-
AirPlay Direct Unveils the Winner for the “APD Win an Americana Record Deal” Contest: The Hello Strangers
[+ Show ]
AirPlay Direct is proud to announce that “The Hello Strangers” have taken home the grand prize packa...AirPlay Direct is proud to announce that “The Hello Strangers” have taken home the grand prize package for the “APD Win an Americana Record Deal” contest.
“It is hard to describe how it feels to win an Americana record deal after years of gigging and self-promotion at the grassroots level,” says Larissa of The Hello Strangers. “Just being in the Top 5 with the caliber of artists we were paired with was an honor alone. We feel we have just won the contest of our lives, and are incredibly grateful and excited to work with the team that AirPlay Direct has assembled for us.”
“The Hello Strangers have such a unique sound that cuts right at the roots of the Americana genre. Fresh, innovative structures with unforgettable vocals,” says Robert Weingartz, Chairman and CEO of AirPlay Direct.
To discover broadcast quality recordings of their independent project, visit www.airplaydirect.com/thehellostrangers.
-
Review: The Hello Strangers - Introducing Max Schmidt
[+ Show ]
This may be hard to believe, but the glamorous life of a music reviewer—even an obviously charming s...This may be hard to believe, but the glamorous life of a music reviewer—even an obviously charming sophisticate such as myself—can sometimes be rather dreary. It involves a lot of listening to music that you’ll never listen to again but that really does deserve to be reviewed for one reason or another, trying to evaluate it on some nonexistent set of objective criteria, keeping in mind that just because it’s not your speed doesn’t mean that other people won’t find something in it and you should give it a fair shake. Every so often there’s an album release that you’re really looking forward to and which is a pure pleasure to research and review, but they’re more rare than you’d think, even for a music lover with a fairly broad range. Pretty soon, everything starts to sound very much the same.
Then there’s the random chance find that turns you onto something you really love and makes the drudgery more than worth it. That’s what happened with The Hello Strangers, an independent alt.country/folk rock band out of the unlikely location of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, a two-stoplight town just this side of the Maryland border. They followed No Surf on Twitter (@NoSurfMusic for the uninitiated), and as with most musicians who so grace us, I checked them out, at most expecting to find another “maybe someday” review possibility to make note of. Instead, I began streaming their EP Introducing Max Schmidt and was totally flabbergasted. It was better than anything I’d heard in a long time. After several relatively insane conversations (mostly about various retro desert foods), a package arrived at my door bearing a rubber-stamped cowboy boot and a Mercersburg postmark. Like a kid at Christmas, I ravenously tore into the oddly pregnant bubble-wrap envelope to discover not just Max Schmidt, but a package of pistachio pudding mix. Ok, I admit, I liked these gals already, but I assure you this review was in no way influenced by any attempts at bribery, no matter how randomly awesome.
In addition to prodigious songwriting talents great pipes, Larissa and Brechyn have a distinctly retro vibe, evidenced by the shag carpeting, vintage Playboys, dusty 45's, rotary telephone and, yes, pistachio pudding. Photo by Ryan Smith Photography.
But enough about me (and my pudding), let’s talk about The Hello Strangers. The core of the band is a pair of sisters, Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace. The elder Larissa plays guitar while Brechyn adds harmonica and accordion. They share both the writing and lead vocal duties, giving the group the distinctive harmonies that are sure to become their trademark. The ladies’ voices are discrete enough that you can tell them apart, but match so effortlessly that it’s obvious they were literally born to sing together. They become their characters so perfectly that they can finish each other’s lines and never miss one iota of a beat, and when their voices intertwine magical doesn’t even begin to describe the effect. What’s more, their band—made up of hometown friends and local musicians—knows how to strike (literally) the perfect chord to make them shine.
The seeds for the group were actually sown in Austin, Texas, which helps explain their Americana sound. Larissa had relocated to complete a masters in ethnomusicology (yes, that’s a real subject), and Brechyn followed shortly thereafter seeking her own bit of adventure. The two grew up in a musical family—with a father who plays in a jazz band and both grandfathers professional musicians—but although they had been singing with each other their whole lives and Larissa had been writing music on her own since she started playing guitar at 13, the two never wrote a song together until 2006. “We heard The Fabulous Ginn Sisters on the radio and said, ‘We've got to do that!’" Larissa explains. “It wasn't until the music of Austin came into my life that I felt that I was writing what I was meant to be writing. And writing with my sister made it seem even more kismet.” Soon, they packed up and headed for home, carrying their alt.country sensibilities with them.
“Most of our songs start from the head of one of us separately,” Larissa continues. “Since I can accompany myself, my songs are mostly complete when I bring them to Brechyn. Then she and I add harmonies and arrangement ideas for the band, add the finishing touches, etc. Brechyn will either bring a seed of an idea that the guitar will help to bring forth, or she'll have melody and lyrics done, and we just add the accompaniment and everything else. Harmonies are always one of my favorite parts of the process. We always bring each song to the band last.” Whatever the process, it’s clear that the two know each other well enough to form a seamless joint, and they both favor tales of dysfunctional relationships, breakups, murder, and revenge.
