the Old Believers
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the Old Believers

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""My Favorite New Band""

Every once in a while you're out at a show and you just by chance see a new band or artist you've never heard before. And they are so good, you just can't believe it. You're looking around at other people watching, thinking, "does anyone else know how fucking good they are?" This happened last night at the new Ace Hotel everyone has been raving about.
We didn't see much of the hotel, but we caught a set by the Old Believers. 2 kids with guitars, probably about 19 years old, singing simple but unique songs with beautiful harmonies. Think Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, but without the overwrought Dust Bowl fixation.
- graffititable.blogspot.com


""Some Songs by the Old Believers""

“Some Songs by the Old Believers” is a compilation of blessedly transparent and autobiographical songs—the kind of unselfconscious poetry one hopes will not be squelched by renown. Lyrics on original tracks like “Love Me Sweet” and “Til We Go Home” are rife with nostalgic imagery, heartache and the resolve of a resilient heart.

The music keeps pace beautifully with the mood of the lyrics. Hypnotic lullabies accompany words of inward soul searching, then build to a fuller, layered sound punctuated by the impeccably timed lap steel riff or apartment choir harmonies as the focus shifts outward and onward. One listen to these six songs has us looking forward to some more songs by the Old Believers.
- Ettie Hayle


"Couple Mixes traditional folk into modern experiment"

Couple mixes traditional folk into modern experiment

By Brandon Seifert
Daily News correspondent

Published: December 13th, 2007

Nelson Kempf and Keeley Boyle aren't just folk musicians; they're folksy, a pair of baby-faced, fair-complexioned kids, the sort you want to call "youngsters." Boyle in her dresses and Kempf in his sweaters and tie are the picture of idyllic Americana -- apart from the tattoo of a magpie on Kempf's forearm that grounds them firmly in the present.

This torch-carrying for tradition is also summed up in the name of their boyfriend-girlfriend, two-guitar folk duo -- the Old Believers.

"I think it has a sort of vague, all-encompassing spiritual power," Kempf said on the phone from Portland, Ore., where the couple currently resides.

The two christened themselves after the Old Believer sect of Russian Orthodoxy, which has many adherents on the Kenai Peninsula, where Kempf and Boyle hail from originally. They aren't part of the faith (Kempf describes them both as agnostic) so the name is more about nostalgia and the weight of history.

While neither is technically old -- Kempf is 19, Boyle 20 -- these Old Believers play a style of folk that flows from the wellspring of the genre's past, with a sound and ambience that carry the weight of bygone days they weren't alive for, of an age they haven't reached yet. Their sound is immediately recognizable, but it's not one their fans have been able to pin to a certain seminal artist.

Matt Hopper, icon of the young Alaskans music scene, is an Old Believers follower who doesn't struggle when asked to describe the group's sound.

"Somewhere on the ladder of tender, gentle music and beautiful melodies and leads, there's a rung with (the) Old Believers' name on it," Hopper said. "They have an organic, homespun quality ... that harkens back to a more innocent time."

This month, the duo return to their old country -- Alaska -- opening for Hopper on his mini-tour of the state.

The Old Believers started in the duo's hometown of Kenai, then moved to Portland last year before it played a single Alaska show. Previously, Boyle and Kempf were in a high school alt-folk four-piece called the Tim Sturm Band. After the members graduated in spring 2006, they traveled to Cider Mountain Recorders in Athol, Idaho, a "destination studio" that also functions like a musician's lodge and retreat. The band recorded and worked at the studio from August through December, until members of the rhythm section decided they wanted to go back to school.

After returning to Kenai for the holidays last year, Boyle and Kempf chose to go it alone.

"That kind of forced us to play folk music because we didn't have all the backing," Kempf said. "Plus," he added, "(folk) was really our main interest anyway."

The two moved to Portland in early 2007 but only started playing out in June. In the short time since then, they've made surprising progress. They quit their day jobs and are now paying the bills by playing music. Kempf adds that the shows are consistently full of fans they've never seen and even representatives of North Carolina's Yep Rock Records and other indie labels have expressed support, though nobody's hinted at a deal yet.

The Old Believers recently helped book a couple of Portland-area shows for Hopper, who also moved away from Alaska to pursue music. Hopper reciprocated, recruiting them for a brief California tour in October and now the upcoming Alaska dates.

After that?

"I've got lots of plans," Kempf said, in a voice that suggested a smirk. "I've actually got the next five albums planned."

This first is an extra-long EP they'll make in January. Kempf will pull the hard drives that hold the unfinished Tim Sturm Band sessions out of his closet and he, Boyle, and some Portland guest artists will complete them. Kempf says the album will be different than the usual Old Believers fare -- for one thing, he'll be sequencing electronics.

