Downtown Gilroy will be graced this week when local sensation Aprylle Gilbert and international recording artist Jill Cohn bring their brands of introspective and emotive melodies to the stage of the Nine Lives Club Wednesday night.  

The Morgan Hill-based Aprylle Gilbert, fresh from recording her sophomore album, will bring raw acoustic versions of her latest effort to downtown with a few surprises for some of her local fans. 

“I think I have come up with an indie-folk-rock style that lyrically and vocally is more sophisticated than my first album—but I like to mix things up for the live show and really bring a variety for the audience,” Gilbert said in a recent interview with Patch.

Drawing comparisons to Michelle Branch and often referred to as a female Bob Dylan, Gilbert’s music conveys her experience of a sometimes painful upbringing, with the poetic perspective of feminine intuition.  Gilbert’s song, "Alive," has been No. 1 on the South Bay’s pop charts on ReverbNation.com for the last month, and she is about to take her music nationwide. 

“In March, I head out on my first national tour," she said. "I’m starting in Florida and working my way back to California, so I’m excited and looking forward to this show as probably my last opportunity to play in my home area for awhile."

Seattle-based singer-songwriter Jill Cohn is no stranger to the road or the travails of an independent artist. 

“Back when I started this, almost 14 years ago, there weren’t a lot of independent female artists on the road making a living playing their music," she said. "We were still using payphones while we were on tour back then.”

But her latest album, Every Street Inside Of You, translates her experiences and travels into an acoustic panoply of heartstring-pulling songs that are both catchy and thought provoking.  And you may recognize Cohn’s sound from her songs that have been the background tracks for various television shows, including Smallville, Dawson’s Creek, and the TNT drama, Hawthorne.  

Often compared to Sarah McLachlan, Cohn’s recent travels took her to Mexico City, which served as the muse for her latest creations. 

“As an independent artist, you have to set attainable goals for yourself. One of mine was to spend some time alone in a foreign city to focus on my writing—sort of an homage to Joni Mitchell. I’ve always loved Mexican art and the Mexican culture, so Mexico City seemed like a logical place to go.” 

Cohn said her new album “hits my stride with a continuation of my style but with a more acoustic and organic feel.” 

She is on tour with her guitarist, Dave Sampson, a Northern California native, and will open Wednesday's show at 7:30 p.m. at the Nine Lives Club, 7430 Monterey St. Tickets are available on ticketfly.com and at the door for  $8.  This show is open to all ages.