Mr. Schmidt is prominently featured in the band's stage shows, in multiple capacities. Photo by Ryan Smith Photography.
This is all evident on the band’s latest release, Introducing Max Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt, late of San Francisco, California, is the former owner and namesake of the band’s vintage Horner accordion, purchased at an estate sale by bassist Dave Holzwarth. “He happened to have it lying around,” says Larissa, “and we thought it would add a certain je ne sais quoi to our sound.” She adds, “From the beginning he has been our band mascot... Anyone who comes to our gigs regularly knows about Max and we usually get a few screams of his name from the audience.” Now that you’ve been formally introduced, let’s take a look at the six songs featured on the EP.
“The Same Routine” starts the collection off with an agile but sharply strummed acoustic guitar, soon complimented by mellow and perfectly placed electric accents and a quick, light drumbeat. The song mixes buoyancy and melancholy in the most exquisite way, reminiscent of the artful expression mastered by Old 97’s. The story about a lonely girl in a dysfunctional relationship that pours forth from Larissa and Brechyn—their alternately separate and intertwined voices in the guise of a single character—is a sad one of emptiness and isolation, and the emotion is genuinely pained when they sing lines like:
My head is swirlin’ like the whiskey in the bottle last night.
It felt so comfortable I thought that the timing was right.
But you pushed my hand away when I tried to touch you.
Now there’s one in the bed where there should be two.
And I’ll call you up to see if you remember.
You say, “I’m sorry, baby. Can I see you later?”
Of course you can and I’ll hang up the phone.
It’s the same routine and I still feel alone.
Even as the lyrics drag the listener down into an abyss, the lively music demonstrates a defiant restlessness, a feeling that there’s something burning in the sad girl portrayed therein, something just begging for an excuse to get out from under the weight of her desperation. The musical highlight is a guitar break courtesy Kevin Shannon with licks reminiscent of 60’s or 70’s Southern rock, which continues in the background throughout the latter half of the song, giving the rootsy base an added lift. All together it makes for a highly enjoyable paradoxical musical treat.
A slowly pumped accordion paired with delicately plucked guitar gives the next track, “Poor Dear,” a menacing and almost Old World feel right from the start. This soon transitions into a fast-strummed rhythm complimented by pounded drums; all held together by Brechyn’s incessant squeezing, alternating between quick, strong gasps and long, sustained exhalations. Again, another well-played guitar break adds to the tone of the song, this time contributing to the gypsy-like flavor. This is another sour relationship song, but one with more of a resolution to it:
The girls also aren’t above a witty turn of phrase, as evidenced in the adjoining lyrics, or a bit of campy comedy, as evidenced by this picture, which I described to Larissa as a “perfect display of your obvious cheeky ebullience.” I’m not above a turn of phrase myself, witty or not. Photo by Ryan Smith Photography.
My poor, poor dear,
My poor, poor dear,
You had to know I was goin’ to go.
Now my bags are packed and I’m bound for that old dirt road.
My poor, poor dear,
My poor, poor dear,
Don’t try & stop me. Don’t say you’re sorry.
Just open that door ‘cause my hands are full.
“Chances” is a bit of a change of pace. It’s a much dreamier song than the others, with a hint of a jazzy feel (genes reasserting themselves, perhaps). To set it even further apart, it’s a love song, not an end-of-love song. Imagine that.
I’ll take my chances with you,
Even if the odds are one in two.
I want more than passing phases
And worn out gazes, too.
Ok, so it’s not exactly “To Sir With Love.” It’s a troubled love song. That’s one of the most refreshing qualities of the Chace sisters’ writing: it’s realistic. It’s not overly melodramatic; it’s not lovey-dovey. They realize that even when things are good, they’re not perfect. Sometimes when the “walls are caving in” and “all the cupboards are empty,” good is a pretty damn fine thing. And hell, one in two are pretty good odds, especially when it comes to love.
Was it John Boy's brothers giving chase, or maybe a couple of tomboy sisters? Either way, I wouldn't mess with these two. Photo by Ryan Smith Photography.
Speaking of odds, the best song on the EP for my money is “Conococheague.” Parlaying that bet, I’d even go so far as to say that it’s undeniably the best song ever named after an Indian-christened river that sounds peculiarly like a dance inspired by an oil company. Pure Prairie League’s “Roylduchelbugiloo” comes in a distant second to make the exacta.
The Conococheague is a creek that runs through Eastern Pennsylvania—near the band’s home base of Mercersburg—and into Maryland. Depending on exactly which source you believe, the name translates in the Delaware language as “water of many turns,” a particularly pleasing moniker in the eyes of a Clevelander who grew up on the banks of the Crooked River. This down-home reference is also highly appropriate as “Conococheague” is the most folk-based song on the album, a classic murder ballad, completely timeless yet recalling the untamed past of the Chace sisters’ mountainous home.
