Hem |
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Bio: In the spring of 1999, songwriter Dan Messé teamed up with producer/engineer Gary Maurer and decided to make a record. He hoped that it would stylistically interweave their interest in traditional American music with more of a contemporary aesthetic. Dan and Gary's mutual friend Steve Curtis became involved and all that was needed was a singer. The band placed an ad in the Village Voice. An onslaught of bizarre demos followed suit and so the ad was pulled. Shortly thereafter a woman named Sally Ellyson called Dan in response to it, cautioning that she wasn't really a "singer". To get her off the phone Dan asked for a demo, skeptical to say the least. This home-made tape of Sally unaccompanied, singing versions of traditional lullabies, was spare, deceptively uncomplicated and as spine-tingling as anything Dan could have hoped for. The band that would now call itself Hem had found its singer. Less than two years ago, Hem self-released their first album Rabbit Songs. The band outgrew their cult following as critics from Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and NPR, among many others, praised the debut. The New York Times called them, "one of Manhattan's most promising...bands," and Magnet said, "American music doesn't get any better than this." In 2003 the band was signed to Dreamworks and recorded their second album for the now defunct major label. This anticipated sophomore recording, Eveningland is out now on Waveland. Recording for Eveningland began at Stratosphere Sound in New York City. Then the band flew to the Slovak Republic to record with the world famous Slovak Radio Orchestra. As bandleader Dan Messé explains, "I cannot imagine a more intense way to begin recording an album. From the moment we landed, the challenges, both musically and technically, were far beyond anything we had encountered before. It was an all-consuming, disorienting and ultimately magical time for us." Co-produced by band mates Dan Messé and Gary Maurer, Eveningland updates the rustic charm of Rabbit Songs by adding lush and textured arrangements to the mix. No Word from Tom, a collection of covers, rarities, outtakes, demos, and live recordings, was released on Nettwerk/Waveland in 2006. The eight-piece is establishing themselves as one of the most distinctive and emotionally rewarding bands in American music. Entertainment Weekly described the music as "...beautifully recorded, warm sounding instruments" and described singer Sally Ellyson's voice as possessing "an understated confidence that wows with serene confidence." Discography:
Singles & EPs
Albums
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Genre: Formed in 1999 Members: Similar artists: Influences: Homepage: Location: |
