Family Band: “Night Song”
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For Family Band, it’s all about contrasts. The New York group is built around Kim Krans, a quiet artist-turned-singer, and her husband, Jonny Ollsin, a former heavy metal guitarist. The two hand-built a cabin in rural upstate New York to get away from it all, yet they often invite friends and families for impromptu parties and concerts. Family Band’s new album carries the contrasting theme further, from the title–Grace & Lies–to the dark-but-triumphant music.
Tension lies at the heart of Grace & Lies. With all the differing personalities in the band–including bassist and lap steel guitar player Scott Hirsch, who adds a distinctly country element to their sound–songwriting can be a difficult endeavor. That was apparent during the recording of the song “Again,” which the band tackled for WXPN’s web series Shaking Through. Tasked with writing and recording an original song in a day’s time, the trio–with help from Daniel Rossen from Grizzly Bear–argued and prodded, making for a testy environment. But the result was a gorgeous song, and one that now appears on the new album.
Kicking off the record is a track that might be the best distillation of the group’s dynamic. “Night Song” is a minimal affair, but you can hear input from every bandmember. Family Band more than lives up to its name–despite the musicians’ differences, they’re all a family at the end of the day.
Grace & Lies doesn’t see a release until July 24, but we’re giving you this sneak peak as today’s Song of the Day.
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