The song opens with a wild, wistful guitar howl, the kind of sound you hear in the night and are unsure of the origin. Is it the wind sweeping through the trees, or the tortured scream of some poor, lost soul? That question isn’t directly answered, but as the song moves into a steady bass beat with a terrific, driving rhythm, the dark tale that develops does give some clue. The chorus reads:
I have a lover but I want another,
‘Cause he’s bein’ chased by John Boy’s brothers.
I had a lover like no other,
But he’s at the bottom of the Conococheague.
It’s a bizarre, clinical reaction to the murder of a beau, but one that is to be expected from this writing team. Despite her apparent willingness to move on, the surviving member of the star-crossed pair is not without remorse. After recounting how her man had confided in her with “blood on his hands over fool’s gold” and how the information made its way to the aforementioned kin, she laments, “If only I had told him at the end of every day / Keep your lovers near you and your secrets in your grave.” Yet it’s too late, and this time the electric guitar is unquestionably a sob. As the ladies repeat the victim’s “cold and lonely” subaquatic fate, there’s one last electric wail to close the song and bring its woeful story full circle.
If “Conococheague” isn’t the best song on Max Schmidt, then the blistering “Oh He’ll Drown” is its strongest competitor. Another murder ballad, it’s told from the opposite side of the equation, combining all of Larissa and Brechyn’s favorite themes into one potent ball of crazy, violent deliciousness. The music is lively and driven, with another powerful guitar solo in the middle. The lyrics are masterful, with a story that could only come from the mind of a macabre master (or a pair of them). It tells of a woman who steals a pistol with the intention of killing her “white trash, lazy husband,” only to find that he’s about to be publicly hanged. She’s determined to have it her way, however, and won’t let him die on the law’s terms:
He was standing there above me
As though he’d never sinned.
Well, I cocked my loaded pistol
As he winked at me and grinned.
The drum roll was a’soundin’
As I jumped up from the crowd.
My pistol shot rang loud
And my man fell, fell, fell to the ground.
Oh he’ll drown, drown, drown, in the raging seas ‘til Kingdom Come,
But that never will be enough for me.
Oh he’ll drown, drown, drown in the raging seas ‘til Kingdom Come;
Not before this bullet sets me free.
Absofuckinglutely brilliant. Ok, I’m not saying it all makes perfect logical sense (she mentions stashing the gat in her car, then heading to a town square execution, which seems temporally mismatched), but who gives two shits for a dollar when a song is this totally awesome in every way? Anachronisms be damned, I’d put this track on repeat ‘til Kingdom Come and enjoy every minute of it.
After that deranged climax, the band must have figured their listeners needed a bit of a dénouement, and they obliged with the much more sedate “The World Knows Better Than Me,” which has something of the feel of an old spiritual, highlighted by some mighty fine harmonica licks and a beautiful, bluesy turn on the electric guitar. There’s less of a story to this one, more of an impressionistic glimpse at someone who feels life has passed her by:
Did someone say retro? Did someone say cheeky? Ok, come on, admit it... you haven't even heard their music yet and you love these ladies as much as I do. Photo by Ryan Smith Photography.
I once had many suitors. I had money to squander.
Had it all in my young, naïve hands.
But now it’s gone, now it’s gone, I’ve lost it forever.
I’m a fool and the world knows far better than me.
And everybody knows where the mighty river flows,
Where the secrets of this life unfold.
But not me. Not me. I’ll wander forever.
I’m a fool and the world knows far better than me.
One of the oldest maxims in show business is “Leave your audience wanting more,” and with this all-too-brief release The Hello Strangers have done just that. Luckily, it won’t be much of a wait until they give us what we crave. The band is currently recording a full album, with an expected release date in early 2012. With the recent success of other sibling combos such as The Secret Sisters, they couldn’t have picked a better time, and with their terrific sound and abundant talent, the group is just waiting to break out. But don’t let everyone else beat you to the bandwagon. Buy Introducing Max Schmidt now and get to know these strangers before everyone else does. Your copy probably won’t come with pudding, but when the songs are over, you’ll definitely want to lick the bowl.
-
Review: The Hello Strangers – Introducing Max Schmidt
[+ Show ]
You know, I have to confess: I actually feel lazy reviewing this. My San Fran blog buddy keeps spoon...You know, I have to confess: I actually feel lazy reviewing this. My San Fran blog buddy keeps spoon feeding me all these incredible bands, and of course I just lap ‘em up. I am her dog, and she is my Pavlov. I swear, I’ve been conditioned. Also, I don’t mind or care.
Alas … I highly suspect I will not make it to SXSW ever. Or Coachella. Or [insert multi-day music-fest here]. Well, okay … maybe not *never*, but it’s definitely a distinct possibility. Thus it is that I will probably never see as many awesome bands as she who hails from The Bay. However, that does not mean that I will not pine for such the opportunity, for to do so would be tantamount to giving up a dream. I’m not willing to do that. So I continue to hope.
Meanwhile, those who DO get to go generously and gratuitously pass on their discoveries. Such is the case with The Hello Strangers. I have two words: Love ‘em! Here’s why.
