The Harmed Brothers

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The Harmed Brothers (LP)

“We’re just a couple of storytellers trying to make sense of the world through music.”

That succinct description from Ray Vietti aptly sums up the sentiments expressed by The Harmed Brothers, the band he helms alongside musical partner Alex Salcido. Their’s is a sound conveying both honesty and conviction, a heartfelt homage to both the promise and uncertainties that cross people’s paths as they encounter life in the new millennium. It’s music that’s accessible and yet compelling, invested with the intrinsic qualities that make their material vital, relevant and resolute the first time one hears it and every time thereafter.

The Harmed Brothers’ upcoming eponymous album (due April 21 on Fluff & Gravy) provides an accurate summation of that stance. A collection of songs both old and new, it finds the band fully charged, thanks to revved up arrangements and a more dynamic posture than ever before “We wanted to give some of the older songs a new skin,” Vietti insists. “And then push them into the direction we think we’ve all been heading in along with the new stuff.”

Along with three previous albums — All The Lies You Wanna Hear (2009), Come Morning (2012) and Better Days (2013, also their debut offering for their new label, Fluff & Gravy), as well as a recent EP, A Lovely Conversation (2016) — The Harmed Brothers underwent various shifts in personnel, even as they amassed an ever-growing legion of fans and followers. Nevertheless, their sound often defies any ready definition. It can be the product of a jangly acoustic trio one night, the full assault of a full tilt rock ‘n’ roll band another, and simply two seasoned singer/songwriters on still others.

“With those early records, we never wanted to budge on creating something that we couldn’t recreate on a stage,” Vietti explains. “I couldn’t draw the line between the album and performance as being separate pieces of art. If we couldn’t do it again, I didn’t want us doing it. Alex, on the other hand, always wanted to make it bigger. But as we grew and edged closer and closer to becoming more of a full band, we both started wanting the same things. So this new record is closer to what we are shooting for these days. Where before we leaned on the simplicity and a less-is-more approach, we’re now taking chances. The canvas has grown bigger and bigger.”

“What this album grew into is a snapshot of where we are now as band, rather than as a duo,” Salcido suggests. “It’s about where we are headed and how we want our sound to evolve.”

Recorded at Fluff & Gravy Studios with label chief and producer John Shepski at the helm, the upcoming album finds Vietti and Salcido’s new material fitting comfortably alongside songs that originally appeared on the out-of print All The Lies You Wanna Hear, which originally featured only the two principals trading songs on acoustic guitars. In that sense, it forms a full circle. That self-released album has never appeared on streaming sites or iTunes, so for many fans this will be the first time hearing them. And to make the circle complete, it finds many former members of the band contributing to the sessions, growing it into a celebration of family and friends.

“To put some of these old tunes in a new light and have them sound even better than they did the first time around feels pretty dang good,” Vietti muses. “It just feels right. We decided we would have as many friends come and join in on the fun as we could. We’re not reinventing the wheel, but we’re not shopping at the same tire store either.”

The EP, A Lovely Conversation, released in October 2016 offered a glimpse of the new record. The EP itself features the first single from the album along with 6 b-sides (all recorded during the same album sessions and produced by John Shepski). The tried and true acoustic instrumentation that are the heart and soul of The Harmed Brothers remain, but they now form a bed for textures and layers that represent a turning point for the band. Nowhere is this more evident than the unshakeable single, “A Lovely Conversation”, with it’s layers of electric guitars, synths and keyboards. It’s a hint of things to come for a band that began in 2009 as a guitar and banjo duo, and now barrels toward an inspired and undeniable future.

Indeed, given all they’ve accomplished so far, and their optimistic outlook going forward, there’s plenty of tread left on these tires and lots of fuel in the tank as well.

“We just want to be able to continue to do what we love doing,” Salcido says. “We love getting out there and playing these songs to audiences big and small. And we love making records. This is really our only job and its the best possible job either of could imagine.”

