MaryBeth Doran

Singer-songwriter MaryBeth Doran has set out on her own crafting hauntingly beautiful, soulful songs driven by powerful melodies and memorable lyrics. She has teamed up with producer Kieran Kelly (Sufjan Stevens, Angus & Julia Stone, Rhett Miller) to record her debut full length album. She is endorsed by Gibson and has been featured on NBC’s Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase, Italian Vogue, The Huffington Post, Radar Online, among others. You can check her out out February 26th at Room 5 in Los Angeles.
Contact: brandon@clarkentlaw.com - Kings of A&R

Singer and songwriter MaryBeth Doran traded
New York City for an Adel farmhouse.

Written by Chad Taylor
Photos by Duane Tinkey

Five things to know about MaryBeth Doran

1. She’s been around.
Doran grew up in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota, then moved to Washington, D.C., where she attended George Washington University. From there, it was on to New York City, where she fronted the band Milly Beau and met her boyfriend, bassist Ben Mars. When Mars moved back to the family farm in Adel this year, Doran came with him.

2. Music is in her blood.
“My whole family is musical,” says the 27-year-old Doran. “None of them have ever pursued it (professionally), but they can all sing. They can all play guitar.” Doran has been a singer since a young age but was in her 20s before she started
learning to play piano and guitar.

3. She figured out her calling early.
“I remember exactly when it was,” Doran recalls. “I was on the playground one day with some friends, and they asked me to sing a song. So I did, and everyone was like, ‘Wow, that was really good.’ I think we’re all given some way in life that we’re good at expressing ourselves. That was when I knew that singing was my way.”

4. She’s ready to go it alone.
Doran’s first experience with music outside of school was with Milly Beau. The New York-based quintet was signed to Green House Records and produced two albums for the label. Though Doran loved the experience, she decided she was ready for a solo project. “For a while I tried to do both at once,” she says, “but it was made clear to me that I wouldn’t be allowed to make my own thing a priority.” The chance to write and perform her own songs proved to be the bigger pull, so Doran left Milly Beau and moved to Iowa.

5. She enjoys farm life.
Doran and Mars live on a small farm just outside Adel with a gaggle of barn cats. There, Mars works on his motorcycles and Doran makes homemade granola and writes music. She even recorded her new songs in the farmhouse living room. “It’s kind of a yin/yang sort of thing,” she says. “I’ve had this very fast-paced, East Coast life for so long that even on days when I think, ‘Where is everybody?’ I still know that there’s something about the farm that’s very good for me.” - Des Moines Magazine

By T. Hays

Hey Des Moines….Let us introduce you to one of our favorite new local artists; soul-pop singer-songwriter MaryBeth Doran.

Earlier this year she relocated from NYC to an 80 acre farm near Adel, IA to finish writing and recording her first solo album. She’ll be releasing a series of five singles, the first of which will be released today, and marked by a release show TONIGHT at Vaudeville Mews.

The release show starts at 7:30PM at the Mews, with support from Annalibera. Tickets are only $5, so get out and show MaryBeth that Des Moines supports good music. - DSM Vibe

Every now and then, I find myself coming up short with makeout music. Music is one of the things I write about for a living, and yet despite this fact, or maybe because of it, I find myself constantly bored with my selection of sexy tunes. Hence, I’m always on the lookout for new artists to get down to—recently I stumbled on Marybeth Doran, a NYC-based singer-songwriter (of the band Milly Beau), with the voice of an angel, a sexy sexy angel.

Pin It
0211-makeout_music_da.jpg
I caught up with Marybeth earlier this week. You can hear her music at www.millybeau.com

What are some sources of inspiration for your songs? Is any of your real life in there?
Every tune is based upon a relationship or a memory of a place, person. Even if it ends up being completely made up characters everything is based upon something.

How to you take the pain or joy or aspirations of love or sex or relationships and put them into music?
Pain and joy of relationships live inside the tunes because, well, music is a place people go when they are feeling these emotions. For me, first bad breakup: Counting Crows. First good makeout session: also Counting Crows I think. Emotions run wild in these relationships and my clearest form of expression for emotions is in music.