The first thing I thought of when I heard the vocals was Ani Difranco. That eventually wore off and gave way to me lapsing into a Karin Bergquist coma. The Chace sisters–Larissa and Brechyn–have been writing songs together since about 2006. They added Dave Holzwarth (bass), Kevin Shannon (guitar), and Katie O’Neil (drums) to round out their line-up in what we have in the Introducing Max Schmidt EP. Or I’m assuming it’s supposed to be an EP; there are just 6 tracks, so hopefully a full-length release is in the works.
I love the lyrics. Very Nick Cave-esque. I also love the alt-folk-country sound they have. Very reminiscent of Faun Fables, for those of you who are familiar with them. However, I *really* enjoy their vocals much, much more. Like I said–Ani Difranco and Karin Bergquist. Hard to go wrong if you sound like either of them.
One of the best tracks on the CD, in my opinion, is “Conococheague.” There’s a very western, cowboy feel to it. “I have a lover but I want another cuz he’s being chased by John boy’s brothers. I had a lover like no other, but he’s at the bottom of the Conococheague.” Interestingly enough, Conococheague Creek is located in eastern Pennsylvania. Western feel. I love it.
“Poor Dear” is beautiful and upbeat musically. Ironically, I think it’s about someone who’s been in an abusive relationship and is getting the hell out. “You laid your hand on me; why is it so hard to see by the time you light up that cigarette, I’ll be gone to Tennessee …” I dunno. Maybe I’m reading into it. I hope I am and that I’m not right. Worse, I hope it’s not based on personal experience. Tragically, we do tend to write what we know about …
Great band. I hope they put out more material soon.
-
The Hello Strangers explore musical roots at Manayunk show
[+ Show ]
By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer
The band's name is The Hello Strangers, but the two principal membe...By DENNY DYROFF, Staff Writer
The band's name is The Hello Strangers, but the two principal members are anything but strangers - they're sisters.
Brechyn Chace and her sister, Larissa Chace Smith, decided to pool their musical talents a few years ago. The result of the merger so far has been a band, live dates, a move to another state, an EP and now a tour that brings them to Philadelphia on Dec. 1 for a show at the Grape Room.
"I was down in Austin, studying ethnomusicology/reggae at U.T. (University of Texas)," Larissa said during a recent phone interview. "We started writing because we were inspired by the music scene there in Austin.
"We got the name down there but only played one house party when we were still in Texas . We were getting homesick, so we moved back north - to Mercersburg, Pa."
Mercersburg is where the sisters spent their childhood while their father taught at Mercersburg Academy.
"In Austin, it was easier for us as a duo," Brechyn said. "Once we moved back and got settled in Pennsylvania, we decided to put a band together. We got two friends to play with us and found our lead guitarist on MySpace."
Larissa said, "We didn't want to remain a duo. I did solo work when I was a student at Berklee (School of Music) and I didn't want to go back to solo or duo. And even though I studied reggae, the music that I write is coming from another realm. Brechyn and I both have a touch of American soul music."
The move to a band format came in 2008. The Hello Strangers -- Dave Holzwarth (bass), Kevin Shannon (guitar),Katie O'Neil (drums), Larissa, Brechyn -- recorded their debut EP, "Introducing Max Schmidt," in the spring of 2009.
"We released the EP in spring of 2010," Larissa said. "We're going to start doing our first full-length next spring. It will be an album of alt-country, Americana and roots rock songs."
Surprisingly, the Chace sisters never write songs together.
"We both take pretty different approaches to songwriting," Brechyn said. "Larissa plays guitar, so she sits and figures out chords and melodies. For me, I don't really play an instrument. So if I get a melody in my head, I record it on my phone."
What: The Hello Strangers
When: Dec. 1, 8 p.m.
Where: Grape Room, 105 Grape St., Manayunk
Tickets: $5
Information: 215-930-0321 or graperoommusic.wordpress.com
-
The Hello Strangers band from Mercersburg releases first recording
[+ Show ]
By Rachel Bryson
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Mercersburg, Pa. -
Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn C...By Rachel Bryson
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Mercersburg, Pa. -
Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace have always wanted to be in a band.
After moving back from Austin, Texas, to their hometown of Mercersburg a few years ago, the sisters’ dream became a reality with the creation of The Hello Strangers.
Adding to their dream, the group’s first album, “Introducing Max Schmidt,” has just been completed.
Coming together
“We were inspired by the music down there,” Smith said. “All we listened to (in Texas) was country.”
After she became homesick the weekend of their one-year wedding anniversary, Smith and her husband, Ryan, packed up their photography business and moved back to Mercersburg within a month. Since returning, they have been active in the newly formed Mercersburg Council for the Arts.
“I really missed it (here),” Smith said. “It just hit me that I needed to move home.”
Moving home was the boost Smith and Chace — who followed shortly thereafter — needed to make The Hello Strangers a reality.
“We already had several songs written,” Chace said.
“It just so happened that moving back allowed us to find the people that we needed,” Smith added.
Those people were Katie O’Neil (drums), Kevin Shannon (lead electric guitar) and Dave Holzwarth (bass).
