Statue of Liberty

Pure, Sweet, & Simple – the way only beautifully inspired and realized music can be, lifting the human spirit and rising a smiling sun. Pure, songs of a gentle perspective, eyes open to splendor with compassion and empathy. Gorgeous singing naturally springing forth from the founders and leaders, guitarist Bobby Bradford (BlackBloom) and pianist Marywood Kate, harmonies drenched in sweet sincerity. The clear, honest, simple observations of very aware youth still standing, torch alight in the storm.

Additional artistry joins Statue of Liberty as they play on stage, with vividly melodic guitar player Jim Herlihy (The Get Down Easy’s), and elegantly luscious mandolinist Brandon Hagen (The Get Down Easy’s, BlackBloom, and The Patent Pending (newly minted name, formerly Brandon Hagen Band) - Westward Bound (Outbound) EP free download: BrandonHagenMusic.Bandcamp.com). The musicians rounding out the roster on The Up State, which also has Bradford adding a little electricity to the ‘astrocoustic’ mix, are Jimmy Finelli (drums), Ry Dill (bass), and Scott Miller (also from BlackBloom; auxiliary piano, synthesizer, producer & engineer).

Statue of Liberty is a warm spring shower, interlacing delicious melodies among tone-splashed flowers, an instant memory of a happy afternoon… - www.coloradomusicbuzz.com - Erik Errickson

Playing guitar and piano respectively, the two share vocal duties to create blissfully sweet vocal harmonies. - www.ourstage.com - Kevin Waite

Statue of Liberty started the evening, an early start at that, as the sun was still shining brightly outside and sunlight made its way to the stage through the open venue doors. I usually get to the show before the opener begins and although I came straight from work, Monday's early start meant I missed the first fifteen minutes or so of Statue of Liberty's set. I'd listened to their The Upstate EP a few times before catching the live set and had an idea of what to expect. The singer-songwriter joined with a female vocalist aspect of this band instantly made me think of She & Him - albeit a more peppy, pop-like, sparkly She & Him based off what I'd heard on the recordings.

Seeing Statue of Liberty live was a different story, but in a good way. They didn't have any of the extraneous production that was present on their recording - no drums, no bass, no electric guitar. It was simply Bobby Bradford on acoustic guitar, Marywood Kate on keyboard, and the occasional inclusion of Brandon Hagen on mandolin. Honestly, I thought what I heard live was much better, more wholesome, and more organic than the studio versions. The mandolin was a nice touch, making the group come off more like a folk band than something between folk and pop rock.

They performed songs off of The Upstate EP and included some other unreleased material. My favorite song off of the EP was "Thick of It All", and it was definitely a standout in their performance with the minimalist guitar/keyboard/mandolin setup. It turns out that was the very first song Bradford and Kate wrote together, and you could tell it was an important song to this group by their heartfelt delivery. I also really enjoyed a song they haven't yet released titled "The Days Gone By". If there was a "trance" category in folk music like there is in electronic music, this song would be it. It had an awesome psychedelic intro that really captivated me. Statue of Liberty just recently (the day before the show, in fact) moved to Denver, so although they are originally from Iowa, they now call Denver home. Hopefully their experience here will help add new dimensions to their music allowing them to really progress their sound. I like what they have going so far and especially like their music without the extra glitter. I'm eager to see if that works into their identity in the future.
- www.concertedeffort.com - Peter Washington

Sometimes you wake up hung-over on a Sunday morning after a long night out on the town shooting Jame-O to find out that one of your friends has a great little band that is starting to really make some beautiful music. So you sit in front of your computer with your eyes barely open and it feels like someone is smashing concrete cinder blocks in your skull. Then you press play. As the music fills your room and you let it surround your soul, you close your eyes, the pain in your head starts to slowly fade away and the day doesn't seem quite as miserable as it did when you woke up. When music can cure a hangover that bad, you know you are listening to something that good.

That is the story of my first experience listening to "Thick of It All" by Statue of Liberty. Bobby Bradford (guitar/vocals) and Marywood Kate (piano/vocals) make up the duo out of Des Moines, IA (who last I heard are relocating to Boulder, CO). Every time I listen to their wonderful EP "The Up State", I want to make a trek of my own cross-country and ride into the setting sun. Bradford's guitar playing is top notch and his bluesy vocals have the soul of a seasoned veteran. Kate's harmonies are too good to be called backing vocals and are like rays of sunshine bursting out of your speakers. Americana Folk Rock at it's best.

Do yourself a favor and try to catch this band live if you can and listen to "The Up State" over at www.statueoflibertyband.com. Any pain in your head should quickly be relieved by listening to the songs below.
Notable tracks are "Back to You", "Time Carries On", and "Thick of It All". - www.sleepingisgivingin.com - Steve Maviano

I’m a sucker for the XX/XY duo, especially when they have that wailing folky guitar. I write and I write and I write about these girl boy bands and it never ceases to amaze me that I just can’t get enough of them. Statue of Liberty hail from Des Moines, IA. They started as a solo project and then they joined forces to create a quick EP with an album on it’s way. Their two tracks are below. I liken them to this new and watered down version of TV On The Radio with a sprinkle of Paste Magazines finest bands. They do a lot of jockeying for vocal leads, but Bobby seems to always win. They’re male led and they sound great. Enjoy them. - www.newbandday.com