What makes a good love song?
Deciding that a tune is going to be a gift. THAT makes a song that comes from the heart. To sit down at the piano and say, "This one is for you." I think about all the moments where I have felt so much love, then narrow it down to something specific. What cellular energy was pumping through me in that moment of love. Close my eyes, put it in the tune.

What's music inspires you?
Ladies with soul. Men with soul. Al Green, Adele, Sharon Jones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder. Words and voices that just take you there. A place where I am waving my hands, shaking my booty and smiling because I just feel them so hard. They nail it on the head. - Glamour Magazine

Every now and then, I find myself coming up short with makeout music. Music is one of the things I write about for a living, and yet despite this fact, or maybe because of it, I find myself constantly bored with my selection of sexy tunes. Hence, I’m always on the lookout for new artists to get down to—recently I stumbled on Marybeth Doran, a NYC-based singer-songwriter (of the band Milly Beau), with the voice of an angel, a sexy sexy angel.

Pin It
0211-makeout_music_da.jpg
I caught up with Marybeth earlier this week. You can hear her music at www.millybeau.com

What are some sources of inspiration for your songs? Is any of your real life in there?
Every tune is based upon a relationship or a memory of a place, person. Even if it ends up being completely made up characters everything is based upon something.

How to you take the pain or joy or aspirations of love or sex or relationships and put them into music?
Pain and joy of relationships live inside the tunes because, well, music is a place people go when they are feeling these emotions. For me, first bad breakup: Counting Crows. First good makeout session: also Counting Crows I think. Emotions run wild in these relationships and my clearest form of expression for emotions is in music.

What makes a good love song?
Deciding that a tune is going to be a gift. THAT makes a song that comes from the heart. To sit down at the piano and say, "This one is for you." I think about all the moments where I have felt so much love, then narrow it down to something specific. What cellular energy was pumping through me in that moment of love. Close my eyes, put it in the tune.

What's music inspires you?
Ladies with soul. Men with soul. Al Green, Adele, Sharon Jones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder. Words and voices that just take you there. A place where I am waving my hands, shaking my booty and smiling because I just feel them so hard. They nail it on the head. - Glamour Magazine

MaryBeth Doran makes homemade granola.

Maybe it's something she's always done—I didn't ask—but it fits her current lifestyle very well. Doran's a throwback in life. Maybe it's her 50's movie star good looks, or the way she references Stevie Nicks and Twiggy as fashion icons. But there's something inherent in Doran that makes her current situation seem like a no-brainer. You see, after spending most of her previous 27 years as a strictly urban girl (including stints in the Twin Cities, DC and New York) Doran finds herself living on the outskirts of the tiny town of Adel Iowa, on a farm with her boyfriend, bassist Ben Mars.

“It's kind of a yin/yang sort of thing,” Doran said, relaxing on a couch. “I was in this really hot, dingy city for so long, and before that I was in DC. So I've had this very fast-paced, East Coast life for so long, that even on days where I think 'where IS everybody?' I still know that there's something about this farm that's very good for me.”

It's a feeling that reflects in her face. As we talked, Doran's gaze turned to the window, and she surveyed the gentle hills and trees outside the modest farm house. Everything about the plot speaks to a kind of stereotypical, rural existence: creaky wood floors and distressed paint. Large, sliding barn doors separate the bedroom from the rest of the house, and there are barn cats everywhere.

Doran and Mars have been on the farm for about a year now. They've spent most of that time making the family plot feel like home, and several months ago Doran decided she'd like to try recording some songs in the farm house, rather than in a recording booth. It wasn't an idea that was assured any kind of success, but the setting made Doran comfortable and sometimes that's enough.

“It was a total gamble,” she admitted. “I had never worked with (producer) Phil Young before. I'd heard great things about him, but I was super nervous about not going into a traditional studio. I was concerned that I was investing in something that maybe wasn't going to work.”

Young trekked his equipment out to the farm house and Doran and her band set up right in the living room.

This segment is from Episode 22 and was filmed at The Cutting Room in NYC on May 18, 2013.

“My Wurlitzer was here,” she said, indicating the space currently occupied by a coffee table. “Ben was there,” she continued, motioning in the direction of the dining room.

Eventually, five songs came out of the farm house sessions. Doran doesn't know if she'll wind up releasing them all, but she knew right away that her gamble was worth the effort.