With Smith performing vocals and acoustic guitar and Chace playing the accordion, xylophone, tambourine, harmonica and singing, the band was complete.
Contrary to the group’s name, almost everyone in the band already knew each other.
“I went to school with Katie,” Smith said, adding Holzwarth and her father, Joel, worked together at Mercersburg Academy.
“We found Kevin on MySpace,” Chace said.
In November 2008, they started rehearsing as a full band.
First album
Smith describes most of The Hello Strangers music as alternative country.
“The band doesn’t play honky-tonk country. More of our influences have come from classic country,” Smith said, citing performers like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.
Their first album, “Introducing Max Schmidt,” includes six original songs written by Smith and Chace. The inspiration for the album title is the name of the accordion, which arrived in a case engraved with the name Max Schmidt.
“We recorded all of them in Kevin’s basement,” Chace said.
“The entire album is independently produced,” Smith added, including the publicity shots taken by Ryan Smith Photography, which she and her husband own.
“The most fun way of getting the news out (on a new album) is having a CD release party,” Smith said, and celebrations are planned in Mercersburg, Chambersburg and Hagerstown in the next month.
In addition to hearing the band’s music, fans can win or buy T-shirts with The Hello Strangers logo on the front and “Max is out of the box” on the back.
“We would love to be touring the country or even overseas,” Smith said. “But we want to remain grassroots.”
“We’re trying to have fun with it,” Chace said.
“It’s not about riding a mega tour bus,” Smith added.
Contact
For more information on the band contact Smith at:
thehellostrangers@gmail.com
or by visiting the Web site:
www.thehellostrangers.com
-
Introducing The Hello Strangers: The Chace Sisters With Some Sweet Sweet Attitude
[+ Show ]
http://www.examiner.com/x-6988-SF-Music-Examiner~y2010m1d14-Introducing-The-Hello-Strangers-The-Chac...http://www.examiner.com/x-6988-SF-Music-Examiner~y2010m1d14-Introducing-The-Hello-Strangers-The-Chace-sisters-with-some-sweet-sweet-attitude
January 14, 2010
by Jamie Freedman
The music of The Hello Strangers takes me into another decade, maybe into a black and white movie set in the Appalachians or Hill Country of Texas, where the women are tough and passionate. It's spooky, got some gorgeous harmonies and just the right amount of twang.
Sisters Brechyn (Breh-ken) Chace and Larissa Chace Smith started writing tunes together in South Austin. Soon, however, the mountains of their Central Pennsylvania home beckoned the sisters North. So they packed up their lives, dogs, and Larissa’s husband, and drove to their two-stoplight hometown of Mercersburg (factoid: birthplace to President Buchanan). In Pennsylvania the sisters were joined by Dave Holzwarth (bass), Kevin Shannon (guitar), and Katie O’Neil (drums) to fill out the sound into a full on rock band.
With songs titled "Pregnant in Jail," (supposedly based on a true story, that's something I have to remember to ask about) "Oh He'll Drown," and "Poor Dear," I wonder where the Chace sisters get their inspiration. I mean REALLY get their inspiration. It seems that the local lore of Pennsylvania, Texas and good ol' country music steeped into their creative consciousness.
The musical influence of folks like Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Cash, Conor Oberst and The Weary Boys is evident. But so is the rich musical traditions of Austin, Texas. It's the voices and vocal harmonies of Brechyn and Larissa that really make this band for me. I can't tell them apart and it sort of freaks me out!
I'm looking forward to hearing the full-length album when it comes out sometime in the next couple months. Until then, check out their EP "Introducing Max Schmidt."
-
Listen to Strangers
[+ Show ]
Hello Strangers of Mercersburg, Pa., proudly announced the release of their first EP, Introducing Ma...Hello Strangers of Mercersburg, Pa., proudly announced the release of their first EP, Introducing Max Schmidt. A musical road trip spanning the sounds of Appalachia, Nashville, Texas and more, the EP is a can’t-miss. The Hello Strangers is comprised of sisters Brechyn Chace and Larissa Chace Smith — who is also an HM contributing writer — Kevin Shannon, Katie O’Neil and Dave Holzwarth. The album is available at Hello Strangers’ live shows (visit www.thehellostrangers.com for dates) and online from cdbaby.com or iTunes.
-
The Hello Strangers Become Familiar to Wilson
[+ Show ]
By Janessa Demuele
Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 01:10...By Janessa Demuele
Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 01:10
Even over the phone, the sister songwriters-Brechyn and Larissa-and singers of local Mercersburg band The Hello Strangers, have a captivating presence that transfers just as well on the phone as it does in their music. Powerfully sung lyrics hold emotion like a rain catcher, saturating every word with meaning and quenching the musical thirst of devoted fans and first-time listeners alike. Talking to the sisters was captivating, their effervescent personalities and sisterly antics made talking to them just as enjoyable as listening to their music.