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The Harmed Brothers

1. Greetings from Mardi Gras (5:42) [explicit]
2. Adopt a Highway (3:43)
3. A Lovely Conversation (4:52)
4. In the Wind (3:13)
5. Cryin’ Shame (3:33) [explicit]
6. Elvis the Lion (5:53)
7. A Life in Progress (5:21)
8. Don’t Wanna Be Lonesome (3:00)
9. When I Get Back (3:19)
10. Sunshine (3:48)

BOLD = focus track

Tracks 1,3,5,6,7,8 written by Ray Vietti (Fluff and Gravy Music, BMI)
Tracks 2,4 written by Alejandro Salcido (Overcome By Gravy, ASCAP)
Track 9 written by Alejandro Salcido/Ray Vietti (Fluff and Gravy Music, BMI, Overcome By Gravy, ASCAP)
Track 10 written by Ray Vietti / Zach Kilmer (Fluff and Gravy Music, BMI)

Ray Vietti – Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Alex Salcido – Banjo, Vocals, Electric Guitar, Piano, Keyboards

Produced by John Shepski and The Harmed Brothers
Recorded at Fluff and Gravy Studios (Portland, OR) by Juniana Lanning and John Shepski
Mixed at Fluff and Gravy Studios by Juniana Lanning
Horns arranged by Paul Brainard

Additional Musicians:

Jake Beckwith – Fiddle (9)
Troy Broat – Bass (6)
Aaron Burtch – Drums (1,6,7,8,9)
Bobby Floyd – Drums (2,3,4)
Dane Talley – Electric Guitar (6)
Chad Lanning – Bass (2,3)
Taylor Kingman – Electric Guitar (6)
Jon Stinnett – Electric Guitar (6,7)
Juniana Lanning – Backing Vocals (2)
John Shepski – Noise Guitar (3), Bass (7), Backing Vocals (2)
Jesse Marshall – Upright Bass (5,8)
Billy Mickelson – Cello (1,5,9)
Anna Tivel – Violin, Octave Violin (1,5,9)
Jason Montgomery – Pedal Steel Guitar (4,6)
Jeff Colman – Mandolin (5,8)
Paul Brainard – Trumpet (6,8,9)
Mary Sue Tobin – Saxophone (9)
Bruce Withycombe – Baritone Saxophone (9)
Scott Van Schoik – Trombone (6,8,9)
Fluff and Gravy Firepit Singers (6,10)

(c)(p) Fluff and Gravy Music, BMI , Overcome By Gravy, ASCAP, 2017

Praise for The Harmed Brothers

“An exceptional effort, it’s further reason why The Harmed Brothers ought to ascend to the forward ranks of today’s great Americana auteurs” – Country Standard Time

“a rewarding listen. As they say, “sometimes the rotten truth makes for a real good time.” – Folk Radio UK

“What we hear on The Harmed Brothers is a band that has matured into serious songwriters capable of crafting songs that stay with you long after listening.” – Glide Magazine

Praise for A Lovely Conversation

“Insanely catchy… The Americana roots are still there, but the Indie-Pop hooks are on full display, beckoning summer to return for one more round.” – Glide Magazine

“Honesty and conviction are inherent elements of Americana music, but the ability to convey these emotions in a credible and convincing way is the challenge faced by every contender, often the divide that separates success from failure. Credit the Harmed Brothers for managing to make music so rich and resolute that there’s never any doubt as to where their intentions lie.” – Country Standard Time

Selected Reviews for Better Days

“Unlike the unmussed fashion-grass coming from the Mumfords of the world, there’s something rusty and raw in the Harmed Brothers’ songs, something hungry and a little wild-eyed” – Portland Mercury

“Better Days will slot in nicely to any collection that houses classic Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown, Uncle Tupelo (and their off-shoots) or the Avett Brothers. What it may lack in shocks, it more than makes up for in warmth and execution.” – Americana UK

“the fact that The Harmed Brothers haven’t achieved the popularity of, say, The Avett Brothers or The Lumineers remains as baffling as it is frustrating.” – Country Standard Time

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wTsAuOvzW8/youtube]

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFXTdPSB8VE[/youtube]

The Harmed Brothers