“I knew while we were recording that we were doing something really cool. When we got everything (back), it wasn't like I listened and it was like 'holy shit, this is it!' But they sounded exactly the way we had recorded them, and that was really important to me. After that, it was fun to bring other people in and build on it.”
DSC06841edt.jpg
One of the songs that came from those sessions is Doran's new single, “Butterflies." Much like the act of recording—or living, for that matter—on a farm, the single is something of a departure for Doran. Known for charming, intimate songs with light pop hooks and gripping lyrics, “Butterflies” goes for a more visceral reaction. It's a song she's performed live before, but in a more stripped down state. As a freshly dressed-up single, “Butterflies” has more of a dance groove, and features a neat little breakdown after the second verse. It's a busier version of the song, but that's what Doran was looking for.

“(The single) started with this great disco hook that I came up with, which is really odd for me, because I've never written any disco before.” She looked out the window again, then back at me, as if shaking off the last fibers of some niggling doubt. “(But) if that's what the song wants, that's what's going to happen. The song is very dance-able. It's about dealing with your inner desire to express yourself and be fearless.”

It's not unexpected territory, once you understand how Doran came to be living on a farm in Dallas County.

While living in New York, Doran found herself fronting a five-piece called Milly Beau. The act was signed to Greenhouse Records, and two albums followed. Middling success, perhaps, but success nonetheless.

“(Everything) was covered,” she recalled, thinking about the recording process. “It was a small label, but we're still talking 40 grand.”

But what the arrangement had in financial backing, it lacked in creative control. Milly Beau was a group that Doran was fronting, but it wasn't hers. Eventually, Doran felt the pull to create her own music.

“For a while, I tried doing both at once, but it was made clear to me that I wouldn't be allowed to make my own thing a priority.”

Which is how th - Band Bombshell

MaryBeth Doran makes homemade granola.

Maybe it's something she's always done—I didn't ask—but it fits her current lifestyle very well. Doran's a throwback in life. Maybe it's her 50's movie star good looks, or the way she references Stevie Nicks and Twiggy as fashion icons. But there's something inherent in Doran that makes her current situation seem like a no-brainer. You see, after spending most of her previous 27 years as a strictly urban girl (including stints in the Twin Cities, DC and New York) Doran finds herself living on the outskirts of the tiny town of Adel Iowa, on a farm with her boyfriend, bassist Ben Mars.

“It's kind of a yin/yang sort of thing,” Doran said, relaxing on a couch. “I was in this really hot, dingy city for so long, and before that I was in DC. So I've had this very fast-paced, East Coast life for so long, that even on days where I think 'where IS everybody?' I still know that there's something about this farm that's very good for me.”

It's a feeling that reflects in her face. As we talked, Doran's gaze turned to the window, and she surveyed the gentle hills and trees outside the modest farm house. Everything about the plot speaks to a kind of stereotypical, rural existence: creaky wood floors and distressed paint. Large, sliding barn doors separate the bedroom from the rest of the house, and there are barn cats everywhere.

Doran and Mars have been on the farm for about a year now. They've spent most of that time making the family plot feel like home, and several months ago Doran decided she'd like to try recording some songs in the farm house, rather than in a recording booth. It wasn't an idea that was assured any kind of success, but the setting made Doran comfortable and sometimes that's enough.

“It was a total gamble,” she admitted. “I had never worked with (producer) Phil Young before. I'd heard great things about him, but I was super nervous about not going into a traditional studio. I was concerned that I was investing in something that maybe wasn't going to work.”

Young trekked his equipment out to the farm house and Doran and her band set up right in the living room.

This segment is from Episode 22 and was filmed at The Cutting Room in NYC on May 18, 2013.

“My Wurlitzer was here,” she said, indicating the space currently occupied by a coffee table. “Ben was there,” she continued, motioning in the direction of the dining room.

Eventually, five songs came out of the farm house sessions. Doran doesn't know if she'll wind up releasing them all, but she knew right away that her gamble was worth the effort.