The Hello History
The Hello Strangers originally formed in South Austin, Texas in 2006. During this time the band's members and song writers were solely sisters Larrisa Chace Smith, 31, and Brechyn Chace, 25. Their name The Hello Strangers, didn't come easily explains Larrisa, "We were 'The Unsung Heroes' for like, a week maybe. We spent a long time making lists. I was driving when all of a sudden this folksy colloquialism came to me, Hello, Stranger. I called Brechyn and it over time it stuck." With a name to their group the sisters started playing music which holds a passion that only close family bonds can articulate. The sisters were inspired to work together due to their family's musical nature. The sisters found they linked up in a certain way with each other and decided to perform.
Building a Band
Around 2008 the band took a huge step as the sisters added new members to fill out the band's sound. Kevin Shannon was placed on Lead guitar, Katie O'Neil on drums, and Dave Holzwarth on bass. Kevin and Katie were long time friends of the sisters and Dave was discovered on Myspace. These additions have brought the band to a new level that the sisters are pleased with. "We're heading in a positive direction. We've become a better band with the whole group and our music has more meaning and a bigger, stronger sound. We've progressed to a country that can reach multiple listeners. There are people out there who hate country music but love us. That is what we want, to reach listeners of all genres."
About the Music
What holds the attention of new listeners is moving melodies and soulful lyrics. Larissa and Brechyn write separately from one another and the band, and start the process differently. While Larissa tends to start with chord progression and moves to lyrics, Brechyn works on her lyrics first, though she claims that lately she has focused more on melodies. When each has their piece as finished as possible they share it and work together to create a full song. This process helps them stay true to themselves on stage.
The Road Ahead
Looking towards the future The Hello Strangers are continuing on breaking out in more urban areas. The challenge of being a rural band trying to reach a larger audience is one that they face with enthusiasm. While it may be easier to book smaller venues the sisters want to expand and share their music to new venues, "It was our only goal last year that wasn't fully completed, but it's on its way." Currently the band is on tour once again. As they continue to do what they love, the sisters, "Hope you all come out and see us."
-
Hello, Strangers: Alumni Band Rocks Burgin Center
[+ Show ]
10/29/2010
Local band The Hello Strangers entertained students, faculty, and staff at a community g...10/29/2010
Local band The Hello Strangers entertained students, faculty, and staff at a community gathering in the Simon Theatre October 29. The five-piece band is alumni-strong with sisters Larissa Chace Smith ’97 (vocals and guitar), and Brechyn Chace ’03 (vocals and assorted instruments), faculty member Dave Holzwarth ’78 (bass), Katie O’Neil ’97 (drums), and Kevin Shannon (guitar).
The Hello Strangers began when Larissa and Brechyn penned their first string of songs together while living in Austin, Texas, in 2006. Soon, however, the mountains of their hometown of Mercersburg beckoned them north. “We missed our family and the friends we had for years and years,” Larissa says. The move proved to be what they hoped; the sisters easily recruited “friends new and old” to form The Hello Strangers in 2008.
Soul-stirring and energizing at once, The Hello Strangers’ original sound points to folk traditions, modern indie-rock motifs, Texas country-folk, and roots rock, “all tied together with harmonies that only sisters can accomplish.”
Students were thrilled with the dynamic group. They danced, clapped, and gave the band an enthusiastic standing ovation at the end of the performance. Later, interested students met band members in the Jane Ford Lounge for lunch to ask them about developing a band, performing, and recording.
“Playing for the school today, I realized that we can still really connect with this age group,” Larissa says. “And for Brechyn and I, we saw faculty members in the audience who we’ve known since we were little. This dynamic of new and old came together—it was a new connection we made with the school.”
-
Local Rock Duo Hopes to Become Friends Rather than “Strangers”
[+ Show ]
by Sandrine Berre
The Hello Strangers, a local band based in Mercersburg, PA, is currently
prom...by Sandrine Berre
The Hello Strangers, a local band based in Mercersburg, PA, is currently
promoting its new album entitled Introducing Max Schmidt. The band
began in 2007 as a duo comprised of sisters Brechyn Chace and Larissa
Chace Smith. Larissa and Brechyn agreed to answer a few questions for
The Billboard.
SB: So, when did you start this band? And why?
HS: We started our project in Austin, TX in 2006. We started off as an
acoustic duo, and upon moving home to Mercersburg, PA in 2007 we were
able to complete our ultimate goal of forming a full band. Everything just
fell together like it was kismet.
SB: Who are your main in? uences?
HS: Our greatest in? uences, ? rst and foremost, are our parents and
grandparents who are and were musically gifted and surrounded us with
music as we grew up. Our grandfathers and father were in bands themselves,
so to us it seems like a natural thing to do. Our musical in? uences include
Lucinda Williams and Johnny Cash, in the country realm, but we grew up
on jazz and soul, so that is certainly imbued in our sound.
SB: You have a new album now, so how were the recording sessions?
Did you hire somebody for your sound?
HS: We recorded our new EP, Introducing Max Schmidt, about a year
ago. It being independently recorded and released was our main goal, but
it de? nitely was a lot of work and time to make it happen. Our guitarist,
Kevin Shannon, has his own studio (Wreck Room Studio) in his basement.
