Philly Music Fest

Raised on the outskirts of a Texas city, now living in Philadelphia, Grace Gardner is pushing the boundaries of the singer/songwriter genre. While her music adopts many of the genreʼs characteristics, sheʼs found inspiration in her parentsʼ taste in 70s and 80s rock, in the folk roots of her southern upbringing, and in the indie-storytelling she found herself returning to most. Taking it one step further: producing all of her own music allows Grace to maintain a personal, authentic touch in each of her pieces. Her lyricism is evocative and emotional, poignantly penning about the joys and tribulations in relationships, in recovery, and in her identity — typically backdropped by fingerpicked acoustic guitar and intricate production. Her inspirations are eclectic powerhouse writers from the 1970s — Carole King, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell are her “Big 3.” As Grace started honing in on her own musical style, finding the intersection between soft rock, indie, and folk, sheʼs taken even more inspiration from artists like Samia, Olivia Barton, and Madison Cunningham. Grace plays ten instruments and uses orchestral, brass, percussive, and software-based elements in her works. Along with being a singer, songwriter, and instrument player, Grace is also a producer and arranger. Grace’s debut EP, Peach, was released in March 2023, featuring the viral lead single, “Deny Me.” Grace has joined artists such as Adam Melchor, Frances Forever, and Tiny Habits on their headline tours, and embarked on their first headline tour at the beginning of 2025. Grace’s sophomore EP, “Recovery Mile,” was released in February 2024, and their third project, “After Knowing,” was released at the very end of 2024.

Kayla Childs, also known as “Black Buttafly”, is a 26 year old New Jersey native hailing from New Brunswick. Her musical roots are in Gospel, Jazz, and Soul music with influences ranging from Patrice Rushen, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, J Dilla, and Ahmad Jamal. She is a rising pianist, songwriter, and producer attending Rutgers University pursuing her degree in Jazz Performance and Music Technology while currently living and playing in Philadelphia, PA. Kayla has performed in venues such as World Cafe Live, Keystone Corner, Pitchfork Festival (Chicago, London, Paris), The Beacon Theatre, and Nublu Jazz Festival. She is a band member of Omarʼs Hat, UPENDO, & Instrumental band “Astrium”. Kayla has traveled the Across the U.S. and Europe touring professionally. She has played and recorded with artists Ms. Lauryn Hill, Pete Rock, Lenny White, KeiyaA, RES, Ivy Sole, Orion Sun, Duendita, Hannibal Burress & Grammy Award Winning Artist, Jermaine Holmes. She is an inspiring artist looking to impact the world through her soulful sounds and vulnerable vibes.

Matt Quinn, frontman and songwriter of Mt. Joy, was only a couple of months into law school when Mt. Joy's single "Astrovan" began racking up hundreds of thousands of plays on Spotify at release. Quinn had just moved out to L.A. from Philadelphia and was attending night classes and working at a firm when he knew it was time to focus on music. Since then, Mt. Joy has flourished into a 5 piece band that has spent the past six years making music, touring the world, and achieving some of their wildest dreams. To date, Mt. Joy has garnered over one billion global streams and has sold more than half a million tickets, with singles “Silver Lining,” “Jenny Jenkins,” “Lemon Tree,” “Strangers,” “Highway Queen,” and “She Wants to Go Dancing” all charting in the Top 5 on AAA radio. After nearly a decade of touring and recording three critically acclaimed albums (2018’s Mt. Joy, 2020’s Rearrange Us, and 2022’s Orange Blood), Mt. Joy reached new heights in 2024, selling out New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, and more; their 70-date North American and European headline tour sold more than 180,000 tickets.  Throughout the years, one of the most foundational pieces of Mt. Joy's music points back to Quinn and his songwriting - which has been praised by Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, and The Guardian. With Mt. Joy's fourth studio record "Hope We Have Fun" set for release on May 30th, the band sits on the precipice of another breakthrough year. For Quinn, the new record speaks directly to the band’s long journey together — "We've all worked incredibly hard together and done ridiculous things in sickness and in health. You just kind of look up and you're at Madison Square Garden with these people, and it makes you emotional — it feels like something you never could have dreamed. The album is a realization that we pushed ourselves into this crazy world, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. It's a lot about sticking together in relationships, living a crazy lifestyle and just kinda saying, ‘I hope we have fun.'" The album’s thirteen tracks explore the high, lows, and intimate moments of a life lived on the road, with Quinn’s soulful vocals floating over intricate, rootsy instrumentals. In 2025, Mt. Joy will embark on an extensive North American arena tour including stops at Boston's TD Garden, Chicago's United Center, Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheater, as well as festival stops at Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo, and Rhode Island’s Newport Folk Festival.

Christopher David Archibald is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, best known as the frontman of the indie rock band Illinois and for his solo project, Archawah. As the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for Illinois, Archibald has been a driving force behind the band’s distinctive blend of indie rock, folk, and “suburban soul” since its formation in 2006. The band gained early recognition with their 2007 EP What the Hell Do I Know?, released under Ace Fu Records, and continued to build their discography with albums like The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe (2009), Lemonade Stand (2011), Shine (2015), and Shady Lane (2021) . Illinois’s music has been featured in various media, including the TV series Weeds and the video game NBA 2K10.  Seeking a more personal creative outlet, Archibald launched his solo endeavor, Archawah, in 2015. This project showcases a more experimental and introspective side of his artistry, blending acoustic elements with electronic textures. Archawah’s debut EP, 1, was released in January 2016, featuring tracks like “Supermoon” and “Life in Motion” . His solo work has been praised for its emotional depth and innovative soundscapes.  In addition to his work with Illinois and Archawah, Archibald has collaborated with other artists and contributed to various projects. Notably, his song “Familiar” was featured as the theme for Shane Gillis’s Netflix series Tires, though it is not currently available for streaming as Netflix holds the rights.  Archibald continues to be an active figure in the music scene, performing live and engaging with fans through his social media platforms, including Instagram and Threads.