“I knew while we were recording that we were doing something really cool. When we got everything (back), it wasn't like I listened and it was like 'holy shit, this is it!' But they sounded exactly the way we had recorded them, and that was really important to me. After that, it was fun to bring other people in and build on it.”
DSC06841edt.jpg
One of the songs that came from those sessions is Doran's new single, “Butterflies." Much like the act of recording—or living, for that matter—on a farm, the single is something of a departure for Doran. Known for charming, intimate songs with light pop hooks and gripping lyrics, “Butterflies” goes for a more visceral reaction. It's a song she's performed live before, but in a more stripped down state. As a freshly dressed-up single, “Butterflies” has more of a dance groove, and features a neat little breakdown after the second verse. It's a busier version of the song, but that's what Doran was looking for.

“(The single) started with this great disco hook that I came up with, which is really odd for me, because I've never written any disco before.” She looked out the window again, then back at me, as if shaking off the last fibers of some niggling doubt. “(But) if that's what the song wants, that's what's going to happen. The song is very dance-able. It's about dealing with your inner desire to express yourself and be fearless.”

It's not unexpected territory, once you understand how Doran came to be living on a farm in Dallas County.

While living in New York, Doran found herself fronting a five-piece called Milly Beau. The act was signed to Greenhouse Records, and two albums followed. Middling success, perhaps, but success nonetheless.

“(Everything) was covered,” she recalled, thinking about the recording process. “It was a small label, but we're still talking 40 grand.”

But what the arrangement had in financial backing, it lacked in creative control. Milly Beau was a group that Doran was fronting, but it wasn't hers. Eventually, Doran felt the pull to create her own music.

“For a while, I tried doing both at once, but it was made clear to me that I wouldn't be allowed to make my own thing a priority.”

Which is how th - Band Bombshell

MaryBeth Doran is familiar with the bright lights/big city approach. After graduating from George Washington University, Doran packed up her things and moved to New York City, where she eventually helped form the band Milly Beau. The soul pop five-piece signed to Greenhouse Records, where they released two albums. But eventually, Doran felt life pulling her toward a solo career. And so, in late 2012, Doran and her bassist/boyfriend Ben Mars picked up and left N.Y. for a return to the Midwest (Doran is from Minnesota, and Mars is an Iowa boy by birth).

“There are some days where I think I made exactly the right move, and some days where I really question that,” she said. “But I felt the same way living in New York. I experimented with starting this new project there, and I did have some ‘industry types’ who were interested, (but) none of those opportunities felt right because they all wanted to mold me into their thing, and the whole point of doing this was to figure out what my ‘thing’ was.

“New York can be a good place to find that out, but I didn’t feel like it was right for me, because there, everyone is always telling you what you should be doing. Whereas in the Midwest, the mentality is a little more supportive and encouraging.”

Now, from their little farm just outside Adel, Doran is finding her thing. She and Mars are in the process of recording her first album at the farmhouse. Recording in the comfort of a home setting is something of an experiment for Doran, and, so far, she’s liking the results. Her soulful voice and charming on-stage presence have quickly won her fans here in the capital city. But — just as much in her music as in her lifestyle — the change in pace takes some getting used to.

“It calls for a lot of patience,” she admitted. “When you don’t have a source of outside funding, everything moves at a dinosaur’s pace. Milly Beau was on a label, so (everything) was covered. It was a small label, but we’re still talking 40 grand. Now, my dad will ask me, ‘Where is your album at? Are you doing anything?’ And it’s like, I can play you a three-hour set of original stuff right now. I’m doing things. It’s just a process.” CV - Cityview Magazine

MaryBeth Doran is familiar with the bright lights/big city approach. After graduating from George Washington University, Doran packed up her things and moved to New York City, where she eventually helped form the band Milly Beau. The soul pop five-piece signed to Greenhouse Records, where they released two albums. But eventually, Doran felt life pulling her toward a solo career. And so, in late 2012, Doran and her bassist/boyfriend Ben Mars picked up and left N.Y. for a return to the Midwest (Doran is from Minnesota, and Mars is an Iowa boy by birth).

“There are some days where I think I made exactly the right move, and some days where I really question that,” she said. “But I felt the same way living in New York. I experimented with starting this new project there, and I did have some ‘industry types’ who were interested, (but) none of those opportunities felt right because they all wanted to mold me into their thing, and the whole point of doing this was to figure out what my ‘thing’ was.

“New York can be a good place to find that out, but I didn’t feel like it was right for me, because there, everyone is always telling you what you should be doing. Whereas in the Midwest, the mentality is a little more supportive and encouraging.”