It might sound strange, a traditionalist pair dabbling in sequencing. But that inked magpie on Nelson's arm underlines that these throwbacks to a simpler time are clearly living in the present.

"At first we told our families that this was an experiment," he said, "but it's really not. It's what we're doing. It's kind of what we have to do."

http://www.adn.com/play/music/features/story/157316.html - Anchorage Daily News


"Back Home Again"

Back home again
Kempf, Boyle return as Old Believers

LAURA FORBES
For the Peninsula Clarion


Many families will welcome home their loved ones in the coming weeks. This weekend, peninsula music afficianados will have the opportunity to catch up with two of their own: Keeley Boyle and Nelson Kempf once of the Tim Sturm Band, now The Old Believers will play two shows with Matt Hopper and Kate Earl.

For the last year, Boyle and Kempf have been out in the wide world building their lives in music. For young, Alaska-based musicians, this can be a daunting pursuit. Boyle and Kempf, however, seem to be on the right track.

"We have been playing lots and lots and lots of music, really enjoying ourselves. I finally got to quit my full time job about two and a half months ago. And we're just playing music that's all we're doing. I've been very happy," Boyle said.

It's a different bag now that Boyle and Kempf are out on their own.

"We kind of had to reformat all our songs, and now we do things, you're in a totally different ballgame, performing as two people, rather than four, without the drums and the bass. So it's definitely affected the way we perform. I suppose we've probably become a little more creative with our stage presence and the way we present the songs," Boyle said of some of the changes they've made.

"We've developed a lot as song writers, so I think the songs are a lot better. I'd say they still sound like our songs ... we did a lot of covers, we were a cover band, so I think we've really come into our own. As far as genre goes, I think we were kind of leaning toward a similar thing ... we had a whole band so we had the ability to make bigger sound," said Kempf.

Currently, The Old Believers have a folksy, Americana sound. Boyle cites Wilco and Billie Holiday among their influences. They don't like to limit themselves, however. Kempf said they listen to whole spectrum of genres and styles, and look forward to the possibilities the future will show them.

According to Kempf, the way they write music has developed. He describes Boyle as being a consistent songwriter, while his inspiration comes in bursts.

"In the Tim Sturm Band, it was basically my songs with the whole band accompanying, or her songs. We've really started to mesh. She'll start writing a song, and then I'll hear something and come in, write some on to that, or maybe I'll need help with a melody and ask her to sing something. I'll steal from her melody a little bit and take that my own direction," Kempf said.

The Old Believers are getting used to life on tour.

"Luckily we both really like to travel, and see new things ... We've traveled to Montana and Idaho, California, and Washington, and different places in Oregon. It's been pretty cool to kind of travel the West Coast a little bit, and I meet great, new people everywhere we go. I've been enjoying it," Boyle said.

As they grow into their career, Kempf and Boyle are building their associations with other musicians. The relationship they've developed with Matt Hopper has proved to be a good jumping-off point for The Old Believers.

"We met Matt, probably our senior year of high school. We found him on the Internet, and just fell in love with his songs. He's a great songwriter. So we Myspace-messaged him, and invited him to come play a show with us in Kenai. Nelson booked it at The Landing, and we had a great show, great turnout, Matt played great, and ever since then he's been kind of a I'd say a musical big brother," Boyle said. "He gives us advice whenever we need it. He took us on a little mini-tour of California with him kind of our first little tour. He's always just been there for us. We enjoy playing with him. We're planning to release a split EP with him, sometime next year."

The Old Believers played a sold-out show in Anchorage last weekend at the Alaska Wild Berry Theater with Hopper and Kate Earl, a musician who grew up with Hopper in the Mat-Su Valley. Hopper and Earl will tour the peninsula with The Old Believers, as well.

"Kate Earl is typically, on her album, she's got a nice big pop sound. The full band and all that. So she's going to have a more stripped down arrangement, she's just going to be on piano and guitar. She's got an amazing voice. She's really enjoyable to listen to," Kempf said.

The Old Believers will only be back on the peninsula for a short time. They look forward to a full schedule of touring both on their own and with other artists when they return to the Portland area. They'll be releasing a CD called "Eight Golden Greats" Kempf describes as a "classic country album anchored in modern times," with a hint of Patsy Cline meets Beach Boys meets electronic sound.

As their music careers build, Boyle and Kempf will look to friends both old and new, to continue their momentum.

"A lot of what separates us from the bigger artists is the networks that they've worked to build. That's what we' - Peninsula Clarion


"The Old Believers, “Til We Go Home,” from Some Songs by the Old Believers"

Just listening, it’s awfully hard to believe that the Old Believers are actually really darn young (like, under 21 young). But Nelson Kempf and Keeley Boyle seem to truly believe in their own old souls, and the couple/duo’s music is all the better for it.

