Harpeth Rising is something new. Their sound, comprised of violin, banjo, cello and drums is both recognizable and undefinable. Jordana Greenberg (violin, vocals,) and Rebecca Reed-Lunn (banjo, vocals,) started the band as just a duo under the name Sisters Grimm, busking their way across the United States in the summer of 2007. They then spent a year on Maui, performing, writing songs and developing their sound. Within their short stay in Hawaii, they were featured in Maui Times, Maui News, Maui Weekly, and made numerous live recordings for Mana’o Radio. They returned to the Mainland in 2008, moving to Nashville, TN. It was their great fortune that two of their friends and fellow musicians from Indiana University moved to Memphis around the same time. Ruth Valente Burgess (cello) and Christopher Burgess (hand drums) became permanent members of the band, creating the group that would become Harpeth Rising. The quartet performs regularly throughout the United States, drawing audiences in with music that is somehow timeless and still utterly unique. Their debut album, Harpeth Rising, is a collection of passionate, intricately arranged original songs. They are crying for change, questioning the past, and tracking down the revolution, via delicate harmonies and blazing instrumentals.
Harpeth Rising are a collective that have chosen a timeless sound as foundation for their music. The quartet mix violin, banjo, cello and hand drum to support the words and the blend of harmonies. Maybe it is the Celtic texture or the airy delivery but the word most people keep coming back to in this sound is “magic.” The music is a soundtrack for both Beltane and a midsummer night’s eve. Though their sound comes from the mists of time as much as from the mists of the forest, Harpeth Rising infuse a modern sense of structure and intuitive arrangement, both musical and vocal. The music offers strength while the delicate vocals bring tenderness.
Harpeth Rising recently returned from a tour of the UK, where they were acclaimed as “absolutely fabulous”, “brilliant” and “…some of the best three-part harmonies we’ve heard…” They were invited to return to play the prestigious Cambridge Folk Festival in Summer 2011. This year they were voted ‘Best Local Band’ in Nashville, Tennessee, appeared on the critically acclaimed shows “Music City Roots,” and “Nashville Traditions” and completed successful US tours of the Midwest, South, and Northeast. The ensemble’s debut album was released in 2010, and is available on iTunes and at live shows.