Now, from their little farm just outside Adel, Doran is finding her thing. She and Mars are in the process of recording her first album at the farmhouse. Recording in the comfort of a home setting is something of an experiment for Doran, and, so far, she’s liking the results. Her soulful voice and charming on-stage presence have quickly won her fans here in the capital city. But — just as much in her music as in her lifestyle — the change in pace takes some getting used to.

“It calls for a lot of patience,” she admitted. “When you don’t have a source of outside funding, everything moves at a dinosaur’s pace. Milly Beau was on a label, so (everything) was covered. It was a small label, but we’re still talking 40 grand. Now, my dad will ask me, ‘Where is your album at? Are you doing anything?’ And it’s like, I can play you a three-hour set of original stuff right now. I’m doing things. It’s just a process.” CV - Cityview Magazine

MaryBeth Doran, 27, is a singer-songwriter performing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Vaudeville Mews, 212 Fourth St.

Q: You’ve lived and performed all over the place. What brought you to Iowa?

My family moved around a lot, but I’m very much a Midwestern girl. My boyfriend, Ben Mars, is a bass player I met at the Gibson showcase rooms in New York. He got picked up by a big pop tour last summer and realized he didn’t want to be in that scene any more. His dad’s company is based in Adel and his grandpa owned a farm here. When (his grandfather) passed away the farm was essentially sitting empty. He asked me if I wanted to come and work on music here and be a little closer to home.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Iowa music scene?

I absolutely love it. There’s a great music city going and the art scene is growing. For me, it’s super refreshing. I was ready to be in a place where I could be part of a more grassroots scene. I’ve had all this space and time to work on the farm and get some writing done and I’ve got to meet some good people here. I’ve really enjoyed the diversity. It’s almost so diverse that with the bands I really enjoy it can sometimes be tough to find a good co-bill. But it always makes for interesting musical evenings.

Q: Your show this week is a single release party. Is it a preview of a larger album?

The song is called “Butterflies.” I wrote it probably half a year ago, and it has slowly been taking on a life of its own. I’m not exactly sure what form the music might take. I have enough songs that I’m debating if I want to push for a full record or just release singles through early next year. That way if people enjoy the music they can always have something new to listen to. At some point I’ll grab what I’ve put out and add new material and put it out in the form of an EP or record. - Juice Magazine

MaryBeth Doran, 27, is a singer-songwriter performing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Vaudeville Mews, 212 Fourth St.

Q: You’ve lived and performed all over the place. What brought you to Iowa?

My family moved around a lot, but I’m very much a Midwestern girl. My boyfriend, Ben Mars, is a bass player I met at the Gibson showcase rooms in New York. He got picked up by a big pop tour last summer and realized he didn’t want to be in that scene any more. His dad’s company is based in Adel and his grandpa owned a farm here. When (his grandfather) passed away the farm was essentially sitting empty. He asked me if I wanted to come and work on music here and be a little closer to home.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Iowa music scene?

I absolutely love it. There’s a great music city going and the art scene is growing. For me, it’s super refreshing. I was ready to be in a place where I could be part of a more grassroots scene. I’ve had all this space and time to work on the farm and get some writing done and I’ve got to meet some good people here. I’ve really enjoyed the diversity. It’s almost so diverse that with the bands I really enjoy it can sometimes be tough to find a good co-bill. But it always makes for interesting musical evenings.

Q: Your show this week is a single release party. Is it a preview of a larger album?

The song is called “Butterflies.” I wrote it probably half a year ago, and it has slowly been taking on a life of its own. I’m not exactly sure what form the music might take. I have enough songs that I’m debating if I want to push for a full record or just release singles through early next year. That way if people enjoy the music they can always have something new to listen to. At some point I’ll grab what I’ve put out and add new material and put it out in the form of an EP or record. - Juice Magazine

...Often touted as "Inside the Actors Studio for songwriters," JLSS is in fact a totally unique enterprise, based around the concept that good music with meaningful lyrics will ultimately build a community. Performers run the gamut from those with a sizable following already in place -- Canadian band The Sheepdogs, folk-rocker Jonatha Brooke -- to those you might not know yet but soon will, like sultry storyteller Mary Beth Doran... - The Huffington Post