Part of the Alaska-to-Portland transplant scene, Kempf and Boyle somehow possess naturally world-weary voices, and both employ and old school Nashville twang—often over the simple strum and pluck of an acoustic guitar and spare, brittle percussion—without a hint of cheese. Perhaps growing up in a cold, dark place will do that to ya.

And that giant state is (presumably) the subject of this particular number, “Til We Go Home.” Seemingly recalling civilization after time on the road, Kempf bellows, “You might find yourself in need of streets, my dear,” with an inflection that’s subtly reminiscent of Cub Country’s Jeremy Chatelain (also the bassist for Jets to Brazil). Boyle then chimes in with a soft but strong tone that sounds quietly knowing and secretly, deeply sorrowful.

The two then join up for some down-home, lovely harmonizing: “We’ll keep on pressin’/ Til there’s nowhere to go/ And we can sing a song that brings us home,” they tell each other chillingly. It sounds as if they’re trying to reassure each other and themselves simultaneously, and the result is something both achingly sad and undeniably pretty—and, most of all, wise. Old souls, indeed.
- Wilamette Week


""The Old Believers""

Wednesday night, I went to a lovely show and saw The Old Believers. Watching them puts you into a trance- stunned by their talent and how damn good the music is. Its hard to believe that it is just 2 people up there. Their jangly sound is achieved by some multi-tasking, using tambourines, foot stomping, harmonicas and a small accordion. I felt as though I was in a field of daisies with blue skies and fluffy clouds. All their songs are just so beautiful and folky. Everybody listening was drawn to the stage giving them their full attention and even helping with some foot tapping. Too bad they aren't old enough to hang around Berbati's for the rest of the show. They are more like The "Young" Believers but with an old fashioned sound. I didn't get a chance to meet them but maybe I will be able to catch them for an interview one day and find out where these fresh-faces oldies are from. - PDXPOLE.com


""The Old Believers""

[FOLK] Keeley Boyle is lamenting the passing of another year.
“My birthday’s coming up, and I’m so depressed,” the singer says with a mournful little sigh. “Seriously, I don’t want to get any older!” Then she smiles sadly, almost like she’s trying to be brave.
In the golden age of body augmentation and Botox, her statement isn’t all too surprising…except for the fact that Boyle, one half of local folk duo the Old Believers, is turning 20. Her baby-faced partner and bandmate, Nelson Kempf, is a decrepit 19. The fresh-faced pair appear as if they’ve stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting, complete with rosy cheeks, argyle sweaters and an old-timey sound that calls to mind the good ol’ days of banjo porch-picking and Mom’s apple pie. The two songwriters began performing together in a blues-rock band during high school. And while their peers were signing up for Calc 101 and picking out dorm-shower caddies, Kempf and Boyle were packing their belongings into a run-down car and driving away from their hometown of Kenai, Alaska—heading out into the world to give music a go.
Lucky for Portland, they ended up here.
While Boyle lists her folk-singing father as a main influence and Kempf initially played punk riffs in a band called the Droogs, the duo’s sound evolved into the old-fashioned folk music that shines on its debut, Some Songs by the Old Believers. The lo-fi tracks, recorded in the couple’s one-bedroom Southeast apartment and released on their own label—Fine Romantic—are layered with rich harmonies, jangly tambourine, occasional harmonica and eerie lapsteel. Boyle’s voice is absolutely beautiful—with a bell-clear tone and tender inflection reminiscent of a starry-eyed Jolie Holland—while Kempf provides a Ryan Adams-esque swagger with a grittier, bluesier drawl that would smell of whiskey…if its owner was of the age to partake. And the goosebump-inducing blend of the two on “Gettin’ Older (That’s All (Babe))” is so perfect you’ll overlook the cutesy title (Two Parenthesis? (Really?)).
Cuteness aside, the aptly named Old Believers are sage souls in young bodies, with lovely, poetic lyrics and delicately crafted melodies. “Someday we’ll let out into the air,” they sing sadly on “Gettin’ Older,” “and our sweet love will seep into the ground.” “We’re just getting older, they croon reassuringly, “that’s all, that’s all”—almost like they’re trying to be brave.
- Willamette Week


""Some Songs by the Old Believers""

