Meet Susan Cattaneo, Medford's Country Music Songstress

Country music and Massachusetts aren't exactly synonymous. But singer/singerwriter Susan Cattaneo feels right at home with both.

"It’s the storytelling aspect of it, I find that really appealing," Cattaneo, a West Medford resident, said of Country music. "It’s the genre where you’re finding the most lyric storytelling."

A New Jersey native, Cattaneo moved to the Boston area 13 years ago with her husband who had a new job here. At the time, she worked in advertisement and sang at clubs at night. But she eventually quit her job and enrolled at the Berklee School of Music.

She got a degree in songwriting, and starting teaching at the school shortly after receiving her degree. She also took regular trips to Nashville for recording sessions, but was never quite able to hit it big.

"I had a lot of close calls and a lot of could-have-beens that didn’t work out," she said in a phone interview Wednesday.

With two young children, Cattaneo didn't had much time for performing, or the long travels to Nashville. It wasn't until 2009 she released her first album. She has released another since then and is set to release her third, "Little Big Sky" in August on her independent label Jersey Girl Music.

She says her music is best described at "Bonnie Rait with twang."

"That’s kind of my style," she said. "I’m commercial Americana."

Cattaneo has a show Saturday, June 2 with Kylie Evans at Sally O'Brien's in Somerville. She will also be part of a show in the round on June 4 at the Red Star in Kendall Square, which will feature several area songwriters.