Him & Her

Songwriters In The Round, Day 14 – The Kerrville Folk Festival has famously attracted performing songwriters as audience its entire forty-four years. Read my previous post about why this may be so. This year, one evening on the Threadgill stage was given to six such professionals, musicians who play hard in their own home towns, then attend KFF (for twenty years or more) to be heard around the campfires. Him & Her, the collaboration of songwriter, guitarist-vocalist Brenda Freed and harmonica player Michael D’Eath, delivered the bluesy freedom statement “Train I’m On” and romantic “Picture of Love” among their numbers. I was especially ready for Brenda’s new “I Saw You In A Falling Star,” a sweet tribute with the musicality of early 1900’s Americana. Bernice Lewis‘s “I Wanna Be In The Band” was a welcome slice of a girl musician’s story. Rob Lytle shared gentle humor with “Daddy Was A Boy Once,” and so did Martin Swinger with “Betty Boop And Buda” and “Little Plastic Part.” The versatility and camaraderie of the players was enjoyable, as Michael and Doug Coppock accompanied on harp and guitar, respectively, and Brenda, Rob and Martin harmonized. I caught Rob after the concert. He felt that the coherence of the assembled songs, the easy collaboration of the artists, was a matter of these pros being of similar mind. No longer overly concerned with their careers as a reason to be at the festival, they were free to share. http://everybodysfolkmusicblog.org/page/2/

Review of Him & Her 2015 Kerrville Folk Festival In The Round Performance by Jenni Mansfield Peal - Jenni Mansfield Peal

Remember Brenda Freed, the songbird from Blanco who once played Specht’s Store and other venues in the San Antonio area? She is now working in a duo called Him & Her with Michael D’Eath, her harmonica playing husband, and the two are currently promoting their first cd, a 14-song work titled On Solid Ground. Action Magazine has never purported to be a music magazine which recommends or decries anyone’s work, so the traditional record reviews column has never been a part of this publication. But like its title cut, Freed and D’Eath have released a recording of original Texas music which is a solid demonstration of both vocal and instrumental talent. Brenda’s voice is pleasing, her lyrics are crisp and thoughtful, and D’Eath doesn’t commit the crime most prevalent among amateur harp players. He is a pro who has worked with Texas greats such as Shake Russell and Jon Inmon, and he doesn’t override his wife’s voice with an instrument which can kill a vocalist if it is not played correctly. On Solid Ground is available at www.HimandHerTX.com, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other popular digital download sites. - Sam Kindrick - Action Magazine San Antonio

As the summer music festival season approaches it is a great time to discover new music. These festivals provide more than just good music though. There is an experience surrounding yourself with like minded people to enjoy the sights. sounds, and good times of a day out with music. Sometimes even more amazing things happen such as the story of our recent find Him & Her.
The story begins with Iowa native Brenda Freed taking a 9000 mile bicycle trip and surprisingly discovering the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. She decided to stay in Texas and pursue a singer/songwriter career there as well as teaching lessons in voice, piano, and guitar. Years later at the same Kerrville Folk Festival in 1999 Brenda met local harmonica player Michael D’Eath. Musical sparks flew and the two were married a year later. Together them now perform as Him & Her out of Albert, Texas. Their sound is described as a jazzy, bluesy, swingy, folksy one that has been catching on with new fans.
Last week the duo released their album On Solid Ground to share that sound with even more fans. The 14 track record is a full slate of music to set your mind at ease. The opener “Picture Of Love” sets the tone right away with the sweet vocals of Brenda Freed and the impressive harmonica skills of Michael D’Eath. There are stories to be told in their music as on such songs as “Forward Kinda Girl” and “A Few Kind Words”. The themes may be very different but the listener is drawn into the story just the same. The blues sound really shows its head on my favorite track “Walkin”. The vocal and harmonica play off each other perfectly. The album closer is the title track “On Solid Ground”. This one ties it all together with a taste of all the styles they are known for. Go take a listen for yourself at: http://www.himandhertx.com/ - ProfitbyEnergy on Fiverr and IndieBandGuru