North Salem's George Mallas is a musician about town

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - After three decades at Verizon and a few years spent installing solar panels, George Mallas is finding a different rhythm to his days. The longtime North Salem resident fills his time with songwriting, performing, and collaborating with fellow musicians on several creative projects.

“Now, my life consists of whatever I want it to—which is mostly music,” Mallas says.

The singer-songwriter, who is currently completing his fourth full-length album, is gearing up for a two-set show at Uncle Cheef in Brewster on April 24. The show is presented by Hear It There and Elisa Zuckerberg. Mallas will be joined on stage by Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Louise Coombe, with whom he’s been performing for the past three years.

Mallas admits his current album draws from a deeply personal, and painful, inspiration. “It’s about a breakup,” he said simply. “This whole album has been about that.” 

Though he worked closely for years with his former partner Melanie Berti, who co-wrote many of his lyrics, for this new solo album, Mallas is writing the words.

“Melanie wrote probably 70% of the lyrics on my last album,” he said. “Now, it’s just me again.” 

“I usually start at the piano. I come up with a chord progression or melody, and then I’ll go back and write the lyrics,” he explained. Though he cites classic artists like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and Elton John as key influences, Mallas believes every songwriter is a blend of what they’ve absorbed.

“I really believe most singer-songwriters are a combination of everybody they’ve listened to,” he said. 

Writing his own lyrics is a shift, but it’s also a return. Mallas has been writing music since he was in his teens, having been classically trained on piano. And he’s still collaborating in plenty of other ways: with Coombe, with his producer, and a troupe of other local musicians who call themselves the Four Horsemen songwriters: David Ray, Mike Latini, Dave Goldenberg, and Mallas.

In fact, on any given day, you’ll find Mallas surrounded by musicians. He spends most of his mornings at the gym with two other members of the Four Horsemen, and often follows those sessions with long conversations over coffee with his bandmates. And in the afternoons, he’s often at the Brewster studio of his current album producer, Alex Salzman. And with so much discussion and collaboration happening, Mallas feels like his own music is naturally reaching a new level. 

“The guys who I play with are really exceptional in this area, and they have been a huge influence on my writing where I’ve just had the raise the bar on what I write. I look back from time to time on my older music, and say you know, I could have done this better. I’ve gotten better at taking advice from people also on what to do,” Mallas said. 

And when he isn’t making music of his own, he’s talking to other musicians about music.  “Over a seven-year period, I’ve interviewed hundreds of songwriters,” he said.

From hosting a singer-songwriter radio show in Pawling to co-launching an online interview series during the pandemic, Mallas has built a grassroots network of regional and national talent.

“For the interview series, we brought in people from all over the country—and even overseas,” he said. Though that series has come to an end, Mallas will continue to cultivate the same spirit of community on an upcoming podcast, which he’s developing with two co-hosts. The podcast will be recorded in Mallas’ home studio and feature live performances. It is scheduled to launch in May. 

Immersed in this rich network of singer-songwriters, Mallas came across Louise Coombe—and knew immediately that he wanted to make music with her. 

“When I first heard her music, I was floored. I thought, ‘Why isn’t this woman known everywhere?’”

Coombe, who grew up on a cattle farm in McEwen, Tennessee, brings vivid storytelling and a Southern sensibility to her songs. She draws from her roots, blending country, bluegrass, and folk.

“It’s tender, and it’s heartfelt,” Mallas said of their performances.

Coombe has also transformed personal adversity into art. In 2012, following the end of her 15-year marriage and the passing of her mother from brain cancer, she channeled grief into her acclaimed album Lay It Down, co-produced with folk-rock musician Cliff Eberhardt. Coombe has performed at legendary venues like The Bluebird Café in Nashville, Club Passim in Boston, and Caffé Lena in New York, and won top honors at Telluride, Kerrville, and Falcon Ridge folk festivals. Her 2010 album Home debuted at No. 1 on the Folk DJ chart, cementing her place among the genre’s standout voices. Her latest studio effort, Paris, was just released. 

Their upcoming show will feature stripped-down, heartfelt set of duets, original songs, and only one cover—Nanci Griffith’s “Gulf Coast Highway.” With these two taking the stage, the night promises to celebrate artistry, authenticity, and emotion.