Hometown,” a song where she revisits some childhood memories. Then there is “Honeymoon in Disneyland,” a song inspired by Bastoni’s parent’s marriage that includes lines like “They were just babies having a baby / Salty as the water, smooth as sand.”

These songs pack an emotional punch, but there is some lighter fare here, too.

In addition to being an excellent singer-songwriter, Bastoni is a visual artist who, among her projects, creates hand-painted lyric videos. She created them for her own music and for songs like “Dear John” by Sandy Bailey and “November” by Cloudbelly. They are truly stunning and worth checking out at lisabastoni.com. 

“Under the Water” is a beautiful collection of songs that should help Bastoni reach a larger audience.

To hear these songs live, Lisa Bastoni will have a record release party on Sunday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Parlor Room in Northampton. Tickets are available at parlorroom.org. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Wooden Fender and the Warwick Arts Council continue to offer their monthly concert at the Warwick Town Hall. This month, on Saturday, April 20, at 7 p.m., they will welcome ch’Chunk, the local band who puts a modern spin on swing music. The band’s name comes from the ch’Chunk sound made when strumming a guitar. The band has been known to get crowds up and dancing so come prepared.

Carrie and Michael Kline, whose work is inspired by Appalachian music and culture, will perform at Mt. Toby in Leverett on Saturday, April 20, at 7 p.m. They will be joined by Joe Blumenthal on bass.

“We place our songs in a historical, folkloric context with stories and images to set the stage for the songs,” the couple said in a press release. “We sing in the kind of tight, high mountain harmony that comes from living and loving together for thirty years, having met in the Valley and recently returned after 26 years as West Virginia-based folklorists, oral historians, and music makers.”

There is a suggested donation of $15 to $25, or pay as you are able. Reservations can be made by emailing diacrowe@yahoo.com or by calling 413-835-1695.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.