emith

“Not your father’s folk music”
Steve Graham, Arvada Press

“emith is “rising fast” in LA’s “Acoustic Renaissance”
Larry Wines, Folkworks

“…a musical recipe that includes blues, folk, country and rock with some Celtic mysticism mixed in there…”
Tom Martin, Elko Daily Free Press

“…a sound that mixes the real clarity of Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins with the intricate lyrics of early Fleetwood Mac or Fairport Convention…”
Judith Salkin, Desert Post Weekly

Founded in 2003 at a crossroads between Los Angeles and the infamous Inland Empire, emith (“the good life”) is an original band of the old and new, of humor and sadness, of the pristine and the profane. The band plays both as an acoustic duo, featuring new songwriter Carol H on vocals and guitar, and highly respected guitarist Stevie Gurr (Dr. John, Elvin Bishop, and others) on guitar, bass and harmonica, and also as a full band supplemented by various local favorites on bass and drums.

emith’s style of music features melodic, haunting influences from rock, folk, country, blues, and Celtic genres. One of the members of Peter Paul and Mary, apparently so overcome with a powerful inspiration in writing one of his songs, once started a foundation for songs that are inspired by spirits “calling from a distant place.” This is the kind of music emith features, ethereal but rootsy, lyrically compelling but catchy, and full of humor, passion and a certain kind of chemistry. Described with influences as wide-ranging as Fleetwood Mac meets acoustic Led Zeppelin, Aimee Mann, Emmylou Harris, and BB King all in one kind of edgy sandwich, the act has received airplay on a nationally syndicated traditional radio show, been covered on an NBC news broadcast for their comedic song “San Bernardino”, and been named one of Zoe’s Essentials on radioio acoustic. They won a Garageband award in 2004, were nominated for Enchantress Radio’s “Artist of the Year”, and were featured in last year’s Inisheer International Songwriters’ Retreat, co-writing several songs with overseas artists, including Swedish Grammy winner Merit Hemmingson. Haverty has recently been announced as an ASCAP PLUS award winner.

The act has an EP in limited release (“Connecting”) and is working on their first full-length recording. Bassist Sheldon Gomberg is producing (Five For Fighting, Beck, Eleni Mandell), and contributing players include drummer Kendall kay (Kenny Burrel, John Faddis, Phil Upchurch, Rickie Lee Hones), piano/keyboards/organist Jeff Young (Jackson Browne, Sting, Shawn Colvin), percussionist Danny Frankel (Laurie Anderson, Beck, Jewel, Don Cherry), and Mark Goldenberg (Jackson Browne, Julia Fordham). emith has toured throughout the western half of the US and to other destinations including Ireland, New York and Chicago. In August 2005, they opened for national touring act the Steve Kimock band in Colorado, and in January 2006, the act was featured at Russ & Julie’s, a nationally-known stop on the house concert circuit.