It’s easy, when listening to The Old Believers (the due of nineteen-year-olds Nelson Kempf and Keeley Boyle), to get lost in the idyllic nostalgia of the past. Their songs seem to slip through the momentary haze of the present and conjure up long-forgotten memories, carried along by wistful, effortless melodies and charmingly poetic lyrics. It’s music that’s content with itself, that doesn’t try to be showy or fashionable but, rather, to be honest - that quiet heartbeat in the background of our lives that few of us take the time to enjoy but, when we do, pays back surprisingly gratifying dividends. Add to this the fact that these songwriters are still young, and haven’t even hit their stride, and Some Songs becomes not only a competent recording, but an early artifact of what is sure to become a very formidable band.
Fantastic opener “’Til We Go Home” is a beautifully lush testament to the healing power of finding strength in others, exhibiting the Believers’ knack for refined, interwoven arrangements, carefully personal lyrics, and down-home naivete. It begins with Kempf offering words of reassurance to the listener, singing, “And though your bones are wet with cold / And your eyes are full of grey / They say the trees will hand you pink flowers in the spring.” It’s helpful encouragement for weary souls, a promise like a consoling hand on a knotted shoulder. Boyle finishes the verse by rising above empathy and offering some more direct encouragement: “So stand up straight inside your winter coat, my dear / Those smiles are strolling by, are smiling here / They found some love inside this town.” And then, in the chorus, the two voices join together over layered guitars, lazy shakers, and an almost silent accordion, singing, “I’ve got the message so misunderstood / And you’ve got the heart that beats like it should / We’ll keep on pressing ‘til there’s nowhere to go / and we’ll sing a song that brings us home.” This sort of call and response conversation between singers, leading to cathartic resolutions, is reinforced throughout the rest of the album, undoubtedly a primary focus of the band’s songwriting.
The second track, “Gettin’ Older (That’s All (Babe)), features harmonica, tambourine, and banjo parts that fade in and out of Boyle’s soft, wispy voice as she reassures her temperamental subject. “I’ll wait for you this time,” she sings, as Kempf harmonizes with her, lamenting on the restlessness accompanying those moments when the accumulation of days make themselves known, here in the form of “withering beds” and “knobby hands.” “Someday we’ll let out into the air / And our sweet love will seep into the ground,” she sings before the final chorus, a reserved “We’re just getting older, that’s all,” first sung alone, then with Kempf accompanying, as if offering a final concession.
“There It Is” follows with the most complex arrangements, and apparent influences, of the album. Kempf begins the first verse solo, describing a moment of clarity, free of desire, as he sings, “I just want to lie here lookin’ up / I don’t want everything, everything is not enough,” and offering seemingly senseless ponderings such as “That is a rocking chair and this is a cat” over ooo-ing backup voices suited for a Brian Wilson song. At the end of the chorus, Kempf sings “There it is,” and then with a hard guitar strum the song disintegrates into M. Ward – styled guitar noodling and tinkling bells. The second verse is an elaborately constructed tapestry of instruments, as guitars, both electric and acoustic, struggle for purchase with tambourines, bells, and Boyle’s distant, rattling harmonies. Though there’s a lot going on, the song never wavers as Kempf croons some of the best lyrics of the album.
The appropriately titled, somber “Waltz #3” begins with a peaceful, meandering guitar solo that reaches a manic climax before leading into the first verse. Kempf and Boyle stick to the low register as they sing, “There are moths fluttering ‘round by the window / We won’t let ‘em in, no we won’t,” simulated theremin moans echoing in the background. As they look forward to a resigned, content future full of dirt roads, “thirsty trees,” and tattered work clothes, a mandolin climbs skyward, blanketing the vibrant picture they’ve painted with the half-remembered outlines of peaceful dreams.
Though the entire album adheres to the hopeful message and simple song structures of traditional folk, no other song aspires to the simplicity of turn-of-the-century field recordings like “Pallet On Your Floor,” with its vocal, finger-picked acoustic line and personal, working-class lyrics. “Make a pallet down soft and low / Yeah, make me a pallet on your floor,” Boyle sings with bittersweet reservation, a harmonica moaning in time with stomping feet answering her request. As the song ends, Kempf backs her up to sing “My shoulders and my back are tired / Make a pallet so my wife won’t know,” establishing a relationship between narrator and su - Greg Evans


Discography

"Some Songs by the Old Believers" EP
2007, Fine Romantic Recordings

Photos

Bio

Despite the name, the Old Believers are quite young, and on an average day, really don’t believe in much, but their music resonates with a power and sincerity that would make anyone a fervorous believer. Now calling Portland, Oregon home, Keeley and Nelson originally hail from Kenai, Alaska, where they have played with artists of all shapes and sizes, including Khaki King, Shiny Toy Guns, Tim Easton, the Duhks, and Confederate Railroad. The Old Believers maintain a sound from anytime and everywhere, while they are unmistakably here and now. Their honest, pop framework is outfitted with aesthetics of blues, americana, old-time, and jazz, with songs ranging from warm, embracing folk ditties to noise wrenched, desperate country ballads. Under the guidance of Dylan, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday, and Mississippi John Hurt, the Old Believers are singing a brand new song like it’s tradition.