...Often touted as "Inside the Actors Studio for songwriters," JLSS is in fact a totally unique enterprise, based around the concept that good music with meaningful lyrics will ultimately build a community. Performers run the gamut from those with a sizable following already in place -- Canadian band The Sheepdogs, folk-rocker Jonatha Brooke -- to those you might not know yet but soon will, like sultry storyteller Mary Beth Doran... - The Huffington Post

“You may remember a few weeks back I interviewed KR friends Exit Clov in anticipation of their East Coast tour and some of their rockin’ new music. They performed at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly with a relatively unknown group called Milly Beau (recently signed to Greenhouse Records). (I came in to the concert thinking Milly Beau was a person – really did not know much, nor did I expect much.) But boy, was I in for a huge surprise. Milly Beau is fronted by the incredibly talented MaryBeth Doran, just a year removed from George Washington University in D.C. (loving this D.C. NYC connection.) Her voice is stunningly gorgeous; I can’t describe it any other way (I’m telling you, I was blown away.) And while she could easily sit back and let her vocals do all the work with some simple songs, she mixes it up big time with Milly Beau, throwing listeners for a loop with an extraordinary stage presence and a rollicking live show that makes their minimalist music sound anything but. The tunes were written by Aaron Leeder and John Thayer (of Exit Clov) along with Doran. Mark my words: this is a band more than ready to hit the big time.”
http://www.knoxroad.com/2009/04/18/rise-rising-independent-singer-songwriter-and-spoken-word-evening-feat-milly-beaus-marybeth-doran/
- Knox Road

“You may remember a few weeks back I interviewed KR friends Exit Clov in anticipation of their East Coast tour and some of their rockin’ new music. They performed at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly with a relatively unknown group called Milly Beau (recently signed to Greenhouse Records). (I came in to the concert thinking Milly Beau was a person – really did not know much, nor did I expect much.) But boy, was I in for a huge surprise. Milly Beau is fronted by the incredibly talented MaryBeth Doran, just a year removed from George Washington University in D.C. (loving this D.C. NYC connection.) Her voice is stunningly gorgeous; I can’t describe it any other way (I’m telling you, I was blown away.) And while she could easily sit back and let her vocals do all the work with some simple songs, she mixes it up big time with Milly Beau, throwing listeners for a loop with an extraordinary stage presence and a rollicking live show that makes their minimalist music sound anything but. The tunes were written by Aaron Leeder and John Thayer (of Exit Clov) along with Doran. Mark my words: this is a band more than ready to hit the big time.”
http://www.knoxroad.com/2009/04/18/rise-rising-independent-singer-songwriter-and-spoken-word-evening-feat-milly-beaus-marybeth-doran/
- Knox Road

“I may have entered some kind of temporal rift at the Rock and Roll Hotel in D.C. Sunday night. Maybe there was a small wormhole. Could have been a gravity boost. I can’t say for sure. But what I do know is that much of what I saw doesn’t quite fit in 2008. The stunning vocals from both Mary Beth of Milly Beau (formerly Don't Be Glib) and Holly of The Jealous Girlfriends exist in a jazz club in the 1920’s. And then there’s Sea Wolf. I’m fairly certain they found the fountain of youth in the 1850’s somewhere in the English countryside, and just waited 150 years to release their beautiful sound on the world.

All kidding aside, this was an absolutely incredible evening. DC locals Milly Beau kicked off the night with their variety of soulful guitar and keys pop rock. My interest was peaked before they even took the stage, as the stage was preset with a lonely kick drum and high hat stage right. I really didn’t know what to expect. What I got was Aaron Leeder playing an acoustic guitar while playing drums! Seriously, who can do that, and do it well. Zach Pentel added electric guitar, and then there was Mary Beth Doran. Mary Beth with a voice that could stop time (see how I added more time references there). I’m pretty sure she could have been reading the phone book into the mic and I’d have been content to listen. The short set was really enjoyable for both the crowd and the band. They were either having a great time, or just enjoying a set-long inside joke, or both. Watch for these guys (and gal) to get noticed soon.”
- Pasta Prima

“I may have entered some kind of temporal rift at the Rock and Roll Hotel in D.C. Sunday night. Maybe there was a small wormhole. Could have been a gravity boost. I can’t say for sure. But what I do know is that much of what I saw doesn’t quite fit in 2008. The stunning vocals from both Mary Beth of Milly Beau (formerly Don't Be Glib) and Holly of The Jealous Girlfriends exist in a jazz club in the 1920’s. And then there’s Sea Wolf. I’m fairly certain they found the fountain of youth in the 1850’s somewhere in the English countryside, and just waited 150 years to release their beautiful sound on the world.

