Harmony - Harmony

Catalogue No:

CASA018

Label:

Casa Del Disco

Release Date:

1/7/2011

Format:

CD

Track Listing

1. Painted Blue
2. Black Bobs
3. Fourteen
4. Grand Designs
5. No Hope
6. Ghosts On Mainstreet
7. Extinction Debt
8. Cacophonous Vibes
9. Heartache
10. Miss The Sting
11. On Love In Your Absence

Info

Harmony officially commenced, in legally binding terms in 2009, when Tom Lyngcoln (The Nation Blue) and Alex Kastaniotis were married. Deciding to create new material, the two newlyweds would write and record a song each Saturday until they had enough for an album and a 7”. Since the beginning of 2011, Harmony are hitting their stride, with the successful release of their ‘Cacophonous Vibes’ 7” earlier this year, and now the release of their self-titled full length.

In early 2010, Lyngcoln approached Jon Chapple (McLusky) to play bass in the band. He signed up as soon as he heard the recordings. Lyngcoln also approached three friends to provide a traditional set of backing vocals as a counterpoint to the tired bass, drums & guitar format that he had employed for almost 20 years. All three agreed. The first of the three members was Maria Kastaniotis (his sister-in-law), who he use to hear walking the halls of the family home, belting out a wailing cacophony. In similar fashion, Quinn Veldhuis’ wonderful voice was heard in a house they shared. The final inclusion was Amanda Roff, one half of the Ukeladies, her vocals were well documented and her outlook essential to Harmony. Legendary guitarist Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) also appears on the album, Tom describes this feat as a “high-water mark of my musical life”.

The songs were somber and downbeat, with flourishes of noise to ignite otherwise heavy proceedings. Harmony focused predominantly on a bleak and isolated form of balladry. The album was recorded and mixed by Tom and Matt Voigt (Cat Power, The Nation Blue, Oh Mercy). It was then too, that the band met for the first time and began rehearsing for their first infamous shows in Melbourne.