It was just the band in the room and no one else. It was very grassroots in
that way.
SB: Do you feel close to the local scene?
HS: We feel very close to the local scene since we have had quite a
vigorous gig schedule. We rely on our local fan base to help us get the clout
to move further away from home eventually.
SB: And ? nally, how do you think your music will evolve in the
future?
HS: We often walk the ? ne line between our love of Austin country
music and all the other genres we listen to and appreciate as well. It’s hard
to say right now which way we will lean the most as we go along. We just
try to stay focused, patient, and true to our writing.
The band will be in the Orchards’ restaurant in Chambersburg on Fri,
Apr. 2. You can also check out the band schedule on their website www.
myspace.com/thehellostrangers.
-
A Tribute to Hank
[+ Show ]
While spending a weekend in Mercersburg, PA last year, me and Jane met up with Brechyn Chase. We tal...While spending a weekend in Mercersburg, PA last year, me and Jane met up with Brechyn Chase. We talked a little, and found out that she and her sister, Larissa Smith, have a group called the Hello Strangers, www.myspace.com/thehellostrangers. (Any group named after a Carter Family song is cool with me !). When I got back home, I looked them up on myspace. Their original tune "Pregnant in Jail" just floored me ! The HSs spent some time playing in Austin, too, and it sure shows in their soulful singing. They're excited to come to Baltimore and sing some of their favorite Hank tunes, including a version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" which is sure to raise some goosebumps !
-
The Hello Strangers
[+ Show ]
"Ethnically and culturally speaking, I can't connect to mainstream radio music," Larissa Chace-Smith..."Ethnically and culturally speaking, I can't connect to mainstream radio music," Larissa Chace-Smith said.
What she calls the Americana aesthetic, though, hit home when she moved to Austin, Texas, and the music scene there became the roots of the sister duo The Hello Strangers.
Instead of singing about gats and Glocks, it's revolvers and pistols (and gallows) and lovers drowning in the ragin' seas. Instead of gin and juice, "my head is swirling like the whiskey in the bottle last night."
Their grandfathers were musicians, as were their mother and father, so growing up, Chace-Smith and her sister Brechyn Chace constantly heard music in the house.
When Chace-Smith was about 13 years old, she was given her grandfather's guitar and immediately started writing songs. She didn't have the right temperament for piano, it seemed, despite years of lessons, but guitar suited her well.
"That was my thing to do in high school: sit in my room and write songs," Chace-Smith said.
Six years older than Brechyn, "I was off doing my college thing, living my life," Chace-Smith said. "Brechyn was like, in middle school."
She went to the Berklee College of Music and then the University of Texas at Austin, earning a master's in music and a degree in ethnomusicology, the scientific study of music as an aspect of culture.
"(Music) is what I've always done," she said.
Chace-Smith moved with her husband-to-be to Austin, and quickly became immersed in the music scene there, specifically the Americana roots resurgence/renaissance.
Chace, meanwhile, was struggling with what to do with her life, after a short stint studying photography. Chace-Smith convinced her she needed to move down to Austin.
They started writing together in 2006.
"We heard a sister group on a local radio station -- the Ginn Sisters -- this roots, folky thing -- and we were like, we can totally do this. We have to do this."
So they started singing songs together in that genre and found that it worked; they were able to write a lot of songs fairly quickly, with a repertoire of a couple dozen originals to date.
In high school, Chace-Smith played folk rock in the vein of the Indigo Girls; by college, she was listening to all genres; and then she studied reggae extensively for her graduate work.
"I grew up in an age when country music was so under the radar," she said, adding that most people she knew would comment that they "listen to everything but country."
But country is in the midst of a renaissance, she said. Americana music is huge in Austin, and now all over the country.
"The scene is really inspiring to us. The Americana aesthetic -- we sort of settled into that. ... I feel like we've found a home in this genre."
They released an EP in 2006, "The Hello Strangers, Acoustic in Austin."
After a few years in Austin, though, the sisters moved back to their home of Mercersburg, Pa., where their dad taught for several years at Mercersburg Academy.
"We were a little homesick," she said.
While in Austin, they played as a duo, but they picked up Kevin Shannon (lead guitar, backup vocals), Katie O'Neil (drums) and Dave Holzwarth (bass) in 2008 after returning to Pennsylvania.
The six-song "Introducing Max Schmidt" (2010) showcases the talents of their new band and was recorded, mixed and mastered by Shannon at Wreck Room Studio in Chambersburg, Pa.
The five-piece played a 10 a.m. show at Hempen Hill in Hagerstown on April 22 for the annual Wake & Bake, Chace-Smith's voice resembling the sailing quality of Neko Case's. Chace shook a tambourine and played accordion while she sang. She also plays the xylophone and harmonica.
The Hello Strangers will play Cafe Nola on Friday with Lucas & the Lovelys.