All kidding aside, this was an absolutely incredible evening. DC locals Milly Beau kicked off the night with their variety of soulful guitar and keys pop rock. My interest was peaked before they even took the stage, as the stage was preset with a lonely kick drum and high hat stage right. I really didn’t know what to expect. What I got was Aaron Leeder playing an acoustic guitar while playing drums! Seriously, who can do that, and do it well. Zach Pentel added electric guitar, and then there was Mary Beth Doran. Mary Beth with a voice that could stop time (see how I added more time references there). I’m pretty sure she could have been reading the phone book into the mic and I’d have been content to listen. The short set was really enjoyable for both the crowd and the band. They were either having a great time, or just enjoying a set-long inside joke, or both. Watch for these guys (and gal) to get noticed soon.”
- Pasta Prima

“Milly Beau [formerly Don’t Be Glib] sound nothing like I expected. Instead, they make music that would be at home in a dimly-lit cocktail lounge or as the soundtrack to a movie montage where the heroine walks the city streets at night. The sultry croon of singer MaryBeth Doran is the defining element, but she is ably supported by something of a mini-super-group of talent from other area bands, including Aaron Leeder and John Thayer of Exit Clov.

Big changes are on the horizon for Don’t Be Glib. Perhaps foremost, they are thinking of changing their name, which while cute probably does not suit their smoothed-out sound as well as it could. Aaron tells me they are actively searching for a new moniker, so if you listen to their songs and inspiration hits, feel free to leave that in the comments. In addition, they are losing their bassist as he goes on tour managing Ben Kweller and are all moving to New York this fall, where they will be recording a debut full-length release for Greenhouse Records.” - We Love D.C.

“Milly Beau [formerly Don’t Be Glib] sound nothing like I expected. Instead, they make music that would be at home in a dimly-lit cocktail lounge or as the soundtrack to a movie montage where the heroine walks the city streets at night. The sultry croon of singer MaryBeth Doran is the defining element, but she is ably supported by something of a mini-super-group of talent from other area bands, including Aaron Leeder and John Thayer of Exit Clov.

Big changes are on the horizon for Don’t Be Glib. Perhaps foremost, they are thinking of changing their name, which while cute probably does not suit their smoothed-out sound as well as it could. Aaron tells me they are actively searching for a new moniker, so if you listen to their songs and inspiration hits, feel free to leave that in the comments. In addition, they are losing their bassist as he goes on tour managing Ben Kweller and are all moving to New York this fall, where they will be recording a debut full-length release for Greenhouse Records.” - We Love D.C.

I happened on Milly Beau, the residents at Pete’s Candy Store every Monday this month, by an accident of Lasagnetta. Marybeth Doran, the group’s lead singer was waiting tables at Inoteca while my friend Sarah and I gorged on that restaurant’s veggie lasagna specialty. A few months later I finally made it to Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg where, in the romantic dining car that is their back room, Milly Beau’s acoustic set entranced a dozen lucky listeners, and made converts of us all.

