Josh Ritter and Lori McKenna to perform tonight at Paradise

The atmosphere that characterizes Boston's diverse and thriving music scene is one that allows hard-working musicians to distinguish themselves from the sea of countless other men and women with guitars and original lyrics. Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter, two performers headlining tonight's concert at the Paradise, have achieved just that. In a few short years, both these musicians have found success in increasing audiences for their particular brand of music.

When 24 year-old Ritter began playing music at the age of 18, it was something that came very naturally to him. "[It was] not something I thought too much about," he explains. "It seemed about as natural to me as putting on clothes that fit just the way you want."

His inspiration to pick up a guitar and write came from Johnny Cash, who to Ritter seemed "like kind of a normal guy writing songs that kinda speak to so many things in life." He says, "So much stuff on the radio didn't seem to be written or sung by real people. [Cash] seemed to me some strange, weird animal... something totally different."

Born and raised in Idaho, he moved to the East Coast "committed to doing music as a career." "Boston has been my home base and great place to try things out," he says.

Unlike Ritter, McKenna sort of stumbled upon the success she has had performing at area venues. Calling herself "a late bloomer," this Massachusetts native did not begin trying her hand at local open mics until about four years ago at the age of 27.

"I intended on using song writing as a hobby," she says. Once she began to have children, however, she "had a little bit more courage to get out of the kitchen. I felt I had to have something else besides being a mom and wanted to find a niche somewhere else."

Success with Boston audiences has been easier for McKenna and Ritter than either of them ever anticipated. "I would have imagined that it's competitive," says McKenna. "But people are very supportive of each other."

Ritter shares this sentiment despite moments of discouragement. "I commit myself to doing the best work I can do," he explains. "I'm not trying to take over the world; I'm trying to find the people who are interested in hearing a good song. If they find me and they like it, we'll keep in touch."

McKenna attributes the sense of camaraderie and encouraging atmosphere not so much to Boston but to the kind of music she and Ritter have to offer. "My guess is that this type of music is the same in other cities," she says. "It's about regular people and trying to be part of community."

Unlike McKenna, whose touring opportunities are sometimes limited by the fact that she is a mother of four ("You have to be a little more choosy about where you go...[and] think outside the box to make it work," she says), Ritter has spent extensive time touring through Ireland. This has given him a unique perspective on the experience of performing for a Boston audience.

"[Ireland] is an interesting place to perform because people are so familiar with a tradition, and interested in how your music fits into that tradition," he says. "You can see the Boston community as having a spectrum of 50 years of great music, [whereas] Ireland's goes so much farther. The commitment is the same to great music, but is approached from an angle that's different."

If there's one thing that truly separates performing in Boston from other American cities, it is the audience. According to McKenna, audiences here in Boston are "smart."

"For the most part, audiences are there for the purpose of listening to a singer-songwriter," she says. "You can do the quiet songs, and they'll quiet down and listen."

Both performers fail to recognize what the rest of Beantown has dubbed "the Boston thing."

"What it comes down to is the songs, and the show, and your set, and how the audience responds," explains McKenna. Ritter agrees with this philosophy, claiming that his role as a songwriter is sort of that of an outsider looking in.

"You should see what everybody else sees, and when you do, you should try to look at it in a completely different way," he says. "You're essentially trying to create a new way of looking at something."

While it may be easiest to categorize these artists as just two more Boston singer-songwriters, it is clear that what they have to offer audiences goes beyond a decent show with a few catchy tunes. While they may not be out to there to conquer the world, McKenna and Ritter are clearly looking do more than just strum their guitars. One thoughtful listen to their carefully crafted lyrics is all it takes to realize that they are trying to speak to you through their music. Tonight's concert at the Paradise will prove just that.