-
Old Styles, New Voices: Young Bluegrass Musicians
[+ Show ]
A Younger Generation of Pickers are Cropping Up, Keeping the Spirit of Bluegrass Music Alive and Wel...A Younger Generation of Pickers are Cropping Up, Keeping the Spirit of Bluegrass Music Alive and Well.
by Greg Yost + photos by Jamie Turner, Jason Turner and Ryan Smith, Ryan Smith Photography
• • •
The drawing wail of a strummed fiddle; the low-pitched, thumping flair of an upright bass; and the finger-plucking twang of the banjo. The stringed, acoustic sounds of traditional American bluegrass music are deeply rooted in the folk songs brought to the New World by European immigrants, many of whom settled in the Appalachian Mountain Range stretching through parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, including Washington County.
Stirring up lonesome tales of love, hardship and years gone by, most wouldn’t expect anyone under the age of 50 to understand the influence and nuance of the style. But, a whole new crop of young musicians has embraced this traditional form of country music, adding variations on the theme and keeping this American roots music thriving in and around Washington County.
Gone Country
At 22, Hedgesville, W.Va., native Andrew Jordan is by far the youngest member of The Back Creek Valley Boys, a group who performs hard-charging, authentic bluegrass. A talented guitar player, singer and songwriter, Andrew grew up listening to his dad, Ike Jordan, The Back Creek Valley Boys’ mandolin player, jam with his grandfather, Earl W. “Uncle Bill” Jordan, and other local pickers including Randy Kenney, the band’s bass player. Even with this musical background, Andrew played drums in high school rock bands before making the switch to acoustic guitar.
Find out where you can purchase your copy of Hagerstown magazine to read this story and other articles in the current issue by clicking here.
-
The Hello Strangers, ‘Introducing Max Schmidt’
[+ Show ]
Hell hath no fury quite like a woman scorned.
Such seems to be the mantra of Mercersburg, Pa.'s The...Hell hath no fury quite like a woman scorned.
Such seems to be the mantra of Mercersburg, Pa.'s The Hello Strangers, however clich? that age-old adage may appear to be. Actually, their latest six-song effort, "Introducing Max Schmidt" (released in 2010), is Exhibit A for how easily that phrase is able to translate into the music world with grace and power. Sisters Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace aren't just mad -- they are stinkin' mad, and they have no problem with expressing such scathing anger in tunes filled with musical backdrops that are heavy on pop-country and words that are bursting at the seams with poignancy and command.
What sets these songwriters apart from other female-led local groups is their willingness to collaborate with a full band to get their point across. Kate O'Neil's drums provide a soft texture that other acoustic-guitar-driven female vocal groups in the area might lack at times, and Kevin Shannon's electric guitar is placed beautifully between verses and bridges, not over-staying its welcome, yet making an impact with its sparse tones and clean rhythms. It's a fantastic combination, really, and the result should ultimately pay dividends for these sisters, who are destined for bigger things.
It all begins with "The Same Routine," one of the more up-tempo tracks of the bunch. Here, the group shows its pop-music chops as the sisters tell a story about one of the most common themes in country music: a toxic relationship. "The same routine and I still feel alone," is sung as the chorus ends and the vocal track fades into hopelessness. It wouldn't work if these gals didn't sound like they mean it as much as they do.
"Conococheague" and "Poor Dear" are as dark as they come, the former, an off-beat, Neil Young-ish recollection of a lost lover, and the latter, a fast-tempo country-fied romp that echoes the mainstream portion of Johnny Cash's catalogue. "I had a lover/ Like no other," one of the sisters sings before proclaiming "But he's at the bottom of the Conococheague" during the song that shares the river's name. Not only does it seem like the type of morbid tall tale usually tailor-made for the Americana music world, but it also showcases exactly how well The Hello Strangers can paint a gloomy picture.
Speaking of gloomy, "The World Knows Far Better Than Me" proves to be the best track "Introducing Max Schmidt" offers as the song takes a simple waltz and transforms the combination of a few acoustic guitars, vocals and a harmonica into a staggering finale that will stick with you for days. It's the closest thing the group comes to folk music, drawing on a Bob Dylan-meets-Emmylou Harris approach that succeeds in the most memorable of ways. The refrain's repetition is striking not only for its down-and-out words but also for its defeated presentation. This track stands above the rest because of its bleeding soul.
Word has it that the sisters Chace recently won a contest that landed them a record deal and The Hello Strangers will be heading to Nashville to record the follow up to "Introducing Max Schmidt" (a release date is set for later this year). Whatever these ladies might be able to accomplish as a result of this opportunity in the future, none of us know. What we do know, however, is that The Hello Strangers have set themselves apart from most every other local female vocal group with this heartfelt, authentic and nearly perfect six-song piece of pop-country. It's a little Neko Case, though not as jagged. It's a little Amy Speace, though not as polished. And it's a little Beggar's Ride, though much more angry and full.
Most importantly, it's a lot like the sound of a couple women scorned. And frankly, it hasn't sounded this good in a long, long time.
Colin McGuire is a copy editor and page designer at the News-Post as well the music reviews editor at PopMatters.com. His blog, TV Without A TV, can be found at www.newspost.com/blogs. Submit albums to 72hours@newspost.com or Fr
