Heather Mae

Artist Information

Biography

“[Mae's] songs are charming even outside the context of the original [“One Year of Songs”] project, and she captures her prolific streak with a reflective sigh.” - The Washington Post

While most attendees at an industry conference in New York were wistfully sighing over their coffees and gazing at the room’s blank white walls, Heather Mae was staring them down with the colors of fierce creativity--and she hasn’t stopped.

Hidden beyond the maze of dull chairs and heavy bricks of PowerPoint text was the speaker’s pipedream suggestion. While most of the uninspired audience dismissed the idea of writing a song every day for a year, Heather Mae became relentlessly committed to the challenge. Sparking a 365 day journey, she trekked through over 30 states, making footprints of over 7,000 lyrics and 100+ artist collaborations. Her music is supported by an ever-changing cast of complementary musicians known as “The Make Believe,” some of whom she met during this project. Taking step one on October 1, 2010, Heather Mae is reaching another landmark 2 years later, releasing her LP “One Year of Songs.”

The Pop-Folk LP is her first full length project, a follow-up to her debut EP “Gonna Be Alright.” The growth is undeniable, as the album swirls with inspiration from her yearlong project, showcasing 10 songs from her 365-piece collection. At the heart of each arrangement are stirring ukulele melodies, which are either supplemented by equally as optimistic lyrics or balanced by contemplative ones. Be assured that both sides of this story-telling coin are inspired and cathartic.

Though Heather Mae channels the influence of traditional singer/songwriters like Ingrid Michelson, Anna Nalick, and Nora Jones, she (unsurprisingly) is willing to step out of this comfort zone, layering haunting but comfortable harmonies a la the Fleet Foxes or Barenaked Ladies. Rounded out by strategic guitar turns, her sound emits the same clarity that’s reflected in her lyrics.

Heather Mae’s music could show up on your local radio station or the next Garden State-esque soundtrack. It’s the seasoning of her yearlong commitment that gives birth to this rare flexibility, having opened her musical identity to each experience of the project.

"Something happens to your art when you challenge yourself with a massive amount of work and a set deadline” said Heather Mae. “I used to wait for creativity to hit me, but after ‘One Year of Songs,’ I can brew creativity on the spot."

For more information, including One Year of Song tour dates, contact kate@architektmusic.com or log onto www.heathermae.net .

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"[Heather Mae] decided rather than wait for opportunity to knock, she would bust down the door and show us what she was made of…" - Oh! My Muse Blog

"Artists and musicians love to talk about their creative process and how they might change it or get better. Heather Mae dives in and faces her art head on. [Heather Mae] has a long and beautiful career ahead of her." - KRUU 100.1

“Singer-songwriter Heather Mae is constantly searching in the darkest corners and the highest branches of the right half of her mind. She’s always devising new ways to lure out that elusive and slippery creature known as creativity.” - Northern Virginia Magazine

“Beautifully written, engagingly crafted, and accomplished in execution, Heather Mae’s ‘One Year of Songs’ should see her gain plaudits and fans around the globe.” - PopCulturez.com

"Some songwriters like to have written, a few love to write. Heather Mae loves to write and it comes through in her brilliant and enthusiastic writing and performance. Not content to wait for the recalcitrant muse, she wrote a song every day for a year and that is the key to the songwriting kingdom--sitting down and writing." - Paul Reisler, Founder and Artistic Director of Kid Pan Alley, Trapezoid, and Paul Reisler & A Thousand Questions

Instrumentation

Heather Mae - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, mandolin, ukulele
Dan Hibbard - Bass, Guitar
Reggie James - Drums, Cajon
Caitlin Becker - Vocals
Sarah Clanton Schaffer - Cello
Nikki Tschinkel - Vocals

Discography

"Fall Back To Dream" - Single - 2010

"Gonna Be Alright" - EP - 2010

"One Year of Songs" - LP - October 2nd, 2012

Official Website

http://www.heathermae.net

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• One Year of Songs

Audio

• Just Stay
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• Fools Heart
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• Shadows
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• Moon Secrets
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• Shoulda Said Yes
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• Mississippi Man
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• One Day Soon
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• One of These Days
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• Up in the Air
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• Summer Road
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Video

"River" Cover

"We Found Love" Cover

Photo Gallery

Press

• Heather Mae album review: "One Year of Songs" [+ Show ]
  

  Local singer-songwriter Heather Mae Foard took on an ambitious project in October 2010: to write and...Local singer-songwriter Heather Mae Foard took on an ambitious project in October 2010: to write and record a song every day for a year. Out of those 365 songs, Foard (who records and performs under the name Heather Mae) chose 10 to re-record in a proper studio with a backing band and release as her first full-length album, “One Year of Songs.”
  
  The studio polish suits Foard’s songs well, especially compared with the simplicity of her original recordings. A cello complements her ukulele on several songs, most notably the pleading “Just Stay,” while percussion and subtle backing vocals flesh out the vivid longing in her vocals on album standout “Mississippi Man.”
  
  At times, Foard’s songs come across a bit like diary entries. “One Day Soon” and “One of These Days” both find her wistfully daydreaming about the future. That’s not a surprising perspective for a songwriter who sat down to write every day, but putting two such songs back-to-back on the album seems redundant. Still, Foard’s songs are charming even outside the context of the original project, and she captures her prolific streak with a reflective sigh on album-closing “Summer Road”: “I search for music inside of me.”

• A Song a Day Keeps the Writer’s Block Away [+ Show ]
  

  "Singer-songwriter Heather Mae is constantly searching in the darkest corners and the highest branch..."Singer-songwriter Heather Mae is constantly searching in the darkest corners and the highest branches of the right half of her mind. She’s always devising new ways to lure out that elusive and slippery creature known as creativity."

• Heather Mae - One Year of Songs [+ Show ]
  

  “Beautifully written, engagingly crafted, and accomplished in execution, Heather Mae’s ‘One Year of ...“Beautifully written, engagingly crafted, and accomplished in execution, Heather Mae’s ‘One Year of Songs’ should see her gain plaudits and fans around the globe.”

• Music Muse Interview: The Inspirational Heather Mae [+ Show ]
  

  "[Heather Mae] decided rather than wait for opportunity to knock, she would bust down the door and s..."[Heather Mae] decided rather than wait for opportunity to knock, she would bust down the door and show us what she was made of…"

• Heather Mae Interview on Lyrical Venus! [+ Show ]
  

  "Artists and musicians love to talk about their creative process and how they might change it or get..."Artists and musicians love to talk about their creative process and how they might change it or get better. Heather Mae dives in and faces her art head on. [Heather Mae] has a long and beautiful career ahead of her." 

Setlist

Basic Requirements

Calendar