Katie Dobbins / Xavier Serrano

Xavier Serrano is a local native to New Haven, CT. Influenced by artists like The Pentangle, Bert Jansch, and Nick Drake, Xavier fuses traditional melodic styles with forward-thinking and unconventional forms. His songwriting spins stories of reawakening, self-growth, and the contemplations of life utilizing on the discordant chords of jazz, folk, and alternative rock.

Links: Bandcamp

Award winning singer-songwriter and light warrior Katie Dobbins seeks to share honest music that captivates listeners and brings light to the darkness. With a mastery of storytelling and the heart of a poet, this soulful songstress captures elements of life and relationships in ways that lift the spirit and challenge the soul. Her album There Is Light, produced by multi-award-winning producer Sean McLaughlin of 37’ Productions, was awarded Album of the Year at the 2019 New England Music Awards and 2021 Limelight Music Awards. Her single There’s a Light, mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Jeff Lipton, was featured on Spotify’s New Friday Christian playlist. Her music has been featured on prominent radio stations like NPR and “Boston’s Hottest Country,” with host Carolyn Kruse raving “Sweet but bold, Katie’s voice is reminiscent of one of her heroes, Jewel, but only deeper … A fearless spirit with a gentle touch.” This spring, Dobbins will release her self-produced single When Seasons Change, a song that dives into a new perspective of living free, a strong recurring theme throughout Katie’s music. The track was mixed and mastered by Emmy-nominated producer Brian Coombes of Rocking Horse Studio (NH), with whom Katie is currently recording multiple singles to be released over the next several months.

In addition to writing and performing music, Dobbins taught special education for over nine years. Her teaching experience is often apparent on stage, as she makes jokes or asks questions of the audience. She gives credit for her music journey to God, as her faith has been a foundation in her life and her music. Dobbins leads worship at her local church and also writes songs about her faith, though none of her tunes that fall specifically within the worship genre have hit the recording studio just yet. In her free time, Katie loves getting outside in every season. Her favorite pastimes include skiing, doing anything on or near the water, and hiking. She is in the process of hiking all 48 4,000-foot peaks in New Hampshire. These experiences influenced the writing of Mountain Song, which is on her sophomore album. Dobbins also has a love for crafting and writing and hopes to write a book one day.

Links: Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp

The Buttonwood Tree is located at 605 Main St, Middletown, CT 06457. Ideal parking locations for our events:

• Behind It’s Only Natural market: free after 8 PM, metered until 8 PM.
  • CHOICE or CHC spots: available after 6 PM
• On Main Street: metered until 6 PM
• On Liberty Street: one-way street, free