A Different Thread & Tony Gill at The Cottage Hotel of Mendon

Americana/folk songwriter Tony Gill and friends A Different Thread (NC) pair up for a night of original music at the historic Cottage Hotel of Mendon!
Rochester folk singer songwriter Tony Gill from the band Archimedes plays songs that combine psychedelic, original songwriting with a deep love for Appalachian and American folk music
Joining the bill is A Different Thread, one hailing from North Carolina and the other from the U.K. the pair met busking in Ireland and play a unique blend of Appalachian, blues, and folk that is all their own
Don’t miss a killer night of original music at the cozy Cottage Hotel! July 2nd 7pm free show!
A Different Thread:
“One road is ending, another road begins, come on let’s do it over again” - A Different Thread
Some things are just meant to be. Alicia Best (US) and Robert Jackson (UK) met while busking on the cobbled streets of Ireland and discovered both a musical and personal harmony that was serendipitous. In the decade since forming A Different Thread, Best and Jackson have taken their act on the road, touring over a dozen countries, supporting artists such as The Milk Carton Kids and Jody Stephens (Big Star), winning the International Acoustic Music Awards, and garnering critical praise from the likes of KLOF Mag, which hailed the duo as: “Warm, deep songwriters that have drank from the well of 20th century tradition.”
Their new album, Over Again (out May 1st 2026), was written during a period of transition, marked by their arrival stateside and a solar eclipse. Recording began in their tiny home studio, continued in Sylvan Esso's Betty's (The Mountain Goats, Tyler Childers, Watchhouse), and finished at Alma Vale Studio (Yola, Elles Bailey) in the UK.
Their sound is transcontinental, blending Jackson's British folk rock background with Best's North Carolina-bred alt-country melodies. Informed by their life experiences (navigating visas, vanlife, love across oceans) and liberal commentary on both environmental and social justice topics, the album mixes electric guitars with Appalachian dulcimer, gospel-tinged vocals with honky-tonk fiddle. While inspired by artists like Gillian Welch, The Avett Brothers, and John Prine, A Different Thread maintains a distinct sound that is all their own.
Alicia and Robert see the creation of Over Again as a testament to the power that music has to heal and transform: “For us, this album marks a new beginning, like a rebirth, as we shed negative cycles to work towards a brighter future.”