After two years of climbing the ladder of Austin’s music scene, the Seacoast native returns for a show in Newmarket.

The Continental Club on South Portland Avenue is a musical landmark in Austin. Stevie Ray Vaughan played here in the 1970s, and other legends followed through the decades. Young Texans still aspire to take the club’s storied stage. 

Exeter native Elsa Cross played the Continental with her band last month. For her, the gig marked a new milestone in a steadily rising career.

“It’s really hard to get in there and it’s a famous club, so that was a really big moment for me,” Cross said by phone from Austin. “Being on that stage was crazy. I was starting to feel like, ‘Wow, my hard work is really paying off here.’”

Cross’ journey has been bumpy at times, involving frequent stops for gigs at near-empty bars and open mikes. But her recent shows at the Continental and other prominent venues like the Saxon Pub have reaffirmed her belief that she can make it as a working musician, even in one of America’s busiest music scenes.

It was almost two years ago that Cross packed up her guitar and made the 2,000-mile trip to Austin, leaving the comfort of a small Seacoast scene in which she had become a beloved staple. She’ll return to that scene for a short visit this month, highlighted by a show at The Stone Church in Newmarket on Saturday, Aug. 18, following an opening set from local favorite Dave Talmage.

A country-style singer and guitarist with rockabilly flair, Cross began performing on the Seacoast around 2006 and quickly became a local sensation. She released two albums before leaving town in November 2010.

“I used to play with all my friends and I had a really great following. I was very comfortable,” Cross said. “I knew that when I left I would be entering a very big pond. There’s a big sea of musicians here.”

It wasn’t easy infiltrating the scene in Austin. This is the turf of Willie Nelson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Janice Joplin, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin—the list goes on. Determined to work her way up the ladder, Cross took gigs wherever she could get them, making connections with local musicians. She eventually landed a weekly gig at the Hole in the Wall (once the stomping grounds of Townes Van Zandt). Sometimes, the band played for tips and barely made a dime.

“Basically, I’ve just been learning what it’s like to be in a city full of musicians. Sometimes you play to nobody,” she said. “I had these weekly happy hour gigs to start out, where I was playing to like three drunk people at like 6 o’clock, and I was just like, ‘Oh my God, this sucks.’”
For the first year or so, the lineup of Cross’ band was fluid. But she established a stable quartet last December with Matt Ford on lead guitar, Chris Trafton on drums, and Naj Conklin on bass. With that core intact, the band has flourished.

“We’re really starting to buzz,” Cross said. “Just in the past couple months, I’ve heard from a lot of people, like, ‘Who is this Elsa Cross? Who is this chick?’”

The new band has significantly altered Cross’ sound. Whereas in New Hampshire she played with an upright bassist and had an acoustic country vibe, she’s been moving toward electric rock ’n’ roll.

“Now I have an electric bass player and a loud drummer and some kick-ass electric guitar playing,” she said. “I would say most of my music is progressing into something louder and bigger.”

But she’s not straying too far from her country roots, which fit readily in Austin’s soil. According to Cross, there aren’t many female vocalists working in the city these days, and an old Loretta Lynn tune is always a crowd pleaser. She’ll crank things up with a fiery original, then tone them down with a classic cover.

“We’ll go from playing ‘Demons’ or ‘Zombie for your Love,’ one of my louder songs, and just tear it to shreds ... and then we’ll kick into like a Merle Haggard song,” she said. 

Speaking of Merle, Cross opened for the country legend at The Music Hall during her last Seacoast visit in April. She later hung out in his tour bus, gleaning his musical wisdom and advice.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life opening for Merle, who’s a legend down here, as well,” she said. “He was such a sweetheart.”

Despite her recent successes, there are still times when Cross has doubts. But she remains determined to make a living off her music, and to one day tour the nation and Europe with her band.

“There are some days when I feel really, really great about what I’m doing, and there are some days when I feel completely defeated. But I think that is really natural for any musician that’s trying to get their feet on the ground,” she said.

Cross is writing new songs and plans to record a new album within the next couple of years. For now, though, she’s perfecting her stage presence with near constant live shows. She’s learned a lot from watching seasoned professionals in Austin and witnessing their chemistry with audiences.

“I just want to be that,” she said. “I want to be a performer that people come to see and they’re like, ‘Man, she puts on a good show.’”

Cross looks forward to returning to Newmarket, where she’ll be joined by her old band mates Mary Dellea on upright bass and PJ Donahue on drums (Trafton and Conklin are not making the trip, though Ford will be here). She’ll have plenty of stories to share with her family and friends on the Seacoast.

“It’s been wild man. It’s been really cool,” she said.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 at The Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket, 603-659-7700. Tickets are $10.