Naomi Westwater

HONORS GRIEF, SPIRIT, AND SONG

- BY ANNIE L. SCHOLL

Naomi Westwater is helping people remember how to live in rhythm with the seasons—and each other.

Through music, ritual, and community, the Boston-based artist weaves together creativity, spirituality, and storytelling in ways that feel both timeless and deeply present. A queer, Black multiracial, nonbinary singer-songwriter, Westwater blends folk-rock, poetry, and soul-rooted performance to explore themes of nature, ancestry, and collective healing.

Their most recent album, Cycle and Change, is a musical meditation on the Wheel of the Year, the eight solar holidays rooted in ancient seasonal traditions. It is also a personal and spiritual offering—one that emerged, fittingly, from a season of loss. “I think creativity is a spiritual connection,” Westwater says. “But to have so much intention behind [the album] being spiritual was very important.”

In addition to making music, Westwater curates live shows, facilitates spiritual circles, and leads “Reclaiming Folk,” a touring series that celebrates people of color in folk and Americana by reclaiming space in a tradition where their contributions have too often been overlooked.

Whether writing songs or holding space, Westwater brings grounded reverence to their work. "When we connect with each other and connect spiritually, I think we live more fulfilling lives," they say. "If I can inspire that for somebody, that's great."

ROOTS AND RHYTHM

Westwater grew up on Cape Cod in a multiracial household shaped by progressive values, deep spirituality, and a love of music. Their mother, Elizabeth Westwater, is a tarot reader, herbalist, and longtime public health worker. Their late father, Robert “Bob” Lymar Weekes, ran a restaurant on Cape Cod for more than 40 years and practiced mediumship through the Spiritualist Church.