Kayleigh Goldsworthy is a guitarist, a pianist, and a punk scene hired gun who’s played in bands with Dave Hause and Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, to name a few. But over the past couple years, the story has become less focused on her credentials and more her own work. We’re coming up on a year since the release of Learning To Be Happy, Goldsworthy’s stunning debut full-length of ripping power pop anthems, moving piano ballads, country-inflected acoustic gems, and vulnerable lyrics of self-discovery. The past twelve months are possibly the first time Goldsworthy has gotten to spend an extended stretch of time focusing on her songwriting and not someone else’s, and this week she dropped by WXPN studios ahead of a spring tour to showcase her album, and her live band.
At last fall’s Philly Music Fest, Goldsworthy debuted her four-piece with drummer Tucker Rule, bassist Aaron Garritillo, and guitarist Jon Tedd. They’re players she goes back pretty far with; she performs with Rule in Iero’s band The Future Violents, and got her start with Garritillo in the Syracuse band The Scarlet Ending in the aughties. In WXPN studios, the collected players amp up Goldsworthy’s songwriting in a big way — kicking the Key Studio Session off with the roaring “Losing My Mind,” dancing across the punchy twang of “I Want to Know,” and racing into the gripping single “Overambitious.” They have undeniable rock star charisma, but they also play off one another like old friends, giving this performance a sense of warmth and intimacy as much as rock-out energy. As the set wraps to a close, we get to hear Goldsworthy the way we were introduced to her: solo electric, Julien Baker-style, performing the moving “Little Ghost.”
Goldsworthy heads out on the road next week opening for Laura Stevenson anniversary tour for The Wheel — check out the full schedule here — and she’ll play the Music Hall of World Cafe Live on Friday, April 14th. Tickets and more information on that show can be found at WXPN’s Concert and events page. Watch the Key Studio Session and check out a photo gallery below, and for more on Kayleigh Goldsworthy, check out our interview from last year around the release of Learning To Be Happy on the Memory Music label.