The Second Annual We Make Noise Festival celebrates women and gender-expansive artists in Boston through a one-day free summer event. The festival features live music performances by local musicians and DJs, a visual art gallery in partnership with Boston Art Review showcasing the work of diverse artists, digital interactions exploring feminism and activism, and a platform for local vendors through Boston Women’s Market.
By empowering artists and engaging the community, WMN Festival aims to create an inclusive space for celebration, empowerment, and artistic expression.
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Festival Lineup 2025
Lady Lamb
From her early days, staying late after-hours at her video rental store job in Maine to record songs, to co-producing and arranging her four studio records, Aly Spaltro has remained focused on music that connects, empowers and builds community. She built her fanship the old-fashioned way, getting in front of audiences and projecting her poetic confessionals, silencing rowdy crowds with an a cappella opening song in the center of a dark stage. Spaltro was quick to develop a reputation as a breakout star in New England, and then expanded slowly outwards, moving to New York at twenty to continue work on the songs that would become Ripely Pine. Her voice has never wavered, has grown more honest and open with time, and anyone witnessing the long lines of fans seeking signatures after her performances can see how her work has impacted fans. Her live shows are revelations, a further deep dive into what makes Ripely Pine such a mainstay.
Spaltro is celebrating ten years of Ripely Pine with the release of a 5xLP Box Set, IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT out August 18 on Ba Da Bing Records. With the original songs remastered, as well as reams of additional material produced and arranged by Spaltro and mixed by original co- producer Nadim Issa, IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT captures the time, mood, art and ambition of Aly Spaltro in her early twenties, who had already accumulated years of playing and self-recording experience before laying down tracks for this giant of a debut.
“I wrote some of these songs when I was 18, learning how to play the instruments and record with my digital 8-track along the way,” Spaltro says, reflecting on the time. She talks about IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT with a sense of a mission. “These tracks have haunted me, because they haven’t had a home for all these years. I found all these alternate track listings in my notebooks. Any of them could have ended up on the record,” Spaltro says. “This box set is a way to honor that whole time, the beginning of the path of my life. Releasing this project feels like just that; I’m able to look back on where I’ve come from, and then gently close that door behind me and keep moving, keep growing.”
Eph See
When it comes to making music independently, Boston born artist, Eph See, truly shines.
Unsigned and unmanaged, Eph See has built their musical career from the ground up by releasing singles and long-form projects through self led campaigns and the help of their creative community of friends. Their debut EP, g*rlhood, released in October of 2021, landed them features in Lyrical Lemonade and The Fader, all without the budget or marketing of a label; A true test to the quality of their work & dedication to their craft. They are known to float from genre to genre, oftentimes mixing multiple together to create something entirely new. Luckily for them, this ability to be fluid in their songwriting and composition has an outlet when writing for other artists at Anti Social Camp taking place across New York’s boroughs each June.
The only rule they have when songwriting? Be potently honest. Eph See’s latest project, a mixtape titled “xoxo, eph”, was received with love and recognized by WBUR and dreamworldgirlzine for its honesty, storytelling, and composition. And their current work keeps raising the bar higher and higher, receiving critical acclaim from the Senior Producer of NPR’s Tiny Desk, Robin Hilton, on Top Shelf 2025 and All Songs Considered – and making them pack rooms in NYC & Boston on their first Tour with Deadbeat Girl, Miki Rastula, and Um, Jennifer?
Naomi Westwater
Naomi Westwater (they/them/she) is a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter from Massachusetts. Their work combines folk-rock music, poetry, and spirituality. Their hope is that through ritual and storytelling they can aid nature in the end of capitalism and the return to community, creativity, and collective joy.
Naomi holds a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music, and they are a part of The Club Passim Folk Collective, where they produce Re-Imagining Lilith Fair: a tribute to the feminist music scene of the 1990s with an intersectional lens for today.
Naomi was nominated for four Boston Music Awards, and featured in The Boston Globe, Under The Radar, WBUR, GBH, and The Bluegrass Situation. They made the WBUR’s 2024 Makers list, and in November 2024 the musician-in-residence at Château d'Orquevaux in France.
Naomi is also a cultural curator, she leads the Boston Chapter of We Make Noise where she produces We Make Noise Fest and We Make Noise Camp, and has produced shows at The Apollo Theater, The Beacon Theatre, The Bell House, and more. Currently, Naomi is producing a series called Reclaiming Folk: A Celebration of People of Color in Folk Music and has received over 20 grants to tour the series.
Naomi is on faculty at Club Passim and Not Sorry Productions teaching songwriting, spirituality, and poetry. Her latest concept record, Cycle & Changeis out everywhere.
jill mccracken
jill mccracken (they/them) is a queer singer/songwriter making emotionally raw retro soul music. heartfelt passion and vocal power remain front and center whether it’s a boisterous full band performance or an intimate solo set. mccracken’s influence has resonated with their home city of boston, earning consistent boston music award nominations over the past five years (singer/songwriter, vocalist of the year), clinching a new england music award (soul/r&b act of the year), and being regarded as “a force to reckon with in the boston music community” (allston pudding).
kieramari
kieramari is an r&b/neo soul singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer. Hailing from the Bay Area, the Boston-based artist grew up immersed in music—participating in choir, musical theater, small jazz bands, a capella groups, and of course—falling in love with writing music. Though kieramari writes music within many genres for other artists, her solo music sound is an effortless blend of intricate grooves, soulful vocals, eclectic production, catchy hooks, and her unique style of theatrical lyricism.
Drawing inspiration from Solange, Hiatus Kaiyote, Eloise, Moonchild, and Stevie Wonder, kieramari has carved out a unique sonic corner of the music industry. Since September of 2023, she has been the lead singer and lyricist of Moodrings, a Boston-based jazz fusion band. Her live performances have captivated audiences at venues like Boston Queer Club, The Lilypad, and Sustainable Swap’s Battle of the Bands (with Moodrings).
Her most recent single, "broken heart bossa", was released this past fall, gaining attention from playlisters and listeners alike, continuously expanding her ever-growing fanbase through her social media and live performances. She just graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Professional Music, and is completing her debut EP. When not in the studio or performing, kieramari is an artist to keep your eye on—someone whose one-of-a-kind songwriting stye and unique musical perspective is set to make big waves in the music industry in the next couple of years.