5 acts to look out for at Newport Folk Festival

Folk music and beyond will once again breathe life into Fort Adams State Park this weekend at the Newport Folk Festival. Tickets sold out before the lineup was even announced, but those lucky enough to secure them are in for a talent-packed weekend with performances by American folk artist Adrianne Lenker, Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, Somerville-born alt-rock band Guster and 51 other acts. In scrolling through the list of performers, I found five acts to look out for that exude melancholic singer-songwriter flair, found their sound in Massachusetts, reflect on grief and femininity, are returning for a long-awaited festival homecoming and make for an odd but intriguing addition to the lineup.

The British singer-songwriter and musician, born Isabella Sophie Tweddle, writes indie folk music about the intricacies of love. On her fourth album “Drop Cherries,” Billie Marten delves into one relationship through 13 tracks. “Nothing But Mine” explores the euphoric moment of two people promising themselves to each other, and “Devil Swim” probes Marten’s sometimes unhealthy infatuation with her partner. Marten rose to prominence at 12 years old when she released a viral YouTube cover of Lucy Rose’s “Middle of the Bed.” Inspired by Joni Mitchell, she sings introspective lyrics with floating, ethereal vocals.

Billie Marten will perform from 12:10-12:55 p.m. on Friday, July 26 on the Harbor Stage.

The alternative rock band met at Tufts University in 1991 and have been playing together ever since. They released their latest record “Ooh La La” in May, their first album in five years. After nine studio albums, they continue making music dedicated to experimentation and playfulness. Every artist performing at Newport Folk Festival selects a charitable organization for a donation to be made on their behalf through Newport Gives grants. Guster chose Middlebury Community Music Center, an organization in Vermont working to make music accessible to everyone.

Guster will perform from 3:25-4:25 p.m. on Friday, July 26 on the Fort Stage.

Reyna Tropical began as an alternative-indie duo developed by Fabi Reyna and Nectali "Sumohair" Díaz. However, after Díaz’s sudden death two years ago and with the release of album “Malegría,” Reyna Tropical is now a solo project by Reyna. Malegría is Spanish slang for “bad happiness,” coined by French-Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist Manu Chao. Reyna’s music blends Congolese, Peruvian, and Colombian styles and examines queer love and deliberate connections to the Earth. “Malegría” includes voice memos from conversations between Reyna and Díaz, turning painful memories into art. The title track is a discussion of the term “malegría” and striking a balance between sadness and beauty with the spoken words overlaying humming voices. A review by Pitchfork calls the album “an imaginative meditation on the possibilities of diasporic genre collage.”

Reyna Tropical will perform from 12:05-12:50 p.m. on Saturday, July 27 on the Harbor Stage.

Blues musician Taj Mahal, born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr., will be hitting the stage at 82 years old. He first played the festival 60 years ago, so this is a full circle moment for the artist who grew up in Springfield. Mahal found inspiration in pre-war blues and modern sounds, as well as Indigenous music from South Africa, the Caribbean and South America. He attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the 1960s for agriculture and animal husbandry where he joined the school’s band, the Electras.

Taj Mahal will perform from 4:00-4:55 p.m. on Sunday, July 28 on the Harbor Stage.

Yes, you’re reading that right. American television host Conan O’Brien is closing out Newport Folk Festival on Sunday. In an interview with The Boston Globe, O’Brien, who grew up in Brookline, said while his music performances are usually packed with comedy, this set will focus more on the actual music. Rock band Dawes, O’Brien’s longtime music director and guitarist Jimmy Vivino and other surprise guests will perform alongside him. O’Brien has been playing music for a long time. He bought a cheap drum kit in high school, but said he was terrible, so he ditched it for an acoustic guitar when he moved to Los Angeles. O’Brien will be shredding on an electric guitar in Newport, which is reason enough to attend.

Conan O’Brien & Real Musicians will perform from 6:30-7:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 on the Fort Stage.