Drawing from blues and jazz traditions and with a street-smart stagecraft honed in the subways of Boston, Amy Kucharik [/kuh-CHAR-ick/] transports her audience to a place both timeless and familiar, but nevertheless innovative. The 2015 Kerrville New Folk winning songwriter’s catchy, edgy, sometimes haunting lyrics recount tales of reluctant love, heartbreak, revenge, and grit. Performing as a one-woman band with foot percussion and mouth trumpet, or with her Boston-based ensemble Friends With Benefits (upright bass, backing vocals, and horns), Amy explores all dimensions of her ukulele, both exploiting and defying its reputation as a novelty instrument. The band has entertained audiences in the Boston area since 2012, sought after for their ability to energize swing dances and listening rooms alike. They have since traveled as far as Montreal and Minnesota, and performed at this year’s Outside the Box Festival at Boston Common. As a solo artist, Amy has toured extensively in the past two years, sharing stages from Boston to Austin (and beyond) with folk artists including Rod Picott, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, 2014 Boston Music Awards Folk Artist of the Year Dan Blakeslee, 2014 Newfolk winner Daniel Boling, and fellow 2015 Newfolk winners, Tom Meny, Becky Warren and Wes Collins. Of her Kerrville performance, Texas Outside said Amy “…stole the show with the light, upbeat sounds of her instrument and voice against the dark humor of her lyrics.”