Upper Township Teen To Perform Solo Concert At New Theater

NORTH CAPE MAY, NJ — An Upper Township teen who recorded her latest album with a Grammy-nominated producer will play a solo show at the End Of The Road Theater in North Cape May on Saturday.

Méabh Stanford, a 16-year-old Ocean City High School student, will perform songs on guitar and keyboard from her EP “make it be me,” along with unreleased original music and covers from artists like The Beatles and The Cranberries.

The newly-opened End of the Road Theater is an independent movie theater and live performance venue. The 40-seat BYOB theater serves as a stage for local talent.

Before the pandemic, Stanford enjoyed performing songs at local open mics. She looks forward to returning to the stage with her show on Saturday.

“It’s really exciting,” Stanford told Patch. “I feel for other artists who were not able to play shows. I’m excited for myself and everyone else that gets to go out and play now.”

Stanford describes her music as alternative-pop, taking inspiration from a variety of artists like Taylor Swift, David Bowie and Fiona Apple.

Over the summer, Stanford stepped into the studio with producer Luke Witherspoon III, of Atlantic City, to record her new album. Witherspoon was nominated for a Grammy in 2018 for his co-production work on the song "Go Thru Your Phone" on the best R&B album nominee, "Gumbo," by PJ Morton, a keyboardist for Maroon 5.

The collaboration came through her vocal coach, Stevi Leigh, who has worked as a recording artist and has industry connections, Stanford told Patch.

Most of the inspiration for her new songs came from films and novels, and hopes listeners walk away with a renewed appreciation for how these works continue to inspire generations of people.

“People at school I’m not even that close with will say ‘Hey I listened to your EP and it was really good.’ It just makes me feel very happy,” she said.

End of the Road Theater is located at 3845 Bayshore Rd. in North Cape May. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased in advance at www.endoftheroadtheater.com or in person at the box office.

Stanford's EP, “make it be me,” is now available on all streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTube, Amazon Music, Deezer and Bandcamp.

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