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Esther's Recordings

Smiling woman behind a confessional screen with the text “Esther Friedman” and “Cult Confessions” in stylized fonts.
Strange Blues by Esther Friedman" overlaid on a background of swirling star trails in a night sky

Music

When I moved to Boston in 1989, I started writing songs, inspired by the city, the buskers and the thriving acoustic singer and songwriter scene.


In 1998, a compilation called Respond picked up my song "Moon Over The
Water". Both the compilation, and my song, received accolades from Billboard
Magazine
.
 

Encouraged, I recorded my first CD, Eve's Lament, with producer John
Sonntag of Thunder Pumpkin Records in 1999.
 

​After my misadventure, I decided to make myself the ex-cult
member poster child. I rejected the cult-imposed silence, refused the cult-imposed  secrets and recovered my authentic voice. Rejecting and refusing all things culty, was the path to reclaiming my mind, identity and life. Songwriting was central to my reclamation. My CD, Cult Confessions, is the soundtrack to my cuckoo story.

 

At some point, I intend to finish my mini-musical—"School", my 5 years in cult-lite:

an edutainment campaign, part public service announcement, part entertainment, part education & counter to shame, stigma & victim blame.  

Cult Confessions was produced by. Doug Kwartler at Hollow Body Music.

Upcoming Shows: (2025, TBD)

Sunday, November 30, 2025. 7pm
The Secret Sauce (Janet Feld, Esther Friedman, and Jackie Damsky)
Club Passim
47 Palmer St., Cambridge, MA
Tickets: $25
Click for tickets

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