Milly Beau feels very much like a startup group, a collection of talented young musicians, looking to find their feet. But their journey is to the viewers benefit, as we have the chance to experience something tremendous while still trivial. The main attraction is Doran, 24, and her buttery, mysterious voice. From note one, you ask yourself, Where did this kid come from?
“I moved around a bunch growing up,” she says. “Chi town, Iowa, Madison, Boulder, Twin Cities. I’ve always have done creative stuff in some shape or form. I did my fair share of musical theater, choirs. I didn’t really get my band on until college. At George Washington U I did a capella, and sang on friend’s hip hop tracks in dorm rooms. My senior year I started gigging and writing songs with Aaron Leeder (co-writer/guitar player in Milly Beau). We called our project Don’t Be Glib, after that Matt Lauer/Tom Cruise interview.” Ouch.
Once they made it to NYC, Doran and Leeder recorded an album, “Party Glitter”, with Greenhouse Records. They hooked up with bassist Ben Zwerin and keys man Dave Cohen started looking for gigs, working Joe jobs to pay the rent, doing the poor NYC artist thing, which naturally leads the 24 year old to question the point of it all.
“Music is a way to communicate, I guess. In a vast way. I am writing the words, sure, but they take on a certain energy when they are embedded in tones and notes. The environment for the melodies creates the vibe. And then the words as notes themselves say something… they can be jarring, soothing, bitchy, saucy. I find the regular practice of writing music a form of reflection,” she says.
If there’s some loftiness in Doran’s purpose, it’s not without the self-awareness that the work, and the group, have much to learn, and much to grow on. “The current stage of performance in its toddler yrs,” she admits, adding, “Personally I plan on performing my whole life. Which I hope is long. And the people we have together at the moment all love performing together. As long as that stays the same we will probably keep playing together. At our most recent show it was clear that we’ve reached a point where people are listening. Maybe even captivated.”
And if the crowds start coming, and then the labels, and the managers and Honda commercial people, does the direction change? “The point is to create attention, in myself and others hopefully,” Doran decides. “Being a purposeful human takes observation and then action. The more people make portraits, the more we are all aware of what the hell we are. And what the hell we are all doing here.”
“And, of course to eventually get an interview with Matt Lauer, So I can tell him not to be glib.”
Milly Beau is Marybeth Doran, Ben Zwerin, Dave Cohen and Aaron Leeder. You can see them tonight, and the remaining Mondays in May at Pete’s Candy Store, 10:30pm.

By: John Ortved - BlackBook

link: http://www.knoxroad.com/2010/01/20/new-obsession-milly-beau-party-glitter/

And guess what? That big time begins now. Brooklyn-based Milly Beau released their debut album, Party Glitter, today, and it’s even more than expected. Incredibly mature for a debut, mixing pop, thrash, grunge, and jazz, Party Glitter immediately transports us to a dance floor – a slow-motion dance floor. It’s as if the room reads “tread carefully” and when we enter we’re immediately and happily drugged by the heavily electronic, minimalist background. It’s a quick first album, with nine short songs, none longer than four minutes, but the dynamic ambience is felt all the same.

Let’s be clear about something, though. Doran commands Milly Beau. Yes, the whole group is talented, yes there are bursts of beautiful flourishes, like the keys on “Supersonic” and the powerful violin-led crescendos of “Busted Sunlight” and “Free You In The Meanwhile”. But Doran’s voice is singular in it’s nature – as I said in my blurb above, it’s stunningly gorgeous. She sings with supreme confidence, sometimes acting as a sharp contrast (in a good way) to the rest of the song. She can basically do anything with her smoky, sultry voice. Add a ting of folk? Sure, why not. Go for the gold with falsetto yelps? Perfect! Nothing is off limits for this singer, and Party Glitter affirms just that. - Knox Road

link: http://www.knoxroad.com/2010/01/20/new-obsession-milly-beau-party-glitter/

And guess what? That big time begins now. Brooklyn-based Milly Beau released their debut album, Party Glitter, today, and it’s even more than expected. Incredibly mature for a debut, mixing pop, thrash, grunge, and jazz, Party Glitter immediately transports us to a dance floor – a slow-motion dance floor. It’s as if the room reads “tread carefully” and when we enter we’re immediately and happily drugged by the heavily electronic, minimalist background. It’s a quick first album, with nine short songs, none longer than four minutes, but the dynamic ambience is felt all the same.

Let’s be clear about something, though. Doran commands Milly Beau. Yes, the whole group is talented, yes there are bursts of beautiful flourishes, like the keys on “Supersonic” and the powerful violin-led crescendos of “Busted Sunlight” and “Free You In The Meanwhile”. But Doran’s voice is singular in it’s nature – as I said in my blurb above, it’s stunningly gorgeous. She sings with supreme confidence, sometimes acting as a sharp contrast (in a good way) to the rest of the song. She can basically do anything with her smoky, sultry voice. Add a ting of folk? Sure, why not. Go for the gold with falsetto yelps? Perfect! Nothing is off limits for this singer, and Party Glitter affirms just that. - Knox Road