Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers and The Killers will headline Boston Calling this year, but they are not the only notable acts taking the stage at the three-day festival.
The headliners will be joined by more than 50 artists, including more than 20 acts from the Northeast.
To highlight these local artists, MassLive will publish profiles on the acts leading up to the festival’s May 24 start date.
Zola Simone
Zola Simone is one of more than 20 local acts performing at Boston Calling 2024.Courtesy of Zola Simone
Zola Simone’s first time performing at Boston Calling this year will be one of many full-circle moments the Boston/New York City-based musician has experienced during her career.
“It feels incredible. It is such a huge honor and it’s been a goal of mine for years,” Simone told MassLive. “There is so much local talent in the Boston music scene, and getting to see that all in one place is a beautiful thing.”
Simone has always been surrounded by music. The musician started singing at 3 years old, adding that music “was just an innate passion from that age.”
Simone’s band formed after she met her producer, named “The Arcitype,” or Arc, in 2019. Through him, Simone met her drummer, Jonathan Ulman, who plays in the band STL GLD with Arc.
Her guitarist Bobby Borenstein, who Simone met while taking lessons at the Guitar Center on Boylston Street in Boston in 2020, is also in the Boston band Air Traffic Controller. Simone’s bassist, Joe Campbell, joined her band in 2022.
“It’s a fun little domino effect, full-circle moment that we are all playing together now,” she said. “I love those guys.”
While Simone’s band was forming, she was frequenting Boston Calling in 2018, 2019 and 2022. She actually saw STL GLD play in 2018 before she met Arc and John.
“It was another crazy full circle moment,” Simone said. “I remember loving their set and wondering who they were.”
Therefore, Simone’s first time at Boston Calling as a performer will be an even bigger full circle moment. The artist is also especially excited to see Chappell Roan, whose music she discovered in 2021 and has kept up with ever since. You can learn more about Simone’s career by visiting the singer’s website.
Boston Calling will take place Memorial Day Weekend from Friday, May 24, until Sunday, May 26, at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston.
Fans looking to purchase tickets for Boston Calling can visit StubHub and VividSeats. More information about this year’s lineup and how to purchase tickets can be found here.
